Mister Falafel

best hummus in the city. Nice, friendly service, good authentic food (like I would know?)
Feels like if I had an aunt from Lebanon, this is the food she’d serve me.
it needs a better location, if Whitey Bulger hid there, he’d still be free!

This was my first time at Mister Falafel. We were immediately welcomed by a sweet lady at the register, who would later come out with a kid friendly plate for one of the kids at our table. Throughout our meal, she would check on us to make sure everything was good, and even though it’s a self-​bussing place, she even cleared our plates. She was wonderful and the service was fast.
I ordered the falafel plate, which was delicious, crisp on the outside, soft on the inside. The hummus was fantastic, even the little one preferred it to ketchup! Probably some of the best tabbouleh I’ve had at a Mediterranean place. My husband ordered the kofta burger, which was spiced just right, reminiscent of the kofta we had when we visited the Middle East a few years back. The burgers are baked, so be prepared for some extra time on those. We’ll definitely be back for more!

Update from lunch on January 21, 2016: Mr. Falafel continues to excel at customer service and friendliness, as well as delicious food! Coming here is always such a great experience, I am so glad to have this as a local restaurant. The owner always finds a way to make my experience just that little bit more special. He really does set the bar for going above and beyond in attention to customers and commitment to great, fresh food. This is a local business I’m very happy to continue to support!

Oh… my…WORD! Remember on The Avengers when Tony Stark said he wanted to try shawarma? I have always wanted to try it since then. I finally have. I got the chicken shawarma and I was blown away! I like American food and loved this. Don’t let the exotic nature of it scare you off. Trust me. It is worth coming here. I had a falafel sandwich last time and that was really good as well! I can’t wait to bring my wife here!
By the way, I am the pest technician who services this account. This place is CLEAN. I have never seen them have a single pest problem. They keep their cooking equipment very well maintained. I would almost literally eat off the floor.
You really need to try this! You will not regret the decision to come here. Try the shawarma. Try the falafel. I am seriously excited to try the burger. I know they don’t buy their patties pre-​made. They do it themselves!
They are a little hard to find. They are behind a cleaner and a panda place. There is a gas station on the corner. Go find it!

Delicious and the owner was as kind as can be! I loved it all!

Amazing place. Did not know what to expect and was presently surprised. The owners are caring and humble. I’m not very versed in this type of cuisine so i just took a stab in the dark. The owner told me to try new things and if I did not like it he would take it back and I could try something else. That was not necessary as I loved all the things. Great job guy!

I recently moved to San Diego and was searching for good Mediterranean food. Being Armenian and Lebanese myself, my standards are set pretty high. Mister Falafel exceeded my expectations! I ordered the hummus, baba ghanoush, and potato salad. My boyfriend ordered a chicken shawarma plate which he enjoyed. The staff was very friendly and welcoming and we cannot wait to return.
OKAY. Boyfriend and I returned this week and I tried the tabbouleh for the first time and OMG. It’s better than my grandma’s and I’ve never had tabbouleh better than my grandma’s. Luckily she is 86 and doesn’t use Unilocal so she won’t see this.

Mister Falafel is delicious, affordable mediterranean food. We ordered the falafel and the chicken shawarma plates for $ 8.99 each. You get to pick 2 sides with each one so we chose hummus, tabouleh, and 2 orders of french fries.
The person who took our order was efficient and friendly. We enjoyed the eclectic musical selection as we waited for our order to come out (~15 minutes at dinnertime).
When we got back in the car with the food the smell was effing heavenly. At home it tasted even better. The portions were so generous we had leftovers for the next day.
Overall very yummy and affordable. I plan to come back as soon as my next falafel craving hits!

Super friendly place that has a mom and shop type feel. Don’t come here expecting gourmet… Their food is simple, delicious and cheap. Jackie, the mom of the place, explained my options, telling me everything’s made in house.
I ordered a falafel wrap which hit the spot with it’s big chunks of radish and falafel and yummy taziki sauce, and my friend had the chicken plate which he seemed to really enjoy.
It’s challenging to find, behind a mechanic/​gas station, so look for the arrow on a little sign for mister falafel.
Plenty of parking available. I will come here for lunch again.

