Madcapra

Am really hesitant about falafels as I’ve had so many dry ones but these ones a REALLY good. Absolutely delicious!

I had an amazing experience here. I have had falafel before, it was homemade, but tasting this falafel sandwich made my Thursday night.
Thank you employees for making it a memorable night.
Without a doubt I will be back and definitely not alone but with a crew to have a taste of some great Mediterranean food.

I had a salad — i think the green one? Regardless, it was delicious! And the staff there were very accommodating of my request to add all the veggies in my salad. Love their hot sauces and the harissa. I would eat here in a heartbeat if I lived in LA.

Let’s face it — Grand Central Market is now officially the 8^th Wonder Of The World. And it’s pretty hard to go wrong with anything you could order from any of its wonderful vendors, new or old. I hope to review all of them in good time. I’m just choosing to review this place first because I had it (again) most recently, and oh mama, do they know their way around a falafel!
I’ve tried 3 of their wraps now, but have finally settled on the Red as my go to. It’s a deceptively simple combination of flavors that end up making you smile with every bite. It’s messy, like all good food should be, and if you don’t end up dipping a napkin in cold water to remove the sauce stains from your shirt, you’re just not doing it right.
Wonderful work. Keep it up!

I love this place. I think their sandwiches are really great. The pita is so soft and delicious. And everything inside is awesome! When they first opened they had amazing specials — I am hoping they will bring them back!

Ok Madcapra, you’ve won my heart. You’ve turned a girl who doesn’t eat her veggies into one who actually does. Having lived in New York, there was an abundance of falafel stands for me to pick from and all of them had one thing in common: no matter how good they were, you would see me in the corner by the trash can picking the veggies off my falafel (#thisiswhyimfat). Then Madcapra came along and oh boy, trust me, you won’t see me looking for a trash can so I could pick my veggies and throw ‘em out.
I love their yellow falafel (feta, harissa, cucumbers, pickled sweet peppers and parsley). You got the sweetness from the pickled peppers which helps tone down the heat you get from the harissa. The feta helps combine all flavor notes together and it’s friggin’ amazing!
Their orange falafel (shredded carrots, spinach, pickled hot peppers, walnut-​yogurt & dill) wasn’t too bad either. I think what really makes the bite are the shredded carrots and c’mon, who doesn’t like the extra crunch, right?
Overall, I would definitely go back and for all you veggie haters, go to Madcapra, it’ll turn you into a believer!

Effing delicious.
Reminiscent of Euro street food version of the stuff.
Go with the sandwich. The salad will leave you hungry while costing more.

First time coming to Grand Central Market and the falafel sandwich caught my eye.
Service: Quick, easy, and helpful. I knew exactly what I wanted and it was an easy order to place.
Food: Pretty good but not as good as I was expecting. The sandwich is pretty big and filling for the pitas are rather large. I got the Red Falafel which was satisfying but felt like it lacked something… I just can’t quite put my hand on it. A bit overdone with the tahini, however, as most of my bites were saturated with the sauce and it was difficult to enjoy the other flavors, especially any crispyness of the lettuce.
Overall it was good, but not sure if it is worth the price.

Don’t attempt reading from the board or you’ll be confused by their menu. Detailed menus are available by register. I tried the orange falafel wrap and was pleased with the presentation, variety of veggies, and textures but was underwhelmed with the flavor. The sauce could be toned down a bit on the herb and sweetened slightly. Considering all the bright and beautiful veggies, the taste is very one dimensional thanks to the strong, herb overkill sauce. Also, the falafel itself was very sadly hard and overcooked. It wasn’t awful but definitely a disappointment.

