LAST UPDATED: SEPTEMBER 2026 | ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 2013
2026 STATUS: UNVERIFIED
We haven’t been able to verify that this falafel truck, first known as Crisp On Wheels and later as Pocketful, is still operating in 2026. This 2013 review is kept for the record. The last public Pocketful posts we found are from 2015 and 2016, including a planned cart at 50th and 6th.
Verified falafel in Midtown: Moshe’s Falafel trucks on W 46th St and at 1411 Broadway, frying kosher falafel to order since 1981.
KEY TAKEAWAY
In February 2013, the Crisp On Wheels truck had split from the Crisp stores and was planning to rebrand as Pocketful. Its Mediterranean falafel sandwich, with disc-shaped falafel, sun-dried tomato spread and parmesan, was substantial but cost $9.53 after tax, while the King of Falafel’s Midtown cart across 53rd Street sold a falafel sandwich for $4. The truck’s 2026 status is unverified.
OUR EXPERIENCE (FEBRUARY 2013 VISIT)
In the past few days, there has been a lot of press about how the Mediterranean diet can ward off heart attacks and strokes. Let’s put that to the test. We hadn’t been to Crisp On Wheels in a while, and they have a Mediterranean falafel sandwich, so we headed there for lunch.
Guess it had been a while since we’d been to the Crisp On Wheels truck. It still looked pretty much the same, but all references to “Crisp” were removed from the truck and the menu.
We spoke with someone at the truck, and they said there was a falling out with the Crisp stores, and they are no longer affiliated. We got a few more pieces of info at the truck, including the name they hoped to change to soon.
We don’t care about who owns what or who’s fighting with who. The only question we care about is if the food is good.
We were a bit surprised to see Crisp On Wheels right across 53rd Street from the King of Falafel & Shawarma. The King’s falafel is among the best around, as evidenced by their domination of the 2010 Vendy Awards. (That was Freddy’s Midtown cart; we reviewed its combo platter on opening day.)
It was a cold, rainy day so neither vendor was particularly busy, and Crisp On Wheels had a guy on the sidewalk handing out free falafel to passers-by. Looks like they picked up another trick from the King.
The Mediterranean sandwich had several thick disc-shaped falafel in your choice of a white or whole wheat pita. Stuffed into the pita was lettuce, tomato, sun-dried tomato spread and parmesan flakes. The pita was nice and soft, and held everything together just fine.
Included with the sandwich were 2 sauces. One was a green, herby sauce made with parsley, cilantro and other herbs. The other one was a sesame tahini sauce. Both were pretty thin in consistency, but tasted good when poured into the sandwich.
This was a pretty substantial sandwich, with plenty of fresh falafel and veggies. Our only complaint was cost: $8.75 ($9.53 after tax). That’s too high for a falafel sandwich. Right across the street, you could get a great falafel sandwich for $4 from the King. There’s no reason there should be such a discrepancy in price, especially now that they don’t have to pay franchise fees to Crisp.
Back then, you could find Crisp On Wheels on Twitter (they got to keep the @CrispOnWheels account). You can also see their earlier truck menu here, and our earlier review of their $9.50 Parisian falafel sandwich.
BTW, the name they were thinking of using was Pocketful, and it stuck. See our review of the Moroccan sandwich from the Pocketful truck.
Oh, and the Mediterranean diet. It’s been 6 hours since lunch, and no heart attack or stroke yet. Guess they’re on to something here 🙂
In 2013, the best falafel deal on 53rd Street was the $4 sandwich from the Vendy champion, not the $9.53 one from the truck with the fancier toppings.
What Happened After the Split
The name they floated at the window did stick. On April 4, 2013, @Itss_NattyJ posted that @Crisponwheels was now @ThePocketful, at 50th between 6th and 7th. On April 25, @midtownlunch sent Brian Hoffman to compare the truck with the Crisp stores. He found a line of people taking free samples and still asking where Crisp went. Pocketful had the crisper ball. Crisp still built the better sandwich. This site tried the Moroccan, the old Africa, the same week and could not taste a difference, zipper in the box aside. The price complaint did not move.
The trail goes quiet after that. In April 2015, @ShanghaiMKS posted that a Pocketful cart was coming to 50th and 6th. A job post in April 2016 still used the name. A later reviewer who had loved it as Crisp wrote that the balls got smaller and the salads cheaper after the rename, at the same price. Directory pages for both names still list the old phone and no hours. We have not verified the truck in 2026.
Where Can You Get Falafel in Midtown Today?
The verified falafel specialist in Midtown today is Moshe’s Falafel, with trucks on W 46th St between 5th and 6th Ave and at 1411 Broadway at W 39th St, frying kosher falafel to order. For the King of Falafel’s oval falafel, the verified location is now his Astoria storefront at 30-15 Broadway.
The cart across 53rd is a separate question. Yelp’s listing for the King of Falafel cart at Park Avenue and East 53rd Street was updated in September 2026, marked claimed, and still shows lunch-to-evening hours. This site has not verified that cart in 2026, so do not make the trip on the listing alone. The Astoria storefront is the one we have confirmed.
Moshe’s is the one people are still naming out loud. On June 13, 2026, @maryb1130 called the 46th Street cart, between 6th and 5th, a lunch go-to from 17 years of working in the city, and said the newer West Side store was not the original. On July 1, @jsadinolfi put the truck at 46th and 6th and called it one of the best in New York, about $11.50. That is the 2013 price argument, updated: the fancy truck is unverified, and the specialist now costs what Crisp charged then.
Our field guide explains which falafel style is actually worth paying for, and every verified vendor is mapped in the NYC Falafel & Shawarma Guide.
Frequently Asked Questions About Crisp On Wheels
What happened to the Crisp On Wheels truck?
In early 2013, the Crisp On Wheels falafel truck split from the Crisp stores, removed the Crisp branding, and planned to rebrand as Pocketful. NewYorkStreetFood.com could not verify that the truck is still operating in 2026.
What was in the Crisp On Wheels Mediterranean sandwich?
The Mediterranean sandwich had thick disc-shaped falafel in white or whole wheat pita with lettuce, tomato, sun-dried tomato spread and parmesan flakes, served with a green herb sauce and tahini. It cost $9.53 after tax in 2013.
