My coworkers and I are obsessed with the hummus and tabouleh here that we all rotate buying a huge tub of it and pita chips... it totally makes our day! I haven't tried any of the other food yet, but I definitely recommend the tabouleh. It seems to have more veggies to grain ratio, which I love. I tried a supermarket's version of it and it was hard to finish that after eating Pita's tabouleh...
(4)
Stephanie S.
YUM! Great food and great service. The atmosphere is crappy, but the food and service makes up for it. The guys working were very nice and explained the menu items when I asked. I ended up getting the Chicken/Lamb Kebab with rice and salad. I seemed interested in the cabbage so they gave me a little of that too. Eveything was very yummy.
(4)
Jason F.
First time I walked in this place I asked for the lentil soup. But when I saw how small the cup was, and how much they were charging, I changed my mind and walked out. Next day I went again, and seeing that they'd lowered the price of the lentil soup, I bought lentil soup there for the next two years. Now they raised the price again. I must have some psychological barrier to paying six dollars for a little cup of lentil soup (the "large"), because I walked out again. Please, Pita, either lower the price or make the cup bigger, so I can continue buying soup from you.
(4)
A W.
WOW! I haven't had dolmas these good since I was a kid. This is not your typical ambiguous "Mediterranean" hole-in-the-wall. Delicious, quality food with lots of fresh veggies and robust flavors! And the service was very friendly and casual! Thank god I don't live closer to this place.
(5)
Ludwin A.
I often come here for dinner, I usually get the lamb combo plate, the lamb is tasty , the rice is well flavored and the salad is fresh . The price is reasonable and the staff are great , and the atmosphere is warm and friendly .
(5)
Lillian C.
Came here for lunch on a weekday and was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't too busy when I was there, but it definitely picked up a little later into lunch time. This seems like a pretty authentic place and the people working here are super nice. My friend said she always gets the mint tea because it's really good. I tried it, but wasn't a fan... For our meals I ordered the chicken shawarma plate. For some reason I thought it was going to come as a wrap, but of course it didn't. The plate came and I was surprised that the portions were HUGE! There was chicken, rice, and salad on the huge plate... I only ate about half and took the other half to eat as leftovers. It also comes with a side of pita bread (?) and those were nice and soft. The flavors for the chicken was really good and the dressing on the salad was really light. The only thing that was just OK was the rice - nothing special. However, for the price, this place is a great spot for lunch!
(4)
Shar B.
I usually never write reviews, but I was compelled to write one after one of the worst customer service I have ever experienced. Having gotten delivery from this location hundreds of times, I decided to order two chicken kebab salads at 6:30pm.I asked if they could add just a little more lettuce to the salads and the lady on the phone responded with a bad attitude saying maybe. She told me it would be about 45 minutes to get here. At 7:45 I get a phone call from the same lady stating that her manager has just walked in and informed her that they do not deliver to my address anymore (it is about a mile away). I go so, you guys waited over an hour to call me and tell me this? I was offered nothing and just a sorry. What I would expect from a place with good customer service is that the manager would have my order still be delivered considering I waited over an hour and they have delivered to my house before and just let me know that I will not be able to get delivery after. I am extremely frustrated and I strongly urge anyone to avoid this place at all costs. Who wants to support a franchise that treats their constant/loyal customers like this. Unacceptable.
(1)
Nina G.
I ordered a chicken shwarma; it was kind of kind a chicken burrito. It wasn't bad, but it was missing something. I think it was a little dry, if I recall correctly? I wanted to bite into my wrap and taste the bursting flavors of middle eastern spices in my mouth; look down at my plate and see juices of the marinated chicken and all that good stuff, but there wasn't any of that. It was just dry. I was kind of disappointed, because they had all of the tools right before them, but they just failed in taste. It was bland. I believe the only spread or condiment in there was hummus, which didn't help all that much. I also tried their falafel which was good. If you let it sit four more than five minutes, then it's just "eh." They also charge you for garlic sauce, which I not only did not like, but did not understand. Fix this. That sixty sauce could have bought me two-thirds of a falafel. (Falafel is priced at $0.90 for all of you math majors.)
(3)
Shawn W.
Food is fresh Mediterranean deliciousness. If you've never tried a wrap (shawarma), they're delicious! Choose chicken or beef. TONS of vegetarian choices. Each day, they have some sort of specialty drink. Today (a cold winter day), they have hot Moroccan mint tea. Delicious! Over the summer, they had another delicious tea. Great food. Great atmosphere. They would get 5 stars if the service was a bit better. I still love this place!
(4)
Rachel U.
Amazing "pita" (appetizer) plate and lamb roll up. Fast friendly service. One of the best Mediterranean restaurants you will find in the city of Boston.
(5)
Dan R.
I enjoy Pita in general. This is one of my favorite types of cuisine and they do an A-OK job here. Last time I went I had a chicken and lamb shawarma plate. The lamb was a bit chewy but very tasty. Chicken had some nice flavor as well. Prices are great and the staff is always very friendly to me. I love that they have all of the sides listed on the board so you can sort of make your own plate of Middle Eastern magical items like falafel, grape leaves, tahini, etc. I wish they didn't charge for hot sauce and just had it available to spray all over your rice :/
(3)
Ben L.
I am a big fan of this place , they have a combination of lamb and chicken kabobs that out of this world, Make sure to get there hummus while u waiting for Meal to cook.
(5)
Kate L.
AMAZING and fresh Greek food. Lamb pita sandwich and pita plate were both OUT OF THIS WORLD. Best hummus I have ever eaten and not too garlicy which was nice. Amazing falafal. Even the olives were great. Didn't LOVE the baklava - not sweet enough as most kinds I have had but great consistency and well-made. A little pricey but amazing service and they even have a few tables outside!
(5)
Mikaela M.
I ordered delivery through their website and received a confirmation email. An hour later, when I still hadn't received my food, I called to confirm that everything was all set. The woman on the phone told me it was "on it's way" but clearly didn't actually check to confirm that it was, in fact, on it's way. 30 minutes after that (so it's been an hour and a half since I ordered) when it still didn't arrive, I called again. The woman checked again, and then a man got on the phone asking for my number, so that they could check on things and call me back. They called me back a minute later saying there was a mixup, the order wasn't previously processed, and that it was NOW on it's way. I asked if I could have a refund, as I felt that this was more than a little frustrating, but was told "a manager isn't here, call back tomorrow". I understand that things can happen with online ordering, and mixups happen, but the fact that when I called the first time, I was dismissed and nothing was even checked into, is unacceptable. If the woman had simply verified that my order had come in, as I had specifically asked, the order would have gone out at that point. I had actually ordered from this place once before, and really liked the food. I had even recommended it to some other people because I liked it so much. But after this experience, I absolutely will not be ordering from them again. ------------------ UPDATE: I just spoke with the manager (he called me actually). He sincerely apologized for the experience, and offered a refund and a credit for my next order. He did explain that things can happen with the online ordering system, but agreed that his employees need to be better on the front-end about actually checking that the order has been processed. He says that he has meetings with them all the time about it. I appreciate that he clearly cares about his customers and retaining business, but definitely think they have some work to do on the customer service side. That said, the food is great. Just pick it up, or call to order-- don't order online!
(3)
Whitney C.
I ordered South End Pita through Caviar and I could not be more disappointed. Still waiting to see if I can get a refund, because this food is inedible. The hummus was disgusting - too watered down, and it didn't taste like any hummus I've ever had. I make my own hummus and frequently try new restaurants for hummus, and this is by far the worst I've ever had. The chicken tastes...weird. Edible, but weird after taste that is freaking me out. The salad dressing is horrible, almost worse than the hummus. The feta on the salad has no flavor, the salad veggies are subpar and really the only redeeming aspect of the meal was the fries I got, and even those needed to be put in the oven and seasoned when I got them. I will never order from this place again, and I am going to try and get a refund because I just waited an hour for food that will be thrown away.
(1)
Sara C.
Delicious, fresh Mediterranean fare. Generous portions and reasonable prices. The mint iced tea and baklavah are the perfect compliments to shawarma pita and chicken kabob.
(5)
Jacki S.
While they were down to the wire with 2 minutes left on their delivery window of 50 minutes, I have to say I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I couldn't stop exclaiming to myself (alone, in my hotel room, at 10pm) about how utterly delicious the food was. I got the lamb and it was absolutely wonderful - tender and flavorful. The rice was warm and filled with herbs, the salad was crisp and fresh and the hummus was smooth, nutty and incredible. Very strong and fresh. I don't live in Boston, but I am definitely keeping this place on the list for anytime I'm back.
(4)
Jennifer C.
Food is great! Customer service not so much... Very unapologetic about leaving an item out of our delivery. Kept talking about how far the restaurant was from our location (google maps states it's an 8 min drive with traffic...do they walk their deliveries?)
(2)
Yuvaraaj J.
Fun place to get a good taste of medi- food. I visited it many times during my boston trips. I was introduced to this one by Bansari. Thanks Bansari for making me enjoy much more than what I knew ten years ago.
(4)
Amy L.
I ordered the fish + chips. The chips were actually fries, but the fries were awesome. I had the best fried cod that I've tasted. How many cod have you tasted that have been actually cooked right? The staff was extremely friendly and made me feel comfortable being there.
(5)
Lindsey B.
We came here for lunch on a Tuesday afternoon. Like other reviewers stated about this South End location, it's not the most pristine environment, but we didn't feel unsafe in any way either. Also, there's a little table outside on the left side of the restaurant that offers privacy and shade. I ordered the chicken kebab special plate and substituted extra salad for the rice at no charge. My date ordered the beef shawarma plate. PROS: Fresh food--hummus was superb and very tender meat. CONS: Deceptive service--Our waiter repeatedly asked my date if he wanted hot sauce. Unbeknownst to us, we were charged $2.00 for this-a condiment which was barely touched. SUGGESTIONS: Don't order the Moroccan iced tea. It sounded appealing, but was watered down and mint deficient, making it quite subpar. Also, inquire about any "extras" which are offered because you may be charged for them without knowledge of such.
I'm of Azorean Portuguese stock on my dad's side, which means that my deepest roots likely lie with the Flemish. But sometimes I truly believe that there is some wonky Moorish DNA kicking around that causes me to jones for the cuisine of the Near East. After a gym sesh at BSC that left me feeling like a starving Assyrian prisoner, I made my way to the still-sketchy part of the South End, where sloppily neck-tatted meth heads and wholesale flower establishments (because flower boxes don't just fill themselves) are plenty. Some folks might deduct a star or worse, refrain altogether from visiting Pita for this reason, but who has time for that kind of soft behavior? What one should have time for, always, is woofing some quality grub. I ordered the lamb/chicken kebab combo. It arrived looking like a perfect ziggurat of wonders only the cradle of civilization could have produced. The hot sauce/tzatiki duo worked together in perfect measure as the decadent-yet-healthful protein balanced out by the rice pilaf and leafy green salad coursed through my body like a Persian Immortal cavalry charge decimating an Ionian village for daring to resist the god-king Darius I. And when the thirst hit--sweet mother of Allah, is that POLAR GODDAMNED SELTZER IN ALL OF THE CURRENT SUMMER FLAVORS??? Indeed it was--Blueberry Lemonade for this guy. Could not believe my luck. I crushed my meal as if a hunter-gatherer lifestyle was still a threat to my tidy South End existence. And you know what else? I got a chicken kebab roll-up to go for lunch tomorrow. Get your mind right. Go to Pita.
(5)
Abby R.
I get lunch here pretty often. Lemme break it down for you: Cheap. ($6 ish) Falafel. (Taste the happy.) Tasty and filling pita wraps. I've had better, but not in this part of the city, and I keep going back so it's definitely a solid place to grab lunch. Plus they give you a punchcard for 1 free rollup for every 7 bought.
(4)
Skye G.
Wow, I fell into this place and am so glad I did. Their salads were packed full of flavor, chicken was moist and delic and hit the spot dead on. I was starving and was thinking of chips and a soda. The place has nice seating but I got my salads and specialty teas to go. The people were very pleasant. Made my order, rang me up and I was on my way. I've tried to go back and the hours seem hit or miss but I know I will hit it right again.
(5)
Allison L.
Dropped in with my daughter for a quick lunch and walked out full and happy. Great prices and food was tasty. she got the Moroccan burger and I had the chix kabob rollup. Friendly service and clean dining area. Wish we got more pickle. Next time I'll ask for extra!
(4)
Sharon O.
Very friendly, very cute, reasonable priced place to stop in for lunch in the South End. Of course I enjoyed a grape leaf and chicken schwarma roll-up. Wished there was a little more flavor with the schwarma, either spices or heat, so I might order with a kick next time.
(3)
Lucas Y.
If you are looking for fast/fresh food with friendly service, give this place a shot. I suggest toasted pita and hummus and grape leaves while you wait for the main meal. The chicken kabob dinner is a good portion and the service has always been welcoming to me.
(5)
Sharang D.
Loved it! Falafel Wrap!! Om Nom Nom Nom!! ;)
(5)
Jiyea C.
