Truly great falafel has been sorely missing from Madison for a very long time. Places like Shish Cafe and Med Cafe offer up a pretty decent shawerma but the falafel around town has always been dry and oddly-flavored up until now. Banzo makes a falafel that rivals the stuff I have eaten in the Middle East, at prices that rival some parts the Middle East - particularly Israel, where one of the founders originates.
The authenticity does not stop at the falafel, either. Schnitzel is a staple of Israeli cuisine due to the Ashkenazi influence, while their "mini-burgers" are blended with a truly Middle Eastern mix of spices, vegetables, and fat. I have no idea why they call them mini-burgers though, because they are undoubtedly the very same kofta meatballs I grew up eating in an Egyptian household.
I just wish they would open on the weekend, because I've already suffered many a disappointing hangover wherein a juicy falafel sandwich would have been exactly what I needed.
Banzo could also seriously benefit from taking a couple pages from Israel's own falafel enterprise:
1. Add laffeh bread to your menu. Your pitas are excellent but I would more than willingly pay a slight upcharge for the "Chipotle burrito" of falafel sandwiches.
2. Give me the option to stuff chips (french fries) in my falafel.
My suggestions should in no way be taken as "needs improvement," though. There's no doubt in my mind that the Levantine Arab style of falafel is the best in the world, and Banzo absolutely nailed it. The fact that they deliver makes this THE go-to place for delicious and even healthy fast food.