Cafe Rakka
“It is not as good as Mamoun's on the other end of St. Marks but it is pretty delicious too!”
“While I usually order a falafel sandwich with a side of pita bread fries, I don't think I've ever tried anything on the menu that I didn't like.”
“Casual place, but the food is served with genuine friendliness and elegant manners by Melad and Ishak.”
Cafe Rakka
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Under $10
8 reviews
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Mediterranean hole-in-the-wall to-GO joint BUT there are maybe 6 tables inside if you want to eat your food there!
the platters come w/ pita bread, salad, tahini, hot sauce, AND your choice of 2 sides (rice, cous cous, or hummus).. YOU'VE GOTTA SPECIFY, otherwise you'll get the standard.. and the workers aren't exactly nice or accommodating so they won't ask
BANG FOR YOUR BUCK.. one platter has TONS of food & they give 3-4 halves of white pita on the side!
–chicken kebab platter: the chicken was juicy & flavorful which was surprising because i saw him cooking it on an electric panini skillet? however, the hummus was not good & pasta reminded me of uncle ben's
—meditteranean platter: falafel was crispy but way too salty. the tabouli salad was just ok
—babaganoush: nothing special but VERY garlicky
i guess you PAY AFTER you eat (the workers don't tell you anything, i had to ask if they wanted me to pay)
NOTE: NO tap water, you must buy bottled water
thanks PayPal app for the freebies!
This place provided a snotty and rude attitude towards us when all we did was order food… I asked for two gyros and got 1 gyro and 1 shish kabob sandwich when I approached the cook he said you didn't order two gyros you ordered the above. I didn't want to argue with these rude men so my man and I shared the gyro bc the other sandwich wasn't edible. If you wanna be treated like shit- come here!
Pros: the food is made fresh and the chicken kebab platter was very tasty. The price was very low for the high quality white meat chicken, which was very juicy and flavorful. The portion was larger than some other places although not the largest ever. The pita bread was okay. They had the traditional ayran drink. I will definitely be back.
Cons: Not many sides to choose from. Also, despite there being no line, the person in charge of taking the order comes across as rude and impatient (both on the phone as well as in person). This is not the approach for a st. marks business. That approach works for cheaper, grittier hole in the wall lunch places, but if they want to have the dark wood fancy interior then their service needs to be up to par, as well.
Just searching for strictly another good falafel place led me here from the PayPal app.
Falafel Sandwich – SO cheap at only 3.50, but you already know what happens when you pay for cheap things. The taste of the falafel was salty and not that impressive. Definitely NOT up there on the best ever.
Wanted to add fries to my order, but apparently they ran out the day I visited.
THAT MANGO DRINK – Tasted like a melted ripened mango…aka absolutely delicious (nevermind the 32 grams of sugar added).
Is this place worth returning to? Only with free PayPal credit to try something else that hopefully is better than the salty falafel.
Called ahead to make sure their PayPal was working so hubby and I could make use of the PayPal $10 offer. I had the Rakka Platter: 3 falafel, pita bread, hummus, and fava bean salad (kind of sour though I've never had it before so maybe that's normal). Lots of food for $8.50. Hubby had the stuffed grape leaves, which were quite good.
Small shop that's a little grimey. Guys behind the counter are kind of surly. Better to take your food to go!
Love this place! I always come here to grab a quick lunch or dinner when I find myself in the area and want something low key. I've only had the chicken kebab platter, but it's so good I don't want to try anything else. Everything on the menu looks great! Simple and fresh. I think it's pretty healthy too…or at least I will tell myself that.
I wish I had something like this in my neighborhood. Def a good choice if you want to stay away from all the hipsters and wannabes…this place isn't trendy enough for them. No liquor but they do have beer if you need to get your buzz on! $3.75 drafts too!
When I thought all hopes were lost in claiming my $10 paypal offer from Cafe Rakka, they finally sorted out their payment system and began accepting it just one day short from expiration date (thanks Harry H. For calling to verify and checking in!)
Stopped by right after my last patient on Friday afternoon (around 4pm) as the only customer. A true hole in the wall with maybe 4 tables – The front counter consisted of a nice spread of pre-made items cafeteria/buffet style. I quickly confirmed with the guy behind the counter that in fact paypal was accepted. He seemed somewhat delighted to hear that people were starting to come in with the new payment method.
The menu on the wall was somewhat outdated – all appetizers were now $5 as told by the worker. I ended up going with rakka platter to go ($8.50) which consisted of hummus, salad, bean, and 3 falafels. I guess he didn't hear me the first time because he began packing my plate to stay. When I reminded him that my order was to go, he seemed really overwhelmed and annoyed. Surprisingly he took the time to move each item (switching spoon) and didn't just dunk everything into the to go box.
The food was okay – nothing too special as far as taste goes. I ended up sharing it with my grandma and we couldn't finish it – Huge portion for just $8.50.
I returned again on my way home to pick up a gyro wrap with fries ($9.75) for my fiancé. The guy behind the counter was so happy to see that I returned so soon. Again the gyro wrap was huge (loaded with a good 5-6 cut of meat). The fries was a bit undercooked and soggy however (he kinda rushed my order since lots of college kids were starting to come in and he was the only guy behind the counter and the kitchen). We ended up not eating much of it.
Overall, def a good option for cheap, filling meal.
Perfect for a fast decently healthy meal! This is our go to when we don't know what to eat for dinner or just need something quick. Their food is made fresh and always good sized portions. I love getting the kofta kebob or the falafel. We don't ever eat there we always take it to go but they have a good amount of tables to sit and eat inside and outside. They have been at it for 40 years and it shows. The meats and salads are all flavorful and the chefs behind the counter are really nice. Definitely a great spot for a late night snack too! Mediterranean food that hits the spot and comes off the grill fresh and hot!