Mamoun's Falafel Restaurant

Mamoun’s: A Falafel Spot Worth the Hype Mamoun’s is hands down one of the best falafel spots on the East Coast. I visited Connecticut from Maryland during Covid, and my friend insisted we stop by. He said it was really good—but to be honest, I didn’t put too much stock in his excitement. As a true foodie, I’ve learned that everyone’s taste buds aren’t created equal, and that’s okay. I went in with zero expectations. But this food? It knocked my socks off. Everything was fresh. The owner was warm and welcoming. The hummus had a little zing to it that I still think about. The salad? Crisp and flavorful. The falafel? Perfection. Ever since that day, I’ve been dreaming about Mamoun’s. I promised myself that before this summer ends, I’ll be back. In fact—I’m planning a full-on falafel tour. Because when the food is that good, it deserves a journey. - Chef Green

I had high expectations for this place, but it didn’t quite live up to them. The food was just okay—not exceptional—and I personally think Olive Tree in Milford does a better job with Middle Eastern cuisine. They offered outdoor seating in the summer, but it got uncomfortably hot, and the seating itself wasn’t very comfortable. Inside, the restaurant felt a bit dingy and uninviting. On top of that, the staff weren’t particularly friendly or helpful.

This restaurant is a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, the employees were kind, the atmosphere was great, and they had a sizable vegan menu. Almost half of the food options are vegan, the menu itself has a full vegan section, and they mark which pastries/desserts are vegan as well. I also did not run into small portions as other reviewers noted. I ordered the falafel plate, hummus/pita, and some pistachio baklava. They were all prepared quickly and were fair amounts. The problem for me was that in decades of eating hummus, I have never encountered hummus this acidic. The hummus tasted as though a lemon had been squeezed directly into it. I mostly just gave up on it and ate the pita plain. The falafel was good, though nothing out of the ordinary. The baklava was sweet and deciduous. So, overall, I would recommend this place to any vegan looking got some Middle Eastern/Mediterranean fare. I just might warn them to steer clear of the hummus.

I've been to this restaurant in person a few times. For the first time I ordered it as takeout. There hummus chips portion size was pathetic. I opened the container to find maybe a third of a cup of hummus with chips that REEK of overused oil. I'm talking ordering from the cheapest Chinese restaurant that you can think of at 3:00 a.m kind of smell. The hummus platter was served with two pitas in the plastic bag that that they came in when they purchased them from the store. So if I went to the grocery store and bought a bag of pitas. It was as if they took a few out of it for another order and then shoved the bag they came in into my order. Lazy af. They also did not send my ice tea. And 6$ for a miniscule piece of Turkish delight. And almost $2 for a single stuffed grape leaf smaller than my thumb. And $2 for a tablespoon of tahini. Never again. I am a long time New Haven resident and I can't even believe I was dumb enough to order from this overhyped place. I would have been better off going to the store and buying two pre-made containers of hummus and a bag of pita chips. And I still would have spent considerably less.

The syrian lamb plate is one of the most pathetic things I've ever received from a restaurant. It is basically a 4 oz (if that) terrible tasting lamb puck in a watery, lifeless cream sauce. It is served alongside about 10 cold pieces of pita. That is it! They charge $24 for it on Uber Eats too! I knew this place was known for small portion sizes and had been losing its grace with the people of New Haven but this was just unbelievable.

Mamoun’s New Haven is a great casual place- Middle Eastern food, relaxed, friendly service, great food! 5 stars not in a “it’s fancy” sense- they’re terrific at doing what they do right.

Terrible, tasteless food! Ordered uber eats. Lamb shawarma sandwich with add on fries…. $2.50 for 4pc of fries! Falafel platter was supposed to be falafel balls. We received falafel HALF balls. So essentially half the portion for the same money! Absolutely ridiculous! Save your money and go somewhere else!

Fantastic chicken shawarma and great fries. They have a nice little location with great baklava and pastries, too!

