Vela Cafe — Restaurant in Sacramento

Wonderful little place. Found it walking by on lunch before it opened and I saw the former owner of a gyro shop in the food court at the downtown mall. I loved that place! The guy gave me a falafel stamper thing because he knew how much I loved his falafel and tahini. He used to have a place called Juliana's Kitchen, my god I miss that shwarma... Well seeing him there meant good things to come right? Not only that but he employed some consistently good people I bonded with, who coincidentally are working there now as well. The place has developed since then and it is exactly what I expected. Falafel is on point, not too dry or undercooked, the tahini is where it's at though, tangy, zesty... unforgettable. They had Tabasco in a dang pump!! That's some customer love right there. The real catch is the price you're going to pay for different food than you'd find at other buffet type scenarios, esp for the downtown Sac lunch scene. Basically the place serves my kind of food, has cherry flavored soda when I feel the need, and Tabasco by the pump, it's basically all the things I need in one place... with dessert located inside the place. To recap: +price +variety +customer service +taste +the best tahini in the world Seriously, the customer service experience is underrated this...

I just started going back after initially patronizing them when they opened. Turns out, the breakfast burritos are good and so is the breakfast bagel. They are kinda pricey and the service is slow. You would think that they would have a full staff during the morning rush. Not sure what the service is like during lunch, but I would be hesitant to go. The worker in the morning is really nice and accommodating.

Update * loss my card here a month or so ago. Called because I received a notification for a declined purchase on a frozen card. The person that answered the phone was rude. She pretended as if she didn't understand what I was saying. She hung up. I called back, she didn't answer. I blocked my number and called back to speak to the manager, she said why then hung up again. RIDICULOUS! I'll NEVER...

After wanting to come here forever, I finally made it in this morning and became a firm believer in the miracle of this wondrous gem of a restaurant. I'll only ever be able to enjoy breakfast here unless my work schedule changes. The vegetarian breakfast burrito, however, is large enough to tide me over way past lunch, chocked with all sorts of fresh things, seasoned just right and leaving nice, lingering flavors on my taste buds. My spouse's Bagel Deluxe was not too shabby, either. They feature Peets Coffee (which somehow tastes better here than at an actual Peets!). The owner is super nice, hospitable and gives great service. Outdoor dining area, fully covered, is also a plus, though the entire space looks bright, cheery and inviting. I can hardly...