Falafel Drive-In

The name shows the important thing here—falafel! Hot and crunchy on the outside, fluffy and herby within. It’s neither dry nor oily, so they nailed it. I have exclusively had the falafel sandwich the few times I’ve been, so maybe I’ll finally branch out and try something new next time... maybe. Highly recommended.

The Falafel Drive In feels like a blast from the past, maybe it's just me but it feels like you're on a movie set and the cast is on a lunch break, everyone there from the staff to the patrons waiting in line are happy to be there, everyone is talking to everyone, this is before you get your food, once your order is called it's game on. The food here is excellent and simple, a stuffed pita with some sauce please AND don't forget the Banana shake. I never feel guilty when leaving the Falafel Drive In, full yes, but not guilty, the food is mostly plant based and or some sort of "chick pea" I think that's what I heard, either way it's delicious and worth the wait. Oh yeah, the wait, make sure you get there before lunch time, trust me. Thank you Falafel Drive In for many years if full bellies and smiles. Cheers.

Outstanding falafels and plenty of other stuff. The best bet for a first time visit is a falafel sandwich and banana a milkshake. Be sure to give everything on the menu a try over many visits. The only down side is they are super busy. They work their butts off and get you the food in a reasonable time. But lunch time can be crowded.

Been coming here for 40 years well before they got famous and the food still doesn’t disappoint. Grab a large Felafel with an extra red sauce.

Featured on Diners Drive ins and Dives. Amazing falafel and salad options. The hummus is amazing too!

Best falafel in San Jose! Anything they make I will eat. Staff is friendly, food is always served fast even when he line is to the street and food is excellent.

Been going there since the 1970s and have never been let down. Went to high school with the founder's son, William.

Thanks to a friend, and her positive reviews we tried this place out. Their meal comes for $10 and is totally worth it. The banana shake and sweetish sauce they add on the falafel wrap are the yummiest!! Definitely going back again.🙃.

Been here since the price of the large falafel was at $5. Good place for quick bite. Be prepared to be in a long line during lunch time. I love the chili that comes with the falafel(have to request).

Fantastic food and service. We always get falafels and fries, plus my mom loves the pita chips and hummus, my brother loves the banana shakes. I had a root beer float for the first time in decades! I don't know how I didn't know they make them!

Love the food and always friendly staff. Have had falafel in other places but this one takes it for me. I go for the drive because is worth the flavor.

Great falafel & middle eastern food in cool, retro style drive-in setting. Falafel is terrific as are steak kababs & babba ganoush. However hands down best thing is the banana milkshake. Never a bad meal, always try to go when in San Jose. Milkshake worth a 60 Mile drive from San Francisco.

Delicious and Refreshing. The sauce is a little hot but very excellent. Falafel balls really have a fantastic flavor and are moist, not dry like some other areas. Occasionally a lengthy line to dictate and extended wait. Among those waiters/workers in front requires females"woman" and it cracks me up each time.

Very tasty falafels.. the painting on the wall in the sitting area is very nice.. get their hot sauce on the side, very tastyWill be very busy during lunch but service is fast

Good falafel at good prices. The long line went pretty fast too

Absolutely love this place! Everytime I'm in the area I stop by here for lunch and dinner! Amazing and friendly service! Highly recommend

Excellent food, enthusiastic service and free of Covidity...

Very good food. Great outdoor seating area. Long line but worth the wait!

Super delicious, and fast! I wasn't even able to question how long I waited - and bam! Food was ready. And that BANANA milkshake!?!? Dude, let it be your carb cheat of the month, not only does it taste amazing, it really taste like real banana, and it even has real banana pieces in it. And for $10 you get a large sandwich and a banana shake, what more could you want!?! Don't worry about parking, there's a parking lot in the back, and street parking. JUST go already!!!!

I've always been told to check this place out anytime I'm in San Jose. I finally did, and it was a good experience. I had the falafel sandwich which was very tasty. I loved that the falafel wasn't dry as experienced at other places. The sauce was fantastic. Even though I visited at a busy time, service time wasn't bad.

I cant count how many time I have been here. Its been for the last 15 years. Same taste. Very affordable price. The only problem is its too hot to stand in a line summer. They look at providing shade for the line. 2nd thing is the parking. Its hard to find parking on the weekends during the lunch time.

Love making this stop whenever we are San Jose. The food is always fresh and tasty. The babaganoush is the best, and the gyros delicious! They are known for their banana shake, so be sure to give that a try!

