Fantastic falafels in Vancouver
Made from mashed cooked chickpeas and a mix of spices, deep-fried and stuffed in a pita with a variety of fixings, this typical Middle Eastern vegetarian street food is protein-rich and great for eating on the go. Grab your next one-handed meal at any of these places.
Mitra Canteen Uncle Abe's
3034 Main St, Vancouver, BC V5T 3G5Freshness reigns at this Mount Pleasant Middle Eastern canteen. The unassuming joint belies the traditional, home-cooked fare prepared in the open kitchen. Friendly staff make your falafel to order, whether the solo wrap in a soft pita or the amped up platter. Take it to go or, better yet, grab a seat on their patio and order a cheap pint of beer. This is good value and great food. Ask for extra hot sauce if you’re looking for a little spice.
Mr. Shawarma (Food Truck)
Robson and Hornby, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1A1With falafels made fresh before your eyes, the mother-son team behind this food truck do a booming business, if not exactly swift. Long lines and careful preparation mean that you might wait a bit for this wrap. But it will be worth it. Piping hot, crispy balls of mashed chickpeas, herbs and garlic are plucked from the deep fryer and placed in a pita. Tomatoes, cucumber, a drizzle of garlic sauce, tahini and hot sauce round out the meal.
Nuba Gastown
207 Hastings St W, Vancouver, BC V6B 1H7When it comes to restaurant atmosphere, Nuba definitely tops this list. Its always-hopping Hastings Street location is bright and warm despite its underground locale. Falafel sandwiches and plates are generous, with balls made from chickpeas and fava beans, giving their interior a pleasant green colour. Drizzled in tahini, a rather mild but tasty “hot” sauce and stuffed with pickled vegetables, this is a top-notch, contemporary falafel with all the Middle Eastern flavour you’d expect from this classic wrap.
Falafel King Restaurant
1105 Davie St, Vancouver, BC V6E 1N2Perhaps the most popular falafel joint on the list, with two locations in the West End, Falafel King serves up moist balls of chickpeas on its whole-wheat pita, which is slathered in hummus and topped with all the fixings, including fresh tabouleh, pickles and garlic sauce. This is a substantial meal and perfect for those post-partying falafel fixes that inevitably strike after a night out on Davie. Brush your teeth before hitting the next club.
Donair D K Restaurant
1028 Davie St, Vancouver, BC V6E 1M3The finishing touches at this Davie Street favourite may be unusual, but will definitely change the way you enjoy your falafel. Once the chickpea balls are out of the fryer and wrapped with veggies, garlic sauce and pickled cabbage, your wrap is then given a quick zap under the panini press and a finishing squirt of tzatziki. This makes for a toasty falafel contrasted nicely with the cooling sensation from the tzatziki. Also, at $5, this is some of the best value around.
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