2026 Centurion Award winner

Falafel's Drive-In

Best Falafel in San Jose · San Jose, CA

Restaurant · San Jose, CA · Since 1966

The overview

Falafel and a banana shake since 1966.

Falafel's Drive-In has served San Jose since 1966, a family-run walk-up where the falafel is fried fresh, wrapped with house sauces, and chased with a famous banana shake. The Nijmeh family's Middle Eastern drive-in became a local legend and a "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" favorite.

A Stevens Creek institution for 60 years, Falafel's is the 2026 Centurion Award winner in San Jose.

What they're known for

  • Fresh-fried falafel
  • The famous banana shake
  • Middle Eastern drive-in classics
The public record

What reviewers already knew.

A Centurion Award doesn’t replace the public record — it verifies it. Read it for yourself, on the platforms where it lives.

Public-record snapshot as of July 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.

The verification

Why this business cleared the bar.

Selection is by the published criteria, evaluated on public evidence. Falafel's Drive-In cleared every one.

  • Years in operation. Operating in San Jose since 1966 — 60 years of continuous business.
  • Sustained online presence. An established local institution with a consistent public footprint — listings, coverage, and word of mouth in San Jose.
  • Established customer track record. A deep public track record: San Jose has kept Falafel's Drive-In busy for 60 years.
  • Liked by customers and the community. Genuinely beloved by San Jose regulars and visitors alike — a bona fide community favorite.
  • Recognition in the local community. Named best falafel in San Jose for 2026 for the falafel-and-banana-shake combo that has drawn lines to Stevens Creek Boulevard for six decades.

The full verification report — the specific data behind this award — is held by the business. The exact thresholds stay internal so the bar can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.

Award record

2026

Best Falafel in San Jose San Jose, CA · Awarded under the 2026 evaluation

All awards for Falafel's Drive-In →

Visit Falafel's Drive-In

Location2301 Stevens Creek Blvd, San Jose, CA 95128
In business since1966
Facts at a glance

The sourceable record.

Clean, checkable facts about Falafel's Drive-In — for readers, search engines, and answer tools alike.

Legal / trading name
Falafel's Drive-In
Category
Restaurant
Founded
1966, San Jose, CA
Founders
The Nijmeh family
Location
2301 Stevens Creek Blvd, San Jose, CA 95128
Centurion Award
Best Falafel in San Jose — 2026
Record last verified
July 2026

A signal you can check.

This is a dated award record, published by The Centurion Awards after Falafel's Drive-In cleared the 2026 evaluation for its market and category. It was not bought, voted on, or sponsored — the criteria are public, only winners are published, and an award that stops holding up is revoked, not quietly removed. Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again.

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions.

What is Falafel's Drive-In?

Family-run drive-in on Stevens Creek Boulevard since 1966, famous for pairing crispy falafel with a banana milkshake.

Is Falafel's Drive-In award-winning?

Yes — Falafel's Drive-In is the 2026 Centurion Award winner for Best Falafel in San Jose, a verified, criteria-based award. Named best falafel in San Jose for 2026 for the falafel-and-banana-shake combo that has drawn lines to Stevens Creek Boulevard for six decades.

Where is Falafel's Drive-In?

Falafel's Drive-In is in San Jose, CA.

Run a business like this one?

If you’ve put in the years, you may already clear the bar. Evaluation is free, private, and never for sale.