The Absolute Best Falafel Places In The U.S.

Ah, the humble falafel. Crunchy on the outside with a fluffy interior, the mashed-up blend of spiced chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) with the occasional fava bean thrown into the mix is traditionally shaped into a golf ball-sized orb and fried to perfection. You can snack on them solo but they're perfectly suited for a sandwich, tucked into a pita pocket, or wrapped in laffa bread with an assortment of toppings like vegetables (fresh and pickled), perhaps a dollop of hummus, a touch of hot sauce (ideally harissa or zhoug), and the all-important drizzle of tahini for a creamy, nutty finish.

It's a staple virtually everywhere in the Middle East, but of course, you don't need to make the pilgrimage all the way over there to get your falafel fix. They can be found across America, but keep in mind not all falafel are created equally, particularly if they're fried from frozen or reheated, resulting in a dry-as-a-desert interior and rendering them devoid of the all-important crunch factor. You can rest assured that you won't come across such utter blasphemy with the recommendations below. Without further ado, here are the absolute best falafel places in the U.S.

Chef and restaurateur Michael Solmonov lit the fuse that ignited the modern Israeli food explosion in the U.S. when he opened Philadelphia's universally acclaimed Zahav in 2008 (via Taste). Over a decade later, the three-time James Beard Award winner is at the helm of a local ever-expanding empire under the CookNSolo banner. For ultra-luxurious hummus, Dizengoff is the place to be. Want to indulge your sweet tooth with Israeli pastries? K'Far has you covered. For falafel, head to Goldie, which has three locations in the City of Brotherly Love. The all-important falafel pita sandwich assembly process is viewed as an art form here, so if you prefer a build-your-own approach, go elsewhere, but we wholeheartedly urge you to trust the masters at Goldie. You can also order a falafel salad or simply opt for a Bag of Balls.  

According to Secrets of Philadelphia, "These are seriously good falafel — crunchy on the outside and bright green and soft on the inside. They always taste super-fresh. Combined with the fresh salad – full of veggies, herbs, seasonal add-ins (pickled beets and sunflower seeds on our last visit) and choice of dressing (we like the spicy) and you have a lunch that makes you feel healthy (the whole restaurant is vegan)." Be sure to round out your meal with a side of shawarma seasoned fries and a sweet, nutty tahini shake, which is available standard or in a variety of flavors including Turkish coffee, banana, and milk chocolate.

This Bay Area legend has been serving up a diverse menu of Middle Eastern staples, American classics, and even some Mexican favorites for over half a century. "It looks like your typical 1960s-era burger spot, complete with a custom neon sign, but Falafel's Drive-In is one of the premier lunchtime attractions of San Jose," notes the San Francisco Chronicle. And while options include everything from corn dogs to the "award winning" fresh banana milkshake, the restaurant's namesake is the reason you're rolling in here. "The falafels are crisp and moist and slathered with tahini sauce and a sweet hot sauce," the Chronicle adds.

With a history that stretches across five decades, it should come as no surprise that Falafel's Drive-In has its fair share of devoted fans. One high-profile admirer is Mr. Flavortown himself, Guy Fieri, who rolled into the institution for an episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives," and declared that the signature fried chickpea balls were "falafel-icious." You can't get a better endorsement than that.  

The team behind San Francisco's popular Old Jerusalem restaurant have another hit on their hands with Abu Salim Middle Eastern Grill. If you love falafel, head straight to the Haight for some of the best balls you'll find in town. It's the incredible frying technique that puts Abu Salim on this list. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, "the Ramallah-style falafels shatter elegantly in the mouth."

It won't be a matter of if you're going to order falafel, but how. Abu Salim offers up your standard ball plus two equally impressive extra-large stuffed versions: one packed with sumac, pine nut, and onion, the other with a gooey, melty mozzarella center. Any of the three options can be ordered a la carte or tucked into a wrap with cucumber, tomato, pickle, red cabbage, and the obligatory tahini.

If you're looking to cut down on your carb intake, enjoy your falafel atop a mound of Arabic salad (the traditional combo of diced cucumber and tomato with parsley and olive oil), which is topped with a dusting of sumac and a drizzle of tahini. There is also a vegetarian combo that features falafel with an assortment of dips plus a side of salad and rice — this Middle East feast is definitely suitable for sharing.

Inspired by their dad's recipe, Palestinian-American siblings Rana Kamal and Khalid Ansari created the breakout hummus brand Baba's ("Baba" translates to "father" in Arabic). The duo is also passionate about another traditional dish from their youth. "Just a bite of that warm falafel with the spices, and then dipping it into the hummus, there's nothing like that," Kamal told the Star Tribune.

While putting their stamp on falafel seemed like an obvious move, where exactly Kamal and Ansari chose to do so was certainly unexpected. For a couple of weeks in the summer of 2021, the Baba team set up shop in a sleek, retrofitted Airstream at the Minnesota State Fair where their Middle Eastern menu was a hit. The breakout bite was the falafelicious bowl, which brought together falafel, chickpeas, pickled cabbage, pickles, tahini, sumac, a skewer of mini pitas, and, of course, Baba's signature hummus.

The dish was so successful, it was even able to snag an endorsement from none other than long-time Twin Cities resident Andrew Zimmern. "That falafelicious bowl is the best version of modern fair food that I've had at a festival of any kind in a long time," gushed the "Bizarre Foods" host and multiple James Beard Award-winner. "I was so impressed with the texture, the handmade quality of it, the layers of flavor, the number of ingredients, the speed with which they got it out ... I was tremendously admiring of what they're doing out of that little airstream trailer."

For falafel fans in New Orleans, 1000 Figs is the place to be. Husband and wife Gavin Cady and Theresa Gali proved that they know how to get the perfect fry on a ball of chickpeas with their popular Big Easy food truck Fat Falafel which got rolling in 2012, though they recently put the brakes on the project. Rest assured, their signature offering is just as spectacular at this cozy rustic-chic sit-down spot in Mid-City.

According to The Times-Picayune, "These are no ordinary orbs. The fried batter of seasoned chickpeas and fava beans betray the hint of cinnamon. The gentle interior of each reveals a falafel nursing a New Orleanians' desire to be a plushly soft as a beignet."

You can choose between the standard falafel platter or sandwich, but we recommend bringing some friends, ordering a bottle of two of natural wine, and digging into the Falafel Feast. Beyond its namesake, the sizeable spread includes some of the Middle East's greatest hits such as hummus, smoky baba ghanouj, tzatziki, pickles, kale and cabbage salad, an assortment of seasonal vegetables, tahini, zhoug, toum, and fresh bread.