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Category: Middle Eastern [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Williamsburg - South Side, Williamsburg - North SideBedford Ave (L)
Metropolitan Ave-Lorimer St (G, L)
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Whoa. Get a falafal sandwich, add hummus or baba ganoush (which brings the price up to a whopping 3.50 and holds down the falafal burps), and you will be taken away to some sort of middle-eastern heaven where the... well anyway this is maybe the best falafal I've had... Moist, lots of flavor, and very crispy. The sour pickles and cabbage are balanced out by the creamy tahini...
They are so fast... You can be in and out in a jiffy lube... Which you might prefer considered the ambience kinda sucks... Bright ass fluorescent lights, and crappy middle eastern music. (sorry if you're fluorescent). Oh well, very utilitarian... Just eat and go, no frills needed.
Open late, cheap, delicious... they have hot sauce... What else could one need?
I'm in awe at anyone who gives Oasis less than 5 stars. Let me distill the facts for you:
- Insanely economical ($3 for falafel sandwich, $5 for shwarma)
- Insanely good quality food
- Open very late
- Great seating
- Friendly staff
Do it!
Had to write a quick review of my faaavorite falafel place in all the boroughs. Many a late nights have ended with a visit to Oasis. They always have the best middle-eastern music videos playing and the guys working are always accommodating to the barrage of drunk brooklynites.
I recommend all the fixings, but what puts Oasis over the top is the cabbage. Oh yes, the cabbage. I prefer spicy foods, and their hot sauce is fantastic. Cheap, fast and open late. Steps away from the Bedford L stop, you can always get one to go after a night in the city.
In the heart of Williamsburg, Oasis is a must!
Great shawarma in pita sandwich - lots of food all good. I liked it better than the falafel. Will definitely be back
I absolutely heart Oasis Falafel!!! the red cabbage, the pickles, the hot sauce, everything goes perfectly together and tastes amazing. The $3 price is pretty awesome too!!! I always stop in here getting off the subway from work, super convenient.
Open late too for all you night owls.
$3 for a big and delicious falafel pocket. what more can you ask for? the ingredients are flavorful and fresh. service is fast and friendly. don't go for the atmosphere--it's glaring flourescents and basically a deli counter with a couple of plastic chairs. open late so if you're drunk after a night of drinking on bedford and are craving some cheap latenight, this is the place to go.
So, so good. Awesome food, awesome price points, awesome hours.
Excellent! Best, fastest, freshest mid-eastern food in Williamsburg. The only place you might better better is around Atlantic Avenue/Brooklyn Heights/Boerum Hill; but that goes without saying.
And I cannot emphasize the speed and the freshness. I've been to tons of stands and shops in NYC and this place truly turns out orders with a speed that can't be compared.
The only negative is the place itself is a tad cramped and not much to look at. But it's functional and does it's job. Well worth the trip.
Great choice if you're looking to pick up something fast and cheap for dinner as you get off the train. You won't be alone: it's funny to watch how many people file straight off the subway and into Oasis. And obviously with good reason! I usually stick with the falafel sandwich (with hummus for an extra $0.50) mostly because it's ready in seconds. If you opt for a sandwich with meat you have to stand around a bit, which is fine given the extremely entertaining music videos that are usually being shown on the overhead TV (sometimes it's tuned to Al-Jazeera -- even better!). If jiggling's not your thing, you can just zone out and stare at the bewitchingly cheerful mural on the east wall. The excellent lentil soup also deserves a mention, as does the selection of drinks (salty yogurt drinks! tangerine soda!).
I grew up in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - and this is as authentic as it gets. The Falafel is perfect (just like from the souk streets), the baklva is delish, and they even have VIMTO hidden in the refrigerator. For those in the know, Vimto is a staple.
The price is also unreal - Falafel sandwich + baklva for $5...uh, yeah, I'll take 8.
Right off the Bedford L Stop.
Open at 2am? Check.
Tasty falafel for only $3? Check.
Really, really good hot sauce for the falafel? Check.
This is some solid "fast food". The falafel is of a close to perfect consistency (not too dry and not mushy) and they stuff the pita with lettuce, cabbage and pickles. Everything tastes super fresh and, honestly, where else are you going to get a whole meal that tastes this good for $3??
As far as the falafel joints in New York City go, this one is easily my favorite. The ingredients always taste fresh, the falafel itself is moist and crisp and the hummus is fantastic. The stuffed grape leaves are also pretty great here, assuming you're into that kind of thing.
The lentils, though, tend to be a little on the dry side; the fact that they heat them up in the microwave doesn't really do a hell of a lot for the legumes, either.
