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The Golden Falafel Balls - CLOSED
Categories: Restaurants Middle Eastern Restaurants Mediterranean Middle Eastern, Mediterranean [Edit]
5075 Stevens Creek BlvdSte 10
Santa Clara, CA 95051
(408) 246-3800
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
77 reviews for The Golden Falafel Balls
Review Highlights
"The pita bread is so smooth and nice."
(in 19 reviews)
"and hummus dish and everything was delicious."
(in 30 reviews)
"Take it from an Israeli this place is genuine."
(in 15 reviews)
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77 reviews in English
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Review from Yinon B.
Cupertino, CA
12/21/2009
I came here about a year and a half ago (late review! ... I know) to set up catering for a company function.
The staff was extremely professional in helping me concoct a very diverse order that had to satisfy many rules (many vegetarians at the office, number of people, serving size per person for a specific order, etc.).
Beyond the above, however, they really took the time to get things right and actually provided me a discount because the order was so large. This discount was not mentioned on the menu anywhere so that was definitely a very nice touch.
As for the food itself...fantastic. The falafel balls are crunchy on the outside, but soft and fluffy on the inside. The schnitzels are crisp and flavorful and the shwarma is cooked just right.
While The Golden Falafel Ball is not a five-star restaurant, for what it is, it is an exceptionally good restaurant. The staff are very nice and genuine people, as well. Definitely recommended! -
Review from Kathleen M.
San Jose, CA
4/27/2009 ROTD 6/26/2009
Ever since I read THEIR BALLS ARE INDEED GOLDEN in Dan B.'s review, I've been fixated on visiting The Golden Falafel Balls. Except I kept misquoting it, and I've been calling the place, GOLDEN BALLS OF DELICIOUSNESS. My version sounds like an American porno that's been translated into Japanese.
I had the $9 Veggie Combo plate. That included six falafel balls, hummus, baba ganoush, pita, and a cup of pickles and peppers. The falafel balls were very slightly oily but the insides were perfect. They were cooked to order and piping hot with a nice crust, without being too hard or dry. (Take it from me, no one wants dried out, hardened balls.) Unfortunately the hummus was on the bland side, but the baba ganoush was good. (However, they didn't hold a candle to the garlicky versions at Gourmet Express.) These sides were attractively garnished - it seems weird to mention but they really were.
The pickles and peppers were definitely needed because there just wasn't enough variety on the plate, and my palate called out for something with a little kick. The combo came with thick Israel-style pita, which was fresh and possibly house-made (which puts it a step above many other Mediterranean places).
There is a glossary of foods on the wall, about as big as the posted menu, describing hummus and the like to the uninitiated.
If you want some GOLDEN BALLS OF DELICIOUSNESS in your mouth of your own, you should know that this place is a little tricky to find. In fact, I missed it the first time. Although the address is on Stevens Creek, the storefront faces Cabot.
Not including places that I have on my Turkish, Persian, or Afghan lists...
Kathleen's Israeli/Middle Eastern/Falafel/Greek Rankings:
1) Gourmet Express, Milpitas
2) La Mediterranee, Berkeley
3) Holy Land, Berkeley
4) Shai's, Kensington (closed)
5) THE GOLDEN FALAFEL BALLS, SANTA CLARA
6) Falafel's Drive-In, San Jose
7) Athena Grill, Santa Clara
8) Cafe Nefeli, Berkeley
9) Sinbad Mediterranean Cuisine, San Mateo
10) Armenian Gourmet, Sunnyvale
11) Jerusalem, Santa Clara
12) Old Ironsides Cafe, Santa Clara
13) Daphne's, Sunnyvale
14) Falafel Bite, Sunnyvale
15) Olives Greek Cafe, San Jose
16) Krivaar, San Francisco
17) Pita Pit, San Jose -
Review from Dan B.
7/30/2008
I'm here to report that THEIR BALLS ARE INDEED GOLDEN*
(And it has nothing to do with a certain film starring Mike Myers).
I discovered this today while eating lunch here with David P, who had organized another meeting of the Falafel Exploration Committee (FEC), consisting of himself, myself, and Steve L., who sadly couldn't make it today (we missed you Steve). I ordered the falafel plate while David ordered the falafel sandwich. Our meals arrived and deliciousness ensued.
