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Categories: Middle Eastern, Vegetarian [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Rittenhouse Square, Penn CenterMon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
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So...I FINALLY get my self into the city to try out the venerable Falafel Cart....and it's not there! Confound it!
Well, I know Mama's is right up the street...and I know they're good....and I've got falafel on the brain. Win-win situation.
If you've never been...Mama's is small, cramped and always busy at lunch time. However...don't be discouraged if you're in a hurry. The line was to the door when I got there...but I waited, ordered, paid and got my food inside of 5 minutes.
I usually don't sit inside because it IS so crowded....opting for the outside tables when the weather is at least bearable.
I went with the small falafel sandwich "spicy"...and a side order of latke. The falafel was very good, like it always is. The latke....tasted fine...but was cold. Overall....without a drink my lunch came to $5 and some change...which is hard to beat for food this tasty.
I hit this place just about every time I go to Philadelphia. They have the best falafel in the… Read more »
The day after Thanksgiving I had off from work and around 11:25 a.m. I had the brilliant idea to pop on over to the falafel cart at 20th & Market before a line formed. Sadly, he was not there & I needed a fallback. Samatha's Combo Platter at Mama's fit the description perfectly.
Okay, its not quite as good as the cart but, then again, what could be? The falafel is decent, not too heavy. The fried eggplant was very greasy, of course, but had a nice flavor and texture. The latke was... different... but I really enjoyed it nonetheless. The hummus, veggies, whole wheat pita--all good stuff.
Is the food made with the tender, loving care the name Mama's would imply? Perhaps not, but its still really tasty & anytime the falafel cart is nowhere to be found, I'd be happy to find myself here.
you ever have one of those sundays where you wake up at noon, feeling nice 'n well rested after a long, holiday weekend filled with family, friends & concerts, and you are hard-core, nothing-else-will-satisfy-me craving falafel? no? oh. well, maybe that's just me.
falafel is rather hard to come by out in delco, yet is one of my absolute favorites when made right (and trust me, it can be made very, very wrong!) so when i awoke with such a craving this, um, afternoon, i decided to act on it and drove to mama's on the advice of many an entrusted yelper.
while initially worried that my impulse to head to a restaurant with a serious case of bed head and wearing the sweats that i had slept in may not have been such a wise idea, i breathed a huge sigh of relief when i saw what a casual establishment this is. and a popular one at that - it was hopping when i was there, with mostly an orthodox jewish crowd. i can only imagine what they thought of disheveled me....esp if they knew i was a [distant] member of the tribe!
after waiting maybe 5 minutes for the 3 people in front of me to be served, i ordered a large sandwich ($6) on a whole wheat pita (nice!) which was loaded with falafel, tahini, tomatoes, cucumber, cabbage and hot sauce. it was heavenly. srsly. i ate it there and savored each and every bite. unlike places like maoz where the sandwich-making is DIY style, this one was perfectly made for me, with even proportions of veggies/falafel throughout so that the first bite was just as perfect as the last. and the balls themselves were delicious - warm, moist and flavorful. (heads out of the gutter, boys!!)
i also got a latke ($1.75) to go, which made for a nice dinner. while not the typical potato pancake i am used to mom making for hannukah, i enjoyed the flavors from the additional vegetables (carrots? celery? not sure...) and would order this again as i definitely anticipate future visits to mama's. now, if only i could get downtown on a weekday to order from the infamous truck....
No one organizes charity walks to combat vegetarianism. The NIH doesn't shuttle any money toward research. There is no race to find the cure. The afflicted walk among us, alone and forgotten.
I generally regard the diseased with equal parts revulsion and pity, much as I would a Young Republican or one suffering with vampirism. I stay out of their haunts. But not today. Having tried the falafel sandwich here, a goodly number of similar businesses are effectively dead to me.
Tonight I will begin boarding up inferior establishments citywide, beginning with Hummus in University City. Please join me. (Vegetarians needn't bother; you need to be strong enough to swing a hammer.)
I have to say, the falafel was good. But I mean really, it's a friggin' falafel. I got the Samantha's platter, which comes with 3 falafel, a piece of eggplant, a veggie patty, a pita and hummus. The eggplant was cold and mushy, not good. The veggie patty was also cold. The hummus was flavorless without the spicy sauce they add on top.
If I ever am in the mood for a falafel, I guess I will come here. But again, it's a friggin' falafel, nothing special in my opinion.
Great Falafel!
I was trying to decide where to go for lunch and the Yelpers helped me decide!
Mama's is fresh, and wonderful. For $6 I got a large falafel sandwich that was super filling! Stuffed with cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage, hummus and falafel balls!
I great filling lunch, especially for the price. Don't be fooled if you see a line, it moves very fast.
