Falafel Cafe

This is the yummiest Persian restaruant in the area. Well worth our drive to it. We have been dining here for a few years now and the food is consistently good. The owner and staff are always friendly.

Awesome food! Got the falafel platter and a hummus with delicious warm pita bread appetizer. The food was very yummy and the place has its charm. It’s a shame it’s at a kind of hidden place and doesn’t seem to get much attention, it really is a very nice restaurant.

If you think this is good persian than you must not of had persian many other places. I found everything from the salads to the pita very flavorless. But most disappointment was what they charge for what they give, there must of been about 4 ounces of chicken with like 3 cups of rice, and the child plate for 9 bucks had half that amount. The ground beef kabobs were very greasy to. I’ll pass on this one

The old man who took care of us is adorable and helped with menu selection. Everything was quite good, accept for the falafel (weird). Best chicken kabob!

In my quest to replace 5 A’s, my favorite Persian restaurant in my old hometown, I’ve finally found a place that comes close! I dropped by here for lunch on a Friday when my wife was too busy to break for lunch, and coming from downtown I arrived around 12:45. Finding it was a little difficult. My gps made it look like it was in a shopping center, so I turned into the parking lot instead of turning at the light. I drove past a Caribbean place and some stores and had to turn left when I got to the edge. I parked to look at my gps, which showed I was basically on top of it, so I backed out and saw the sign indicating the restaurant was behind the shopping center.
I chose to sit inside, but the outdoor seating looked very nice. Inside smelled amazing! There was a grill in sight, which made me feel better about my chances here!
The menu is fairly small, and if you’ve read any of my other reviews you know I think that’s the way to go. I still had a hard time deciding, but I eventually went with the eggplant spread, lamb kabob, tabouleh salad, and baklava. The menu and the smell have me confidence to make such a big order!
All of the main dishes were perfect! It was probably the best lamb I’ve ever had, the salad was unique and a great blend of favors and textures, and the eggplant spread was flavorful. The only disappointment was the baklava, which was a little soft/​soggy, although the portion size for it was enormous!
I plan on taking my wife next time to see if it gets the coveted Middle Eastern slot on our rotation!

I love this little Café it’s cute and it has amazing food! I live in Doraville but I come this far just to have their chicken kabob with the special rice they make with the secret ingredient, it is so worth the drive for me. I always order the chicken kabob and it comes with pita bread and a special salad they make with the dressing sauce. The chicken kebab it is cooked on the charbroiled that is marinated in sauce before it’s cooked taste to me taste amazing! When you mix the rice in the chicken it tastes amazing especially when you put the red salt (forgot the name) and use the cook tomatoes juice to more exciting flavor. I recently learned about the red salt seasoning and the tomato, I am NOT a fan of tomato to begin with but this adds more flavor. I don’t know what they put in their rice but the rice alone has the most exquisite taste and it’s perfectly cooked. Also this place has hooka for those who want to try that. When You go looking for this place for the first time you could barely find it because it’s hidden in the back. They also have an outside place to sit it’s very cute especially in the night because they lights up with little lanterns. The interior of the place is small but cozy it feels like home there are paintings in the restaurant, they are all exquisite and beautiful to look at all the time. I forgot to mention the staff every time I go the staff is very nice especially the elderly gentleman (not sure if that if the owner but might be) he is so sweet, always coming to the table recommending different dishes to try. I really love this place even though its really far for me I recommended to every person who wants Persian /​Mediterranean food.

I was very surprised to see this restaurant tucked away off of Cobb Pkwy. We were greeted very pleasantly by the owner of the restaurant. The lunch specials were all reasonably priced. I got the lamb kabobs which were a delight. However, I wasn’t asked what temperature I wanted my lamb so the lamb was slightly over cooked for my liking. This may be in part to the busy lunch hours. If you’re ever OTP and in the mood for some Persian food, give the Falafel Café a shot.

Ok. I have been going here for about 5 years now. The quality of food is top notch. The taste is like nothing you have had before. The staff is always super polite. The soup and chicken kabob plate are my go to lunch option. So what are you waiting for? Get over there and give it a try. I know you will be pleased with your choice.

Absolutely love this place. Can get by with just the pita and hummus alone!
The Falafel platter is great — be wary, their dressing options both contain animal products if you are trying to avoid those.
That baklava though… so rich and tasty. Get a knife to cut it!
The service is great also. They are always very nice and welcoming and helpful. The place has a very cozy atmosphere and is right next to a great grocery!

Very very good! The family is very nice as well! A few months ago I came in and didn’t know what to order. The owner was so engaged he helped me order and even told me how to season my food. That wonderful taste remained with me and I could wait to come back. I revisited and it was even better the second time! The meat is the best! Love this place!