My meal: 6 freshly-made, yellowish falafel balls, hummus drowned in tahini, thick Israeli pita (yum!), plus rice (fries can be ordered instead). My only nit was that no salad was included, as was clearly shown in their picture menu on the wall. Falafel balls were on the small side, and just a tad oily, but were piping hot and quite delicious. A solid 4 star meal. Cost was a reasonable $8.65 with tax.
The menu here is absolutely huge, featuring schwarma, kabob, hamburgers, chicken, plus various kosher and Israeli specialties. It may take me a while to get through it, but I will do my best to pray again soon at the alter of the golden ball.
*As for the name, I kept noticing that the falafel were unusually yellow. (I am used to falafel being green or green-brown, but never yellowish). It seemed rather unusual and I noted it several times to David P. as we ate. It wasn't until I returned to work that it finally hit me. Yellow falafel....Golden falafel. Oh, I get it! At least now their name makes more sense.Listed in: My Favorite Reviews
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Review from Maryanne R.
Cupertino, CA
7/23/2007
I've been waiting for months for this place to open and I'm going to admit that I had high expectations for The Golden Ball because I love falafel, shwarma and kabob. We need a good falafel restaurant in the neighborhood because the closest falafel joint to my house is disgusting and my husband got sick there. This is the third location for The Golden Ball (the other two are in Israel) and they are planning to open a fourth in SF.
Must report that The Golden Ball delivered on those high expectations. The place is spotless. The service is really friendly. The food is excellent. I tried their falafel plate for lunch today and found it super fresh and tasty. I'm looking forward to many yummy meals from The Golden Ball.
I have one small complaint - so small that it won't effect those 4 stars up there. The "plate" menu says it comes with "salad, rice or fries and pita bread", so I ordered mine with rice and was surprised when I got home that my plate didn't have any salad. I guess it should read "salad or rice or fries". I'm letting you all know so that you don't make my mistake.
BTW - free delivery within the city of Santa Clara (min. $20 order)Listed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from David P.
7/19/2008
Zohan v Indiana Jones: The Golden Falafel Ball. The name alone requires a visit!
Handcrafted, made-to-order falafel sandwiches in thick Israeli pita.
While service was slow, despite not being busy, it was just a sign that they really wanted to get each order just right. When I asked for more tahini sauce to add to the bottom half of my falafel, they seemed sincerely interested in understanding the problem so they could build institutional knowledge. I didn't have breakfast, so I ended up ordering a second one. Low and behold, the second order's sandwich had better sauce distribution.
Yeah, they have chicken, kebabs, hummus, etc., etc., but I'll never get to them. I'll keep coming back for falafel sandwiches. With Izzy's gone, not many other places have thick Israeli pita bread. -
Review from Kevin C.
4/14/2009
Thinking I know my stuff because I've eaten at House of Falafel, I confidently approach the counter. #1 on the menu board is a falafel. I order the falafel plate ($7.99 + tax) and a fountain drink. Comes out to $10.55 or so. I wonder to myself why the cashier didn't ask what kind of meat I wanted, concluding that falafels must always be made of lamb. I am pleased that my clever deduction has saved me from embarrassing myself by asking.
I enjoy some orange soda (no ice... never ice) as my friends and I wait for our food to cook. I think to myself that $7.99 is a pretty great deal for so much meat. Knowing I'm a carnivore, my buddy comments on my curious order.
Caleb L: "... You like falafels?"
Kevin C: "Yeah dude, I had it at Yiassoo. Meat and stuff in a pita."
Allen K: "That was a gyro. Falafels are vegetarian."
Kevin C: "Whaaaat. ... It totally looks like meatballs. Whaaaat." :o
falafel: fried ball or patty of spiced fava beans and/or chickpeas.
falafail: thinking falafels are made of meat. because they look like meatballs. darn it. :[
Anyway, the falafel plate comes with a generous serving of crisp fries, a big scoop of hummus, and a basket of pita quarters. Surprisingly tasty, but really a pretty poor value considering there's no meat. (A buddy ordered some sort of meat plate and a soda, and it was almost 15 bucks. Price Range: $$. Dollar dollar indeed.)
Service was superb. An employee connected tables for us (tables normally seat two or four; we had six people). The cashier was happy to give us more pita when I asked. We were given carafes of water, for those who didn't buy soft drinks.