I came here for the first time and ordered a simple chicken shawarma sandwich and falafel. With only 4 customers inside, I didn’t expect the wait to be more than 20 minutes. I noticed a lot of people coming in for large phone orders but I believe they sort of have their priorities mixed up. As my first impression, I’m left with a mediocre one. I believe they could have just informed me that it would take upwards of 20 minutes to make a sandwich and a side so I could either make other arrangements or at least know what to expect.
Now if you don’t mind the possibility of a loooong wait for food specifically like a shawarma sandwich that really does not take more than 5min to whip up (the chicken was pre cooked), the food was alright. The highlight was indeed the falafel which was more healthy than other places that I’ve tried. The shape was oddly not completely round but each was a uniform shape with a slight ring in the middle which leads me to believe they used some kind of mold to cook these falafels that clam shelled close like a Foreman grill or the device used to make Swedish pancakes aebleskivers. This is just a hunch because they didn’t seem to be deep fried and super oily/​greasy while the outside achieved a crisp texture while the inside was nice and soft.
The chicken shawarma on the other hand was a bit dry and nothing out of the ordinary but with both dishes, it made for a very filling meal. Plus the tahini and hummus were not bad at all.
All in all I give it an average 3 stars for the lengthy wait and overall quality of the food/​value $ 13
NOTE: Also, take a look at my picture of the falafels and shawarma which presentation-​wise is super dull, the didn’t garnish or add any dipping on the tops of the falafels that you can see in past photos of their falafels and plates. They no longer offer ample amounts of hummus/​tahini/​tzaziki sauce either. What a shame, those are the pictures that really persuaded me to try this hole in the wall joint.

I heard about the long lines and was hesitant to try this place for my first time on a busy week but I came in at 1pm on a weekday and I was the only one there! The cashier greeted me very nicely and was so helpful with the menu. She even offered water when I didn’t ask for a drink. They packaged my order in a to-​go box because I knew I wouldn’t finish it so I asked for the meal to-​go.
I love hummus and I incorporate hummus into all my home snacks.YUM. I loved the rice. Middle Eastern rice is my favorite ethnic rice to eat! Reviews say the shawarma is tender and juicy but mine was a little dry. The sauce made up for it. I didn’t think the tabouleh would be any great but I gave it a try because I do like vegetables. It went really well with the meal because I needed something fresh and citrusy with the meat.
Can’t wait to come back.

Small, bright, clean, and charming. Possibly the best falafel in the known universe, always made completely fresh to order. Potato salad is excellent too…
The entrance faces away from Clairemont Mesa Blvd, you have to enter the small mall behind the corner gas station as I recall.
Highly recommended, especially since falafel is vegan !

First time trying Lebanese food, so bare with me on the review. I ordered a beef Shawarma plate with hummus and potato salad. The beef was excellent, flavorful and tender. The rice that it was on was a little dry for my taste, but I’m not sure if that’s how it’s culturally made. I’d compare it to more of a Mexican rice rather than the fluffier white Asian rices I am use to. The hummus was creamy and tasty, though I did not like the little ball of oil they left inside. The potato salad was fresh and i really liked the mint/​cilantro they added. They sprinkle a little red herb/​spice over everything that I didn’t know what it was, but after tasting it, it didn’t really have a flavor. Tasteless paprika or cumin?
It’s a mom-​and-​pop shop so it’s grungy. It serves it’s purpose. The cashier was extremely friendly and accommodated our questions as first time diners of the cuisine. Definitely come here for a try if you’re apprehensive at trying new cuisine.

The place is tucked away in a plaza that might require passing by/​through a gas station to find. When you find it, it’s fairly tiny, yet it will have ample seating.
The food is delicious. If you’ve had similar cuisine elsewhere, this will all seem fairly familiar. Haven’t found anything unfavorable about any of it. Either that, or I don’t know how «real» food tastes, who knows.
The staff is exceptionally friendly. Not only that, they are incredibly gracious for your business. Called in for a pick-​up order, and the lady was very patient with me since I did not get the cue that my order came with 2 sides, which I didn’t know to select at that moment. Then when we picked our order up, we were thanked, and they were absolutely genuine.
I’d make a point to support places like this. I’ll probably eat here more often than I originally intended.

