As I was cruising around the Triangle trying to find a quick place to eat, I noticed a new kid on the block: Maoz Vegetarian, a Middle Eastern fast food joint, has opened right next door to Chedds. I frequented Maoz’s South Street location when I lived in Philadelphia. and I'm surprised no one brought the express vegan and vegetarian franchise to Austin sooner; they were always the perfect alternative if I wanted something lighter than a delicious, delicous cheesesteak.

Though Middle Eastern by menu, Maoz actually originated in Amsterdam in 1991. It first opened in North America in 2004 in Philadelphia, quickly expanding to New York. You can now find the chain in many European cities and a growing number of American cities —the Triangle location just opened the beginning of this year and marks eatery's first Texas outpost.

Maoz mainly specializes in falafel. You can also fill your pita with fried eggplant, hummus, babaganoush or even hard-boiled egg. The standard “Maoz” is a pita filled with falafel, hummus and fried eggplant. There's a junior version if you want something smaller (they can fill you up when you add all the fixings). Salad boxes are available for those who choose to go pita-free.

Maoz’s is famous for their salad bar —you are encouraged to visit it as many times as possible. You’ll find many healthy options, like roasted broccoli and cauliflower, beets, chickpea salad, olives, tabouli, hot chili sauce and much more. They also have an assortment of sauces like garlic, tahini and yogurt. The trick is making many trips (it’s hard to fit everything down in the pita, so be prepared to get up a few times and don’t be shy about it). I highly recommend a napkin on the lap. Overflow is inevitable.

Maoz offer various meal deals that come with a cone of fries. You can choose Belgian, sweet potato or a mixture of both. They also have soups, fresh-squeezed juices and vegan pudding —but I’m normally too full to eat anything more than an original Maoz.

If you want to get something quick that’s not greasy, Maoz has you covered; they’re also open late (11 p.m. Thursday - Sunday and 12 a.m. on Friday and Saturday). Stop in, but be careful not to spill too many beet cubes on your lap.

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Maoz is located at 4601 North Lamar Boulevard.