CLOSED: The Thirsty Camel Cafe

Entering into the Thirsty Camel Cafe you are entering in a somehow dusty-perceived atmosphere, whether it was fancied or not, I liked that.
Somewhat disappointing that the highly-praised falafels weren't vegan since there was some honey in it (as I understood they are only occasionally vegan). So I decided to order a salad plate with several different delicacys. Huge serving, great taste and quite filling.
I felt comfortable in there, it's a comfy venue, albeit the vegan range wasn't that persuasive.
Most friendly service though, the staff was very attentive, knowledgeable and nice!
Coffee (french press) was good.
Prices were moderate.

I have no idea what the other reviewers see in this place. Sure, I did not get the falafel, but my Middle Eastern plate could not have been less tasty. I didn't like anything on the plate. The hummus was so bland and boring I didn't finish it. The eggplant was sub-par. The cauliflower in tahini was revolting. The salad had no flavour and was drenched in tahini. I've had better middle-eastern food, well, just about everywhere.

The falafels are the best I've ever had. They even have REAL ginger ale.

By far the best food in Nanaimo. The falafels are vegan and by far the best I have ever had! The Thirsty Camel deserves a 10 rating.

We make excuses to go to Nanaimo just so we can have a falafel binge. Only a 5-star rating from me because there's also animal corpse served here.

We visited the Thirsty Camel Cafe for the first time today and were blown away by how delicious the falafel was. We got two falafel pitas, a side of falafels (for our kid) and two cookies--all vegan!--for $26. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was alternative and interesting. The place is small but has a decent number of seats, and there is seating outside as well. The wall art is interesting and you can tell the owners are very socially and environmentally aware. (Ex. They have a poster showing the devastating impact of plastic bottles with a note about why they don't sell bottled water.) We will definitely be back again and again and again.

This tiny gem in downtown Nanaimo has the best falafels I've ever had. The food is great, plentiful and creative. I just wished they were open later.

The Thirsty Camel is the only place in Nanaimo that I enjoy spending money. Not only do you get blown away from the flavourful feasts off their menu at amazing prices but you know that you supporting resturanteurs who are conscious of their ecological impact and choose to offer organic and natural foods. Nourish yourself with REAL food that is REALLY AMAZING!

As you eat, one can enjoy reading magazines written by critical thinkers to create curiosity and inspire the masses to not just think outside the box but to dismantle the box in order to create a more grateful world.

The owners definately have a love for their food, community and our environment!

The food is terrific and mostly vegetarian except for a few dishes containing locally grown, free-range chicken. The restaurant owners and staff are friendly and fun and whenever I am there I meet another fascinating person. The best thing about the Thirsty Camel is that it demonstrates how easy, and tasty, it is to make healthy and ethical choices about food.