Guy Fieri loves the $13 lunch at this iconic Bay Area drive-in restaurant

Beneath the retro neon sign and red awning of Falafel’s Drive-In lies a closely guarded family secret. The crispy, vibrant green falafel at the 57-year-old San Jose institution is so delicious, some people have even tried to steal the recipe. 

William Nijmeh, who runs the restaurant with his siblings, recalled one instance where someone broke into the restaurant looking for the recipe. 

“But the recipe’s not here. It’s here,” he said, pointing to his head. “It’s in the enzymes of the building.”

Nijmeh’s parents, Anton and Zahie Nijmeh, first opened Falafel’s Drive-In in 1966. His father Anton, a Palestinian police officer and pig farmer, had never cooked professionally before moving to the Bay Area from Ramla, Israel. But when his brother offered him the chance to take over a Sno-White Drive-In in San Jose, Anton took the leap.

“So we started out selling burgers, fries, American food, and after a little while, my dad was a really good cook … he started making hummus and falafel and baba ghanoush,” Nijmeh said. “And he started offering it to people and saying, ‘Try it, you’ll like it.’”

Back in the ’60s, Falafel’s Drive-In was one of the first restaurants to introduce Middle Eastern food to the Bay Area. And sure enough, people liked it. As word spread about the Nijmehs’ tasty falafel, they started making it into pita bread sandwiches with fresh lettuce, tomato, cucumber and homemade tahini sauce, plus an optional spoonful of their signature red pepper harissa sauce.

Anton died in 2006, but made sure to teach his children how to make the falafel before he retired. William Nijmeh, who grew up working in the restaurant since he was around 8 years old, remembers being only allowed to help with making drinks in the beginning. But when he got older, his father finally let him in on his secret recipe.

While the exact recipe is only known by members of the family, they did let Guy Fieri in on the general parameters of making them in a 2007 episode of “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” In the episode, Nassif Grayeb (husband of William’s sister Deanna Grayeb) shows Fieri how they soak the dry chickpeas overnight, grind them, then mix in a secret mix of herbs and spices. After shaping them into balls, they deep-fry the falafel in soybean oil to order. 

Fieri declared the end result “fantastic” and “falafelicious.” Since 2007, Food Network continues to air the Falafel Drive-In’s episode often, which has been a “godsend” for the restaurant, Nijmeh said. 

“They probably aired us over 200 times,” he said. “And each time it airs, we get new customers.”

The other menu item with a reputation that precedes itself is the banana shake, made with fresh bananas. Anton added it to the menu after realizing bananas were in season year-round. It’s the perfect complement to the mild spiciness of the falafel, and you can get both in a value meal for just $13. 

“We’re probably the only food business that did not really raise the prices too much,” Nijmeh said. “In the past five years I think we only raised it $2, $2.50 at the most. We still have the cheapest falafel of everywhere … and it’s the best, the best ingredients, the best veggies.”

While this combination is the most popular order at Falafel’s Drive-In, the rest of the menu is also worth sampling — particularly the silky-smooth hummus, smoky baba ganoush, refreshing tabbouleh (chopped parsley, tomatoes, mint, cucumber, onion and cracked wheat) and soft pita chips. 

Nijmeh claims his dad actually invented pita chips, although we cannot officially confirm that claim. Regardless, these are not the crunchy, mass-produced pita chips you’re thinking of: Instead, think large hunks of freshly fried pita bread, still hot and a little soft topped with zesty za’atar seasoning. Dipped in the creamy hummus, it’s a match made in heaven.

And for those seeking American classics, you can also still find hamburgers, hot dogs, corn dogs, chicken sandwiches and french fries on the menu. 

Today, Falafel’s Drive-In remains a popular lunch spot, drawing everyone from Silicon Valley tech workers to nurses from nearby O’Connor Hospital to construction workers. Customers order at the window, then take their food to the picnic tables in the outdoor eating area. 

As they chow down on falafel, people gaze at the colorful San Jose-themed mural from artist Lila Gemellos, which spans the entire outdoor area of the restaurant. The mural includes depictions of the city’s landmarks, sports teams and even portraits of Anton Nijmeh and Fieri. 

Falafel’s Drive-In has legions of longtime regulars, as well as employees who have worked there for over 25 years.

“Everybody likes to brag about how long they’ve been coming here,” Nijmeh said. 

He shared an example of one customer who comes to the restaurant every single day for a banana shake. The consistency of their food is what keeps people returning, he said.

“They’ll come here and it’ll be so good, and then the next time they come, it’ll be the same,” he said. “We’re very 100% consistent.”

After so many years in business, Nijmeh is beginning to think about the future of the restaurant. Falafel’s Drive-In has always been a family endeavor, but he doesn’t think his or his siblings’ children will take over. 

“They’re all professionals — doctors, lawyers, nurses, realtors — and they’ve seen us work so hard and they don’t want to work that hard,” he said. “They’re using their heads.”

Instead, he’s hoping to eventually expand Falafel’s Drive-In with the help of an investor. 

“Hopefully some conglomerate will look at us and franchise us,” he said. “… I think if some good billionaire comes and checks us out and helps us franchise then there’ll be something good in the world.” 

It remains to be seen whether the family would ever divulge their precious falafel recipe, but for now, it remains under figurative lock and key.

And for good reason: As Fieri said, “That’s a bomb falafel.” 

Falafel’s Drive-In, 2301 Stevens Creek Blvd., San Jose. Open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.