Sunrise Deli & Cafe
Categories: Greek and Mediterranean, Delis, Caterers [Edit]
Neighborhood: Outer Sunset2115 Irving St
(between 22nd Ave & 23rd Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94122 (415) 664-8210
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
Sun 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch
- Alcohol: None
106 Reviews for Sunrise Deli & Cafe
One of Sunrise Deli & Cafe's Favorite Reviews
Until my visit to Sunrise Deli & Cafe, I had never had a falafel. Ever. Yeah, I don't know where I've been either. Anyway, so I'm standing in front of the counter, thinking aloud and asking no one in particular what the hell are falafel's, when the owner takes a falafel and gives it to me.
I stood there for a good ten seconds, waiting for him to cut me a small piece, but he doesn't, he just gives me the whole damn thing! Sure, falafel's don't cost a lot, but it was still very generous of him. I'm Asian, Asians love free samples. Like my boyfriend says, "...it just tastes better when it's free." So, if you see me coming your way and you want a better Yelp review, give me some free samples. It'll work wonders on my boyfriend too. Just kidding!
If I wasn't afraid of breaking out (they're breaded and deep fried), I may have ordered a Falafel Plate, but instead, I ordered the Lamb Shawarma. Oh, thank heavens, it was delicious! My boyfriend, however, ordered the Chicken Shawarma and I'll be honest, I didn't like it one bit, because it tasted like curry and I'm not a fan of curry.
My only complaint about the shawarma is that I had a difficult time getting a good bite of the lettuce, hummus, and tomatoes with the lamb, because everything wasn't mixed very well inside the wrap. I had to take one bite from the left, one bite from the right, and combine everything together in my mouth. Other than that, it was good. Mediterranean food seems pretty light, I didn't feel too stuffed and had room for dessert across the street at Tuttimelon afterwards.
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Sunrise probably has the best falafel I've ever eaten. The friendly and mellow staff consistently does a great job of making it nice and warm and moist inside, and perfectly crispy on the outside. It's also worth checking out the super wrap, full of falafel, eggplant, potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes and hummus.
I ate here awhile back and was pleasantly suprised. I'd been in the area numerous times before and never even noticed this place was here until I read about it on SFGate. I had the falafel wrap and it was good. I still prefer Old Jerusalem to Sunrise but prefer Sunrise to Yummas if that helps.
you must try their falafels!
A quick falafel run, this place does it. Nothing to brag about...
The cucumber & yogurt salad was a bit too tart for me.
Let me put it simply...Sunrise Deli has the best falafel in San Francisco and possibly the world and i have been all over. Fresh, crisp, incredibly delicious. Every friend i have turned on to this gem of a place totally agrees. By the way, i always also order the rice, lentil, fried onion dish as well. It goes perfectly with the falafel. The owner is totally friendly and wants you to be happy. Sunrise Deli is a really great find especially if you appreciate fantastic falafel!
Want some good wholesome falafel (or as we Egyptians call it, 'taamiya')? Go to Sunrise Deli!! Even with the management change, they haven't changed the recipes which is good for me!
Have a falafel sandwich with the cucumber yogurt, it's the best! It's also awesome to get platter's done with a dozen falafel, hummus, cucumber yogurt and pita... feels like back home without the fava beans.
The best falafel I have had in my life. Falafel sandwich is enough for 2. Turkish delight is good, too.
They changed ownership a couple of years ago, so their impressive drink selection dwindled to just 1 case. They replaced their 8 or 9 refridgerators full of drinksk to shelves with middle-eastern dry goods.
Oh well.
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Since Just Like Home left Irving Street west of 19th Avenue years ago. Thanks to Yelpers we tried a falafel sandwich at Sunrise and loved it. The falafels are crispy on the outside and soft inside just as others have described it and served with tahini. In short, a delicious, no frills falafel. Prices are reasonable, service is prompt. I wish they had whole wheat pita bread.
So I'm sheltered I've never had a falafel my entire life. I have no idea what it is but feeling adventurous I thought why the hell not. Anything coming out of a deep fryer must not be bad. I'm so happy I tried it and it has become my new obsession. That and their baklava. Have you ever had a moment where you are eating something and the whole world stands still and all you are thinking is how delicious it is? Baklava will take you to that magical place
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I TRIED to go here twice in one day. First, was at 10am, but "Nothing is ready", he tells me. Then I go at 5:07pm..."We're closed" he tells me.
Bastard guy.
I'll attempt to patronize this business some other time. Hopefully they earn more stars from me.