Classic New Haven restaurant that has lasted for a reason. My favorites are lamb shawarma, Syrian rice, spinach pockets, falafels and baklava. I always order tea with honey. This restaurant has lasted for a reason. It now accepts credit cards too. Note: the tomatoes have never been good here but they have improved slightly in recent years. The usual waitress knows what she's doing and is pleasant without being fake.

Ordered Lamb Shawarma. It's a salad base topped with thinly sliced season roasted lamb. They served it with pita bread, which was warm and very good. The lamb in the meal did not get the great taste of lamb. The yogurt dressing overpowered the lamb. Plus a couple of the pieces of lamb are tough. Parking is a challenge for the restaurant. It's street parking. Service was good. The atmosphere was fair.

We have been going to Mamoun's since 1978- the falafel is so original to my experiences in the middle east and the tabouleh is excellent. The environment is very simple and service is sufficient. The owners have been true to their menu and consistent for 44 years! Delicious soups, and love eating there!

Amazing food at terrific prices! We got a side of seasoned fries with our falafel + hummus sandwich and a babaganoush sandwich. My fav was babaganoush, the flavours came together so well with the sauces and veggies. The falafel was a tad bit spicy for me but nothing that would stop me from finishing it hehe. The fries were done well, we enjoyed it in between our bites. One thing that was a bit odd to me is that the place does not serve water, there's only bottled water to buy. Overall I really enjoyed the food and we got all of this for $19 which I thought was amazing for the quantity.

GET THE FALAFEL SANDWICH! An event had catered a ton of vegan falafel sandwiches for us and they were so good- the falafel is so crispy and not dry at all. There were extras after the event and we all grabbed several to take home because they were so good. I microwaved them in the two days after the event and they were still absolutely delicious even reheated. Highly highly recommend.

This was the worst food! Looked like trash and seemed like that is where they got it from. What a mess! Clean the place make fresh food or shutdown.

Mamoun's is a quick, casual Mediterranean spot in New Haven. The place is dimly lit and a little dated but perfect when you're looking for something yummy, fast, and cheap to eat. Whether you take-out or dine in, you'll be satisfied with the meal.

Classic affordable falafel and shawarma sandwiches and platters, open 365 days a year. It's my most frequented spot in all of New Haven. Fast service. I live down the block and have acquired a falafel sandwich ($5.32 including tax) within five minutes. Generous indoor and outdoor seating.

A lot of people come here to order takeout, but I had the pleasure of dining in! You let the server at the front know, pick a table, and the server will take your order after you're seated. -Falafel plate: 4/5 Comes with 5 falafels and two free pita bread! The falafels were amazing, but the salad itself wasn't too filling given its ingredients (lettuce, tomatoes, onions). Service was super attentive and friendly, so I'm rounding my review up to 5/5. Would love to try dropping by around midnight at some point too!

Great food. Service is always professional and timely. And I love the look of this restaurant. Ambiance is clean and well designed.

I see why they are open late. This is a place that you go if you need just about ANYTHING to eat and they serve just about ANYTHING and call it Mediterranean food. I've been here multiples times and they serve you old greasy French fries, burnt oil tasting lamb inside of a notebook paper structured pita wrap and yet charge you $15+ for it. I gave this place another try, but I wish I hadn't. Don't you even give them your first try. The quality of this food is not worth it..

We went here for lunch with our friends. There was some street parking a few blocks away. The inside seating was limited but the server was so attentive. she was working in the kitchen and bussing tables as well. They have online ordering kiosks as well. I got the tamarind drink which was good. I also had the lamb steak sandwich which was good. The only drawback for me was that the lamb was cut long and it was super chewy so I definitely needed a knife because the pieces of lamb were big but it was really tasty. I also had the pistachio baklava which was great. The birds nest was alright I didn't really like it. The prices are great. The food tasted good and we loved the service too.

Yeah so this place is super cool. They have a beautiful outdoor seating area that feels like a magic garden almost. The atmosphere of the whole establishment is great I loved it. The service was fine, our waitress was polite and was fast. I had the lamb sandwich and it was good! The lamb was cooked great and the sandwich was reasonably priced and filling. We sat and talked for about an hour, it was just a really good spot overall. But you can only split the bill 2 ways and we had a really hard time communicating with our server that we'd like to pay a certain way, ultimately leaving us there for awhile longer and the bathroom is tiny and smells awful. But...was good!!