Good cleanliness, nice atmosphere, interesting music. Kind of a smallish place, with a smallish parking lot to match (about 14 parking spaces shared by five businesses). It gets a passing grade, but I still prefer Yiassoo.
3.33 stars
(food: 3.5, value: 2.5, service: 4)Listed in: Separate Checks
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Review from Johnny J.
San Jose, CA
7/9/2008
We went back for a repeat today. That is an awesome task since we try new places all the time and to go back somewhere means we really liked it. The only sad thing is when I think about it, is that if I was new to Yelp and this was an early review I would easily give five stars. But I have now been yelp snobified and have experienced so many places that fivers are tougher for me to give.
Back to The Golden Falafel Ball. What a name right!!! It scores high with me. The meat combo plate is what I had tonight with lamb and chicken schwerma and a choice of rice or french fries. It was a tough decision but rice it was (gotta stick to my roots, I wish I was French!). Plus we shared a hummus appy with mushrooms.
The meat was seasoned perfectly and their hummus is the best I have ever had. Good job Golden Ball!! We had the falafels on our first visit and they were fresh and delicious too.
Highly recommend. And I think if we have a threepeat I will have to raise my rating which is likely.
PS. The Place is immaculately clean.
PPS. The pitas they give as table bread are addicting. Warm and fluffy and the bane of someone watching carbs. -
Review from Ivana Y.
Irvine, CA
6/4/2009
I wouldn't have been able to find this place if it weren't for my esteemed sister, and I'm glad I was introduced to this place. You'll tire of hearing it, but the falafels really are a golden color and they are delicious on their own or eaten with pita/hummus. I'm sort of thrown off by the fact that they serve fries with their combos, because that sort of screams 'unauthentic!' to me--but other than that, this place is pretty good. And bonus for service--extra pita bread on the house (but batting my eyelashes may have helped. Or not.)
Nice and clean venue, much unlike House of Falafel's sticky floors/tables. But despite all this, I still prefer HoF style-falafels...I think I just like the taste/texture of the green falafels better; not to mention that HoF gives a slightly better bang for the buck. But that's just me. -
Review from Ashley Q.
San Francisco, CA
12/5/2007
Balls! Delicious golden Balls! My coworker let me in on a little secret, the secret was The Golden Ball.
A bit of history... Rumor has it that there is only ONE other Golden Ball in the world, in the motherland of Israel. Hence, this is a family owned restaurant.
Now the food... The falafel balls are fried right when you order them, so don't take a huge bite into one too soon! Hot, Hot, Hot. We ordered a side of balls and amazing hummus in addition to our main dishes. I'm so glad we did. The falafel in pita is excellent. The shawarma is HUGE, customized how you like it, and appropriately comes stuffed with fresh french fries. There are plenty of veg and meat lover options accompanied by family friendly service.
I think I've exhausted the use of the word balls. Enjoy the fast food staple of the Middle East brought to America, known as The Golden Ball.Listed in: Lunch when your boss is on…
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Review from Eugene F.
Campbell, CA
7/27/2009
This is not your fast food falafel, my friends; in fact, it's something in a league of its own. I was craving some falafel for lunch and found a falafel place that was close enough to work and I hadn't tried yet. Enter The Golden Falafel Balls.
It was a Friday afternoon, and it looked like they had pretty steady business with several of the tables filled with some of silicon valley's finest. The menu is fairly extensive with shawarmas and other typical things found at Mediterranean restaurants. I was on a mission, though, and ordered their namesake item: a falafel wrap with a few additional falafels on the side for good measure (because sometimes other restaurants skimp on their falafel counts and you're left taking a bite with a bunch of pita, lettuce, and nothing else).
It took a few minutes for the order to be ready, but, hey, I can't complain. When i got back to my desk at work, I was surprised to see that the bread was not your typical pita bread. Rather than thin kind that I usually have this was some thick fluffy goodness which contained about 4 or 5 falafels. These were not your run-of-the-mill falafel, either. These were gof ball sized and as per their namesake, they were golden. Boy, did they taste good, too! They honestly were like no other falafel that I've had before, and so tasty. I could barely finish off the whole sandwich and saved half for later. The few "side' falafels that I got turned out to be around 6 and I could barely finish those, either, because I was stuffed.
