Chickpea

Location CLOSED as of 12÷5÷2013.
Closest location is 7 blocks south, now just off the corner of 14^th and 6^th.

Thought I’d try the place for lunch. The hummus is excellent — I had the jalapeño flavored one and it was really good. Tried the baked falafel. hmm. not the biggest fan. The Bulgur wheat and the baked falafel can be a pretty dry combo — make sure you get lots of sauce on the side. The salad was good, but missed that Mediterranean tangyness that gives it its unique flavor.
Overall, it’s a decent lunch place — the food is reasonably filling without being heavy, well-​priced, and hopefully, the baked falafel and bulgur wheat makes for a guilt-​free lunch! Just don’t forget the sauce!

I disliked my falafel platter almost as much as I despised the cavernous spoons they give you (with the right intentions, sure, but these suck). Used one of the weekly Chickpea email deals to get a quinoa falafel platter with chipotle hummus for the pocket price of $ 6.48 (rather than $ 8+ — though they just keyed in falafel pocket, so corporate might not be happy). Shouldn’t have expected much since the stuff is just languishing there a la-​Subway — not exactly conducive to the freshness that should accommodate ‘healthful’ food (filling, absolutely, but not so much on the tasty front). Every person I dealt with was annoyed until the manager stepped out to hand me my food with a smile.

There are just too many better options to recommend this chain — everything was very average… The price didnt warrant the stingy toppings. Go to cheeps instead and have at it!

I ordered the falafel platter for lunch delivery. The salad was on the small side and the falafel was extremely dry. I added avocados, which was extra and also the only thing keeping the falafel from being inedible. The platter also came with a warm pita and hummus which was the only thing I enjoyed. Too many options in the area to order from here again– unless I’m craving hummus.

Ok, I’m a bit of Falafel Snob, if there is such a thing. I will travel far and wide in search of the perfect baba ghanoush, hummus, tabbouleh, etc. This place is kind of like the Chipotle of pita pockets. You can pick the type of hummus you want, the falafel (yes they have multiple varieties), and the salads/​veggies that you want included. It’s great just to pick up something healthy to go to eat in a park or if you’re a rush.
Taim still wins for me for best flavor in terms of the falafel itself!

One of the healthier lunch options in the area that will fill you up for less than $ 10.
I normally do the falafel pocket because it’s cheap, easy, and relatively not messy to eat (so long as you keep it in the holder), but recently I tried a platter. It’s a few dollars more but I didn’t want all of the carbs from the pita and I wanted to try more sides.
The platter is awesome! You get a very generous portion of falafel balls that are laid on top of a bed of couscous (?). In addition to this, you get to choose your flavor of hummus for dipping on the side, plus 4 sides. All of this cost me a mere $ 8. FYI, a free side of pita comes with the platter.
The falafel here is baked– not fried– hence the dryness and lack of flavor that Mamoun’s has. I suppose I can look the other way since it’s supposed to be healthy this way, but must it be luke-​warm/​borderline cold?! I’m not asking for it to be piping «Amy hot» hot, but I had to microwave it.
For once, Penn Station actually does something well– their Chickpea location. I have gotten dinner from that location many, many times and it is way better than this Chelsea location.

Who does not like a good falafel or a shawarma, most people do and this place is right around good. This place is OK for a fast food Pita joint. There used to be a place called Pita Joe’s, that was amazing but it closed down, but for a quick mediterranean treat this place is a decent. The kebab is tasty and portions are good and they are fast. I feel (and I paid more than $ 500 for a meal ;-)) that at $ 15 for a meal it is prices, at $ 12 it would be just right.

Food was decent for your standard cafeteria style Mediterranean place. I’ve definitely had better hummus and falafel elsewhere, but for under $ 10 it worked for lunch today. The ordering process was a little confusing, there’s no mention of how many sides you can choose with your platter or even what your choices are. The girl behind the counter definitely left me hanging there, and stared back at me just as blankly as I was staring at her, even after I mentioned that I «wasn’t sure how this went»… Maybe she wasn’t sure, either.
As I sat and ate half of my generously-​portioned meal, I watched 2 other customers come in, announce that they weren’t sure how to order, and struggle through the process like I did, with no help from the staff.
I probably won’t be dining here again, and I have a feeling that those who came after me won’t either.

I’ve been a fan of Chickpea ever since stumbling upon it. LOVE the platters.
From experience, healthy eating has always fallen on a flat note. Bland is the norm or food that I can’t pronounce.
Chickpea makes healthy eating easy, and very flavorful.
The lace offers a clean ambience which is a nice upgrade from a food court environment yet not a restaurant, so it’s great if you are solo.
Try the kabob platter with roasted pepper hummus.

My sister and I had a chance to use a voucher I purchased to get a bite to eat from this place. I have been dying to try it out and the voucher gave us a reason to go in.
They have a plethora of hummus to choose from, two types of baked falafel and a host of accompaniments to add to your meal. We both ordered the Hummus Plate and I opted for the Jalapeño Hummus. It is SO good and there is just a hint of jalapeño. It’s not overpowering at all. To that, I added a mixture of both types of falafel, some chickpea salad, couscous and sauteed mushrooms. It also came with a warm pita bread.
Both of us were able to order our plates and two drinks, using the vouchers. I’m definitely coming back.

Surprise Surprise. There is a place in Chelsea with great food and a welcoming aroma as you enter.
Found this place after walking out of Trader Joes and gave it a try. The falafel, hummus, chicken, and jalapeño combination was really good… the drink, not so much. The staff are a lively bunch and very chatty (me gusta), they can teach you a think or two about their culture and foods.
Only issue was the «card machine» was down that day and I don’t carry cash. Sigh.

