House of Falafel
Categories: Middle Eastern, Greek and Mediterranean [Edit]
500 Lawrence ExpresswaySte C
Sunnyvale, CA 94086 (408) 736-2411
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: Yes
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch
- Alcohol: None
38 reviews
Mountain View, CA
"I'll be honest: I consider myself an expert in the falafel/hummus category. I've eaten falafel late night in Israel at the best insider…" read more »
79 Reviews for House of Falafel
Perhaps I was too amped on this place cuz I LOVE mediterranean, and I read the reviews.
I wasn't impressed. I had their chicken shish-kabob plate and the chicken was too dry.
Man! People really don't cook their chicken right!
This place offers great value for money. I order takeout or eat here about once a week and am a big fan. The chicken shawarma plate and chicken kabab are perennial favorites. The meat is always well cooked and tasty, and the salad that it comes with is excellent with a bit of hummus. I always top off the meal with some baklava - I may come here just for its crunchy honey flavored goodness! Sometimes I'll order the lentil soup which can be variable in its consistency - I prefer it thick as opposed to a more liquid form. This restaurant is highly recommended.
I went here for lunch and had the falafel wrap (of course!) and it was good. Only problem is it seemed a little dry but with the squeeze bottles of sauce on the table I was able to remedy that situation. I'll probably go back again.
Another Discovery with Michael C. and Cindy N. and "quick and simple lunch" was the order of the day.
This place is fast and good. But parking at lunch time is a real hassle. So I'd recommend going a little early or a little late to make sure you can quickly find a spot.
The restaurant is not very large and you basically order food at the register and get a number so they can find you when the food is ready. Though it was my first time here, Michael's been here plenty of times and said it was usual for this place to have long lines. Today, we were lucky and were able to order almost right away.
We shared the food, and today we selected:
- 12 piece Falafel appetizers
- Chicken Shawerma wrap
Seasoned, slowly roasted chicken,
shaved thinly, served w/ lettuce,
tomatoes, parsley, onions, & tahini
- Kefta Kabob
Ground lamb grilled, served
w/ lettuce, tomatoes, parsley,
onions, & tahini
- Lamb Shawerma
Seasoned, slowly roasted lamb,
shaved thinly, served w/ lettuce,
tomatoes, parsley, onions, & tahini
This place certainly isn't one I will avoid, but I wasn't particularly satisfied with the food. The place is called House of Falafel, so I expected a really good Falafel, but it was really dry and none of the crusted herb flavors came through really well, giving it a bland flavor, more so than the Greek restaurant on Tasman. Oh well.
The other dishes were pretty good though. My favorite of the day was probably the Chicken Shawerma wrap. I'm not a huge fan of wraps, but the chicken was definitely really good compared to the Lamb Shawerma plate and Kefta Kabob. Having said that, the latter two dishes were just fine.
I may come here again, but next time, I'll order anything but the namesake.
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I'm a huge fan of this place. I order takeout here every time I'm in Sunnyvale for business. I stick with the Chicken b/c that's all I know is good. The people are nice and friendly. I usually get the Schawerma or the kabob dinner plates -- they are so good. The humus, pita and other goodies that come with the dinner plate complete the meal. I think I'll try the Falafel next week. I can't write more b/c I'm craving it right now.
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I split the Falafel platter with a friend, and it was just meh. Had better hummus elsewhere, and the falafel had the wrong crunchy outer shell to moist innerness ratio... too much crunch making it a bit dry. I'll have to try other stuff on the menu ... seems the wraps are popular.
After being on a gyro craze over the past week I decided to come here as it is really close to my work and all the great reviews. I invited my boss and my co-worker to come along to try it, too.
We got there at 12 on the dot and the line was already about 8 people long. What was cool was that they had a guy taking our orders while we were standing in line, so really we were just waiting to pay. This helped a lot because after we paid our food only took about 2 minutes.