***UPDATE***
So I got to make a stop here this past weekend, before dropping my sister off. It was around 3 pm, so they were now "ready" but not yet "closed".
I ordered the Shish Kabob plate, with the grilled onion & lentil rice & a side order of falafels. The lamb was good, yet a little on the chewy/tough side. I was a little disappointed with the small portions and that they wouldn't let me have the falafels as one of my side dishes, so I had 2 orders of the rice instead and just ordered 2 falafels. The falafels were delicious! But then I had some of my sisters tabouli salad, which I wasn't a whole lot impressed by.
Overall, this place was so-so...The food was decent but not unforgettable. Knowing me, I'll give this place another try, maybe give the shawarma a chance? I really want to like this place, I really do...
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My quest for the perfect falafel has ended. Crispy, tasty, all-around yummy.
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One of the best falafel I have had in a while. Well, not in a while. More like in many many moons. I actually happened upon this place by accident one day. I was getting my glasses done nearby and was walking aimlessly for some food. I pass by here on my way to a dim sum shop and noticed a dude frying up some falafel. I looked up and made sure I remembered where I was. I'm not too sure why I didn't stop and buy a falafel then but I sure craved one when I got home. So the next day I stopped by and grabbed one. And a half dozen dolmas. Dear God, almighty! Flavor explosion!
The falafel was wrapped up like a shwarma in the long wrap that reminds me of a square burrito wrapper. I got the super so everything was in. Can't go wrong with a super. And the dolmas...Each one filled with soft fluffy goodness. If you ever eat a dolma and the rice is somewhat crunchy, that means it's been in the case for some time. Oh, so good...Haven't had a great dolma in a while, too...
I might try and venture out to another item on the menu but right now, it's all about the falafel. I know it's deep fried but it's one of the few times I go vegetarian on a meal. And if you have ever seen me, you know I don't normally do vegetarian.
this is where i had my first falafel as a tween. that was a looooonng time ago!
and i still come here cause they have the best falafels in town!
but i don't understand why they charge me tax every time i order the half dozen falafels.
i don't get taxed on pork buns or tacos, so why falafels? it makes me feel like they're trying to rip me off. it's the principle, ya know? less one star for that.
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The falafel was fried fresh for us. It was crispy and perfectly spiced. The hummus seemed a bit watered down. Not as creamy and thick as what hummus usually is. We had a few pita wraps as well. They were alright, the gyros was kind of dry. And then we tried the cheese dessert. I dont know how else to explain it but sweet mozerella. It was definately different and worth a try. If I were to come back here, it would definately be for the falafel.
Damn. Good. Falafel.
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Admittedly, I haven't compared and contrasted all of the Mediterranean places in town, but I gotta say....this place has some of the best Falafel and Hummus that I have EVER had. The Falafel has just the right texture and crunch on the outside and the Hummus is incredibly smooth and flavorful.
I've been in the neighborhood for over 11 years, and this place has always been consistent quality and service. The folks behind the counter make fantastic sandwiches and are always super nice.
I've heard some comments about hours, but they always seem to be open when I go during the day. Definitely worth the stop, and great for take out to go the Park.
I had avocado falafel sandwich. YUMM. but eat it fast before the bread got soggy. They have a nice selection of desserts too, prices are much more reasonable than King Gyro at Civic Center, but KG deserts are more moist, more honey!
Currently in love with falafels.
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After having Greek food last night at Kokkari, I woke up craving for a baklava so I went on Yelp to look for any nearby Mediterranean places. Load and behold, Sunrise Deli & Cafe was located right in my neighborhood. I always walked by when i am on Irving but I never actually ate there.
So I walked my hungry self and met with the BF and we venture off for a falafel and baklava. We ended ordering a Lamb Kabob plate ($9.99) that came with 2 sides (we chose cucumber & yogurt & cucumber & tomato salad) and pita breads to go. Boy, am i stuffed! The lamb was very tasty and juicy. i would definitely come back again and order their falafels. i think I'm going through a GREEK phase or something.
PS. Have anyone know none of the workers doesn't wear gloves when handling the food? Especially since the main guy who handles money also touches the food too? *sigh* as much as i enjoyed my lunch i really hate it when food employees doesn't use gloves! Its really UNSANITARY. i don't want to get a BAD stomach ache. :(
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I looooove love love Sunrise Deli. AMAZING FALAFEL. Sooo good. Really good yogurt dip and hummus too. The owner of the place is hella nice - I wanted to try a falafel and they just gave one to me, even though it's like $2.50 or something for one. Definitely one of my favorites in Sunset!
