Jerusalem Restaurant

I made the trek to Jerusalem, took a risk considering it was a Sunday and a holiday weekend, but lo and behold they were open. It is a crazy little restaurant. It is a hole in the wall, dingy, needed a good scrub, but you know, sometimes the best foods are found in these kinds of places.
A young man rang me up and I asked him is there lettuce and tomato on the falafel, remembering Julia S said she wanted more on her sammiches. So I was being slick and ordered extra lettuce and tomato on mine and I ordered a side of tabouli.
Jerusalem’s tabouli was good, it was exactly how I like it, dry, not wet with oil and more parsley than bulghar. YUM!
The falafel I thought was average, I have had much better, but it was only $ 2.99, so for $ 3 I don’t even want to complain. There was no lettuce on mine, good thing I asked for extra!!! It was garnished with tomato and pickle only. I got two sandwiches and a side of tabouli for $ 10.
A man walked in and asked what the special was and it was rice with eggplant and chicken, it looked good, I meant to ask how much the special was, but I got so excited when he handed me my food, I forgot. Next time.

A friend and I came here for dinner. The place was packed. This increased our expectations. The food was overall awful. We ordered the chicken kabob and the mixed grill kabob. The food came with salad and lentil soup. The lentil soup was the best part of the meal. I thought the soup was quite good. The kabobs were horrible. Flavorless and Bland. It did not seem fresh or even grilled. They also put some vegetables on a stick on the plate. The vegetables were not cooked. Why not put the vegetables on the grill at least. The bread was not made fresh. It is pretty much the same pita bread that you get at your local grocery store. The kabobs seems like they were fried or something. It was just overall a bad restaurant to eat at.

Good «shawerma» or «shoarma» if you are european. If you like soft drinks they are by the can which can be pricey. They have hookas for rent, but ill pass on the herpes. Pretty cool place, reminds me of a hole in amsterdam. I will return.

Dear Jerusalem Restaurant.
I love your falafel more than any other in the CLT… but there are a few things missing/​going awry that, if fixed, would rocket you to a 5 star rating.
First, let me just say that your falafel, in itself, is outstanding. Perfectly fried to a crisp outer shell, yet moist, herby, and soft steaminess await my bite inside. They are the Perfect Size. Don’t change a thing.
However… I need more veggies in my sammich. I realize you are a roll-​up falafel joint, and I am coming to accept that that is the only style of falafel I will eat in Charlotte. But please, please, more tomatoes, and lettuce, and pickles, will round that mother out. Nothing makes me happier than hot, steamy, fried falafel perfectly complimented by crisp, cold tomato, and the bite of a piece of onion. Or cabbage. Red cabbage.
And really, must the ubiquitous Huy Fong cock sauce make an appearance even here? Its a phở condiment. Its my favorite hot sauce in the world, but there are places it does not belong (rolled up in pita with fried chickpea balls and pickles, being one of them). Oily, high-​heat, toasted chili sauce or super-​potent chili paste is what I crave.
Your hummus wasn’t amazing, but was pleasing, and beautifully presented. The grape leaves were VERY good, swimming in an olive oil pool garnished with finely minced pickled lemon and (possibly) oregano. I’m making myself hungry, typing about them.
I will soon be back to try your Ganoush.