Kulushkat

The real deal, great Israeli food. Don’t expect fancy, but the home made food and great reggae music made us feel instantly at home. They don’t have a license so don’t bring beer, though I suspect a license won’t be too far off. Lets focus on the food. Wow. Start with the hummus, the hallmark of any great Middle Eastern joint: Excellent. Next, the burekas which were fresh and great, I recommend them. The eggplant was really delicious. Smoky and tasty. Their grape leaves were average, nothing leapt out about them, but they’re a lot better than the canned variety. Worth checking out whether they’re bought in. Salads at Kulushkat are really tasty and fresh, the Israeli salad, wonderful. It’s not brain surgery to make an Israeli salad but it was just like I have eaten in Israel. The cabbage salad was excellent and the beets really good. Special mention: the falafel is really wonderful. And our friends raved about the moist Chicken shawarma.
No meal is complete without dessert and the Baklava here hit the spot. We will be back!

Came in here for lunch and the staff was extremely friendly and the ambiance/​décor is very nice (love the deep purple plates). I hate to only give three stars, but I’m on the fence about a couple things. Ordered the Mediterranean Platter ($ 16) with extra falafel ($ 2) to share (perfect amount of food for two people). Here’s the run down:
Pros:
–Deeeelicious red cabbage salad, with a tiny bit of spice
–Nice hummus with super tasty olive oil & a few whole chickpeas on top
–Beet salad tasted super fresh & delicious
–Stuffed grape leaves were very good
Cons:
–Falafel, though it had interesting texture, was a bit too small which meant that the majority of a bite was the fried outside, which made it too oily/​greasy
–Cucumber salad was a bit tasteless
–We ordered one whole wheat pita and one white bread pita and the latter didn’t taste especially fresh (not my fav bread, overall)
–Bathroom was dirty and sink was broken (next to a sign that reads «employees must wash hands»). Doesn’t make me feel suuuper great about food prep at this place ((eewwwww!))

«Unexpected Gem in Lefferts Gardens»
From walking into the recently opened storefront style restaurant we were pleasantly surprised. The name, ‘Kulushkat’ which translates literally to ‘shut up and eat,’ but that’s just a nice way of saying ‘food first. In the past few weeks I had heard several people in Manhattan talking about this place, which specializes in Mediterranean & Israeli cuisine. Having recently finding out that I really enjoy Falafel & Shawarma I made a mental note to visit at some point. Today while out with the Wife and son, we were in the area and that pang of hunger became overwhelming so be navigated around Park Slope and paid a visit.
The waiter, a lovely gentleman named Jefferson, greeted up with smile and quickly seated us. The layout is very cozy with 10 – 12 tables and an open kitchen at the back. Pop music was playing quietly and we could talk at a normal level. Our waiter brought us menus and water quickly. The menu was well edited with several great selections, not overwhelming but loaded with great options. The food fare ranges from Vegan dishes, to Kosher Chicken options, as well as some classic deserts and your normal sodas etc. We ordered the Falafel, Shawarma and the Shawafel. Service was quick and we were eating within 15 min. A real positive here is that the food is FRESH, it looks it and tastes it. The Falafel is cooked per order not earlier in the day with makes it taste awesome. The chicken had just the right flavor as well. The best thing here is what appeared to be a med sized portion was quite filling. We had a delicious dinner for 2 (the boy doesn’t eat out yet) with soda & tip for under $ 40 and we left very full. The location is very clean, the staff is awesome. It’s well worth the visit for lunch or dinner.

This place is great! I’ve had the hummus/​falafel plate, chicken kebab and falafel sandwich. All delicious. The staff is nice and service fast. The prices seem a bit high, otherwise I would eat there more often. But the quality is definitely on par with that. Great when you are looking for something healthy.

The burekas were amazing and everything else I tried was tasty too. Our server was sweet as sugar and very patient with my 234 987 345 questions about various items on the menu (hadn’t heard of a few of them and was curious about whether others were made from scratch [they were!]) Portions are big and the atmosphere was very pleasant. Definitely worth returning to!

