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Cafe Rakka
Categories: Restaurants Middle Eastern Restaurants Vegetarian Middle Eastern, Vegetarian [Edit]
81 St Marks Pl(between 2nd Ave & 1st Ave)
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhood: East Village
(212) 982-9166
- Nearest Transit:
-
1 Av (L)
Astor Pl (4, 6, 6X)
3 Av (L)
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 12 pm - 11:30 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Late Night, Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
48 reviews for Cafe Rakka
Review Highlights
"I have stopped in here for falafel for many years now."
(in 35 reviews)
"...offer other dishes: fava beans, chicken gyro, tabbouleh..."
(in 3 reviews)
"The hummus was very smooth and creamy."
(in 18 reviews)
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48 reviews in English
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Review from Ben B.
9/23/2011 4 Check-ins Here
What a nice discovery Cafe Rakka has been. I have only ordered from them, even though I've walked by the restaurant a number of times. They are really fast with their deliveries and the food is always hot. They have great meats and you can order a platter that comes with two sides and your choice of meat. I definitely think that their best sides are their rice and hummus. They don't skimp on the hummus either.
Is it the best Mediterranean food I have ever had? No, but the convenience and the consistency definitely make up for the little areas that are lacking. -
Review from Jennifer L.
Bergen County, NJ
9/21/2011
Ordered delivery from here one night and was surprised how much I enjoyed it.
Had the chicken kabab platter and there was enough food for probably two meals. Chicken was well prepared and had a nice flavor. I had asked for hummus and couscous as my sides and I think they put 2 cups of hummus in the order. Tasted fresh and wasn't too overpowering. The couscous I liked, but it wasn't what I was expecting. Pita came fresh and warm. Asked for their hot sauce as well and it was fab with the chicken and tahini.
Not really anything I could have asked for different! -
Review from Amanda G.
Manhattan, NY
2/8/2012
This place is terrible. i ordered the chicken kabob and it was completely raw. i called to let them know the chicken was raw/ and to refund me. the guy working was VERY rude and did not do anything nor care. don't go here. it is terrible.
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Review from Andy S.
New York, NY
6/23/2011
The food is pretty good here, but not as good as the one on Ave B.
I still stop in occasionally as it is consistent. -
Review from Puttachat T.
Cambria Heights, NY
6/18/2011
We went there around 10:30 pm after the Magic show across the street. We had falafel platter and babaganouch platter. The guy there asked if we wanted extra pita bread. When we told him no, he said no extra charge, I'll give you anyway. That was nice. Cheap and generous, not many places like this.
Foods were good. The only complaint I had was the hummus was a little bland. I don't know but I think the one I get from supermarkets taste better. -
Review from Brian G.
Monclova, OH
7/11/2011
It's been years since I've had a gyro from here, one of my favorite little stops when I lived in NYC. Whenever I head back to the city, after I figure out the plane itinerary, I next figure out how I'm going to get back to Cafe Rakka.
This is certainly a "no frills" kind of place, because the "pearl" is crafted in the gyro (the spicy sauce is a must!).
I think I drooled on my keyboard, as I typed this review. -
Review from Pearl H.
Long Island City, NY
12/20/2010
We stopped by here after I got off second shift around 11/midnight ish.
We got the falaffel pita with the works, it was delish, and really cheap. The grape leaves were good too.
I'll have to update more when I go back, but I am glad I found this gem. I always see it, but never went in :) -
Review from S L.
Manhattan, NY
7/31/2011
The first time I had Cafe Rakka was on a walk/stumble home late one Saturday night and I thought the falafel sandwich was the highlight of my life... you know the feeling. I recently had their Greek Salad, which was also yummy, but not my favorite, and the olives had pits. :\ That's not to say I wouldn't get it again... but I've had better. Anyway, their falafel kind of makes of for anything that's not perfect. Delicious.
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Review from Russ H.
