Joe's Falafel

"Joe’s Falafel is one of those hidden strip mall spots that you either hear about from a friend of a friend or accidentally come across after peeling off of weekday traffic on Cahuenga Blvd. Luckily for you, you can wait out the mass exodus into the Valley at this spot with some great falafel, which is best enjoyed when smushed into some freshly baked lafa. Their light, creamy falafel has a nice nuttiness to it, some heat from chopped garlic, and tastes excellent with the lafa wrap’s tahini, hummus, and pickled turnips. And if you’re willing to subject yourself to the horrors of Cahuenga Pass traffic, these wraps are decently portable for a mid-rush hour bite." - sylvio martins

"For most people, the Cahuenga Pass is the traffic apocalypse you submit yourself to only if you have to get yourself from Hollywood to The Valley on a weekday. But there’s actually a good reason to stop and take a breather here: Joe’s Falafel. The tiny stripmall spot is serving some of the best falafel in the entire city. Lines get long during lunch hour, but luckily their service is quick and efficient, getting you back to your death cubicle on time." - jess basser sanders, brant cox

"Joe’s Falafel is technically in Universal City, but this tiny strip mall spot has such good food, we’re choosing to ignore neighborhood boundary lines. Plus, its Cahuenga Pass location is around the corner from all the major studios, making it an ideal lunch hour pilgrimage. You can’t really go wrong with anything at this order-at-the-counter spot, but the beef kabobs, chicken shawarma, and falafel sandwiches on fresh-baked laffa are good places to start. Also, outside of the large combo platters, pretty everything falls under $16." - Brant Cox

"Step into Joe’s Falafel and you’ll feel like you’re ordering a pita sandwich or some shawarma at the Machane Yehuda market in Jerusalem. The falafel’s crispy bite paired with the creamy hummus is hard to resist ordering again, but you’d be robbing yourself of the rest of the menu. You can’t go wrong with any of the laffas, and the kafta is a treat of juicy, generously spiced beef. Be sure to finish with a piece of rosewater cake, or baklava as flaky and sweet as anything you’ll find in Joe’s hometown of Ramallah." - Oren Peleg