My boss and I ordered the lamb shewarma gyro's and my co-worker ordered the lamb shewarma plate. We all loved our food. The 2 sauces (white & red) that were on the table were great accompaniments. 1 squeeze of each with each bite did the trick! The meat was tender and flavorful and the wrap was grilled to a lovely crisp. No soggy, dripping mess here! Also, they were huge! I almost had to force feed myself to finish it...it was on par with a super burrito at El Grullense Taqueria lol. Next time I may try the lamb shewarma plate because it looked so darn tasty.
I also got a baklava that was pretty good in size. However, it wasn't really too my liking. It was soggy in the middle, so I couldn't really enjoy it. I like my baklava crispy & flaky!
Overall, we had a great meal here. The food was amazingly good, (minus the baklava), prices were right, the wait was good, they had the A/C blasting, and I can't forget to mention that in the front of the restaurant they have a seating area on the floor! Cute!
Hands down this is the best gyro spot ever...go ahead and quote me on this one! =)
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Great tasty food that I crave too often.
Other yelpers suggested I ask for freshly baked Falafels if I had extra time. It took an extra 15 minutes, but it was worth the wait. It was worth the wait. In the wrap , I couldn't tell the difference though.
I really like the new decor and tv system.
I suggest a little better efficiency on the service although the people are very friendly.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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04/27/2008
Great tasty food that I crave too often.
Other yelpers suggested I ask this for freshly baked… Read more »
Meh. My falafel wrap was rather dry. I prefer Falafel Drive In.
Been eating Falafel and chicken and wraps and loving it.
Now I just tried Isskandar plate, wow I've been missing out.
Nice soft lamb over a bed of roasted bread with garlic tomato
sauce next to taziki cucumber sauce.
I like the new decor too.
Lunch is extremely busy here.
I adore the falafels. Best falafels in the area IMHO.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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07/02/2008
I love Falafels. A friend recommended this place for good Falafels. I drove by. No wonder I… Read more »
Pretty good....
Parking sucks...
$4 for some hummus is a bit much...
the food was pretty good though... fast service.
I only had the falafel wrap... but it looked like there was alot of other really good stuff on the menu....
I think I'll likely go back sometime soon...
I was so disappointed when we came on Sunday at 10:10am to discover that the sign was wrong and they didn't open until 11am. So, Cal and I left and did our own thing for a few hours. Then, we came back around 6p for dinner, and boy was it good! I got the shish kebab combo and Cal got the veggie combo. We loved everything on our plates. The salad, the hummus, the falafel...everything! My combo didn't come with falafels, so I had one of Cal's. The decor wasn't overwhelming, and I thought the corner with floor cushions was a nice touch. I think this is Cal's new favorite place in Sunnyvale.
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I just had lunch at HoF for the first time and I was really happy with the Lamb Shawarma wrap. The meat was tender, the veggies were fresh and the hot sauce was really good. My co-worker had the Chicken Kabob plate and he mentioned that the hummus, chicken and the rice were great too.
I'll go back.
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I loved House of Falafel on Lawrence. Service got very bad, I stopped going there. Last week was told its been refaced with new smiley managers, so we ate there.
Chicken Kabob and Falafels were really tastey. Nice new murals painted on walls. No more mango colors of 1970's. Pheww!!
So I guess I don't love the FALAFEL. No diss on this place, but I guess they are just not my thing. If I am going to have something fried, it's not going to be a FALAFEL. Sorry. I really wanted to like them...but...not so much. Although they were green,crunchy, and not greasy, they truly were not what I had expected. Don't get me wrong, they looked super good...almost like meatballs, but these did not impress me. They lacked flavor and it was just not worth those fried calories. I did, however, like the rice and the hummus was ok. My friend ordered a wrap, and it ended up feeling like a big burrito that wasn't. 2 people $21 bucks also seemed a little bit pricey. I will come back for the kabob and maybe a wrap, because those looked and smelled good.
Btw...what was up with the guy behind the counter. He truly was not happy to be working on Friday. Hmmm...someone get him a salad!
Sorry fried balls, you are not my friends.
