Getting older is weird. You develop new — sometimes boring — habits. Like going to bed early. Waking up before the sun. Never going out on a weeknight. For the last two years, I’ve been working at six am everyday and doing fun things on weeknights has been nearly impossible. So, when I recently got a promotion and my schedule changed, I really started to look forward to my upcoming weeknight events. Derek brought home tickets for the Stars show at the Triple Rock Social Club and I knew it would be the perfect opportunity to shake up my routine. Since the show started at 7, we decided to find a happy hour to enjoy first. When he asked, I knew exactly where I wanted to go — Foxy Falafel.
Erica Strait opened up her falafel stand at Minneapolis farmer’s markets in 2010 and has been selling falafel and making mouths happy ever since. She then moved into the food truck realm and then, this past August, opened up a brick-and-mortar store in St. Paul. As a lover of everything chickpea, I knew I had to try it. Derek was more than willing to comply.
We showed up on a Monday night around 5:30pm. We pretty much had the place to ourselves – there were two other customers in the small restaurant space. We sidled up to the counter and started checking out the gigantic chalkboard menu behind the register. Happy Hour specials? $1 off beer, wine, and sides, and $.25 falafel balls. Sounds good to me!
We ordered 2 Fulton Sweet Child of Vine’s, 4 Foxy, 2 Curry, and 2 Beet falafel balls, and a side of hummus with pita chips. Grand total with tip? $18.54. We picked a table and sat down with our beers that we poured into wide-mouth mason jars. Our order was quick to arrive and we were ready to dive right in.
The Foxy ball was the first item I tried. It was very tasty! Light and flavorful, it left my tastebuds happy and my stomach wanting more. I quickly moved onto the Curry ball. This tidbit was better by far — it had a strong, but not overpowering curry flavor and was perfect when dipped into the cucumber mint yogurt sauce on the side. The Beet ball? It was good, but the other two ranked higher.
The hummus with pita chips was a good addition, but not outstanding. The texture of the hummus was excellent, but I usually like my hummus with a bit more garlicky flavor.
We gobbled our food down, sat back, and realized that we were still hungry. Why not go for some soup and more falafel? We ordered more of the Curry balls and a bowl of the Ginger Butternut Squash and the Parsnip Potato Cauliflower ($12 after tip). To sum the soup up in one word? YUM. They were both fantastic! I loved the Ginger Butternut Squash with its spicy ginger flavor and Derek downed the more mild Parsnip Potato Cauliflower.
We finished up and sat back. All-in-all, a falafel success.
Atmosphere
Relaxed and casual — perfect for a date or happy hour with a friend.Service
They were friendly and helpful, quick and efficient.
Presentation
Simple. The soups looked the nicest with simple garnishes on top.Taste
Excellent! We enjoyed every dish we tried.
Value for Dollars
All together, we paid around $31 after tip. It was nice to be able to try so many different dishes without breaking the bank.
But don’t take my word for it:
Foxy Falafel
791 Raymond Ave.
St. Paul 55114
(651)888-2255
foxyfalafel.com
Foxy Falafel on Facebook
Foxy Falafel on Twitter
Foxy Falafel on Yelp
