Falafel's Drive In - Middle Eastern, San Jose

2301 Stevens Creek Blvd, San Jose CA 95128

(408) 294-7886

Parking: small parking lot and street parking

http://www.falafelsdrivein.com/

Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-8pm, Sun 10am-6pm

Last Visited: April 5, 2021

Food: 4 stars

Atmosphere: 4 stars

Service: 4 stars

Price: $ to $$

While I had not intended to come by for a snack since I just had eaten a full meal, since I'm rarely in the South Bay, it was hard to resist coming to this iconic drive in that has been around since 1966.  Initially, the family started with serving typical drive in fare, and then Falafel's eventually introduced their family recipes and word spread.  The menu includes falafel sandwiches, gyros, pitas, kababs, and so much more.  

Despite the line, you will find that things move pretty quickly.  You order at the window and after paying, wait to get called.  There are picnic tables available for seating outdoors under a rooftop, or you can take it away.  

- Hummus Plate - I love a good hummus, and theirs is super creamy and you can taste the tahini.  It comes with a sprinkle of paprika, a dash of hot sauce, a couple of fresh tomato wedges, a couple of cucumber slices, and a couple of pickled turnip pieces.  Loved this.  While it comes with pita in a plastic bag,  it's the perfect accompaniment to both the falafel balls and the pita chips.  Small $6.75, Large $8.75

- Falafel Ball - Since I knew that I couldn't manage eating a falafel sandwich, I opted to get some falafel balls a la carte.  Super crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, these herb-filled falafel balls are probably one of the best I've ever had. You can't go wrong with these.  40 cents each

- Pita Chips - While this isn't that complicated to make, I really enjoyed these crunchy pita chips (strips of pita that have been fried) with the hummus plate.  These beat out any store bought pre-packaged pita chips by miles and miles.  Seasoned with some zaatar spice, this is perfect for sharing.  It's also extremely reasonable for the amount you get. $3.25

- Koubby - While I probably didn't need any more food, I couldn't resist checking out this koubby.  It's a meatball made typically of ground beef, onions, cracked wheat, and pine nuts.  This was much more filling than I expected and after just a couple of bites, I had to take a pause.  $7

I didn't try it today, but I would love to get a banana milkshake the next time I stop by.  Bring cash if you don't want to pay a service fee (albeit small).  Note that the parking lot is pretty small, so budget time to find parking.  I will definitely come back to try out more of their specialties.