Falafel etc.

by Derrick V.

I'd skip the shawarma here except if they're carving it off the spit to order. I had a mix of chicken and lamb and they were both dry, and sliced into tiny strips. Tabbouleh needed more lemon, hummus was salty and heavy on the tahini. Pita was thick but warm.Yogurt sauce and sumac dusted onions in the condiment bar were good.You might have better luck with the falafels. I'll be generous and give 3 stars for potential.

by Cay Z.

I would avoid this place because of sanity concerns.  They don't know how to use the gloves.  There is no point in using gloves to handle the food if you use them to clean the tables and handle the money as well.  And I have seen others who simply do not bother to use gloves at all, so after they changed the dirty money they use their bare hands to handle the food.  Bon appetit?  I don't think so. Nice place, nice people working there. Overall the food is good, and it would be a five star from me…

by Michael S.

Simply put the best in Fremont.  This is the Best chicken Shawarma that I've had in this area.  The service was fast and friendly.  The outdoor seating is a nice plus, I noticed a sign that says it's a hookah lounge, haven't been yet but who can beat hookahs and shawarma/falafel combo?

by Ashley C.

My husband and I LOVE this place. We always order the chicken taco looking thingy. I forget the name but its sssoooo goood! We always top it off with the cucumber sauce. YUM. The food is fresh, made to order and reasonable. I highly recommend it!

by Craig F.

Three years living in Fremont and I just found out about this place?!? I'm glad to have found this place now rather than never!This place is kind of hidden in the Fremont Bank parking lot, it's situated in between Nation's and the Original Pancake House. I came here to try the famed falafel sandwich and it didn't disappoint. $5.50 for the sandwich, cooked to order falafels in a fresh baked fluffy pita along with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, pickles and pickled turnips and a creamy yogurt sauce. Not enough sauce? No problem as there is a condiment bar so you can add more sauce to your sandwich as I usually do.I liked this place so much, I went back for a second time later that week! No doubt I will be back and maybe, eventually I will try something else other than the falafel sandwich on their menu!

by Ashley C.Kay H.Lawrence L.

My husband and I LOVE this place. We always order the chicken taco looking thingy. I forget the name but its sssoooo goood! We always top it off with the cucumber sauce. YUM. The food is fresh, made to order and reasonable. I highly recommend it![ 6 stars for being phenomenal]This place can do no wrong!  I am creating "6 Star East Bay List" for my Yelp 5 stars spots that I would visit on a regular basis in the East Bay because of this place.I was completely happy with my Shawarma sandwich a while ago, but decided to try other menu items.  On Saturday, I stopped in with the Lovely and we both got the Lamb Shawarma plate w/ 1/2 rice, 1/2 hummus the Mediterranean Salad.  Rice was just perfect, hummus was fresh, and the Lamb...  Forget about it...  SUPER!I get home and read on Yelp about the Falafel.  Yeah, yeah, yeah being a habitual carnivore having known the bland Falafel Gyro of many food stands / Gyro dives in SF I decide to it.  I am sure I will be disappointed too, but I have to try this since everyone is raving about it.So today we show up and get two Falafel Plates ($8.95 each, see uploaded pics) with Baba Ghanoush and Tabouli.  Everything was great yet again.Woot! Woot!  No longer will I think of the Falafel as that boring fried ball of chickpea mash.  Falafel etc. has made it a little golden brown bundle of joy for my taste buds.  Crispy on the outside and moist, tasty and kind of fluffy on the inside. I was about to pass on the Baklava, but the Lovely has a sweet tooth.  Ohhhh myyyyyy....  It was little explosions of delicious in my mouth.  Loved it!By the way, this place is Clean clean clean!  I really hate going out to eat because when I visit the bathroom, it ruins the experience for me to return.  I was hesitant to visit their bathroom.  Their mens room was totally clean!  Whoa!  Sat @ 2:30 PM and Sun @ 6 PM, both times kind of busy their mens bathroom was spotless!  I was impressed.  This speaks volumes regarding their priorities and cleanliness.PS - The food "is" Halal and the owner will happily even give you the number of his distributors and let you verify that it is Halal. Hellooooo.....   Love Love Love it!!!Had the Meat (Lamb only) Shawarma sandwich for $6.53 out the… Pretty good falafel.  First time I had one with dill pickles.  The pita pocket bread was pretty fresh, the falafels were nice and crispy on the outside, and tender on the inside.  Plenty of cucumber, tomatoes, and sauce.  Came out spending under $8 for the sandwich and a drink.  Not bad...  They have a covered patio for those who want to relax with the hookah.  Plus, the place is very clean (big plus).Will definitely be back to try the beef shawarma sandwich...It is kind of hard to find.  Tucked away in the corner  of a strip mall, next to Muncher Haus German Deli (great sandwiches there too - but that would be another Yelp review).

