Falafel Chula
Category: Greek and Mediterranean [Edit]
Neighborhood: Brooklyn/Williamsburg - South Side436 Union Ave
(between Devoe St & Keap St)
Brooklyn, NY 11211 (718) 387-0303
- Nearest Transit:
Metropolitan Ave-Lorimer St (G, L)
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Alcohol: None
17 reviews
Neighborhood: Manhattan/Murray Hill
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17 Reviews for Falafel Chula
Food is alright. Ok falafel but really tiny, cramped, kinda dirty - not the place you really want to eat.
And their business model is problematic and incompetent. They don't deliver, they're frequently closed for no reason, and they're cash only.
The burgers are pretty good and one of the only under $10 burger in the area - but today they were "out" of burgers.
Huh?
If it weren't for my last few attempts to eat there, I'd give this place 4 stars.
Incompetence at a level I haven't seen in a while. They're frequently closed for no apparent reason, and the last time I called in an order for pickup, I arrived 15 minutes later to find they were out of burgers, so I get no food, and no one called me back to let me know what was going on.
The sad part is, the food, if you can manage to actually get it, is pretty good.
Am a die-hard Oasis (on N 7th and Bedford) fan, but nothing beats Falafel Chula's Falafel Delux sandwich. It's filled to the brim with veggies, hot falafel and hummus. Nothing else I've tried there has been as good, but go back again and again for the Falafel Delux!
I didn't care for this place one iota. The falafel wasn't horrible but it sure wasn't good. It's so close to my apartment that I had to try it out. Next time I will get my falafel craving fulfilled from a street vendor.
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I was extremely disappointed to see uncle mina go... he was awesome.
I then boycotted this place for the first 6-8months since its related to Taco Chulo...which sucks big time. (mainly due to the a-holes working there). Then one night at 11:30 it was the only place open so I ate there. It was pretty good and the guy who's always working is a sweetheart.
So I went back and tried the Parisian...It blew me away. Its one of the only things in the hood I actually get cravings for...mmmm...im gonna go get one now!
I loved Uncle Mina but word is, he went and opened up a car service biz. So then came Falafel Chula. I wanted to give the new management a chance and stopped in a handful of times for takeout. An obvious difference was the increase in price. But hey, I can understand that. Then there's stoner guy who works behind the counter, always moving in slow motion. Placing the meat slooowly on the grill, splitting the pita sloooowly, arranging the veggies slooowly sloooowly ever so slooooowly into the pita, etc. Lastly, they've mixed up my order more than once and I'd find out only when I got home with the takeout. I ate it and it was good but there was all that waiting! And I wanted lamb, not chicken!
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4 stars for delivery and the delivery guy (ooh la la)!
Although I've never eaten in, probably because I'm all gaga for the delivery guy...seriously, sigh...What was I saying? Oh yeah, this place is cheap.
And healthy!
The lentil soup is so, SO good. The hummus and tahini is delish too. I couldn't tell you one way or the other about the falafel because I'm just not a fan of the little round fried balls.
Anyhoo...a good delivery option in Williamsburg.
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Okay this is my third revision of this review.
Falafel - not so good.
Red Lentil Soup - pretty good.
Two pieces of pita with soup - priceless. (i.e. free, if you will)
They renovated to provide more tables but the area by the door is really cramped now. Single file only...
Open daily till midnight.
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Best place to eat for the price in the neighborhood by far. Fantastic overstuffed Falafel sandwiches, great memory for repeat customers, quality hand cut fries, good selection of salads and sides. Humus is a bit oily for my taste, but if you're not making your own you won't do better anywhere nearby.
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I never did like Uncle Mina's, so I was glad when this place changed over. Though I guess some of the Uncle Mina's vibe stuck around.
Ok, so I have a thing for falafel. I could easily eat it 4 or 5 times a week and be happy about it as well of never tire of it. So this place is the real deal with the Falafel. They use real lettuce, not ice burg, and while this may seem trivial, it totally takes the sandwich to the next level. It adds a brightness that most falafel joints can not compete with. The hummus is nice and creamy, but could stand a bit more garlic. Also the hot sauce is just not spicy enough. me = sad, like the clown.
And as this is more than a 3 minute walk to my apartment, I try not to get it to go. Cold falafel = meh. And well eating in is not anyone's best option. They seem to let anyone use the bathroom - hello kids shooting up! fun times.......
The back yard area is nice enough, but the inside dining area is all kinds of thumbs down: small, cramped, etc.
I seem to only hit this place prior to or after a an evening at Barcade (one of my favorite beer bars in the neighborhood), so small and cramped for 10 minutes is quite doable.
If the hot sauce was hotter and they did not seem to cater to junkies (seriously, ewwwwwww), this place would get 5 stars.
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I'd rather give 2 and a 1/2 stars but that's not an option. The falafel was just okay in my opinion. I got it to go, so I expected the pita to be soggy after the 5 minute walk to my apartment, but the falafel balls were soggy too, as if they weren't fried long enough. The flavor was fine but I like my balls crispy, damn it! :)
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YUM. Imagine the goodness that is Taco Chulo reconfigured into another cuisine. It's just good simple food. The hummus, tahini, falafel are all very good, but they have a few aces up their sleeves with the fuul maddames (order this with the hardboiled egg) and the magical sauce combinations that come on every sandwich and platter.
And, it's super affordable, a great lunch option in a neighborhood that needed one.
A very welcome addition indeed.
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The falafel here is OK. I got the Falafel Pairsen, because it said it came with fries. I was a little surprised when the fries came inside the sandwich. Oh well, it was actually enjoyable. This place is small, hot and stuffy. It also took the guy a looooong time to make my falafel.
Falafel Chula makes up for the sad sad Mexican food served at Taco Chulo. It's just a little tiny place and there is zero atmosphere but a $7 falafel plate who the hell cares? We got a falafel plate and order of fries to go and brought them back to Barcade. I can't say much more than that. I like falafel, this was good falafel. Hummus - good. French fries - good!
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I was not much of a fan of Taco Chulo mostly because of the atmosphere but Falafel Chula is quite the opposite. The first time I went in they were out of falafel so they sold me on the chicken shish tawouk pita. I haven't bother to order anything else since. Chicken, roasted red peppers, olives, pickles, garlic mayo and hot sauce. It's fantastic. The backyard is a nice place to take your food and relax and the prices are reasonable.
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place is small, but the backyard makes up for it, esp in the summertime, when the grapes are ripening. nice staff, food can get pricey, esp if you like the meat platters. the babaghanoush was good when i first started going there, but then it got too creamy/airy and not smokey enough, so that sucked. the hummus is ok, not the greatest, but it's good. the falafel is prob more crispy than i'm used to. it's still good, but if you eat it alone, it's definitely too crispy and a tad bland. the falafel sandwiches are prob the best bet for anyone going there, it's cheap and filling. the platter is good too, but i wouldn't pay so much for a little extra variety. although the dolmas are pretty good, but i did have a couple which were too sour and bland.
i think i'll still come here for my falafel fix, cause my favorite, upstairs in kalustyan's, is out of the way for me. still the quality of the food has gone south since the uncle mina days. get the falafel sandwich, try an egpytian malt soda, and sit outside under the grapes in the summertime. it's an experience you'll surely enjoy. well... that is, until you start wondering what the ruckus is all about next door in dumont.
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heard this was a place to check out for good falafel... i wasnt too impressed, in fact i doubt i ever go back. not that it was terrible just sort of meh. i would much rather go to oasis off bedford. not only is their falafel better, but its cheaper, less cramped and fast.
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