Olive Valley

Great spot to catch recent episodes of «Bab al-​Hara», my fave Syrian soap opera.
The mukhtar who runs Olive Valley is the most important of all the mukhtar in Hara Morgantown, with the exception of the mukhtar who run Roberta’s.
Who run Morgantown?

Best hole-​in-​the-​wall type spot I’ve been to in a while! My boyfriend and I popped in to grab a light meal and boy oh boy! This spot is inexpensive, filling and not heavy! I love falafel spots and this one is clutch! Make sire to save room for the baclava! I might have to make this spot my ritual eatery after afternoon yoga! Cooks are so nice too!

Pretty standard fare, but decent enough and cheap for this block of ridiculous yuppitude.
I like their baklava. Recommended.

I was looking for somewhere cheap and filling to eat, and just happened to walk in Olive Valley. Really glad I did, because I was starting to think there weren’t any fast fresh/​healthy (and gluten free) options around this neighborhood.
Über fresh and authentic food. The owner is also extremely nice, and when you order delivery, everything comes nice and warm and perfectly in place. The veggie plate is delicious, and could last for two meals.

I really can’t tell you why I like this place, but I can definitely tell you it’s not for everyone. I think the pitas are packaged, but the food is very hit or miss. I think the reason I love this place is because the first time I ever had it I was very drunk. The falafel pita is extremely stuffed with falafel, cabbage and other fixins. The hummus and the baba ghanoush are extremely tasty as sides. Once again, I have no idea if these two things are store bought or if they make them, but they’re very good either way. The desserts are to die for when they’re fresh.
All in all, I’d say give it a try and if you like it, keep coming back, if you don’t, no hard feelings, you’re only out $ 4-​$ 5. I think it’s the type of place people will either love or hate, but unfortunately I fall on the love side so I keep making the half mile walk to get the baba ghanoush.

Olive Valley keeps me coming back week after week.
The falafel balls are a generous size and seasoned to tasty perfection.
The falafel plate is a great if you’re looking for a filling vegetarian option with a fresh medley of vegetables. If your appetite is modest or you’re on a budget, the plate can totally last two meals.
Above all, I appreciate the human element the owner brings to Olive Valley.
I don’t eat gluten, so I especially appreciate that he’ll swap in some extra falafel in place of the bread.
This makes me feel like I’m part of a neighborhood from a previous generation, even as Bushwick gentrifies with presumptuous restaurants sprouting every couple blocks.
I hope spots like Olive Valley remain a mainstay– a reminder of the quaint and authentic Bushwick I moved to years ago.

I continuted to eat here despite the ‘B’ rating, thinking ehhh, nothing bad will happen. Aaaand I just found a hair in my rice.

I’m obsessed.
One Friday night I stumbled in really wasted and was craving shawarma/​falafel. I just assumed it’d be alright. But what I had was out of this world.
Hole in the wall full of deliciousness!
I’m not sure why people complain about the price, in my opinion this place is the only place left in Morganville that’s delicious and worth the price. They may need to start a frequent customer stamp card for me, because I am so in love.

This is the only relatively cheap food place left in «Morgantown» (or whatever-​t-​f– we’re calling our little neighborhood these days). Nestled between way overpriced bodegas and admittedly-​awesome-​and-​not-​overpriced-​but-​still-​not-​cheap restaurants, Olive Valley is the only place left where you can get a full, filling, relatively healthy meal for $ 6 or less. Yes, $ 4 falafel sounds pricey, but actually it’s their other options that are the best value. And frankly, the food is not that bad for hole in the wall halal. And the staff are frigging awesome — mellow and laid back, the kind of people you can chat with about pretty much anything. Just remember when it’s 3am and you’re blitzed, half-​conscious, and starving, listen to that little voice at the end of your inebriation tunnel that’s telling you to be cool. But don’t dwell too much on the «trying to be cool» part because you’re drunk and you’re gonna talk it up too much because you like these guys as much as I do, and it’s not going to come out right and you’re going to just look douchey-​er than if you had not thought about it. And the guy behind the counter will just smile and nod because he actually IS cool and sober and doesn’t have to brag about it – but in the back of his mind he’s becoming more disillusioned with life and people and may be thinking it’s time to raise prices severely to compensate for the loss in his quality of life due to having to interact with your drunk ass. And then everyone loses. Actually, best to keep you mouth shut and eat your luscious lamb schwarma ($ 6).
Enuff … I recommend:
Small veggie platter $ 6: Choose 3 vegetables, they put it in a decent-​sized tray, douse it in tahini and hot sauce, add generous pita bread, and will even sneak in some pita balls if you ask nicely.
Lentil soup $ 3.50: No-​frills pint of thin soup with pita on the side, but it works, especially in a 30-​degree day when you just need something to warm your core.