I was not impressed by any of the food here. Tried the chicken kebab combo and the chicken shwarma combo (I believe they were $8 apiece pre tax), and while portions were rather generous, I did not find any of the food very good. The meat on both dishes were on the dry side and did not really have much flavor. The rice as also kind of bland, and all the hummus/tzatziki/other toppings were extra, which makes this place kind of expensive for mediocre lunch food. The salad had lots of feta and crunchy bell peppers, making it the best thing on the plate. Sad. Also this place has no AC and the fans don't really do a good job. But you could catch up on the news during a quick lunch break if you wanted. Free wifi is pretty good, but you have to ask for the password. Takes credit cards.
(2)
Ani A.
Loved the food. Authentic food, nice service and clean. Absolutely worth the trip. It's pretty cheap to get several dishes and share, they also have different small dishes or appetizers. I would recommend going with the combo option and then picking one or two appetizers.
(5)
Kaitlin H.
Love their falafel!
(4)
Mohamed M.
I love humus and the chicken shawarma this place is awesome can't wait to go there again
(5)
Melissa R.
Convenient location, excellent price for the quality and quantity of food. I am a big fan of the kebob platter. The humus and falafel are tasty as well. I've had the mint tea and it's kind of light in flavour for me, but still refreshing. The baklava is super yummy. The chicken swarma I was disappointed in, for the same reason as some others have mentioned - lacked luster in the flavour department. Friendly staff and very good food, I'll be back for sure!
(5)
Joey R.
Love the Falafel pita and their hummus, but both times I've got delivery it has taken an hour and a half.
(3)
Debra P.
I order delivery @ 840, called three times until 1040, they never delivered my order but they charged my credit card!
(1)
G b.
Yum!!! Delicious food. Everything is perfectly seasoned, the baklava is to die for. I never had a bad experience with the food I got from Pita and I've been there quite a fe times, since I'm lucky to work in the area. Thumbs up.
(5)
Bruno L.
I'm giving this place a two star for the nice set up and cleanliness. The food deserves less than one star. I was extremely disappointed with the food. I had been excited to try this place but it kill the excitement once I tried it. The falafel balls are dry and does not taste like falafal at all. For what sounded like Lebanese staff they are doing a horrible job. Food taste horrible. Will not be visiting this place again.
(2)
Lynette S.
We got a very large take-out order, for six adults. Every item was fresh, delicious, some of the best available in Boston. We have ordered from several others in the area but this remains in our top two! Delicious cucumber and falafel sandwiches. Delicious hummus and tabouli. It is my top choice for this cuisine.
(5)
Pam C.
Worst restaurant service ever! After spending all day visiting colleges, we were tired and decided to order in. We made a mistake by not reviewing the 1 star reviews. Won't make that mistake ever again. We placed an order at 7:00 through the yelp-eat24 app and a delivery time of 45-60 minutes was issued putting the delivery time at 7:45 to 8:00. At 7:45 I was at the door in order to buzz the delivery guy in. At 8:10, after receiving no contact from the driver, I tracked my order through customer support, the restaurant told support the driver was on his way but stuck in traffic, which was incredibly funny as I saw no traffic on the street. When he still didn't show up or call at 8:19, the restaurant told customer support that they couldn't find the driver. Customer support said they were going to ask for a discount. Was I okay with that? At that point, I was so hungry, I could have eaten the book in my hand and didn't care! Well that didn't last long, because customer support said the manager didn't "do" discounts, really!? They also must not "do" customer service. I am a pretty patient person, but by 8:45, I no longer cared if I even saw the food. I asked customer support to cancel the order and make sure the charges to my card were refunded. She happily did so (and gave me a discount coupon for another order) but the ironic part was that the driver, when he finally reappeared in this whole silly fiasco had the nerve to say he had been calling me for 10 minutes outside the door, silly really, because the door is clear glass and I had been standing in front of it since 7:45 with my phone in my hand. Why not own your mistake instead of trying to lie your way out of it! And no we didn't give him the wrong address or telephone number, we verified that as well. I suggest the owners read some of the one star reviews, they all say the same thing-that the customer service is awful.
(1)
Kim R.
Love love love the spinach pie and grape leaves! Such a great hidden gem in the middle of everything. Sat outside on a summer's night and enjoyed everything I tried. No frills but great food and friendly service every time.
(5)
Chris D.
Excellent food and cool place. Patient staff for people (like us) unaccustomed to Middle Eastern food.
(5)
April M.
I really love South End Pita! I discovered it through none other than Yelp, searching for local places to get lunch. I usually get the chicken kabob with a side of hummus and sometimes falafel. The chicken is perfectly seasoned and not overdone. Yum! The order comes with a side salad (veggies, olives and feta) and rice pilaf. I love it. The hummus is absolutely amazing! It is a hugely generous portion that I don't imagine one person could ever finish in one sitting. I've shared mine and gotten multiple sessions out of one order. My only qualm is that I wish they gave you more pita for dipping into the hummus. Only one or two pieces is just not enough! The falafel was great, too. Not too dry. It is a straightforward joint, nothing fancy, just pure delicious food. They offer delivery or you can pick up. I've never actually been inside, because I've always had them deliver to my work, which they do in less than 30-45 minutes, every time. They've never messed up my order and they are always friendly on the phone and during delivery. I love them!
(4)
Rohan K.
The food is absolutely tasteless. The chicken shwarma was worse than boiled chicken. The lamb sheesh kabob was chewy with no seasoning. Can't believe this restaurant has 4 stars on average.
(1)
Harry H.
AWESOME PLACE! Very fresh food and the BEST falafel in town. People there are extremely friendly and make me feel welcomed time and time again. The combo platters are GREAT. Also, they carry a Brooklyn-made Ginger Ale which is the bomb! Their spicy sauce has me addicted.
(5)
Joselyn Y.
I'm really sad that I have to do another updated review and drop in stars. So after eating here for two years the place has changed. Now, this place usually goes through different management and chefs all the time but these past visits haven't been good. Things that changed: quality of the food, attitudes of the managment, and even tast of the food. I usually get the chicken kabob but def noticed a change in quality, the chicken is much drier, salad is also bad in parts (as in brown lettece), less sauce is given and even the sauce tasted different the last time I went. I confirmed this with my other co-workers who usually go as well and they agree, quality in food went down. So a real disappointment. It's still cheap and quick service but I'm not so sure I'll be back.
(2)
Andrew T.
Thanks Yelp, for saving me from eating at McDonalds TWICE in one day. Yelp turned up this place just a few blocks from where we were parked in an unfamiliar neighborhood. We got there just before 11 am. We had a falafel plate ($7.95) and a chicken schwarma plate (sliced rotisserie chicken breast, $8.50). Plates come with a generous serving of rice and a generous salad with a tahini dressing and feta, and several gourmet olives. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it filled me up. My friend doesn't love tahini or feta so he wished he had known in advance to ask for that on the side. It's counter service but there are quite a few tables, and it was cool and clean. Mint iced tea was strong and delicious ($2). Baklava ($2) was OK.. enjoyable, but a little tough. As the Irish constructon workers trickled in for their middle eastern lunches, it got a little loud with the flat screen TV competing with the exotic music... but i would definitely go back.
(4)
Ander J.
This will be new go-to in the area for middle eastern food. I got a chicken kebab combo plate (had a few mentions on yelp) and it didn't disappoint. The falafel is a little different, as a few have said, but I liked it. He asked of I wanted it spicy, I said yes, but there was literally no spice. Maybe he confused the two orders he was working on. For that I'll take off a star, but no complaints besides that. Real good.
(4)
Miriam A.
I heart Pita!! First let me tell you, I am Middle-eastern and my favorite Middle-eastern food is from my mom's kitchen, I'm a pretty lucky duck. Given this, I seldom like to venture out for Middle-eastern food because I'm a pretty tough critic for some reason always comparing to mom's food...yes I know that's not fair :-) Well my habibis (dear friends) Pita is actually a great great place!! The owner is Moroccan so this place is the real deal! The prices here are inexpensive, and for the quality and savory dishes this makes Pita a true South End gem in my book. Foods to try: Shawarma roll-ups...order it with garlic sauce... Falafels Hummus Kebab plates Side dishes...tabouli, baba ghanoush, cabbage slaw. Decor is really nice here and plenty of room to sit and enjoy your meal. During the summer time though it tends to get sweltering hot in this place. Yawzahs!! Overall, I really enjoy this place. Inexpensive, yummy food, and nice attentive employees.
(5)
Julie N.
I absolutely love the South End Pita. We've gotten delivery from here three times now and each time I get my chicken shwarma wrap it's even better than the deliciousness I remembered it being. I'm completely obsessed with their hummus and buy a container to eat through the week. Great prices, fast delivery, delicious food... I'm a super fan.
(4)
Anthony P.
Tried this place for the first time. Ordered for pick up and as most reviews point out the Food did not disappoint. Hummus was Delicious as was the Lamb Kabob and the Spinach Pie. The side salad was as Fresh as can be and Romaine was used not the cheap Lettuce. I will definitly be orderding take out again and dining in with a friend. A great new find.
(4)
Zev X.
YUM! I just went here for lunch for the first time and ordered the chicken shwarma. It has to be hands down one of the best that I have ever had. Really flavorful and delicious! I can't wait to go back! I typically go to the corner cafe to get my shwarma but I think this is much better tasting and less expensive.
(5)
Juju W.
Good price. Friendly employees. Tasty. You can't go wrong in this place.
(4)
Hannah B.
Such a cute little restaurant! Great for lunch. I'd never been to a Mediterranean food place before (I had no idea what falafel was) so my boyfriend and I popped into this little place on a whim. The spinach pie was heavenly, the baklava was delicious and the falafel was tasty. I loved the atmosphere, and the workers were very friendly. Great food for an even better price!
(5)
Sarah O.
I've eaten here a few times. Not really a fan but it's a convenient location and Falafel King isn't open on Sundays. My husband and I got chicken kabob salads from here last night and most definitely got food poisoning. I haven't been able to move from bed all day, missed work, and have been throwing up for the past 12 hours. Oh, and 3/4 way through the salad I noticed a fly in my lettuce. Sick! Never, ever again.
(1)
Stacey L.
My go-to is the Sampler Plate, simply amazing! An flavorful balance of taste and texture! I always end my meal with a Baklava or two. Fresh, great service and "real". in 1 word, HEAVEN!
(5)
Robyn M.
Delicious food, great prices, best hummus and baklova, and they even deliver! So happy to have tried this place out, it will be a new favorite
(5)
Cullen F.
Only 10 reviews... it's a well kept secret... for now. Falafel is delicious, not overcooked, and dry like so many places in the city. Stuffed Grape Leaves are unreal, especially when dipped into the Tahini & Hummus. The cheeseburger is delicious, and huge. Super fast delivery. I've ordered 20 times from here, never a mistake, always fast and courteous. Baklava is so good, order two pieces.
(5)
Fat G.
Fat G. checking out some of the local places around his home. I've seen this place, this location since high school, and I've never had the time to check it out. Given the opportunity, I hopped on it and went to South End Pita for a meal. I ordered the Chicken Shawarma for take-out, costing $6.50. When I took it out of the bag, i thought there was a paper plate inside the tin foil because of the way it felt. It turns out that was the pita or whatever they used to wrap the food. I wasn't sure if that is the way it's supposed to be or if the wrap is supposed to be flufffier. Anyways, I don't know what shawarma is supposed to taste like, but they have this sauce mix in there that was very good, and it wasn't too drippy. It was like eating a burrito. I can't say too much about this place, primarily because I didn't stay around for the entire experience. However, I was satisfied for a couple hours and I liked the variety of things they put in there, though I wish the ingredients were more evenly distributed, rather than settling on the bottom. Recommended for: Mediterranean cuisine, quick food.
(3)
Eyad A.
The worst place I have ever been to food less than normal . The female worker listen to songs in headphones while taking my order without caring at all about my requests plus the worst attitude ever .
(1)
Andrea B.
I was eager to try this place but found everything to be bland. I had the falafel combo, and the falafel was probably the only tasty thing on the plate. The rice was lacking in flavor (you know it's a bad sign when you find yourself reaching for the salt and pepper) and the salad could have used a whole lot more feta. Portion sizes were decent for what you pay for, but overall it was not worth the trek to the South End.
(2)
Collins F.
Clean, great food, great prices and you can always count on getting amazing food with a smile. I do wish they had a BYOB but it still is amazing!
(5)
Tara H.
Each time I visit, I am reminded how mind-blowing amazing the hummus is. I will make a bold statement here and say....*eh hem*....this is the BEST hummus I have ever had. Almost a year after opening, this place still has it going on.
(5)
Mark M.
This is a double review i guess. 1) South End location: Small seating area, will deliver to a broad area for FREE. Kind and prompt. 2) Downtown crossing cart - This location makes a bad Wednesday a little better. The food and prices are the same at both locations which is super cheap. Rollups are only 5 bucks and a combo dish is still only 6.50. Unheard of for downtown lunches. I tend to stick with the falafel or Kafta (a spiced ground beef mixture). I highly recommend the cart, located across from Macy's, when you finally get bored of the Kabob cart.
(4)
Kate B.
Love love love this place. Hummus, tabouli and grape leaves were amazingly fresh and delicious! Combo plate is the way to go
(5)
holy f.
