Yassin's Falafel House

I can't remember the last time I loved something so much. This pita wrap was insane. The flavors are so good. They know how to wrap this...I ordered takeout and ate it almost an hour later and it was completely intact. Didn't make it to the other part of meal because this was so good. Standout meal I should add...I've never been to Knoxville before. I stayed at a nearby hotel and looked for a place with great ratings.

I got a falafel to eat in the restaurant for dinner and then got some gyros to bring home. I didn’t want lettuce or tomato. The falafel was excellent. Just the right texture and a great flavor. The gyro was above average. The meat was a little too salty for my personal preference but the portion size was great. I loved the welcoming sign inside! The bathroom was in a different building next door which was a bit unusual.

Temporarily relocated to Marble City during road construction. They make the best gyro I have ever had. That's always my go to, but my hubs hasn't been disappointed with anything he has ordered. The drink machine is for several restaurants and when we were there it was out of carbonation. That was pretty disappointing for my diet coke habit. But that isn't their fault. Looking forward to visiting them again when they are back in their own location. The Peters Road location has great atmosphere where ALL are welcome. The food is fabulous there as well! Clean restrooms which is important for me personally.

We ordered food delivered at work since the downtown location closest to our office was closed. We all had the chicken shawarma sandwich. I had heard so much about this amazing combination of flavors. One of my coworkers is a Yassin's fanatic and had just eaten at the restaurant he night before. He said what we received was awful. The chicken was very dry. One had all the garlic sauce in one glob at the end and the other two barely had any. For the pickle inside we each had two tiny shreds. The bread was tough and cracked the sandwich open in the middle when attempting to eat it. We all eventually gave up and tossed them. Maybe it is better freshly made but this was a waste of our $$.

The food is good. They seem to have made some changes to the chicken plate that didn't do it any favors, but the falafel side order was amazing. The atmosphere honestly isn't much different from a waffle house and there isn't a bathroom to wash your hands in before eating. Which is a little gross because all the food is served with some kind of finger food.

I had much higher hopes for this visit, as this had been a place I’ve wanted to try. I’m not sure if the location we went to today was having an off day or if this is the norm. The downtown location has plenty of street parking and is within walking distance of most of the garages. We were greeted, but weren’t wowed by the customer service. The portion size is nice and the meal was worth the price. I had the chicken plate and liked the pita the most out of everything I ordered. My wife had the gyro plate and felt the same about liking the pita the most. This is a decent option if you’re in the area and wanting to try something different. Overall, I’m mixed on if I’d return or not.

Phenomenal and feel-good food, though you definitely need to go physically; I love it and keep coming back, but am losing track of how much money I've lost on pickup and delivery with missed and wrong items.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Yassin’s Falafel House is a Knoxville legend—and a national one, too, after being named “Nicest Place in America” by Reader’s Digest. But beyond the heartwarming backstory and inclusive mission, the food itself is absolutely fantastic. Located downtown and also on Kingston Pike, the restaurant offers fast-casual Middle Eastern fare—shawarma wraps, hummus bowls, tabbouleh, lentil soup, and of course, their namesake falafel. The falafel is golden and crisp on the outside, soft and herby inside—delicious on its own or wrapped with fresh veggies and tahini sauce. Everything tastes fresh, and portions are generous for the price. I especially recommend the hummus bowl with chicken shawarma—savory, satisfying, and beautifully plated. The lentil soup is hearty and soothing, perfect for chilly days. What really elevates the experience is the warmth of the people. Yassin and his team greet everyone like family, and the energy is always welcoming, positive, and genuine. You leave not only full but smiling. If you’re looking for a feel-good spot with consistently amazing food and the kindest atmosphere in Knoxville, this is the place. A must-visit for locals and visitors alike.

Solid gyro wrap, friendly staff, casual vibe. Good halal find (I asked the girl who took my order)

New to the area and came by for lunch last weekend. It was pretty quiet, which makes sense since it's the summer. I went with the chicken plate, which was quite tasty! I've had better, but also worse. The food came out quickly and pricing was fair. I wish there were more greens on the plate, but otherwise I had a good time here. I probably won't be back, but only because there are so many places for me to try.

Yassin's is a great place to grab a quick and healthy bite! The food always comes out quickly, and everyone who works here is super friendly. Yassin, the owner, has given a great deal to the community as well. During my two weeks in Knoxville, I ate here several times and found it to be consistent and dependable!

