Falafel On the Row

Not sure how this place got such good reviews. Food is below average at best. Sauces are lot authentic And it’s just piled up together. I room one bite, spit it out and got a drink instead

only because the Unilocal listing is a lie! (add expletives as needed).
+ do not trust the hours of operation! ! !

Ok…
The tahini sauce is just straight tahini, no spices to it.
The balls are a little soft.
Took forever to get my food.
Not impressed.

I used to live at Santana Heights which is just across the street from this place. The best thing here is the Chicken Biryani, the Biryani is way better here than at Amber India.
The naan, samosas and garlic fries are all good here too but the Chicken Biryani was always my go to meal.
They also offer the ability to pre-​order, I would always order in my apartment and by the time I arrive they would have my meal ready.

The boy was super hungry & it was pretty late at night, so we were glad to see that Falafel On The Row’s Unilocal page said they’d be open until 11. However, when we got there [around 9], they were starting to close! Weird. But they stayed open to make our order.
The boy got a chicken shwarma wrap. it tasted kind of like a Chipotle burrito. Weird. It wasn’t bad, but wasn’t really what we were expecting. It still tasted really good, but might have been because we were staaaarving. Might go back to try something different, but I think they need to update their hours on Unilocal!Would have been super disappointed if I’d gone later & they were closed.

My go to for falafels. I wondered why they took so long, and it’s because they make them fresh! This means warm and crispy and deliciously light!
The lavash is on point and it’s not dry and like cardboard.
Best tasting gyro I ever had for not being a restaurant.

While your friends shop for poorly sewn, overpriced rags at Urban Outfitters, go get yourself some bomb ass feta garlic fries from this stall! Perfectly crispy, hot, deliciousssss.
My favorite feta fries!!! + garlic powder = horrible breath, no shame

Short Version:
I’m f’n hooked!
Do yourself a favor, and next time you’re in the mood to go to Santana Row and overpay for mediocre food, stop yourself and come here instead. For a few bucks, you’ll get some pretty good «street meat»!
Only problem I’ve ever had is that when the owner is working, the service takes a hit… not b/​c he’s not friendly, but because he can be forgetful and gets overwhelmed sometimes.
Extended Version:
Beef Gyro (4 stars) — one of my favorite things on their menu, and better than their chicken gyro.
Extra Spicy Beef Gyro (4 ½ stars) — not too spicy, but makes the gyro even better!
Hot Link (4 stars) — I don’t care that it’s a Falafel/​Gyro stand, sometimes I’m you’re in the mood for something else, and the Hot Link here delivers. Ask for it even though it might not be on the menu.
Polish Sausage (4 stars) — almost as good as the Hot Link… close enough for it to be a legit replacement.
Fries (4 stars) — very good, AND they give you big portions.
Lahmajun (3 ½ stars) — would have been better if they served a yogurt/​tzatziki sauce with this
Feta Cheese Fries (3 ½ stars) — same fries, w/​some pretty good feta cheese mixed in.
Cheese Steak (3 stars) — good, but one of my least favorite things on their menu.
Garlic Fries (3 stars) — good, but not for me… I’d rather have the regular, or even the feta cheese fries.

Easily 4 stars for having great falafel wraps, delicious beef shwarmas, and fun fries. Ask for extra hot sauce on the side if you’re getting fries.
I don’t mind them taking more time than a typical food stand would because the food is so good and you have all these nice seats in Santana Row to enjoy the outside weather. The wait is short. The employee (s) will wave at you to come back and get your food.

Taking a walk around Santana Row… We passed by this stand. and decided to give it a try. We had their Gyros & Lahmajun. and I was pleasantly pleased with both. You get to watch the guy make it fresh and I’m surprised that he can keep all the ingredients organized in the little stand!
We didn’t have to wait long for our food… there was only one other person in front of us… but I can see how this place can get busy and the wait for the food… could be a little longer… I’m not sure if they have more people working during lunch & dinner rushes… I stopped by pretty late… well after dinner…

Shawarmas are delicious, tried beef & chicken! The guy that was working was so nice & promised me that he wouldn’t use oil to cook our meat! The sauce is delicious. Definitely say yes when he says «Do you like spicy?» definitely my favorite falafel place!

My friend wanted to try something different in Santana Row and when she saw this falafel cart she was SUPER interested looking. I was kind of feeling Pluto’s but after she got her food and she started eating it, it looked SO DELICIOUS so I had to get some too.
I ordered a gyro and it was good! I asked for the sauces on the side because that’s usually how I like my food. Talk about super accomodating, the owner was incredibly friendly and was like «yes, yes» to every little single detail I asked for. I feel kind of bad because I can get pretty annoying when it comes to ordering specifics. but he had a smile on his face and was really professional about it.
UNFORTUNATELY the wait takes FOREVER!!! I think I waited for more than 15 minutes for my gyro to come out… and there were only two people ahead of me! But as I was looking at the dude who was making my gyro, I realized that there’s seriously only one person who’s making all of these foods. And they make it so carefully too… quality is not sacrificed here. If I’m ever feeling gyros, I will probably come here… but not when I’m super hungry because the wait takes foreverrrrr!