Holy f@#$!!! I am pretty sure I've found my new favorite delivery place (maybe. I still love delivery wings, and AK's has the best). But alas, I digress... 9:00pm on a Thursday, I am so hungry that it has taken me 30 minutes to finally decide what to order (too much), and I hit that beautiful "submit order" button. I type in the instructions to call me before knocking, because I'm elsewhere in the building... no one ever follows those instructions (even when typed as "PLEASE CALL BEFORE KNOCKING!!! thank you :)" smiley face and everything). So after about 15 minutes pass, I walk out to let the security guard know that I'm expecting food to be delivered and that I would appreciate it if he could just remind the delivery person that I'll just come down to the lobby for my food. BU-BU-BUT WAIT, IT GETS WORSE. And by worse, I actually mean it gets amazing. At 9:19, right as I'm talking to the guard (who, btw, is munching on some pizza that I am almost ready to buy off him because I'm an idiot who waited too long to order food), my phone rings, and it is none other than the delivery guy from South End Pita saying that he is here and on his way in right then!! I was so excited that he probably thought I was a mental patient when he saw my ridiculous smile and weird jaunty run towards him. Uh, so... 19 minutes from the time I clicked send until my bag o'food arrives. Seriously?! 19 minutes? How is that even possible? There must be something wrong... maybe it's the wrong order... maybe it's something they made yesterday... these were the thoughts going through my head as i speedwalked through the hallway into a conference room to inspect my loot. So, when I am hungry, I am super indecisive. I ordered a chicken shawarma roll up thingie, the sampler (hummus/falafel/etc), and the chicken kabob plate (comes with rice and salad). Oh god the chicken was fantastic. Not just in an I'm-so-hungry-I-could-inhale-this kind of way, but in a freshly-grilled-and-still-deliciously-hot-and-Âjuicy kind of way. After I finished the entire chicken kebob plate, I had a couple of bites of the sampler, which was also awesome... but I ate too much, too quickly, and am wondering how awkward it would be if I were found napping under a glass conference table. TL;DR Chicken kebob plate = awesome. Delivery = amazing. Eat here. Do it.
(5)
Adriane L.
Couldn't believe how small my felafel wrap was! Used to love this place but was so disappointed tonight. Delivery was very quick tho which was a plus. Lentil soup wasn't as delicious as I remember. Not totally writing it off but the meal was scant
(3)
John K.
Not sure what is going on here. I live right near Pita and eat here multiple nights a week because it is quick and delicious. However, the staff has changed and I have been charged the incorrect amount multiple times in the past few weeks and the service has gotten much slower. Not positive what is going, but I might have to find another place for a quick bite on weeknights after work. It's unfortunate. The 3 stars are because the food is still delicious.
(3)
Josh E.
The Falafel plate is one of my favorite lunches in the downtown area. For $5 you get 4 falafel, tahini, rice pilaf, salad and their "special dressing". The dressing is the best part. Im guessing that its made of parsley, garlic, greek yogurt and feta. Whatever is in it is great and I pour it over everything on the plate. Its not the biggest falafel plate in town, but even when I'm quite hungry it does the job and for a couple bucks less than other places charge for something similar. They also get the food to you quickly and I've never experienced a line.
(4)
Renee R.
I may have a South End Pita problem at this point... I work right around the corner and just can't help going there over and over again. I've been working here for a year but JUST discovered it 2 weeks ago. Not sure how I managed that. So far, I have gotten both the Chicken Shawarma pita roll-up and the Chicken Kebab pita roll-up. I love the kebab a bit more, but both very good. And for the South End, doling out $5-7 for lunch is actually very affordable - and way healthier than ending up at Harry O's. Not that I hate on Harry O's by ANY means - Georgiana's and Harry O's are my staple lunch spots on Fridays/days when I'm feeling a bit under-the-weather... so to speak... :) I'm not a falafel person usually, but the guy just gave me a sample of falafel dipped in hummus and WOW was it good. I'll be getting a falafel roll-up next time. He also toasted my roll-up perfectly and offered to add hot sauce today which I hadn't tried before - BOOM! They have these pita cards that you can fill up too - after 7 roll-ups you get the 8th free. I would probably go here 8+ times anyway, but that is a bonus for sure. They also take credit card which helps, and the people are very friendly too. Nothing bad to say in the least. Great spot!
(5)
Pough K.
this place is cheap and the food is amazing, i can't believe i didn't find this place earlier
(5)
Helen M.
Such a great place for a quick stop and go dinner or take out. Falafel wraps and chicken wraps were great. Solid lil gem
(5)
Erin C.
Get your $5 falafel roll-up and be on your way! This easy to eat wrap is perfect for lunch. Everything in this roll-up tasted perfect. I can't wait to go back to try more! Oh, be sure to grab a few extra napkins. I haven't quite mastered the art of not dripping.
(4)
Shannon S.
Can I tell you that I have been craving falafel on a regular basis since I became obsessed with the stuff in 2005? I was studying abroad in Florence, Italy and stumbled upon a little falafel joint that served incredible food for "cheap" (the exchange rate stunk then too). Looking for a place to grab a bite in the South End and not having any sort of game plan, we walked by South End Pita then double backed and decided to check it out. I was shocked at how cute it was inside! I ordered the sampler plate which included a salad, a couple of stuffed grape leaves, 2 pieces of falafel, a hefty serving of hummus and a pita on the side. The hummus was a bit thinner than what I'm used to but it was delicious. I dipped everything on my plate in it. And the falafel, fantastic. Overall I was very pleased and washed it all down with a tasty tall glass of iced mint tea. I'll definitely be back.
(4)
Steph P.
My new favorite lunch spot! Service is friendly, prices are fair and food is delicious. Ask for the specials when you call, there is always something neat to be had. I think my favorite thing is the chicken kabob plate. I don't really eat chicken very often, but this deliciously grilled chicken is amazing. Wonderfully spiced, light char on the outside and very juicy on the inside. The salad that comes on the side is fresh and abundant with feta cheese. The pilaf is also fantastic. For a cheaper lunch, the pita roll ups are great. So much delicious in a grilled pita wrapper. The kafta is my fave with ground beef.
(5)
Christopher M.
I think South End Pita is on par for a little Mediterranean shop. I think the falafel and hummus is particularly good, and the shawarma dishes stood out in my mind as being worth of a return visit. If you're hungry, try the combo plate, and for $10.50 you'll get a healthy serving of everything (it's definitely worth it if you're hungry). SEP also embraces that distinctly Bostonian tradition of an eclectic menu, and you'll find the typical burgers and chicken parm on the menu, although neither are worth ordering. They're a little pricey - you'll pay a dollar or two more than you would elsewhere in the city, but that's the South End markup for you. They also serve breakfast, beer & wine, and deliver until 10:00pm Monday through Saturday. All in all, I give them three-and-a-half stars.
(3)
Tim K.
Delicious shawarmas, great location. Atmosphere and decor are a little iffy but the staff is nice and there are sometimes enough seats to take a lunch break.
(4)
Maureen D.
The falaffel pita took 15 minutes to make though I was the only customer in the store. When it came out it was hot and steaming, and had been pressed on a grill so that all the tahini/juice stayed inside. The falaffel had a great fresh taste, and the pickles were a pleasant surprise. They had a vat of Moroccan mint iced tea, which I will try next time. The sandwich cost $6.25, about $1 more than a slightly inferior sandwich at Andre's Cafe three blocks away. This place would be perfect if: sandwich prices were a bit cheaper, and there was a more intimate atmosphere.
(3)
Stacie M.
I love this place. My work just recently moved around the corner from them, and I love the people in there, and love the food! I am lebanese and normally only eat my mothers food, but this is delicious! I've had the beef shawrma salad and the chicken shawarma salad. As well as the shawafel. And all 3 are delicious! If you use Level Up you get $1 off every meal. AND they have a punch card, so after 7 times, you get a free roll up.
(5)
Husain K.
I have eaten here a few times and they have a good variety of items on there menu. The owner is Moroccan so the food has a different taste then your typical middle eastern restaurant. Even the hummus tastes very unique. I wish they'd serve more meat in the dinner plates as I felt it had more rice and salad then the actual meat. Also you have to add the garlic sauce and hot sauce to whatever you order. Those two sauces are amazing.
(3)
Mike G.
definite cheap eats. can most certainly vouch for the hummus, falafel salad and chicken shish kabob plate(more garlicky would make this 4 stars). ginormous servings happily ensures leftovers :-0
(3)
Jude G.
Update: my husband and I ate at the restaurant last night. While the space is small and out of the way, it is really lovely and inviting. The hummus was delicious-creamy with subtle flavors. The pita bread was thin and toasted. My husband ate lamb shanks. "Like buttah"- they were tender, nicely seasoned and plentiful. I enjoyed a kafta sandwich very much. The roll up was toasted and crisp. The house salad dressing was tart and tasty. The prices are really reasonable-all in, a great meal, freshly prepared, great service, nice atmosphere and great value. Tried their cart at Downtown Crossing, really great kafta roll up for $4 - $4! - Will try other items soon
(5)
Ella B.
We liked it so much we had it two nights in a row! Ok, so we're moving to Boston, only, we haven't gotten our stuff yet, so we're in a temporary location till our stuff arrives and staying on the S. End is nice, but food doesn't come cheap and fast -- that is, until I found South End Pita! I found them on yelp only two blocks from where we are staying saving us from driving (god forbid) and having to look around for something to eat or forcing us into one of those nice S. End places... (no, we're tired from getting to Boston and would really just like some good ole fashioned take it home type of food), no idle chit chat in dim lighting please... S. End Pita is fast and serves up some fresh Mediterranean fixings with a smile. We ordered to-go last night and tonight, at a lost for dinner choices, we ended going back and getting it to-go. Last night we got: Chicken kabobs (served with rice and salad - VERY generous portions) and Chicken Shwarma (served with salad only). Both I think were either $8.50 or $8.25. Tonight: lamb kabobs (wiith rice and salad), and the sampler plate with hummus, tabuleus (sp?), dolmas, salad and pita, kabob was $10.50 and sampler plate was $8.25. Got our orders, friendly service, walked home and enjoyed dinner!
(5)
M C.
Pita has been a great addition to the SOWA area for lunch. Delicious, inexpensive pita roll up sandwiches allow for this becoming a regular stop in the work week. Not only are the ingredients fresh and tasty the additional hot sauce option brings a nice kick to the sandwiches. The "Shawafel", chicken shwarma and falafel is my go to. My office has used Pita to cater for lunch a few times and they have always provided a great spread with delicious salads.
(4)
Aaron G.
Delicious food and incredible customer service. A couple hiccups in the order but overall great!
(4)
Beth E.
South End Pita is around the corner from my office. A group of us went and sat down for lunch one day a while back, probably not too long after they opened. Everything I had that day was good, but it was a while before someone suggested it again as a lunch destination. We've recently put Pita in our regular lunch rotation, we pop in for take out. Their chicken kabob is amazing, whether in a roll up or on a plate. Well spiced, and hot and juicy. I keep saying I need to order something new, but I get in there and can't stray. So good. Watch out, they can sometimes be a little heavy-handed with the tahini sauce. Their salads are good, too. Their house dressing has a mustard base, it's pretty potent, but really good, you just have to go easy with it. They seem pretty accommodating with special requests. I sometimes ask to combine some things that are both on the menu but not together. Reading some of the other reviews, I think I need to try to hummus! It also seems like they've really listened to a lot of the feedback from the earlier reviews. They're making things to order now, and the prices seem to be more in line with what folks were wanting.
(4)
Jennifer B.
The hours and parking could be better....but the food couldn't be any better. I just drove in from framingham just to get take out. Its that good. Please open another location
(5)
Gail C.
Ordered delivery from this place last night - hummus appetizer (x3), a combo plate and a chicken shwarma pita. Unfortunately, I ordered through foodler and there was some miscommunication on their part so instead of getting 3 hummus appetizers I received 3 hummus pitas (was bitterly disappointed. My love for authentic hummus knows no bounds). I called the restaurant and the guy I spoke to was a bit rude but they sorted it out and I got a refund for the items I didn't receive. Now, the food - combo plate consisted of beef shwarma, chicken shwarma, 2 grape leaves, 2 falafel and hummus. The beef wasn't very good, mostly fat so it was chewy and hard, general unpleasant texture. Not a fan. The chicken was yum, tender and delicious, the falafel kind of crunchy but seasoned nicely so it was tasty, the grape leaves I hated but I'd never had them before so I think I just don't like grape leaves! The hummus was amazing. I mean AMAAAAAZING. It was the perfect consistency, smooth and silky, not too thick like store brands, not too thin like some of the watery stuff some Greek restaurants serve...perfect. It was full of flavor and there was lots of it with the combo plate, so i got my hummus fix in the end. I didn't try the chicken shwarma pita or the hummus pitas but I'm told they were ridiculously good, especially the hummus ones. I would give this place 5 stars were it not for the disappointing beef shwarma, the slightly unpleasant service when I called to complain, and the fact that I'm a little bitter that I was robbed of 3 more portions of that orgasmic hummus. Give this place a try if you're into Greek food, affordable prices, finger-licking spices and the best hummus in town.
(4)
Tara G.