We went to Kulushkat on a bit of a whim — first night of a trip to the city, and the friend we were staying with lives nearby, so we decided to give this place a shot. This turned out to be our favorite meal of the whole weekend.
I’ll admit, we didn’t go in for a lot of menu variety. All three of us ordered the Chicken Shawarma. But the beauty of the meal is that there are a variety of tastes, textures and colors on the plate no matter what you order, so I didn’t feel as though I had missed anything. There’s cabbage salad — fresh red cabbage shredded nicely and dressed perfectly. Falafel is spiced very nicely — I’d be hard-​pressed to reverse engineer it and try to isolate the spices, but our all-​around impression was that the ground chickpeas were well balanced with flavor and perfectly crisped — and oh so fresh! Probably the best falafel I’ve had anywhere. Cucumber salad was enjoyed by my companions as something of a cool palate cleanser — I can’t offer any objective judgment on a vegetable I personally despise, except to say that it did not pollute the rest of my meal in any way :). We ordered some grape leaves as a side, and they were delightful little bundles — all of us enjoyed them.
The meat itself was nothing short of perfect — tender shaved chicken bursting with the kind of spiced/​garlic flavor that only comes through lengthy marination and slow roasting, all presented on a bed of rice pilaf. The tahini was a nice accompaniment — not at all the typical bland tahini, but something special that originally had me thinking it was a lemon yogurt sauce. I found myself scraping the bottom the container with the pita to get out the last drops. Speaking of which — for a guy who eats very little bread these days, I happily devoured what felt and tasted like a homemade pita. We finished our meal, somehow finding room for a small plate of delicious home-​made pastries.
The food was excellent. The prices were very reasonable. The atmosphere is cozy, but not out of character for NYC — and we felt really comfortable just being there. Ethan happened to be on duty that night, and really added to our evening — we found him to be friendly and interactive, as well as knowledgeable about the menu and willing to offer suggestions. I’d certainly return, even if our friend someday moves out of the neighborhood, we’ll still be visiting the Botanic Gardens and this nearby place will certainly be a part of that adventure.

My yoga spot is right around the corner from here, and I would continuously pass by, drooling slightly because any restaurant with a middle eastern name serves falafel. I finally came here one day after yoga, and ordered a falafel plate instead of a sandwich. I tend to get the sandwich because it’s cheaper, but the plate lets you taste each item separately instead of jamming it all into one pita. I was glad I decided to do this. The falafel was delicious. ⁹⁄₁₀. The tahini was a bit too salty however, but added the necessary flavor to the otherwise plain rice. I would possibly come back to try this falafel again.

+++
— Server was worth 4 stars alone
++
— good, nonsugary tasting smoothies
— $ 5 smoothies is a good price
— Mediterranean feast is perfect for two
+
— Great for a satiating lunch
— got to try the lemonada, it’s not ya mama’s lemonade
— fresh tasting food

I love the guys there they are super nice and the food is amazing. Always a pleasant experience there whether take out or eating in.

I read the reviews so I already knew this is a new place that probably caters to the «newcomers», but F that I’m a vegan foodie so I’m going to give it a shot. I should have saved my time and money.
I order takeaway — the falafel platter, falafel pita, grape leaves and schug (with was extra). While I waited I noticed few things that where mentioned in previous post:
The person taking orders at the register/​phone was fine — pleasant and answered questions. He did correct my pronunciations which was a little annoying. He went extra on how he pronounced hummus and falafel. I get it. The food is supposed to be authentic — we are also in Flatbush.
Now the food. Everything was good except the rice which was undercooked.
I doubt I come back here.

This review is really 3.5 stars. I’ve been here numerous times — the first 2 times I ordered takeout, the food was delectable and the service was fantastic. I had a Shawarma pita with seasoned fries. YUM! The third time, a friend and I decided to eat in — I swear the food was even better than the first two times, if that’s possible.
A couple of months ago, I popped in for my go-​to Shawarma pita with seasoned fries. The shawarma was still great, but the fries were seasoned… awkwardly. There was WAY too much chili powder (or whatever they use to make it spicy), and not enough of the other spices. I took one bite and had to chug water. After that meal, I figured maybe it was just one batch. I decided to give them another try recently, and this time my shawarma was so-​so and the fries were still disproportionately spicy.
This makes me really sad because the quality of their food was SOOO good a few months ago, and their servers continue to be extremely friendly and warm. They get to know their customers, and I’ve come to appreciate that very much. I don’t know if they changed cooks or have hired new people to help prep the food before it’s cooked, but I wish whoever was there at the start would come back!
Kulushkat, I’m taking a little break, but I’m rooting for you!