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I came here for dinner about two weeks ago and I got the Mediterranian salad. I was expecting a big salad with goat cheese and chicken cubes and stuff like that, something reasonably filling. everyone else at the table of about 10 got their food before me, but I wasn't complaining because I thought the salad would be worth it. Well, it finally came out and it looked like a plate of salsa. It had some cucumber and tomato and stuff, and it would have made a very good salsa, but it wasn't a meal like I expected.
Luckily for me, I was sitting across from my generous friend who shared with me her pitas and hummus, which went quite well with the salsa-salad. She also gave me some of her lamb wrap, which was pretty good too although a little on the salty side. Anyway, don't get the meditterranian salad if you're looking for something to fill you up, unless you have a good friend to share food with.
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After hearing nothing but praise on Jatbar.com, I visited this HoF location a couple of times.
Parking was the first problem. I had to drive around a while to find a spot. Annoying.
Crowds were the second issue. I was lucky enough on my first visit to get there before noon and grab a small table. The people ten minutes later were not so lucky, and the line remained about 30 people deep for the next half hour.
Reading some other reviews (here and on Jatbar) you would think this place was the second coming. (OK, so I have my religions confused). I found the food to vary between pretty good and not so good, depending on the dish. Here's what I have tried here from best to worst:
Falafel plate -- consisting of 5 large falafel balls, hummus and salad. The falafel balls were fresh and quite tasty, but just a tad on the dry side for me. The hummus was very thick, dense and unimpressive. It tasted like hummus concentrate they shipped from the old country. I prefer hummus that tastes like it was homemade that day. I was hungry so I scraped my plate, which was tough considering the large amount of food they gave me. And it cost me just $6 and change. Good value for this meal, despite the poor hummus.
Combo shish kebab plate w/lamb and chicken -- The chicken was really good - nicely flavored and cooked perfectly. The lamb was just OK. The salad and rice they gave me was on the small side, though the rice was cooked perfectly. Hummus was the same as before, i.e. unimpressive.
Chicken schwarma wrap -- Better than the lamb wrap (see below), but nothing spectacular. Kind of sad and small. I much prefer the wraps from Mediterranean Wraps in Palo Alto.
Lamb schwarma wrap (to go) -- The first thing I noticed was how light the bag was...uh oh. Then I got back to the office and opened it up. Hmmm...still feeling very light. This was a tiny wrap and they were not generous with the meat. Kind of a ripoff for $6.48. The meat itself was on the dry side, but was fairly tender. I had to add some yogurt sauce to liven it up a bit. In the end it left me a bit hungry and I bought some chips from the machine at work. Not good value this time. Disappointing.
I would eat here again if I was in the immediate area and the line was short, but I won't be going out of my way to eat at House of Falafel.
Pros: Some items are pretty good, nice selection
Cons: Very long lines at peak lunch hour; disappointing hummus; smallish, sad wraps
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My wife and I usually make the trek to Falafel Drive-in to get our falafel fix, but I suggested we try a place closer to home here in Sunnyvale. I remembered seeing this place while yelping for Middle-eastern food. We were standing in front of the place looking over the photos of some of their tasty looking selections when a take-out patron passed us with some bags of food, deposited them in her car, then came back to tell us how good the food is and what they had tried.
Well, we were sold. So we ordered exactly what she had recommended - chicken shawerma and falafel plates. Boy howdy, was that good food! And there was plenty of it. Both plates arrived with delicious hummus and salad too. Plus there was white rice with the shawerma. Also, there were plenty of warm pitas on the side. On the way out, I had to stop by the kitchen and tell the cook how good the food was and that we would definitely be returning soon. We'll still miss the Falafel Drive-in's milkshakes, but we know where some delicious falafels can be found much closer to home. Gas just costs too damn much, so local is a very good thing.
I see mixed votes for waiter service so I will add one more thing: You place your order at the counter, they give you a number for your table, and someone brings you your food.
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Menu Item: Chicken Shawarma
- comes with light "salad", more like a side pile you'd get for your burger, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, a pickle wedge (o_O? yeah...still got me on that one...), and a few olives
- hummus - love their hummus and it comes with hot pitas.
