Falafel Stands in NJ

[BunnySlippers]

Hi. Does anyone know of any falafel stands or storefronts that sell falafel near to Edgewater (in NJ only, please)? I'm not looking for a fancy sit down restaurant, more just a place to grab a yummy falafel when I'm in the mood. Thanks.

[Jason Perlow]

Bennie's in Englewood. Theres also a ton of places in Teaneck but really Bennies is your best bet.

[thereuare]

I recommend Ali Baba in Hoboken (Washington St, ~10th St). It's a VERY casual restaurant that does a decent take out buisness. I tell a lot of poeple about the place, but insist they stick with the sandwiched, and don't venture into the "plates" and "platters."

Additionally, they have the best hummus i've EVER had. Great as a side to your sandwich.

[tommy]

I recommend Ali Baba in Hoboken (Washington St, ~10th St).

this is probably one of my favorite restaurants in hoboken, and has been for 15 yrs. anyone i've ever brought there likes it.

and yes, thereuare, the sandwiches are a safe bet. although, the platters to offer a more well-rounded meal. they should be considered occasionally.

[BunnySlippers]

Thanks for the Hoboken rec, but I was looking for something a bit closer to Edgewater. Someone mentioned that there are a number of places in Teaneck (I need to figure out where that is - I moved from NYC not too long ago). I was hoping that there was some storefront in Cliffside Park, or thereabouts, that had great, cheap falafel sandwiches for when I get a hankering.

Thanks.

[Jason Perlow]

Kervan in Cliffside Park has felafel but its not a cheap place.

Your best bet is Teaneck where the orthodox Jewish community there is plentiful and you have your choice of "felafel joints". Englewood is probably a 15 minute drive from where you live (go straight up river road to the end, under the GW bridge, keep on going, at the dead end make a left on Palisade ave and drive into Englewood, Bennies is right at the start of the business district (on your left).

[ngatti]

Thanks for the Hoboken rec, but I was looking for something a bit closer to Edgewater.  Someone mentioned that there are a number of places in Teaneck (I need to figure out where that is - I moved from NYC not too long ago).  I was hoping that there was some storefront in Cliffside Park, or thereabouts, that had great, cheap falafel sandwiches for when I get a hankering.

Thanks.

Re Teaneck/Hoboken. A nod is as good as a wink, methinks. Depending on where in Edgewater you reside. Hoboken may even be closer.

Nick

[thereuare]

BunnySlippers-

Having been to both Ali Baba (Hoboken) and Bennie's (Englewood) i think Ali Baba is more of what you're looking for (ie- cheap take out). Although Bennies is good, i would venture that a sandwich there will still run you about $7-8, while at Ali Baba it's probably about $4.50.

Also, there used to be (as in, "i'm not sure if it's still there") a place at the top of Gorge Rd (now called OLD Gorge Road), right where it hits Anderson Ave, that had falafel and meat kabob sandwiches. I don't recall the name, but it was right on the bend of the road where it hits Anderson Ave.

[Nockerl]

Also, there used to be (as in, "i'm not sure if it's still there") a place at the top of Gorge Rd (now called OLD Gorge Road), right where it hits Anderson Ave, that had falafel and meat kabob sandwiches.  I don't recall the name, but it was right on the bend of the road where it hits Anderson Ave.

It closed a few months back and just reopened as Luigi's Italian Restaurant.

[thereuare]

It closed a few months back and just reopened as Luigi's Italian Restaurant.

Same owners?

[Nockerl]

It closed a few months back and just reopened as Luigi's Italian Restaurant.

Same owners?

I don't think so, but I'm not 100% sure.

[Rachel Perlow]

I was reading the Falafel in Paris and it put me right in the mood. So, any updates for this thread, or do I have to drive to Hoboken?

[menton1]

Shelley's and Fleigel's on Cedar Lane in Teaneck have very good Felafel. Shelley's also has some terrific kosher vegetarian dishes. (Don't go on Friday night or Saturday)

Note: Neither of these restaurants have falafel, see below. R. Perlow

Edited August 15, 2003 by Rachel Perlow (log)

[Guest johnh91011]

driving up main street in Clifton there seem to be lots of storefronts with Lebanese/Middle Eastern food.

[bloviatrix]

Shelley's and Fleigel's on Cedar Lane in Teaneck have very good Felafel.  Shelley's also has some terrific kosher vegetarian dishes.  (Don't go on Friday night or Saturday)

Since you don't know NJ yet, to get to Cedar Lane - take Rte 4, west. Get off at Queen Anne Road and you'll want to go under Rte 4 (bare to your left when you get off ). Drive straight, approx three-quarters of a mile and you'll reach Cedar Lane -- I think it's the second light. Make a right. The strip of restaurants starts after you drive over the train tracks.

[Rachel Perlow]

Falafel in Teaneck

With all the chatter about falafel on eGullet, here and on this thread, I've been having serious CRAVINGS for it all week. So, Jason and I decided to check out the recommendations above and do a taste test. Our first stop was Fleigels at 456 Cedar Lane. Unfortunately, this Glatt Kosher (Meat) restaurant does not offer falafel. They do have schnitzel and shawarma as sandwiches and platters ($4-$10); deli and burgers too. A veggie burger is also available.

Fleigels menu

Continuing up the street to Shelly's, we see menton1 is batting 0 for 2, as "Noah's Ark presents Shelly's Vegetarian" at 482 Cedar Lane (Noah's Ark is the meat restaurant by the same owners, across the street) eschews falafel as well. It is a very pleasant dining room with an extensive Kosher/Vegetarian/Dairy/Fish menu. But no falafel, so we move on.

