Chickpea

Chickpea! What a great name that says it all. This is a great late night snack attack stop especially after a night of club hopping in a liquor induced stupor. Fresh ingredients and friendly service make this place inviting to those on their way home on the 6 train subway. Brightly colored interior with a middle eastern flair that is cool to hang out in. I cant count the numerous conversations I have engaged in with strangers in the back room. It is a round room with benches and pillows so you cant help but catch someone's eye or conversation and before you know it, everyone just chips in their two cents. The food is not all that authentic and could be more flavorful, then again you can compensate with the endless sauces offered in the squeeze bottles. Fun, economical, convenient and good food. Final word...I like this place. more

The good thing about Chickpea is that the ingredients are fresh, and everything has a good clean taste. Price is good & decent seating, though it doesn't have the best feng shui... but that's how it is in NY, so they can hardly be blamed. But it has weaknesses too, depending on what you're looking for. If you have a notion in your head of what a good falafel tastes like, Chickpea might not fit the bill. While the good clean taste might be preferable to many a palate, I personally find it a little too zingy (fresh) and too salty (which also accentuates this taste). The chicken shwarma is similarly clean, subtracted of the pungence of ethnicity, the richness of meat that has been hanging out in the store all day. I guess it's really a matter of taste: do you prefer white meat (more like Chickpea) or dark meat (more like other good falafel around town)? Are you uptown or down home? Not knocking Chickpea at all. It does well what it does. But people should know what it's does: it's a take on middle eastern food that fits into the "healthy" taste ethic we are in today (a natural fit). But, personally, when I seek falafel, I'll look toward State Street near Brooklyn Heights, or Jerusalem Falafel on 104th & Broadway. Not as cleanly or yuppie, but you can't beat the taste. more

Chickpea is a great little place to hang out and eat great food! It's not very expensive and you can have falefel, shawarma, or their invention - the shawafel - and combination of falafel and shawarma. Everything is good! And they bake their own pita - so it's fresh and warm. There's seating like a counter along the front and then in the back there's a seating area for about 12 people at little tables. It's right near the Astor Place subway stop and it's always open! more

This fast food place has great falafel, eggplant paste, real good chicken & turkey shwarma and much more. nice and small place to hang out at st. marks street and 3rd avenue. Dont forget to grab sauces on the tables. The back room is very cosy. You can watch TV. Chickpea has contests and a friend of mine got a $1000 for coming up with a sandwich name. The best thing about Chickpea is that they make their own pita bread. ther's a small fire oven and that's why the bita bread sandwiches are so delicious. Definately a great grab especially before the movies. quick and cheap. more