Mamoun's Restaurant

(212) 674-8685

119 Macdougal St
New York, NY 10012 40.7302 -74.0006

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Neighborhoods: Greenwich Village, Downtown

Price:

$

Last updated 11.15.09

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

Cash

Restaurant Special Features:

Late Night Dining, Lunch Spot, Cheap Eats

Cuisine:

Middle Eastern

What People Are Saying About Mamoun's Restaurant

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

The Scene – Very quick, perfunctory service caters to a fast-moving line of takeout customers that often extends out the door. A few battered wooden tables do exist, but they're usually full and crammed against the wall. It's best to take your order back to the office, or over to nearby Washington Square Park. Taking a place of honor on the wall is a portrait of the portly Mamoun himself, circa 1971. – – The Food – Cheap, very filling and good enough to consistently merit a mention in arguments over the best shawarma and falafel in the city. The creamy baba ghanoush…

Editor's Tips

The Extras:
Find more of the city's best cheap eats.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. This place is fantastic for quick, inexpensive food that is fun and tastes good.
food quality
87.5% positive
  1. Sure it's a hole in the wall, but the food is excellent and the price is even better.
  2. The falafels are just delicious and you are served quick.
  3. agree that Mamoun's has the best falafels, chicken kabobs, and shawarma in NYC, but I think it's a terrible idea to get your food to go.
  4. You only get the chickpeas sauce which makes this falafel very dry.
  5. Gee, thanks-- anything else that they can get in bulk for pennies, just to make you feel like you're getting a full sandwich?
  6. This is undoubtedly the best middle-eastern sandwich shop in NYC.
  7. This place is fantastic for quick, inexpensive food that is fun and tastes good.
  8. This is a great place to snack late at night, for nothing else but the wonderful sauce on the falafels and the lentil soup, which is probably superior even to their famious falafels.
  9. One of the very few places in New York where you can have a great meal for less than 5 bucks!
  10. 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.
  11. They have good kebabs and other food as well.
  12. Try the kafta w/ baba, or chicken and hummus, crispy shawarma , or lamb kabob.
  13. Love this hot sauce
  14. Anyone who thinks different doesn't know good food from bad.
  15. 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
  16. great food, fast service, and an experiece!
  17. Best lentil soup in NYC (and good falafels too)
  18. So for cheap, realiable, delicious eats when your out on the town or just walking by this place still can't be beat!
  19. These sandwiches are amazing.
  20. This place is always amazing, when I am in the 'hood I love to come here and grab two chicken kabob sandwiches and dump all that mouth water spicy spicy hot sauce all over it.
  21. The meat dishes are my favorite.
  22. Almost Soup Nazi style service (make sure you order and step aside) - but with that comes super tasty falafels.
  23. love the chicken kabob sandwiches, and this is the only falafel place whose hot sauce is actually hot
  24. overheard this lady say upon one visit that this was a good meal and as I thought to myself ?
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. I've tried multiple menu items and have enjoyed everything I've tried here, including the baklava.
  2. They serve only 3-4 things on the menu, but they do it well....20 years from now they will still churn out the best falafels for a couple of bucks.
overall
100.0% positive
  1. I'd go so far as to say that Mamoun's is the best restaurant in New York.
  2. This place is THE best middle-eastern restaurant in NY, hands down.
  3. This is a great place to snack late at night, for nothing else but the wonderful sauce on the falafels and the lentil soup, which is probably superior even to their famious falafels.
  4. This is the best place to get a Falafel in the city!
  5. The stoop across the street is a great place to eat your laf.
  6. mamouns is the best place to get falafel pita by far.
  7. This is a great place for falafels.
service
100.0% positive
  1. was walking around and without knowing about this place, stumbled upon a huge line of people raving about falafel.
  2. It seems like they keep moving this line along at an incredible and friendly speed.
  3. Almost Soup Nazi style service (make sure you order and step aside) - but with that comes super tasty falafels.
  4. great food, fast service, and an experiece!
  5. 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.
  6. Great falafels, super fast service
  7. even like the service--which is fast and stressed (I REALLY hope those guys are well paid) -- but actually very friendly, too.
value
84.61999893188477% positive
  1. They serve only 3-4 things on the menu, but they do it well....20 years from now they will still churn out the best falafels for a couple of bucks.
  2. Sure it's a hole in the wall, but the food is excellent and the price is even better.
  3. Best falafels I have ever tasted, and at an amazing price.
  4. They always seem busy and the prices are great.
  5. was walking around and without knowing about this place, stumbled upon a huge line of people raving about falafel.
  6. So for cheap, realiable, delicious eats when your out on the town or just walking by this place still can't be beat!
  7. It's good and cheap, and although there's usually a long annoying line of NYU kids it moves fast.
  8. This place is fantastic for quick, inexpensive food that is fun and tastes good.
  9. My kids love the falafel from this place and so do I. The price is unbeatable, at $2 a falafel and the quality of it is great.
  10. While it may not contend for the best falafel in the city, it's up there, and you can't beat their unbelievably low prices.
  11. With so many eateries going the way of gone thanks to the explosion of the pricey highrises it's great when places like Mamoun's are still going strong.
  12. Best falafel at a great price will always keep you going back.
  13. One of the very few places in New York where you can have a great meal for less than 5 bucks!
wait time
66.66999816894531% positive
  1. It's good and cheap, and although there's usually a long annoying line of NYU kids it moves fast.
  2. This place is fantastic for quick, inexpensive food that is fun and tastes good.
  3. The falafels are just delicious and you are served quick.
4 Star Rating: Recommended

11/19/10

yummy and super cheap

by Britfanx0x0

whenever we are out in the village we always stop at mamouns for some yummy and cheap fellafel ( or however you spell it heehee) The hot sauce is so yummy !

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

03/04/10

Great Falafel

by TammyWolfe

Great falafels, super fast service

  • Pros: Some good falafels
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

07/13/09

REVIEW FROM CITYSEARCH's 3BUCKBITES DICTATOR

by LingboLi

One of my pet peeves is falafel made out of spiced sawdust. Off Bleecker Street, I found falafel that victoriously avoided this by being moist and green on the inside, delightfully crunchy and brown on the outside. Tossed together with some tahini and tomatoes and sold for a mere 2 bucks and 2 quarters, my only regret is that tomatoes are not in season. Maybe next time.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

03/20/09

amazing

by svarper

How can you not like this place. These sandwiches are amazing. I love the chicken kabob sandwiches, and this is the only falafel place whose hot sauce is actually hot

  • Pros: chicken kabob sandwhiches
  • Cons: What are the drawbacks?

The Details on Mamoun's Restaurant

Place Categories:

  • best hot falafel
  • best place
  • fast friendly service
  • fun inexpensive food
  • great price
  • best shawarma
  • given falafel
  • incredible speed
  • long annoying line
  • amazing chicken kabob sandwiches
  • tasty falafel sandwich
  • nice hummus
  • wonderful hot sauce
  • best middleeastern restaurant
  • great meal
  • favorite meat dishes
  • good baklava
  • ridiculous alcohol
  • great village
  • great sandwitch
  • perfect snack spot
  • fresh pitas
  • love kids
  • best middleeastern sandwich shop
  • best restaurant period

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