First time trying Yassin's. I ordered the Chicken Shawarma with baba ganoush and roasted vegetables. Delicious

Enjoyed our dinners and the friendly staff! A true Knoxville gem! Love the atmosphere and hospitality. Food is always fresh and delicious.

I think the food is OK and reasonably priced. It's not the best or the worst Mediterranean food I've eaten. Uncomfortable seats like a public school cafeteria. The falafel wrap is a lot of food, as is the gyro salad. I don't really like all the jar sour pickles they throw into the salads.

I cant stress this enough. I have lived in Knoxville for 5 years and every local raves about Yassin's. And it really is that good. This is the best Mediterranean/Greek food you will ever have. Everything is a homerun. I have yet to have a bad meal, hence my review. If I ever move out of Knoxville, this would be the first place I eat at when returning for a visit. Very affordable eats as well. You aren't breaking the bank and the portion size is "American" to say the least. Happy eatings, enjoy this place!!!

We came in on a Saturday evening around 6 and were shocked how empty the place was outside of pickup orders for deliveries. We were the only ones in the restaurant eating there. We placed our order and went and sat down. 3 more people came in after us and there were 2 or 3 more call in orders after is. ALL of these orders were completed before our order was called. It seemed really odd that the dine in order was the lowest priority. We watched them call order after order that was after us and not call our order. My hubby's sandwich and my salad were up and ready the entire time but they never called us. Finally after 4 people got their orders my hubby went up and asked what happened to our order. We were told they were waiting for fries. Wait. What? No. All that time? We finally took our order back to our table and it was pretty darn disappointing. I ordered a gyro salad. The meat was actually very good but the one very small side of tzaziki sauce they give you is nowhere near enough to dress the salad. They charge over a dollar for more dressing so I just ate it semi-dry. The meat was definitely really good though. Again, just way too dry. My hubby ordered a specialty sandwich which sounded amazing as well as fries and a special bottled soda. Because the sandwich sat on their counter for so long and was wrapped in wax paper and then in a foil wrapper it made the bread completely wet by the time they finally gave it to us. He couldn't even eat it with his hands. He had to use a fork. The fries they made is wait for were haphazardly seasoned on just a few fries. He was very, very frustrated. It was pretty wet and gross. A manger happened to come up to us to table touch and ask us how it was. We explained our frustration. She was sympathetic but repeatedly kept trying to insist on making us new food even though we said no over and over, telling her that we would not eat it. She kept pushing. It was a little frustrating. I know she was just trying to be helpful which is wonderful, but I just wish she would have accepted our response. She also gave a lot of excuses why it happened. We just wanted her to say "I'm so sorry that happened, how can I make it right?". In the end she was great and refunded us and then even gave us a free dessert which my hubby appreciated (I can't eat it). So, she definitely did make it right. I don't think we'll be back because we don't come downtown very often but I really, sincerely appreciate her making it right and refunding the order since he couldn't even eat his sandwich. That was definitely the right thing to do. Her fixing the situation significantly helped the rating. If we do come back, we'll stick with a standard gyro that we know can't be messed up.

The staff was very sweet and patient! The food was really good. Falafel spicy was amazing. We also got the gyro platter and it was perfect!!

THE HYPE IS REAL! Super fresh, healthy, delicious food w excellent choices for the plant based community! ! The main ingredient is LOVE no doubt!

Ate there last week and finally am able to get out of bed. Within 30 mins after dining l was sickened. My Doctor said was food poisoning. I had not eaten since the previous day. No doubt where l got ill. I do not recommend!

First time Staff nice I only got spicy chicken shawarma sandwich $10. To be honest the flavor was significantly lacking and had zero spiciness. Perhaps their other food is not as bland but that is a serious turnoff with first experience.

Phenomenal. Delicious. Perfection. Incredible. The staff is the sweetest, kindest and most patient. They truly care. Two of the great women I have met in Tennessee. The food... wow! Just wow! My family of six devoured everything on our plates. The chicken is full of flavor, rice was delicious, the hummus I could eat in spoonfuls, the baklava is insanely delicious, falafel balls were perfect- crispy on the outside and yummy inside! The gyro and pitas delicious too. Everything so incredibly delicious. My favorite food in Tennessee!

The food is tasty but you forgot my pita to go with my hummus (or the delivery person got hungry on the way, haha)! I'm definitely worried about the size of your typical gyro sandwich because I'm a girl and I got the $3 extra gyro meat option and it was kind of small in my opinion. If I was a dude I'd have to order 2 (with extra meat)! However, the flavors made up for a lot. I think it would be cool if you had a loaded fries option, maybe in the future? ;)

I stopped in here late afternoon on a Wednesday while I was driving to Nashville. It was fairly easy for me to find a metered parking spot out front. I ordered a gyro and some fries. The gyro was pretty good as well as the fries. The only thing I wasn't a fan of was on of the seasonings on the fries, not quite sure what it was.