Long Island City, NY
8/25/2007 ROTD 9/3/2007
In the ongoing hunt for the perfect falafel in NYC, Cafe Rakka makes the short list. The catalyst for me joining yelp was to defy the recent spate of sub-5-star reviews this place has received. Most recently, my own sister trashed them. I blame her flawed perception on the drugs.
To be fair, I haven't been in a while, but it used to be that no matter where I was in the city, Cafe Rakka was worth the travel time. Rakka was a standby place to bring a girl for a getting to know you inexpensive city date. Bad falafel does not get you laid and this place came through for me.
On one such outing with a girl to Cafe Rakka, we ordered 2 falafel sandwiches. She replied "no thank you" to the gruff "hot sauce?" Of course I told the guy i wanted hot sauce on mine. He stops stuffing the pitas, looks me in the eye and says "I know your sandwich." My date looked at me like a celebrity.
Cafe Rakka knows my goddamn sandwich.
On to the food. The falafel is not always the same, it varies depending on who makes it. You can make requests (toast the pita slightly on the grill, let the balls get a little crispier, etc.) since these are usually made to order unlike a production line like Mamoun's where they practically hand you a falafel as you walk in the door and move you along.
The salad and tomatoes are fresh and the falafel balls are crispy and well spiced. The optional hot sauce, as always, is essential. unlike anywhere else I've been, they mix the hot sauce in with the strata of ingredients, so you don't get all the hot bites at the top. As with any good, well-sauced falafel, you will want to slowly peel back the wrapper as you are eating so as to avoid getting tahini on the crotch of your pants. Tahini crotch invariably makes you look like a sex criminal.
During busy hours, out on the counter, they used to leave a free plate of deep fried skinny pita bread slices. They are spiced with sumac, a tangy powder made of dried, crushed, deep red berries. You can order it from the menu (pita bread sticks) for like 2$ and you get enough to share. These are a great accompaniment to a falafel sandwich and are better than any fries you have had, especially when they come out of the frier all crispy and almost burning you.
A side of fava bean salad is also good, especially if you ask them to drizzle a little tahini on it. Their hummus is good and has a strong taste of cumin. I add cumin to store bought hummus now. -
Review from Joey B.
New York, NY
1/8/2011
Great falafel here and they use great lettuce, not that iceberg shit!
Friendly service and classic spot.
Thanks! -
Review from Brandice H.
Staten Island, NY
1/6/2008
So long before my days of yelpdom my brother Russ H veered me to eat at this falafel stand. He later wrote an amazing review here (his only) of Cafe Rakka. It earned him an R.O.T.D. But like my sister and her fiancee, I didn't like the falafel either.
I had been craving falafel for the longest time so my darling bro suggested this place. So I trekked into the city for the one and only reason but to try this based on his great opinionated suggestion.
Well to me it was blah..... I cant compare it to the falafel I had in Israel because nothing compares to ethnic food in its country of origin. But I have very high falafel standards and this place just didn't do it for me.
I was expecting my mouth to water..... a POW of flavor! Instead it was bland and my pita was soggy.
Brandie was not a happy camper. -
Review from Garett N.
Berkeley, CA
9/19/2010
Cheap and fast. For $10, you get a plateful of food that will fill your stomach up. What more can you ask for?
The only knock against it is that the bathroom factor may come into play later on. Big note to self for those with more sensitive stomachs. -
Review from Jason H.
New York, NY
12/10/2007
Great falafel! Dare I say, even better than mamoun's. It's a hole in the wall and it takes a while to get your food... but it's worth it in the end. I can't say much about most of the menu, but the falafel and hummus makes it worth coming here.
Not the best falafel I've ever had, but it's definitely the best I've had in the city. -
Review from Jonathan L.
New York, NY
Updated - 8/17/2009 5 Check-ins Here
I'm craving chicken for dinner. I'm trying to do a tad healthier then Senor Pollo where even though I say I'll order a side of greens I know I'll end up getting fries or heavy rice and beans and it's too friggun humid for that now. Ahhh Rakka, glad I remembered you.
