Falafel's Drive-In on Stevens Creek has served its own falafel tradition since 1966: crispy patties in a soft pita with tahini, tomato and a choice of hot sauce.
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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