Mad About Maoz!

A big sign hanging  in Maoz Vegetarian on Washington Avenue and Lincoln Road warns customers: "Careful - Our falafel can be addictive!"
After my fiftieth visit, I am starting to agree with them. (Actually it's been more like 5, but whose counting?)
 I am definitely not a falafel expert - I only had it once before at Pasha's in Aventura mall years ago and at a Middle Eastern restaurant further south on the beach, and both of those experiences were definitely meh - but Maoz has those amazing green beefy balls darn near perfect!  If there is a better tasting falafel out there, please someone tell me what it is so we can have a Falafel Off. (That should be a kid's TV show character)

Being that I'm kind of inexperienced in the falafel world, I did not realize that falafel meals typically come with a rainbow assortment of delicious vegetables and sauces to stuff into your pita. When I saw them I thought those were expensive side dishes you had to pay extra for. Not so! I discovered this mountainous veggie buffet of coleslaw, onions, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, pickles, carrots, olives and more amazing toppings are part of the falafel indulgence experience, and they are free for the taking!

Naturally, I spent a good 10 minutes filling up those trusty plastic sauce cups with generous helpings of each tasty topping. My absolute favorites from Maoz are the tomato medley salad (diced tomato chunks, cool cucumbers and chickpeas) and the spicy onions which come slathered in a toothsome tomato paste.  All the veggies are super-fresh and pleasingly chilled and - I still can't believe it - they are all you can eat!

 To the Sauces: I have heard about tahini and know it is a Middle Eastern paste made from sesame seeds. But I just don't like it. Every time I go to Maoz I try to sample some, hoping the taste will grow on me. But after my umpteenth try I have decided I just don't like their tahini sauce - it tastes too much like wet, smoky chalk. Sorry if I offend any tahini lovers out there. But Maoz also offers great fresh ketchup and a very yummy garlic yogurt sauce which unfortunately is milk-based but if you're in the mood to cheat it's dee-lish.

Now for the best part: DEM FRIES! Maoz has some of best french fries out there - thick, perfectly crispy, perfectly salty, highly flavored and well seasoned. I am putting these fries up there with McDonald's for pure addictiveness. And you can choose from regular ones or sweet potato - or get them both mixed for an extra 50 cents. On this visit I went old school with the regular ones (These did not last long after the little photo shoot)

The conclusion: Maoz has phenomenal falafel! And it's even better enjoyed if you take your meal (which they will generously wrap up and bag for you) across Washington Ave to the beautiful New World Symphony park, where SoBe denizens and tourists lounge on the numerous benches and quiet grassy spots to soak up the nourishing sunshine.When I visited last Friday, the atmosphere was peaceful and the air crisp and pleasantly cool. It's a perfect place to dine al fresco while indulging in Miami's best fried green garbanzo balls.

And those bougainvilleas! There's nothing better than noshing on a pita while gazing up at bright pink flower vines wrapped in worm hole wire ice cream cones.
I love it!

Maoz Vegetarian is located at 1657 Washington Avenue in Miami Beach.
Open Sunday - Thursday from 10:00 am - 11 pm. Closed Friday and Saturday.
www.maozusa.com/restaurants/locations/miamibeach