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House of Falafel
(Mediterranean cuisine)
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9
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408.446.2411
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| Meditteranean spot with monster sized portions and reasonable prices |
Reviewer: Jason
Total Reviews: 992
Reviewed: 3/4/2005
Rating: 9
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Once again we were out roaming around looking for a lunch hotspot and found a hidden jewel called House of Falafel. Judging from the grand opening sign, they are marketing geniuses or brand new to the area. Located in an old strip mall right across from Sears, House of Falafel is unassuming yet vibrant enough to attract hungry customers. We arrived around 12:40 and the place was packed.
With a good selection of mediterranean food at good prices, choosing one item was becoming a daunting task. I guess the thing that sold me was the rotating spit of chicken with the juices flowing down the side. Sounds gross but it was a sight to see for my growling stomach. The chicken shwarma plate comes with rice, hummus, salad, and pita bread for a sleek price of $8.99. Its about $1-2 dollars over my lunch limit but watching them them make a couple of plates, I knew i was getting my money's worth. The plates can easily be shared with 2 people or 1 sumo wrestler.
House of Falafel is the real deal and should not be missed. Their business card boasts the best falafel in town and they could possibly be right in stating that. Im sure I will be a regular here, the food is too good, the portions are massive, and the price is right.
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Reviewer: Terry
Total Reviews: 724
Reviewed: 3/4/2005
Rating: 9
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WOW. I have finally found THE place near work to munch on middle eastern cuisine. For this order, I went with the Veggie combination plate so I could sample a variety of things.
The first thing I noticed is that on each table is a large ketchup-sized bottle of tahini sauce and spicy sauce. Right on.
The food arrived quickly. The plate was overflowing with delights. Immediately I knew there was no way I could finish this plate. And if you been following my reviews, you know that means there's a lot of food. I immediately sampled everything. It all was ultra-delicious and full of flavor. Even the Baba Ganoush (sp?) which I usually don't like very much. I then sampled everything with tahini sauce. Then with the spicy sauce. The spicy sauce REALLY sneaks up on you. Its quite potent - and I like my food spicy.
I found the falafel balls to be only a tad greasy and very fresh tasting. Not crunchy.
The hummus was my one disappointment here. It tasted decent and fresh, but it didn't have enough flavor for me. I really like my hummus lemony and it seemed to be devoid of lemon. Not even much garlic. Just kinda blah unfortunately.
Price was reasonable for the amount of food that was on my plate. It could have easily been shared between 2 realistic people I think. I just went all out and polished off about 85% of it. Would I return? You bet - though this time I will go for the falafel sandwich. They looked REALLY good. No more hummus for me.
Even with that complaint I find House of Falafel to be a GREAT find and encourage you all to try it out if you're in the area. You don't even have to be in the mood for middle eastern food (I wasn't) - your mind will quickly change when you walk in the door.
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Reviewer: Humbucker
Total Reviews: 11
Reviewed: 10/13/2005
Rating: 9
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House of Falafel is my favorite falafel joint. I've gotten their falafel sandwich probably a dozen times and I've had it twice in the last two days alone. Eating their falafel can make a devout carnivore like myself believe in vegetarianism.
House of Falafel's falafel sandwich is served as a lavash wrap, as opposed to a stuffed pita pocket. Structurally, wrap-style falafel sandwiches are superior as pitas tend to fall apart or leak sauce Vivi's . HoF's falafel has a good amount of vegetables, but everything is very flavorful and you never end up with a big mouthful of bland Iceberg. I always get takeout, and HoF includes a small cup of their yogurt sauce and an even smaller cup of spicy red sauce. I've never gotten cups of sauce at any other falafel place. I love both of these sauces so I wish they gave you a larger cup of the hot sauce. I usually end up using up both of the sauces. The well-sealed tubular shape of the falafel wrap takes liberal saucing well: I can't imagine doing this with falafel in a pita without ending up with gunk all over my hands.
Hint: one side of the falafel wrap is left open. Make sure you apply sauce to and start eating at this end. If you start at the other side, by the time you get halfway through the sandwich a bunch of the sauce will have leaked out the other side.
What really makes HoF's falafel soar above all others is the quality of the falafel balls themselves. All too often, falafel is dry and dense Whole Foods ; like eating a wad of paper towel. Just as often, falafel is flavorless on it's own Mediterranean Wraps . HoF's falafel is perfectly seasoned with a hint of spicyness. And on a good day, the texture is PERFECTION. On these lucky occasions, the outside is crunchy and grainy like the breading on good fried chicken and the inside is tender and crumbly like cornbread. Forget that Garden-Soy-Boca-Mulch-Burger nonsense, this stuff taste's just like a charred hamburger! Even on the days when the falafel isn't quite fried this well, it's still better than any other falafel in the area. Also, HoF throws the sandwich on the grill taqueria-style for a couple minutes to toast the bread and heat the whole sandwich up, which makes all the difference. Some places serve a very similar falafel sandwich but they don't heat it up Gyro's House . As a result, it's just not as tasty.
At $5, HoF falafel is a steal and you will be stuffed. I swear, this falafel is as filling as all but the most monstrous taqueria burritos out there and it's probably a lot less bad for your health.
The inside of the place is pretty spare. It's not really the kind of place that beckons you to stay and dine in, which is a shame because their platters look awesome. Lots of food for a reasonable price.
If there's anything on the menu I would advise you to avoid it's the non-vegetarian sandwiches. They're acceptable, but they aren't that good and they're relatively pricey for the sparse portion of meat your're given. You won't be filled up by the meat wraps like you will with the falafel.
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Reviewer: DoctorJZ
Total Reviews: 24
Reviewed: 6/28/2005
Rating: 9
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Write the review here.
