LAST UPDATED: SEPTEMBER 2026 | ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED MAY 2012
2026 STATUS: UNVERIFIED
We haven’t been able to verify that the Crisp On Wheels food truck is still operating in 2026. This 2012 review is kept for the record. The truck split from the Crisp chain in early 2013 and was rebranded The Pocketful. That name has no confirmed 2026 schedule either.
Verified falafel alternatives: Mamoun’s Falafel at 119 MacDougal St (since 1971) and Moshe’s Falafel trucks on W 46th St and at 1411 Broadway in Midtown.
KEY TAKEAWAY
In 2012, Crisp On Wheels’ “Parisian” falafel sandwich cost $9.53 after tax: about four large falafel with goat cheese, tomato spread, roasted peppers and vegetables in pita, served in smart branded packaging. It was big and satisfying, but pricey for its time. The truck’s 2026 status is unverified; Mamoun’s and Moshe’s remain the verified falafel picks it recommended.
OUR EXPERIENCE (2012 VISIT)
Ever eaten at Crisp On Wheels Truck? One of the reasons people often cite for liking food trucks is the value proposition. Food trucks are supposed to serve great food at less than brick-and-mortar prices because they have lower fixed costs. That doesn’t always seem to be the case though.
We’d been to Crisp On Wheels Truck before and enjoyed The African, which had a spicy peanut sauce. This time we went in a totally different direction and ordered The Parisian, but it cost $9.53 after tax, which is quite a bit for a falafel sandwich. Let’s see if it’s worth the money.
Judging from the number of people waiting at the truck for pickup, plenty of people thought it was worth the money. When I ordered, the pickup number was 305 and I was order 329. Uh-oh! Was this a mistake with 23 people ahead of me?
I was pleasantly surprised. My lunch was picked up in about 12 minutes, which is 2 orders served per minute. That was better than expected.
Taking the sandwich out of the bag, it’s immediately apparent where some of the money goes: packaging. In addition to a branded lunch bag, the sandwiches come in a printed cardboard “handbag”. This keeps the sandwich upright on the way back to the office, and a perforated “zipper” that removes the top of the box makes it easy to take out and eat.
The Parisian was served with your choice of white or whole wheat pita. Inside were about 4 large falafel balls, lettuce, red onions, tiny tomatoes, goat cheese, red cabbage, roasted peppers and a tomato spread. Ooh la la, the Parisian was a big, fully-stuffed falafel sandwich.
Goat cheese and tomato spread were the initial tastes I got, with falafel a close second. They went together quite well. The pita was soft, but sturdy enough to hold everything together without breaking. Towards the bottom of the sandwich were a few pieces of roasted pepper, which was a nice surprise.
What about the falafel itself? They were large and made a good base for all the fillings, but weren’t really distinctive by themselves. I would have liked more herbiness in the falafel.
Overall, this was a large, satisfying falafel sandwich, but was it worth $9.50? Like everything else in life, it’s all relative.
If every dollar is important, there are good options for a falafel sandwich like Mamoun’s or Moshe’s that were several dollars less. If $10 is your standard lunch, Crisp On Wheels was a solid choice. And with their packaging, lunch should be a neater affair than just a wax paper wrapper.
Back in 2012, you could find the Crisp On Wheels Truck on Twitter. You can also see their 2012 truck menu here.
What Happened to the Truck
The name on the side did not last the year. Midtown Lunch reported in January 2013 that the truck had split from the Crisp restaurant chain. By April 4, 2013, @Itss_NattyJ was telling people the @Crisponwheels truck was now @ThePocketful, parked at 50th between 6th and 7th. On April 25, @midtownlunch posted that Crisp on Wheels was now The Pocketful, and Brian Hoffman walked Sixth Avenue comparing the two. He found people in line for free samples still asking what happened to Crisp. The sandwiches were no longer identical: Pocketful had the crisper ball, Crisp the better-built sandwich and the heavier hand with herbs. The Parisian in the shop was sun-dried tomato, goat cheese, and roasted red peppers. On the truck, peanut sauce and sweet potato had already been renamed from Africa to Moroccan.
This site tried the Moroccan at The Pocketful the same week and did not taste a drop from the old Crisp Africa. The box was similar, minus the zipper. The complaint was the same one in this review: $9.50 after tax, when a good falafel in town was $4 to $6. A later reviewer who had loved it as Crisp wrote that the rename was the turn. Balls got smaller, salads got cheaper, the price did not. Directory listings for both names still show the old Midtown East phone and no posted hours. We have not verified either truck in 2026.
Is a $10 Falafel Sandwich Still Expensive in NYC?
Not anymore: the $9.53 that felt steep for a falafel sandwich in 2012 is close to what premium falafel and sabich sandwiches cost in Manhattan today. Taïm’s Financial District location, for example, now lists its sabich pita at $11.50. That price board may already be history. In August 2026, Nation’s Restaurant News reported New York State had padlocked Taïm shops over tax warrants.
What still separates great falafel from expensive falafel isn’t packaging or toppings; it’s the falafel itself. The best vendors fry to order and pack the mix with herbs, exactly what this review found missing. Our field guide explains which falafel is actually worth paying more for, and the NYC Falafel & Shawarma Guide maps Mamoun’s, Moshe’s and every other verified vendor.
Both of those cheaper options are still drawing a line. On September 13, 2026, @kaitduffy posted Mamoun’s on MacDougal as the oldest falafel restaurant in the city, open since 1971. On October 3, @marklucovsky told a visitor to grab a falafel there and eat it in Washington Square Park. Moshe’s is the Midtown answer this review already named. On July 1, 2026, @jsadinolfi put the truck at 46th and 6th and called it one of the best in the city, about $11.50. On June 13, @maryb1130 said it had been a lunch go-to for 17 years of working in New York, and that the cart, not the newer West Side store, was still the one to hit.
Goat cheese and a branded box can justify a price; only the falafel can justify the trip.
Frequently Asked Questions About Crisp On Wheels
Is the Crisp On Wheels truck still operating?
NewYorkStreetFood.com could not verify that the Crisp On Wheels food truck is still operating in 2026. Mamoun’s Falafel on MacDougal Street and Moshe’s Falafel trucks in Midtown are verified falafel alternatives.
What was the Parisian falafel sandwich at Crisp On Wheels?
The Parisian was a falafel pita with about four large falafel, goat cheese, tomato spread, roasted peppers, lettuce, red onion, cherry tomatoes and red cabbage. It cost $9.53 after tax in 2012.