If you love falafals, you must come to the Grand Central Market to try Madcapra. They provide fresh ingredients where you can taste the quality in literally every bite.
LOCATION
Madcapra is located towards the back of Grand Central Market when you’re walking in from the parking structure. It’s closer to G&B coffee than Eggslut.
PARKING
GCM parking no longer provides free parking, but it’s $ 2.00 for the first 90 minutes. Then, it’s $ 1 for every extra 15 minutes. Kind of pricey, but you get to explore all the goodness that Grand Central Market has to offer.
FOOD
Following fellow Unilocal elites’ advice, I went with the YELLOW FALAFEL SANDWICH, which was falafel with feta, harissa, cucumbers, pickled sweet peppers and parsley. This sandwich definitely has a kick to it. It comes with an orange and green sauce, but the chef told me I probably wouldn’t need it so much since the yellow is spicy by itself. I think the green was like parsley/​cilantro, but I could be wrong. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed my falafel. I felt healthy eating it even though I drenched it in the orange and green sauces lol.
They also have other falafels available as a sandwich ($ 11) or salad ($ 13):
RED (falafel with tomato, cabbage, pickles, tahini and basil)
GREEN (falafel with cauliflower, pickled fennel, labneh, cilantro, and mint)
ORANGE (falafel with carrots, spinach, pickled hot peppers, walnut-​yogurt, and dill)
Next time, I’d like to try to GO BIG, which is the sample of the menu for 2 people for $ 33.
I was intrigued by the cardamom coffee, and they generously gave me a sample of it. I don’t think I’m used to strong «Turkish”-style strong coffees, so I declined ordering it, and the employee was sweet enough to suggest its neighbor, G&B coffee, for a more classic coffee taste. I had a great experience here, and I’d definitely come back.

Salads are $ 13 and sandwiches are $ 11. The food here didn’t really agree with my tastebuds, they focus more on fillings like greens and veggies, which is cool if you are into non-​traditional style falafel sandwiches or salads. But, not my style, the falafels were small, a bit too fried, and not tasty enough for my liking. Definitely not worth the price for me, but the service was cool.
Probably won’t be back though, and not too many places to sit down and eat, since it’s set up like a market of course. However, we did come on a Saturday night around 630pm.
Parking is always a challenge in downtown, meter parking for 2 hours before 8pm. Got lucky and found a spot right away though.

Although a bit pricey, this place serves a well quality and tasty falafel sandwich. For $ 11 you get a large and well stuffed falafel. I ordered the red falafel, which came with tomato, lettuce, pickles, tahini & basil. I don’t think there was anything unique about it, but it is very well made and every ingredient is fresh. The falafel was large and was not dry at all. The pita bread is fluffy and warm (since it’s made to order). The tahini sauce complemented the sandwich well; their sauces are house-​made! Now reading all the reviews I wish I got the green falafel, since it seemed more unique.
Personally, I think the hot sauce is what made my falafel better… but i’m just a sucker for extra spice.
The owner chef was really sweet. He saw me rip my falafel apart and rewrapped it for me and showed me how I should eat it. Apparently you’re suppose to rip it as you eat (so the whole thing doesn’t fall apart). [[an example can be seen in my picture]]

While on jury duty I took the opportunity to try another Grand Central restaurant and selected Madcapra based on the numerous positive reviews.
I ordered the orange wrap, which contains shredded carrots, spinach, pickled hot peppers, and a walnut-​yogurt dill sauce in addition to the falafel. The falafel themselves were quite tasty; nice texture well seasoned, and seemed quite fresh and the fillings in all the wraps sounded really good. But for some reason, I just didn’t love the wrap the way I expected – and wanted – to. I think it might have been the flavors of the sauces. Maybe the yogurt-​dill competing with the red and green sauces I used. I wanted to get harissa, which I love, but selected the orange wrap because it had more vegetables. The pickled hot peppers were not very spicy at all and neither were the green and red sauces. However – and this is coming from someone who loves salt and even the maligned MSG – believe the reviewers who have said that food is salty. Man, is it ever salty! My tongue felt funny after eating the wrap from all the salt and the acidity of the sauces.
The wraps and salads seem healthier than other Middle Eastern places but I just didn’t love the meal and I’d just as soon spend my $ 11 elsewhere.

First time at grand central market! We came on a Sunday and it was packed! Egg slut was too long of a line so I decided to try this place and a falafel sounded bomb.
I got the yellow falafel sandwich, which was extremely delicious. It was a little spicier than expected, but nothing too extreme. It was $ 11 for a falafel and its a huge sandwich. I didn’t finish it, probably ¾ :/​. Will definitely come back to try their other items!

