Mamoun's Falafel Restaurant

by Kathleen F.

I have to confess a small bias- I was a waitress here as an undergraduate **many** moons ago, and the man who opened the place was my boss.  Sadly, he's no longer with us, but the great food and cozy atmosphere lives on!Personal faves: falafel pitas, Turkish coffee (not for the faint of heart), and yummy desserts like baklava and Turkish Delight!Mamoun's is a local institution- one of the few places to get tasty affordable eats, late at night, all year round.  People do go there after a few drinks, but it's not a rowdy place. Mamoun's was there long before New Haven got more gentrified back in the 90's, and I hope will be there for many years to come!

by Andy P.

First of all, let's just talk about the food: It's great. I always got a kebab sandwich with chicken. The chicken is really, really good. Grilled fresh... chicken generally is just not that good, but the chicken kebab sandwiches (in a pita with a wonderful sauce and fresh produce) are amazing.The tea they serve you when you sit is wonderful. The vibe is great. They are open late. The only reason not to go is if you hate good kebab felafel. If you don't hate it, then go. It's great.

by Karen D.

great, cheap food, and possibly the tastiest falafel i've ever had. plus, their tea is AMAZING!

by Jonathan G.

Ok. Since my last review, I have been here several times for late night snacks, and as far as after-bar grub goes, Mamoun's is top notch. It's everything you want it to be for late night dining. Fast, tasty, affordable, and filling.Remember that scene in Harold Kumar where they finally get to bite into their White Castle burgers after refusing to eat anywhere else? Mamoun's is one of those experiences... when you know exactly what you want, and when you bite into it, it delivers in every way imaginable.Mamoun's is an oasis of sanity in a desolate restaurant landscape of pretentiousness and superfluity. The occasional trip to Mamoun's is good for the soul, and helps me to remember that the world hasn't gone completely nuts just yet. I haven't had the same experiences as most other people on here. I have never been to Mamoun's for a…

by Edward C.

Oh, Mamoun's... How good you are to me. This is by no means the best falafel that I've eaten, but it's so inexpensive and satisfying, and they're open until the wee hours of the night. You're not going to find better falafel in New Haven, and certainly not a meal this cheap.

by David W.Erika S.Martha S.Edward C.Chris C.

Decent and cheap eats.  Their hommus was not the best we've had - but it wasn't an "instapaste" mix like lots of the take-out joints in Boston have resorted to.  Falafel plate was simple - nice tahini dressing with good, lemony aftertaste.  Lucked out 'cause they had just thrown some more falafel in the deep fryer - so these babies came hot in the salad.  Our friends did shawarma and kebab.  Meat wasn't dry on the kebab and spiced nicely.  Shawarma was good but, again, not the best we've had.All in all, it hit the spot.  We like Middle eastern joints that make their stuff fresh (albeit the pita was from outside - but it was okay) and Mamoun seems to be making things in the kitchen - and not overusing the mixes and other shortcuts that can ruin a meal.It's Saturday night and you go out to dinner around 7pm. After dinner you head to a few different bars, have a few drinks at each one and before you know it your feet are killing you, you've walked all throughout New Haven and any remnants of the fabulous dinner in your tummy are long gone and you're hungry for.... something. You and your friends all look at each other and it's obvious.... Mamoun's! You head on over to Howe St because for some reason, this place doesn't seem like it's ever closed and fall into a table and before you know it someone is there taking your order of hummus plates, falafel sandwiches and shawarma. Within 5 minutes you are in Mamoun heaven! There's a pile of napkins in the middle of the table because even though you want to lick the tahini sauce off of your hands you don't, you're on your last bites of falafel and you're eating the last bits of lamb off the plate that fell from the shawarma. Yum. Nothing beats this place.... it's cheap, the servers are efficient, albeit a little shady and it's New Haven's oasis after last call.Cheap and good.  O.k.  But delicious?  I don't think so.  Maybe if you are drunk and since nothing in New Haven is open past 9 pm except this place, then yeah...you have to tell yourself this is delicious. I won't talk bad about this place because it did serve up at times no other place could even dream of being open, so for that they get credit.  The food was good, but, nothing I would actually go to when there are other options. The hummus is good, but, again, no delicious. The lamb platter is tasty, and will have you burping up spices all night and the next morning if you come here at night.Bottom line, this place is good for late night eating.Oh, Mamoun's... How good you are to me. This is by no means the best falafel that I've eaten, but it's so inexpensive and satisfying, and they're open until the wee hours of the night. You're not going to find better falafel in New Haven, and certainly not a meal this cheap.Found this place totally by accident on the way to my cousins house after a show. Was thinking pizza since that's the big deal in New Haven but drove past Mamoun's Falafel and, coming off a bad falafel experience in DC (see review) decided I needed to make things right with my taste buds. Ordered a falafel sandwich to go and it looked so good I ordered a second. Clutching my bag full of what I hoped would be tahini soaked nirvana I headed back to my cousins. First one went down fast as I hadn't eaten in hours and was ravenous. I took a bit more time with the second. The flavors were fresh and the falafel balls were done perfectly, crisp outside tender inside. Next time in New Haven I may eat in although it looks like they allow smoking so it may be another two to go.

by Josh B.

A couple of years ago, I moved across the country from New Haven to Seattle.  What do I miss most about the East Coast?  Probably common sense and good driving.  But Mamoun's is definitely near the top of the list.First off, it's open ALL THE TIME.  I know, because I was there at 1:00 AM on the 4th of the July.Secondly, the food is declicious.  Their falafal sandwiches are truly extraordinary; I've never had a better one.  Unlike many places that wrap their sandwich in Pita, Mamoun's cuts the pita open and stuffs the pocket . . . this results in a well-contained sandwich almost every time.  The worst part about Mamoun's is deciding what to get.  The falafel is excellent (as long as they have fried some up recently), and the Chicken and Lamb Kebobs are also excellent.  Add hummus to your sandwich if you want a truly delightul experience.Then there's the mango juice.  The mango juice is what really hooked me on Mamoun's.  Whether pure or mixed half-and-half with Iced Tea, Mamoun's mango juice like an oasis in the dessert to me.In summary: Go for the mango juice, stay for the falafel.

by Tammy M.

This was fabulous! I got a veggie combo platter with a kibbeh with out meat on the side. Everything was so good... I will never be able to enjoy falafel the same way! The other three in my party really enjoyed their food as well. The prices were very reasonable as well. All in all, I would def go back!

by Lester A.

Bring your own beer, folks. Even without a beer list, Mamoun's is a nice, casual little gem of a falafel joint. As others have mentioned, it is ideal for a late night case of the munchies.

by Martha S.

Cheap and good.  O.k.  But delicious?  I don't think so.  Maybe if you are drunk and since nothing in New Haven is open past 9 pm except this place, then yeah...you have to tell yourself this is delicious. I won't talk bad about this place because it did serve up at times no other place could even dream of being open, so for that they get credit.  The food was good, but, nothing I would actually go to when there are other options. The hummus is good, but, again, no delicious. The lamb platter is tasty, and will have you burping up spices all night and the next morning if you come here at night.Bottom line, this place is good for late night eating.