They have the best chicken and lamb kabab in town. The kabab is very soft and juicy. I don’t know how they make so soft and juicy but no doubt they have the best kabab in Marietta area. The kabab is served with rice and salad and again they are very delicious too. I am fan of this place and will recommend to anyone who likes kababs. Ambiance is not very good but the good is very tasty.

Stay away. Overpriced, frozen seafood. I’ve had better beans and rice at Taco Bell. Food had no flavor. Prices were very high for the quality. It was very dark and they did not turn on any lights until almost 8pm. I don’t give them more than 6 months.

Let me just start by saying that I have been dining at this restaurant for at least the last 16 years. I’ve always tolerated the bad service (waitresses taking order while sucking on lollipops, forgetting to bring utensils, bring brought tortillas instead of pita, taking entirely too long to bring out food, no refills on drinks, etc) because the food was delicious. I’ve noticed a decline in service and food quality over the years but tonight was really the last straw. I sat down for dinner with my dad and ordered, the waitress was new, so I didn’t think much of her not knowing the name of the dishes. We ordered a hummus appetizer with extra pickles, koubideh, and falafel. My dad asked for his salad with oil and vinegar instead of the normal dressing and she brought out a cup of oil and a cup of vinegar. The waitress asked me what kind of salad I wanted and seemed confused when I told her that I wanted the same salad that came with the koubideh (same dish I’ve been ordering for 16 years, but I let it slide because she was new). She brought out the salads and drinks, almost spilling my tea all over herself. She placed the tray at the edge of the table, and removed the drinks on the side of the tray that was on the table, leaving the hot tea hanging in midair. The only reason she didn’t is because my dad grabbed the tray. She forgot our hummus and it was only brought over because I had reminded another girl about it. No extra pickles. I asked for more and she brought 3… like why you gotta be so stingy? Anyways this all too an unreasonable amount of time, but when I –finally– got my food the fucking rice was cold! And the meat was riddled with splinters! I didn’t make any sort of scene but I was so pissed, that honestly ruined my mood. My dad offered to take that one. About 10 minutes later (yes, I actually timed it), after glaring at/​reminding a waitress I got my koubideh and the rice was cold on that one too. I was very obviously annoyed at this point, and to make matters worse I received no sort of apology. My dad didn’t leave a tip, and that says a lot. We dine out regularly, and no matter how poor the service is, he always tips. First time in about 30 years he didn’t leave anything.
I’ll probably be re-​writing this later because it’s poorly written. TL;DR terrible service, mediocre food. Get takeout and watch out for splinters?

I have been driving by this place for years. I always say, I have to try this place. I also have a knack for being consistent. Tonight, I erred. I should have kept driving. I ordered the Gyro platter with Sharazi Salad. it wasn’t worth my $ 11.61. the gyro portion was small. Tzatiki sauce tastes as if it made with mayonnaise. Sharazi Salad tasted good the first few bites, but then started tasting spoiled. I’ve patronized many Mediterranean restaurants and this was my worst. Disappointed.
my order was to go, I wonder if I dined in, if anything would have been better?

This place was empty when we came for dinner and there are a lot of reasons why. I was excited about all the reviews I read, but here’s how my dinner went: we ordered a hummus appetizer and it came with flour tortillas, NOT pita bread. Then we shared a plate with chicken and beef. The chicken was tasty, but the beef was awful and the texture was similar to foam.
Service? Terrible, we had to get up to request a tea refill the waiter was VERY rude. We had to get up to ask for the check and we explained we wanted to split it in half, the waitress acted like she didn’t understand and started throwing her calculator and rudely handed the receipt saying ‘happy?’ Gave her no tip, and will never come to this place. Very disappointed, don’t be fooled by the stickers that say ‘yelp loves us’ on their door.

I essentially had the same meal that I had a year ago, and was very pleased to find it just as good this time. The chicken must get some kind of marinade before it’s cooked, because it’s flavorful and fall apart tender.
The rice and bread were just as good this time also. I love how everything works together so well in your mouth. It’s a flavor symphony!
You can bet I’ll be back if I get the chance.