I Had the Lamb Shawerma wrap. Delicious and plenty large. If you like lamb, this is the spot for you. The plates here are huge. I have eaten here 5-6 times since i first tried the spot about a month ago, which is quite a bit for me. The shawerma is ready quickly as they are continually slow roasting lamb and chicken. the lamb kebab(grilled) is also quite tasty. This place is open late, which is nice. I recommend eating there instead of take out. this type of food is best when fresh. The people are charming and helpful, though their thick accents could be problematic for some locals who are not used to it. Wraps are $6-7 and plates are $9-11. This place is very inexpensive for the amount of food you get. |
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Reviewer: pyunnyhana
Total Reviews: 44
Reviewed: 3/1/2006
Rating: 8.5
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House of Falafel had a printed out review from Jatbar on their window! I thought that was cute haha.
My two friends and I went to HoF for an early lunch at 10:30am. We were skeptical about the opening since most places don't open until 11am, but luckily HoF opens at 10am, thank goodness.
Our visit was a very pleasant one as the owner made the effort to help us out with our orders since we were huddling around the menu like lost children looking at a map maze. Our orders were a falafel plate, chicken shawerma wrap, and beef shish kabob wrap.
My friend and I noticed two skewers with meat piled on like a pyramid. We were hopelessly MESMERIZED by it and must've stood there staring at the sight for five minutes straight in total awe. It defied the laws of gravity on how much meat was packed on! The worker would get the meat by slicing off the sides to use it for the wraps or plates.
The owner saw us gawking and started to laugh. Then he explained to us the process and that the meat is marinated for 24 hours before serving.
My falafel plate was 5.99 and was more than I could handle. FIVE falafel balls? Are you kidding me? The plate also came with a salad (red onion, cucumber, tomato, lettuce), hummus, and probably 6 halves of pita bread.
Falafel: it was fresh from the fryer, but the crust was so hard and thick. My plastic fork couldn't pierce through, but the insides was green and oh so good.
Hummus: I could tell it was homemade. I like my hummus a little more tangy (like Trader Joe's), but was still good with the pita, which was thin and soft. Just how I like it.
Salad: salad is salad.
Both my friends' wraps were huge, and I wish I could've gotten a bite.
About 11:15am, a whole group of men crowded in (probably about 8 ppl). Maybe it was the Jatbar guys? haha They all came in within minutes of each other and seemed to know each other, so I assume they're all co-workers who frequent this place a lot.
For dessert, I bought the Baklava (1.50) and I HAVE to say.. it was the BEST BAKLAVA I'VE EVER EATEN!! I would come back just for this thing. I wonder if they sell them by the dozen? I hope so! It was balanced in the nuts, honey and crispy dough. I enjoyed every bit of that little square of goodness. I went to a Greek place in SF a couple months ago and tried their baklava, but it was DRENCHED in honey and very hard to enjoy. HoF's baklava is worth coming back for, as well as their food. The owner's friendliness is also a plus.
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Reviewer: ne00
Total Reviews: 165
Reviewed: 9/21/2006
Rating: 8.5
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This is my first real taste of Mediterranean food as the closest I have come is at Yiassoo. Just as Humbucker wrote in the review, this is a lavash wrap and what looks like grilled tortilla wrap (although I could be wrong).
Imagine a burrito but stuffed only with chopped chicken, with a thin outer layer of lettuce, some onions and tomatoes. This is about the size of a regular burrito as well for only $5.99. This is definitely a great bargain for lunch or dinner.
I arrive at 7pm and all the tables outside filled with patrons. I decided on the Chicken Shawerma wrap. I wait about 5 minutes and my meal is ready to go. The wrap served with two sides of sauce, a creamy thin sauce and hot sauce. I sample the creamy thin sauce prior to pouring it in my wrap. The sauce smells a bit like Caesar dressing but it is thin and taste somewhat bitter.
The first two bites of the wrap tasted a bit stale but when I got to the parts with more chicken, it tasted a lot better. The chicken on its own is slice and diced to smaller consistency. The chicken is marinated, but on its own it is just average. The chicken is not the melt in your mouth type of chicken but flavorful and moist. When eaten together it tastes good and definitely worth the price of the wrap.
The amount of onions, tomatoes, and lettuce is just right; well maybe need more of it to add more fresh and crunchy taste to the wrap. They stuff this thing with a lot of chicken! Even eating the wrap from the open end first does not prevent the bottom from spilling out. The marinate juice and sauce slowly leaks first and then the whole wrap caves in with the amount of chicken they have in this wrap.
If the tortilla wrap was a on the moist side or they served the chicken with rice, that would get me back more often Will come back to try some other stuff.
Pluses: Large parking lot within a square, free soda refills, affordable prices.
Minuses: Cash only.
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Reviewer: wchane
Total Reviews: 141
Reviewed: 9/7/2006
Rating: 6.5
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A friend and I went here for dinner tonight, yes the jatbar review is up on that window and i don't think this one will end up getting posted.
To be blunt I was disappointed, but I may of ordered the wrong items.
My friend ordered the falafel wrap and myself the shish beef kabob wrap along with a plate of baba ganoush and hummus.
the baba ganoush had a bit of a burnt taste to it and lacked any spices. it was boring and bland.
the hummus was more of the same, i have never seen hummus so pale. it had no redeeming value just dull in taste.
- both of these items came in a generous amount, but the store bought pita bread that accompanied it was not enough. two toasted sliced for each plate.
I can not speak for the falafel kabob, but the beef in the wrap was dry, flavorless and chewy. i liked that they piled the wrap with greens and tomatos but the lavash bread also got dry fast.
I ended up dousing the | | |