- spiced rice - good
- chicken is very tasty. It's spicey in that it has a lot of flavor and spice, but isn't hot spicey. It can sometimes be on the dry side, but is still very good. *EDITS* Lately, the chicken has been really dry.
- a very large portion for ~$10 and very splittable with an appetizer
- Menu Item Rating: 3.75
Awesome:
- Inexpensive and rather large portions (split-able with a side)
- Yummy
- Had lamb wrap and it was great!!! Yummy lambie! =D Lots of meat, but not like gnawing off a side of some poor sheep. Good blend of spices.
- comes with HOT side order of pita for sharing with the table.
- also have a yummy looking veggie menu.
- took a group from one brick there and lots of room for big groups.
Sucks:
- There was a new worker and the person at the counter was ragging on him the whole time. Sadness. =( Poor new guy...didn't even know English
EDITS:
ANNOUNCEMENT: I was in there over the weekend. And they are BREAKING AWAY (very Kelly Clarkson) from the other House of Falafel (the one in Cupertino) and are going to Falafel Bite. Things have already seemed to change. They are repainting the place (no more orange walls) big huge mural. We'll see how the food is on the other side of things.
AS OF EARLY JULY: $15 minimum for credit card
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Yum yum yum. I am starting all my reviews today with three repeated words. Just got back from lunch at House of Falafel, got the veggie plate: 2 warm crunchy falafels, two pitas, lots of hummus, baba-ga-something (yes I know what it is, I just can't spell it), tabuleh, salad, and dolmas. Awesome. To much food to finish, all for $7.99. Got sides of tahini, spicy red sauce, and tzaziki.
Make sure to go before 11:30 or after 1:30 because the line get kinda long.
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Excellent little Middle Eastern restaurant. Due to the location, this place is swarming with local tech people at lunch (in case you're hunting for a middle-aged nerd - but please don't hit on my husband, who is a hot middle-aged nerd). You order at the counter and the line moves quickly, even at peak times, but if you want take-out I would recommend calling in your order so you don't have to wait in line and then wait for your food.
Falafels are as they should be: bright green on the inside. Salad is a nice filler for your pita (I wish it had more beets, but I'm guessing few others do). Vegetarian items are clearly marked on the menu (yay!). They serve halal meat.
This is my husband's favorite lunch-time restaurant in the area. He usually gets the beef kabob wrap.
I think the easiest way to get here is to head east on Arques and make a U-turn at the first place you can after Lawrence. Then turn right into the driveway just before Lawrence. You will see it on the left. There is also a Thai place next door.
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Not a good late night spot.
The website says they are open until eleven on Friday and Saturdays. We arrived at twenty to ten and the guy behind the counter was very resentful we would walk in at such a time. I guess drinking and dancing is too much of a lure to offer good service. Not at one point did we feel welcome by any of the people walking in and out of the restaurant. It seemed kinda shady.
The food. I had the chicken and beef shawarma plate. I pray it was not prepared by the guy I saw changing the garbage with a very dirty apron. When I became sick later that night I had the sinking feeling perhaps it was.
This place is not clean, friendly, or tasty. I wouldn't come back if you paid me.
I liked this restaurant before the ownership change, but it's even better now!
They are beginning a transformation of the decor, starting with beautiful new floor tile, new tables, better wall hangings and the owner told me last night that the next installment will be handpainted wall murals.
We had the chicken Shawerma plate and the Vegetable wrap, and both were fantastic. The chicken has terrific flavor, and they must be using a better cut of meat since there is hardly any fat or gristle now. The hummus is delicious, the consistency of the falafel is a moist, flavorful morsel, and the rice...so aromatic.
This is my favorite place to go after a workout at the 24hour Fitness across the parking lot. DEE-licious!
Did I come here on the wrong day? The falafel was average and not as good as other places I have tried like the the falafel drive-in. Prices were not that cheap. I was hoping to find a falafel place that was closer to where I live but it looks like there is still no good local source for falafel.