This is a case of a place where the owners of the restaurant, are the same ethnicity as the type of food they are serving. Why this is important?? Authenticity :-)
This place definitely has an authentic feel, whether its their tahini sauce, their shawarmas, and of course their falafels. Let me tell you, if you like falafel and haven't tried this great little hole in the wall, then you are missing out! The food here is great and its definitely worth checking out if you are a fan of middle eastern food.
As mentioned before, this place is very cheap, which is always a welcomed bonus when the food is so tasty. I have been to several middle eastern food establishments where i paid as much as 10.99 for a lamb shawarma and 8.99 for a falafel sandwich. This place has all of their shawarma sandwiches at 6.99 and their falafel sandwiches for under 6 bucks, which is cheap by relative standards.
Another great thing about this place is the people behind the counter. If you choose to eat there, then they bring the food to you, which is kind of nice for a smaller hole in the wall "fast food" type of place. Although i think several of the employees did not speak english, they were nonetheless friendly and attentive to our requests. The owner is a nice guy who you can tell genuinely likes the food that he makes...that may sound silly, but i would argue that you can't say that about alot of places now.
I am slightly critical of this place, which is why i didnt give it 5 stars. I will say that with the exception of the falafel, its not the "best" middle eastern food i have tasted. I have tried a place in palo alto that tastes slightly better in terms of their shawarma and a few other things.
But the star of this place is no doubt the falafel, so make sure when you stop by, you get a sandwich! Or if you have never tried falafel and are curious if you will like it, this place is for you because you can try individual falafels for only 25 cents :-)
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Really good falafel balls. Crispy and flavorful. Just stick with the falafel sandwiches. Everything else is blah. Hummus is watery.
i ordered the large hummuus platter that came with pita bread. it was alright..got sick of it because there was so much olive oil.the bf got the falafel sandwich which was really good! i knwo wat to order the next time im around irving.
$2.50 for a half dozen falafels, nuff said. Minus 1 star for having all those hookahs in the window but not offering it to customers :(
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The falafels here are so good they have become a staple in my weekly meals. At least once a week I drop by and get a dozen of falafels, half a dozen of really fresh and good dolmas as well as their sesame bread - and what I like to do is cut the bread in half add some feta, tahini and falafel and there you have it. Excellent. Try it at your house!
I give them 4 stars as I have not tried any of their other stuff really - the falafels are so good, this is what I want to be having every time.
So I went to the Gay Bay last weekend to my best friend whom I haven't seen in nearly five years. She lives in Sunset amongst a bunch of Chinese folks and shops along Irving. When I got into Sunset, after a flight on Virgin America that left me starving and wanting to eat my left foot, I walked up and down the street trying to decide if I wanted Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, or what. I first stopped at a grocery store and got some wasabi roasted peas. Then I proceeded to buy frozen yogurt with fruit toppings at some fro-yo shop. But since I like to finish any meal--haphazard or not--with something salty or savory, I popped into Sunrise because I love falafel like I love being a lonely sonofabitch--which is a lot!
It was down to two choices: the Super Falafel or the Avocado Falafel. The avocado falafel promised avocado, hummus, lettuce, tomato, and tahini in a pita. Sounded pretty standard except for the avocado, which in principle, guaranteed a yummy sandwich. However, my interested was more peaked by the Super Falafel - with hummus, eggplant, potatoes, lettuce, tomatoes, and tahini served in a "Lavish Bread." Since I didn't know what the fuck a lavish bread was and the promise of potatoes and savory eggplant in my falafel was too tempting to resist, I order a Super Falafel.
As I caught a glimpse of the obviously new Mexican employee make my sandwich, I noticed that potato element was french fries. I wouldn't call this a native ingredient in the Near East either, but was loving where this was all going. I looked away and moments later, my sandwich was before me with a small side of pickled turnips and olives. What was first noticeable was that it wasn't so much a sandwich than a Middle Eastern burrito. Apparently a lavish bread is a very flat bread that you can roll up ingredients into for an easy-to-go snack or meal. No wonder why they hired a Mexican for this job!
The premise of this sandwich is excellent, however, the execution doesn't live up to its potential. First, the falafel balls were room were kind of cold and mushy--though it could have been the fault of the tahini. But because the falafel balls were obviously not taken fresh from the fryer, it lacked a crunchy texture that I really enjoy. Next were the french fries--also cold and with no texture. And finally, it took a few bites to finally get a taste of the eggplant, which didn't contribute enough flavor to the tasting experience. The eggplant could have had some spice, perhaps enhanced in the same delicious way the guys at the falafel cart on 40th and Broadway do it. That would have given the Super Falafel some more dimension. Also, if the falafel balls were hot and the french fries inside more crispy, the sandwich could really live up to its name. But at this point, it is more like "Decent Falafel."
