LA has authentic Italian food, Indian restaurants, and even a few Ethiopian gems, but for me, LA was always lacking that perfect falafel joint. And then came Fala Bar, an effortlessly perfect shop that combines my love for mediterranean spices, fried foods, and everything photogenic. Below I've outlined a few of the many reasons you should drop whatever you're doing right now and head to the closest Fala Bar.
The Menu
Unlike the traditional falafel restaurant, Fala Bar not only has wraps and falafel plates, but also serves killer burgers, salads, and sides. My personal favorites are the fala sandwich, fala me to heaven salad, Southwest burger, and sweetie fala fries.
There are five falafel flavors to choose from: original, sweet potato, spicy, crunchy, and kale. After taste-testing them all, original, crunchy, and kale tasted really similar to me. The spicy definitely packed a punch. And the sweet potato tasted like an interesting dessert-like falafel.
The Portions
They're giant, so come hungry. My best friend (who eats more than any person I know, but somehow manages to stay stick-skinny) could hardly finish her Fala Me to Runyon salad. She forced herself to finish it, of course, because of how darn delicious it was.
The Locations
There are currently two Fala Bar locations blessing Los Angeles with their chickpea goodness.
The first, slightly larger restaurant is on Abbot Kinney in Venice Beach. This infamous street sits blocks away from the ocean and is the home to cute boutiques, painted walls, and everything else Insta-worthy. The atmosphere is sleek and homey with its neon green "NO FAKE SH*T" sign and long wooden benches.
The other is in a more hipster area on the corner of Melrose and Fairfax in West Hollywood. This location, while tiny, is welcoming and ultra-casual. It's the type of place where you can show up in your pajamas, grab a salad with extra hummus, and have a simply amazing day.
#spoontip: the Melrose Trading Post sets up shop on Sundays right across from Fala Bar. Falafel is the perfect refuel after you're done trying on sunglasses and thrifting some bleached Levi shorts.
The Versatility
Everyone can eat at least something at Fala Bar. It's vegan, nut-free, kosher, soy-free, and gluten-free. And for those picky eaters in your life, they can customize the hell out of any menu item to make it suit their taste buds.
Next time you're craving falafel (AKA right now) head over to Fala Bar, order yourself a nice meal, and please bring me something, too. ILY, Thanks.