The chicken was tender and moist, which is much better than I can say for the vast majority of Mediterranean chicken out there. (For some reason, dry and chewy is way in fashion.) But it could use a dash of je ne sais quoi to make it a more memorable sandwich. The $2 baklava would be priced right if it was $1 or $1.50 instead -- for its size, and the fact that it came wrapped in unappealing plastic wrap. It was, however, really tasty.
Probably the best falafel pita I've ever had. Definitely worth a trip to Albany St.
(5)
Nate W.
I tried this place based upon Yelp reviews, and it didn't disappoint. The lamb shish kabobs were excellent and the delivery was quick.
(4)
Eric B.
Great friendly service and some of the best hommade hummus I've ever had. A true gem in the South End.
(4)
lora v.
This new cart popped up next to Karo's Chicken Kabob cart, which is good but always has a long line. So, I was feeling simultaneously impatient and adventurous. I ordered the Kafta platter for a mere $5, and I was pleasantly surprised at the high quality/cheap price. The kafta was a tasty, well seasoned ground meat kabob over rice, doused with tahini and hot sauce. The salad was a bit better quality than Karo's or Falafel King (though not as nice as Pita Kabob's yogurt or Shirazi!) . Chopped greens, toms, cukes, and a green mustard type sauce/dressing? I don't know what exactly it was, but it was tasty! So, big thumbs up. Give it a try next time you see Karo's line winding down Summer Street!
(5)
Erin M.
I am currently in the midst of a serious love affair with this place. In fact, I just finished my lunch from there and I am writing this review because I'm not ready for the moment to be over. I work up the street and I'm a "bring my own lunch" type, but since discovering Pita a few weeks ago (decided to give it a try after they sent over a cute guy with menus... good trick), I've been conveniently forgetting to pack it. The food has been fresh, fast, and delicious every time I've been. The best deals are easily the pita roll-ups, all only $5 and the perfect size for lunch. The chicken shawarma, grape leave, falafel, and hummus pitas are all delicious. I'd recommend adding hummus to any of the roll-ups because theirs is absolutely to-die-for. The pita itself, which they hit with the panini press for a little crunch, is soft and delicious. If you're getting a drink, I'd recommend the Moroccan mint iced tea, which is slightly sweet and very refreshing. Combo plates are great if you can't make up your mind or want to find a new favorite, and the salads are also tasty and come with a warm pita on the side (bonus!). Pita also serves burgers and fries and some other American fare, which I haven't bothered with myself, but could probably be good if you have an unadventurous dining partner. A cool bonus is that, although Pita has limited indoor seating, there is a clean park across the street with small picnic tables for outdoor dining on nice afternoons. Try this place. Or don't... I like a short line!
(5)
Renee M.
I would give Pita a lower rating, however everything is delicious. The only problem is I sometimes don't know what I am getting. I ordered the combo plate expecting salad and rice because the label above said that's what everything below came with. Maybe I wasn't looking too carefully but I got chicken and beef with garlic sauce, a ton of hummus, two grape leaves, and two falafel. No rice? No salad? Good thing they saved their butts by everything being completely delicious. I think they could have a little more dialogue with their customers and clarify for those that get ordering stage fright and don't know what they will receive. But, the falafel is amazing! and the hummus is super fresh. The meat was meh but I will give them a million more tries.
(4)
Q S.
I had a pretty good experience here. Ordered the chicken shawarma roll up and it was delicious. I am also a fan of their meze plate, which is complimentary if you order an alcoholic drink between 5-7pm. Their Moroccan mint iced tea was also very pleasant. I am not an expert on Moroccan cuisine, but everything I had was delicious!
(4)
Eric H.
I also work around the corner from this place, and they have come a long way since first opening, when the quality of the food was a bit hit or miss. Now, I have consistently good experiences for lunch, especially with the falafel and kafta wrap, both really very good for the money. It's not super "fast food" and that's a good thing. I don't mind waiting 5 minutes for the food to be freshly prepared in the kitchen, and they are always very happy to take a phone order for pickup if I don't feel like waiting. Right now I do take-out only; although the seating is pleasant, the place is HOT in the summer due to some seriously underpowered A/C.
(3)
Nate B.
Pita love... South End Pita has been around for about 6 months. It's a new little eatery tucked in the South End on Albany St. It boasts some of the yummiest falafel, and hummus I've ever had. I'm no expert here, but this food was good. Let's start with there weekday happy hour special. If you go between 5-7pm on a weekday, if you buy an alcoholic drink you get a free Mezo plate which includes a falafel ball, hummus, and a large, warm pita for dipping or wrapping. Then add your entree, which are mostly under $10 and you're in heaven. They have roll-ups, good for take out and on the go eating. But they also have plates of chicken, beef, or lamb shawarma that include a few falafel balls and hummus. I went for the Chicken and Beef Shawarma and was very satisfied. The meat comes right off a spit that you see when you first walk in. The decor is very warm, and welcoming. Not your average take-out place. Although there is no waiter, you'll feel right at home eating in their small 7-8 table dining room. I've gone for lunch on a Friday and it was pretty crowded. It seems the word has gotten out about this place. I credit that mostly to the Globe review that came out recently. But I went again on a Monday evening and we had the whole place to ourselves. Good date place if you go during off hours. It can be very quiet, and pleasant (they have great mood music). I love falafel, and while this wasn't the best, it was definitely up there on my list of favorites. The outside is extremely crunchy and the inside is very warm, and moist. When I first cut into a falafel ball steam poured out, and some of the filling literally tumbled out. Some might say it's a bit undercooked on the inside, but the filling is still so tasty that it's hard to criticize their cooking. They're dabbling with delivery service. There isn't much service outside their area, but it's mostly due to lack of drivers. The owner told me that hopefully they'll expand and be able to service other areas. Try it out if you're in the neighborhood. There's not a whole lot else to do in that area, but who cares? Good hummus, falafel, and a glass of red wine is all you need!
(4)
Lewis D. W.
Good falafal is hard to find! Stumbled on this place on foot - been back a few times. They are super-friendly and have great, inexpensive food - would eat here every week if I could!
(4)
Tamlyn T.
I Love Middle Eastern (Lebanese, Moroccan, Mediterranean food). Friend brought take out over from here many moons ago and thought I'd try it for lunch today. Ordered the Beef Shwarma roll up. Completely inedible. Beef full of grizzle and tough - attempted to take too bites and threw it out....GROSS. I imagined this is the kind of stuff the cast of Bridesmaids got sick on.... Lucky for me I ordered a sited of falafel that was good, but not worth a trip to the bowels of the s.end.
(1)
Janice A.
Ok....my friend and I couldn't even decide on the star rating as it was such a bizarre situation. Delivery took a long time and our confusion was that it was right down the street, only a few blocks away. Food was good, rice was good. We will try it again as it's something different around us with hopes that delivery will be less disappointing.
(3)
holly h.
Amazing falafel. Holy crap. So, so, so, so good. Give me some pickled turnip and you get 5 stars! Hummus is the best too. Can't wait to go back. Could be a bit less expensive, but I guess that's just keeping me from overdoing it on this place!
(4)
Sarah A.
Blah, not impressed. It is true it is nicely decorated and well laid out. They definitely put some effort into making the place look good. If you remember the Albany Sub Shop that used to be at this location, you will be pleasantly surprised by the change in decor. However, I was rather unimpressed with my falafel in a pita. The falafel itself was good, however it was only served in half a pita (tiny!) and they were VERY SKIMPY on the tomatoes, cucumbers and sauce. When I first saw them hand me this bag with my take out order I was like no, this has to be someone's grape leaves. This is not my falafel. But, helas, it was my tiny falafel. The worst part: just this tiny falafel was SEVEN DOLLARS! What a rip off! I will not be returning!
(2)
Jen S.
From the outside you expect a stark biker-bar-by-the-side-of-the-highway look, but the decor is actually quite warm and friendly. A bit sparse on the tables maybe, but well lit and cheerful colors. We had a lamb kebab plate and a kofta pita roll up. Both were good but I would say a bit pricer than they should have been. They also took forever to make - I guess this is good, since it means they were made fresh, but if I had been in a hurry I wouldn't have been happy. Maybe more of a weekend place rather than a weekday lunch place. I'm giving it 4 stars because it is one of the few places in the South End that has anything like affordable, fast, home made food. I wish there were a thousand other places like it.
(4)
Jason L.
I live down the street, so feel obligated to visit this place once in a while. Had breakfast a couple times (typical American breakfast, eggs, bacon, coffee, etc, ~$6). Nothing special. Chicken shawarma roll up was pretty good. Freshly sliced off a pit everyday. Good falafel. Hummus very fresh, a little watery for my taste, homemade according to the owner. Friendly guy. Typical south end prices. Go on Mondays ($5 roll ups).
(2)
Scott M.
The best part about this place is that it's cheaper and the line is shorter than Karo's right next door. Now that doesn't mean its bad, infact I found the rice and salad to be better. And this place has beef or Kafta and not just chicken.
(4)
Karen D.
If nothing else, go for the hummus. It's absolutely fantastic and may actually be the best I've ever had; all fresh ingredients and homemade. My friend lives in the South End and brought me here since her last six visits were great and all of the people she brought liked it as well. She got to know the owner, Rod, who is very friendly. We didn't even order off the menu. My friend asked him make us a dinner of his choosing We had some spiced beef, chicken kabob, rice, and Greek salad. The meats were well-cooked, tender, and had lots of flavor. The hummus plate, our meals, and wine for two of us came to a grand total of $36. There's hardly anywhere in the South End you could get that. The only downfall of the restaurant is that it looks a little bit too much of a take-out lunch place for sit-down dinner place, but the food really makes up for it. It is a little out-of-the-way compared to the other South End restaurants, so I hope more people go the few extra blocks to help this independent stay in business. They also have a catering menu as well.
(4)
Vic M.
Great takeout spot if you work in the neighborhood. They raised their prices a while back which was disappointing, but still affordable. Shawafel Rollup with hot sauce is a solid choice.
(4)
Juliana S.
My husband and I ordered take-out on a week night... and this place was fabulous!!! The food was delicious and the price can't be beat. I ordered a vegetable hummus roll up and he ordered a lamb kabob with a side of falafel. The food tasted fresh and the portions were great! The man working at the restaurant was extremely friendly! We will definitely be ordering from them again.
(5)
Collin N.
Awesome lunch! I work in the area, and there is a serious lack of lunch choices. Try the beef shwarma, and their falafel is great.
(5)
Billie M.
South End Pita can either be very good or solidly mediocre. There is a definite difference here day to day, maybe it depends on who is working? Whatever the reason, the inconsistency keeps South End Pita from being a heavy regular, instead relegating it to a craving only destination. When South End Pita is on, it is ON. Shawarma (both chicken and lamb/beef) that will melt in your mouth, rolled in a pita stuffed with vegetables and topped with a thin garlicky sauce that tastes sort of like a cross between tahini and zoum. Hummus whipped to perfection, smooth and rich, a layer of tahini floating on top. Dolmas that balance a tart bite with a soft perfectly blended interior. Pressed flat falafel that maintains its crispiness even when layered with spoonfuls of hummus. Kafta with more of a spice to it then I'm used to, a very pleasing difference. The prices here are right as well, $5 wraps that are bursting with ingredients, or combo platters, ranging from vegetarian starting at $7 and culminating at the shawarma combo at $10.50, a weighty dinner that includes piles of both chicken and beef shawarma, two falafels, a generous portion of hummus, and dolmas thrown in for good measure. Fleshed out with some pita, this will certainly serve two. Sadly, there have also been times when I've left here with a takeout box full of tough lamb, or burnt kofta, or sauceless chicken. The vegetarian options seem to fair much better, I've never had a complaint about the falafel or the hummus. But if I'm going to make a pit stop to Albany street, I need more sustenance than chickpeas two ways. And without a guarantee of consistent quality, I just can justify the detour all that often.
(3)
Twain S.
Since I found Cafe Beirut in JP, I haven't been back.
(3)
Bonita Y.
Stick with the Chicken Swarma - the beef combo plate is a bit heavy...
(4)
Josh K.
Awesome. Best since my visit to the promised land!
(5)
Cary C.
Falafel the second time wasn't nearly as good. They took it out of a steam tray, pretty unappealing texture. Spices weren't as good as the first time either. Chicken shwarma was pretty good though
(3)
Jessie O.
Life is better with this place around. Best hummus on the planet. Always happy when I go there and happier when I leave.
(5)
Malcolm F.
I'm a big fan of Mediterranean food, so I was psyched when this place opened around the corner from my office. They spent a lot of time working on it, so the space is nicely decorated and very comfortable. The menu ranges from falafel and shawerma to burgers and chicken parm (random!). The service is friendly and fast. The food is good but a bit pricey - I spent almost $9 for a falafel pita and diet soda.
(4)
Mcslimj B.
