Whether drunk, skint, in a hurry or just plain hungry, the $3 falafel sandwich from Oasis next to the Bedford L is without doubt one of the best value dinners in the area. And, as of last week, they have a new outpost…in Greenpoint!
Perched on a corner of McGuinness, Oasis of Greenpoint (230, Calyer St) is not in the most beguiling of locations but, when I called in on Sunday afternoon, the place tried hard to live up to its name. The sun was streaming through the huge glass windows and a very happy flow of customers came through, many exclaiming that they were fans of the Williamsburg branch and how delighted they were that one had opened in our hood.
The Greenpoint menu is the same as that of the original location, offering falafel, shawarma, kebabs, cold appetizers (hummus, tabbouleh, fatoush etc.) and Middle Eastern pies such as ‘Lahmajeen’ (beef, lamb, onion, tomato, spices) and ‘Zaatar’ (feta, thyme and sesame).
I would usually plump for the $3 falafel sandwich but since this was grand opening week I went all out and opted for the falafel plate. For $6 you get five hot falafel (crispy on the outside, soft and nubbly on the inside), hummus, baba ghanoush, red cabbage salad, onions, pickles, tahini sauce and two pieces of hot pitta. It’s great value and very satisfying. I even received the company of this cute little guy on the salt and pepper packets.
In the name of research I took some rice pudding for the road. Sweet, creamy, cardamom-y and delicious. And only $2.50.
Up until now, Kestane Kebab (110, Nassau Ave) was my local go-to for excellent Middle Eastern take-out but, even given its ‘having-to-cross-McGuinness’ location, Oasis may soon start to rival Kestane for Greenpoint’s coveted falafel crown. A crown of falafels. Lovely.
I hope this place makes it on that side of McgUiness. Great place with people who care about what they do. I will certainly try to go there as often as possible.
Looking forward to trying this, though seems worth a mention that the $3.50 falafel pita sandwich at God Bless (oh, um, “USA Deli” according to the sign) remains excellent.
First time stop was pretty dissapointing (compared to the throne on 7th). I’ll have to give it more and probably more tries but Kestane is still my go to.