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Al-Fanoose
Categories: Restaurants Mediterranean Restaurants Moroccan Restaurants Middle Eastern Mediterranean, Moroccan, Middle Eastern [Edit]
531 Haight St(between Fillmore St & Steiner St)
San Francisco, CA 94117
Neighborhood: Lower Haight
(415) 255-7820
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 12 pm - 11 pm
Sat 12 pm - 1 am
Sun 11 am - 1 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
18 reviews for Al-Fanoose
18 reviews in English
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Review from Scott R.
San Francisco, CA
5/18/2012
This place is fantastic -- don't know why everyone's hating.
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Review from Nik G.
San Francisco, CA
12/16/2011
I got a falafel + potatoes & eggplant to go. The place isn't as divey as it used to be as Ali Baba's Cave, but it still has the scrawled chalkboard menu up top that isn't easy to read. Fortunately there are printed menus you can grab and go over.
The sandwich was kinda bland, even with the harissa sauce. It also fell apart in my hands, getting very messy. Truly Mediterranean remains my standard for a good falafel sancwich! -
Review from Murphy O.
San Francisco, CA
10/19/2011 6 Check-ins Here
Give this place a shot.
It looks a little sketchy but there are tasty lamb and beef shawarma's inside.
Big ones. -
Review from Michelle P.
San Francisco, CA
7/28/2011
This place is such an improvement from what it use to be (Ali Baba's.) The interior is warm and clean and the food is so much better! I have an obsession with North African cuisine - and here I can get those yummy little salads, falafel, and even Harira (they'll have it during ramadan.) There is even homemade baklava if you're lucky. :)
So if you come in and see a woman stuffing her face shamelessly in the corner with salads, harira and shawerma - don't mind me, I'm in food heaven. :) -
Review from Jeremy R.
San Francisco, CA
2/8/2012
Pretty good ... I would say 3.5 stars realistically ... the lamb schwarma was really tasty but the meat was a little fatty. I will give it another try at some point. If the meat was more tender and less fatty it would have been great
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Review from Joseph H.
San Francisco, CA
7/12/2011
This place looks pretty dumpy outside, but it's actually pretty clean inside and smells really good :)
I got the lamb and beef shawarma, spicy, with everything, a side of dolmas, and a piece of baklava because I was feeling fancy.
Everything was fresh and tasted good. I guess the meat could be slightly more tender, but it was still good. The dolmas are nice and citrusy and not dry at all (dry dolmas are my kryptonite).
The baklava is some of the best that I have ever had! The filo was super flaky and fresh. Lots of delicious honey without being soggy.
I was a bit skeptical by their awning and facade, but I was pleasantly surprised and will go back to try their falafel. -
Review from Mark G.
Denver, CO
7/27/2011
I'm veg; this is just a falafel review.
I don't have a clue what these other falafel reviewers are talking about, except that either they got a fresh batch, or they have very different standards for what a falafel should be.
I've lived in the Middle East, so I think I have a good standard- hot, fresh, crunch on the outside, moist and flavorful on the inside.
What I got at Al-Fanoose was exactly the same as what I got at Ali Baba's -bad falafel. Dry, lukewarm, and tasted like old reused frying oil that hadn't been changed all week. I only ate half of my pita and threw the rest away.
Most importantly, this place has the 3rd best falafel. Not in San Francisco. On this block! Best is Cafe International, 2nd goes to Palmyra at Pierce and Haight. Either one is a better option that Al Fanoose.
However, maybe their shwarma is divine. If you think its unfair to give only one star on the back of bad falafel, I respect that. But the falafel really was that bad.
Oh yeah, and the place is unattractive inside and makes you want to take it to go, which even the 4 and 5 star reviewers said.
Go someplace else. -
Review from John S.
San Francisco, CA
3/22/2011 ROTD 5/20/2011
Ali Baba's Cave is now Al-Fanoose Restaurant. I assumed this "change" was coming, as the receipts from ABC have had the name Al-Fanoose on them since at least last fall, but I'm kind of surprised they bothered to change the name.
It looks much nicer than it used to, at least on the inside. They've built a whole new counter, and the seating area is less thrown-together-looking than before. They've also rewritten the menu items on the chalkboard, which had faded to the point of annoying inscrutability.
The outside? Yuck. The new awning is . . . new. That's the only positive thing I'll say about it. While the old ABC logo had at least some style, if not verve, the new typeface looks like it came off the liquor-store assembly line. I find it hard to believe they paid money for this thing. And white on bright blue? What's that going to look like after a couple of years?
The food is exactly the same, which means it's wonderful. It's all about the super falafel. And fear not, Ali Baba's Cave reminiscers: The ABC on Valencia in the Mission hasn't changed its name (or its sign). Al-Fanoose prominently displays an under-new-management sign, but everything basically tastes and feels the same. That's pretty good. And although it's ugly from the outside, I appreciate the new interior cleanliness, although I fear it's only temporary. Oh, what the heck? Four stars it is. -
Review from Naomi F.
San Francisco, CA
1/6/2012
Lousy. I stopped here for lunch and got a falafel platter. The falafel was inedible and hard like it had been dropped in the fryer 5 times over the course of the day. The taboule was smushy. The best component of the platter was the bagged pita bread. There are definitely much better $7.50 lunches on Haight.
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Review from Jon T.
12/25/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I've walked by this place dozens of times on my way to other restaurants or bars. As a huge fan of falafel, I've always been interested in trying it out, hoping it would be one of my new favorite places. While it's not the best, it's a pretty good value for the price. The falafel wrap is huge, and you can get it with eggplant, fries, hot sauce, tahini and hummus (as well as onions and some other veggies.) It's not bursting with flavor like truly or sunrise, but it's still a good eat at $6.50 a wrap. Also, the person who made our wrap was super nice and that goes along way sometimes.