My only complaints were that the humus does have a very tahini taste.
I would probably give it 3 stars, but it gets 4 stars for the price.
I will have to compare to the Falafel Nazi on 20th and market soon.
If Mama's received a report card, their courses would look like this:
Falafel: A+++
Pita: A+
Condiments: A+
Decor: C-
Staff: B+
Overall: A!
Best Falafel in Philly! gotta get it spicy and grab some free sides.
I went here because I was craving falafel while in Rittenhouse the other day and thought it was rather silly to track all the way to South St when there was a perfectly good falafel joint right around the corner from me. Also, I recently fell in love with Chick Peas on 6th and south and was curious to try other places.
While I have nothing bad to say about Mama's, this place was good, but it didn't illicit a sudden burst of song and dance (think Eddie Murphy's "I got some ice cream" routine) which I was kinda hoping for. The falafel was flavorful, but the hummus not so much. But the sandwich was a bargain at $6.
In my mind, Maoz is still a bit better.
Here the falafel was good, but the hummus was way too tahini-y for me (my son, a falafel expert, wouldn't eat it) Plus all the hot sauce and tahini sauce was all in the bottom and not mixed at all.
The price was good, and I got there too late in the day to get fries, which are also a plus.
Maybe everything would taste better if I got there earlier in the day, so I may give it a try again, but I don't think I'll go out of my way to eat here.
I used to go to Moaz all of the time. I didn't want to like Mama's. I didn't want my friends to be right about how good it was. Bottom line, I suck for waiting so long. The falafel is better (well seasoned, and not too crunchy), the wheat pita is not cardboard-esque, the pickled cabbage is awesome, and the humus is great. The combination of solid falafel with a good pita and the right sides makes this place seriously seriously awesome. I am so critical when it comes to food, so when I fall I fall hard.
The atmosphere is dingy and kind of gross. I wouldn't eat something if it dropped on the table, but I pretty much put on my rose colored glasses when I'm there. This spot looks like it belongs in Slumdog Millionaire, but again I love the simple food and that's all that I care about.
It's cheap too. They are closed a lot though. Very early on Friday and closed all weekend I think.
***I bought a ring for Mama's and I'm hoping she'll say yes. We will be very happy together.
Delicious- the small falafel was big enough for me- super filling, w/ good salad bar of pickled veggies and sauces- line moves quickly, served quickly, good deal! Small area to sit and eat in, but was enough space for me and 2 friends to shove in and eat. I will definitely return!
This place was ranked pretty high from fellow yelpers so I HAD to go check it out. Some people said these were the best falafels in Philly??
I'm sorry but I didn't get what the whole fuss is about. I think this place is hyped up way too much.
The falafel I had was good, nothing special. The portion was tiny and I had to order twice. So in essense it was about $14-15 for lunch (two falafels and a drink)m which sucks.
The atmosphere was weak. Way too cramped with dirty tables, so dont place to eat here.
Overall, the place is average, nothing special.
Since my work meal was piled high with salmon AND chicken croquettes (sometimes I'm an eater) this afternoon I figured that I needed to counterbalance it out with some veggie goodness come dinner. And considering the area that I was in Mama's was the immediate destination.
I was going to go for my usual falafel, but I was loving the sound of eggplant and hard boiled egg on a pita and just had to give that sandwich a try (I'd give the name of the sandwich but it slipped my mind last minute. And I'd do the grave and unappetizing mistake of calling it the Scabby.). The sandwich delivered full on especially when it was loaded with cucumber, hummus, and hot sauce. I also did my standard Baklava test and theirs was pretty delish and loaded with honey.
Extra points to the guy working the counter for being big time accommodating even though they were closing in less than an hour. He even let me try a falafel while he prepared my sandwich and let me take home a latke that I'll be calling breakfast in the not too distant future. even though I didn't have it in sandwich form (yet) the falafel might just be the second best that I've had in Philly (Alyan's 4 life!). and that definitely shows the commitment that they put into their veggies.
Best falafel in Philly. Authentic and fresh. Wouldn't compare it to maoz (mcdonalds of falafel)
They really do right by their falafel here. I used to always vote Maoz, but I think it was only their condiment bar that had me hooked. While they have more options then Mama's, Mama's is solid, and their falafel is far superior. All of Mama's sides are great, and at $6 for a large sandwich, you can't go wrong. I eat ALOT of food, and between the large sandwich and a plate of sides, I was good to go. Also, they make a mean Latke. Especially when covered in tahini and hot sauce. Great healthy alternative in center city lunches.