Stopped by last Sunday around 4pm and it was mostly empty, only one or two other people eating in.
Once again the food was great. Our waiter was funny, attentive, and very helpful. The pitas were hot and fresh and the food tasted all that much better — if you’re thinking delivery it’s worth just coming in to get it right out of the kitchen.

I own a store a few blocks away. I have been here 4x already, with and without the family, and I leave happy every time. I would have eaten here much more but they don’t open early enough to make this my go to lunch spot during the week. What a shame! Good job guys, the place is awesome! One word, (SHAWAFFLE)!!!

It may have quality food, however I was bummed to see the staff and the overall image this place has screams white entitled privilege.
The manager informed me working on my laptop was not «congruent» with their environment. And fair enough, but they may consider how incongruent their own vibe is with the neighborhood they’ve posted themselves in. Just saying.

Trying thing place out for the first time. People seem nice. I’ll see how the food is. Currently waiting for my order. I got the falafel and mom’s cake.
Ambiance is nice. Very serene when compared to the chaos of Flatbush avenue.

We rarely order take-​out but whenever we need to do deliveries, Kulushkat is our favorite go-​to place. We eat paleo so most of their items — especially Shawarma Plate — are on the safe list. Good ingredients, clean dressing, grilled meat, and non-​greasy. We live a few blocks away and deliveries are always prompt and the delivery guys are always cheerful and friendly. Couldn’t be happier that they are in the PLG neighborhood !

Kulushkat is my second favorite falafel spot. I used to frequent the one in Prospect Heights but now that they opened a location in Prospect Lefferts Gardens (closer to home) I am so much happier.
I’m on a mission to find the best shakshuka in NYC and so far Kulushkats shakshuka has made my top 10.
This morning I ordered the Shakshuka and Israeli breakfast.
I love that the shakshooka is spicy and the eggs are runny.
The israeli breakfast had 2 really good potato bourekas, with some babaganoosh, israeli salad and hard boiled eggs.
I ordered the items to go and they packed them up really neatly and easy to transport.
The décor is lovely and refreshing. And the service is top notch. They welcome you with a friendly smile and awesome customer service.

Falafel makes the people happy. It hasn’t helped peace in the Middle East, but it does make me 10x happier to live in Lefferts Gardens. Exactly what the neighborhood has been missing!
Especially when it’s one of the best falafel sandwiches in NYC. The falafel balls have a lot of depth and a variety of flavors to them – can’t tell if it’s a little cardamon or what they are seasoned with exactly, but it’s a unique and delicate flavor. It’s also just the right amount of cabbage and the whole wheat pita always tastes fresh and rich. The eggplant a la yafa is also really good – garlicky and tender!
There can be a bit of a wait (10min), and I’ve seen people walk out rather than wait, which is a shame, because they miss the aroma of their falafel being freshly prepared, unlike most other places.

Went and got a falafel pita. Was very good. Wish it came with cucumbers or tomato but still really good and really fresh.

I can’t stop thinking about the Falafel!!! Everytime I walk by a falafel place I get a craving for Kulushkat. I don’t walk into the other places, because I know it just won’t be the same.
This place just opened up in Lefferts Gardens and it’s a gem of relief when wanting to find something healthy, really tasty and just a really cozy vibe in the neighborhood. It’s very obvious from the second you walk in that just as much thought went into the décor and space of the restaurant as goes into the food. Very warm, welcoming, cozy, yet hip and on par with cool Brooklyn standards. Small, family run, everyone is super friendly and seemed to know many of their customers. Obviously they already have some regulars. Which I understand, as I can’t stop craving the food! As someone who eats healthy and light most of the time, this is falafel that I can add into my routine. It’s delicious and feels light and healthy still yet filling.
The eggplant is also on my mind. Will save that for next time!