Falafel Stop is a go

Atirath Kosireddy is a sophomore at Saratoga High.

When I head home from a class of Krav Maga (an Israeli fighting system), the workouts can make me hungry. Fortunately, Falafel Stop is conveniently located just on the side of Sunnyvale Saratoga Road across Fremont High School.

So one Saturday afternoon, my father I decided to stop by the small orange building just on the side of Sunnyvale Saratoga Road. Upon entering, the appetizing smell of falafels immediately won me over.

After about a minute of waiting, my father and I placed an order for two falafel sandwiches and a Greek salad, and we were given a receipt as a chef came up to the counter and offered each of us a falafel sample.

We waited in line outside for about five minutes until we handed the chefs our receipt. We watched them through the window busily prepare our food, filling pockets of pita bread with a variety of chopped vegetables, falafels and a white tahini sauce. When I received a big brown bag at last, I took a seat at a nearby bench outside, and my father and I unpacked our food.

The five-minute wait and price of $5.55 was well worth it as I took a bite of my sandwich. A mix of soft pita bread, fresh salad, tangy tahini sauce and hot, crispy falafels filled my mouth. It was evident that they did not skimp on the fillings; my stomach was both full and satisfied.

Within a few minutes of chowing down the last of my sandwich, I noticed the only dessert item at the bottom of the menu: Cream Bavaria.

Falafel Stop had yet to disappoint me, so I walked back to the cash register and requested a Cream Bavaria. In a few minutes, an employee brought out a small container filled with white mousse, drizzled chocolate syrup and sprinkled chopped peanuts into the dessert.

I returned to my table and found that the soft, white mousse paired up well with the miniature sponge cake. The chocolate syrup and chopped peanuts also added a slightly sweet and crunchy texture. While I was quite content with the food itself, I felt that the menu could have used more dessert options, or possibly some Middle Eastern or Mediterranean drinks.

In the end, however, I ate a decent amount of quality food  for a reasonable price, and only had to wait a few minutes in line, even with a mob of customers waiting. I can proudly say that the 21 minute drive from Saratoga won’t stop me from coming here again.