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Best Falafel
Category: Restaurants Middle Eastern Middle Eastern
2013 Commercial DriveVancouver, BC V5N 4B1
Neighbourhoods: Grandview-Woodlands, The Drive
(604) 251-9444
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11 am - 12 am
Sun 11 am - 11 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
12 reviews for Best Falafel
12 reviews in English
-
Review from Deniz T.
4/9/2012
It being one of the staple street food, if not the most common Turkish dish, in my culture, I am very picky about donair and know it inside out. ''Doner'' is a turkish word, refers to something turning. It is practically meat on a stick, which one day a guy thinks, meat fat dripping on flames causes flare ups. If we put the stick vertical, not only there will be flare ups, but the fat will baste the meat with gravity continuously. Very rare things are as delicious as caramelized meat, which is the fundamental of doner. The regular version would be made out of thinly sliced eye of the round marinated over night and assembled with ground beef which practically acts as a glue. In a traditional donair there is a layer of meat and than ground meat, meat, ground meat. The variety you get here of red meat donair is made of only ground meat which is usually badly seasoned, so nothing to do with the real deal. And the most extreme one is people in Nova Scotia, putting that ghastly white sauce (equal parts of condensed milk and vinegar as far as I know) which I will never forgive.
I have not tasted any other dish from best falafel, but their chicken donair. The seasoning is very good, fresh rosemary is used, if you come across to the fresh, fat wheel of chicken donair, you are in for a treat -
Review from Ada L.
Vancouver, BC
This place epitomizes Commercial Drive for me. It provides cheap, great ethnic food but you could easily miss this place due to their obnoxious sign and simple facade.
The portions are usually generous here. My husband and I regularly buy one chicken shawarma plate to share for dinner.
Due to it's quick turnover, the chicken is almost always juicy and moist. Most of the time, it's carved straight from the spit. I hate shawarma places that keep all of their meat in moisture-sucking warmers.
They have a variety of sauces too. I love their garlic sauce - thick and spicy. My husband for some reason prefers their Vancouver sauce. I think it's sickly sweet but he always gets it on his half of the plate. I prefer to eat meat with a salty flavorful punch but if you like it sweet, give it a try.
We almost always take our fare home. It's a nice, clean place with granite tables to sit at inside though.
While we haven't tried their falafel and the loud sign outside proclaims them the "Best Falafel", this place truly is one of the best in the city for chicken shawarma. -
Review from Saurin S.
5/13/2012
Decent falafels and open until midnight. Spicy sauce not spicy at all though
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Review from geoff a.
12/5/2011 2 Check-ins Here
It's my neighborhood go to place for a chicken shawarma plate. The chicken is always tasty and freshly cut off the spit. I usually accompany it with tabbouleh, hot sauce and pickles. I skip the pickled turnips because unfortunately they usually look a little dried out and not very fresh.
I had the falafel once and noticed that they are premaid and thrown in a microwave. That's also unfortunate, all the good falafels I've had were always made fresh. It doesn't take very long to fry up a fresh batch of falafels. It's also the same with the samosas. -
Review from Yassir N.
8/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
If you like to know how the person who invented FLAFEL wanted you to taste it like, go to best falafel and try their wrap. It's a Lebanese falafel at its original taste, with no extras or twists. Though I think calling it the best falafel is a bit of a big shot! I will call it, the basic falafel, basic in a good way :).
I went to this place once in a nice warm day, and the sitting area outside was all taken, so had to sit inside and the place was overwhelmingly WARM! but I guess this is how a felafel shop will be in the warm Middle East :D so this shop provides you with the right atmosphere of a Middle Easter falafel shop as well.
Of course I ordered a falafel wrap (Daaa!) and I asked the server to put all the fillings they have that goes well with the wrap to be the best falafel. The falafel was microwaved (which is not so right when it comes to falafel) but it was not bad after all. The wrap was hot (falafel) and cold (salad), and crunchy and moist. The wrap was relatively small, so not so fulfilling by it self, so you might need a second or other side dishes along with the wrap.