The joint claims to have the best falafel in town. I hope that isn't true.
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The best Falafels I have found in SF. The place is nothing to look at and is not a "date night" place; Its kind of a cross between a grocery and a deli. Go there for the food. The owner is a great guy too
Very nice selection of Middle Eastern food (sweets and savories) for very cheap. Plenty of veggie options, too. $4.99 for a regular falafel sandwich, $5.50 for an avocado falafel sandwich. One thing that could be improved is thicker pita to keep the sandwich from falling apart as you eat it, but it was still very tasty all the same.
All I know about this place is... it has the best falafel in the city!! And it's cheap too.
I love 'em....my friend took me here once, and we ate like 6...and then we ordered about two dozen more.
I'm going to have to go back for more food later.
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I use to think that this was my favorite place for falafel, but after exploring and eating at other falafel joints outside of San Francisco, i'm sorry to say that this place does not have the best falafels. But still, its a good size, tasty, crispy on the outside, fresh, and cheap.
The baba ghanouj is a bit too lemony, but if you are a lover of lemons, go for it. It still has a nice consistency.
room for seating, friendly people at the counter, parking could be tough...good time to get lucky
Try Falafel's Drive In in San Jose or Falafel, etc in Fremont for better tasting falafel. Yes, they're smaller in size, but they taste better there. You just have to try it for yourself if you happen to be in the area.
Overall, i'd come back here IF I were in the area and craving some falafel.
This has been one of my favorite stops for a long time. A few years ago the business was sold and I miss Mike and the rest of the old ownership dearly. Nevertheless, if your in the area and have a craving for a shawerma, hummus, baba ghanouj or tabouli- this is a good stop. I still drop by once or twice a year to get a dozen Falafels.
No one ever talks about the olives and pickled turnips. I love the pickled turnips!
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One hot falafel.
Fresh out of the fryer.
Mouthgasm.
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Recently I've been obsessed with shawerma, chicken and lamb. I see doner meat on a spit, and I am drawn irresistibly into the premises. Sunrise has two spits on display by the window, so I found myself waiting in line at the deli counter. They're really into Yelp. One of the employees was sporting a People love us on Yelp shirt and they had Yelp cards on the counter. Cute.
The items in the deli case looked good: hummus, baba ghanouj, tabouli, and some other salads. There's a shelf of desserts (e.g., baklava) and some grocery items (e.g., canned chickpeas) towards the back. The grocery item selection is pretty small. There are half a dozen tables.
I ordered the chicken shawerma ($5.99). Good price. The all white meat chicken pieces were on the larger side (I like my meat in smaller, thinner pieces) but tender and flavorful (marinated with lemon and garlic). Good tahini sauce. Quite a bit of fresh parsley. Lettuce, tomatoes. Everything was very good though the pita bread itself wasn't out of the ordinary (you have to try the pita bread at Rihab's/Good Bites in Belmont to know what really extraordinary flatbread is like).
I tried the Armenian pizza ($2.59), a doughy flatbread topped with ground beef, onions and spices. It's a bit spicy. Good topping. The crust didn't have much chew to it. It was a bit better toasted but still, I was underwhelmed by the crust. They bake ring bread on the premises but I haven't tried it yet.
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Sometimes we eat falafel and sandwiches here until we could pop, and then we get dozens to take home and eat throughout the week. Oh the fatness.
Wait. Do you not know what a falafel is? Then you are going to die a sad and pathetic wretch. Do not let this happen! Get to Sunrise Deli today and make sure you can die with a smile on your fat face, and grease on your fingers.
For immortals like myself, who do not fear the spice, be sure to ask for the spicy dipping sauce.
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Two words: Super Falafel!
Mouth-watering tasty.
Hot.
Fresh.
I was craving it as soon as I woke up.
I'm eating one right now. Yum!
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Falaaaafel MAAAAN
Falaaaafel man
Doin the best a falafel man can!
He puts the balls in to FRYYY
what a wonderful guuuy!!!
I love that falafel MAAAAAN!
He takes a pita
that we want to EATA!
Then put's the balls in the hummous
cause he knows were gonna LOVIT!
And when I take a bite
I know it tastes riiiight!!!
CAUSE HE'S THE FAAAALAAAAAFEEEEELLLLLL
MAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNN!!
(It's a song. I just made it up sort of.
No need to be awed. My gift of song comes natural. As does my love of balls.)
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You can smell the hot falafels cooking from around the block!!
