Robaii Falafel & Persian Bites

THey are no longer but I think I know where they moved to…

NO!!!
From Palo Alto Online, May 14, 2010
PALO ALTO LOSES ANOTHER RESTAURANT … This time, it’s Robaii Falafel, the cozy family-​run restaurant at 496 Hamilton Ave. Known for its $ 5 baba ghanoush, it would have celebrated its 12^th anniversary this month if it hadn’t decided to throw in the towel last month. «We closed it. There were many issues,» Robaii owner Dar Nafar said. «It was a combination of the landlord, boredom and downtown depression,» he said. Robaii, which offered inexpensive Persian cuisine at Hamilton Avenue and Cowper Street, is seeking another location. Meanwhile, a new restaurant is preparing to move in and change the cuisine from Persian to Thai. Expected to open in the fall, it will be called Siam Orchid, and should not be confused with either Siam Royal or Krung Siam, two nearby restaurants on University Avenue.

Nice family-​run, casual place for a quick lunch. I usually get the vegetarian platter, because they have really crunchy, tasty, nicely spiced falafel. I have never gotten a mushy or greasy falafel here, probably because they’re smaller and more fried (yum!) Tasty hummus also. They’re very generous with the salad that comes with it. Shawarma is not bad either. Chicken can be a little overdone from time to time.
Chat with the owner a bit while you’re ordering, and he’s really nice to you. He’ll let you swap out items that come on the plate, and will bring it to your table.

Great restaurant for what it is! Cheaper than the ones on university ave. Great falafel for only 5.50! The owner was really nice and overlooked the credit card minimum for me :) Took a bit longer than I expected for the food to come out (10 mins), but it was steaming hot and super fresh and crunchy when I got it, which made the wait totally worth it! I have to say that I still prefer Falafel’s Drive In in SJ because they’re so quick, but I’d pick this place over any of the others on Univ Ave.
Oh yeah, they use RED LEAF LETTUCE instead of iceberg. You guys are awesome for that :)

I walked pass this cozy little restaurant while running some errands during lunch and figured I would get a quick bite to eat here before heading back to work. I took a look at the menu hung above the cashier and saw a wide variety of items. I chose the Lamb Shawarma minus tabouli since it had an onion mixture, $ 6.99 before tax.
While I awaited my meal to arrive, I looked around and sat down at the table closest to the entrance door so I could get a good look at the place. There were about six tables inside and some patio seating outside. The kitchen was tucked away in the back behind the cashier. The Doogh yogurt drink seemed intriguing, but I would have second thoughts ordering a drink like this during work thinking there would be consequences involved and I would pay the piper later in the day if the yogurt was sour. For some reason, every time I drink that asian yogurt drink called Yakult, known for its probiotic qualities, I always have a sour stomach afterwards.
It only took a few minutes until the server came out with the yellow plastic deli bowl. The Shawarma was wrapped in a thin yellow wax paper. It was a simple presentation. After unwrapping the paper, I saw a huge round pita. About a quarter of the pita was unused and pretty much contained air until half way through. Personally, I think there was too much hummus overpowering the rest of the ingredients. I was able to see and taste fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and lamb. The lamb was tender and when I was able to get a piece of lamb by itself, I could savor the lightly marinated lamb. There weren’t a whole lot of spices giving off good flavor, but after thinking more about it, I’m pretty sure the flavor would’ve come from the tabouli I had taken out. If the hummus had a distinct flavor, that would add more flavor, but it tasted bland and creamy. I was in and out in less than 15 minutes and that’s what I call a quick eat!
I’d be willing to try Robaii a second time to get better taste of what this little family owned restaurant had to offer. The Persian Burger with marinated beef is the next menu item on my list. Overall, 3 solid stars. Wish me luck if I do decide to try out the Doogh next time!

Food was pretty good.
Portions a bit small.
Price not cheap.
Owner is sitting watching cartoons on his laptop with full sound and laughing. Not really the relaxing atmosphere I like when I want to go eat. Owner doesn’t bother to serve plate to table even though it is 10 steps for him. Owner asks customers to put garbage in can and «don’t forget to recycle.» That by itself is not bad but overall, I think the owner really doesn’t care much for the customer.