Falafel is probably my favorite (or at least in one of the top three spots) when it comes to the sandwich family. While I've absolutely had horrid, disgusting falafel in this city of ours (any place that sells pizza and chicken and just HAPPENS to sell falafel as well is generally a bad idea), I've also had some pretty average stuff. Mamoun's, in particular, comes to mind (often touted as "the best of the best"). Oasis, at least to me, is way, way ahead in the falafel game and I'm always more than thrilled to indulge here any chance I get.
Excellent falafel texture. Home made freshness, and great portions, conveniently off the L Bedford for a small price. Oasis is truly a mom and pop shop - and they're there to feed you authentic food.
I've only ordered the falafel plate ($6) - it's big enough to be two meals for me - five falafels on a bed of salad, hummus (or babaganoosh for .50 extra), onion and cabbage, pickles and two pitas. Their falafels are so fresh, that if you reheat them in the oven the next day, they're still as savory on the inside and crispy on the out...mmmm
Definitely a takeout food place.
I can't get off the L after 11pm without stopping here.
$3 Falafel
EXTRA PICKLESSSS!
Of all the restaurants in Williamsburg, this is the only one I would wish if it were to go away (okay I'd maybe also miss the Dumac and cheese at Dumont).
Time and time again I have gotten falafel sandwiches and I've never been let down by a tepid or mushy ball. Their falafel balls are always fresh and hot and crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside like a perfect chocolate chip cookie. I usually get all their toppings -- fluffy shredded lettuce, crunchy shredded red cabbage, finely sliced onions, crunchy pickle wedges -- to the delight of the person I'm going to kiss afterwards. The tahini is just the right consistency and the hot sauce is just strong enough. The pita is just the right thickness and stiffness/softness to hold everything in.
The vegetarian plate is a filling and healthful combination of their delicious salads/falafel/hummus and comes with pita bread. The shwarama is fine but I prefer mine juicier. The little "pizzas" -- topped with sesame seeds or feta -- are pretty good but can be too salty.
Their service is always indifferent, super-quick and efficient, and the room is far from lovely but the most recent Onion is always there to read while you eat.
Stopped in last night with the wife after hanging out with friends at The Gutter (bowling alley).
Falafel sandwich for only $3? This was some seriously good eats, fresh home made falafels and we ordered them with the works which included pickles, cabbage, lettuce, beets and more.
Would definitely go back.
This is a great place to get vegetarian food like falafel. I have gone here on numerous occasions to get cheap, but filling dinners. The actual falafels are just good. The hummus is what makes it great. For $6, you can get a huge satisfying platter of 4 falafel balls, baba ganous, hummus, salad, pickles, onions and a few whole pita breads. It is a big meal.
I have found that adding the red chili sauce adds flavor to the falafel balls as they don't have a strong flavor, but their texture is really nice. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The baba ganous kinda has a charcoal taste to it from the grilled eggplant unfortunately, but it is still creamy and rich. Overall, great value!
"Excuse me waiter there is a hipster in my hummus."
If you like your balls big and brown well this is the place for you!
The falafels are kickass.
holy falafel!!! :-)
You really can't go wrong for only 3 bucks! Whenever I go out on a lunch break-- i find myself coming here a lot after i get my bubbletea from Saint Alps!!
They have those $6 platter dishes for those who are super hungry! I really like their falafel, but make sure you tell them to go easy on the onions-- they totally try to overdose on that stuff if you don't instruct them otherwise.
I'm not a falafel expert or anything, but they're pretty darn good. Oasis is seriously right off the L train on Bedford, so you should really check this place out!
WHOLE. WHEAT. PITA.
Thank you for indulging my attempts to be healthy (fibrous?). Also, $3 for Pita and Hummus. Things just keep getting better and better...
I LOVE OASIS! Tonight after finishing my take-out, I was so satisfied there was nothing left to do but sit down and write a review. (I quit smoking) It was climatic though.
I've eaten a falafel sandwich at least once a week for more than six years made by these guys and with this experience have realized that no one prepares a more perfect salad/pickle ratio on a sandwich. Being from PA I'm quite picky about my pickles too. The baba ganoush & tabouleh are always fresh and the prices are so low it feels unfair. They're open late too!
You can trust me on falafel. I lived off of it for two months. I would in all seriousness be dead or impoverished and in serious debt if it were not for falafel.
Oasis is just okay. Yes, it's good enough. If you are hungry and need a quick snack, you'll do fine and you won't find anything to complain about. But after knowing exactly how good a falafel can be, this is a 3-star. (Actually, I don't think I've found a found a 5-star in New York. And yes, of course I have had Mahmouns, which is a 3.5 at best.)
But until something better comes along, this is the best of the limited falafel selections in Williamsburg.