by Alice T.

I came here or my husband's birthday and the food is sooooo good.  I came because of all the good Yelp reviews and I have to say.  I agree.  The place inside is not the most nicest place that you will ever dine in, but I like it because it is so good.  You can get take out or you can order and grab a seat to eat.  The staff is also really nice, and the place is clean.  I ordered the chicken kabob, and it was delicious.  The bread that they pass out is also very soft and good.  And the price point is like $10.00 depending on what you order.  Totally good.  If you like middle eastern or Greek try it one time.

by Adnan G.

This is my regular joint for Middle eastern food. I always order the Chicken or the Lamb Schwarma platter. I have tried almost all the side orders - Hummus, Baba Ghanoush, Tabooli, Salad and they are all very good. The lamb is very good, the chicken at times can be a little dry. The pita breads are the best you can find though their size have become smaller with time (may be it was one time thing but I will check it out when I go next). Hands down beats all the near by middle eastern places. I tried the lentil soup once and that was good too. I love the complimentary self serve side order section where you could take tahini, pickles, yoghurt, and pickled onions in little containers. This section closely close to hour before they shut down for the day so make sure you get there early. If its closed, you can ask for it and they will give it to you.Ambience wise, the place is very clean, they handle the food carefully, and tonnes of indoor and outdoor (patio) sittings.They do have a patio with a fountain where you can get some hookah. I dont smoke so havent ever tried it.Overall, I have no complaints, clean environment, friendly staff, very good food at decent prices. I wouldnt go to any other place in Fremont to have middle eastern food.

by Marc B.

I knew I would love this place as soon as I saw the hookahs that were being displayed in their front window!I was in the area a couple of weeks ago and had a hankerin' for some falafel.  I searched for "falafel" on Google Maps on my trusty Blackberry and found Falafel Etc.  Parking here should be no problem. I walked passed the hookah display and entered the restaurant.  Everything looked very modernized and clean.  Very spacious.I walked right up to the man behind the counter and asked for the falafel sandwich.  It was just under $6 so I paid him and patiently waited for my sandwich to be made.  The lighting inside was somewhat dim for a Saturday afternoon.  My sandwich was finally made, and I couldn't wait to dig in.  Served in a soft, warm pocket bread, the sandwich consisted of tomatoes, cucumber, cabbage, turnips, tahineh sauce, and of course falafels.  The falafels were fried just right so it was nice and crispy yet it wasn't dry at all.  They even have a hookah bar(!) off to the side of the restaurant that they open at night.  They offer games like chess and backgammon and even serve beverages. Hookah bar + falafels = WIN

by W H.

My perfect lunch:Chicken or lamb shwarmaLots of tahini sauceTurkish coffeeMy not-so-perfect lunch:Fremont?!  It's far from where I work AND from where I live!  :-(Having my friend (or rather my ex's friend) ask, "Err so what the F is up w/ your ex?  I saw on fb he got married?!  And his wife looked very pregnant at the wedding... wtf?!"  Yeah, ask your friend, buddy.I'll have to try the falafel next time.  I'm a falafel snob.