Maoz

Bottom line, Amsterdam Falafel is still the best falafel spot in the city.
Maoz falafel is good, white and wheat pita options along with a salad option. Fries, sweet potato fries, «mixed» (both fries) or a soup option for a side (I got a lentil soup). Soda and icea tea options for the drink. I got an unsweetened Ice Tea which is solid.
The place is small and seating is limited. The outside patio is a bit dingy but usable.
This place is perfect if you’re looking for a relatively healthy meal for fast and cheap — go for the falafel salad, soup and unsweetened ice tea meal.

The falafel is decent here. Portions are large. The toppings bar was impressive, although there is limited space in your falafel for toppings. The garlic sauce is very good here. The tomato and cucumber salad is good, too. I didn’t have space to try the other toppings. :)
The space is small, and the line gets long when people are slow with their toppings.

No soup in the summer = bummer. Should consider offering gazpacho.
Sweet potato fries are delicious! Sweet potato fries+Maoz garlic sauce=heavenly!
Rice pudding’s very good — thick, well-​spiced and not too sweet.

When you first walk in it doesn’t seem like much. But get yourself a falafel sandwich and sit yourself down to a feast!
I can barely eat the whole Jr. size of these bad boys, VERY filling, VERY delicious, and if you eat in you get to go back to the toppings/​salad bar as often as you like until you finish your falafel.
The toppings bar is the best! Filled to the brim with goodness. Things like cauliflower, veggie salads, beets, chick peas, salsas, sauces, yogurt, and much much more!
The folks there are usually really nice, the first time I went especially, I was curious about it and got a total fill in from the guy at the counter.
So. Go. And eat till you’re bursting, make sure to stay in and eat so you can take FULL advantage of the salad bar.
YUM YUM YUM!!!

3.5
Falafel is good, super crispy and flavorful, which really saves it from being just a 3 star place. It’s nice you can add your own stuff to your sandwich at the salad/​toppings bar, but they make it awkward. You can’t add more then what you’re given, even though you really want to fill your pita up, you can’t find a way to do so since the falafels take up so much room. And then the employees STARE at you too. Well they look disinterested in being there, so I guess they have nothing else to do.
That said, yes, their falafel is really, really good.

I’d give this a 3.5. I came here with a coworker and another friend for the first time. The falafel was ok, and the salad bar was not as expansive as Amsterdam Falafel, which is why I’m not all that impressed. It seems to have a much «cleaner» image than AF, so it’s different.
I do remember being very impressed by the french fries and garlic sauce, so I’d def come back for those. Value wise, it was very good — $ 7.60ish for a combo — junior Maoz, a drink (I chose something home brewed, not a soda which is a plus) and french fries. 10% discount if you come in before noon.
It was decent, but I’m not jumping to come back.

I flippin love the sweet potato fries and falafel. I can’t believe they don’t have a location in Portland, Oregon. People would go nuts for Maoz there.

The food was good. It was like Amsterdam falafel with a few less topping choices. I liked the onion and tomato and pickled beets. The downside was the place was poorly managed. If you have a very limited menu then it make sense to make sure everything is well stocked.
I arrived 2 hours before the closing time, they were out of orange juice, various sauces that go on top of the falafel, ketchup, and some of the more interesting topping choices like carrot salad and chick peas. Part of the appeal of eating at Maoz is so you can top the falafel with various sauces and vegetables and make it the way you like it. The water dispenser was also empty and you have to ask the people behind the counter for some.