Solid little spot to get your lunch time Mediterranean fix on.
Small little joint serving up decently tasty morsels of chicken, hummus, and falafel. The place itself is very small with only counter seating spots on stools for about 15 people or so, but it is very clean with a friendly staff. Kind of like a mini chain here in the city with more opening up soon.
I ordered a chicken kabob platter that came over a serving of bulgur with a choice of hummus flavor (original, basil & toasted pine nuts, roasted red pepper, or jalepeno &scallions), and a choice of sides (chick peas, shredded red cabbage, cous cous, etc). For the amount i paid I received a lot of food here for about $ 10. The chicken was made with a tasty spice flavoring and was nice and moist. The bulgur was a bit dry but nothing a little tahini sauce could not cure. The hummus I chose, basil & pine nuts, was really good, as were the sides I ordered.
Hey, it’s fast food Mediterranean, but with a healthier vibe. Not too bad for the price point and a nice option out of the ordinary sandwich or salad lunch. If looking for falafel there are much cheaper and tastier spots I am sure all around NYC, but this spot is an alternative if in the area.

My falafel is so dry that I have to take each bite with a gulp of water so I can swallow.
The bulgar seems moist in comparison.
The guys were super nice, but this falafel is super… bad.

Level-​setting of expectations ALERT!!!
If you think of Chickpea as your diet falafel joint, you’ll be happy. In fact, any diet falafel joint would make me happy to be honest with you. I like falafel but don’t like the deep-​fried «benefits» to my waistline. What I do like is a plate of hummus, baked falafel, lettuce, eggplant, feta, and hot sauce… with less fat than any falafel lunch I’d get elsewhere. Yeah, it’s not as good as some places that aren’t trying to push «health conscious» Middle Eastern food but it’s definitely good for what it is. Just think of it this way… Is a skim, sugar-​free latte going to taste just as good as a creamy whole milk packed with sugar one will? Probably not. But you won’t feel guilty afterwards so maybe it’s worth it…

I pass by this location everyday on my way to work and sauntered over today during lunch when a particular Middle Eastern cuisine craving hit. I set out to order something that resembled a chicken pita sandwich, but didn’t understand what menu item reflected that so I heard the woman in front of me order a «falafel sandwich» and just followed suit (this could have been a very bad idea, but it turned out to be the best idea of my day).
I had a delicious falafel sandwich with onions, corn, tomato, cucumber & lettuce with some squirts of tzaziki sauce — SO YUM! It was very filling too. I noshed for a little over an hour to savor every bite (and to allow time for my stomach to digest because I was determined to finish it). Their falafel is baked so this sandwich, combined with the fresh veggies, really made for a healthy & satisfying meal!

I think Chickpea has one of the best hummus recipes, and considering that this is a chain, you can find it pretty easily around the area in NY. This one is located next to the 23^th Street PATH, so if I ever am craving hummus from Hoboken, it’s only 10 minutes away.
I only tried the original hummus because I’m not too fond of nuts and other weird things in my hummus, and I was not disappointed. It’s fresh, it’s creamy, and it has the tahini oil if you so wish (I always ask for it). I can make a meal out of the hummus here along with their whole wheat pita bread. Prices here are pretty reasonable.
Writing this review makes me want some Chickpea hummus right now.

I’m rarely OVERLY obsessed with eating healthy. However, these chickpea places are a very nice option.
When I was considering Chipoltle yesterday, I opted for this instead.
I agree with the other reviewer, that this is similar to Maooz, but not as good. is it the «always baked, never fried» that does that?
I’m not sure.
Their chick pea nuggets, look more squarish, and are a little dry.
I opted for the pita, which is thicker than normal too.
I really like the humus spread that they coat the pita with, very generously, leaving a nice pocket at the bottom, that lets you finish off, with the cool creaminess that doesn’t weigh you down.
The humus is included in the base price of Falafel pocket at $ 5.45 +tax
Quick assembly line, and I had my stuff in less than 2 minutes.
Small space for seating. Who puts these stools so damn close to the counter? What’s up with that?
Overall, solid 3 stars.

It’s kind of like Maoz, but not as good. My takeaways are few, but I hope helpful:
1) Their ketchup is horrible. It’s sugar mixed w/​tomato concentrate. That this is my #1 takeaway might suggest the place is worse than it is. It’s not bad. But the ketchup…
2) The shewafel is A-​OK. I love the idea and the name. I’m surprised I haven’t seen it offered in other places. I did almost take offence at the fact that the shewarma didn’t come off a rotating shewarma thingy, as it should – it came from a tray. Like, the same sort of tray Subway uses to hold lettuce and Chipotle uses to hold beans. Frankly, I’m not sure it really qualifies as shewarma, if it does not come off a rotating shewarma thingy.
3) I liked the fries. And I liked they weren’t fried, but baked. However, I must refer you to my #1 takeway. The «ketchup». For what is a fry without ketchup?

Although your typical (more authentic) greasy falafel joint might TASTE better (especially in the wee hours), I am buying what Chickpea is selling – namely light, clean, fresh food which actually tastes good. I went for the shawafel (a shawarma and falafel combo, duh) on whole wheat, with basil/​pine-​nut hummus, plus lettuce, tomato, and red onion. Wow, that was a hell of a good lunch. Light, clean, fresh, tasty… just like they said!
Eat it in the cold light of day to complete the antithesis. You can still have your Mamoun’s at 4am in a beery fog.