Celiac's Sactuary - Falafel Banin Johnny

Zoe Wernick
Mar 4, 2016
3 min read

Friday's are for Falafel, right?

I've harped more than once here that Israeli's aren't that knowledgable about what constitues "Gluten Free," and it's safe to say that even less know what Celiac's is, or how important it is to keep every errant crumb of gluten away from those affected. I am thankful that I am part of the even smaller percentage of people who just have a Wheat Allergy and I am not Celiacs, but there is a definite sense of relief when I encounter a kitchen which has the education about the disease.

So far, here in Tel Aviv, I have only found 2 kitchens who boast this knowledge proudly (as they should!) One of them make a bit more sense - it's a vegetarian new age restaurant - but the other is a true delight, a little hole-in-the-wall falafel joint that's been around since 1955, Falafel Banin Johnny.

I know that the internet would have helped me find this place, but true to Tel Aviv's small town feel, I simply happened upon it one afternoon while on a walk. "GLUTEN FREE FALAFEL" a large banner hanging above the opening yelled, and like a moth to the flame, I found myself inside.

The owner himself is quite proud of his Gluten Free set up. When he found out I wanted the Gluten Free Falafel his first question was "Are you Celiacs?" Whaaaaaaat, stop the presses! Someone here knows that word?! Then he insisted I take his phone number, that way, the next time I came I could call in advance and he could warm up the separate frier. If you don't call ahead you're going to have to wait about 10 minutes, but don't worry - it's worth a wait much longer than that!

I asked him what prompted him to start making the Gluten Free Falafel, and he was more than happy to share the story. Some long time customers of his had found out that their son had Celiacs, and they wanted to keep getting Falafel Banin. I've mentioned in some of my other articles that Falafel should be Gluten Free, but often nowadays flour is added. He assured me that his Falafel recipe is the same as it always has been - for both the Gluten Free and "non" Gluten Free Falafel (no flour in his recipe!), but for the Gluten Free customer he has an entirely separate workstation! That means a separate workspace, frier, salads, and condiments. Gluten Free Pita is of course offered, and they really take their time working with the tricker carbohyrdate to make sure it is cut perfectly and all your Falafel fit.

And the Falafel themselves? Pretty much perfection. I have read people saying that it's "not what it used to be," so maybe I'm lucky that I can only compare it to others availabel right now, and not what it "once was," but so far, in my experience, Banin's Falafel rises above. They were crispy, not oily or greasy, extremely flavorful, and not heavy on the parsley. I am not a fan of parsley in general, and I find that the great flavors that falafel can have can be easily overpowered by parsley (This is what I found at HaKosem, everyone else's favotite Falafel place, but I couldn't even finish mine). The price was reasonable for the whole thing (more expensive than non Gluten Free, but we are used to this) and I left stuffed to the brim. Granted, there are cheaper (non Gluten Free) Falafel places out there, but I felt the quality of ingredients here justified the price adequately.

The location of Falafel Banin is convenient for most everyone in Tel Aviv, just a few steps away from the Allenby Entrance of Shuk HaCarmel. Whether you're a resident coming to grab some things at the Shuk, or a tourist checking Shuk HaCarmel off your to-see list, you're likely to be in this area of town. And if you have Celiac's, this is a must-go place. A traditional, delicious recipe, and a safe environment with a knowledgable staff? It doesn't get much better.

Falafel Banin Johnny

2 Tchernikovsky Street, Tel Aviv,

+972 3 5255434

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ / 💰💰💰

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