First Look: American Falafel in the Delmar Loop

Moh Qadadeh was a vice president at MasterCard for 18 years. For the past decade, he traveled extensively for the company, mostly back and forth to Dubai. “I reconnected with the Mediterranean food that I had over there,” he said. “I wanted to have that here for everyone in St. Louis to try.” So he decided to open a falafel restaurant. On May 30, he opened American Falafel at 6314 Delmar Blvd. in the Delmar Loop. 

“There are many diverse places in St. Louis,” Qadadeh said of his quest to find the perfect neighborhood for his restaurant. “You have The Loop, South Grand, Creve Coeur, the Cortex. The Loop brought me back to my college days. We used to hang out here.”  

American Falafel is centered around exploring the flavors of Jordanian food, Qadadeh said. Freshly made fattoush and tabbouleh salads are mixed tableside, while hummus, baba ghanoush and tzatziki are available as sides.  

The restaurant’s eponymous sandwich comes with hummus, pickles, tomato and tahini sauce. It’s served on traditional Jordanian flatbread that’s brought in from Chicago. “There’s no bakery in St. Louis that bakes that bread,” Qadadeh explained.  

Other sandwiches include the steak shawarma, chicken shawarma and grilled halloumi. The A Thousand Nights dessert is a dairy-based dish topped with nuts and raisins.  

The 1,400-square-foot space can accommodate 45 guests between indoor and outdoor seating, though social distancing measures will initially limit the seating. The restaurant is open for dine-in, carryout, delivery and online ordering.  

Check out the slideshow for more information about hours, dishes and more.