I think if I'm around Commercial Dr. I might go to BEST FALAFEL again, but I won't drive all the way for this wrap! -
Review from Shae B.
5/13/2011
For mediterranean food, I Love love this place. You definately get your money's worth and it's so tasty. I always order the chicken shawarma plate and I love that they let you choose your salad. Also it's so great that they don't put any dairy products on it.
The staff is friendly and understand english perfectly, unlike some of the other mediterranean places.. which makes it harder to order if you have dietary concerns.
My only suggestion is their pita's are like the cheap ones from the grocery store. They should make something more homemade-ish or buy the poofier, softer ones. I don't eat them since I go gluten free but my family does and they said they're nothing special as far as pita's go.
Overall, good food for a good price! -
Review from Simon R.
BC
11/25/2008
Not quite living up to it's namesake, Best Falafel is a restaurant that used to sell sub-par falafels and donairs at some of the cheapest prices in the city, making the place amazing and well worth the visit.
In recent times however, prices have surged upwards towards the $5 mark, without bringing the quality of the donairs above the $3 mark. Even though it makes sense from a health inspector viewpoint, there is something unsettling about watching the person microwave the food every time before serving it.
The place is cozy though, it feels authentic with the huge trays of baklava weathering time behind the display case, and the industrial sized cans of dolmathes assembled in a pyramid against the wall. And the people are nice, I've even seen the cashier run out into the street to help a complete stranger change a flat tire. -
Review from Brian W.
Vancouver, BC
8/12/2010
I've been to Best Falafel more than any other restaurant in Vancouver (25+ times). On good weeks, I may go there twice. I say a good week, cause I'm not sure of a better place for this type of food. (I won't get into how I don't like Nuba on West Hastings.)
I must admit, most of the food I believe is brought in from elsewhere and served up, i.e. not made in house. This is sort of unsettling (for their quality/sustainability), but in the end, I guess, it works.
I find they sell the best Samosa's I have had. Of course, they come in a mainstream "Pizza Pocket" shell unlike other deep-fried types. I do have a natural bias for the "PP" shell, they are great.
My favorite dish to order is the Veggie Plate for about eight bucks with tax, as far as I'm concerned, one of the best meals in Vancouver!
If you want or need a meal that is quick and to the point, like within five minutes. This is the place to go. I feel satisfied after spending a tenner. Unlike the many places on the drive that leave me wondering why I went there with a tinge of hungriness after.
I like this place a lot.
Fast. Simple. Easy. -
Review from Graeme F.
Vancouver, BC
8/22/2009
Another cheap, lunchtime spot for me. I quite like the chicken plate - as it's fresh tasting and not dry. I would avoid the beef as I wasn't too impressed with it when I had it - I found it to be dry and a bit chewy. For a really cheap lunch, order some hummous with an extra pita - the few times I've done this - I've gotten a big container of hummous and tons of pita - all for around 4 dollars. Unable to finish it - this was a nice bonus to have as a snack the next day!
Don't expect much out of the decor or tables - as it's pretty meh - but the staff are always happy there. -
Review from Gabriel C.
Vancouver, BC
4/20/2011
I always get the chicken shawarma, and it is always good stuff. What really makes this place for me is the service. Always friendly, always professional. The family owned reality and vibe is a bonus. I would recommend.
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Review from Julia W.
Vancouver, BC
8/23/2010
It satisfied my falafel craving, and the chicken was indeed not dry. However it was kind of tasteless. My bf got the lamb shawarma and it was much better (at least, saltier)! An okay place to go in East Vancouver to get your wrap fix.
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Review from Jasmine O.
Vancouver, BC
6/24/2010 1 Check-in Here
This is my go-to place for a late dinner/snack if I'm on the drive. I love their baklava and the falafels are pretty darn decent.. not the "best" though.
