(sorry about readability here, this isn't taking my paragraph breaks.) Okay, we are falafel connoisseurs... not experts or snobs, but we like our falafel, and my girlfriend is even quite picky about it. So on our trip to NYC, we sought out the best falafel. And let me tell you, Mamoun's was the exact opposite of it. We got lucky by only having a short line; the positives ended there. The falafel sanwich there consisted of a pita filled with hummus, falafel, and other ingredients. To start with, the pita was nothing special-- their pitas are fresh, if you consider that to mean ""fresh off the truck from the distributor"". They had 50 bags of pitas, the same kind you get at the supermarket, they'd rip open a bag and you hope that you don't get a dry one. For allegedly being ""the best"", I'd expect more... this is the food capital of the world, they've got to be able to get better pita. Grade: C minus.\r
The hummus was pasty, and chalky, yet was still really watery. NO THANKS, I like my hummus nice and spreadable and with a pleasing flavor. Again: pasty and CHALKY. And runny. Bring your soup spoon. Grade: F.\r
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The falafel ball itself: UTTERLY DEVOID OF TASTE. Are you kidding me? This place is ""the best""? The falafel seriously had zero taste. The texture was okay, and it wasn't too oily, but I would hope for some actual FLAVOR. It had no kick or spice AT ALL. Your average falafel at any other place in the city will have more flavor. Grade: D.\r
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Other ingredients in the falafel sandwich: iceberg lettuce, pre-chopped in the bag, and diced tomatoes. Gee, thanks-- anything else that they can get in bulk for pennies, just to make you feel like you're getting a full sandwich? Grade: C minus.\r
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Other foods: the other thing we tried there was the tabouleh. ""They can't mess THIS up,"" I thought. But I was wrong. It had minimal bulgur-- which is a key component-- really, almost none at all! And the parsley-- the other key component-- was minimal too. Their ""tabouleh"" was basically chopped cucumbers with a bit of parsley. Grade: D.\r
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Atmosphere: that is putting it nicely. We were lucky-- or unlucky-- enough to get the booth right there. The interior is dingy and dirty. It made us want to eat quickly and get out... which, come to think of it, is what they might want. \r
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Were we there on an off-day? Well if you'd like a second opinion, my sister agrees with me. I mentioned my Mamoun's experience to her, and it turned out that she and her husband had eaten there on a trip several months earlier-- also while questing for ""the best falafel"". She had the same complaints, but with one additional one: they gave her a can of Coca-Cola that had a layer of dust and ""something mysterious crawling on it."" With that in mind, I'll give the atmosphere/interior a grade of D minus.\r
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I'm sure you Mamoun's devotees will prepare the boiling oil for my next trip to NYC, but please look elsewhere in the city for falafel-- keep an open mind. Chickpea's was good (though still nothing special.) The place across the street from Mamoun's-- I don't remember the name-- was MUCH better for everything we ate. Give that one a try-- their falafel sandwich was tasty and much more enjoyable, and the staff was nicer, and wasn't trying to hurry you out. I am really just a person who likes falafel, and went there hoping for the best, but instead I was HORRIBLY DISAPPOINTED. I've tried to be very descriptive with my criticisms here.\r
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So let's look at all these grades above. C-, F, D, C-, D, D-. This works out to a ""GPA"" (for ""Grossly Putrid Adventure"") of 1.01. Any way you look at it, that's a solid F. Sorry, Mamoun's, but I'm here to tell people that the emperor wears no clothes.\r
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(Incidentally, best falafel we've had is at Truly Mediterranean in SF CA) \r
Pros: Quick service
Cons: Dingy/dirty atmosphere, and the food was actually really BAD-- see review
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