For $9 (same price for 1/2 a bird and 2 sides from Senor Pollo) I grab the chicken platter which comes with a bed of fresh greens, tomatos, 2 pitas, and a choice of two sides. I decide on hummus, babaganoush, (both pretty ample) and take it home. Pumped I got a lil deeper into the menu here.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/3/2009
In an effort to curb my unhealthy obsession with the greasy delicious lamb shwarma found close by at… Read more »
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Review from Michael S.
San Francisco, CA
4/7/2008 1 photo
Ugh. Sorry guys. I tried this place on a Sunday and it was subpar.
I ordered a kefta and chicken kebab combo which came with two sides, my choices were couscous and hummus. The platter also came with salad. I was unimpressed by the hummus and salad, not particularly fresh or tasty. Worst yet, the kefta was sort of soft and tasted a bit undercooked. The place wasn't particularly mr. clean quality clean, I definitely wouldn't look forward to trying out their bathroom.
If you head out to San Francisco and goto Old Jerusalem, and my boy Mohammad will hook you up :). -
Review from Scott R.
4/26/2008
Egyptian take on low-priced Middle Eastern staples like falafel, hummus, and kebab.
The Rakka platter with 3 falafel balls, hummus, and fava beans for $6.50 is great. The falafel here are a little angrier than the usual - bigger, crispier, pepperier (roll w/ it), and hotter (thx to recommended hot sauce). The hummus was very smooth and creamy. The fava beans were a revelation - served cold with a lemony dressing. Similar texture to chickpeas. Highly recommended. Only blah thing was the accompanying pita which was just your standard supermarket pita (Hummus Place spoils you).
I ordered a side of Mujadarra to try something new but I think the guy gave me Moussaka instead. Could've been worse - he could've given me some Mujahideen which are probably angrier than the aforementioned falafel. So what I think was the moussaka wasn't bad as a $3 side - went well with hummus - but I wouldn't recommend it.
The place is small - not a cafe you'll want to sit and chant for hours though I hear the Turkish coffee is good. Service is joyless and humorless at Cafe Rakka but it still brought me more joy and humor than Mo Rocca, celebrity gadfly.
Mamoun's may be cheaper but I think Cafe Rakka is better...Listed in: East Village / Greenwich…, For the Love of Falafel
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Review from Ginn C.
New York, NY
4/28/2010 3 photos
When I crave tabouli, I really crave tabouli. I crave it like a pregnant woman craves dill pickles. I would like to note that this place makes it perfect - fresh and not too lemony, peppered with bulgur. I come here every once in a while when these cravings hit, ordered with a falafel or gyro sandwich.
But the real question is, what is the difference between here and Mamouns Falafel? They both have outdoor seating, have a similar menu and service, and similar minimal cultural decor. Arn't these places essentially the same thing?
I personally think that this place is slightly better in their meats and tabouli, but it is a few dollars more expensive. However the slight difference in quality isn't overt. I would give it five stars if it wern't for the obvious difference in price with its competetors.
I also like that this place has an automated hand-sanitizing dispenser. This is important when I think about how I will be snarfing down the delicious sandwich with my grimy little hands. -
Review from Liz E.
Flushing, NY
11/19/2008
This place has little atmosphere and is incredibly cramped, but I rather enjoyed my combo hummus/baba sandwich. What's great about it is that it's customizable, moreso than at Mamoun's, and green rather than iceberg lettuce is used! What?
Furthermore, there's a greater variety of fillings, such as couscous and moussaka.
Pretty cheap, portions are huge, and service is nice enough. But take it to go-you'll feel less depressed by the inside. -
Review from Ava R.
12/5/2010
A chicken kebab on pita and an order of fries is a dream come true for a hungry girl disgruntled by the disgraceful everything at nearby Horus Cafe. Fellow diners thoroughly enjoyed the greek salad with chicken and a gyro. Great price and the food comes quickly. Now I know exactly where to go on a late night after trolling the EV or LES.
