This place is a classic in downtown. Their gyro plate is great, I love to pair it with the garlic and hot sauces. Their fries are really nicely seasoned and crispy, honestly probably some of the better fries around town. Always fairly busy but they get you your food pretty quick. I have also heard their butter chicken is good but haven't tried it myself. Can't go wrong here though to be honest.

The beef shawarma plate at Falafel Cafe always hits the spot. The beef is super tender and flavorful, and love getting the hummus and cabbage. Great service and a cozy atmosphere. Highly recommend!

This is a great lunch option in the medical center, whether you want to eat in with coworkers or friends, or order a quick to-go meal. They have build your own shawarma wraps, bowls and plates - you pick your choice of meat, veggies, hummus, and sauces. My favorite is the falafel wrap with their tasty hummus. Their fries are always on point, with that classic halal joint seasoning. Wait can be a while during the lunch rush, but the employees always churn out orders quickly. Don't expect the most beautiful interior, but plenty of tables and patio seating for your bigger groups!

Great tasting food. And the service is friendly and quick. My favourites are falafel, gyro and babaghanoush.

I FALAFEL-ING IN LOVE WITH YOU! Happy New Year everyone! Since it's a new Year, I am kicking off this year with going to some new spots and some old spots too. Falafel Cafe has been on my list for quite some time now. I've been recommended this spot many times. Honestly I falafel that I have missed out on this spot for so long. Located on 19th and 4th! Right around the corner from Publix. This spot is the perfect location for anyone who works at UAB or Children's as it is very easy to walk to. The menu has an array of Mediterranean foods. From of course falafels to hummus, grape leaves and much more. Courtney and I both ordered the Chicken Shawarma. We were able to customize our meal to our liking! Think Chipotle bowl style customization. Service was very good. The woman and man working behind the counter were super sweet and gave amazing recommendations! Courtney got the hot sauce on his pita as I did not. One bite and he was coughing and breaking a sweat. This hot sauce is intense. Be warned! Inside the shop is a little blah. I wished there was some more decor inside. It seemed to just be white walls. Due to this, we chose to sit outside. The out side seating is definitely a plus! If visit Birmingham or as a worker at one of the hospitals, I highly suggest coming to this mediterranean food restaurant. Super easy location and walkable from UAB or Children's!

This place came highly recommended. And while I thought the food was pretty good, it was a little awkward to order and I didn't get what I wanted. I get so excited when places put french fries in the sandwich - that's how it's done! But when I asked for that, there was a miscommunication and I got them on the side instead. My hopes were raised and then dashed. But, in terms of falafel - excellent. Well done and worth the price. I'd recommend going here as a vegetarian for sure.

The outside definitely has me fooled. It's a small corner diner that offers quick delicious Mediterranean dishes. Large portions and great service. Not too much space to dine in however they have out door seating as well.

I'm by no means an expert on this type of food but what I had was very tasty and something I'd definitely come back for. I got a beef shawarma wrap that had hummus, rice, beef, lettuce and onion. All ingredients very good especially the beef and rice. I wasn't sure on the sauces so just asked to add a little hot sauce to spruce up the flavor. I also got a small order of falafel just to say I tried it. I was pleasantly surprised how tasty they were! Wrap and small order of falafel with a drink cost me $20. Felt a bit high but maybe that's the going rate for this kind of stuff. Still happy with my visit and will be back.

It's a pretty basic-looking corner spot, and I wondered if it was overrated. But they do a lot of key things right. For one, the customization options are many, laid out in a fast-casual presentation where you can get your falafel (or whatever else) over rice, in a pita, or over salad. I was happy that my salad started with basic lettuce but then gave me the options to pick what other toppings I wanted; a lot of Middle Eastern places stick me with things I don't want. But here, I got red cabbage, onions, and some very smooth hummus. When I asked for hot sauce, I thought they shorted me a bit by giving me only one drizzled line, but then I started eating and found it to be serious stuff. I'm not sure I needed any more than a drizzle. Adding fries got me a freshly cooked batch with chili powder dusted on them. I wish I'd spotted the combo option and just gotten a drink too. This is the sort of restaurant that I think can fairly be given a high rating for being good at what they're trying to do. It's fast food doled out in a styrofoam container, but it's good stuff, and vegetarian and vegan-friendly to boot.

Anything here is good. Whether you get actual middle eastern food or even the indian chicken tikka masala, they have perfected a home-style taste & are efficient - I'd say it's a Middle Eastern chipotle! The dishes are very filling so very worth the ~$12 you'll end up paying and there are many toppings to choose from which I love. I usually get the hummus bowls (comes with a free pita) with chicken schwarma and have never been disappointed :)