Restaurant critics (both amateurs and semi-pros like me -- I write for the Boston Phoenix, Stuff Magazine, and other pubs) must perform a balancing act. We want to bring attention to worthy new places, but slagging a brand-new venue during its shakedown cruise for slow service or uneven kitchen output isn't really fair. So after some rough early visits to South End Pita, a Mediterranean counter-service restaurant, I gave it some time to get through its growing pains. Ironing out the early kinks took only a few weeks: the short-order cook can now quickly and competently turn out a breakfast plate of eggs ($5-6 with bacon, ham, or sausage) with pretty fair home fries or a small chopped-tomato salad, decent filter coffee, and toast or a bagel. Three-egg omelets ($6-8) with the same accompaniments and standard fillings (cheese, onions, peppers, mushrooms, etc.) are sturdy if run-of-the-diner-mill; likewise the bagel sandwiches ($2-4). Lunch, when the owner's Moroccan roots show, is more interesting. Pita rollups ($6) feature fine falafel, kafta (beautifully spiced beef meatballs), and shawarma of chicken or beef, stuffed into pita atop tomatoes, cucumbers, and tahini. What keeps these sandwiches a notch below Boston's first rank is the decision to store fillings (like shawarma sliced off the rotisserie ahead of time) on steam tables, from which few foods benefit. At these prices, meat fillings could also be more generous. Combo plates ($7-9) include such options as very good hummus, cold rice-stuffed grape leaves, and shish kabobs of chicken, lamb, or kafta, served with rice and a small Mediterranean salad. The trencherman's choice is the shawarma combo ($10.50), with beef and chicken shawarma, falafel, and hummus. Soups taste carefully made, like the fine vegetarian lentil ($3.50). Respectable American options include a half-pound burger ($7.50) and subs of chicken parmesan ($6.95), meatball parmesan ($7), chicken salad ($6.50), and tuna salad ($6) with okay fries or a better salad. Big salads ($6-8) offer a healthier alternative, topped with a delicious Greek-like dressing and falafel, hummus, stuffed grape leaves, chicken shawarma, chicken salad, or tuna salad. The 20-seat room is sunny, spacious, and nicely decorated for a sandwich/salad joint. In all, South End Pita provides a solid option for quick, casual, relatively inexpensive meals at the extreme edge of South End gentrification, an area with few dining alternatives at any price. The initial tune-up took some time, but it's nice to see the engine finally humming.
(3)
Marisa W.
Really good wraps. I love the chicken shwarma wrap. The pita bread is crisp and chewy and has a nice heft to it. It doesn't just fall apart when wet. Falafel is tasty too. Easy, quick, yummy. And their baklava is great. I'm usually not a huge baklava fan, but this was good. Not too sweet. Flakey, Chewy, Nutty, etc.
(4)
Claire N.
Great food, great value. The place is set up so you can do take out or sit down. Great music and a beautiful tapestry on the wall add to the great decor of the small restaurant. Very friendly staff. Try their $5 wraps! And Backlava. Delicious.
(4)
Mandy D.
I agree with some of the other comments that you do not always know what you are going to get - however it is always delicious. I have had the veggie hummus roll up, chicken kabob, and few other items - all amazing! But what keeps me coming back is their hummus - there is nothing like it!! It is amazingly good, I don't know what they put in there but it is so tasty! I'm addicted!
(5)
Jim I.
I really like this place, I had a falafel there that was the best ever. However, I went back, and though it was good, it wasn't on the sandwich press as long as the previous, and so didn't wow me. Hence the -1 star. However, I will continue to go back. If you like Mediterranean food, this might be out of the way, but it's seriously seriously good.
(4)
Jen F.
Terrible! Got take-out salad with chicken. The salad did not contain the majority of ingredients listed on the menu, and the chicken shawarma was dry and crusty. In addition, did not recieve any plastic utencils or napkins. This is all made worse by the fact that it is overpriced.
(1)
Mark B.
Six of us had dinner at Pita last night. The chicken kabob with salad and rice was perfect! The others had falafel roll ups & salads with grape leaves & falafel! Everything was fresh and delicious! The only criticism is the A/C did nothing to cool the room down on a hot, humid evening!
(4)
Drew H.
First time patron last night. A buddy took me there. He and his wife are frequent customers. We split some pita bread with hummus and some falafeI dipped in hummus. I had the special of the night which was chicken kabobs with sauteed cabbage, rice and salad. The food was very good. The price was surprisingly inexpensive. Service was good. The place was clean. I would definitely return.
(4)
R L.
What a great find. I work around the corner from Pita. When you walk in the place the fragrant spices smell incredible. It's very tempting to order a bunch of stuff hoping that you'll get whatever smells so good. There are a lot of the middle eastern basics: falafel, schwarma, baba, etc. Everything is cooked to order which is a HUGE plus. Yes, you'll have to wait a little bit but it is well worth it. I'd much rather wait a little and have the great flavors. I've sampled Falafels all over Boston. This could possible be the best. Seriously. It's that good. Fresh, hot, nicely spiced. WOW. Schwarma King in Brookline is really good but these are just a notch better. I had some grape leaves which were also ridiculously fresh. The Lamb pita was great - exploding with flavor. Pitas are also reasonably priced at $5 making it a great alternative cheap eats for something different and unique in the neighborhood. I'm glad they've been able to make a business in this location. It's not ideal for foot traffic but the path from my office to their door is going to be well worn.
(5)
My O.
We cater from here for work often. There always ends up being more food than you expect. I'll order half of catering option #1, have wraps cut in half and it'll feed 15 people good. Their grape leaves and hummus are some of the best I've had.
(4)
Yasmine K.
I love Pita- The hummus is amazing and very authentic. If you don't like garlic you probably will not like the food. My other favorite is the "kafta" roll-up. Its a minced lamb sandwich. You will not be disappointed. Its a little off the beaten path, but worth the walk and at least you can park.
(4)
Susan C.
I am always on the hunt for cheap lunch eats near my office. The $5 hummus or falafel wrap fits the bill and is very filling. Sometimes I can only eat half in one sitting, even though it's delicious. I'm excited to find a place with good falafel so close by, as it's one of my favorite things. I tried a falafel wrap from a nearby sub place a while ago, and while their other food is good, the falafel was pretty meh. Now they are off the hook since I found South End Pita. My coworkers also rave about the burger special, oddly enough. But they all say it's delicious.
(4)
Rob J.
I love this place, great, simple Mediterrean [North African] food. The kafta roll up is amazing as is the hummus and pita [its so good it bears no resemblence to container hummus]. Lots of other good food but I love the kafta roll up so much it has become my staple. Its a humble place with a drafty door but I love the food.
(4)
Liz L.
Horrible! I wanted to like this place so much because I love Greek food and Boston needs a good greek place! We ordered to-go and had a salad with chicken shawarma, beef shawarma roll up, and kafta shish kabobs. The chicken was so dry it tasted like cardboard. It was uneatable! I am shocked that chicken could even get that dry. The beef shawarma roll up was okay, but again the meat was dry. The best out of the three was the kafta shish kabobs. They didnt look appetizing but had nice flavor and interesting spices. I dont complain much about food, especially when I am hungry, but this was probably the worst meal I have had in a long time. I really wanted to call them up to complain, but I felt I had so much to complain about that they would get offended. If you eat here, go inside and make sure that your meat isnt leather!
(1)
Pam H.
Well, there really aren't a lot of places to eat lunch in the area of the south end down at Albany street, so Pita works. They do use a bit too much cumin so that most of the food all tastes the same. But when I am in the mood for cumin dip I get the hummus, or cumin rollup I get the kafta rollup - even though it is not really Kafta. As a Lebanese American that is the weird part - nothing is what I expect. Kafta is supposed to be a burger-type thing with onions and peppers mixed inside the burger. Loose ground meat is not kafta. The chicken kebob dinner is ok, but then for the chicken kebob rollup they chop up the chicken into tiny pieces - kind of weird. Wish I could taste the meat more and the chick peas more and the cumin a little less - they need to lighten up on the seasoning. The menu is also limited - not a lot of dishes. No tabbouli?! The prices are also not fitting. The rollups are a reasonable $5 but the "plates" are $10 - definitely overpriced. Like I said, not a lot of places to go in the area. Good enough to return, but really miss the place that used to be there. This place is fair
(2)
Dan M.
I am a huge fan of middle eastern, Mediterranean, North African food, so I was psyched to find this place recently. I'll always root for a family owned/mom & pop biz and these folks get an A for effort. The place is colorful and nicely laid out. The food needs a little work. I'm a falafel connoiseur so I tried that first. And the falafel patties themselves although not the best, were good. Well spiced and tasty. The tahini sauce could have put me in an altered state - yum! I could've eaten a gallon of it out of a bowl with a spoon. The salad that came with it - not so much. The salad looked pre-made. That is it had been mixed and dressed earlier in the day, so the lettuce had started to go a little wilty. (Tip for the owners: NEVER pre-dress the salad!) And the dressing was not good. My first bite and I got smacked in the mouth by yellow mustard. A big mouthful of French's. Now yellow mustard is a fine ingredient for a dressing, just not so much of it. Perhaps the batch had not been stirred well enough but KAPOW! Where was the hotdog? The salad also contained cukes, onions, tomatoes, a sprinkling of feta and olives. The olives were an issue for me. They were the generic, standard issue, supermarket sliced black olives from a can. Tasteless. C'mon folks, in a place like this I'd expect some juicy Kalamatas or something more interesting. If you're trying to be conservative to please all American palates, get over it! The very thin pita bread accompanying it was a good idea! They even heated it for me in a panini press which was very thoughtful. However, when pita is this thin, heating it turns it tough and hard very quickly. Ixnay on the eathay. Another reviewer noted how the shwarma was precut from the spit and stored in a steam table. I agree, Not a good idea. It dries out quickly after being sliced. Should be sliced to order. (Check out Aceituna in Kendall Square to see how it's done.) Although the geography of their location is a little stark, with all the businesses and office buildings in the area, they should have a line out the door everyday. I've worked in the neighborhood for six months now and no one I work with had ever heard of it and we're only two blocks away! At the height of lunch hour, I was one of only three patrons in the place. Spiff up the food a little, tone down the pre-preparation and MARKET YOURSELVES. I'm rooting for you and will return.
(3)
E. R.
Oh. Em. Gee. Seriously, good stuff. I happened upon this little cart next to the infamous chicken kabob cart in downtown crossing (on my way to Falafel King) and figured what the hell...I'll see what this is all about. Best. Decision. Today. I got a falafel combo plate, was able to get hummus instead of rice, and no feta on my salad. They were very willing to change the plate for me, and so friendly! And...it only cost me $5! I got 4 falafel (crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside), hummus (probably my second favorite ever, after Rami's in Coolidge Corner), lots of salad (with actual veggies and not just lettuce), and this strange dressing, that was delicious, I just have no idea what it was. Oh, and a Pita of course. I'll definitely replace my Falafel King visits with this place, the hummus is so much better, and the falafel was so good! I am so thankful that this place showed up, I hope they stick around!
(5)
Bo D.
i really hoped this place woulda-coulda pulled it together. i just had the driest most uneventful falafel sandwich, ever. dry as the deserts of the middle east. maybe i've been spoiled by living so close to little middle east in watertown - but south end pita's humus is merely average. and they don't even make tabouli...what's up with that? i've had their chicken shawarma sandwich too, and it didn't fair much better. if i ever go back maybe i'll try one of their plates. but this place could be so much better - i miss you falafel king!
(2)
Heather L.
Today, I went to Pita for the second time. The first time, I had a good experience and enjoyed the food. This time was quite different. While the food was still pretty good, the woman who works there was most unpleasant. I think she was upset at me because when I was ordering (from the man) and I saw him put on gloves, I commented that I was glad he did that and I was going to ask him to do so, but now he's beat me to it. I had observed the woman patting down cous cous and grilling pitas with her bare hands. She must have thought this remark was really meant for her, and truthfully, it partly was, and I believe that is why she was bitter the rest of the time we were there. When we got there, the door was propped all the way open. It is 40 degrees outside, so I asked if I could close it. She said "yes" but seemed annoyed, and I think this is another reason she was downright rude to us. About 20 minutes later, she propped the door wide open again. I told her that I was cold (as it's a small place and all the tables are near the door) and she said that she's hot and I can wear my coat if I'm cold. Another patron of the restaurant, who seemed to know the owners, offered to swtich tables with us and commented that it is a nice day out. I appreciated that he was trying to appease the situation, though he didn't work there. Regardless, I will never come here again. It was one of the rudest, most uncomfortable experiences I've had at a dining establishment. It's a shame, I work down the street, and it would have been nice to come here with my colleagues as a regular lunch spot. Now, I'm spreading the word to them to steer clear. Lost opportunity.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : No Caters : Yes
Janet H.
My coworkers and I are obsessed with the hummus and tabouleh here that we all rotate buying a huge tub of it and pita chips... it totally makes our day! I haven't tried any of the other food yet, but I definitely recommend the tabouleh. It seems to have more veggies to grain ratio, which I love. I tried a supermarket's version of it and it was hard to finish that after eating Pita's tabouleh...
(4)Stephanie S.
YUM! Great food and great service. The atmosphere is crappy, but the food and service makes up for it. The guys working were very nice and explained the menu items when I asked. I ended up getting the Chicken/Lamb Kebab with rice and salad. I seemed interested in the cabbage so they gave me a little of that too. Eveything was very yummy.
(4)Jason F.
First time I walked in this place I asked for the lentil soup. But when I saw how small the cup was, and how much they were charging, I changed my mind and walked out. Next day I went again, and seeing that they'd lowered the price of the lentil soup, I bought lentil soup there for the next two years. Now they raised the price again. I must have some psychological barrier to paying six dollars for a little cup of lentil soup (the "large"), because I walked out again. Please, Pita, either lower the price or make the cup bigger, so I can continue buying soup from you.