Maoz has become one of my favorite places to eat while on my work break. I can get an entire meal for under 10 dollars! Plus they have a customer reward card, after 5 meals you get a free rice pudding and after 10 you get a free meal!
Their falafel is pretty good, nice green color and delicious, although I do think its a tad dry. I always get the full meal option, because they have the best eggplant I’ve ever had (and hummus). I have tried both the wheat and white pita, but I found that the wheat bread fell apart, so I get the white pita now because it will hold up to my hundreds of toppings. All of their toppings are so fresh. Their tahini is pretty stellar too. I even eat it with their AMAZING fries. I don’t get what they do, but their fries and sweet potato fries are beyond perfect. And they always give you a generous pile.
Although it does take time to get your falafel and fries, I don’t mind it, because I know it is because they make everything to order. It isn’t sitting around getting soggy.
I have to agree with dan f. in that its way too uncomfortable to eat here. I always come by myself and to have to figure out what seating arrangement is socially acceptable and what is the best way to hide my face covered with hummus and tahini from the person sitting kitty corner from me. So I’ve started to order out. Which I like better, because I get a nice container to fill up of all the toppings I want, instead of having to get up every 5 minutes to fill my falafel back up.
For all the vegans, their falafel, all breads, and almost all of their toppings and sauces are vegan. And they have everything labeled. All the workers know what they are talking about too! An added bonus is they have vegan rice pudding. I HATE rice pudding, but I f-​ing LOOOOVE theirs. I can’t leave without grabbing one now.
I will continue to visit Maoz and Ill keep telling all my friends about it.

Thanks Groupon. Never would have come here unless you brought it to my attention. Food here was good. I still prefer the other place, but I’m still a fan of falafel. I thought the toppings were good, although I was really expecting a garlic topping rather than a garlic sauce which I just didn’t have the kick I was hoping for.
The interior is small, but clean and modern which I like over the other place. Something that surprised everyone was when a vagrant started rummaging through the garbage looking for discarded food. He found a handful of fries and ate them as the employees were shouting at him to leave or they’d call the cops. It would have been nice to see them show a little compassion for a fellow human being… but I certainly don’t hold it against them. Although I didn’t feel unsafe, there were probably others that did.
Good food. Will definitely try and visit again.

First off: THANK YOU, GROUPON!
If it wasn’t for Groupon, I would never have tried this place.
Let’s just say that after this visit, the bf and I are now believers of falafels AND vegetarianism.
CONCLUSION: Maoz over Amsterdam Falafel ANY DAY… and it’s much cleaner too!

This place is great if you’re:
— In/​nearby Dupont
— Willing to not eat meat for lunch
— Wanting to give yourself the illusion that you are eating healthy, and you probably are, but the portions are surprisingly filling (for looking not so filling)
— Only wanting to spend $ 7-​$ 11 on lunch (no more/​no less)
— Ready to wait in a long line if you show up after 12:15pm
— Ready to get your face rocked off
This place shouldn’t be as good as it is. The toppings, as exotic as they are, really aren’t anything special. The falafel is just as good as any other places. The sauces, some are good, some are okay. And the fries, whether regular or sweet potato… they’re not completely memorable. Somehow though, somehow this place won me over. When I think back about the lunch I just consumed, it was a delicious and surprisingly filling experience.
I’d recommend trying this place.

Great for the area. Cheap for the area. But of course, not as good as Amsterdam Falafel. But that’s asking a lot.
This place has the classic falafel bar available, and a junior maoz (sandwich) with some sort of spread (prefer baba ghanoush myself, eggplant spread) will do for many types … the damage is less than $ 6, making it a great deal for the area.
And of course, this place has vegetarian in the title! So wonderful for vegans and vegetarians. I think the salad box is overpriced, so I go with a wheat sandwich, and the fries are awesome, as are the drinks — they’re in the refrigerated case to your right, no fountain drinks here!
As for traffic, this is a very popular lunch spot, but due to bench style seating, having a seat during the rush isn’t really a problem. Ultimately, 4 stars (or 3.5), because it’s not fair to stand them against Amsterdam Falafel.