Overall, this was a really good value. For sandwich and side of falafels, it was under $7 which is a steal considering that their sandwiches are packed to the brim full of goodness. I'll definitely be back to check out their other menu items.
While it's a toss-up and a bone of contention between some of my friends, I would dare say that they may beat out a certain other establishment about 5 miles down the street. While they don't serve a banana shake, the quality is a lot better and worth a try to mix it up a bit once-in-a-while. -
Review from BeBe C.
Palo Alto, CA
7/29/2007
Tasty, huge servings, and clean.
There are many items on the menu and it really will take you some time to read through it. For each type of meat, you can choose to have it served on a plate (with salad, bread, and fries), with baguette, or with pita. I chose to have my sharma served on pita. Wow, the pita was as big as my face! Unlike cardboard-like pita or lavash bread served at many other places, the pita bread here is extremely fresh. Falafels served on the side (6 of them) costs only $2.50 and it's a true steal.
Compared to House of Falafels a few blocks away on the Cupertino side of Stevens Creek, Golden Ball is very hygienic.
There are two small tables outside and so it's dog-ok. The owner was very friendly to my pooch and offered some water. I guess if these two tables are taken, then you can always get the food to-go and have a picnic at Maywood park on Pruneridge, which is less than half a mile away. From Golden Ball, get on to Stevens Creek heading west but stay on the right lane. Turn R on Lawrence Expressway North bound. Take the next exit (Pruneridge). Make a R on Pruneridge. After five tiny blocks, you will find the parking lot of the park or park on the curb.
They will take credit cards in a few days or so.Listed in: Certified Dog-ok Eateries
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Review from Idan B.
Cupertino, CA
10/16/2008
Take it from an Israeli this place is genuine. I don't know about the "falafel" or whatever but their Shawarma is the only good Israeli style Shawarma I've ever had outside of Israel. Here's the trick: order a Shawarma in a pita with french fries inside. If you like spicy ask for "the spicy" and if you want to say this in hebrew (they all speak it) here it is:
"Shawarma be'h Pita ym chips b'fnim"
There other plates are good but its not a fancy restaurant and the colloquial flavors they provide are much better suited for Pita creations rather than plates. Plus they have Israeli Malt Beer (which is non-alcoholic) as well as Israeli grape juice. Both of which are very spectacularly different than their state-side equivalents. -
Review from Aaron M.
7/26/2007
Pretty solid! It's a counter service falafel restaurant with lots of clientele from the holy land. Here's what you need to know:
- It has a Stevens Creek address but it's really 50 yards down the side street.
- The falafel balls are indeed fresh and golden. And medium spicy too!
- The "schewarma" is the chicken variety and was undeniably curryish. Moist and fresh too - yum.
- The veggie, rice and hummus sides were all fresh and good. Fries were just OK and the bread was run of the mill.
- It is open until 4am, yes 4am on weekends - WAIT no they changed it finally to 12am weeknights / 2am weekends. In any case, are they serving the jet lag crowd or is there a secret bar district around there?? -
Review from Andrea G.
San Jose, CA
6/10/2008
Come here for lunch if you want falafels, shawarmas and kebab for lunch... it aint packed like the Falafel House in front of Cupertino Square..
come here if you want mediteranean and your fellow diner doesnt.. because they also serve hamburger and hot dogs.. werid. at least is kosher hahahaha!
The parking can be a little iffy as it shares probably 40 parking spots with the 3 other stores in this micro shopping area.
When u get up to the cashier, all of the plates are pictured above. Thank god... sometimes i forget what certain dishes look like. I went with the #24 or the Shawarma Hummus and my bf went for the Lamb Kebab... he loves lamb... i only love it sometimes.
they didnt seem to have too much of a drink selection.
there were so many places to sit... theere were probably only 3 or 4 other people dining.
it didnt take too long for our food to arrive.. by bf's lamb was cooked perfectly-- just pink in the middle and not done all the way through.
as for my shawarma.. ok nothing spectacular and my hummus was a little too dry for my taste... i would have added a little more olive oil... or EVOO as rachel ray would say... (crazed bitch got me saying it)
the presentation of my shawarma and hummus was kinda funny....it looked like a hummus donut with shawarma in the middle hahah
the flat bread like pita was more warm and fluffy... i love it.
okay,,, this is the second day since the tomato warning started... why was there tomatoes in my bf's salad???!?! just like Gombei yesturday.. Golden Falafel Ball didnt get the memo.
the server also brought us some tahini sauce and hot sauce...
the hot sauce container was soo small it was like a thimble.... we got another one... and they didnt even bother to give a bigger container,.. oh well.... it seem to have more food coloring than it had heat.
overall... i was satisfied. -
Review from Sasha W.
