Shifka

New York City has never had a shortfall of good falafel spots. Shifka joins this storied tradition with their take, which is vibrant with zhoug and red cabbage, plus a yellow-green pickled pepper—the shifka—to top it all off. 

The vibe: Bright blue on the outside and clay-colored on the inside, there’s enough space to chow down, but expect plenty of folks to take their falafel to go. A limited menu and quickly moving line at the counter make it easy to get in, get your food, get your picture of your food and get back to your day.   

The food:  Choose from a classic falafel sandwich, a sabish sandwich (stuffed with eggplant, a soft egg and pickled green mango aioli), lamb kebab with grilled peppers and onions and other filling handheld meals. Every one of them comes with pickles, salad, tahini and that shifka; for another $3, you can turn it into a bowl with grains and a shuk salad.

Time Out tip: Don’t be surprised if you see Shifka’s soft serve cross your feed in its green-and-blue cup. Their tahini-vanilla flavor is served drizzled with olive oil and then topped with sea salt for your eating (and all of TikTok’s viewing) pleasure.