Fala Bar offers vegan falafels, sandwiches, a salad bar, and traditional Middle Eastern cuisine.
The menu is entirely vegan, organic, dairy free and nut free.
Fala opened a week ago, and is taking over the spot previously occupied by Flagstone Pantry.
"We're about being something different," said Far, a Laguna Blanca graduate, who told Noozhawk he only goes by his first name for privacy reasons. "We love the intimacy of the market. It's just a good spot."
He's originally from Santa Barbara, and always believed the city needed a fast-casual, high-quality vegan option.
"We're about changing things up in Santa Barbara," Far said.
Fala Bar has three other locations, in West Hollywood, Los Angeles and Canoga Park. The stores are franchised and Far decided to open one in Santa Barbara.
He wanted to be in the Public Market because of its great light and open, community feel. It took about a year from idea to finding the right spot.
The restaurant offers the American burger, Southwest burger, kale burger, avocado burger, kale sandwich, and many others. Far's goal is to make the food so delicious that even people who are not vegetarians will enjoy it.
"We're not just a regular restaurant," Far said. "We want to be a restaurant with passion, and one that inspires the community."
Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com.