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Review from Jackie L.
South Bay, CA
3/25/2009
Best falafel I've ever had. period.
You know how there are tons of falafel joints across the country called KING OF FALAFEL? Well, Cafe Rakka is the only place that should ACTUALLY be named that. Their falafel sandwich is seriously otherworldly. Talking so affectionately about a falafel is getting embarrassing.
Their staff is super sweet, too. -
Review from Joey C.
New York, NY
1/16/2010
This is a place that I've been going to for years, and I passed by it tonight, and I remembered that I had not given it a Yelp review...
It's an amazing place!!! I could sit outside during the warm months, and enjoy a special request falafel pita sandwich with hummus and lamb....
They obliged for my requests...Do they do it for everyone???
Add a nice cold Corona to that, and BAM!!!
GREAT PLACE TO BE !!!!! -
Review from liss L.
Austin, TX
2/7/2008
I would say 3 stars for this place overall, but 4 including it's little patio nook type of feel in a bustling neighborhood. Great place to feel relaxed and read a paper. Sitting outside is nice, in warm weather of course.
Plus, the fries are really good. I normally don't like shoestrings, but these are between soft and crispy with a little spice on them = yummy. And I like to stuff them in my falafel too.
I definitely think the falafel here is better than Mamoun's, but Rakka has raised their prices since I lived a few blocks away. That's pretty sucky.
The coffee here is fun and strong. It comes in the lil Turkish holder thingy (name escapes me) so you can pretend like you're wearing a monocle and smoking a pipe while you drink it. Or not. :) -
Review from Geraldine T.
Union, NJ
7/14/2010
My first experience with Falafel was here. I don't know why I put off trying it for so long... (I'm not an expert when it comes to middle eastern food). It was just really really yummy and I can't wait to try it again. The limited dining space isn't a complete sight for sore eyes, but the falafel is cheap and it's St Mark's place so I'm not complaining. Yay falafel
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Review from Nik N.
9/11/2010 2 Check-ins Here
cafe rakka is our go to place when we have a hankering for falafel, or hummus, or of the like. sure... mamouns is cheaper. but seeing this joint is further east on st marks, it tends to be less annoying to be a patron.
(for those who live in the area, you *know* what i am talking about.)
good cheap eats. and they deliver. -
Review from victoria v.
Staten Island, NY
7/28/2007
ick. i guess i wasn't inebriated enough for this place. really surprised that the falafel was in blah pita, too greasy, lacking in flavor and almost non existent falafel sauce, because my bro raved about them.
i don't get it. i most definitely didn't like. two stars for fast, warm food and a place to sit. -
Review from Frank W.
New York, NY
9/15/2007
Am I the only one not to get the falafel here? Anyway, good gyro, good fries, pretty good prices. If I read the beat up menu board correctly, a small serving of moussaka for only $3.95. Not bad, and the "bird's nest" dessert looked like yet another interesting baklava variant. Kind of a shithole atmosphere, but at least their fast food joint tables are made of wood. 3.5 stars.
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Review from EMI Y.
Long Island City, NY
10/15/2010
Their falafel is fresh and good! I don't know why people love Mamoun's and wait on the line. Of course I tried their falafel too but I like Rakka's. I wanna try their tabouli and gyro.
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Review from camilla c.
New York, NY
11/17/2006
Great falafel.... their falafel sandwich & fries = a winning combo. Cheap, fast, and yummy! If that's all they sold, I'd give them 4 or maybe even 5 stars but they serve a bunch of other items that don't measure up anywhere close to the falafel. I've tried the tabouli (not bad), hummus (plain, tasteless), and probably most of their other side dishes... and they're all on the disappointing side. Thus, I now know better... stick to the falafel sandwich and if I'm feeling extra hungry, go for the fries (lightly dusted w/ cumin).
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Review from Molly T.