(4)A W.
WOW! I haven't had dolmas these good since I was a kid. This is not your typical ambiguous "Mediterranean" hole-in-the-wall. Delicious, quality food with lots of fresh veggies and robust flavors! And the service was very friendly and casual! Thank god I don't live closer to this place.
(5)Ludwin A.
I often come here for dinner, I usually get the lamb combo plate, the lamb is tasty , the rice is well flavored and the salad is fresh . The price is reasonable and the staff are great , and the atmosphere is warm and friendly .
(5)Lillian C.
Came here for lunch on a weekday and was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't too busy when I was there, but it definitely picked up a little later into lunch time. This seems like a pretty authentic place and the people working here are super nice. My friend said she always gets the mint tea because it's really good. I tried it, but wasn't a fan... For our meals I ordered the chicken shawarma plate. For some reason I thought it was going to come as a wrap, but of course it didn't. The plate came and I was surprised that the portions were HUGE! There was chicken, rice, and salad on the huge plate... I only ate about half and took the other half to eat as leftovers. It also comes with a side of pita bread (?) and those were nice and soft. The flavors for the chicken was really good and the dressing on the salad was really light. The only thing that was just OK was the rice - nothing special. However, for the price, this place is a great spot for lunch!
(4)Shar B.
I usually never write reviews, but I was compelled to write one after one of the worst customer service I have ever experienced. Having gotten delivery from this location hundreds of times, I decided to order two chicken kebab salads at 6:30pm.I asked if they could add just a little more lettuce to the salads and the lady on the phone responded with a bad attitude saying maybe. She told me it would be about 45 minutes to get here. At 7:45 I get a phone call from the same lady stating that her manager has just walked in and informed her that they do not deliver to my address anymore (it is about a mile away). I go so, you guys waited over an hour to call me and tell me this? I was offered nothing and just a sorry. What I would expect from a place with good customer service is that the manager would have my order still be delivered considering I waited over an hour and they have delivered to my house before and just let me know that I will not be able to get delivery after. I am extremely frustrated and I strongly urge anyone to avoid this place at all costs. Who wants to support a franchise that treats their constant/loyal customers like this. Unacceptable.
(1)Nina G.
I ordered a chicken shwarma; it was kind of kind a chicken burrito. It wasn't bad, but it was missing something. I think it was a little dry, if I recall correctly? I wanted to bite into my wrap and taste the bursting flavors of middle eastern spices in my mouth; look down at my plate and see juices of the marinated chicken and all that good stuff, but there wasn't any of that. It was just dry. I was kind of disappointed, because they had all of the tools right before them, but they just failed in taste. It was bland. I believe the only spread or condiment in there was hummus, which didn't help all that much. I also tried their falafel which was good. If you let it sit four more than five minutes, then it's just "eh." They also charge you for garlic sauce, which I not only did not like, but did not understand. Fix this. That sixty sauce could have bought me two-thirds of a falafel. (Falafel is priced at $0.90 for all of you math majors.)
(3)Shawn W.
Food is fresh Mediterranean deliciousness. If you've never tried a wrap (shawarma), they're delicious! Choose chicken or beef. TONS of vegetarian choices. Each day, they have some sort of specialty drink. Today (a cold winter day), they have hot Moroccan mint tea. Delicious! Over the summer, they had another delicious tea. Great food. Great atmosphere. They would get 5 stars if the service was a bit better. I still love this place!
(4)Rachel U.
Amazing "pita" (appetizer) plate and lamb roll up. Fast friendly service. One of the best Mediterranean restaurants you will find in the city of Boston.
(5)Dan R.
I enjoy Pita in general. This is one of my favorite types of cuisine and they do an A-OK job here. Last time I went I had a chicken and lamb shawarma plate. The lamb was a bit chewy but very tasty. Chicken had some nice flavor as well. Prices are great and the staff is always very friendly to me. I love that they have all of the sides listed on the board so you can sort of make your own plate of Middle Eastern magical items like falafel, grape leaves, tahini, etc. I wish they didn't charge for hot sauce and just had it available to spray all over your rice :/
(3)Ben L.
I am a big fan of this place , they have a combination of lamb and chicken kabobs that out of this world, Make sure to get there hummus while u waiting for Meal to cook.
(5)Kate L.
AMAZING and fresh Greek food. Lamb pita sandwich and pita plate were both OUT OF THIS WORLD. Best hummus I have ever eaten and not too garlicy which was nice. Amazing falafal. Even the olives were great. Didn't LOVE the baklava - not sweet enough as most kinds I have had but great consistency and well-made. A little pricey but amazing service and they even have a few tables outside!
(5)Mikaela M.
I ordered delivery through their website and received a confirmation email. An hour later, when I still hadn't received my food, I called to confirm that everything was all set. The woman on the phone told me it was "on it's way" but clearly didn't actually check to confirm that it was, in fact, on it's way. 30 minutes after that (so it's been an hour and a half since I ordered) when it still didn't arrive, I called again. The woman checked again, and then a man got on the phone asking for my number, so that they could check on things and call me back. They called me back a minute later saying there was a mixup, the order wasn't previously processed, and that it was NOW on it's way. I asked if I could have a refund, as I felt that this was more than a little frustrating, but was told "a manager isn't here, call back tomorrow". I understand that things can happen with online ordering, and mixups happen, but the fact that when I called the first time, I was dismissed and nothing was even checked into, is unacceptable. If the woman had simply verified that my order had come in, as I had specifically asked, the order would have gone out at that point. I had actually ordered from this place once before, and really liked the food. I had even recommended it to some other people because I liked it so much. But after this experience, I absolutely will not be ordering from them again. ------------------ UPDATE: I just spoke with the manager (he called me actually). He sincerely apologized for the experience, and offered a refund and a credit for my next order. He did explain that things can happen with the online ordering system, but agreed that his employees need to be better on the front-end about actually checking that the order has been processed. He says that he has meetings with them all the time about it. I appreciate that he clearly cares about his customers and retaining business, but definitely think they have some work to do on the customer service side. That said, the food is great. Just pick it up, or call to order-- don't order online!
(3)Whitney C.
I ordered South End Pita through Caviar and I could not be more disappointed. Still waiting to see if I can get a refund, because this food is inedible. The hummus was disgusting - too watered down, and it didn't taste like any hummus I've ever had. I make my own hummus and frequently try new restaurants for hummus, and this is by far the worst I've ever had. The chicken tastes...weird. Edible, but weird after taste that is freaking me out. The salad dressing is horrible, almost worse than the hummus. The feta on the salad has no flavor, the salad veggies are subpar and really the only redeeming aspect of the meal was the fries I got, and even those needed to be put in the oven and seasoned when I got them. I will never order from this place again, and I am going to try and get a refund because I just waited an hour for food that will be thrown away.
(1)Sara C.
Delicious, fresh Mediterranean fare. Generous portions and reasonable prices. The mint iced tea and baklavah are the perfect compliments to shawarma pita and chicken kabob.
(5)Jacki S.
While they were down to the wire with 2 minutes left on their delivery window of 50 minutes, I have to say I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I couldn't stop exclaiming to myself (alone, in my hotel room, at 10pm) about how utterly delicious the food was. I got the lamb and it was absolutely wonderful - tender and flavorful. The rice was warm and filled with herbs, the salad was crisp and fresh and the hummus was smooth, nutty and incredible. Very strong and fresh. I don't live in Boston, but I am definitely keeping this place on the list for anytime I'm back.
(4)Jennifer C.
Food is great! Customer service not so much... Very unapologetic about leaving an item out of our delivery. Kept talking about how far the restaurant was from our location (google maps states it's an 8 min drive with traffic...do they walk their deliveries?)
(2)Yuvaraaj J.
Fun place to get a good taste of medi- food. I visited it many times during my boston trips. I was introduced to this one by Bansari. Thanks Bansari for making me enjoy much more than what I knew ten years ago.
(4)Amy L.
I ordered the fish + chips. The chips were actually fries, but the fries were awesome. I had the best fried cod that I've tasted. How many cod have you tasted that have been actually cooked right? The staff was extremely friendly and made me feel comfortable being there.
(5)Lindsey B.
We came here for lunch on a Tuesday afternoon. Like other reviewers stated about this South End location, it's not the most pristine environment, but we didn't feel unsafe in any way either. Also, there's a little table outside on the left side of the restaurant that offers privacy and shade. I ordered the chicken kebab special plate and substituted extra salad for the rice at no charge. My date ordered the beef shawarma plate. PROS: Fresh food--hummus was superb and very tender meat. CONS: Deceptive service--Our waiter repeatedly asked my date if he wanted hot sauce. Unbeknownst to us, we were charged $2.00 for this-a condiment which was barely touched. SUGGESTIONS: Don't order the Moroccan iced tea. It sounded appealing, but was watered down and mint deficient, making it quite subpar. Also, inquire about any "extras" which are offered because you may be charged for them without knowledge of such.
(3)Robin Y.
Went here for the first time this weekend- small, casual, affordable, overall good Mediterranean place. My sister and I split the combo plate, and my fiancé got grape leaves and kebabs. Everything on the combo plate was good- I particularly loved the grape leaves, which were vegetarian and had a great lemony flavor. Overall, it wasn't anything super special, but we all liked our food and if I lived in the area, I would go back.
(3)Mamoun M.
Management was very responsive.
(5)Luke D.
I'm of Azorean Portuguese stock on my dad's side, which means that my deepest roots likely lie with the Flemish. But sometimes I truly believe that there is some wonky Moorish DNA kicking around that causes me to jones for the cuisine of the Near East. After a gym sesh at BSC that left me feeling like a starving Assyrian prisoner, I made my way to the still-sketchy part of the South End, where sloppily neck-tatted meth heads and wholesale flower establishments (because flower boxes don't just fill themselves) are plenty. Some folks might deduct a star or worse, refrain altogether from visiting Pita for this reason, but who has time for that kind of soft behavior? What one should have time for, always, is woofing some quality grub. I ordered the lamb/chicken kebab combo. It arrived looking like a perfect ziggurat of wonders only the cradle of civilization could have produced. The hot sauce/tzatiki duo worked together in perfect measure as the decadent-yet-healthful protein balanced out by the rice pilaf and leafy green salad coursed through my body like a Persian Immortal cavalry charge decimating an Ionian village for daring to resist the god-king Darius I. And when the thirst hit--sweet mother of Allah, is that POLAR GODDAMNED SELTZER IN ALL OF THE CURRENT SUMMER FLAVORS??? Indeed it was--Blueberry Lemonade for this guy. Could not believe my luck. I crushed my meal as if a hunter-gatherer lifestyle was still a threat to my tidy South End existence. And you know what else? I got a chicken kebab roll-up to go for lunch tomorrow. Get your mind right. Go to Pita.
(5)Abby R.
I get lunch here pretty often. Lemme break it down for you: Cheap. ($6 ish) Falafel. (Taste the happy.) Tasty and filling pita wraps. I've had better, but not in this part of the city, and I keep going back so it's definitely a solid place to grab lunch. Plus they give you a punchcard for 1 free rollup for every 7 bought.
(4)Skye G.
Wow, I fell into this place and am so glad I did. Their salads were packed full of flavor, chicken was moist and delic and hit the spot dead on. I was starving and was thinking of chips and a soda. The place has nice seating but I got my salads and specialty teas to go. The people were very pleasant. Made my order, rang me up and I was on my way. I've tried to go back and the hours seem hit or miss but I know I will hit it right again.
(5)Allison L.
Dropped in with my daughter for a quick lunch and walked out full and happy. Great prices and food was tasty. she got the Moroccan burger and I had the chix kabob rollup. Friendly service and clean dining area. Wish we got more pickle. Next time I'll ask for extra!
(4)Sharon O.
Very friendly, very cute, reasonable priced place to stop in for lunch in the South End. Of course I enjoyed a grape leaf and chicken schwarma roll-up. Wished there was a little more flavor with the schwarma, either spices or heat, so I might order with a kick next time.
(3)Lucas Y.
If you are looking for fast/fresh food with friendly service, give this place a shot. I suggest toasted pita and hummus and grape leaves while you wait for the main meal. The chicken kabob dinner is a good portion and the service has always been welcoming to me.
(5)Sharang D.
Loved it! Falafel Wrap!! Om Nom Nom Nom!! ;)
(5)Jiyea C.
I was not impressed by any of the food here. Tried the chicken kebab combo and the chicken shwarma combo (I believe they were $8 apiece pre tax), and while portions were rather generous, I did not find any of the food very good. The meat on both dishes were on the dry side and did not really have much flavor. The rice as also kind of bland, and all the hummus/tzatziki/other toppings were extra, which makes this place kind of expensive for mediocre lunch food. The salad had lots of feta and crunchy bell peppers, making it the best thing on the plate. Sad. Also this place has no AC and the fans don't really do a good job. But you could catch up on the news during a quick lunch break if you wanted. Free wifi is pretty good, but you have to ask for the password. Takes credit cards.
(2)Ani A.
