FelFel Mediterranean — Restaurant in Denver

We visited Fel Fel when it opened in late 2012-early 2013, when it was a new restaurant and used to love the high quality food, the friendly owner and staff who were always happy to explain things, and the reasonalable prices. The only downside was the restaurant atmosphere was a bit plain and dated.

Unfortunately, we moved from the area shortly after and I stopped by today after several years as I was in the area to pick up something from the nearby Micro Center. Upon entering the restaurant, I noticed that the restaurant had undergone an extensive remodel and looked very nice and modern.

Fel Fel now forces you to use the self-serve kiosks to order which can be time consuming and frustrating. There were no staff members present while ordering, so customers are on their own while ordering. The sandwiches are very expensive ($13-17 for just a sandwhich) plus an additional $5-6 for a combo with fries or falafels and a drink. There are $2 upcharges for things like pita bread, instead of a whole grain wrap, a $2 upcharge for feta cheese, etc.Thus means the average meal comes out $20-24, which is very pricey for a fast casual restaurants and rivals the cost of many greek/mediterran full-service dine-in restaurants. To top it off, at the end of the self-service the system defaults to a 20% tip and you have to change it! A 20% tip should be reserved for great service at a full service dine-in restaurant, not for a fast casual restaurant with self service kiosks and no one to help you.

In addition, it wasn't very clear where the registers to pay by cash were and there was no staff present. So I went to ask the kitchen staff and at that point, the owner, a stocky, middle aged man with a beard came running and said "come back with me this way, sir" in an unfriendly tone. He then rudely told me to give him the kiosk ticket and said that I have to put the cash into the machine by myself. The owner was pretty blunt throughout the transaction.

The only nice thing was that the owner did offer to have a staff member clean off a nearby table, though I politely declined. I know I was tired at the time, as I had worked a busy 10 hour shift at my job, but I was polite and said "thank you" multiple times, so I don't understand why the owner couldn't have been more friendly, welcoming, and helpful, instead, he was bursque and wanted me to do everything myself.

My spicy chicken shawrma wrap came out 15 minutes later and was pretty tasty with hot and freshfrench fries. The chicken was tender and the pickles and cabbage were of good quality. However, the food, while tasty, isn't the same quality as several full-service dine-in Greek/Mediterrean restaurants, such as the nearby Yanni's in Greenwood Village or Opa Grill in Parker; even though the food prices at Fel Fel are actually higher than those two restaurants. To top it off, remember that Fel Fel's kiosks default to a 20% tip when there is no one present to help you order.

Despite the good quality and taste of the food, it was presented horribly while dining-in. My food didn't come on a plate with silverware instead, I got a cheap plastic bag with my sandwich wrapped in foil and a small compostable take-out box containing the french fries and only three paper napkins. Other fast casual restaurants like Noodles and Company and Jason's Deli give you actual plates, silverware, and plenty fo napkins. I really wonder why Fel Fel is so cheap in their presentation, especually when the prices are so high.

I was excited to come back to Fel Fel after so many years, but the owner's rude behavior ruined my epxerience. He was constantly berrating delivery drivers by saying, "can't you see the pickup window outside, why did you come inside?" The owner also could be heard a few times during my meal yelling at the kitchen staff to hurry up. The employee who handed me my food was very polite, so I am not sure why the owner was constantly angry at them.

Absolutely ridiculous response from the owner and it proves my point about his rude and arrogant attitude. The food was...

A fair and honest review from a recent visit.

I’m not writing this to be negative—just to share my experience and hopefully help others make an informed choice. I visited FelFel with genuine curiosity, but unfortunately, the food fell short. It was bland, dry, and reminded me more of reheated fast food than anything freshly prepared. Even when compared to average Mediterranean or Middle Eastern spots, the flavors just weren’t there.

The service is minimal. You order through a kiosk, and the food is handed over the counter. The staff seemed busy and focused on getting orders out, which I respect—but there was no personal touch or effort to create a connection. If you value any kind of interaction or hospitality, you may feel that something is missing.

What concerned me most was reading through the owner’s responses to others who left thoughtful reviews. Many are met with comments like “our food isn’t for everyone” or “go elsewhere if you didn’t enjoy it,” often implying that dissatisfied customers just don’t know what good food is. That kind of attitude makes it hard to feel heard, and it’s not something you expect when leaving respectful feedback.

The restaurant is in a prime, high-visibility spot, but in my opinion, the location does more to attract customers than the food or experience itself. Interestingly, there are other restaurants in the same shopping center—less visible, but worth discovering. If you're in the mood for Mediterranean, or even something like Asian cuisine, it’s worth exploring a bit further into the shopping center. You might find something that feels more genuine, both in taste and in service.

Again, this isn’t written out of frustration. Just a respectful note from someone who appreciates good food and honest service—and didn’t...

While eating my meal, I discovered a penny inside the meat. Naturally, I was concerned, so I went back to the restaurant to let them know, thinking they would take it seriously.

Instead of addressing the issue professionally, the owner became furious when I told them about it. When he saw me taking a picture of the penny as proof, the owner actually called me “evil” for doing so! I was stunned by their hostile reaction, especially since I was simply trying to point out a serious problem with my food. I wasn’t expecting this level of disrespect for something that could easily have been resolved with an apology and a commitment to fix the issue. I’ve loved this place for a long time, but after being treated so poorly over something as serious as food safety. It’s truly disappointing when a restaurant you’ve supported for years handles a situation like this so unprofessionally.

First and foremost, I didn’t even ask for a refund although I highly deserve one. I don’t care about the money, even one of the staff members was apologizing to me! Second of all, you can clearly see in the picture the penny is blackened from being grilled along w the meat! The meat literally melted on the penny! Third of all, this is no way to speak to a customer ! Calling your customers “evil” when you were in the wrong. Post the video ! So your customers can see the way you react when the restaurant does something wrong, how you chase customers out of your...