Sunnyvale, CA
11/18/2008
Well I spent a lot of time bitching to Weide Z about how there is no good falafel in the Bay Area. And then I heard about this place and realized that perhaps I'm just going to the wrong joints? I grew accustomed to Israeli falafel when I was in Israel and judge all falafel by that standard. I like a lot of cool, fun stuff in my falafel wrap.
I had my hopes up, I really did. And hey, this place is better than Falafel Drive In, so there's something. There was MORE stuff, but not nearly enough stuff. Man, it would be better with some roasted eggplant and red cabbage, yeah? And the falafels themselves, though they had pretty good flavor, were still kind of dry.
To this day, the only place to give me relatively moist falafel is Hayes & Kabob in SF.
And now for something funny, cuz that review was so boring: OOGILY BOOGILY!! That's right, I said it. Now what?Listed in: Cali Falafel Sucks
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Review from Stephanie A.
Cupertino, CA
7/25/2008
This is a rustic place that with big portions for lower prices. Good for lunch. Food is only okay. I went to the Golden Falafel Ball three times for lunch, and they were not consistent with quality of food and service.
At my first visit the food was okay (ate a Couscous dish). I gave it another try after friend's recommended their Kebab dish. This time it was good enough to convince me to come back again for the third time with another friend. I came only to be embarrassed for recommending it. I ordered the same Kebab dish but it was dry and not tasty. -
Review from Rob G.
San Jose, CA
1/19/2008
We liked it, not bad for a quick, made to order Mediterranean plate
The rice and little salad that come with the plates are very delicious.
We had the chicken mix and it was a tad undercooked, but tasty.
We also had the falafel balls and a falafel pita sandwich. The pita bread is so smooth and nice... feels home made. They probably make it there (not 100% sure).
The falafel balls and the tahini sauce were a bit salty though.
Good price, made to order. Salty though. -
Review from Jim C.
Redwood City, CA
Updated - 2/5/2010
Don't take my golden balls away!
Bottom line: I liked this little kosher falafel place. Sorry to see you go. Buh bye.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/1/2008
Very tasty falafel made when you order it. It came in a thick chewy pita bread which I liked a lot… Read more »
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Review from Darrin K.
San Jose, CA
8/10/2008
Great kosher cuisine - a lunch favorite of mine.
The falafels are light and fried perfectly golden. Talk about truth in advertising! I prefer them served on the fresh, large baguettes with pickles, cole slaw and hot sauce. Another fave is the shakshuka, eggs in a delicious spicy tomato sauce.
This is also my preferred place to get hummus in the area. Not sure if it's an extra dose of tahini, but I love the flavor here.
Love the TV as well -- Israeli soap operas while you eat. -
Review from Debra E.
Sunnyvale, CA
3/19/2008
The Golden Falafel Ball has pretty good grab and go Mediterranean food. I found it by accident while shopping at the Bed, Bath and Beyond nearby. Almost all dishes are under $10. The dining area and open kitchen looks clean plus the food looks very fresh. I think the owners are a mother and son team.
The menu has many foods from all over the Mediterranean including various drinks from Israel. In fact, the menu states that food is Kosher Style. Dine in, take out and catering are all available. They had a variety of cakes and baklavas for your sweet tooth.
I got the Hummus Shawarma which was very yummy. The well flavored chicken came off of one of those rotating meat ovens that looks like gyros. The pita bread was awesome. Not the typical flat thin pocket bread you usually think of but thick, fluffy, chewy, warm bread. The pita breads are about 8 inches round and about .5 inch thick at the widest. One of those badboys and I was pretty full.
I got some Falafel balls on the side. Came with very good tahini dipping sauce and some kind of jalapeno or chili relish type stuff.
The only negative comment I have is the lack of "glossary" for the unfamiliar foods. I want to know what schnitzel, shaksuka, sabich, burekas, chicken mix and Golden Salad are, but I don't want to stand there 20 minutes asking the cashier. -
Review from N S.
