• September 5th, 2008mr meaneramir's, LA restaurants

    A while back I hired a contractor who hailed from Israel to do a remodel on my house. In our months (and sadly YEARS) of remodeling he took me to just about every Israeli Shawarma in the 818 area code, as we darted from supplier to supplier buying things as diverse as a front door and a sewage sump pump (YUK!). 

    One place he neglected to take me, though, was Amir’s Falafel on Ventura at Colfax Avenue. I had to discover this place on my own, bereft of a Hebrew speaker, and freaked out about dealing with curt, non-eye-contact and very to the point service. The thing about my contractor (Menasche was his name) is that he understood what being a vegan was, and would debate, in Hebrew and very loudly on my behalf, about whether there was egg in the falafel or if the pita was grilled over smoking lamb fat. That was about the only great thing about him, but that’s another story.

    To the matter at hand, Amir’s makes GREAT falafel. They mix and fry it in front of you, usually ever batch is fresh and it’s never microwaved (unlike certain other places in the valley).

    Falafel Sandwich, $6

    Falafel Sandwich, $6

    As you can see above, the sandwich portions are generous, perfectly wrapped and the combination of hot, crispy falafel with just the right amount of tangy tahini, lettuce, tomato and stuff is wonderful. You can certainly get much larger sandwiches for only a little more money elsewhere, but this is quality over quantity and the huge menu with reasonable prices for sides means you sure can’t go hungry for between $8-$10.

    Big menu, reasonable portions.

    Big menu, reasonable portions. Shawrama has been covered to protect the innocent.

    A few times when I’ve been there I have ordered a bunch of sides and falafel so I can make my own sandwich, but unless you’re really hungry just get the sandwich. It works out less expensive and, believe me, they know how to wrap it better than you (and I!) do.

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