Flexible hours? Open 11:30 am – 9:45 pm DAILY.
Take out? Check. Delivery? Check.
Flavorful falafel and sides of Zaatar Pie (wild dried thyme, sesame, sumac, oil…. pictured below)? Check & check.
I somewhat detest lengthy food reviews. All I’m looking for is to see if a place is recommended or not. When it comes to falafel, what with falafel being one of my favorite foods as it’s delicious, not only vegan but also usually wheat-free, there are a million establishments in NYC alone, Manhattan to Brooklyn to Queens and beyond that all claim having the best falafel there is.
There’s nothing quite so boring as a rambling 2-page single-space essay on someone’s opinion of a restaurant that doesn’t really get to the nitty gritty. I’ll attempt to not do that and hit on the main points pertaining to my new favorite Bay Ridge local restaurant for Middle Eastern delights — Karam Restaurant.
Straight off the bat, sorry to disappoint my hardcore vegans, but this is a Lebanese restaurant first, and an option for vegans second. There IS more on the menu you CANNOT eat than options you can, but that doesn’t mean you’ll walk away hungry; if you can ignore the chicken/lamb/cow carcasses incorporated into an otherwise fine selection of plant-based options, I think anyone could enjoy the incorporation of Middle Eastern seasoning and flavor that this establishment offers.
I’m a pretty standard falafel lover, so that’s what I got. Chickpeas ground with spices, rolled into a ball and lightly fried. I got a side of “Hommous” and “Babaghanouj” (variety spellings — each place is different, and this is how they spell theirs, hence the quotation marks for appropriation) because I love appetizer dips even though I cannot have pita bread (reiterate: wheat allergy; I separately bought blue corn chips foreseeing that this would be my only meal alteration). I lastly ordered some vegan grape leaves (rice and spices stuffed) and a side of whipped garlic/oil spread for some extra heat.
Short and sweet to the cut? Everything was DELICIOUS. My favorite aspect of eating “foreign” (i.e. non-American) cuisine is that you get a colorful array of flavors that standard foods don’t utilize. This was no disappointment there. I ordered in the restaurant itself so I got to smell the restaurant in person firsthand and can attest to it’s magical Middle Eastern appeal. The ONLY thing, if I had to find a fault, is that by the time I got home with my falafel, they weren’t the delightful crunchy texture I’m used to and were a little “soggy”, likely from the steam trapped in the carry-out container. Other than that, I’d 10/10 get it again.
I may have found my new favorite go-to for Middle Eastern cravings… Except for my falafel, I might just opt to dine in next time. 🙂
Interested in seeing more options? Check out Karam’s Full Menu HERE.
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