Dropped by here for dinner on a Wednesday evening. Service was very slow. The place was getting progressively filled midway through our meal. The falafel is the star of the meal-well seasoned and tasty. I didn't much enjoy the kebabs (lamb and chicken) that much. The hummus and baba ganoush were also mediocre. I can see how this would be a go to spot for college kids, just don't expect a very flavorful meal.

Mamouns is great. Vegetarian, vegan, also meat options. Everything here is incredible. No matter who you are, everyone should try mamouns.

Mamoun's Falafel Restaurant is a small franchise of Middle Eastern restaurants that opened in Manhattan, New York in 1971. It was founded by husband and wife Mamoun and Maria Chater. The couple immigrated from Syria to New York in 1969. After working at several restaurants to make ends meet, Mamoun began refining his mother's falafel recipe. In 1971, he opened his first storefront on MacDougal Street in Greenwich Village where it still stands today. His mission has always been simple: serve fresh, authentic Middle Eastern cuisine in a fast casual environment. Following the flagship location's success, several more locations would follow in places like East Village, the Upper West Side, New Jersey, Connecticut, and even as far away as Georgia. Today there are a total of nine locations. Mamoun's four sons took over the business in 1991. They have a large facility in Newark, New Jersey where they produce the falafel, hummus, baba ghanouj, and other items for all the locations. I've been to the Mamoun's location in New Haven, Connecticut more times than I can count. This particular location was opened by Mamoun's nephew Suleiman Chater (who still runs it today) in 1977. Not only is the food authentic, delicious and reasonably priced, but it is also one of the few restaurants in New Haven that is open until 3 AM. Mamoun's falafel is fantastic, but they also make other great items. Because I can never decide what I want, my go-to dish is usually the "Combination Plate with Meat" (a plate of hummus, baba ghanouj, salad, shish kebab or chicken kebab, and 3 falafel balls topped with sesame sauce tahini). I usually order it with the lamb kebab. I also really enjoy their Chicken Shawarma Sandwich, their crispy Seasoned Fries, and their desserts like Baklawa and Turkish Delight. I can never say no to food at Mamoun's!

I have been frequenting Mamoun's for close to 30 years!!! (God, I'm old!) It has always been CONSISTENT....same delicious food on the menu, same interior...same gross tiny bathroom lol. Some of my favs: hummus plate, mujadara, and tamarind drink.

Not as cheap as I remember it but good portions. The lamb shush was a bit tough but edible.

This place is very bold to charge the prices they do. The female server felt to charge me $23 for a chicken over rice. Let me repeat that again. A chicken over rice that's for AT MOST $12 anywhere else was $23. Let that sink in. The ambiance is dark and rustic. I'm sorry but no chicken over rice is worth $23. I can buy 2 orders of this same meal that actually tastes better at a halal cart. Not coming back. I'll use my money somewhere else.

So, I haven't been to Mamoun's since I was a kid. My mother and her friends would hang out here after spending all night at the old Basil's Greek restaurant / nightclub. Fast forward some 40 years later and I found myself right back where I was as a kid, but now with my daughter. We ordered the Humus plate, the Chicken Shawarma over rice w/ a salad on the side and a Combination plate w/o meat. My daughter had falafel for the first time. It was funny to see her expression when she took a bite because she did not know what to expect. She thought it was very good as well as I. The humus was very flavorful as well as the Shawarma. I even brought home a plate to go. Also my daughter tried a piece of chocolate halwa for the first time. Very good and soft. Our only complaints were the Pita breads. They were dry and very flat, and not much substance to them. Otherwise our meals were very good. The staff was friendly and prompt.

Love the falafel sandwiches soooo much! I lived in Israel for a few years where falafel is the national dish, and these are up to par!