Went here for lunch with the wifey. Have to say that the food was just ‘okay’. I ordered the koobideh, which while was tasty, seemed like they were cooked hours earlier. It was clearly was reheated. The wife had a falafel wrap, which I think was a lot better than my dish. The actual falafel balls were good, crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside. The hummus was bland at best, seeming like the tahini was flat, with no hints of lemon or garlic. The tabbuleh was actually good and so were the fries. I have to say, the guy was patient enough to bare with me as I tried to figure out what to order… thanks for that.
I wouldn’t revisit this place unless for falafels, but instead will stick to my favorite Rose Market. They know instead how meat should be done :) Hummus — I’m still on the hunt for a place than can whip up like the lebanese.

LOCATION — Convenient. A little away from the hustle and bustle of University Avenue. They have indoor and outdoor seating. Nice place to sit and people watch.
FOOD — Good. The koobideh kabab with hummus was very good.
SERVICE — Efficient. New York style. Very few words are used to transact. You are in and out. ;-) I don’t have a problem with that.

The lamb/​beef in pita is solid. Fresh lettuce and tomato, fresh pita, and tasty lamb/​beef. Ambiance is not the reason you go to this place; it’s small and casual inside. The owner/​manager is very friendly.
Definitley would go back

I had a schwarma the other day here, the lamb was difficult to chew (too much cartilage?), the pita fell apart on my lap and it was overall a terrible experience (I threw away nearly the entire thing).
Since I’ve been going here for the past decade, my experiences have varied but in recent trips the quality of the food has certainly declined. I’m not sure why that is but I’d avoid this place at all cost.

I remember when this Persian place first opened a few years back (2001?). I immediately liked the no frills look, limited menu, and the reasonable prices.
Fast forward a couple of years, it’s still an unpretentious spot where you order up front and then find a seat (inside or outside). I had the chicken sandwich in a whole pita ($ 6.49). For some reason I thought it was shawerma even though the menu clearly states it is grilled boneless chicken. The chicken was diced in cubes of just the right size. Tasty but I still prefer chicken shawerma. I also prefer the lavash to the pita for these types of sandwiches because they’re easier and less messy to handle. Their pita was standard. It would be easier to eat if it were cut in half. The stuffed pita also includes crispy chopped lettuce, lots of yogurt sauce and finely chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, and so forth.
I forgot to pick up some hot sauce which for me is a tragedy. I wish they had big squeeze bottles of it on every table. And maybe squeeze bottles of extra yogurt sauce too.
The owner is very friendly and it feels like a place where they care about what they serve. Everything seems fresh and homemade. They also had some tasty looking desserts at the register.

This place is decent. Fairly good quality but a bit overpriced for what it is. The inside is certainly nothing special. Order your food, sit down, pick up, sit back down and eat. You wouldn’t want to have to tip in a place like this. The portions did seem a bit skimpy. Come on dude, it’s chick peas — not fillet mignon. Load that stuff on there! There’s definitely something ‘cheap’ about this place, like having to treasure hunt the hot sauce out of a soda refrigerator, and other stuff like the owner breathing heavy over the cash register with dollar signs in his eyes.
My wife’s salmon was fresh and done very well though once again ‘skimpy.’ Though that was OK with her.

This has been my go-​to place for falafels for the last five years. I think the key to a good falafel is the balance between the crispness of the outside and moistness on the inside. Some places have falafels that moons can orbit, so it feels like you’re eating something with the texture of a small baked potato on the inside. Here, the falafels are about the size of a tater tot so in one or two bites, you can get both the crisp spicy outside and the light texture of the ground chickpeas.
I always get the falafel combo which comes with a decent hummus and a really good baba gonoush, with a light smoky flavor. There’re also pitas, lettuce and tomato for those who want to make your own sandwich (i.e. it’ll keep the falafels crunchy until you eat them).

