King of Falafel and Grill

speaking only for their falafels, i have to say; i have found the BEST in madsion. having a favorite falafel place back home it’s been hard for me to find a falafel place that was equally as good… until today. their falafels are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, generous portion sized ball, and tasty! i will be back again! yummmmmm.

This little cart of goodness is an underrated gem in my book. I truly love food-​cart food, but I frequently miss out on them due to my work schedule. But luckily, this cart has much more expansive hours than most, and can be found out in front of the UW Credit Union on the square almost all day long on weekdays. Breakfast falafel? Done. Gyro at 4pm? Sure thing.
You can tell a food cart is good by certain earmarks. First, can you almost see the wafting scent of spices and grilled meats grabbing you by the nose and pulling you in, like a Looney-​Toons mouse to a wheel of cheese? Does that smell make it hard for you to keep walking, beckoning you to just pause a moment and consider that wonderfull smell.
Next, if it is a foreign regional food cart, are there patrons from that region hanging out nearby and chatting with the owner? You bet there are here. The fellow working there is always nice, chatting up his friendly regulars and working hard simultaneously. He always returns my salaams, and once gave me a free falafel ball to munch on while I waited, since my gyro was going to be a few minutes longer than normal. I told him it was no big deal, I didn’t mind and extra minute. He gave it to me anyway and said, «You try. You like. Falafel makes you happy.» Yes. Yes it does.
But really, I come for their Gyro. It’s simple, classic, and deliciously aromatic. It’s so good, and reasonably priced, it’s what I almost always get. It’s my favorite gyro downtown. I was less of a fan of the chicken I tried once, but really I’m not here for the chicken, so I won’t be sad about going back to my darling classic gyros.
Long story short, this cart consistently serves up delectable, hot, reasonably priced food all day. Don’t fear the cart, embrace it.

I don’t much care for their pita bread, but even considering that, this is the best falafel in town. They make it fresh when you order it, they don’t mind substitutions (I always get mine with out tomatoes and add eggplant) and they’re very nice.
Definitely one of my top 5 places to eat in Madison. Probably top 3.

I ordered from their cart on the square and have to say it was not good. Twice now I’ve gone to their cart to order, and even went to the restaurant before it was taken over. The meats are spiced with such an intensity of cinnamon that it’s all I could taste. I had the chicken kabob, gyro, and falafel and was not digging any of it on each occasion.
Time to move on.

Great street Cart dining on the state Capitol square in Madison. The falafel was huge! Really should have split it between the two of us. The kids enjoyed their burgers. My hubby really wanted a gyro but sadly they were out.

I should give this man another shot. I don’t think it’s fair for me to give a bad review based on one time visit there. Yeah, I don’t really like the chicken shawarma. But some people buying the falafel seemed to enjoy theirs. So I may be back to try other stuff so I can give a more comprehensive review.
So far, the shawarma is a big no no for me.
But, I will be back and hopefully I can give them a 4 star rate.