Mamoun's Falafel • 1971

Syrian immigrant Mamoun Chater opened New York City's first falafel restaurant in Greenwich Village in 1971, introducing authentic Middle Eastern street food to a neighborhood hungry for something new. The tiny storefront still draws late-night crowds for crispy falafel sandwiches stuffed into pillowy pita and drizzled with house-made tahini. Decades later, the same recipes and no-frills counter service keep lines stretching down MacDougal Street.