House of Falafel

 PACKED, but the glare hides the people.

Andrew: Because David's "brain is hellllza [sic] not working" I am going to write this review alone. I'm actually really glad about that because I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS RESTAURANT. *whew* It feels good to get that off my chest.

We went to House of Falafel pretty much by default (usually we make a list of restaurants we are going to try and visit them depending on our mood) because David stayed late at work. House of Falafel, which stays open from 10am to 10pm, was our only choice. We were kind of bummed (happiness in freedom or something like that), but by the end of the night, everything changed (for me, at least).

HoF is a small, old looking restaurant right across the street (Steven's Creek) from Valco Shopping center, admittedly, the outside is kind of lame, but when you step inside, you'll know you're in the right place. When David and I first visited, we were greeted by a really dark guy (the manager?) with had an incredible smile (I'm not just in love with the restaurant, people) who was only too happy to help two confused Saratoga kids understand the menu. He described everything we asked about, even the magical rotating piles of meat. Time out. Do you know what these are? If you don't, wow. Just go visit (earlier in the day, they take them down at night) for these bad boys. MEAT! PILED TO THE SKY! DRIPPING IN SAUCE! SPINNING! 

I settled on a falafel wrap, and David picked the chicken shawerma wrap. I paid $5 and David paid $6. Not bad. The food came really quickly and they walked it out to our table. Simple gesture, but really nice. Before I describe the wraps, let me touch on one thing-- the sauce bottles. On your table (or in your takeout bag) you will find two containers of sauce: red and white. The red is a wonderful chili sauce (not too hot, bursting with flavor) and the white is a ranch dressing. Anway. We got the wraps and they were massive.

It's hard to tell just how amazingly long these are.
Notice how my hand is out of focus? 

I've been around the block when it comes to falafel, and I'm used to getting my sandwich in a pita-pocket. Tasty, but it falls apart. House of Falafel innovates and wraps their falafel sandwiches in a lavash wrap which is slightly toasted. Crispy, yet soft and warm. The falafels are almost perfect, though on my second visit they were oddly shaped (but extra-moist, so I can't complain). Oh yeah... you might not know what falafel are. The wrap had four to five balls and was packed with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and their ranch sauce. I added hot sauce now and again because it was so tasty.

David's wrap was similar, but filled with chicken shawerma instead of falafel. I think he liked it, maybe he will post later. I'm sure we both enjoyed it, we sat in the car, totally stuffed, and decided that we ought to make a website chronicling our food adventures. Thus, this website was started.

I made another visit (for lunch) a few days later with Peony, and we had an equally awesome time. We came around 2pm and the place was completely packed... we had to sit outside. As soon as someone saw us put our stuff down, he rushed out to wash and dry the table... and (get this) fold up some napkins to shove under the table to stop it from rocking. NICE touch. I ordered the same thing, but everything that was being eaten looked amazing. (Also, the kitchen is visible so you can see everything they cook.) Even though things were crowded the food came fast and was just as wonderful.

After lunch, we made the stupid decision to buy their baklava. I say stupid because now I'm addicted. These babies are not soft on the pocket ($2 a pop) but are transcendent. I mean, no joke, the best baklava I've ever had. This is better than ones mom has made or I have eaten in all of my travels. It's super-fresh and liberally covered with pistachios. The honey is great--sweet but not too messy--and the pastry layers are crisp and gossamer. They come in a regular shape and a strange twisty version. I'll just shut up and let the picture talk.

 My self-control is shit. I ate half of one of these twisty things even though the camera was in my hand, ready to take a picture.

Like most other restaurants we review, if the type of cuisine just isn't your bag, then you probably won't enjoy yourself. If you have a passion for Mediterranean food, or are willing to try something new, I'm certain you'll be happy here. Maybe my passion will fade (in which case I'll update the review), but for now, I'm in love. UPDATE: I ate Peony's leftover bit of chicken shawerma and wasn't blow away. It's not up to the falafel, but it's not bad.

David: House of Falafel. I had just had a long day of work, and Andrew suggested that we hit up a Mediterranean place called House of Falafel. Honestly, I didn't even have the slightest clue as to what a falafel was. Waffle came to mind. On with the review. I ordered a chicken shawerma wrap. The guy taking our orders was extremely welcoming, almost as if he was welcoming you into his house. Hospitable. The shawerma wrap arrived and it was about the size of a big burrito from chipotle-maybe a tad longer but skinnier. I tore off the aluminum foil(I worked all day, I was hungry) and dug in. The wrap was surprisingly hot and toasty on the outside-almost like they had sent toasted it after they wrapped it. Toasted, but not burnt. The inside was hot too. Most wraps or burritos get luke warm or cold once you open it, but this was toasty inside. The meat was flavorful, but nothing to write home about. I have to admit that I'm not a big Falafel/Shawerma fan, but if you are indeed looking for good Shawerma, House of falafel is the place to get it.