New York, NY
1/15/2007
I had the falafel and hummus sandwich with hot sauce. It was all made fresh in front of me; even the falafel balls. However, the pita bread fell apart almost instantly. Next time I'll eat it with a fork.
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Review from Joan H.
4/21/2008
I've been here about half a dozen times, and Rakka is your typical falafel joint. It offers some extras not available at others, like Turkish coffee (which I just don't like really - can't deal with the sloughy thick stuff). It's good for being open late and the guys here are always nice.
Listed in: St. Mark's Place
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Review from Nigel T.
New York, NY
8/14/2010
Good delivery, fairly priced and fresh, middle eastern nosh. The hummus and baba ganoush are very good indeed. Only slight criticism is that on occasion the falafel has been a wee bit greasy but for a cheap, relatively healthy take out night in the East Village you can't go wrong.
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Review from Christian G.
Brooklyn, NY
1/16/2007
There's better falafel to be found. Walk another block and keep looking.
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Review from Jobi B.
Little Neck, NY
7/28/2008
I have stopped in here for falafel for many years now. Usually before or after drinking some place close by. Took my wife here for her first time and she was pleased with the spinach pie and grape leafs. Great place to snack on something.
Listed in: Manhattan Eats
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Review from John O.
8/15/2008
I've walked by here at least a 100x so it was time for me to check it out. I had the chicken kebab sandwich for lunch and found it very average. The interior is tired and the prices are middle of the road. Not worth a second visit for me.
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Review from Ben L.
New York, NY
1/4/2009
Cheap and tasty. Chicken kebab, falafel, hummus: all good. The pitas looked store-bought, but didn't taste it. The couscous seemed a bit carrot-heavy. But all-in-all, a good, cheap outlet.
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Review from Melissa L.
New York, NY
7/1/2008
Rakka is a quick place to grab a falafel and hummus. They also offer other dishes: fava beans, chicken gyro, tabbouleh, baklava, etc. The food is relatively cheap and much better tasting than other places in the area (Kebab Garden). I would not search for this place to eat falafel, but if you are in the area it is a cheap, tasty option for Mediterranean food.
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Review from Sasha N.
5/4/2009
the best find in the world over for the perfect little falafel's... and i've had my share of falafels across europe and asia [i'm a vegetarian, food gets complicated!] ... but that this place is a "find" find because really the reputation precedes it.. most people who know falafels know rakka's... and if you don't know rakka then darlings get to know them!
budget friendly, adorable... open late but not late enough.. brings in the crowd so be wary of it being crowded... but a little accommodation goes a long way here... people are friendly and i have had some of the greatest conversations here... -
Review from Ross I.
New York, NY
12/6/2005 2 photos
The best falafel in the East Village. The sides are always fresh, the dips are great and the falafels never have that sitting-around-too-long taste that you find at a lot of other places. The staff is also very friendly and will start making your order when you walk in the door if you get to know them.
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Review from Anthony C.
New York, NY
7/21/2009
This is my go-to place for falafels and shish kebabs. Apparently, there's another branch on Avenue B but I've only been to this location. I typically get the sandwiches which are enough to fill me up for dinner. All the ingridients are fresh and the sandwich prices are all reasonable ranging from $3 - $6. While the place resembles a pot den, all the employees are helpful and friendly so you'll enjoy the overall eating experience at Cafe Rakka.
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Review from Sally R.
Astoria, NY
9/30/2008
If you're looking for lots of beautiful atmosphere on a hot date, this place is not for you. Cafe Rakka is a simple place designed for quick lunch or late-night bites and has very little atmosphere, though I wouldn't call it "dirty" by any stretch. It's just your basic independently-run cheap lunch & takeout place.
However, if you're looking for great falafel for very little money and a quick, unpretentious bite with a friend, this is where you want to go. I've made a tradition of coming here with my sister, who first turned me onto Egyptian food via this establishment. Always delicious, the veggies are always fresh, and it always takes about 5 minutes to get our order together. Now that's service.
