Robby W.
Yelp
I always love it when I discover that places extremely close to my apt. have awesome food. Falafil Hut, tucked into and almost hidden in a strip mall in Hoffman, does not disappoint in the least. I drove by this place daily for a solid couple of months when I moved here without noticing it. It's strange, but so many of the businesses in Hoffman almost appear like they are trying to hide from consumers. This stands in stark contrast to down the street in Schaumburg where where merchants are about as obnoxious with their marketing as a whorehouse in Tijuana. I have payed this joint a visit a good dozen times since first checking it out. Considering how into restaurants that I am, if I have been anywhere more than 5-6 times in such a short time period, I would say it is safe to assume that the food is on point.
The menu here is simple and short, but all you really need to be mindful of if you have never visited before is the Chicken Shwarma. Order it in wrap or salad form and dig in, as your taste buds are in for a treat. The portion sizes are large here, but I'll bet you polish off the whole thing anyway as it is simply delicious.The meat is super tender and seasoned with what must be crack considering how addictive it is. You should drizzle some of the garlic sauce on it to give it that dynamite flavor contrast. This also cuts out some of the heat if you opt for the "extra spicy" version, which is my personal preference. Is it hot? Absolutely, but it is not melt your face off hot. I would keep a cold beverage nearby, but fans of extremely spicy food will find it to be mere child's play on the Scoville scale.
I have tried several other items on the menu here (the lamb is a solid choice) but I always manage to gravitate back towards the Chicken. The hummus several of my coworkers are huge fans of, but to me it is just average. Though suffice to say that I am much of a fan of hummus just in general, so take that with a grain of salt. I did post a picture of the menu to check out since there is not one listed online. On most of my visits, both the fluffy pita itself and the vegetables have been extremely fresh on the wraps. Now granted that the chicken is so good that you could dip it in motor oil and I would probably still eat it, but it's nice that all the bases are covered. Pricing is cheap, with the wraps setting you back between 4 and 8 bucks.
The staff here has always been very personable and helpful on my visits, especially when the owner is in the house. This guy obviously has a passion for the food he serves, which likely explains why it is so well made. Any good independent restauranteur out there is 70% foodie and 30% businessman. The owner loves to chat if it's not busy, and I have heard the tale of how his restaurant came to be on a couple of occasions. The YouTube food show "Sameer's Eats" has done an episode on Falafil Hut, which I am sure you can find with a simple Google search if you are interested.
If you plan to stop in here on your lunch break, I highly recommend you call in your order in advance. Service can slow down to a snails pace during the weekday lunch rush, so plan accordingly. I would also plan on taking your food to go on since there are few places to actually sit. Since I just live right down the street this is not a huge concern for me, but to others looking to have the food piping hot, take your lunch break early as possible so you can score a table.
There has been some instances of inconsistency when I have dined here, which prevents this place from 5 star billing in my book. Not surprisingly, these have always directly corresponded to times when the owner is not in the building.
Overall, this is a great option for casual Middle Eastern grub. The prices are decent, the service is normally on point, and the Chicken Shwarma is to die for. Om nom nom.