Santa Clara, CA
5/19/2008
The lamb kebab was terrible. I chewed the first piece for several minutes before spitting it out into a napkin. The rest of the dish went in the garbage. The beef kebab was tolerable but not much better.
The wait to get my food was over 20 minutes and this is a "fast food" place. The total, for two people was $35! Considering the quality and the wait, that's overpriced. Don't bother with this place until they either drop their prices to match the crappy quality or raise the quality of the food. -
Review from Sugam J.
San Francisco, CA
12/7/2007
When you're in the mood to munch on some tasty balls, this place is the spot to go. Tucked away in the back of the new blue-tiled building, these guys turn out some of the best Falafel's I've ever had.
Crispy, perfectly spiced, fresh out-of-the-frier and stuffed into a pita with all the accouterment. (Which, by the way, are extremely tasty. Fresh romaine, cabbage, home-made hummus, etc.; None of the crappy old iceberg and unripe tomato that tend to sully other attempts at a good falafel pita). Further, they are one of the ONLY places that maintain's structural integrity in their product! From Drive-In's Falafel pita, to burritos, to schwarma-lavash rolls to sandwiches, many often meet their demise as a pile on the table in front of me and all over my hands. Not here! Fresh, Thick-skinned and surprisingly tasty pita keeps all the fun stuff in check.
What goes great with Falafel? Well, Fries of course and these guys do it right. (Way better than vivi's down the street). Again, fresh, hot, crispy and tasty, these are the thin-cut McDonald's style fries that we all love. And if you ask nicely, they'll even put some in your pita too!
What are they missing? Not much, I'd love to be able to get a banana milkshake here, but its not important enough for me to brave the long lines and the self-destructing pitas down at the Drive-In. -
Review from Nancy B.
Mountain View, CA
5/22/2008
Eww! I found a hair in the coconut walnut cake I got. It was a long long piece of hair.
This is an Americanized mediterranean place. it's got hamburgers on the menu and you can get fries as a side with your food. I got the The chicken shawarma pita bread. It was $7 and was huge! I only got through half of it and ate the other half for lunch the next day. The veggies were fresh but the shawarma was a bit dry. -
Review from Cat M.
San Francisco, CA
5/3/2008
I like this place.
The chicken shawarma plate is excellent. The hamburger meal is juicy. The hot mint tea satisfies. Everyone is really nice.
Not much else to say, really, except this is a great find in a kooky strip mall. -
Review from i. o.
San Francisco, CA
7/24/2009
My office is just around the corner, so I come here often for lunch. This family run Israeli falafel joint serves up tasty high-quality, ingredient-laden plates, shawarmas & falafel. Yes, I said "laden", like an African swallow!
I usually get a chicken shawarma (pita) with "chips" (french fries) and an Israeli mango-drink-in-the-can (from the cooler).
If you're vegetarian, the Sabiche (pita sandwich with fried eggplant, hard boiled egg, tahini sauce, vegetables & pickle) is my go-to option.
4 Stars!!Listed in: Lunch in da 'tino, Gyros and Shawarmas
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Review from Polina F.
San Francisco, CA
8/16/2008
So yummy! I adore the hummus with shawarma, and the pita bread is the traditional fluffy kind often served in Israel (not the dry, thin bread often mislabeled as "pita" in the US). The food is authentic -- this place is run by and frequented by Israelis.
One star off for the fast food atmosphere. There is nothing inspiring about this one room restaurant and it might be better for take-out than eating in. And they don't take credit cards (annoying!). -
Review from C K.
Saratoga, CA
6/8/2008
This place is OK...I prefer falafal drive in to here. The nice thing about this place is that there are a lot of menu items to choose from including hamburger and fries...unfortunately the pitas are like sara lee pitas off the shelf of Lucky...boooo....they were super think and tasted like wonderbread condensed into a pita. .the falafals were good and the babaganush was very tasty and flavorful. The place was packed. We were there on a Sunday around 230pm. The place was clean but something about it still felt unsanitary...can't put my finger on it. Wasn't cheap. 5 bucs for a small falafal sammy and 5 for the babaganush plate that should have been 3.
I saw a couple menu item passing by me that looked good...so I"ll go back
This is a good place to get take out hummus and other middle eastern snacky foods. -
Review from Dina B.
