Merrick W.
Yelp
I originally headed to the usual hummus "go-to," Oren's Hummus in Palo Alto, but the traffic was standstill on the local streets getting there and I decided to turn around keep going north towards home but also checking Yelp...and, in looking through several different places in San Mateo, Burlingame, etc., I noticed Falafelle and the fact that they have fluffy pita! That is one thing that I can't stand at a lot of Mediterranean / falafel / hummus places -- no matter how good the food is, if it's that flat factory pita, it really diminishes the experience. After you've tried fluffy pita once, it's hard to go back to the basic kind. And then I saw further in the reviews that said that the hummus was absolutely amazing, with many people saying "best I've ever had." I had been hoping to go somewhere where I could sit down, get table service and enjoy the meal, which Falafelle doesn't have, but I was willing to give it a try anyway as it was kind of convenient for me on the way home and I was enticed by the reviews and the photos.
So, they have an electronic menu right outside -- actually, you can't even go inside the store anyway -- and the menu layout was at first a little confusing as to what they had, even though they do not have a large menu. But I ended up figuring it out and decided to go basic and get a falafel wrap, a side of hummus, and pita bread.
Well, the pita bread was just as I hoped it would be: thick, fluffy, warm and absolutely delicious! I will say, these pitas, although equally as good as Oren's are only about ¾ of the size. But then they were only $1.50 so it was no big thing to get several. I dunked the pita in the hummus...ah, yes, everyone who's reviewed here is right, it is absolutely wonderful. I would actually say you could probably put this hummus head-to-head with Oren's and it would be hard to choose the winner.
Now I used to be a big falafel fan. I haven't been of late because most of the falafel that I found is so dry, heavy, umderspiced or overspiced (or I just haven't been going to the right places). But I decided to give Falafelle's a try, since that's their specialty -- and, folks, I thought it was one of the most delicious falafels I've ever had. Very light, with a nice crunch, and just the perfect seasoning, it really was delicious. And the way that they prepared the wrap was first of all, visually, very appealing, and they put in it a great complement of ingredients that made the whole thing taste so great -- and I was actually impressed that they didn't put onions in, which everyone seems to do, but which I don't like because I think it takes away from the flavor of the falafel. Maybe I would have asked for a little less tomatoes, they put a whole lot of those in there, but it fine and it was great bite -- actually, I could only eat half of it.
So I absolutely endorse this place hands down if you want some really good hummus, really good pita, and really good falafel. Oh, and another great thing: if you're a fan of San Pellegrino soda, they carry just about every one of their flavors.