I sorely regret not eating here tonight. The kebab sandwiches are delicious. The babaganoush is also. I think what makes oasis sandwiches so good is all the stuff they put in them. Especially their miraculous pickled red cabbage. MMMMMMMMM SO SO good. The Tahini is also excellent. I never knew Tahini could be so good.
I've only had one item here because I find it hard to order anything else. The $3 falafel is amazing. A little prone to falling apart, but this is probably my own clumsy eating habits. In that case, it can easily become a falafel salad. I wish there was eggplant on it, but the rest of the toppings are delicious on their own. This is the best and most affordable falafel I've had in NYC, although maybe not the world. But that's still pretty good.
If you like good fast food for super cheap stop reading this review and go to Oasis. The falafel sandwich is only $3!!!! and it fills you up amazingly. The plates are huge so be careful unless you're going to share it. Everything is delicious and the gentlemen that run it are very fast and nice.
Dude, being an L.A. native, I sure miss my middle eastern grub. Once I discovered this place, that heartache quickly subsided - this place is my jam! A lot of the time I'll make a special stop at Bedford Ave just to grab a shawarma or shish taouk for dinner, or as an after-workout meal. 6 bucks gets you a sandwich and a Pepsi - how great is that??
The staff is friendly and eager to serve. The shawarma sandwich is super good when they give you the crispier pieces of lamb and turkey right off the spit. The toppings are always super fresh, and I absolutely love the dill pickles they throw in, adding extra crunch and sour.
The chicken shish taouk sandwich is super fresh - as soon as you order it, they throw the marinated chicken on the grill. When it's grilled to juicy perfection, it's put in a pita with toppings and hot sauce. The tanginess of the chicken - amazing. Just don't go expecting a polite, business-like meal. There will be all kinds of juices running down your palms as you eat, and the sandwich will fall apart. You will end up and have absolutely no problem with picking up the pieces and inserting them into your mouth - it's that good.
Oh Oasis how I miss you! I used to stop by this Williamsburg spot on my way to a friend's house. For $3 you get a little package of green goodness with hot sauce. The store (basically a counter with some tables) is nothing to write home about but still... thanks for being reasonably priced and delicious.
I saw this place as I got out of the subway and figured I'd try it since it appeared to be rather empty. Lo and behold, 2 seconds after I stepped into Oasis, I turned around and there were about 5 or 6 people lined up behind me. After getting my food, I understood why:
1) Value: 3 dollars!! 3 dollars for a really filling falafel sandwich with a bunch of toppings. The spinach pie I had was 2.50, and I believe the shawarma and things are 5 dollars.
2) Taste: I will pull the Arab card and certify that though I partly grew up in Lebanon, I was more than satisfied with the food. It's as good as the falafel/shawarma carts I used to order from in Beirut.
3) Speed: this is fast food at its best. It literally took less than two minutes for me to order, pay, and have my food in hand. No wonder these guys' tip jars are full to the brim.
Hurrah for Oasis, so aptly named!
$3 for a tasty falafel sandwich has me sold. A caveat: they recently changed the pickles! I know it's a minor detail but the old pickles were better, trust me. Some guys are better at assembling the pita. Don't worry. The ones there at peak hours are the best, and by peak I mean late at night. That's when you need your falafel fix, right? If you're there during one of their rare lulls you might find yourself chatting with one of the employees. They might mean business when making your falafel, but they can be super friendly. Oh and the TV is awesome entertainment.
Tip: you have to ask for the key for the bathroom. It's okay. You're a big kid. Just ask.
I usually steer clear of halal and williamsburg for that matter unless I have a predetermined course but chancing on this place was a good thing.
It was a favor for a favor and these dudes hooked me up with 2 free shawarma (sp?) sandwiches and I gotta say they rocked pretty hard.. they were real messy but good and filling. Not sure how much they would've cost but if it was around $4-5 it was a good deal.
Good stuff!
Oasis is located right off the Bedford L, so it is easy for anyone in the area to find, including me- I practically live on the subway. Because of that, I have passed by it many times, thinking that I should check it out just because it is located right off the L. I wish I were a little less lazy in trying to find a place to eat today (I mean, hey, I was about to jump on the L anyway). I have not tried the falafel, and I do not intend to go back due to the sheer nastiness of the shwarma sandwich. It did not taste like good shwarma should. The seasoning was off- a bit too much; it really did not taste like shwarma-- more like a badly seasoned excuse for middle eastern food. Seriously. We're in nyc, people. Do not settle for Oasis based on its convenient location. Venture further into Williamsburg, or Brooklyn...or all of nyc, for that matter. There is much, MUCH better out there.