Delicious, fresh falafel in fresh, soft, pita. Mmmm. Tasty latkes, also. I haven't yet tried the burekas. Fairly inexpensive. They have Honest Teas, which are basically the only bottled drinks I buy. I wish they had more fixings options, but after getting stuffed on what they do have, you don't mind as much.
Best falafel I've had in Philly.
Definitely pick up / take out,
not the greatest of atmospheres.
But it's delicious, fast, cheap, and filling.
Maoz is good.
Mama's is fantastic.
In addition to having great falafel, they also have really nice eggplant sandwiches and burekas.
the free sides are also a huge plus if you love olives.
The crack of all falafels. I refuse to even order falafel if i can't get Mama's.
There is only one downfall, the hours are a little difficult sometimes. They are for certain closed by 3pm on Friday and all day Saturday. But pay close attention to the Jewish holidays or you might find yourself falafelless and heartbroken.
I had been searching for falafel in Philly on the west side of Broad Street for quite some time. I'm glad to finally have found a good location. I like how they layer the falafel balls rather than put them all in at once. They have other items on the menu but to be honest I probably won't try them and will just stick with the falafel sandwich. Not a mind blowing experience but it's just food.
Only have been there once, but it's hard to get better taste and more for your money on the go (we got take-out). Samantha's combo ($8) got us 3 falafel balls, 1 latke, and 1 eggplant. The falafel and eggplant were excellent. Latka was good. The humus with hotsauce was very tasty and the vege sides were great and plentyful. Looks like they have a nice outdoor area too. Hard to beat for the price and I couldn't finish it all.
Would be the best falafel on 20th street if not for the man in the cart down the street. Nice staff, great food. Love the falafel, but they also have great latkes, eggplant, and borekas. The pita they use makes a difference as well.
As a bonafide meat lover myself, I urge people not to be scared off by the word "vegetarian" in the title. As crazy ol' Jerry Falwell told gays he thought he could "cure", you won't miss the meat at all.
Absolute heaven in a pita.
Every time I walk in determined to eat in moderation and order a small. I of course always leave with a large.
I wish I could give them more than 5 stars. 17 to be exact.
I can't even write anything else about them because my mind is now flooded with an intense craving for falafel.
I'll leave you with this:
Mmmmmmmmmmmmm
I won't disagree with anyone's reviews about this place because I haven't had a falafel anywhere else besides here. However, my personal experience with it so far has been awesome.
The only thing that stinks about this place they don't take credit/debit and I rarely carry cash on me. Aside from that, rock on Mama's.
Mama's is a hole in the wall vegetarian place that serves falafel, cigars, eggplant, hummus...and that's pretty much it. Basic vegetarian Mediterranean fare.
I went here today and ordered a falafel pita on 'white' (it stays together better than the wheat, usually), spicy, 'with everything' and got a drink out of the drink fridge (honest tea). It was ok. Not bad. Not great. Totally edible and cheap enough as to cut out any buyer's remorse.
Usually, I don't eat out unless I have someone to eat with. I think it seems a bit depressing. When I'm eating at a restaurant with friends and see the loner sitting in the corner reading a book and munching on a sandwich, I always wonder why they are alone...
Do they not have any friends? Are they new to 'these parts'? Do they actually like eating alone? Are they going through a break up and all of their mutual friends sided with the ex? Do they have a phobia of being watched while they eat?
The good thing about Mama's is that it's not a place you bring someone since the ambiance sucks and the food isn't amazing. They also have little tables that are perfect for one person. Out of 8 customers that I saw when I ate, only two people were together. Everyone that came in was at the very least mildly attractive and solo. I'm thinking they should turn Mama's into a singles club. They should put all of the tables together in the center of the room (which is the size of my very small bedroom) and make everyone sit at the same table...
No more lonely.
Yay!
Straight dope. Seriously. I walked in a little disappointed b/c my duder the Falafel Nazi decided to take the day off. I went to the counter and told the guy I'd never been here before but I was hungry. He let me try a falafel ball and some of the sauce. He had me. I ended up getting the Samantha platter. It was large and very delicious. 3 falafel balls, 2 roasted eggplant medallions, a latke, a whole wheat pita, hummus, hot sauce and diced tomatoes and cucumber. Everything is made in house and fresh. I'd come back again. Hell, next time I am bringing friends. Great service, great food, and good prices. Hollar.
This place had great falafels, the service was fast and friendly, and it was a decent price for lunch ($8 for falafel sandwich + drink). Planning to go back soon for lunch sometime and try the other items on the menu!
Dear Mama's,
Oh Mama of Mama's Vegatarian, thank you for creating something that is so fresh, so cheap, so tasty, and quasi-healthy. Your employees are great too.
During finals, I realized I love you. So far you are my favorite joint for food that is fast in Philadelphia.