I have always been confused as to what the correct name is for this place. Some people call it «Robaii’s.» I’ve always called it «Robaii’s Persian Bites.» And it does… but I get ahead of myself. This being a convenient location, I have eaten here at least a dozen times, and my conclusions are the food is good, but the portions are too small, and consequently the prices become too high if you want to have a reasonable lunch.
Let me repeat, I have few complaints about the quality of the food here. The falafel balls are some of the better ones in the area. If you want to try them, go for the falafel plate. The meat dishes here are also good, though not as good as Mediterranean Wraps or Gyros Gyros. I also like quality of the hummus that is included on many plates.
The main problem is, almost every time I’ve eaten here, I’ve left hungry. Consequently, I either got back in line and ordered another plate of food or actually picked up food somewhere else. That’s just isn’t right. As a public service, they should have a sign announcing: [When we say «Persian Bites» we are not kidding. Each plate is just three bites]
Items here will cost between $ 7 and $ 9. As others have said, that’s pretty reasonable, but not when you have to double your order just to get enough to eat. For this reason, I gave up on Robaii’s a while ago. I prefer Mediterranean Wraps over on California Ave.

Decent falafel in pita. Lettuce used could have been a bit crunchier and the falafel balls a skosh more crisp on the outside. But still acceptable anyway. Friendly service.
Warning: if you want hot sauce, its in the refrigerator. Don’t make the same mistake I did — reaching for the ketchup by mistake. The hot sauce is darker.

I am a creature of habit. I almost always order the same thing. You know when you’d like to be brave and order something new but you’re just soo hungry and eating something crappy when you’re starving is just not satisfying. You just can’t take that chance when you are really REALLY hungry.
Anyways…I ALWAYS get the falafel. Its just really fresh and tasty. Its a decent amount of food too. I leave full. The place is very low key and kicked back too. Casual.
So if everything there is just as good as my usual falafel and a coca cola, then Persian Bites definitely a fiver for me.

I just happened upon this little eatery. It’s across the street from my physical therapist’s office. I love Greek food!
I had the Falafel first with a side of hummus and tabouleh. Everything was fresh, except for the falafel balls. I think they were microwaved. That ding! You know?! Not something I like to hear. I must be spoiled by the Falafel Drive-​in down in San Jose. NO microwave!
Today I had a Gyro. The yogurt sauce was delicious! The lamb was dry. The ends of the slices of meat were tough and hard. Like it had been re-​heated. I didn’t hear a ding this time and I sure listened for one. The veggies were fresh and so was the pita.
Both sandwiches of course were in a pita. I would have preferred they split the pita across so there were two parts of the sandwich. They stuff a whole pita and it never stays together, never enough sauce to reach all of the parts at the bottom.
The staff were friendly. The restaurant is clean. It is such a pleasant place I keep hoping something will get just a notch better so I could give it another star but three stars… that’s all I’ve got.

My mom and I tried the hummus and tabuli appetizer and the falafel in a pita. The hummus was average. The tabuli had more cucumbers and onions than other tabuli’s I’ve eaten. I’m glad the tabuli isn’t loaded with parsley. Nex time, I would pass on this appetizer.
The falafel was pretty good. I liked all of the spices that was used in the falafel. I wish the balls were larger, but there was lots of flavor in every bite. In addition, pita had the right amount of yogurt sauce.
This place is really cheap for a meal. The food is prepared quickly and it’s good. I would go back to try the lamb schwarma and other dishes.

The shawarmas are great, falafels are pretty good too, but I prefer the ones at Café 220, just because of the grilled lavash bread they use over there. I hear their burgers are delicious too, but I have yet to try it.
This place is a little bit expensive for the amount of food you get, and the atmosphere could use a little work. Other than that, it’s a nice place to have lunch.

I dunno.
I’m not sure about wilted, room temperature lettuce. I can’t vouch for brown edges of said lettuce nor barely there service. Without a greeting, can I say Robaii and I really met? (Robaii has a GREAT price for the falafel in pita, though. For 5.03 with tax it’s a bargain!)
Out of all of the falafel restaurants/​cafes on my Falafel List (
)
I have to say these were the most spiced and piping hot. The pita bread was very boring though… A bit dry and bland for my taste– I prefer whole wheat, I think.
Anyway, 3 out of 5 stars because I think that the falafels have quality. The only part that was less enjoyable were the models that were floucing around nearly naked on the tv screen. Not that great for a straight woman, mind you. Kind of very unappealing if you come to think of it…