Regular Falafel Wrap made with falafel, hummus, cucumbers, tomatoes, pickles, onions, and tahini sauce
Located on 16th and Valencia in the Mission District, Truly Mediterranean is a casual Mediterranean restaurant known for their falafel wraps. Like Thanh Tam II, a Vietnamese restaurant half a block down Valencia, it's one of those places that I've frequented with friends or on my own a lot over the years, but have taken years to review. (This often happens with food that is wrapped in foil and can be hard to photograph.) I was introduced to Truly Med when I ran into a Palestinian friend who was doing some errands. An employee gave me a sample falafel ball as we were waiting for her order and I was hooked.
Unsurprisingly, I've only ever had the falafel wrap, which is made with falafel, hummus, cucumbers, tomatoes, pickles, onions, and tahini sauce. Truly's falafel balls are bright green — probably just a reflection of the various herbs they're made with, but this signals freshness to me. The wrap is packed with the fresh vegetables I love and then topped with delicious tahini sauce.
Since this is more of a grab-and-go spot, I usually pick one up and enjoy it at Dolores Park a few blocks away as a seemingly healthier alternative to the burritos served at the copious nearby taquerias. Unlike a burrito, I can finish a wrap in one sitting — yes, I am very full, but not as uncomfortably so — so it doesn't leak in my bag like a half-eaten burrito usually does.
Truly Med is more than just a place to grab well-priced food in one of the most expensive cities; it is the reason that I eat falafel at all. Before this, I didn't know falafel could actually taste good, after only ever consuming dry falafel balls that seemed like a sad, vegetarian alternative to a beef and lamb gyro (my other go-to at similar establishments). I've even spent time in the Middle East and haven't had falafel this good.
Truly Mediterranean
3109 16th St., San Francisco, CA 94103
Open: Sunday - Thursday 11am - 10pm, Friday - Saturday 11am - 12am
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