Don't let the quietness and not so fancy place fool you, this place hits! Service was good but the food was excellent. My wife had some type of chicken platter that was good and I had chicken shawarma inside a wrap that was killer. Everything tasted fresh and wasn't too heavy on you before doing more walking in market square. Def will be back

Ordered takeout from Yassin's and hooooo-boy, this is some incredible Mediterranean food. I'd even venture to say it was some of the best falafel I've ever had. For starters, it's an easy process and I'd say takeout is the name of the game. They do have a dining room as well, albeit with some sort of fast food vibes. The takeout was perfectly packaged and stayed fresh on my walk back to the hotel. I got the Spicy Falafel sampler plate that had: Falafel salad, pita, baba ganoush and hummus. Every single thing was delicious, but again the spicy falafel stood out the most. In my experience, this dish can be almost a bit sandy or powdery, but this wasn't at all. The edges were crispy, it held together well, and the flavor was perfection. The hummus has some tasty olives hidden within, and was dusted with a spicy seasoning. The baba ganoush was tangy and flavorful, and I enjoyed it as much as anything else despite this typically not being my favorite. Seems like good vibes from this shop, and I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend you try it as well!

Ok, I'm into Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food. My usually rank is Turkish Doner, Greek Gyro, and Middle Eastern shawarma. There are usually shades of spice differences between the three. You get the option here of having your meat spicy which I love. I think it is a sprinkle of chili powder or paprika. Anyhow the food comes out which is thinly cut small layer of meat on top of yellow rice, some sliced onions, tomatoes, tzatziki sauce, and what I believe is bagged grocery stored bought pita bread that's not even warmed. The service is at a counter, and restaurant interior is a bit of a dump. I'm not familiar with the parking areas in downtown Knoxville, so I choose the QR phone pay lot across from the restaurant. Get your speed eats on, because 30 minutes parking will cost you $5.50. I wouldn't go back again, but I rate it as a barely ok.

I was bowled over by the humility and customer service at this small, family friendly joint. We ordered a falafel salad but there was a confusion with our order and instead we got a falafel sandwich. The young girl (Nevain?) got us another salad and a dessert on the house. We weren't expecting it since part of the confusion with our order may partially have been our mistake. The salad was ok, the falafels in the salad were great! The baklava was yummy! I saw the girl take a full meal for a homeless person sitting outside the restaurant. And that's when I started noticing that the owner has been recognized by the town for his outstanding community service. I would definitely support such a business and highly recommend them.

I had the Gyro meat plate. Rice on top of meat with taziki sauce, onion and tomato on the side. The location and inside space was a bit cramped for ordering a meal to go. It was okay, not super great, but definitely better than mall food.

Been to Yassin's a couple of times and enjoyed it but wanted to try something different. Ended up trying their plant based Shawarma, you could've told me it was chicken and I wouldn't have batted an eye. Yassin's more like Yas Kween this slapped!

Ordered take out, food was so good. Got the Chicken plate, side of hummus with pita and cucumber water. Good portions, i like that the chicken plate comes with sauce, ganoush, AND pita with the chicken/rice itself. They also have a clean store!

I love Yassin's and have been coming since I moved to Knoxville. This locations isn't as great as the one by Best Buy but the food is still great. Recommend Yassin anytime you won't be mad you did.

Was working at the Knoxville Convention Center and this was closest place to grab lunch. What a great decision. It was delicious. I had a gyro plate and the crew split falafel - some of the best ones I've ever eaten. Might go back before this trip is over.

The food was delicious and quick! I would definitely come back! Simple atmosphere, but friendly.

I usually love Yassin's, but yesterday everything changed. I typically get the same thing every time, but decided to venture out and get the new plant-based plate...what a mistake! I ordered based off the picture used to advertise the product and what I got was NOTHING close to it. I know that food won't look exactly like the picture advertised but this was beyond that. I have no idea what this protein was but I'm allergic to chicken therefore I couldn't eat this as I couldn't determine what it was (looks like chicken) I think it could have been seitan but since it wasn't labeled as such I couldn't risk it.

Legit so yummy! Get the number 6 chicken plate it is literally to die for. Such a hearty meal and will leave you stuffed. 10/10 recommend, not very busy but so good.

