Taim Mobile May be the Best Lunch Truck in Midtown (Vegetarian or Otherwise)

Taim Mobile Truck

Taim is a veritable New York institution at this point. The quality of their product has earned them a legion of devoted followers, plenty of superlatives from food media, and recently received the prestigious distinction as the “Best Falafel Sandwich in New York City” by the folks from Serious Eats. On the back of their popularity, they’ve spun off a sister restaurant, the upscale bistro Balaboosta, and they’ve recently hit the streets with a mobile food truck. A few weeks ago, downtown correspondent Andrea got a first look at the Taim Mobile truck, and last Friday, I was lucky enough to nab lunch from the Taim truck in my neighborhood of Midtown West.

Taim mobile pita

We at ML make no secret about it – we’re omnivores through and through. We have a healthy respect for a lunch that’s filling, meaty and starchy enough to get us through the long work day. However, the falafel platter ($9.50) shook any convictions that meat is a requirement for a sustaining workday lunch. And at this price, it’s a bargain, given the sheer volume of food and many layers of flavor from a generous shmear of hummus, a falafel quintuplet, pita bread, a nutty quinoa salad, refreshing cucumber based Israeli salad, and various condiments.

Taim mobile hummus

I simply couldn’t ask for more out of their hummus. The healthy mound of ground chickpeas is lavishly rich from the tahini and a small pool of olive oil, lusciously smooth, and utterly satisfying. Tear into the pillowy soft, za’atar flecked pita, drag it through the dreamy hummus, and you get a bite of food that’s so good you’ll swoon.

Taim mobile falafel

Almost nothing is lost in translation with the critically acclaimed falafel during the transition from brick and mortar to street truck. These globes of deep fried chickpeas sported the reliably crunchy exterior and ethereally fluffy interior that I’ve enjoyed at the original Taim. Flavor wise, the falafel stand by themselves – pleasantly nutty and herbal from the well integrated parsley and cilantro. Add a drizzle of the fragrant amba (mango chutney), a dollop of spicy S’rug (Yemeni hot sauce), or a dip in the hummus, and you’re in flavor country.

It’s more or less the unfortunate case that warm blooded Americans build their meals around animal proteins, a habit I’ve certainly been guilty of. However, this was easily the best vegetarian meal I’ve had in recent memory, and one of the better lunches (vegetarian or otherwise) I’ve had in Midtown as well. With vegetarian food this good and this exciting, I’ve had a suspiciously crunchy granola change of heart – “hold the hamburger, and please pass me the hummus”.

The Taim Mobile truck is closed today but hope to be in Midtown tomorrow or Wednesday.  You can follow them on twitter, or the ML twitter tracker, and stay up to date on their menu and location on their website.

13 Comments

  • Boo, they’re closed today.

    They need to come to Midtown East!!

  • “and you’re in flavor country.”

    Thanks for the writeup, Guy Fieri!

  • Overrated!

    Best Truck in Midtown? Is that a joke?

    I had the falafel platter last week. I enjoyed some of it and thought other parts could be better.

    I loved the bread and the cranberries in the couscous. I also loved the pita.

    The falafel balls are small and lack flavor and texture. Maybe I waited too long to eat them (10 mins), but I don’t think so. The tahini was OK. It lacked flavor too, but the oil made it slightly better.

    Then there’s price. $9.50 for a falafel platter and $1.50 for a small bottle of Poland Spring water. What a ripoff! The falafel platter is a $6 dish. I can get that same bottle of water from Whole Foods for $.69.

    Their customer service skills are lacking too, but that’s another story. Overall I think it’s OK if you want to overpay for above average Middle Eastern food.

    I think Taim is an example of the good and bad things that come with the food trucks. The good is that they provide different types of food that otherwise wouldn’t be available at a good price. The bad is when they lack value. Taim is charging “bring-and-mortar” prices in a truck. I think they’re overpriced.

  • User has not uploaded an avatar

    wait, they don’t have a straight up falafel sandwich from the truck? and they don’t serve a platter with the pickled cabbage…that is what makes Taim falafel so good. I’m not sure I’ll bother paying those prices when I’m not getting what they do best.

  • User has not uploaded an avatar

    Don’t get your panties all in a bunch … they have falafel sandwiches.

  • User has not uploaded an avatar

    We need a legit Shwarma (real meat) truck.

    Harry, when have you seen a restaurant or truck charge $.69 cents for a bottle of Poland Springs?

  • I finally tried Taim today. I had the platter. The coucous/ or quinoa, not sure which, made me puke. I’m not saying it’s bad food, but it had a carroway taste I wasn’t expecting, and it made me vomit. The tomato cucumber salad also was unappealing to me. It wasn’t horrible, but not that good. The falafal and hummus were both decent. I’d go back for the sandwich, but not the platter. And definitely not the israeli salad.

  • mmm they were aight. im not a huge falafel connoisseur but it was aight. A little too salty too.

    The guys were really nice at the window. They convinced me to buy fries claiming “They are the best in NY”. Sadly they were not. Soggy and greasy.

    I don’t think they are bad – they are pretty decent but to call them best food truck? ehhh.

    $5.75 for the falafel sandwich and $3 for fries.

  • User has not uploaded an avatar

    Food is just OK
    Definitely not worth the wait. It is just a falafel for crying out loud. Chick peas, chopped cucumber and tomato–NOT WORTH A WAIT AT ALL–much less 30 minutes.

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