Sorry to say it but this is the worst falafel sandwich I’ve had in NYC. I can forgive the packaged bread even though it’s pretty tiny. I cannot forgive the rubbery cabbage, old lettuce and dry falafel. The sauces are kinda weird too. How about some straight up tahini sauce and where are the tomatoes? Weak!
I live so close I do eat here once and a while but I go with the falafel plate because the hummus isn’t bad.
Seriously though, it’s a shame in an area where there’s a bunch of crunchy poor (acting) kids running around that there isn’t a better falafel sandwich to be had. I wish this place would step its game up.

This place makes a good quick, healthy-​ish meal on my way home from work. I like the falafel platter and usually don’t even get any bread with it since the salads and sides are so tasty and filling. Beet salad, hummus, grape leaves — all the usual suspects, but also very tasty and filling. I can’t recall exactly how much the plate cost but I remember thinking «hmmmm…this is a little expensive», but it turned out to be a lot of food and I took about ¹⁄₃ of it home and ate it the next day.

Deliciousness in my mouth! Disgruntled workers in my face! I don’t care, like the honey badger, I don’t give a shit. The food was good and on a Saturday night, my friend and I easily found seats and sucked down some falafel plates. Which, by the way, are huge and we possibly should have just shared one.
The conundrum of the moment was that my friend wanted the falafel sammich, but Olive Valley was outta bread. My friend, who used to live in the neighborhood and frequented OV often, tried to barter with the guys — couldn’t he just get a falafel sandwhich without the bread, instead of a falafel plate? It was a good point, but these dudes were having none of it. We ended up with two ginormous, and very delicious, falafel plates.
Great food, I’ll definitely come here again if I end up in Bushwick… also, fun to watch the craziness on Bogart unfold on a Saturday evening. Lalalala.

It’s around the corner from my place, so maybe I’m biased but i eat here numerous times each week.
Doesn’t look like much, service is a bit gruff, doesn’t matter. good food wins.
I thought it was odd that they put pickles on a falafel sandwich, doesn’t matter, it’s good.
$ 4 never much of a line, in and out quick.

I just happened upon this place today hipstering my fixed gear self up and down the block. I’m momentarily going to vacate the neighborhood so want to make sure I’ve gotten a bite of everything first.
Olive Valley sat plainly in my sights, an omen for a hungry tummy. Now you might argue my stomach is always hungry, but that’s beside the point.
I walked in and order a large salad plate, with a bit of everything. At $ 10 it wasn’t cheap, but I thought I’d take it home, and eat it for a few meals. Great. Throw in a few spinach pies please, and a couple pieces of baklava.
Seventeen dollars later, I’m barreling down Johnson towards Middle Village, my parcel of food hanging precipitously and edging into the front tire. A few blocks later up Cypress and I’m back home, digging into some middle eastern delights.
The spinach pie was absolutely delicious, with some secret ingredients which seemed to add equal parts yum and mie. The falafels were also good, and let’s not forget the beat salad, grape leaves and chickpea salad.
I have yet to touch the baklava that’s now tempting me… chirping my name from the refrigerator and tempting my good judgement!

++++THE OWNER SOLD OUT, DUE TO SKY ROCKETING RENTS +++ CLOSED

After a disappointing and over priced experience at Roberta’s, I went to Olive Valley and unlike Roberta’s, This establishment turned out to be a great Middle Eastern whole in the wall restaurant.
The grape leaves were great, as was the babaganoush. I would also recommend the plate dishes and the «hummus in a Bucket».

It’s my neighborhood middle eastern place and it’s not bad at all. I’ve ordered the chicken shawarma and the falafel sandwiches and they’re filling and delish.
Give ‘em a shot.

