With preview tonight, ‘falafel powerhouse’ Taim brings Mediterranean food to Fairfax

From New York City to D.C. and now Fairfax County, Taim has traveled a long way to open its doors at 11011 Main Street in Fairfax’s Westfair shopping center.

The Mediterranean fast casual chain will host a community preview and fundraiser to support the Capital Area Food Bank tonight (Thursday) from 5 to 8 p.m. The $5 entree fees will go towards supporting CAFB’s mission to provide equitable access to food and fight food scarcity, a press release says.

The 1,815-square-foot restaurant’s grand opening will take place tomorrow (Friday), following its regular hours of 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. The first 50 guests in line will receive branded swag and prizes.

The new Fairfax location serves as Taim’s second opening in Northern Virginia, closely following a location that recently opened at the Tysons Station shopping center (7502 Leesburg Pike) in Pimmit Hills this past July.

Though nicknamed “a falafel powerhouse,” Taim offers diners a diverse array of Mediterranean fare that includes “fresh, authentically made hummus,” pitas, chicken and cauliflower shawarma, golden eggplant, hand-cut fries with garlic aioli, and build-your-own meals, along with falafel.

“We obsess over every detail that goes into our food by doing things like soaking our chickpeas for a full 24 hours to bring the perfect texture to our falafel and hummus, sourcing 18 herbs and spices from around the world for authentic flavors, and our friendly team arrives early each morning to chop and prepare every vegetable by hand,” said Phil Petrilli, the D.C.-based founder of Untamed Brands, which owns Taim. “There’s really no comparison.”

A press release claims Taim’s chicken shawarma bowl — consisting of chicken seasoned with “classic shawarma blend of seven different spices” along with an array of toppings — is “the most popular item” on the menu.

Other highlights are taim’s $10 Crave Combo, “a Sunday special” that allows customers to choose any of taim’s pita sandwiches with a side of fries, and its O.G. Falafel Pita, the press release says.

“We describe our pitas, bowls and falafel as dreamy because that’s how our guests continue to talk about taim — from the first bite to their 100th visit,” Petrilli said. “Of course, our fans love the O.G. Falafel Pita, but our house-made fries and garlic aioli, and our signature house-made fresh ginger mint lemonade keep people coming back several times a week.”

Originally an all-vegetarian eatery, Taim first got its start out of a “tiny kitchen” in New York City’s West Village in 2005, where its falafels were once ranked among the city’s best, the press release says. Since becoming part of Untamed Brands in 2018, Taim has expanded to 15 locations across the East Coast.

“Since our early beginnings, we have given our local communities the means to experience the many great flavors and dishes from the Mediterranean, which we prepare from scratch daily using time-honored culinary techniques and the best ingredients,” Petrilli said.

With no plans to slow down its expansion into Northern Virginia, Taim is also preparing to replace Cold Stone Creamery in Vienna and move into Reston’s Plaza America. Both locations are expected to open this year, but more exact timelines were not provided.