Yassin's has a bright and pleasant decor that is kept very clean. The staff are quite friendly and seem happy to help. We got the Big Dajhaj and both enjoyed it immensely, though I will add that I would have appreciated a warning about the bones and gristle. There wasn't much of either, and when there was, they were small, but it still was a slightly unpleasant surprise. That aside, I'd be happy to eat here again the next time I'm in town, and I wish them a long and prosperous business life.

Was walking around looking for a bite to eat & stumbled onto this gem. Oh my goodness did this make me happy! I got the falafel plate and it was outstanding! Everything was fresh and perfect. I was only sad that I was staying at a hotel and couldn't take it home with me to finish the next day. If I lived locally I think I would eat here every day. The hummus and babaganoush were both amazing and so full of flavor! Fast, fresh and delicious -it's not possible to want anything more.

This was my second (or third?) time going out of my way to stop at Yassin's for lunch while on a road trip south. After seeing it top the list for the best falafel in Tennessee on Yelp and seeing pictures of their hummus, I was sold. I bookmarked the spot more than a year prior to the visit. All this to say, I'm a fan. For starters, the staff is really friendly and you can easily bop of the highway vs and find yourself in the heart of Knoxville. You also can grab your meal to go and take it to market Square a few blocks away for a beautiful picnic setting. I always go for the falafel salad plate served with baba ganoush, pita and hummus. All are extremely fresh and packed with flavor. And, if course, I order a baklava for the road. I should also mention that this is a budget-friendly option. Probably just a few bucks more than fast food on the road and ten times more delicious, healthy and local. Wins all around!

love coming here the food is ALWAYS fresh and delicious the workers are always super friendly and it's just an overall great experience everytime!! i put all my friends on yassins

People never seem to shut up about Yassins on UT's campus. And for good reason. First, let's talk about the inclusivity. Yassins is a local business run by a man and his family & they make it known everyone is welcome... it's so nice! I love seeing it. Second, THE FOOD. Is so good. The hummus is to die for & both the chicken and gyro sandwich is good. I sat and ate in pure bliss. The only down side is I felt sick after the meal because I ate so much!!

The food here is phenomenal! It is a fast food set up and asset, there is no actual Middle East or Greek ambience. Too bad. Beverages are "self serve" as our eating utensils, etc. The floor near the self-serve bar was slick and kind of greasy but it was OK.

It's in the central, old party of the city and it's a fairly minimal place inside. Notably, no restrooms that I could see (there is a public library across the street). The menu includes not only falafel and hummus but "plant-based protein", with various platters, sandwiches, and salads. I preferred a sandwich. My phone apparently messed up the picture, but it was a large pita with ample actual falafel as well as some pickled peppers and fresh lettuce and tomato, and a whole bunch of tahini. The falafel itself was great. I wasn't that impressed by the sandwich alone for the price without any salad or fries or anything. Their other options go a bit heavily on pickles and olives for me, but the core item was a winner.

Delicious. You get a good amount of food for what you pay. Their lamb is well seasoned and tender. Highly recommend.

I had my daughters bring me to Yassin's every time I came to visit them in Knoxville. Now I live here and I plan to eat there often. I love the Chicken salad and the baklava. The salad is so fresh and tasty, I really feel I am doing a good thing to my body.

I stopped by this place while I was in town and was excited to see there was a good falafel restaurant. The falafel tasted different than what I'm used to but it was decent. The chicken shawarma was flavorful but a little dry.

I appreciated that my order was ready at the time I needed it to be. I was on a tight timeline and being able to walk in and grab it immediately was very helpful. Food was as good as always.

Immediately when you walk in you get a good vibe from this place. Even though I didn't get to see the owner, I heard about him and the awesome causes he supports. It feels like very genuine mediterranean food (not to mention its delicious and has such a unique flavor) and you get to eat around people who feel passionate about the place and that adds to the overall experience.