Over the years, I've been watching Mamoun's go downhill. I've had too many bad experiences with their truck; burnt food, high prices, and rude servers (Garlic Fest & Wadsworth Mansion). I decided to order from the New Haven location, through Grubhub today. The portions were nowhere near what they should be for the prices. More disappointing was my two falafel "balls". They were literally a half of a ball each. When I opened up my order, I thought that they had forgotten one of my balls. I double checked the receipt and saw the charge for two "balls". I unwrapped the package and the ball fell to the table into two perfect halves. My shawarma pita was a joke. Mostly lettuce with a sprinkle of meat. I've learned my lesson.

Mamoun's is an absolute staple in New Haven. You've gotta go there at least once if you live in the area! I've been going here for years and stopped by here with my boyfriend after our initial lunch plans changed. There are two new Snackpass ordering tablets that are convenient but did seem like the prices went up significantly since the last time I was there. Still worth it though! I got the vegetarian platter and my boyfriend for the lamb shawarma. We also got some stuffed grape leaves and two tamarind drinks. We took our food to go but there is plenty of seating both indoors and outdoors. The parking lot seems to have been converted to outdoor seating. I made the mistake of not checking to see whether I had pita bread to go along with my vegetarian platter and will make sure to order it next time. The hummus and baba ghanouj are delicious along with the fresh made falafel to order. My boyfriend loved his lamb shawarma. We will definitely be back.

Not much has changed, and I'm glad! First time back in years. Had to get two of the classics- a falafel sandwich and a lamb shawarma sandwich. The falafels are great! Unmatched in their crunchiness freshness and tastiness. & The tomato lettuce onion and tahini in the grilled pita are the perfect vehicle. Mamoun's has my favorite falafels. The shawarma may have been a little over-filled, because it kind of fell apart as I was eating. Very tasty though. & You have to ask for the hot sauce! It goes perfectly with the flavors and is so spicy! Couldn't stop adding it to each bite. It's a special sauce.

I don't normally leave too many Yelp reviews but this was quite possibly the worst meal I have ever had. If I could leave negative stars I would. The owners of this establishment need to do so much better, I can't believe a place that's this bad even exists. We ordered 3 falafel sandwiches and 3 chicken sandwiches with fries and a few drinks. Altogether the bill was $70 or so. The service was super slow but I don't blame them as they're busy and it's graduation weekend. It did take us 40 minutes to get our food though which was unfortunate. I honestly would have rather eaten nothing at all today - that's how bad this was. The food came out cold, the vegetables tasted rotten, the chicken was so unappetizing I'm not even sure it was chicken, and the sauces were bland and watery messes. Even the Diet Coke tasted bitter and left this awful aftertaste in the back of throat. It tasted so bad it was like drinking an industrial cleaning solution. At first I thought they used too much syrup, but I think whatever syrup they're using has gone bad or is from a generic brand that doesn't taste good. I can't emphasize enough how bad this was. If the owners read this I would encourage them to rethink their entire concept. Taking $70 and making your customers wait 40 minutes for something that was borderline inedible is almost criminal in my opinion.

Great food, service, and vibes. I've been going for a long time and Mamoun's has never failed to meet my falafel needs. If you're looking for unique, nutritious, and affordable meals in NHVN, it's hard to beat.

I'm a huge fan of Mamoun's I have been to both locations in the city and I ABSOLUTELY love it! We got to enjoy this New Haven location before covid and really loved the experience in here. Very cozy and warm and everyone being very kind. Unfortunately, in the recent times, it didn't live up to my expectations. The young cashier gentleman is probably one of the RUDEST people I've ever met. He was rude to the customers, rude to us, not wearing a mask because he had a plexiglass and just gives the worst customer service. Again, I'm basing my review on the amazing cooks here and the FOOD. Falafels are always out of this world and the rice and lentils is a must! Can't wait for things to go back to normal to enjoy this and not have to eat it in my car :)

Good food! Nice people! & good service! Definitely gonna try it again! I enjoyed the lamb plate!

I wouldn't give this place a 1 star, food was garbage, so do not rely on previous reviews. All meat is reheated, saw with my 2 eyes. Stay away or go realize for yourself.