Probably the best falafel sandwiches I ever tried. Falafel is soft and fresh. It almost crumbles in your mouth. Full of flavor too. Customer service varies. Sometimes they are very nice and attentive and sometimes kind of dry and rude. A bit weird. Other than that, a very good place to try.

Always a stop coming down from San Francisco. Always a line, love their falafels and banana shake as it hits the spot but it's only outside seating and generally go there in the summer and it gets pretty hot outside.

Our family's fave felafel stop in San Jose. Great food at a great price...coupled with great service. Can't be beat. There are no wait staff. You place your order in one window, then pick-up your order at another window. But whenever I interact with the workers there...I leave the counter with a smile in my heart. Parking is limited. There are outdoor covered seating as well as indoor seating.

A top place for Middle Eastern food. cool place to meet and catch up with coworkers. i will probably become a regular. the place has a nice feel to it.

Always great food and service. Though, watch for the sur charge on credit cards.

Been hooked on this place since i was a kid. Best falafel in the Bay Area !

The falafels, dips & wraps are the best! Just discovered the best fish sandwich too.

The Falafels sandwich was recommended by Food Networks Diner Drive-ins and Dives and it was really good. We had the sandwich and pita fries, and you can (and probably should) request for extra chilli jam. The lunch special comes with a banana milkshake.

Never get tired of this place. Falafel special is the way to go: Large Falafel Sandwich and a Banana Shake. Always leave this place feeling satisifed

Fantastic falafel sandwich. Grabbed it to go and ate it at the airport ftw

Best falafel and milkshakes in the Bay Area. Came here for a midday snack of falafels and baba ghanoush. Did not disappoint!

Grew up eating falafels here and was able to make it back today. Just like I remember it: delicious, fresh, hefty. Always a good spot for a falafel sandwich because it’s low key, plenty of seating, and quick.As everyone does, get the combo with the banana shake. $10 now which is slightly higher than it was a few years ago.

Really enjoyed the fresh falafel! The prices are fair and the people who work here are nice. The meal was a little bit messy, but would check out this place again! The service is also very quick!

My go to place for a excellent Banana Milk Shake. Their burgers and fries are pretty tasty too. 😋.

I tried their gyros for the first time and was very pleased. The vegetables were fresh and properly seasoned. The meat is thick but not dry still retaining its flavor. Their banana milk shake is runny and saturated with sugar. Their pita chips are nice and toasty. The chips were inconsistent, some were hard and almost burnt. Overall a good meal.

Falafel sandwich was huge and sooooo delicious ! I'd post a picture but I ate it so fast it was so yummy

Best falafel in my life!

Simply the best Banana shake and falafel My Favorite!!

The Daily Special Best Value is quite tasty

Awesome falafels for the family and kids. It was well made and cooked.

This place has Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives written all over it. It's outdoor only. Order at the window and wait for your number to be called. Then find a picnic table to eat at. We got the combo that's a large falafel pita with a banana milkshake and added a side of pita chips. This is exactly what I recommend getting. Don't forget to ask for red sauce and tahini when you get your order. The falafel was cooked perfectly. The red sauce on the pita was the perfect complement. This was the best falafel pita I've had. The banana milkshake was made with real bananas and was delicious. The pita chips were a little bit soft in the way they were fried and seasoned perfectly. You didn't need anything with them but they went great with the red sauce and tahini. It's cash only so find an ATM ahead of time. It was pretty crowded when we were there, but we got our food fairly quickly. This is a must try in San Jose!

Best falafels ever! Decent wait time even when very busy whether eating there or to go. My favorite is the large falafel and fresh banana shake special for 10$. Great pineapple shakes too. I also like their hummus and fresh pita bread. My husband really likes the burgers he says they're better than most restaurant and burger joints.

Falafel place with a rich history (running for over 50 years, San Jose considers their sign a landmark) and very good sandwiches. The falafels were crisp and the sauces were spot on. Sane menu prices and personable staff. Definitely going to get lunch here whenever I'm out this way.

I love everything about their FOOD. Other stuff isn't perfect.Falafel's makes the best in the area. Period. No discussion necessary. Get the banana milkshakes - you'll be impressed. But if it's cold/raining, the indoor seating isn't enough. Also, the tables are super basic and uncomfortable. For a to-go order, I think they are awesome. For lunch, don't go unless you don't mind sitting down in a loud, inconvenient place with too many people talking/yelling. Overall I give them a thumbs up and I will never stop eating there. I love this place.

The Falafel Drive in, is by far one of the best places to get a scooby snack of any kind. Always happy with my results. And customer service.

Really good falafel sandwiches. Get extra red sauce.