Loved the food. Authentic food, nice service and clean. Absolutely worth the trip. It's pretty cheap to get several dishes and share, they also have different small dishes or appetizers. I would recommend going with the combo option and then picking one or two appetizers.
(5)Kaitlin H.
Love their falafel!
(4)Mohamed M.
I love humus and the chicken shawarma this place is awesome can't wait to go there again
(5)Melissa R.
Convenient location, excellent price for the quality and quantity of food. I am a big fan of the kebob platter. The humus and falafel are tasty as well. I've had the mint tea and it's kind of light in flavour for me, but still refreshing. The baklava is super yummy. The chicken swarma I was disappointed in, for the same reason as some others have mentioned - lacked luster in the flavour department. Friendly staff and very good food, I'll be back for sure!
(5)Joey R.
Love the Falafel pita and their hummus, but both times I've got delivery it has taken an hour and a half.
(3)Debra P.
I order delivery @ 840, called three times until 1040, they never delivered my order but they charged my credit card!
(1)G b.
Yum!!! Delicious food. Everything is perfectly seasoned, the baklava is to die for. I never had a bad experience with the food I got from Pita and I've been there quite a fe times, since I'm lucky to work in the area. Thumbs up.
(5)Bruno L.
I'm giving this place a two star for the nice set up and cleanliness. The food deserves less than one star. I was extremely disappointed with the food. I had been excited to try this place but it kill the excitement once I tried it. The falafel balls are dry and does not taste like falafal at all. For what sounded like Lebanese staff they are doing a horrible job. Food taste horrible. Will not be visiting this place again.
(2)Lynette S.
We got a very large take-out order, for six adults. Every item was fresh, delicious, some of the best available in Boston. We have ordered from several others in the area but this remains in our top two! Delicious cucumber and falafel sandwiches. Delicious hummus and tabouli. It is my top choice for this cuisine.
(5)Pam C.
Worst restaurant service ever! After spending all day visiting colleges, we were tired and decided to order in. We made a mistake by not reviewing the 1 star reviews. Won't make that mistake ever again. We placed an order at 7:00 through the yelp-eat24 app and a delivery time of 45-60 minutes was issued putting the delivery time at 7:45 to 8:00. At 7:45 I was at the door in order to buzz the delivery guy in. At 8:10, after receiving no contact from the driver, I tracked my order through customer support, the restaurant told support the driver was on his way but stuck in traffic, which was incredibly funny as I saw no traffic on the street. When he still didn't show up or call at 8:19, the restaurant told customer support that they couldn't find the driver. Customer support said they were going to ask for a discount. Was I okay with that? At that point, I was so hungry, I could have eaten the book in my hand and didn't care! Well that didn't last long, because customer support said the manager didn't "do" discounts, really!? They also must not "do" customer service. I am a pretty patient person, but by 8:45, I no longer cared if I even saw the food. I asked customer support to cancel the order and make sure the charges to my card were refunded. She happily did so (and gave me a discount coupon for another order) but the ironic part was that the driver, when he finally reappeared in this whole silly fiasco had the nerve to say he had been calling me for 10 minutes outside the door, silly really, because the door is clear glass and I had been standing in front of it since 7:45 with my phone in my hand. Why not own your mistake instead of trying to lie your way out of it! And no we didn't give him the wrong address or telephone number, we verified that as well. I suggest the owners read some of the one star reviews, they all say the same thing-that the customer service is awful.
(1)Kim R.
Love love love the spinach pie and grape leaves! Such a great hidden gem in the middle of everything. Sat outside on a summer's night and enjoyed everything I tried. No frills but great food and friendly service every time.
(5)Chris D.
Excellent food and cool place. Patient staff for people (like us) unaccustomed to Middle Eastern food.
(5)April M.
I really love South End Pita! I discovered it through none other than Yelp, searching for local places to get lunch. I usually get the chicken kabob with a side of hummus and sometimes falafel. The chicken is perfectly seasoned and not overdone. Yum! The order comes with a side salad (veggies, olives and feta) and rice pilaf. I love it. The hummus is absolutely amazing! It is a hugely generous portion that I don't imagine one person could ever finish in one sitting. I've shared mine and gotten multiple sessions out of one order. My only qualm is that I wish they gave you more pita for dipping into the hummus. Only one or two pieces is just not enough! The falafel was great, too. Not too dry. It is a straightforward joint, nothing fancy, just pure delicious food. They offer delivery or you can pick up. I've never actually been inside, because I've always had them deliver to my work, which they do in less than 30-45 minutes, every time. They've never messed up my order and they are always friendly on the phone and during delivery. I love them!
(4)Rohan K.
The food is absolutely tasteless. The chicken shwarma was worse than boiled chicken. The lamb sheesh kabob was chewy with no seasoning. Can't believe this restaurant has 4 stars on average.
(1)Harry H.
AWESOME PLACE! Very fresh food and the BEST falafel in town. People there are extremely friendly and make me feel welcomed time and time again. The combo platters are GREAT. Also, they carry a Brooklyn-made Ginger Ale which is the bomb! Their spicy sauce has me addicted.
(5)Joselyn Y.
I'm really sad that I have to do another updated review and drop in stars. So after eating here for two years the place has changed. Now, this place usually goes through different management and chefs all the time but these past visits haven't been good. Things that changed: quality of the food, attitudes of the managment, and even tast of the food. I usually get the chicken kabob but def noticed a change in quality, the chicken is much drier, salad is also bad in parts (as in brown lettece), less sauce is given and even the sauce tasted different the last time I went. I confirmed this with my other co-workers who usually go as well and they agree, quality in food went down. So a real disappointment. It's still cheap and quick service but I'm not so sure I'll be back.
(2)Andrew T.
Thanks Yelp, for saving me from eating at McDonalds TWICE in one day. Yelp turned up this place just a few blocks from where we were parked in an unfamiliar neighborhood. We got there just before 11 am. We had a falafel plate ($7.95) and a chicken schwarma plate (sliced rotisserie chicken breast, $8.50). Plates come with a generous serving of rice and a generous salad with a tahini dressing and feta, and several gourmet olives. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it filled me up. My friend doesn't love tahini or feta so he wished he had known in advance to ask for that on the side. It's counter service but there are quite a few tables, and it was cool and clean. Mint iced tea was strong and delicious ($2). Baklava ($2) was OK.. enjoyable, but a little tough. As the Irish constructon workers trickled in for their middle eastern lunches, it got a little loud with the flat screen TV competing with the exotic music... but i would definitely go back.
(4)Ander J.
This will be new go-to in the area for middle eastern food. I got a chicken kebab combo plate (had a few mentions on yelp) and it didn't disappoint. The falafel is a little different, as a few have said, but I liked it. He asked of I wanted it spicy, I said yes, but there was literally no spice. Maybe he confused the two orders he was working on. For that I'll take off a star, but no complaints besides that. Real good.
(4)Miriam A.
I heart Pita!! First let me tell you, I am Middle-eastern and my favorite Middle-eastern food is from my mom's kitchen, I'm a pretty lucky duck. Given this, I seldom like to venture out for Middle-eastern food because I'm a pretty tough critic for some reason always comparing to mom's food...yes I know that's not fair :-) Well my habibis (dear friends) Pita is actually a great great place!! The owner is Moroccan so this place is the real deal! The prices here are inexpensive, and for the quality and savory dishes this makes Pita a true South End gem in my book. Foods to try: Shawarma roll-ups...order it with garlic sauce... Falafels Hummus Kebab plates Side dishes...tabouli, baba ghanoush, cabbage slaw. Decor is really nice here and plenty of room to sit and enjoy your meal. During the summer time though it tends to get sweltering hot in this place. Yawzahs!! Overall, I really enjoy this place. Inexpensive, yummy food, and nice attentive employees.
(5)Julie N.
I absolutely love the South End Pita. We've gotten delivery from here three times now and each time I get my chicken shwarma wrap it's even better than the deliciousness I remembered it being. I'm completely obsessed with their hummus and buy a container to eat through the week. Great prices, fast delivery, delicious food... I'm a super fan.
(4)Anthony P.
Tried this place for the first time. Ordered for pick up and as most reviews point out the Food did not disappoint. Hummus was Delicious as was the Lamb Kabob and the Spinach Pie. The side salad was as Fresh as can be and Romaine was used not the cheap Lettuce. I will definitly be orderding take out again and dining in with a friend. A great new find.
(4)Zev X.
YUM! I just went here for lunch for the first time and ordered the chicken shwarma. It has to be hands down one of the best that I have ever had. Really flavorful and delicious! I can't wait to go back! I typically go to the corner cafe to get my shwarma but I think this is much better tasting and less expensive.
(5)Juju W.
Good price. Friendly employees. Tasty. You can't go wrong in this place.
(4)Hannah B.
Such a cute little restaurant! Great for lunch. I'd never been to a Mediterranean food place before (I had no idea what falafel was) so my boyfriend and I popped into this little place on a whim. The spinach pie was heavenly, the baklava was delicious and the falafel was tasty. I loved the atmosphere, and the workers were very friendly. Great food for an even better price!
(5)Sarah O.
I've eaten here a few times. Not really a fan but it's a convenient location and Falafel King isn't open on Sundays. My husband and I got chicken kabob salads from here last night and most definitely got food poisoning. I haven't been able to move from bed all day, missed work, and have been throwing up for the past 12 hours. Oh, and 3/4 way through the salad I noticed a fly in my lettuce. Sick! Never, ever again.
(1)Stacey L.
My go-to is the Sampler Plate, simply amazing! An flavorful balance of taste and texture! I always end my meal with a Baklava or two. Fresh, great service and "real". in 1 word, HEAVEN!
(5)Robyn M.
Delicious food, great prices, best hummus and baklova, and they even deliver! So happy to have tried this place out, it will be a new favorite
(5)Cullen F.
Only 10 reviews... it's a well kept secret... for now. Falafel is delicious, not overcooked, and dry like so many places in the city. Stuffed Grape Leaves are unreal, especially when dipped into the Tahini & Hummus. The cheeseburger is delicious, and huge. Super fast delivery. I've ordered 20 times from here, never a mistake, always fast and courteous. Baklava is so good, order two pieces.
(5)Fat G.
Fat G. checking out some of the local places around his home. I've seen this place, this location since high school, and I've never had the time to check it out. Given the opportunity, I hopped on it and went to South End Pita for a meal. I ordered the Chicken Shawarma for take-out, costing $6.50. When I took it out of the bag, i thought there was a paper plate inside the tin foil because of the way it felt. It turns out that was the pita or whatever they used to wrap the food. I wasn't sure if that is the way it's supposed to be or if the wrap is supposed to be flufffier. Anyways, I don't know what shawarma is supposed to taste like, but they have this sauce mix in there that was very good, and it wasn't too drippy. It was like eating a burrito. I can't say too much about this place, primarily because I didn't stay around for the entire experience. However, I was satisfied for a couple hours and I liked the variety of things they put in there, though I wish the ingredients were more evenly distributed, rather than settling on the bottom. Recommended for: Mediterranean cuisine, quick food.
(3)Eyad A.
The worst place I have ever been to food less than normal . The female worker listen to songs in headphones while taking my order without caring at all about my requests plus the worst attitude ever .
(1)Andrea B.
I was eager to try this place but found everything to be bland. I had the falafel combo, and the falafel was probably the only tasty thing on the plate. The rice was lacking in flavor (you know it's a bad sign when you find yourself reaching for the salt and pepper) and the salad could have used a whole lot more feta. Portion sizes were decent for what you pay for, but overall it was not worth the trek to the South End.
(2)Collins F.
Clean, great food, great prices and you can always count on getting amazing food with a smile. I do wish they had a BYOB but it still is amazing!
(5)Tara H.
Each time I visit, I am reminded how mind-blowing amazing the hummus is. I will make a bold statement here and say....*eh hem*....this is the BEST hummus I have ever had. Almost a year after opening, this place still has it going on.
(5)Mark M.
This is a double review i guess. 1) South End location: Small seating area, will deliver to a broad area for FREE. Kind and prompt. 2) Downtown crossing cart - This location makes a bad Wednesday a little better. The food and prices are the same at both locations which is super cheap. Rollups are only 5 bucks and a combo dish is still only 6.50. Unheard of for downtown lunches. I tend to stick with the falafel or Kafta (a spiced ground beef mixture). I highly recommend the cart, located across from Macy's, when you finally get bored of the Kabob cart.
(4)Kate B.
Love love love this place. Hummus, tabouli and grape leaves were amazingly fresh and delicious! Combo plate is the way to go
(5)holy f.