They are very good, hot and freshly fried. I got a dozen, a bargain at $3.50. I also picked up the cucumber sauce which is also very good.
This place is conveniently located right next to 22nd & Irving market. I wil be back!
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One of the biggest drawbacks of knowing how a dish is supposed to taste is that you realize it when it tastes wrong.
I had a doctor's appointment at the sort-of-nearby-if-you're-driving UCSF and decided I would branch out and try something new in San Francisco. Looking on Yelp, this place struck my eye. I love shwarma! It's one of the things I miss the most from my years in Israel! Excitedly I headed over to this place, savoring the possibility of finally finding a decent shwarma in the Bay Area.
Parking is, unsurprisingly, scarce. I shunted my car into a TRUCKS ONLY spot by the nearby Walgreen's, deposited my 50 cents into the timer and ran, with an attempt at nonchalance, to the restaurant.
On walking in, I breathed a sigh of relief since it was pretty much empty. Just one lady in line in front of me, how long could that take, right? Maybe I wouldn't get a ticket after all. As luck would have it, though, the lady appeared to be the worst of all customers to have in front of you--the finicky party planner. "What kind of salad is that?" "Can I have a small container of that? Oh wait, no, I've changed my mind. A big container. No, never mind, I don't want it at all." As she was about to pay, she suddenly noticed the baklava behind her and went into a prolonged discussion with the cashier about which, if any, baklava she should get.
Thankfully after about 10 minutes of this she noticed me and graciously let me pay for my chicken shwarma. Then the guy who had previously been (very dextrously!) deep frying falafel balls proceeded to put it together.
First of all, I was extremely disappointed that he did not cut the meat straight from the spit. There was a spit, and it was turning, so at least I figured the pieces of chicken I got had come from there at some point. Still, that's part of the fun of shwarma. Not this time.
The ingredients were not very well mixed in the shwarma, and the layers were a bit too distinct for what's pretty much a sandwich which you're forced to eat sequentially.
The chicken... didn't taste like chicken. As I was eating, I kept glancing at my shwarma to make sure that I did indeed get chicken. It was kind of bland and almost bready.
The hummus saved it though. Most of the hummus I've had in the US is kind of a pale approximation of the real thing. This was a bit too liquidy, but tasted just right. The hummus gets the stars.
Still, I would probably try out another place next time.
Oh, and no, I didn't get a ticket. That's pretty much half a star right there.
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my buddy was gonna cut my hair the other day at her house, and we decided to scavenge for food beforehand. we walked down irving and it was like, "asian...asian.... more asian... should i get this asian or that asian? i had this asian last night and i'll probably have that asian tomorrow night so i dunno.." then..
TA-DA!! middle eastern food?!? fuck yes.
we went inside and the place was pretty much dead silent except for homeboy eating there, which i'll get to in a second. anyways they have a big menu poster board thing, and my friend [who has never had middle eastern food] decided she wanted chicken shawarma "because the picture on the poster looks pretty". so i was like yeah, it looks pretty good. i want me some falafels though. we ordered our food and chyea, they're not the friendliest people around but i don't think they were particularly rude. her chicken shawarma and my falafel sammich came out to 16$ and some change. took it home because homeboy there was kinda weirding us out, and if i had to use one word to the describe the food it would be: solid. just solid, yummyness.
apparently our homeboy agrees with us, because the whole time we were waiting for our food he was SMACKING on his shit. like forreal just.. *smacksmacksmack* *moan* "so good" *smack some more* [seriously guys. i can't make this shit up]. at one point he came up for air and told the guys behind the counter, "it's soooo good. everytime i come. so gooood. *smacksmack*"
so hey. take his word for it, yadigg?
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This place seems like a small, cute Mediterranean place. Starving, my girlfriend and I went in and ordered Kufta Kabob and Lamb Shawarma.
Nothing in our experience was particularly good. The service was unfriendly; they barely spoke English and it felt like they really really didn't wanna be there. They screwed up our order and gave us two Lamb Shawarmas; when we asked, the guy clearly said one was a Kufta Kabob, but it clearly had hummus in it (which only the shawarmas do, according to their menu).
As for the food itself, it was very mediocre. The items were stuffed with veggies and had barely any meat. The tzatziki was bitter and there was nothing special about the pitas. At $7 each, the serving size was below average.
Water isnt free: you have to buy a bottled water. I hate it when restaurants do that just to milk you for some more money.
Its strange... I'm rarely disappointed with food. Its uncommon for me to dislike a restaurant this much. I have to give this place one star because of unfriendly service, bad food and no real redeeming qualities.
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