Fantastic falafel.
Oh Noes! I think I must have set the bar too high for Oasis, because I went last night and it was pretty "meh."
Sad story.
Walking up the steps leaving the Bedford L station, the florescent Oasis sign is like a beacon of… Read more »
Terrible Shawarma is all i'm going to say.
I came here the morning after NYE only because the Pizza place across the street was closed, and I was looking for something greasy to get my gears back into action, and to say the least - I was severely disappointed by the quality of their meat.
Being accustomed to middle-eastern food from all over the city, i've had my fair share of Shawarma/Döner/Gyro's in manhattan (Mamoun's anybody?). I was at least expecting some kind of decent quality of meat, however the taste was kind of bitter and you could tell that it was not fresh lamb at all. The color of it was a bit off as well (it was kind of sulfuric yellow in some places). I ignored the salad and only nibbled a bit on the pita that came with it, so I can't say for much for those.
Maybe i'll come back and give something else on the menu a try because I love my middle-eastern food, however I don't think that is going to be anytime soon (even if i'm hung over).
Man, every time a train arrives at Bedford Ave, a swarm of people run into Oasis from the subway and get falafel. I was waiting for a chicken dish here and must have seen 40 customers come in and out.
The food was great, though I wish there was some tzahzki sauce! The guys who work here are cool and I'll be back many, many times.
Shit, I ate baklava with pistachios here a few weeks ago. Am I gonna die? It wasn't even that good.
3 Dolla' Make You Holla' At Oasis!.......
Oh I said it! 3 Dollars will most definitely make you holler at this Middle Eastern spot and in a very very good way. I mean come on people... $3 for a HUGE fulfilling tasty Falafel Sandwich! I'm stuffed on just 3 bucks, what a deal!
In my opinion, Oasis has the best tasting Falafel sandwich in all of New York City! I'm thrilled because if you happen to live in Brooklyn off the L line, this is an easy stop over on your way home. It is exactly 5 steps from the Bedford L stop. Even if you live in Manhattan, it's only the first stop into Brooklyn (3 minutes) and your in Falafel Heaven! ;o)
My favorite place for falafel, ever. I get the platter with hummus, cabbage, salad and pickles and it's $6, comes with pita. The chicken kebabs are amazing. Don't forget they have baklava and other pastries.
I love that it took going there for over a month before they really smile at you, but once they start they will go over the top to make YOU smile.
The only sad thing is they don't deliver.... but they are so nyummy, busy and cheap that would basically be impossible, but are close enough to the park a picnic is completely doable.
This is another good example of finding a decent place, that's cheap and quick. It's near the Bedford stop, too. I went in and ordered a chicken pita, because I was not in the mood for falafel, and they served maybe 6-7 falafel pitas in the time it took to get my chicken one because they cook the chicken to order, so in other words, you'd do better just to get a falafel pita if it's all the same to you. You'll have it in your hands in less than a minute after you order. They put pickles in them which is a nice touch, and some other things you may not be used to in the average pita. They'll ask if you want hot sauce, so unless you're really sensitive to spiciness just say yes, because it's not very hot, and it adds a good flavor.
Another thing: the sign on the bathroom door says it's out of order, but it's really just to deter people from going in there, so ask them if it's really out of order and they'll probably roll their eyes at you and push the buzzer to let you in, so then maybe you should tip them a dollar in the jar, but wait until they're looking, or else you won't get credit for it.
The sandwiches are served in minimally wrapped paper so it is environmentally a good choice, too.
This is the closest place for me to fulfill my falafel cravings. The food is very good, it's cheap, and they are open late.
I've also eaten their kebabs here and their salads - also very delicious choices.
The service is friendly and swift and there's plenty of seating (no frills, but at least there's space and it's clean).
I prefer the falafel and kebab joints in Astoria, but for convenience I love Oasis - recommended!
Better than Mamoun's... BUT: FIX YOUR BATHROOM. We know what's up okay? It's been "broken" for quite some time. That cost you a star by the way. I have general angst, rage, and resentment towards Oasis for not fixing their bathroom, and not being the nicest people to buy a falafel from either. Having said that, I still gave them 4 stars, based on the value, taste, and convenience of the $3.00 falafel sandwich.
The falafel has a perfect texture. Not dry, or hard, not overly moist, or undercooked. It has the perfect accompaniments, including hot sauce that is not too hot, and not sweet. They make it fast, fresh, and the Baklava is awesome as well. I've had one, I've had two. I like it either way.
By the way, Mamoun's really sucks compared to this place. I'm so sick of hearing about the hype.
Neighborhood: Bushwick
Category: Middle Eastern
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Category: Desserts
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