Alan’s Falafel

Delicious
Fresh
Authentic
Great friendly staff
Food was very playful
Perfect for a date night

Yummy original falafel with tahini, eggplant etc. Worth $ 4 and way better than many big restaurants who serve falafel for higher price. Must stop at this place if you are around Walls St. or Broadway.

If you want the best falafel you get on line at Alan’s. Sam’s is also quite good but I prefer Alan’s. Been going there for years you can’t beat the freshness and taste. Make sure to get him to put on some hot sauce. Platters are excellent as well. You will need napkins.

I bought a Falafel plater at Alan’s cart on 4÷18÷2015 around 2:30pm. Cart was in front of Helmsley building /​Zucotti Park, around 140 Broadway. Falafel was mediocre, I am Israeli and know when I taste a good Falafel (it’s our national food and we make the best F). Alan’s was definitely not even a decent Falafel. But that’s not why the one star…
I had my concern of buying Falafel at 3 pm, because maybe it wasn’t as fresh as it should be. But it is not meat so it should have been OK. It was not…
The food poisoning I got was the WURST I had in many years. I started feeling heartburn in the evening (didn’t eat anything after the Falafel so it must have been it). The food started going up my throat. I then started throwing up, which continued every hour until 6am the following morning. Until my stomach was empty and clean. This was so bad, I had throat ache for 4 – 5 days after, due to the strong vomiting.
I would NEVER eat at this cart again. I will probably avoid any Falafel cart (unless operated by Israelis). And I definitely would advise you to stay away from Alan’s. I am not the only one to complain of food poisoning from his cart. There are other Unilocal reviews of same problem. Stay away.

This is my usual go to spot for falafels and I walk 8 blocks to get to this place. I ordered my usual falafel with extra hummus and the owner (who btw knows me) kept adding mayonese to it. When I asked him about hummus, he was like we are out of it. I had already paid by then and had to accept it. The worst falafel sandwich i have had. Just a bread with some falafel soaked in mayonese. Sorry, going to sams falafel

So I’ve been going to one iteration or another of Alan’s falafel for the better part of 10 years.
Alan and Sam’s are the only two true falafel guys in the square, meaning they are the only two guys whose falafel’s are made properly and delicious.
Meaning the falafels are made to order, from fresh ingredients, deep fried on the spot and do not come out of a bag from a factory and then reheated on the flat grill like the rest of the food carts.
I’m an Alan’s devotee, ask him to deep fry your pita into a pita chip for you. You won’t regret it.

I’ve only had the Falafel over rice but they are the best I’ve had. For $ 5 I get a full stomach and no heartburn which is rare for street food.

What a great spot, everything super fresh, scratch made and delicious. Love the real grill out back for kebabs and the falafel is always amazing. I can’t say enough about this place!

This is by far easily the best falafel cart at least in the downtown area. Great price and great food. Its hooked up already with some eggplant but ask for with onions, which are caramelized. Platters are good too and very filling. Great for vegetarians!

I say «a-​ok» cuz I always look at cost and amount of food. $ 4 lamb gyro is okay. Tastes like sausage. I guess it’s their version of sausage. Some sauce, a slice of tomato, and some lettuce rolled into a pita. It is a healthy portion for one person.

Alan’s Felafel is the best felafel in NYC. There is non better. First, he serves it with real tahini sauce which is the way it’s supposed to be, not the white sauce that the other helal cart vendors put on it. Plus, you can get it as a platter, sandwich or just the felafel. I love just the felafel with tahini. And the outside is delicately crispy and the middle is soft, it’s amazing! Only bad thing is he’s gone by 3pm so get there before then. It’s really absolutely the best you will ever have.

I had my first Alan’s Falafel experience today, as well as my first falafel experience ever and I was pleasantly surprised.
I should have known that this was going to be a good meal due to the decent sized line that was developing in front of this food cart. Considering that there are several others in the area serving up the same food, it’s a pretty good indication that you’re on the right line when you pick the longest.
I got the falafel over rice platter which cost me $ 5. I usually just opt to get white sauce when I get a halal food, but I’ve been on a spice kick lately, so I decided to get the white sauce and the hot sauce on my platter. I am a fan of the falafel that’s served here. My $ 5 got me hot plate of rice about 6 pieces of falafel, a salad, and an eggplant size that was really good. I’ve never had falafel before so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but Alan’s had really tasty stuff. The falafel had great flavor and crunch. The rice was pretty standard cart food rice, nothing too special. The same goes for the white sauce — I think the best white sauce is from the Halal Guys Chicken and Rice cart on 53^rd and 6^th. The hot sauce is spicy, but nothing too bad. Next time I probably will not get it, however, because the falafel can stand alone without it. I will also probably get the falafel sandwich next time, which is only $ 4.