I picked up lunch there today and was fairly disappointed. I ordered a falafel sandwich and a lamb shish kabob platter. The pita's used for both the sandwich and the kabob was dry, cracked and made for a very messy experience. The falafel tasted pretty good and the sandwich would have been very good if the pita held it together. I thought the lamb was overcooked and fairly dry. The dressing they used was flavorful but watery thin. Again, the pitas were useless. It has been over a year since the last time I was there, and I definitely feel the quality has gone down.

Wow !! I ordered thru Uber eats and it was here in 30 minutes delicious chicken Shawarma and an eggplant sandwich's And a spinach pier... I ordered for my lunch for tomorrow as well nice and fresh and delicious. Everything is yummy

Hadn't had a falafel sandwich since I ate them on a euro trip in college almost everyday and stained my experience for ever having them again but I overheard they were good and a nice late night spot in town. It was pretty popular , there was easy ordering in the front on a touch pad if you wanted it to go or you could sit down and someone will take your order. Got to say, pretty good. I ate it fairly quickly and enjoyed the spices. Saw that they sold their hot sauce by the bottle so got a side of that to taste as well. Check it if you're hungry late night or otherwise

Definitely nothing like the OG spit in New York. Its not just the mere size (bigger with a much larger dining area) but literally the food itself tastes like a completely different meal. The pita bread was dry and almost hard, nothing like NYC. The worst part for me was the dry, hard and flavorless Falafel. It was so extremely disappointing.

Come for the falafel... and stay for the falafel! This restaurant has a variety of lamb, chicken, and falafel dishes! Their feature item is definitely their falafel! They make their falafels and their pitas fresh daily, and for less than 5$ it's hard to beat! Perfect for a quick bite to eat in or to go! If you're staying for dinner definitely check out their lamb of shicken dishes for a more filling treat! Check out the pictures for some delicious dessert choices! If you visit you absolutely must try their signature hot sauce! But be warned it is VERY spicy, you may only need a few drops! Bottles of their hot sauce are available for purchase if you like it as much as I do! Unfortunately, their hookas, one of their main highlights, are not available during the pandemic. They've recently added a large outdoor eating section in the rear of the restaurant covered by a a canopy! Check the outdoor fountain as well! When they resume their hookas this is the spot in New Haven for an outdoor hookah and falafel session with friends!

I have to admit that I wasn't all that impressed with Mamoun's when I went last month. The food was just decent and it smelled funky in the restaurant, which I'm not sure if that has something to do with the food they were cooking at the time or the rugs on the wall. The service was just alright. I wouldn't necessarily rush back there.

We came by for a late lunch and the restaurant was mostly empty, but service was a bit slow regardless. I ordered a falafel plate and got a decently sized portion of five falafels, veggies, and three pieces of pita bread. The pita was stale and tough. The falafels were decent, but not remarkable, and together the meal felt mediocre.

Popped in this morning for a falafel sandwich for me, shawarma for a friend, and soup for both of us. So glad I did. Delicious as always and I JUST noticed they have lots of outdoor seating! Super happy to know of a safe place to enjoy a meal with friends.

The food truck charges you 8~ 9 dollars for a small bowl of hummus (which should cost at most 4~5 dollars in supermarkets). The guy charged me 2 dollars for a tiny grape leaf (although it says $1 on the menu). It was obvious that the guy tried to charge more, and when I was about to ask more questions, he just told me to get a soda, as if he just wanted me to walk away.

Mamoun's is not what they used to be, at least in this location. The shawarma is no longer freshly made/cooked. They have the meat prepackaged in small plastic bags that they microwave as needed. A friend told me that this is what they were doing and I witnessed it myself after visiting recently. It seems like the areas with more volume (NYC and NJ locations) haven't resorted to this, but this location has. The shawarma sandwich overall still tasted fine, because the rest of the sandwich was fresh and well made- specifically their tahini sauce is still excellent. The meat was definitely much poorer in taste (over cooked and dry). What used to be the highlight of the experience is now the low point. Their falafel was still made fresh and tasted as good as ever. And as mentioned their tahini is still on point! This location is one of the few Mamoun's that still claims to be halal, which is a nice bonus given many of the others are no longer using halal meat. This location also has a private parking lot in the back (with a few spots) and plenty of street parking. Inside they have plenty of seating. Overall, I am probably not going to return, but still a solid lunch option for their falafel.