Im going to give out one of my extremely rare 5 stars for this place (up from 4 stars).
I dont really eat much meat anymore, so I can only comment on their falafel. When I go I end up buying a large meal’s worth of falafel balls, so I get a bulk quantity and in the last year, Ive yet to have some that werent fresh out of the fryer. I think those whom have given the falafel itself a bad review are just some cranky kids that maybe had it once or twice. I always go later at night when they dont have many made, so perhaps thats why they are 100% of the time made fresh when I order them.
I have a habit of getting 2 large hummus containers and spending a few days eating them with my own bread (I will however commend them for using pitas without toxic ingredients and without bleached flour, though I dont eat the pitas too often). Ive been in nyc long enough that Ive eaten hummus at hundreds of places (I make my own raw/​sprouted hummus at home too) and Olive Valley is my favorite. You can tell how freshly made the hummus is because the texture, levels of vinegar, and other ingredients is very inconsistent. This is a good thing as you can tell they have diff people making it and it is different every day — fresh stuff.
Honestly I feel like my turf is being stepped on by a lot of these new kids that flooded the block in 2010 (seriously, there were virtually zero of you here in 2009, and that ‘hood had maybe 2 non ‘native’ folks there pre 2009) — specifically, someone that would insult the owner of Olive Valley for ‘sitting too much’ or whatever. The guy is nice as hell I chat with him all the time, and he waits on me and loves serving up huge tubs of hummus that he puts a lot of hard work into.
To the comment that «this is the busiest stretch in Bushwick,» youd have to be some sheltered, privileged import from Oaklahomatuckyaska who was inspired to come to NYC by reading too many American Apparel ads to believe that!!! Bushwick is a beautiful neighborhood and there is a heck of a lot more going on than your hipster frat party around the morgan ave L stop. I much preferred that area when it wasnt swarming with cops protecting the area’s landlords’ best assets so they can pretend theyre in college forever. Seriously, no one has any room to complain about this place. For being a small shack on that street, its incredible, and it beats the pants of many of the «restaurant» establishments in Manhattan.
Olive Valley feels like home, Ive been coming here since the day it opened, and I really love this place. I occasionally get hummus from other places because I just want to diversify a bit, but nothing compares in all 5 boroughs. Also I recommend the grape leaf sides, and of course all the pastries they make!
{original review, over a year ago}
I really love this place. The only detriment is they overcook the meat, and sometimes you get charred lamb. Other than that, everything they make is awesome, I eat their hummus by the bucket. The staff is usually pretty nice, interesting people. They play some badass Arabic music in there a lot too (I believe they are Jordanian?). I recommend the full platters, I am partial to the falafel and lamb plates. The grape leaves are great, and they make good babaganoush too. Ive never ordered delivery, but I often call in some take out ahead of time. Theyre fast, and the prices are nice too.

Honestly, for a tiny place on a side street this one one of the better fast food style middle eastern restaurants I have eaten at.
My shwarma platter was excellent. All the ingredients, hummus, meat, sides, etc. were excellent. Service was great.
My girlfriend and I really enjoyed our meal and would come back.
Even the baklava was pretty good.

Alright this is only a three starer because of what I am now going to call « Unilocal Star Collective Bargaining.» Let me explain… Olive Valley is technically a four starer. Oasis is ‘related’ and definitely better but not five star worthy. Therefore Oasis gets a four. I can’t go and give Olive Valley a four now. The Unilocal lacks a half star so I have to go three stars on this one. Technically a four somehow. If only it were this easy for professional sports leagues. Moving on…
The falafel is four smackers here and well worth it. They’ll add hummus to it for fifty Abraham Lincolns more. Definitely get it. They also have a falafel platter for 7 smackers. It comes with two pitas so you can pretty much make two falafel sandwiches and still have something left over. The falafel is left sitting out most of the time but sometimes they fry it up fresh when you order. Had the kebab sandwich once also, its pretty good.
I like that they have a cool little window section to sit down and eat in. To be fair these are some of the most uncomfortable «interrogation room» chairs ever. Regardless, its a good place to eat in from time to time and «hipster watch» out the window. They rotate art on the walls also. A little low rent but it helps out ambiance wise.

Came back from xmas traveling, and slam bam thank you m’am, Olive Valley is finally open. They’re the same owners as Oasis off the Bedford stop, so it’s the same quality falafel. Plain décor, but they just opened so I’ll cut ‘em some slack. Free delivery too!
Does anyone actually know if falafel is healthy or not? I should probably find out since I’ll be eating it every night for dinner from now on.