Santa Clara, CA
9/16/2008
Very fresh, delicious food. Great place for vegetarians with big appetites.
Falafel baguette sandwich: huge sandwich with soft baguette, fresh hot falafels, coleslaw and creamy sauce. Never had anything like it, but next time I'll plan to share it. There will definitely be a next time.
Vegetarian plate: the falafels (yum), hummus (yum) and the freshest tasting babaganoosh this side of Israel.
Malt drink is worth a try - like an earthy coca cola. Very sweet. -
Review from Michaela S.
San Jose, CA
12/9/2007
I dropped by and got a falafel plate to go, which ended up being fries, six falafel balls, and hummus for about $7.50 with tax. If you want rice instead of fries (option given on their wall menu), make sure to ask, because they won't ask you.
The falafel were good, but a bit salty for my taste. This does let you make all the "salty balls" jokes you want, but I wish they had been toned down just a tad. Eating them with hummus and pita did tame the salt; I am not sure if this is as designed. I kind of think falafel should stand on their own.
The thing I didn't like was they gave me cold fries. Sure, I was getting food to go, so maybe they assumed the fries would be stone cold anyway by the time I got home, but I wanted to eat them in the car on the way -- nope, already limp. The falafel were fresh; not sure why they didn't make the fries at the same time.
The place was packed at 2 PM on a Sunday, which was impressive. I had to park across the street, where luckily, there are many, many spots in the Bed, Bath & Beyond parking lot.
Three stars on probation...I might go back to see if the cold fries and salty balls are a regular thing for them or if it was just a fluke. -
Review from Steve S.
San Jose, CA
3/29/2008
A friend recommended this place as having great falafels. I really wanted this place to be good but unfortunately I have to call them as I see 'em.
I had the chicken kebab plate. The chicken was lighly spiced and had a good flavor except for the excessive saltiness. The chicken was cooked well but was a bit tough and rubbery.
My daughter had the beef kebab in a pita. The pita was excellent. Light and fluffy. The sauce, lettuce, and cabbage was also good. But the meat was tough. There were a few pieces which were mostly tendon or gristle and could not be chewed.
Maybe it was a bad day, or maybe I should stick to the falafel. I'm going to give this place one more try and hopefully I can revise my review in the future. But only 2 stars for now... -
Review from Moe R.
Santa Clara, CA
2/15/2008
I had a falafel plate. The falafels were excellent. The pita bread was soft and fresh -- appears to have been made there. Only slight disappointment was the hummus which was creamy and rich but would have been better if more garlicky.
I will definitely go there again.
The sign said "Mediterranean" food, which I love, but turns out to be one of maybe three kosher places in the area. Actually, it is not quite kosher because they are open on Saturdays and can't get rabbinical blessing but the food is otherwise rigorously kosher.
It's run by a family (Mom, Dad, son), all of whom work there. Dad cooks the meat, mom cooks the rest. Looks like just about everything is cooked on premise.
Very clean. -
Review from Sophie P.
New York, NY
5/5/2009
This place is good. At first, I was a bit skeptical as I can be really partial with food I've already tried (read: I really enjoyed House of Falafel and Falafel Drive-In) but decided to go ahead and try Golden Falafel Balls. The name sounded like something out of a super hero movie (LOL) but nonetheless, the staff was excellent in preparing a super yummy falafel.
What I had noticed to be different about Golden Falafel is that the actual falafel balls are, indeed, golden, but also a lot softer than the variety sold at the other competitive establishments. It was good- but I would be lying if I said that I didn't like the falafel to be crisp, and soft on the inside. Maybe it's just the Israeli variation. Also, the pita shell itself was HUGE- so thick that I actually had to CUT the sandwhich in half! I think I'll try the baguette or plate next time. I will be returning for a second round visit! Go Golden Balls! -
Review from Mabel Y.
Cupertino, CA
2/24/2009
Really really good place to eat. Located in one of the ugliest complexes I have ever seen, but regardless, the food was great. I went here with a couple of friends, and we were ostensibly the only customers. Probably because it was on a Thursday at around 1:45pm.
Smells really good when you walk in, and it's very clean. Three of my friends, including myself, ordered the falafel plate, another ordered the falafel sandwich, and another ordered the mushroom hummus plate and a side order of falafel.
