If you like Maoz, and don’t mind downloading a free app onto your iPhone, Android or Blackberry, you’ll want to pay attention to this one. Daily Gobble, a new app that gives you cash back from meals at participating restaurants all over NYC, wants to give you a free falafel from Maoz. All you have to do is download their app onto your iPhone, Android or Blackberry. Go eat at Maoz. Upload a photo of your receipt within 24 hours, and they’ll give you up to $6 cash back, within an hour, via Paypal. The deal is available starting today tomorrow (7/27), and goes through August 3rd. Limit one redemption per person. Cannot redeem at multiple locations. Cash redeemed cannot exceed purchase amount, and it cannot be combined with any other offers.

Oh, and while we’re on the subject of Maoz… did you know their new location on 8th Ave. is open?

I’m sure a lot of you already knew this, since it happened over 7 months ago, but we somehow never mentioned it on the site… the Maoz on 8th Ave. btw. 43+44th is now open- bringing the total number of Maoz’s in Midtown up to two (there is another on 40th & 7th.)

Maoz Vegetarian, 683 8th Ave (between 43rd St & 44th St), 212-265-2315

That didn’t take long… Roma Pizza, the pizza place that took over from Empanada Joe’s last year (on 8th Ave. btw. 43+44th) has closed, and will be replaced by a new branch of Maoz Vegetarian. It’s pretty close to Midtown’s other Maoz (on 7th Ave. and 40th) but if there’s anybody who can be successful turning this seemingly cursed space into a success we’d put our money on the falafel chain. No word yet on when it’s going to be opening. Thanks to Lunch’er Marissa for the tip.

Related:
Maoz Tastes Good, But Proves That The Best Falafel Pita is Built By Professionals

Falafel fans near Times Square have reason to be happy today… the Maoz Vegetarian on 40th and 7th (which was closed because of an electrical fire last week) reopened yesterday. Enjoy!

Related:
Maoz Tastes Good, But Proves That The Best Falafel Pita is Built By Professionals
Maoz Closed By Electrical Fire

Thanks to discskyer for passing along this photo of the Maoz on 40th and 7th Ave.  It’s quite a coincidence that this happens the same week that the DOH is giving out letter grades… but we’ll take them at their word (their last inspection would have gotten them an A).  As for lunch, if you’re looking for some replacement falafel in the area you’ll have to make due with this, this, or this.

Following yesterday’s post about Jamie excellent falafel building technique at Maoz, Lunch’er “Chunk” chimed in with this comment:

“I haven’t been able to go back to Maoz since I observed the following a couple of weeks ago. As I was waiting for my bowl of balls, I noticed that a guy who seemed to be an off-duty employee, or at least a friend of the employees, was engaged in some major double dipping. I mean, he would take a bite and then go back to the bar, get more fixins, and then use the tongs to tamp them down on the just munched part of his pita. The on-duty employee definitely noticed.”

“Anyone else seen this kind of thing? My Israeli friends tell me this is standard practice, which to me is neither here nor there.”

If that’s “standard practice” I need to move to Israel! I feel like the Midtown location (on 40th and 7th) is way too small to allow for this kind of thing… but the Philly location looked huge. What do you guys think? Is falafel bar topping double dipping an acceptable (possibly fundamental) right, or gross misuse of the communal tongs? Let us know in the comments.

Related:
Maoz Tastes Good, But Proves That The Best Falafel Pita is Built By Professionals

Maoz Vegetarian, the European build your own falafel chain with branches in Union Square, NYU, and the UWS, opened their very first Midtown location a few weeks ago (on 7th Ave. and 40th Street). There is no shortage of falafel options in Midtown, but I have always been intrigued by Maoz- especially since Serious Eats: New York named it the best falafel in Union Square. So last week I headed over to give this new addition to the Midtown Lunch scene a try.

If you’ve already been to Maoz, I’m guessing this is no different than any of the other locations. Like any chain, the operation seems pretty streamlined and I’m guessing it’s the same from place to place. I had no basis for comparison, so on this visit was just a fat guy wondering if this was going to replace any of my other go to falafel places in Midtown. I like the idea of building my own sandwich, because layering is incredibly important to me- and so many places just don’t do it right. I was kind of excited to get to give the sandwich building a go.

First things first, the place is tiny. And the register is right when you enter the door, so if you are a Maoz virgin it helps to understand a bit about the menu. You can order your falafel ala carte (for $4.95) but if you do that, items like fried eggplant and hummus are extra (a travesty if you ask me!), bringing your total closer to $7. That’s the why the combo is clearly the best deal. You get a falafel sandwich (w/ hummus and fried eggplant already included) plus a drink and french fries for $8.75 (sweet potato fries are 50 cents extra.) Part of me thinks “that’s how they getcha!”, but another part of me loves french fries and a drink. Although usually I’m too cheap to order those extras, so I always appreciate a place that offers a combo deal to make the decision easy (are you hearing this Five Guys!?!)

Once you order, you are given your drink and sandwich- which at this point is just a pita pocket with falafel, hummus, and fried eggplant. It’s up to you to add the rest. As you make your way down the veggie bar, it’s self service- so you’re given free reign over the options like beets, carrots, Israeli salad, cabbage, chick peas, and more. There is some great looking stuff, but your pita is not that large- and since the falafel balls are already inside it is incredibly difficult to layer all the items properly. Plus you’ve got your drink to worry about, and the place is already packed- so there isn’t much time to really dilly dally. At the end of the assembly line there is tahini, hot sauce, and some more sauce options to finish things off.

