Falafel Inc. Glorious Simplicity at Wharf DC

Walt Whitman said, “Simplicity is the glory of expression” and Falafel, Inc., true to Whitman’s words, has the simplest of menus and it is glorious. Falafel Inc. is DC’s hometown falafel shop. We are lucky to have one of the only two storefronts here at the Wharf DC. The menu consists of falafels and french fries. That’s it.

Manager Rony Cabrera

Store manager, Rony Cabrera, says you have the option for your falafel to come in a pita or as a salad. You can get a bag of six bite sized falafels as well. The pita comes stuffed with fresh falafel, lettuce, red cabbage, tabbouleh, tahini, and their red sauce that adds a bit of heat. At $3 a falafel, this must be the best bargain at The Wharf. For a buck, they will add hummus to it. The salad bowl includes red cabbage, tabbouleh, tahini, tomatoes, cucumbers, and pickles on a bed of greens and special sauce.

Falafel

Everything at Falafel is cooked right in front of you. Behind the counter is a massive cauldron of hot oil. You place your order and in goes your falafel. In a few minutes, it ends up in your pita or salad bowl.

But here’s the thing. The real magic of Falafel, Inc. comes after the pita or bowl is in your hands. On the way out of the restaurant is a line up of colorful sauces in squeeze bottles. This is where you are going to make your falafel your own. The spices run from zesty, to mild, to spicy. Here’s the line up.

Falafel sauces

? Falafel White – creamy, mayo based white sauce

? Mazbout – the original falafel sauce, tahini based

? Garlic White – garlic based, smooth and lemony

? Habibi – flagship sauce, no description could do it justice

? Red – spicy, tangy, and just the right amount of heat

? Invisible – Jalapeño blend w/ secret numbing spiciness

Zaatar fries

The french fries might be the best that can be found at The Wharf. They are also cooked to order in front of you in fresh olive oil (separate from the oil used for the falafels. But to be correct, they are not French fries, they are Zaatar fries. According to Falafel, Inc. Zaatar is one of Palestine’s most treasured spice blends found on the mountain sides near the West Bank of Palestine. The spice is sprinkled on top of the fries giving them a savory, salty flavor. It is recommended to use the Garlic White sauce on your fries.

Falafel Inc. also makes pita chips from the cut-off corners of the sandwich . The chips are extra crunchy. You can also get an order of hummus to create your own chips and dip.

Falafel Inc. has a social mission to create a refugee workforce that is operating in over 100 stores around the world in order to feed one million refugees a year.

Falafel Inc. is located at the Market Square section of the DC Wharf across from Rappahannock and adjacent to Officina. There is no seating inside the restaurant but there are stand up tables just outside at Market Square.