Tonight is 11.29.20 and I've been here a handful of times over the past 4 or 5 months and keep forgetting to mention. Currently there is no inside dining. Obviously due to the dreaded covid-19/coronavirus. Quarters are too tight inside. No way to social distance. It is all to go/pick up orders.

The falafel is good, it's not amazing, but it's a decent falafel. I almost prefer new york street falafel to this to be honest. However, you can't beat the price at Mamouns and it's still a solid falafel. The service is nice as always and the restaurant itself is clean and cute. I love Mamouns. I tried the Baklava this time, which was mid. Overall solid, just not over the top.

Ummmmmm.... WTF? I am a native New York City gal. Was very much looking forward to Mamoun's in New Haven...... well we just paid a lot of money, like $8 dollars for a tiny plate of hummus, and $16 dollars for a tiny schawarma sandwich. In addition it wasn't that edible. If the food was cheap like I remembered it being on Bleeker Street in NYC I wouldn't care. But we just got ripped off for mediocre amount of hummus and falafel that was not good. If you are looking for good fast food falafel check out East Side Pocket's near Brown University in Providence. I should note that the waitress was lovely.

Casual, late-night, counter-service mediterranean spot that is an offshoot of a popular place in NYC. They are open every day, and almost every hour, of the year. The place has a pretty cool vibe, and they have both indoor and outdoor seating, but the staff are kind of rude. They have a very large menu of food and drink, and their falafel is fantastic (it was rated "Best Falafel" by Connecticut Magazine), but I don't think that the rest of the food is great. Their falafel sandwich is pretty small as well 6.5

I used to love the Mamoun's in the West Village when I was a kid, and since options were limited for delivery on a Saturday night I decided to give this one a shot. It was not wonderful. Grape leaves were flavorless and apparently had been soaked in unsalted hot water (there was water all over the bottom of the container), lentil soup was abysmal -- again, unsalted, no flavor, watery, just the pits. Baba Ganoush tasted okay, but was significantly watered down (I've never seen a middle eastern restaurant do this... really bizarre). Won't be visiting Mamoun's again any time soon.

You're gonna love this place if you like iceberg lettuce sandwiches. I ordered the falafal with hummus while my friend ordered the lamb sandwich. Both were so stingy with the key protein while loaded with lettuce. Given the sandwiches were about $10 bucks apiece, I say better to charge a bit more so at least people feel satisfied rather than cheated and hangry. Also, "fresh" lemonade for $4.50? It wasn't freshly squeezed. It was just expensive.

Mamouns! Mamouns! Mamouns!!!!!!!!!! If you are from NYC and like falafel all I would have to say is Mamouns is in Connecticut. It is as good as the Mamouns on MacDougal Street In New York City. It's the best falafel, period. We shared a "combo" who's had is three falafels, salad, hummus and baba ganoush. It was so good. I wish Mamouns was where I live, I would drive over there right now for another combo.

For entree, I tried the falafel sandwich and lamb shawarma. I liked the falafel sandwich better. But it was not as good as I thought it would be. Syrian lamb plate was good as well. It was mild in spiciness. It had a big lamb patty in a bowl of curry and comes with a side of 2 pieces of flat bread. Mango juice was my favorite drink. Mamoun's tea had good flavor as well. For dessert, I tried turkish delight and baklava. Turkish delight was my favorite. Baklava was good, but I had a lot better elsewhere. There is a small private parking lot behind the store.

I will never order anything from them again. The portions are really overpriced and small cup of soda 3.90 ridiculous, I thought it would at least be 2 litters bottle soda. Hummus was tasty very small portion for the price and pita chips burned. I feel robbed I ordered from Uber Eats and was very very very disappointed and dissatisfied. Never again

Mamoun's is a halal staple in New Haven. Delicious, great interior, and great price/value. Everything on the menu is excellent!