Santee Falafel

This place is a hidden gem. A lot of the middle eastern/​Mediterranean restaurants in downtown skimp the meat pretty badly and overcharge. This place has quality and is worth the money. Fresh food from the veggies to the meat. The only negative is really just the wait time. I’ve waited over an hour before. Five stars regardless.

I really like Santee falafel. It’s a hole in the wall. The people are nice and the food is really good. Good lunch or delivery to work spot. I definitely think of Santee falafel when I want lunch downtown.

After a few hours of walking around in the Fashion District, my family and I got hungry and needed something to eat quick. We didn’t want to drive to somewhere because we still had shopping to do, and one of the store owners recommended Santee Falafel. I’m always ready to eat falafel so I was excited to try this place out.
The inside is quite small with a large menu right about the register, and a couple of four-​seater tables. The cashier was very sweet and you could tell that she knew a lot of the customers because they were employees from the surrounding stores who were regulars here on their lunch breaks. I ordered the vegetarian plate– three pieces of falafel, salad, tabbouleh, baba ghanoush, and hummus. The plate was $ 9.99 for a bunch of food. All the food that was on my plate was delicious, and from what the rest of my family told me, their gyro was delicious as well.
It’s always nice to find small but delicious eateries. I wouldn’t return unless I was in the area, but it’s a great place to go take a quick break from looking at all the stores in the Fashion District.

I usually pack my lunch but one day I was just too lazy. I asked my coworker for a healthier lunch option and she recommended Santee Falafel. Did some research and it looked like the
Lamb Kafta Pita was calling my name.
Lamb Kafta Pita– Ground lamb grilled on a skewer and then stuffed in a pita with salad, hummus,. Asked them for some grilled jalapenos on the side and brought it back to work.
AMAZING. As I was eating I told my coworker I could eat this everyday. I actually just came on to Unilocal to see what else on their menu I can try today.
Must try!

Pretty chill spot
Falafel was on point
Rice was good
Prices are decent
Probably wouldn’t come back unless I was in the area lol but quality of food is really good

Delicious! A fresh, healthy, yummy meal for under $ 7. How can you beat that? Service was great. Place is clean. Definitely recommend. We will be back.

Best MIddle Easter Food in the FASHION DISTRICT! Chiken kabob is my favortie! I love the rice salad and everthing! I always ask for extra jalapeño! Yummy

Excellent Halal food!
My favorite is Chicken Shawarma Sandwich /​plate.
Their gyro plate is too good. filling & can easily share…

Got the veggie plate. Comes with falafel. Pretty good. There is one cook who makes everything so it takes a while. There aren’t that many options in the fashion district. So the place is always busy.

I LOVE THIS PLACE! This is my favorite Persian restaurant I’ve been coming here for about 20 years. The location is very clean, the owners and employees are very kind and respectful, and the food is incredible everytime. If you are in the Downtown LA/​Santee Alley District, you’ve really got to give this place a try– you won’t be disappointed.

This place is delicious. It is that one place you can’t miss out on whenever you go dress shopping at the Fashion District.
I had their lamb sandwich and it was so delicious! the meat was soft and all the ingredients were fresh and crunchy.
It is a very small restaurant so don’t expect to find a open table during lunch hours.

I stopped here because I was in the area and very hungry. I had the #29, chicken kabob and chicken Caesar salad. I didn’t realize the kabob was the chicken portion of the Caesar. Overall, it was tasty. It takes a while to prepare the food, so if you are in a hurry you may want to choose somewhere else. I’m going to grab a chicken Kafka pita to take with me on the plane. If I am in the area again, I will stop by if I have the time.

My friend ordered chicken and I ordered the fish.
It was delicious and we shared.
Parking was a bit crazy, but we found a spot.
Can’t wait to come back…

Prices are way too high for what you pay for. I asked for Fries. They made a mistake and gave me a small box of rice that had no taste for a grand total of $ 3.50 (What?!)
I even had the kind heart to tip them $ 3.00.
I think they just put whatever price they could because when I drove ALL THE WAY back to tell them I wanted fries, the side of rice WASN’T even on the menu… and fries were already $ 3.25. So this doesn’t make sense.
The gyros meat was salty and the hummus in the to go box had an empty hole in the middle… as if it was supposed to look half full.
And when I went back to tell the lady they gave me the wrong order, she had a snappy attitude.
Like…Really? After my Tip for you?!
No thanks… I will not go back.

Delicious! As a middle eastern person myself I know what is authentic flavorful middle eastern food. This place is absolutely spot on. You step in and it’s usually very busy. The restaurant itself is very clean and cozy feeling. Service is warm and friendly. Food is delicious and fresh. What more could you ask for?

Delicious little restaurant located in the fashion district, specializing in falafel, kabob n gyros. All their food is delicious and this place is consistently busy. Their only down side is the small amount of seating available (10 – 12 tables). Which happen to be always packed during peak dining times.
I’ll definitely continue to frequent this place when I’m in the area, but it’s definitely more convenient for take out.

I LOVE Middle Eastern/​Mediterranean cuisine and this place will knock your socks off. The food is SUPER delicious and fresh and the humus is to DIE FOR!
I’ve come here twice now both times after strolling through downtown looking at all the cool shops and things you can buy in BULK! The owner is a Syrian lady and she’s very nice.
The place is small but clean and prices are fair considering how FLAVORFUL everything is. I got the #12 the first time I was here (all the meats: beef, chicken, fish I think) and the second time I came I got the #9 (chicken with rice, humus, salad, and pita bread.
I don’t easily give out 5 stars but this place just rocks. DO IT DO IT!

It’s more 3.5 stars, but nothing really convinced me to round up.
Deductions for customer service and prices.
I got the Greek salad with chicken shwarma and a falafel pita. The salad was good, not exceptional. The dressing was average but they do add a good amount of meat. It’s a good meal that will leave you feeling satisfied and not full.
The falafel pita was great. Great flavor, hearty and moist. The pita bread is fluffier than typical pita and it’s a nice size. If I returned I would purchase the pita over the salad.
The prices are a little ridiculous though. A small side of tabbouleh is around $ 5. I’ve never seen it priced that high. The woman working the register wasn’t the sweetest either. But I came to purchase food not make friends, so whatever.
Parking may suck on a busy day too, but it’s LA so that’s not a shocker.

OMG AMAZING!!! Growing up I always got authentic middle eastern food in Kuwait and Dubai and this was just like it! Fresh, made to order, juicy, tasty, mouth watering deliciousness! So cheap and so good. I wish there were more places like this all over. Their hours aren’t, so if you decide to go make sure you know they are open.
I ordered a kabob sandwich which was out of this world. It was cooked to perfection, juicy, tender, and the sauce combination was perfect. One sandwich is less than 8 bucks and it fills you up. It was so good that my picky 4 and 2 year kids even ate the sandwich. Next time I am there I will try to explore the menu because their hummus and falafel looked amazing as well.

Lunch on a holiday Monday. Ordered the chicken shawarma on Greek salad and the falafel plate with a side of yogurt. Small storefront dinner street parking.
Real food done well and great taste and value.

the best falafel in los angeles