Next up was Jerusalem Pizza & Restaurant at 496 Cedar Lane (they also own another place in Teaneck called Plaza Pizza at 1431 Queen Anne Rd (the alternate business area). Finally, a place that said, "Of course we have falafel!" We ordered a couple of sandwiches:

Jerusalem Restaurant's Whole Falafel sandwich with Regular Salad (left) and Israeli Salad (right)

The prices are decent at Jerusalem as well. A whole falafel is $3.25, half for $2.35, falafel platter with one salad $3.50, and a combo-platter with four salads for $6.65. Here's a nice close-up of one of the sandwiches, we scooped some of the salad out to make room for tahini and some pickles, available at their help yourself pickle bar:

Mmm, Falafel!

The falafel sandwiches at Jerusalem were acceptable; the Israeli salad was very good. We took one of the balls out to examine more closely. It had a starchy/schmooshy texture, and we both felt it could have used some more seasoning.

After Jerusalem there was one more place to check out, but we didn't hold high hopes for Pizza Cave at 439 Cedar Lane. However, we couldn't have been more wrong. When you order a falafel pita ($3.00) from Pizza Cave you are handed a plate with a warm pita on it and directed to their huge salad bar ($5.95/lb for the salad bar), where a section is devoted to the falafel. You serve yourself falafel balls:

Falafel Balls at Pizza Cave -- do you like 2 or 10 in your sandwich? It's up to you.

And then fill your sandwich with whichever toppings you like from the falafel section of the salad bar:

Falafel Toppings at Pizza Cave include olives, hot & sweet peppers, purple cabbage salad, lettuce salad, hummus (good hummus), Israeli salad (too heavy on the cucumbers), sauerkraut, tahini, hot sauce, etc.

I guess we were saving the best for last. Pizza Cave's falafel were really good. Even though I was leery of fried falafel waiting on a steam table at 2:30 in the afternoon, they were somehow still crunchy. They were also much more seasoned than Jerusalem's. With the added bonus of being able to top your sandwich any way you see fit from the get go, I'm sure we'll be returning to Pizza Cave whenever we have that Falafel Craving®!

Epilogue: All of the above restaurants are Kosher, which means they are not open on Friday nights or on Saturday at all (some places open an hour or so after sunset in the winter). If the cravings hit on the Sabbath, we may give Chicken Kebab Mediterranean Restaurant a try. One of the girls at Butterflake Bakery pointed us to it, but we were too full to sample any more falafel. Intrepid reporters that we are, we did stop by to pick up their takeout menu. They are on the same street as Teaneck's Farmers Market (Thursday afternoons) at 740 Chestnut Avenue (just around the corner from Butterflake). In addition to falafel ($4.25 for a sandwich, $3.50 for a falafel appetizer, $8.25 for a falafel dinner) they offer a variety of Kebabs and other Turkish specialities.

[menton1]

Sorry, guess I got the names mixed up....all those Glatt Kosher restos meld together in my brain....

Glad it worked out anyway-- Thanks for the report and the correct names and addresses!

[jpr54_]

I usually eat at Chicken Kebab-

I order the salad plate, pita, and sometimes spinach boreka-

The sides are not overly spicy(I think the they need some spicing ) and stuffed grape leafs are home made.

I have not tried the other two but I will ,so I can compare them.

joanne

[Rachel Perlow]

But how are their falafel?

[jpr54_]

I have not tried their falafel-

tomorrow i am going to go to the pizza cove for lunch-

joanne

[Rachel Perlow]

Is that another place, or did you mean Pizza Crave?*

Since they were our favorite, here's their details:

• Pizza Cave
  439 Cedar Lane
  Teaneck
  201-836-1700
  

Hours: Sun - Wed 11am-9pm; Thurs 11am-10pm; Fri 11am-2 hours before sundown; Sat Night 1 hour after Sabbath - 2am

* It's actually Pizza Cave. I've edited all the other posts to the correct name, but left this one in case someone searched for Pizza Crave.

Edited August 20, 2004 by Rachel Perlow (log)

[Rachel Perlow]

I think BunnySlippers' original question has been answered pretty thoroughly, so I'm removing the Edgewater reference in the title of this thread in the hopes that we can get other falafel places in NJ listed here as well.

[bloviatrix]

I doff my cap to the Perlows for their quest for falafel perfection.

I had no idea that Pizza Cave was any good. I've been in there and the steam table scared me . Plus, their pizza is lousy.

But you've convinced me, I'll have to try it next time I'm on Cedar Lane.

Edited August 20, 2004 by Rachel Perlow (log)

[Rachel Perlow]

The main reason we liked Pizza Cave's falafel is that it was more heavily seasoned than Jerusalem's (not that their's was bad or anything, just milder). It's not so much a "steam table" as a salad bar. Try it and let us know what you think. I know your opinion of their Pizza, what about their sushi? Imitation eel anyone?

Update: we tried the falafel at Chicken Kebab a few weeks ago. It was OK, but not seasoned the same way the Israeli ones are, the Turkish versions are more green (herby).

[bloviatrix]

I had the falafel at Pizza Cave today. First, I've got to say that I need to work on my pita stuffing technique.

Like Rachel, I was a little leary about the falafel balls sitting in the tray, but to my suprised they tasted quite fresh. They were crispy, not soggy, and very flavorful. I used the israeli salad, some pickles, and hummus in addition to the falafel balls. I didn't love the taste of the techina, I like it more garlicy -- but didn't detract from a really tasty lunch.

Thanks guys for cluing me in. My stomach thanks you.