The falafels were crunchy and really tasty. Went really well with the hummus and pita bread they gave us (they actually gave us more bread for free since we were the only ones there). The mushroom hummus plate was disappointingly small, but my friend said it was still pretty good.
Overall, don't order drinks, they give you water in this cool glass container. Not very cheap, but not completely expensive either. -
Review from Phoenix G.
Mountain View, CA
8/6/2009
DELICIOUS!
almost as good as my husbands home cooked israeli food... -
Review from Skye W.
11/4/2009
Definitely not fast food. I went on a Monday around 2pm and it was completely empty- guess I missed the crazy lunch crowd. I got the falafel plate and my friend got the lamb kebab plate. The pita and falafel were delicious and different from any I've ever had. The pita was fluffy and the falafel was light, crispy, warm, and soft in the middle. The hummus was great too and I'm not a huge fan of it.
Why it's not five stars? It's pricey for lunch and the staff is intimidating. -
Review from patti f.
12/2/2009 2 photos
I've been meaning to try Golden Balls for a while, but I didn't get a chance to until today. I came around 11:30am, and it was still quiet. I think the lunch crowd hadn't arrived yet. I immediately noticed that the restaurant was clean and tidy, which was a good sign. I also liked how they have pictures of each item for people who are unfamiliar with the dishes.
I ordered the chicken shish kabob (which came with hummus, rice, salad, and pita bread) and hummus ful (which is hummus topped with fava beans, garlic, lemon dressing, and a hard boiled egg).
I thought that the chicken was okay; since it was dark meat, it was tender, but the flavor was average. However, I really liked the rice and the hummus. I found the fava beans on top to be a little salty, so maybe next time I will order just the regular hummus or the hummus with mushrooms.
The employee was very polite, and he gave me 3 complimentary falafel balls to try. Since I've only had falafels at a few other places, I'm definitely not an expert. But I found these falafels to be slightly different in the flavor (a little more salty) and texture (moist and a little more oily?). I really liked the hot sauce that they provided. Even though I don't usually like spicy sauces, this one had great flavor.
3.5 stars for now. I think I'll come back whenever I'm in the area to try some of their other items. I'm curious to try the chicken schnitzel and the shakshuka (sunny side up eggs with a spicy tomato sauce). -
Review from Michael M.
Sunnyvale, CA
8/23/2009
OVERPRICED and crowded.
Not worth the prices and the cramped, uncomfortable eating conditions.
Food is just average. -
Review from Lil P.
Santa Rosa, CA
8/19/2009
This didn't start well for me, and didn't end well, either. After paying for the four of us, the tab seemed a bit high. I checked the receipt and found I had indeed been overcharged. I brought it to the attention of the cashier and he said he charged for a "plate". He said he thought he asked me if I wanted fries and/or rice. If he had done that, the answer would have been no. I got some $$ back, but he still didn't give me the drink that came with my meal - I didn't even realize this until we were walking out. I guess they figure if the customer doesn't know it is included, why bring it up? Great way to help your margin. The drink thing wasn't just me. Another in my party qualified for one with his meal and wasn't given it either until he went up and asked. No "sorry" or "I forgot", just a grunt from the cashier. OK, so apparently customer service isn't high on their list.
I ordered the chicken shawarma (in a pita). The pita itself was good - appropriately fluffy. The chicken inside had more chunks of fat than I have ever seen with chicken. I expect bits here and there, especially if there is skin involved. This was just gross. I was hoping after the rough start, the food would at least shine through. No such luck.
Also, apparently it used to use kosher meat. There was a sign saying as of July 27, that the meat would no longer be kosher. -
Review from gary v.
Cupertino, CA
1/14/2009
We just returned from the Golden Falafel Ball. They could tell we were first timers as we kept studying their menu. It all looked very tasty. While we were deciding they gave us a sampling of their Golden Falafel Balls. They were wonderful, crispy on the outside but light and fluffy inside. We loved the babaganoush, the best we have had in a long time.
The lamb kabob and chicken schwarma were very enjoyable as well as was the humus.
We are already planning our next visit. -
Review from Chris K.
Cupertino, CA
5/13/2009
Located next to The Floor Center across the street from Safeway, on the side street by Bed Bath & Beyond.
Good middle eastern food. The menu explains all the unfamiliar terms.
Babaghanoush anyone?