I’ve returned to Falafel Café several times since posting my original review a few years ago. I’ve tried some different items on the menu, which I like and recommend, so here’s an update. Despite it’s somewhat hidden location, the restaurant’s popularity continues to grow and maintain. I’ve been here for weekday lunches where almost every table is taken.
To me, Falafel Café still remains one of the most authentic Mediterranean/​Persian restaurants in metro Atlanta. It’s evident in both the food and drink. Restaurant specialties include Mediterranean salads, kabobs, and stews and traditional dishes such as stuffed grape leaves and gyros. Prices are affordable as you won’t be spending more than $ 5 – 6 per salad/​appetizer and $ 10 – 15 per entrée. Lunch specials, which are smaller portions of the main menu items, are available for under $ 10 each.
Recommendations:
Eggplant Dip — seasoned and pan-​fried eggplant and sauteed onion, topped with cream of whey and sauteed mint and garlic
Falafel Platter — three falafel patties, hummus, Tabbouleh salad, and tossed salad topped with yogurt dressing
Lamb Kabob — marinated and charbroiled lamb sirloin cubes served with basmati saffron rice
The eggplant dip definitely has a roasted/​smoky taste and aroma. It wasn’t exactly what I was expecting the first time I tried it, but it turned out to be pretty good. The plateful of dip looks like Mexican refried beans drizzled with melted cheese. However, it’s not cheese, but whey. The dip is addictive. All dips (e.g. hummus) are served with warm pita bread.
If you’re looking to go simple, healthy, but still tasty and filling at the same time, order the Falafel Platter. This platter not only tastes good, but looks good too. The platter is made of glass and is separated into five different compartments. The main compartment contains the falafel patties, one compartment each for the hummus and Tabbouleh salad, and two compartments for pita bread (four slices total). Everything is freshly prepared and is appetizing. The falafel patties are comforting and the Tabbouleh salad is tangy and minty.
The Lamb Kabob, and all of the other meat kabobs for that matter, are flame-​broiled. You can take a peek over the ordering counter and see the flames cooking the kabobs. Speaking of which, the kitchen is semi-​open, so you can see the owners and cooks working away and preparing meals. The cubes of lamb meat are nicely charred on the outside with some bits of crispiness. The meat is sufficiently tender and flavorful.
The saffron basmati rice is amazing. I think they put some butter in the rice to make it taste that much better. It’s soft, fluffy, and aromatic. I love this type of rice.
Service is still polite and friendly as always.
Falafel Café is a casual, hole-​in-​the-​wall restaurant. They haven’t changed the space in years and it feels a bit old and dingy. Regardless, the food is where it’s at. There’s an outdoor patio and the parking lot has been repaved.
See my previous review below for additional thoughts on this restaurant including the Fesenjan Stew, which made Creative Loafing’s 2011 list of «100 Dishes to Eat in Atlanta Before You Die.»

Food was really good but about $ 2 more expensive than it should be. I don’t mind going to a hole-​in-​the-​wall to eat lunch, but I don’t like paying over $ 10 for it. Additionally, the first thing you see when you walk in is a table COVERED in receipts and miscellaneous paper. I assume they don’t have an office, but I don’t understand why they then use the very first table in the restaurant to be the sloppiest office desk possible. This looks so horribly unprofessional, and it is frightening to the think about the credit card numbers and other privacy info that’s just sprawled out.
However, I was satisfied with my falafel plate.

I’m going to be 100% honest with this review. One day we drove past this location and I said «Yeah, okay. I’m totally going to eat at a place called Falafel Café in the rear of a strip mall.» Believe or it Unilocal landed me there for a falafel craving.
We walked in and it’s a good amount of tables and there were a good amount of people sitting down for dinner. Plus the kitchen is right there as you walk in, so I felt a little more at ease with what I was eating. They seem to do a lot of take outs, but we wanted to dine in. There were not a lot of people dining in, and it seemed to take a little bit to get your food out. However, I noticed that they were limited on staff. I have worked in restaurants and one of the most important things to me is to empathize with them when things are out of their control.
You know what helps the empathy, THEIR FREAKIN’ HUMMUS. My husband liked it so much he talks about it every time he eats some other hummus. «Yeah, this hummus is good. Remember that hummus at the one place?»
Another huge part of the story I’m leaving out. My husband has never had a falafel before. This is the first time I have been able to convince him to get a falafel with me, so I was basically making this a Hail Mary since I have never eaten here. Once we got the falafel’s we ordered they were hot, fresh, and totally hit the spot. I appreciate the fact that they put some of their famous hummus on the falafel.
I only dock one star because of the inside of the dining room. It’s a little off putting, since it’s so outdated. If one thing Falafel Café taught me was that we can trust some of these basement restaurants behind a strip mall.

This is definitely a hole in the wall but it is a lovely place to dine or grab takeout. I have been going here for years for lunch. So much that the owners know me by name.
The things that keep me coming back are:
— the friendly owners and staff
— the hot tea
— the gyro platter
— the hummus
— the chicken kabobs
— the shaded outdoor patio when it’s warm
Highly recommend if you’re craving any of the above.