House of Falafel is crack! Im fiendin' bad for this place on a weekly basis.
I always keep telling myself to order something different, but I always end up getting the chicken shawerma cause its soo dam good. The cost $8.99, and you get a very generous amount of grub on the plate.
The Sunnyvale location is alot bigger than the Cupertino one. Pretty nice decor, and a couple of nice comfortable looking couches sittin in front of a big screen t.v. bumpin some middle eastern jams. Im gonna bring a couple of friends down here next time and see if they do bottle service.
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Since my last visit, they remodeled a bit and if you've seen the place before, then anything would be considered an upgrade. I normally go with the chicken or lamb shawerma wrap and for $7, you can't go wrong. This thing is crazy delicious. And it's huge. Make sure to grab a breath mint when you're done 'cus the smell lingers after.
After our meal, my friend wanted some baklava to-go so she went up to the register and asked for one. Unfortunately she only had credit on hand. (apparently they charge your card if you don't spend more than $6 or something) The man at the register was kind enough to give her one for free. It must've been her feminine ooglies because I've never gotten anything for free by any means. I wish I had some.
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Whenever I can get my lunch in a reasonable amount of time. I'm happy. I live by my stomach. If I'm hungry, generally I'm cranky. When my stomach is full, I'm happy.
Lots of stars for the fast service and yummy food at this place! I usually get the Gyro wrap and its super yummy. They do a great job stuffing a ton of meat in the wrap. Fries are mediocre and the only complaint I have is that the bottle condiments are sticky.
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Rain makes me not want to study, exercise, or cook. This is how I found myself cleaning off a plate of lamb shawerma at House of Falafel this afternoon. Yum yum =)
This place is on par with Gyros Gyros in downtown PA, although if I were pushed to choose one, I think I'd go with Gyros Gyros because the lamb I had today here was a little bit fatty ... Gyros Gyros has better quality?
Other than that, everything was delish! Hummus is good, portions are plentiful, and they have a surprisingly spicy red hot sauce that's very good when mixed in with the hummus. Their pita is also very soft and yummy. There's also a yogurt sauce that I did not try. Tea and drinks are refillable. Decor was very nice. I was expecting a dirty hole-in-the-wall type but the walls looked newly painted, the tables were clean, and there was a big screen TV in the corner. Very nice.
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Went for lunch today after reading the review on Yelp and have been wondering how many stars I'd give all through the meal!
Its a simple, decent looking place in a strip mall. Nothing fancy, though they have floor cushions and low tables in one corner which seems like a nice cozy place to sit with a large group (one came in half way through our meal and it looked like a regular hang out spot for them)
I decided to take one star off straight off for the service.. it is SLOW. It was pretty empty for a Sunday lunch, you had to order at the counter but our food took forever to arrive.
The food itself was average, not bad, not great. My friend and I ordered lamb shewarma wraps and my husband ordered a kefta kabab platter. The wraps were grilled a la Gyros Gyros in Palo Alto which I liked. But they had some garlic mayo in them which was just strange (no I'm pretty sure it wasn't the spiced yogurt). The kabab platter was pretty big but again average. My son (one year!) had the falafels which he liked because they weren't spicy.. I didn't care for them too much either.
All in all.. average.. and for me a gyros type place is comfort food which I have cravings for.. and this is definitely not it. Stop for a quick bite (or not!) but don't drive out of your way for a meal
Came in search of a decent falafel. Left with a Middle-Eastern burrito. I just can't get excited about a wrapped falafel -- pita is the only way to go. The search goes on.
Decor has all the ambience of a hookah bar.
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After spending five months in Europe and enjoying sketchy falafel houses, I am thrilled to have found this place. The food is awesome. I went with the falafel wrap and my friend had the kafta kebab wrap and we both were drooling over how good the food was. We were so full about 3/4 the way into our wraps but couldn't stop eating. We had the Tziziki sauce as an appetizer, which strangely enough didn't come with anything to dip with (no pita strips or bread?!), but was also good. The bathrooms are disgusting, so do not use them unless you're about to wet yourself. Other than that, I cannot wait to go back, I'll just use the toilet beforehand.