I don’t know what was going on with me last time to give four stars, so here is a much needed update:
THIS PLACE IS AMAZING.
1) Mister Falafel is the nicest man EVER. I would allow him to be the godfather of my child. He is so nice.
2) FOOD IS SO GOOD. The schwarma, the hummus, the cucumber yogurt salad, the tabouleh, the pita, YOU CANNOT GO WRONG.
3)Price is right. The plates are filling and I get 2 meals out of it if I portion correctly, and for $ 11? A steal.
I crave this place all the time. Seriously one of the best places in the area with the nicest owners, best service, super convenient parking, good prices, and super delicious food.

Quick tips: not good for big groups (2 – 3 tables that fit 4, the rest fits 2), good for a quick meal/​take out since it can get hot
Wonderful service from a family owned restaurant and beautifully presented food. The restaurant was very hot with little to no wind flow the day I went but who cares I was there for the food :)
I’ve never had falafel before and decided to get the falafel plate with sides of baba ganoush and tabbouleh. The dish was so pretty!
Falafel: I thought it was okay. It wasn’t bad, but not amazing either. Would want to try their beef shwarma or kafta next time
Baba Ganoush: tangy goodness! Tasted great with the falafels
Toubbouleh: light, Limey, and refreshing. Loved it!

This is the perfect take out restaurant. It’s a great family owned falafel shop! Their Lebanese style cooking offers a different take on middle eastern food. It’s very different than your typical Greek style but similar enough to know what you want. The flavor differences are subtle and delicious.
We ordered the Falafel plate & a Kafta plate. For the 2 sides we got Hummus /​Baba ghanouj & tabbouleh /​cucumber salad. Everything was delicious!
It’s fairly small inside with no air conditioning. There are a couple tables outside with a nice breeze.

Taste– *****
Service– *****
Ambiance– ***
Parking– ****
There is a reason why this place is rating so highly on Unilocal,and you should come by to check it out.
1. The service is absolutely amazing. I have never met such a hard working and friendly business owner. (Milad?) Track him down, talk to him and you will feel like you’ve been invited to his home.
2. The food is amazing. No frills, no fancy silverware, but the quality is just as good. This taste like home made food, and it’s bomb.
3. Parking is actually really easy! And, I came during lunch time, it was not crowded. (Why aren’t you all here?)
4. Very affordable and very generous portions. I ate half of my sandwich and squirreled away the other half for later. (like for now, when I’m writing this review)
Seriously friendly and hardworking people, and very serious about their food. I highly recommend the chicken sandwich.

Oh My Gosh. I cannot believe that I’ve driven past this place so many times and never stopped in until this past weekend. The owner, Milad, of this delicious restaurant welcomed us very warmly and went above and beyond to ensure that we enjoyed every aspect of our meal.
As first timers to his restaurant he welcomed us to his restaurant and gave us wonderful recommendations on what to order, and he kept insisting that if we didn’t like what he recommended he would make us something else on the house! But of course we loved all of his recommendations :)
We ended up ordering a kafta and falafel plate with the special potato salad, baba ghanouj, cucumber yogurt salad, and hummus. Everything was so delicious and the falafel was definitely the highlight of everything we basically inhaled! We ended the meal with a Turkish Coffee and left with our bellies full and content, and I can’t wait to come back here again for delicious Lebanese food!

The dilemma I run into when first trying a place that I’ve bookmarked after reading reviews and drooling over food pr0n pix is that I want to sample the entire menu. I suppose a return trip is an option, but not so much if they aren’t along my usual commute, which means I order way too much in a single visit. There are many places to check out, update, and bookmarks to cross off. firstworldproblems.
Prior to Mr Falafel taking over the location, this used to be a mariscos place. The various changes are noticeable. The fresh paint, bright décor, and patio tables make a positive impact, especially with the challenge of improving signage for visibility due to being a tucked away location from the sidewalk directly behind Clairemont Auto Care and Panda Country.
Service was very friendly and helpful when I stopped by for lunch. It wasn’t too crowded and ordering was a breeze. During my meal, I did notice when a customer brought an item back that was incorrect. The cashier apologized and quickly made the correction without further issue. Kudos for that.
This mid-​day feast was delicious! The portions were generous and I appreciate the care and pride that went into the preparation.
— falafel
— shawarma
— rice
— hummus
— baba ghanouj
If i moved back into the neighborhood, I’d visit Mister Falafel more often.