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Review from Jenna H.
San Francisco, CA
10/2/2011
This review is not about the food, simply because I never got to eat it. I ordered delivery from here on a quiet Sun night through GrubHub. After waiting for an hour, I get a call from GrubHub that Al-Fanoose has somehow cancelled my order and I won't be getting any food at all. Needless to say, I find this completely unacceptable. GrubHub went ahead and refunded my card and gave me a gift certificate on top of that, so my problem isn't with them. This place, however, better get their stuff in order. I will never try this place again.
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Review from Aaron J.
San Francisco, CA
9/1/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Not the best middle-eastern place in town, but they've got some decent meatspin on the spike. When in need of some solid shawarma, I'm a fan.
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Review from E. H.
Oakland, CA
7/22/2011
So I didn't even notice the outside awning and I can't say I care. Also, I live nearby so I avoid going when there are hundreds of wasted people at the nearby bars. So I haven't experienced their supposedly slow service.
Fact is, they load your Lamb Shawarma up and it's only eight bucks. All the ingredients are delicious. The criticisms of their lamb just have never been the case when I was there. It's flavorful and well-cooked, with some variety in texture. Browned on the outside, tender and juicy inside, which I love in shaved lamb. For $8. I didn't weigh the lamb but I'd guess there's well over half a pound. I can't eat the whole thing in one sitting and I'm a pretty big dude. Did I mention it's $8? In a day when folks are selling burgers for $10-$12 this is an amazing deal.
Awesome
The inside is nice. Very comfortable to hang out in and smells delicious. I have to say, I don't know why noone else rates this place 5 stars. This is kind of a take-out place and I think it fits its mission as well as it can.
Get everything on it but sub out fries for eggplant, just my opinion. -
Review from Gabriella C.
San Francisco, CA
6/8/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Super falafel wrap, extra spicy for $6.95. Score!
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Review from reza n.
San Francisco, CA
4/5/2011
I saw the change of management sign so I thought I would pop in and give them a try. Even though the food looks the same, I was very disappointed. Although friendly, they don't have a hang of things and it felt like forever waiting to get my order ready. When I got it, I was amazed at how little flavor there was in the lamb. It tasted more like soiled carpet rather than lamb. So dry. I even asked if their lamb was fresh and I got a yes. LIE. That thing must have been cooked and reheated a dozen times to have that texture.
I would give them 1 star, but they are just starting so I'll give them a chance to improve. -
Review from Dean A.
San Francisco, CA
8/12/2011
Great food, and quick delivery service.
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Review from Jimmy G.
San Francisco, CA
8/2/2011
I used to live in an apartment right next to Ali Baba's, and would eat there several times a week. However, after I moved... the quality of the food (and the establishment in general) seemed to progressively go downhill, So, it has been a while since I last ate here.
However, this weekend, while giving a tour of San Francisco to some relatives from Mississippi, I noticed that the awning and name was changed. As these relatives are quite picky about what foods they are willing to try, I hoped that that Shawerma, Hummus and Falafels, wouldn't be too radical for them. They weren't able to appreciate Sushi, Thai or Chinese cuisines.
They thought the food here was AMAZING, and it was generally a great experience for all of us.
I ordered the Lamb Shawerma Platter, Chicken Shawerma Platter, and the Falafel Platter. Each platter came with Rice, an assortment of salads, hummus and bread. We pulled some tables together in the back, and enjoyed the feast.
Being from Mississippi, I can't attest to the authenticity of the food. However, I can compliment them on a very tasty meal. The Lamb & Chicken was flavored nicely. They have a great hummus recipe! Unlike other places I've tried, the hummus was very smooth and creamy. The Falafels reminded my family of "Hush Puppies". I think these are balls of fried cornmeal in the South. In any case, we thought the Falafels were good.
Though I don't typically order dessert, I took the recommendation from the guy behind the counter to try the Moroccan Tea with Baklava. It was INCREDIBLE! It is a warm, lightly sweetened mint tea, which seemed to make the Baklava melt in your mouth. It was the perfect ending to a great meal.
To top that off, the two guys behind the counter were very helpful with recommendations, and accommodated our requests for "some more of that". I fed 5 adults and 2 child en, for under $40.
I also noticed some regulars in there that were eating the "Sandwiches", or I think they called them "Wraps". In any case, this used to be a favorite of mine too... It is kinda like a burrito. It is very tasty, filling, cheap and quick.
There have been obvious improvements to the facilities... Personally, I'm not a fan of the Blue Awning, as I think it sanitizes the experience with a Fast Food appearance from the outside.However, it is still very inviting inside. They seem to have gotten a new paint job, new decor, new tables, and new floor tiles.
They still have the little cubby hole in the back with the pillows, which really adds to immersive experience (at least for a guy from Mississippi).
I don't typically write reviews. But, I've been using Yelp a little more these days to find some interesting places to eat. And I figured I should start giving back. I really think that you will find the experience as pleasant as I did.
One negative thing... Parking... I would totaling recommend busing in or taking a Taxi. However, if you do take a car, there is a one way alley accessible from Steiner that seems to always have a spot open. Also, Haight is fairly busy, so... it should only take a couple of trips around the block to find someone leaving.
I hope this helps...
Jimmy G -
Review from Richard A.
San Francisco, CA
4/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
I think this place is perfect for a late night bite to eat. There falafels are one of the best by far.