I LOVE MAOZ.
It’s funny that there seems to be a Unilocal falafel war going on between Maoz and Amsterdam Falafel since my first introduction to this packed pita of goodness was in a Maoz in Amsterdam. Since then, whenever I am visiting a city with a Maoz, I count the minutes until I can get there. For some reason, it took me months to get to this Maoz, but I am so so so happy to have a Maoz here.
1) This location has much more seating than any other Maoz location I’ve been to. Bonus!
2) The toppings here were super fresh, love it!
3) The falafel has such a wholesome, freshy taste to it.
4) THE FRIES.
5) The photos of people posing with the falafel on the signs above the counter have always blown my mind.
Basically, Maoz falafel is fresh enough to eat as a meal and if you skip the fries, you will probably still feel good enough and not regret it later. Let’s be honest, I came here for dinner. In almost three years in DC, I never once had the urge to go to A’dam falafel before the hour of 10 PM. And if really drunk, I would prefer A’dam Falafel over Maoz. So instead of choosing one over the other, I’m just gonna take Maoz when sober/​buzzed and A’dam when the alcohol has taken over.

I have changed my mind on Maoz. Why? Pricing structure is WHACK. I went in there because I wanted a Junior falafel (half sandwhich) and some fresh OJ. The only thing that makes sense is the meal deal. The regular meal deal is $ 8.75 and comes w/​hummus and eggplant. The junior meal deal, which is the same stuff except a ½ sized sandwich is $ 7.30 but does NOT come w/​hummus and eggplant. Combined those will cost you an additional $ 1.50. So if I want a SMALLER sandwich that’s identical to the larger meal deal, I’m gonna be paying 5 cents MORE for LESS food??? WTF? Really… Totally not cool.
As I mentioned in my previous review, their falafel isn’t even that great. I just wasn’t hungry enough for a full sandwich elsewhere, and the fresh OJ was enticing. So what did I do? I asked the cashier about the eggplant and hummus, and when she wouldn’t include it free, I turned around and walked out and went to Eli’s Deli, to get a decent falafel sandwich w/​any toppings I want. Yeh it’s more than I was hungry for, but the falafel is better and it’s cheaper. I’ll get my OJ another time.
I just don’t know what people see in this place. It’s all marketing and pretty pictures, and it’s expensive once you add on all the extras.

It’s better than Amsterdam Falafel, which used to be the best falafel in town (so far as I knew). If you want falafel, you should come here. And the french fries are a nice touch too, although every time I order them I feel guilty about it.
The only hard decision to make is how to dress your falafel. I think you can pursue two pretty valid paths. «Spicy and strong,» with lots of hot peppers, onions, and spicy sauces, or «pickles and vegetables» with pickles, carrots, beets, red cabbage, etc. Both are very good, although I recommend committing to one path or the other.
Oh, and it is kosher, which I view as a plus, but means it can get VERY crowded.

**Disclaimer**
To those who may not be into the falafel because they think its just for vegetarians, well, all I have to say is: MORE FOR ME.
**End Disclaimer**
Maoz is incredible and I have been waiting for them to make the jump to D.C. for about 5 years now. I first tried it in Amsterdam, two of their locations, and was amazed how good their falafel was. I saw they had some locations in NYC and Philly, but when they opened in DC I knew it would be trouble.
I finally got a chance to make it over to Maoz today and for two people to get a huge pita filled to the gills, fries and drinks for under $ 20 is a superb deal. The hummus is great, creamy and rich. The falafels are not too dry and hard. The whole wheat pita is great with this veggie meal.
I just wish they had it near my office, or at least I was still at my old office which is a block from this glorious lunch (and late night spot).
Anyway, if you haven’t tried, it go… YESTERDAY.

I’ll give it to them, 6 buck lunch in an expensive area. Fast quick fresh, falafelyyy.
I wish they had more side than just fries but really so much of the food I’ve had in the area has really sucked so Maoz, as a decent to good cheap falafel is tough to beat

Best. Falafel. Ever.
Get some.

I got the chance to have a sneak preview of Maoz. I had never had the opportunity to eat at one before but have heard lots of buzz from lots of friends that have spent time in Europe and eaten there.
Maoz exceeded my expectations by far. It was the best falafel I’ve ever had. I also enjoyed both the Belgian fries and sweet potato fries. The lady next to me was eating a salad that looked delicious too. Tons and tons of toppings and add ons. Lots of beverage options too. The interiors are also beautiful. So excited Maoz has arrived in DC!