The Ma'lawah Bar

The sabich malawach was sooooo flavorful. Get it without schug if you're sensitive to spice. The owner is super friendly. Vegan friendly. Ask how to modify is something interests you that isn't vegan! No meat or cheese on the menu. Good tahini date shake and was not too sweet.Be mindful that this is a kosher restaurant and please don't bring outside food or drinks!

I had high hopes after reading all the reviews to be honest. The $25 beyond chicken wrap is large but overpriced in my opinion. Look they have some good flavors mixed in their wraps but nothing out of this world. The place is nit very welcoming decor wise or people wise. For the set up they have I wouldn't anticipate their pricing. Feels like it could me pick up and fast(ish) food vibe but not with the prices. Might be PA pricing but not worth the drive or the raving, at least on what I saw and tried.

Having never seen Yemeni cuisine before, I thought this was a really interesting addition to the Palo Alto area. Usually these types of rare cuisines are a one-and-done type of experience that you try once out of curiosity. However I can see folks becoming regulars at Ma'lawah given the tasty food, generous portion sizes, and friendly staff. We got the sabich to try and it took us a while to finish- there were a lot of ingredients in the wrap that meshed well together. I could eat the bread alone as a snack - it was delightfully flaky and was reminiscent of an Indian style bread. The owner offered us some free tahini soft serve to try which was delicious- we'll definitely be getting this next time. If you're a fan of peanut butter or sesame flavors, you'll definitely like this!

Tried the Sabich. Pricey at over 20 dollars. Enough for two people though. I had it cut in half and do not recommend this as small pieces of the foil wrap get in the food. The sandwich was very tasty. The eggplant was really good. Service was great. I wish I could get half the sandwich though and not have to spend so much for lunch.

This place is special and worth a trip!I saw this new Yemeni-Israeli spot blowing up on Yelp so I had to drop in to give it a try. Ordered the Sabich and a tahini date smoothie. This ended up being two of the best things I've eaten this month. The Sabich is on a house-made flakey flatbread, similar to an Indian paratha. The Sabich is full of flavor - as someone with a high heat tolerance, this didn't strike me as spicy, but there were dense layers of flavor from all the ingredients which worked wonderfully together and were super satisfying. I enjoyed the tahini date shake, which was pleasantly nutty and creamy and just sweet enough. There's also wifi here, so it seems like a pleasant spot to work from - which is good, because the portions are huge and you might want to sit around awhile to savor it all.This spot is doing something unique and delicious - I will definitely be back to try more of the items on their menu.

Very clean and organized. Friendly staff. The ma lawah portion is huge!! And so good.

4.5 STARS$20 for a veggie wrap?That PA cost of living tho!While perusing The Ma'lawah Bar's menu, I thought $20 for a veggie wrap was kinda wild. BUT, this isn't your ordinary veggie wrap...I was handed this girthy baby PACKED with ingredients. I had to nearly unhinge my jaw like a snake to bite into this bad boy. The wrap was enough for two of us to share for a small meal so don't let the $20 price tag deter you. It's totally worth it!Opening in the former Jimmy's Café/Subway is The Ma'lawah Bar, a Yemenite-Israeli café. They're open for takeout, delivery, and indoor dining. No outdoor seating but there's benches outside where we ate. M E N UYemenite-Israeli Specialties: Jachnun (sweet bread), malawach (flaky flatbread), and lachuch (spongey flatbread). Available as savory or sweet wraps. Vegetarian, dairy-free, kosher, and vegan friendly. For drinks, there's tahini date shake and bottled drinks. Self-serve water available.F O O D* Ma'lawah Sabich w/ sliced hardboiled egg, roasted eggplant, hummus, cabbage, schug, tahini, and amba sauce ($20) // 4 stars: https://tinyurl.com/e54f3ema--Includes choice of two sides: chopped salad, beet salad, pickles, red cabbage, hummus, babaganough, tahini, etc. Like Indian paratha or Chinese scallion pancake (w/o the scallions), the malawach is hot, golden, and flaky. A bit greasy but I don't mind. It's jam packed with soft eggplant, creamy hummus, slices of hardboiled egg, shredded cabbage, and sauces. Savory, hearty, and satisfying but IMO, missing something in the flavor department.The amba (Israeli pickled mango sauce) and schug (Yemeni hot sauce) seemed toned down from other versions I've had. With more acid and heat, I think it would have created a more harmonious, well-balanced veggie wrap. For our sides, we choose the babaganoush (creamy and smoky) and red cabbage (crisp). In hindsight, I regret not choosing the pickles as one of the sides for a fresh, acidic counterpart. S E R V I C EHumble, super friendly owner. Fast food service - the owner assembles your wrap on the line (like Subway) so you can get in/out and on with your day. A M B I A N C ELowkey café with a handful of indoor tables. P A R K I N GLimited parking spaces in the lot shared with TeAmo.Overall, Ma'lawah Bar is a great addition to PA. While there's Oren's Hummus for Israeli eats, I believe this is the first Yemeni eatery in the area (otherwise, you have to venture to SF and Oakland). If they can make a second schug for legit spicy food lovers, it would be 5 stars perfect!

The newest, best kept secret in Palo Alto! You should be happy you're on Yelp so that you're able to know about it or you might otherwise drive right past this place, tucked into a very small retail complex on El Camino and El Camino Way. Near Goodwill.Yemenite food! Have you tried it? Well this, my dear Bay Arean, is your lucky day. The world has come to you in the form of densely delicious carbohydrates and I hope you are ready for the bike ride you'll want to take after this authentic, filling meal.The Ma'lawah bar offers two main "tracks" for your culinary experience: either go with a wrap made with Ma'lawah - a greasy flat bread that is somewhat like an Indian paratha but made out of a flakier dough OR get the jachnun. Everything comes with two side salads. I tried the beets (yum) and the hummus (more lemony than I like, but that's just a regional preference).The wraps are filled with 4 different savory options with also a dessert menu with fillings like chocolate (it starts to take on a crepe vibe at that point).They are:-sabich-shakshuka- classic (boiled egg, tomato, spicy zhug)- pizza with vegan cheeseDid I mention that the whole place is vegan?Every meal is expensive but it is made from scratch by the owner, Doreet, a dynamic and warm hostess. Seating is indoor only and decor is very minimal: the food is the main attraction of the place. I will be so happy for you once you try it. Jachnun, which I didn't bother describing because you just have to taste it yourself, is often eaten on the Sabbath (Saturday) after cooking all night. It is paradoxically a slow-food and probably has no nutritional value. But it's really good and will keep you full for a while.

Very tasty fresh food and the Tahini date shake was a nice treat! Restaurant is clean and my order was prepared quickly

The sabich was a mouthful of flavor I've never had before, and it's vegetarian so bring your friends! The soft but flaky wrap contains two sauces (amba and schug) that include a spicy kicky, mustard flavor, and too many other herbs or spices that tasted very well together. The diced eggplant was like a soft tofu to me (not slimy!) which was very satisfying. These components were very refreshing and complemented the heartier hummus and egg.Warning: this place does not have it's own restroom.