California-style falafel wrap
Photo: Popo le Chien · CC BY-SA 3.0

History

Falafel's Drive-In opened on Stevens Creek Boulevard in 1966, predating the California fast-food falafel wave by decades. The owners developed a crisper, flatter patty profile than Middle Eastern originals and built a devoted following among San Jose State students and West Side locals. The restaurant has changed little since 1966: the same drive-in format, the same recipe, the same orange-accented signage. It became the unofficial falafel benchmark for the South Bay.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Sesame

Make it at home

Yield Makes 12-14 falafelHands-on 30 minTotal 13 hrDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 400 g dried chickpeas (NOT canned), soaked overnight in cold water
  • 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 large bunch flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 large bunch cilantro
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • Half tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • Neutral oil for deep frying
  • For serving: pita breads, tahini sauce (tahini, lemon, garlic, water), chopped tomato, shredded cabbage, hot sauce

Method

  1. Drain soaked chickpeas. They should be doubled in size but still raw inside, not cooked.
  2. Pulse chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley and cilantro in a food processor until coarsely ground, not smooth. The texture should hold together but remain slightly grainy.
  3. Add cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt, baking powder and flour. Pulse briefly to combine. Refrigerate mixture 1 hour.
  4. Heat oil to 180C in a deep pan. Test with a small ball: should sizzle immediately and hold shape.
  5. Form mixture into flat patties, about 4 cm diameter and 1 cm thick, using wet hands.
  6. Fry in batches 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until deep golden brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towels.
  7. Warm pita briefly in a dry pan. Spread tahini, add falafel patties, chopped tomato, cabbage and a splash of hot sauce.

Tip from the editors. Dried soaked chickpeas are non-negotiable: canned chickpeas are already cooked and the mixture turns paste-like instead of holding its shape during frying.

Where to eat california-style falafel wrap

California-style falafel wrap in San Jose

Falafel's Drive-In ★ 4.4

$ Middle EasternWest San Jose

Falafel's Drive-In is a San Jose icon on Stevens Creek serving crispy herbaceous falafel at a retro walk-up window, a Food Network-featured local institution.

OrderFalafel sandwich with house-made banana shake

Why locals goFeatured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives yet still unknown to many San Jose visitors, this walk-up window has served the same crispy falafel recipe for decades.

TipOrder the banana shake alongside your falafel sandwich; regulars have treated that pairing as the standard order here for generations.

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