Falafel mom — Restaurant in Danvers

Falafel Mom is a must-go for anyone on the North Shore, the kind of place you dream of stumbling upon in a food court but could never imagine actually existing. It's tucked into the middle of the Liberty Tree Mall, which was largely empty on the Sunday I visited. It's one of just three stands in the food court and the only indication that it might be as good as it is are the modest pictures of the focused menu behind the counter. I ordered shawarma, kofte, and falafel, each tucked into a lavash wrap with assorted veggies and pickles.

The care with which each sandwich was made was notable: the shawarma was seasoned perfectly, the kofte and falafel were both clearly homemade, and each wrap had been grilled to lend the sandwiches a delicious smokiness and a bit of crunch on the outside to match the crisp lettuce and onions inside. The white sauce served with the shawarma was especially good, with a strong but not overpowering garlicky flavor and a creamy, almost gelatinous consistency. The falafel was on par with the best you'd find in Watertown groceries, and the mixture of veggies and pickles was perfect for it. All three sandwiches were rather large but we finished them easily because they were so delicious.

Great restaurants in unusual places are a double-edged sword. It feels like a magical oasis when you find one, making the great food even more enjoyable. But it also means many people who would love it have probably never heard of it and wouldn't know where to find it anyway. If Falafel Mom was near me in Metro West or had a standalone shop in a crowded center it would have a line out the door at lunchtime. I hope they are generating enough word of mouth that they are doing well, but I also hope that success translates into their own storefront in a bigger space. The food certainly...

Our order was completely mishandled. After waiting for 30 minutes, we never received our food. When we asked for a refund, the staff didn't know how to process it, which wasted another 10 minutes. To make matters worse, the refund was short by a dollar because the owner couldn't operate the machine properly. Overall, it was a terrible experience, and I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone.

Edit to Respond: I want to provide specific details about my experience. I ordered food 31 minutes before asking for a refund (I checked the time on Apple Pay). When the order was 20 minutes late, I asked for an update because I noticed people who ordered after me were getting their food. They told me it would take a few more minutes, but no food came.

At 31 minutes past the order time, I asked for a refund because I was fed up. They said the food was almost ready. The owner tried to process the refund, which took him 10 minutes, and during that time, the cook finally made the food. So, the food wasn't ready when I initially asked for the refund.

The refund was supposed to be $32.08, but the owner couldn't get the refund system to work correctly, so we only got $31.12. He then said he would give us cash for the remaining amount, but he started counting pennies to make up the 96 cents. I told him to keep the 96 cents and left. I'm very annoyed by their customer service, which is why I'm sharing...

Delicious middle eastern food. Such an underrated hidden gem. The location is the only reason this place isn’t more well known. The liberty tree mall is pretty dead. The service was amazing the falafel “mom” was the sweetest. Reminds you of a home cooked meal by your momma. Me and my hubby ordered the shawarma and falafel sandwiches and also rice pudding. The shawarma was delicious it was smokey, fresh, crispy veggies and delicious garlic sauce. My falafel sandwich was crispy also had the garlic sauce I couldn’t get enough of and delicious olives and veg. The rice pudding was the perfect ending to the meal. It was the best rice pudding ive ever had, my husband had to take it from me because id eaten half of it before he barely even got a bite 😂 i thought one would be enough, it was not. Overall i can’t recommend this place enough. She told us everything is made fresh to order, the portions and price are perfect, and overall just a warm welcoming place definitely will be...