Love, Megan
Oh Mama's, why must you be 7 blocks away from my office on these hot days? The mix of falafel, fresh pita, veggies, hummus, and hot sauce make a very nice lunch. In the large sandwich you usually get 4-5 falafel balls. If that isn't filing enough, the platter gets you 7.
I have never had a bad meal here. It is always fresh and the service is pretty good. Maybe it's because I'm a girl and the workers are usually boys? Who knows, but if you're sweet when you order, the service is on par. And you may even get an extra pita. Yeah, I'll kiss up a little to get extra pita. It's one of the best I've had.
Awesome falafels! I go here for lunch quite frequently, and the service is quick and friendly. The food is fresh, the menu is simple, and the prices are reasonable.
I always take the food to go as the sitting area seems a bit tight.
Just indulged in a fine lunch from here. I strayed from my usual falafel sandwhich and splurged on the Samantha's combo plate extra spicy of course. It had tomatoes, cucumber, cabbage, , pita, hummus, 3 falafel, 2 eggplant and a latke. I even have enough left for dinner....and it was all only 8 bucks--can't beat it.
.
delish lunch spot--get the falafal and add on all the fun condiments~
This places ROCKS!!! (And I don't really like falafel - there's is great.).
I usually get a fresh-baked whole wheat pita and a few slices of the most YUMMY friend eggplant.
The hummus is smooth and flavorful - not overpowering.
I hate tahini - so none of thast por moi, but bring on those valuable veggies. Crisp and fresh always.
And hot young men are often manning the counter. A-men to that!
The side bar with olives and delctable fried (a bit oily) cauliflower [and I am not normally a fan of the 'flwoer] is wonderful, too,.
Great latkes.
Great pita
Spectacular Sandwiches - and don't miss that eggplant.
This is middle-eastern/kosher paradise for vegans, veggies & carnevores alike.
I am the type of girl who enjoys eating her weight at a meal. I don't finish eating until I am full and satisfied. Mama's has let me down.
I often CRAVE falafel, so on my way to the trolley one day I saw this place and thought "have to have it, now!"
After the two people behind the counter finished their conversation about a party the night prior, the guy asked which size I wanted.
"Large", I said, licking my lips in anticipation.
Sadly, he handed me a palm sized, meagerly stuffed pita. I tried to ask if he gave me a small but he went back to talking to his coworker.
I seriously almost cried, especially after I saw the small bar. The olives were old and gross and nothing fit into the extremely small containers they had.
$7 for the falafel and a drink and I was still starving.
I had to walk down to Gianna Jr's to satisfy the beast within.
Sorry Mama's. Your falafel is good. But you're hoarding it.
For now, I'll stick to the hummus and falafel I make. yummmm
Great falafels. Great service. Great prices. I love this place and will continue to go.
Excellent falafel! Go here! Forget the rest!
The best falafel in the city, hands down. It's clean and bustling inside. The music is mellow and comforting. The falafel and latkes aren't greasy at all, and the veggies are fresh and crisp.
As another said, the hot sauce adds plenty of charm. The food isn't as garlicky as Philly Falafel either, a plus.
The prices and selection is the best in the city. I acknowledge the others, but this is most certainly where I spend my vegetarian dollars.
Grrrr. I really wanted to be the first to review Mama's. Ridiculously good falafel. Like takes me back to Israel good. Great selection of Israeli drinks too.
I just wish they didnt celebrate Passover so they'd be open all year. Im about to walk there now and my mouth is already watering.
Dont forget the hot sauce!
Mama's is quick Middle Eastern vegetarian food. You can't go wrong. There's not a ton of room to sit inside, however. Plus the workers aren't always friendly. But the food is much better than Maoz.
Is this really the best felafel in Philadelphia? I am a big felafel fan, new to the city, and I am not impressed. yes, I will keep it on my go-to list for cheap lunches near Rittenhouse square-- but at $3.50 for a small and $5.50 for a large, it's kind of pushing my "filling lunch for less than $5" standard of living.
Yes, this is solid felafel. Nice crisp chickpea balls, good but not at all fabulous pita, chunks of veggies a tiny bit large for my taste. Feeling hungry after the small, I got a spinach bureka ($5) to go. It was in a nice flaky pastry crust, but not enough spinach and definitely not enough in general for the price. Grumble grumble.
Edited to add: I'm not going to yelp it because I'm too lazy to figure out how, but the best felafel in the city, top 5 felafels I have ever had, is the cart on 20th and Market. Not very far from this place, but admittedly only open M-F 11-2.
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: Vegan
Neighborhood: University City
Category: Food Stands
Neighborhood: Logan Square
Category: Middle Eastern
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: South Street District
Category: Vegetarian
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