I stopped by here this past Thursday with my wife for lunch. Early in the day I had seen a sign for a Mediterranean restaurant and commented to her that it sounded good. So whenever we were looking for a place for lunch she had mentioned that she had seen Yassin's Falafel House in the travel book we had purchased. So we headed on over. Since it's downtown we had to put 50 cents in a parking meter while we got our food but that wasn't a problem. With corona, Yassin's doesn't offer any dining in the restaurant anymore and so your only option is to get it to go. I can respect that they are protecting their employees and like that they had even added extra protection by placing the credit card reader on a table that is in between the cashier and you. I also appreciate their message and the restaurants story which is fantastic. For lunch on this day I ordered the spicy chicken Schwarma plate while my wife ordered the falafel plate. We then waited for around 15 minutes for our food to be ready and headed out. Whenever we got to the car we opened our food and both looked great. My chicken ended up being moist and nicely spiced although I personally wouldn't have called it spicy. It came with rice underneath the chicken, a pita and then baba ghanoush and a raita. The baba ghanoush ended up being fantastic and I loved the smoky flavor of the creamy eggplant. I ended up putting that on the pita and loving it. Then the rest of it I put on the rice after my chicken was gone and once that was gone, the raita. All of it was great and by the time it was all gone I was full. My wife also loved her falafel which came on top of a salad and had sides of baba ghanoush and hummus. The bottom line for me is that I would stop by here again in their future. Everything about our lunch here was fantastic, especially their food, and I loved their message and appreciated their safety measures.

I would highly recommend this locations. The food was good serves was friendly, my only real complaint was the restaurant was extremely cold while we sat to eat, and the salad I had felt like it was missing something, on the past when I have been to similar restaurants they give you a salad dressing as well as the tzatziki sauce, this however did not. So I felt like it could have used a little lemon juice or olive oil or something. But other then that it was very good

Stopped in in for a quick late lunch after getting into Knoxville! I've never been super big on Mediterranean food, but really enjoyed their Falafel. I got the spicy option and actually wish it was a little more spicy! Our food came our super fast. And my meal was HUGE! Their fries were surprisingly delicious!

Absolute best in the city for falafel, amazing hummus and baba ganoush. Our friend got us it and we tried it at home, and we're excited to try it out again in the store!

This is a good place to go if you need your Mediterranean fix. While the gyro meat and the chicken shawarma had succulent flavor, the pita bread tasted store bought and not oven-fresh and the rice lacked Mediterranean spices and was a tad flavorless. But overall a good meal.

Nice food! Maybe work a little more in keeping tables clean :) other than that taste is great

Quality all the time. Order the spicy it's better. Great prices too!!!! if your Knoxville try one of his places.

I was super looking forward to Yassin's and left somewhat mixed and disappointed. However, I would be willing too try them again in the future. My order the Gyro Platter with side order of falafel which was shockingly huge. For desert their Baklava which is front and center on the counter made fresh daily. The service was extremely friendly and helpful on decision making for a first timer. The dining room offers decent table and chair seating and was clean. I witnessed staff wiping the tables down. Drinks are fountain. The place was hoping on a late Saturday afternoon. Their Baklava is grab and go and I wasted no time trying first and was blown away. It's small, but packs a punch. Best I've ever had...YES! The meal was out in less than 10 minutes. The presentation straight forward with a warm thick pita on top of the thinly sliced tender lamb and rice. The falafel platter was plated gorgeous with four huge balls drizzled with dressing and a dipping bowl. The verdict on taste was mixed. The pita and meat a clear winner. The greasy, but plentiful yellow rice a loser 3 star rating. The falafel platter was the biggest disappointment. The flavors did not work for me and I could not finish a 1 star rating. The Baklava was the clear winner 5+ star. The overall scorecard cannot make it to a Four Star rating and that's troublesome given the love for them. I'm in Knoxville often enough so I may come back. Yassin's offer fresh Mediterranean fare in a clean dining environment with friendly and efficient service. Don't dare skip on the baklava. For a local joint I expected more.

This is a fast casual Mediterranean restaurant with a short but good menu - perfect lunch spot downtown. They have an online order feature right now and your food is ready in 10-15 minutes for pick-up or they'll bring it out to you for curbside service! A great feature during covid. I got the gyro and I really liked it! I wish all the good toppings hadn't dropped/fallen to the bottom half (tzakiti and feta cheese) so that was a bit bothersome. The chicken shawarma sandwich was good. The garlic sauce was decent but not my fave. Why 4 stars and not 5? Only because I've had better versions of these meals elsewhere. Still, I am happy I had lunch here. It's right downtown and right off the highway, especially if you're traveling north-south through Knoxville. Plus it's right next to the cutest little park, so easy to explore nice things while you wait for food.

I LOVE Yassin's! It is middle eastern food so be aware they do not have many "American" options. I have tried multiple menu items and have honestly loved everything I have tried! I was vegetarian for 3 years and their falafel sandwich was such a good veggie option. Their unique taste makes this a perfect option for when you are bored of fast food or quick meals.