“So this new falafel place flew into town…”

by Alexander Quebec

I haven’t done one of these in a while, I really miss writing them. In case you missed them last year, a first impression is where we check out a new place to see what the buzz is all about. We might revisit them in the future to see if anything has changed, but this is a chance to get a first look at them.

You know how you find those dutch style A frame houses that used to be homes to WeinerSchnitzel’s and think “God, I’ve never eaten at one of those before.” then you remember the dubious offers for 10 chili dogs for $10? Yeah, so do I. Luckily, I never had to worry about those before, nor did I ever try them. Anyways, back to the review. My dad reminisced about the old Weinerschnitzel building that used to be in our hometown of Milpitas (it’s now a Starbucks, but that rarely surprises anyone these days)

Situated in an old Weinerschnitzle building, The Flying Falafel kitchen is visible right from the front counter. The process did take a while as the man running the show was both taking orders and filling them as well. Still, I wanted to give the place a chance to verify the veracity of what the reviews on yelp had to say about it for myself.

We made our order at the window and waited about 15 minutes for our food. Granted, I was a bit grounchy since I had no data plan, no wireless and I was hungy beyond measure, but I waited it out like a good boy. As soon as the food arrived, my patience was rewarded. The food was delicious: I ordered a snack sized falafel and some dolmas. The falafel itself was fresh from the fryer, complimented by fresh veggies and a few fries on the top.

I also enjoyed my dolmas, they were moist and filled with a respectable amount of filling. My dad enjoyed his falalfel and fries too, this wasn’t the bust I thought I was expecting for some reason (again, blame it on the building it’s located in and their suspiciously cheap chili dogs.)

My only mark against this place is the location; unless you know the area well enough, it might be a bit out of the way for most people as its located in a bit of a maze of overpasses, underpasses and side streets that confuse all but the most experienced locals. Now, would this place trump the popular Falafel Drive In? Probably not at the moment, but still, if you’re looking for decent falafel and are in the area of Willow Glen, The Flying Falafel is worth the detour.

The Flying Falafel is located at 919 Meridian Ave in San Jose. They are open 10:30 AM to 9 PM everyday. You can find out more and make an order on their website. They also have a 2nd location in San Francisco

H/T to yelp for the tip