Once you are completely done, they’ll wrap your sandwich up for you at the end of the line and give you your fries with a bag and napkins. It’s kind of fun, and kind of terrifying.

As for the taste, I was a big fan of the falafel balls- which are the cilantro/parsley green variety- and all the toppings were good and fresh as well. The fried eggplant is a great addition, and was far better than some of the fried eggplant you get on some Israeli salad bars in Midtown. The hot sauce packs a mean punch, so be real careful when putting that on (I would recommend trying to spread it on the side of the pita if you can get down in there.)

The fries, which come in a cone, are made to look like fresh cut fries (unpeeled at the tips) but they tasted like they are probably frozen at a central location and shipped around to all the Maoz locations. Don’t get me wrong, they’re good fries and very tasty- but won’t blow your mind.

As for the concept, it’s kind of fun making your own sandwich, and I like the free reign you get at the salad bar. But in the end, the place is packed, and you don’t get a ton of time to really think about what you’re doing. Add to that the fact that the pita is really small, and it’s tough to layer everything, and you start to appreciate the system at places like Kosher Deluxe (where they give you small side plate to load up on salad.)

In other words, it all tasted good, but I feel like the true measure of a perfect Israeli falafel (after the balls themselves) is the layering. If you order a falafel in pita, the assembly makes all the difference. Watching the guy behind the counter at Azuri Cafe (on 51st and 10th) is like watching an amazing chef as conductor. Each ingredient is added in small amounts, in a very particular order, so that as you eat through the sandwich all the flavors are perfectly balanced. I’ve always felt the downfall of places like Moshe’s (on 46th and 6th) is that the layering was off. Falafel balls at the bottom, salad in the middle, and tahini poured on top means the first half of the sandwich is all tahini and salad, and the second half is all falafel.

And Maoz is no different. As hard as I tried to move the falafel balls over, and get the different veggies down in there, it proved to be very very difficult. And having the hot sauce and tahini at the end is the worst. You need hot sauce at the beginning so you can spread it along the entire inside of the pita. Otherwise your first 4 bites are super spicy, and the rest of the sandwich is mild.

All in all I did like my sandwich, and the fries and lemonade you get with the combo make it completely worth $9. The food tasted good, and I will definitely be back. But Maoz also makes you more appreciative of the salad bar at places like Kosher Deluxe and Baraca (formerly Olympic Pita), and opens your eyes to how much skill it takes to make a truly perfect falafel sandwich.

THE +

• You get to build your own sandwich, and I love complete control!
• They combo meal is a good deal.  You get sandwich, fries and a large drink for $9 (far better deal than ordering ala carte.)
• The fried eggplant is a great addition (and completely necessary)
• Love the iced tea and lemonade
• Hot sauce is hoooooot!

THE -

• You get to build your own sandwich.  (Maybe this is should be left to the professionals)
• The set up makes it very difficult to layer the ingredients
• How is eggplant and hummus not included in a regular sandwich! Booooooo
• The place is tiny, so sometimes there is a bottle neck after you order and you’re waiting for your sandwich. Plus you can feel rushed
• One person can only handle one sandwich.  It’s practically impossible to build two sandwiches… so if you like picking up lunch for friends this is not the place for you.

Maoz Vegetarian, 200 W. 40th Street (on 7th Ave.) 212-777-0820

Earlier today, around 1pm, the first Midtown location of the falafel chain Maoz finally opened on 40th Street and 7th Ave.  (where Sahara Grill used to be.) The joint is tiny, so if you want to check it out without waiting in line you’ll probably want to go 30 minutes ago (because I’m guessing that’s the last time you’ll see it half empty!)

For those who have never been to Maoz (there’s one in Union Square), you order your falafel (in whole or half size) and then add the toppings yourself from their nice looking salad bar.  They also have Belgian fries and sweet potato fries, and to give you an idea of price- a combo with Maoz sandwich, Belgian fries, and a drink for $8.75. (The sandwich alone is just $5.)

Maoz Vegetarian, 200 W. 40th Street (on 7th Ave.), 212-777-0820

The fancy signage has gone up for Schnitzel Express, the fast food Glatt Kosher replacing City Burger on 39th just east of Broadway. It doesn’t look like much is being done to the interior, so they hope to be open in a week and a half to two weeks. Of course this news is much less exciting now that the Schnitzel & Things truck appears to be spending Mondays and Tuesdays in Midtown.

As for the new locations of Maoz Vegetarian and Five Guys, those look like they will take a bit longer. Photos and estimated dates, are after the jump.

Photo uploaded to the ML Flickr Pool by lifeaskew

It’s been a month since it was announced that new Five Guys would be opening up on 3rd Ave. btw. 43+44th, and it appears as if some progress has been made since then. Temporary signs have gone up on the old Prince Deli space, and an employee at the 55th street Five Guys location said they are planning to open in October.

As for Midtown’s first branch of the falafel chain Maoz Vegetarian (on 40th & 7th), an employee at the Union Square location said it should be open in a few weeks. Although from the looks of the construction, I’m guessing it’s going to be a bit longer than that:

Who knew turning an old school Midtown Turkish falafel stand, into a newfangled vegetarian falafel chain would take so long!

Got any photos, news, or tips to report? Email them to zach@midtownlunch.com