Mamoun's Falafel

Mamoun's Falafel on MacDougal Street opened in 1971 and calls itself the oldest falafel restaurant in New York, one of the first Middle Eastern establishments in the country. Family owned and operated since the beginning, it grew from a hole-in-the-wall run by its founder, Mamoun, into a small chain, but the original Greenwich Village shop is still here, narrow, warm and busy late into the night with students, musicians and anyone walking off a show on Bleecker Street. In 1976 the Village Voice joked that Kissinger could take a lesson in diplomacy from a room where everyone ate at the same table. Half a century on, it is as much a part of the Village as the coffeehouses around it.

The namesake falafel sandwich is the order: crisp, freshly fried falafel tucked into pita baked fresh daily, with tahini and salad. Go easy at first with the house hot sauce, which is fiery enough that Mamoun's now ships it nationwide. Chicken kebab and shawarma are both on the menu, all the meat is certified halal, and the falafel, hummus, baba ganouj, grape leaves and seasoned rice are vegan and gluten free. Platters and the combo plate are the move for a bigger appetite. Mamoun's was featured by the YouTuber New York Turk in 2025 on a Village food tour. Seating is tight, so grab a sandwich and walk to Washington Square Park.