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3 1/2 Stars
I've been coming here for the past year and half. It's great because it's conveniently located close to my work.
I recently went yesterday and found the place to be remodeled. They painted the walls warm orange and hung a ton of posters and pictures on it. It was a bit tacky because they used thumb tacks to post them up, but it was a cute attempt. They even added a super soft sofa (alliteration anyone?!!!) with plush pillows in the kitty cat corner of the restaurant. Even with the so-so decor, the place continues to hold its charm.
I love the Lamb Shawerma (both the wrap and the plate). Get the wrap if you're on the go. Plates come with a generous portion of yellow rice, plain hummus, pita bread and a salad. My favorite part of the salad is the pickled radish.
The food is good, but I don't like how they add a spoonful of oil on top of the hummus. And the salad dressing seems to be just oil. Why???! Other than that, the food is delicious and great for the price. Non-vegetarian plates are $8.99 and wraps around $6.99 ($1 less for vegetarian). If you have a chance, check out Gyros House in downtown Mountain View. Liz. L is right when she said the lamb tastes a little fatty, so Gyros House may be a healthier bet.
Tip: Ask for the yogurt, it's soooooo good with the wraps!
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Hit this place up for lunch because the line at Pad Thai next door was too long. Pretty sure the guys running this place are from Jordan, but its your standard "Mediterranean" fare e.g. falafel (duh), kebabs, shawarma, etc. Most meat dishes come in either chicken, beef, or lamb. Chicken shawarma wrap was big and tasty. There was a bottle of Tahini sauce on the table and Al Jazeera on the big screen. Will definitely be back.
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The dishes are made with quality meat and vegetables. Can't really beat the prices for this type of food - this and City Kabob are similar in these respects. I had a kebab dish vs. a falafel one and was fully satisfied. Be prepared for the same motif and M.O. as City Kabob: walk up, order, pay, pick up.
Yum-O!
I would have to say House of Falafel and Falafel, etc (Fremont) have the best falafels I've tasted in Silicon Valley. I had the falafel plate which included a nice salad, a generous portion of hummus, and pita bread. This plate could easily make 3 falafel pitas. The falafels were long and rectangular...not what I'm used to...but whatever. They also tasted a little different as well. These falafels are crunchier and darker on the outside. I LOVE the fact that they have two big bottles of sauces for you to use....an awesome tahini sauce and a fantastic spicy sauce. I was able to make sure that EVERY bite was a perfect one. :)
They also have a wonderful cream cheese baklava.
Next time I will try the chicken shawarma plate! My stomach can't wait. ;)
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Update: I tried the chicken shawarma plate and it was delicious!
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There was a line at Subway so I decided to try this place. I'll try to say this without typing my excitement in all caps: cheap prices, huge portions, good food, five stars.
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a little expensive (~10$ per plate after tax/tip) and they don't like credit cards
good food though, i get the falafel plate. seems fresh
lady is nice and service is good for a self-service place.
ambiance/decor - i only go after going to the gym so who cares
oh also they open early (~10am) so that's good
Let me bring down the rating to where it should be. Turd-like falafel, dry lamb shawerma, and cockroach sightings. Not for me, thanks.
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I went here a couple of times with friends. There's plenty of tables and much more spacious than their Cupertino outlet. Tried the chicken shawarma.. it was okay but the Cupertino outlet's chicken was better and much fresher. Their fries and falafel, baitee kabab and kanafeh are good (but the falafel is not the best in town). Will still come here again bcoz of the space.
i wish I can give them 3.5 stars but I can only give them 3 stars since the chicken shawerma at Cupertino was better (they get my 4 stars for that)
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I'm working out at a client in Santa Clara right now, and I swear I go here every day, but somehow, I'm not sick of it yet. Hearty portions, plates for under $10, and a nice variety. What's not to like?!
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