Alan’s is an institution… what else can I say? In the five years I’ve been working in the FiDi area, Alan’s has consistently delivered highly affordable, ultra-​tasty foods from a modest cart parked in the plaza on Broadway just off Cedar St.
When I worked a little closer (and didn’t have the deeper pockets I am fortunate enough to have today), I practically lived off Falafel sandwiches from Alan’s. For a few bucks I’d get a hefty package that would leave me satisfied. Today, I just happened to be walking past after a stop at Crumbs on Broad St. (another review to come) and, since I was in a rush, thought I’d grab a sandwich.
The original Alan isn’t there, but I did recognize his apprentice from years back. The food? Still the same – plentiful, tasty and filling.
There are so many places that sell falafel, whether it’s a street-​side cart or a chain, but few do it as well as Alan’s.

After going to the same Halal carts many times over the last year, I figured I’d start looking for a new one that had good reviews and came across Alan’s. It’s located on the busy street across from Zuccotti Park where there is plenty of competition amongst street vendors. I usually go to the Gyro House truck located at the corner when in the vicinity, since Alan’s cart usually has a long line at lunch time (HINT: Get here early at 11:45 if you don’t want to wait on a LONG line!) Anyhow, I read that their falafel was really good so gave the falafel and rice a shot.
When opening the box for lunch, I immediately noticed the generous amount of falafel they give. They gave 8 falafels, which is a much larger amount than my usual halal cart near Water Street! Next, I noticed the 2 pieces of eggplant to the side, along with the lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers. Definitely never seen eggplant added to my halal box before, nor have I seen cauliflower added before. Immediately, I tried the falafel and Mmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmm it was better than the ones I usually have. They were much softer and didn’t require much chewing on my part. The eggplant was a nice compliment to everything, although unusual. The only thing I wished they added more of was the tomatoes, but that’s a small knock. I’ll probably come back to this cart, however the verdict is still out since I haven’t tried every cart there.

Alan’s Falafel is a great value. Super tasty and nice. He listens unlike many others. I said light in white sauce and he did not as many other vendors do drown it in white sauce. The falafel were light and tasty and the hot sauce is banging, Glad I came back here.

I love this cart. I had not been here for a few years as I was out of the country, but I came back the other day and while they upgraded the cart in my absence, the falafel sandwich was stuffed and fantastic. I love the eggplant and pickled vegetables that they add as well. I use to get a salad sandwich without the falafel — but the falafel is really good and worth it. $ 4 = full.

I’ve been getting lunch here regularly for over a year now. I’ve been there 5 times over the past three weeks, so it’s part of the regular rotation. For me, this is the best falafel that I have ever eaten. As a comparison, I think these guys blow away the falafel guys with storefronts around 72^nd St on the Upper West Side. I’ve also had the falafel over at Taboon but that’s expensive like a dollar-​a-​chew and I don’t think it was as good as Alan’s.
I almost always get the $ 6 falafel combo platter. The falafel is well-​seasoned and they give you plenty of them. There are vegetables (lettuce, tomato, pickled veggies and the eggplant) and a stuffed grape leaf in there so it feels much healthier than eating pizza, cold cut sandwiches or burgers. On top of that, the guys working the cart are really nice guys.
Beware, they get long lines on really nice days. I’ve gone early to beat the lines but I try not go too early as I wanna make sure the oil they use is nice and hot so that the falafel is piping hot and fresh. I did go late one time and I did notice that there was not enough of the sesame (tahini) sauce. I guess they must’ve been running low that time on that day.

Alan’s falafel is a neighborhood favorite. It stands between the powerhouse Brown Brothers Harriman and the recently initiated Wall Street protesters.
Worry not, it serves some pretty delicious and politically-​neutral falafels if you happen to be tour-​trapping or slaving away nearby. However, I definitely will not say it’s the best falafel I’ve ever had. It’s better than your average cart but will not impress falafel hunters.
What I do love is the genuine friendliness of Alan and co. They will never fail to say hi to you like you’re a regular visitor.
Get the platter. The eggplants they give you is freaking awesome. I always ask for more eggplants and do they give me one more piece? Nooo no no no. They gave me 3 – 4 extra pieces. You like more of something? Just ask and they will most likely give it to you with a smile.
You know what Alan probably wants more of? Your business and your tips. So go!

I feel fortunate to work near Alan’s.
For just $ 4, you get a fresh falafel sandwich stuffed with lettuce, tomato, and a grape leaf. And this is not even to mention a few fries on the side!
I will be a regular.

Best. Falafel. Anywhere.
And, for a street cart, I am amazed at how many people travel from around the city to come have lunch here.