So i was SUPER hungry. Working at the row means no cheap eats close by except subway! I’m sick of sandwiches –_–
I knew they had hot dogs on the row so i hopped on over on my lunch. to my disappointment it was a falafel place instead. Being famished and running out of time I decided what the heck.
I ordered a cheese steak sandwich. 7 $ I sat down to eat and it was super thin. I know its a wrap but i kinda want more bang for my buck. Tasty but id like more. And yes its takes about b5−10 minutes for it to be cooked.

This stand is basically what you would get at a Falafel restaurant, just it’s condensed in a food cart.
Though the prices and wait time may seem moderately high for a «food stand,» the meal you get is definitely not «just» a food stand’s grub but really what you would wait 10 to 15 minutes for inside a store! Especially since they make everything to-​order, you might have to wait awhile enduring whatever weather clouds over Santana Row at that time, but I assure you — — it is worth the wait. Or else, why would so many stand in line for it?
Falafel on the Row definitely beats hot dogs on the row.

Had a few drinks in Santana Row? Need some food to calm the buzz? Nothing open post-​11pm? Fear not! Falafel on the Row to the rescue! The converted hot dog stand now serves pretty darn good falafel to midnight snackers in the lawn area on Otis Lane. Piping hot with great flavors, it does the job at that time of night!

Ok, damn… hot dog stand wasn’t there… so we got some Mediterranean food instead. Ok, the gyros are really good… we were disappointed at first that the hot dog stand wasn’t there. But, after talking to the owner of Mediterranean cart, he said hot dog cart is being cleaned and upgraded and will be back at another location in Santana Row! Yes, they are owned by the same person! So, be on the lookout! But, for now… the gyros are damn awesome with chips! I can’t wait for another one! :)

I actually like this place… a lot. I’m not gonna lie, the falafel wrap is made fresh and the chef takes his time actually deep frying and putting together the food here. Being a stand here at the row, the price isn’t as expensive as the old hot dogs stand that used to be here. Now that crap was a rip off!
Anyway, my gf had ordered a falafel wrap here and the guy took his sweet time cooking up. Even though the time was a bit too long, the wrap was pretty good. The wrap is a decent size I would say. Probably between 7 – 8 inches in length, the falafel itself is crispy and flavorful while the vegetables and sauce inside complimented the taste. There should have been more tahini sauce in it though.
Overall, the cart is a 4 star. I give props to cooking good food on a small space. It was lacking service and portion to me. I’m sorry but If I’m going to support and pay $ 6 on a wrap, I hope that theres a decent amount of stuffing :/​
Also the service was kinda wack. No humor and no good advertisement for the cart/​food. I wish the guys were a bit more jolly.

Imagine biting into a pita looking burrito but wait, its not a burrito! You’re like oh whats this… grilled meat spiced to perfection? fresh crunchy cucumbers and cabbage/​lettuce? ohhh and creamy tahini sauce? mmmm then creamy tahini sauce dripping out of your mouth and down your throat all over your new blouse but you’re too busy having an orgasm in your mouth to wipe up the mess?
Yeah its kindof like that.

It’s pretty awesome and a welcome addition to the high priced eateries on Santana Row. This is located on the sidewalk between the Container Store and the parking garage. There are a couple tables with umbrellas beside the stand, or you can just hold your Greek sandwich with one hand and walk around.
The sarcastic ethnic man does not make my days happier, but I don’t think he’s out to get me. My friend asked him if she could get a gyro and he said no. After about a minute he took her money and got her a gyro. I asked him for the extra tahini sauce and he said no. It’s more amusing than scary. In any event, his attitude will not prevent me from eating lunch here every day.
They put hot sauce on their gyros. That makes them hot. You can ask for no hot sauce.

Stumbled upon the grand opening of this falafel cart and ordered a gyro wrap for $ 5.50. It’s certainly a nice addition to Santana Row, but kind of in an akward location in front of The Container Store and away from a lot of foot traffic. Their falafel and gyro wraps are conveniently wrapped to be held with one hand. You can order one and continue strolling in Santana Row.
It was their first day and they didn’t have a cash register yet. The menu price for a gyro wrap was $ 5.50. The people in front of us were charged $ 5 for their gyro by one guy and we were charged $ 6 by another guy for ours. And the people behind us ended up getting a small order of fries on the house. I understand this is their first day and screw ups are bound to happen, but all customers should be treated the same; the prices should be consistent and even specials like free fries. Not a real big deal, but I was annoyed by it. This is really 3.5 stars.