I’m going to say it. Madcapra serves the best falafel I’ve ever had. I got the sandwich on house made grilled flatbread w/​the red (tomato, cabbage, pickles, tahini & basil) every bite was perfection. Pared w/​a glass of white wine. Delicious!
Tip: Go early cause the line gets gnarly and grab a seat at their bar.
Cheers!

Wandered around Grand Central and am so happy I ended up at Madcapra! I ordered the green falafel wrap and a beet soda, both were so unique and delicious and went together just perfectly.
The falafel is nestled in a soft, freshly grilled flatbread that’s literally grilled right in front of you. The falafel itself is crispy and light. I loved the accompaniments in the green version: mint, cauliflower, and the creamy yogurt sauce.
Don’t miss the housemade sauces served at the counter! The green one was my favorite, though the red sauce infused with cardamom was also lovely.

Located within gentrifying Grand Central Market, Madcapra serves falafel-​centric Mediterranean cuisine. The falafel, as expected, is fried fresh to order.
Despite the classification of «falafel», it serves a bit more than falafel. The most memorable part of the experience was the cauliflower in the falafel salad I ordered. Get the green version.

While this was my second choice for food in the Grand Central Market, I am glad I took the opportunity to try MadCapra.
Madcapra is located under the big neon blue «falafel» sign lol. I love that thing. Priced at $ 10.50, I purchased the Falafel/​/​red Sandwich. My Initial reaction was big size that was filling for the price point.
Positive: the falafel is made right when you order which is awesome. Once I bit into one, light bit of steam came out with the amazing scent of the garbanzo beans. I thought the falafel had a nice outer crust & overall cooked perfectly. The bread used to hold the sandwich is a mix between a flatbread & laffa bread. I enjoyed it and that too is made as you order. They incorporated a tahini & their special orange sauce creation that I found enjoyable.
Negatives: while I do believe they had great main components to the sandwich, I think they went a little too off from how falafel sandwiches are made. The base was tahini which is a watery sauce that should not be considered a base. Also, they added mixed greens that, while fresh, did not mesh well with the overall taste.
This place was very good and has potential to grow. I think the owner should look into traditional style falafel sandwiches at least as a option. I believe 4 out of 5 stars is deserving. They can improve just a couple little things, but great quality & taste is represent here at MadCapra.

I like what they’re doing here. I love the look and feel of this place in Grand Central Market.
Living in «Little Israel,» I am lucky to have many falafel places to choose from along Ventura Boulevard.
Madcapra is modern falafel establishment and what you would expect from a couple of Brooklynites who decide to open up shop in LA.
The farm-​to-​table falafel here is good and filling a void for falafel in this part of town. You can choose between the green or red falafel, each with different ingredients.
The falafel here are smallish and square here. They charge for tahini which I found strange.
I looked up falafel in Downtown one night and found a few in the area where I can get falafel. You can see that they make their flatbread here fresh on the grill. Even the sticker on the foil covering the sandwich is stylish.
My favorite while dining here was the cardamom iced coffee and look forward to trying the beet sumac next.
Now, would I drive from the Valley again to eat here, probably not. It’s great for the locals in the area though to enjoy falafel.
For a falafel, tahini, cabbage salad, and cardamom iced coffee, lunch felt pricey at $ 25.
In a short span of time I tasted some of the best falafel in the city. I tried Joe’s Falafel, Hummus Bar, Dune, Esso, Amer’s Falafel, and Dr. Sandwich. I could tell you that I don’t need to drive far from the Valley for great falafel. Dune, another new modern and trendy falafel spot I visited, Dune is probably my least favorite. My favorite falafel so far is at Esso in Encino, which is a donut-​shaped falafel one would find in Aleppo, Syria.
A great addition for residents of Downtown LA! I would definitely appreciate this place a lot more than I do if I lived in Downtown.

A falafel joint inside Grand Central Market.
I come to realize the food in GCM is a bit overpriced
I’ve been craving falafels for awhile. and saw this place so thought I would check it out
Their menu is pretty basic.
I ordered their green falafel [ I got the wrap ]
Portion — quite large as I felt full after eating half of the wrap.
Falafel can be made into a WRAP or SALAD
Wrap was $ 10 + tax
In my taste, tasted a bit salty for me. maybe its because i drenched it with their green sauce. but still.
Hmm. maybe ill give it another go in the future.