Holy f@#$!!! I am pretty sure I've found my new favorite delivery place (maybe. I still love delivery wings, and AK's has the best). But alas, I digress... 9:00pm on a Thursday, I am so hungry that it has taken me 30 minutes to finally decide what to order (too much), and I hit that beautiful "submit order" button. I type in the instructions to call me before knocking, because I'm elsewhere in the building... no one ever follows those instructions (even when typed as "PLEASE CALL BEFORE KNOCKING!!! thank you :)" smiley face and everything). So after about 15 minutes pass, I walk out to let the security guard know that I'm expecting food to be delivered and that I would appreciate it if he could just remind the delivery person that I'll just come down to the lobby for my food. BU-BU-BUT WAIT, IT GETS WORSE. And by worse, I actually mean it gets amazing. At 9:19, right as I'm talking to the guard (who, btw, is munching on some pizza that I am almost ready to buy off him because I'm an idiot who waited too long to order food), my phone rings, and it is none other than the delivery guy from South End Pita saying that he is here and on his way in right then!! I was so excited that he probably thought I was a mental patient when he saw my ridiculous smile and weird jaunty run towards him. Uh, so... 19 minutes from the time I clicked send until my bag o'food arrives. Seriously?! 19 minutes? How is that even possible? There must be something wrong... maybe it's the wrong order... maybe it's something they made yesterday... these were the thoughts going through my head as i speedwalked through the hallway into a conference room to inspect my loot. So, when I am hungry, I am super indecisive. I ordered a chicken shawarma roll up thingie, the sampler (hummus/falafel/etc), and the chicken kabob plate (comes with rice and salad). Oh god the chicken was fantastic. Not just in an I'm-so-hungry-I-could-inhale-this kind of way, but in a freshly-grilled-and-still-deliciously-hot-and-Âjuicy kind of way. After I finished the entire chicken kebob plate, I had a couple of bites of the sampler, which was also awesome... but I ate too much, too quickly, and am wondering how awkward it would be if I were found napping under a glass conference table. TL;DR Chicken kebob plate = awesome. Delivery = amazing. Eat here. Do it.
(5)Adriane L.
Couldn't believe how small my felafel wrap was! Used to love this place but was so disappointed tonight. Delivery was very quick tho which was a plus. Lentil soup wasn't as delicious as I remember. Not totally writing it off but the meal was scant
(3)John K.
Not sure what is going on here. I live right near Pita and eat here multiple nights a week because it is quick and delicious. However, the staff has changed and I have been charged the incorrect amount multiple times in the past few weeks and the service has gotten much slower. Not positive what is going, but I might have to find another place for a quick bite on weeknights after work. It's unfortunate. The 3 stars are because the food is still delicious.
(3)Josh E.
The Falafel plate is one of my favorite lunches in the downtown area. For $5 you get 4 falafel, tahini, rice pilaf, salad and their "special dressing". The dressing is the best part. Im guessing that its made of parsley, garlic, greek yogurt and feta. Whatever is in it is great and I pour it over everything on the plate. Its not the biggest falafel plate in town, but even when I'm quite hungry it does the job and for a couple bucks less than other places charge for something similar. They also get the food to you quickly and I've never experienced a line.
(4)Renee R.
I may have a South End Pita problem at this point... I work right around the corner and just can't help going there over and over again. I've been working here for a year but JUST discovered it 2 weeks ago. Not sure how I managed that. So far, I have gotten both the Chicken Shawarma pita roll-up and the Chicken Kebab pita roll-up. I love the kebab a bit more, but both very good. And for the South End, doling out $5-7 for lunch is actually very affordable - and way healthier than ending up at Harry O's. Not that I hate on Harry O's by ANY means - Georgiana's and Harry O's are my staple lunch spots on Fridays/days when I'm feeling a bit under-the-weather... so to speak... :) I'm not a falafel person usually, but the guy just gave me a sample of falafel dipped in hummus and WOW was it good. I'll be getting a falafel roll-up next time. He also toasted my roll-up perfectly and offered to add hot sauce today which I hadn't tried before - BOOM! They have these pita cards that you can fill up too - after 7 roll-ups you get the 8th free. I would probably go here 8+ times anyway, but that is a bonus for sure. They also take credit card which helps, and the people are very friendly too. Nothing bad to say in the least. Great spot!
(5)Pough K.
this place is cheap and the food is amazing, i can't believe i didn't find this place earlier
(5)Helen M.
Such a great place for a quick stop and go dinner or take out. Falafel wraps and chicken wraps were great. Solid lil gem
(5)Erin C.
Get your $5 falafel roll-up and be on your way! This easy to eat wrap is perfect for lunch. Everything in this roll-up tasted perfect. I can't wait to go back to try more! Oh, be sure to grab a few extra napkins. I haven't quite mastered the art of not dripping.
(4)Shannon S.
Can I tell you that I have been craving falafel on a regular basis since I became obsessed with the stuff in 2005? I was studying abroad in Florence, Italy and stumbled upon a little falafel joint that served incredible food for "cheap" (the exchange rate stunk then too). Looking for a place to grab a bite in the South End and not having any sort of game plan, we walked by South End Pita then double backed and decided to check it out. I was shocked at how cute it was inside! I ordered the sampler plate which included a salad, a couple of stuffed grape leaves, 2 pieces of falafel, a hefty serving of hummus and a pita on the side. The hummus was a bit thinner than what I'm used to but it was delicious. I dipped everything on my plate in it. And the falafel, fantastic. Overall I was very pleased and washed it all down with a tasty tall glass of iced mint tea. I'll definitely be back.
(4)Steph P.
My new favorite lunch spot! Service is friendly, prices are fair and food is delicious. Ask for the specials when you call, there is always something neat to be had. I think my favorite thing is the chicken kabob plate. I don't really eat chicken very often, but this deliciously grilled chicken is amazing. Wonderfully spiced, light char on the outside and very juicy on the inside. The salad that comes on the side is fresh and abundant with feta cheese. The pilaf is also fantastic. For a cheaper lunch, the pita roll ups are great. So much delicious in a grilled pita wrapper. The kafta is my fave with ground beef.
(5)Christopher M.
I think South End Pita is on par for a little Mediterranean shop. I think the falafel and hummus is particularly good, and the shawarma dishes stood out in my mind as being worth of a return visit. If you're hungry, try the combo plate, and for $10.50 you'll get a healthy serving of everything (it's definitely worth it if you're hungry). SEP also embraces that distinctly Bostonian tradition of an eclectic menu, and you'll find the typical burgers and chicken parm on the menu, although neither are worth ordering. They're a little pricey - you'll pay a dollar or two more than you would elsewhere in the city, but that's the South End markup for you. They also serve breakfast, beer & wine, and deliver until 10:00pm Monday through Saturday. All in all, I give them three-and-a-half stars.
(3)Tim K.
Delicious shawarmas, great location. Atmosphere and decor are a little iffy but the staff is nice and there are sometimes enough seats to take a lunch break.
(4)Maureen D.
The falaffel pita took 15 minutes to make though I was the only customer in the store. When it came out it was hot and steaming, and had been pressed on a grill so that all the tahini/juice stayed inside. The falaffel had a great fresh taste, and the pickles were a pleasant surprise. They had a vat of Moroccan mint iced tea, which I will try next time. The sandwich cost $6.25, about $1 more than a slightly inferior sandwich at Andre's Cafe three blocks away. This place would be perfect if: sandwich prices were a bit cheaper, and there was a more intimate atmosphere.
(3)Stacie M.
I love this place. My work just recently moved around the corner from them, and I love the people in there, and love the food! I am lebanese and normally only eat my mothers food, but this is delicious! I've had the beef shawrma salad and the chicken shawarma salad. As well as the shawafel. And all 3 are delicious! If you use Level Up you get $1 off every meal. AND they have a punch card, so after 7 times, you get a free roll up.
(5)Husain K.
I have eaten here a few times and they have a good variety of items on there menu. The owner is Moroccan so the food has a different taste then your typical middle eastern restaurant. Even the hummus tastes very unique. I wish they'd serve more meat in the dinner plates as I felt it had more rice and salad then the actual meat. Also you have to add the garlic sauce and hot sauce to whatever you order. Those two sauces are amazing.
(3)Mike G.
definite cheap eats. can most certainly vouch for the hummus, falafel salad and chicken shish kabob plate(more garlicky would make this 4 stars). ginormous servings happily ensures leftovers :-0
(3)Jude G.
Update: my husband and I ate at the restaurant last night. While the space is small and out of the way, it is really lovely and inviting. The hummus was delicious-creamy with subtle flavors. The pita bread was thin and toasted. My husband ate lamb shanks. "Like buttah"- they were tender, nicely seasoned and plentiful. I enjoyed a kafta sandwich very much. The roll up was toasted and crisp. The house salad dressing was tart and tasty. The prices are really reasonable-all in, a great meal, freshly prepared, great service, nice atmosphere and great value. Tried their cart at Downtown Crossing, really great kafta roll up for $4 - $4! - Will try other items soon
(5)Ella B.
We liked it so much we had it two nights in a row! Ok, so we're moving to Boston, only, we haven't gotten our stuff yet, so we're in a temporary location till our stuff arrives and staying on the S. End is nice, but food doesn't come cheap and fast -- that is, until I found South End Pita! I found them on yelp only two blocks from where we are staying saving us from driving (god forbid) and having to look around for something to eat or forcing us into one of those nice S. End places... (no, we're tired from getting to Boston and would really just like some good ole fashioned take it home type of food), no idle chit chat in dim lighting please... S. End Pita is fast and serves up some fresh Mediterranean fixings with a smile. We ordered to-go last night and tonight, at a lost for dinner choices, we ended going back and getting it to-go. Last night we got: Chicken kabobs (served with rice and salad - VERY generous portions) and Chicken Shwarma (served with salad only). Both I think were either $8.50 or $8.25. Tonight: lamb kabobs (wiith rice and salad), and the sampler plate with hummus, tabuleus (sp?), dolmas, salad and pita, kabob was $10.50 and sampler plate was $8.25. Got our orders, friendly service, walked home and enjoyed dinner!
(5)M C.
Pita has been a great addition to the SOWA area for lunch. Delicious, inexpensive pita roll up sandwiches allow for this becoming a regular stop in the work week. Not only are the ingredients fresh and tasty the additional hot sauce option brings a nice kick to the sandwiches. The "Shawafel", chicken shwarma and falafel is my go to. My office has used Pita to cater for lunch a few times and they have always provided a great spread with delicious salads.
(4)Aaron G.
Delicious food and incredible customer service. A couple hiccups in the order but overall great!
(4)Beth E.
South End Pita is around the corner from my office. A group of us went and sat down for lunch one day a while back, probably not too long after they opened. Everything I had that day was good, but it was a while before someone suggested it again as a lunch destination. We've recently put Pita in our regular lunch rotation, we pop in for take out. Their chicken kabob is amazing, whether in a roll up or on a plate. Well spiced, and hot and juicy. I keep saying I need to order something new, but I get in there and can't stray. So good. Watch out, they can sometimes be a little heavy-handed with the tahini sauce. Their salads are good, too. Their house dressing has a mustard base, it's pretty potent, but really good, you just have to go easy with it. They seem pretty accommodating with special requests. I sometimes ask to combine some things that are both on the menu but not together. Reading some of the other reviews, I think I need to try to hummus! It also seems like they've really listened to a lot of the feedback from the earlier reviews. They're making things to order now, and the prices seem to be more in line with what folks were wanting.
(4)Jennifer B.
The hours and parking could be better....but the food couldn't be any better. I just drove in from framingham just to get take out. Its that good. Please open another location
(5)Gail C.
Ordered delivery from this place last night - hummus appetizer (x3), a combo plate and a chicken shwarma pita. Unfortunately, I ordered through foodler and there was some miscommunication on their part so instead of getting 3 hummus appetizers I received 3 hummus pitas (was bitterly disappointed. My love for authentic hummus knows no bounds). I called the restaurant and the guy I spoke to was a bit rude but they sorted it out and I got a refund for the items I didn't receive. Now, the food - combo plate consisted of beef shwarma, chicken shwarma, 2 grape leaves, 2 falafel and hummus. The beef wasn't very good, mostly fat so it was chewy and hard, general unpleasant texture. Not a fan. The chicken was yum, tender and delicious, the falafel kind of crunchy but seasoned nicely so it was tasty, the grape leaves I hated but I'd never had them before so I think I just don't like grape leaves! The hummus was amazing. I mean AMAAAAAZING. It was the perfect consistency, smooth and silky, not too thick like store brands, not too thin like some of the watery stuff some Greek restaurants serve...perfect. It was full of flavor and there was lots of it with the combo plate, so i got my hummus fix in the end. I didn't try the chicken shwarma pita or the hummus pitas but I'm told they were ridiculously good, especially the hummus ones. I would give this place 5 stars were it not for the disappointing beef shwarma, the slightly unpleasant service when I called to complain, and the fact that I'm a little bitter that I was robbed of 3 more portions of that orgasmic hummus. Give this place a try if you're into Greek food, affordable prices, finger-licking spices and the best hummus in town.
(4)Tara G.
The chicken was tender and moist, which is much better than I can say for the vast majority of Mediterranean chicken out there. (For some reason, dry and chewy is way in fashion.) But it could use a dash of je ne sais quoi to make it a more memorable sandwich. The $2 baklava would be priced right if it was $1 or $1.50 instead -- for its size, and the fact that it came wrapped in unappealing plastic wrap. It was, however, really tasty.
(3)Renée H.
Probably the best falafel pita I've ever had. Definitely worth a trip to Albany St.
(5)Nate W.
I tried this place based upon Yelp reviews, and it didn't disappoint. The lamb shish kabobs were excellent and the delivery was quick.
(4)Eric B.
Great friendly service and some of the best hommade hummus I've ever had. A true gem in the South End.
(4)lora v.
This new cart popped up next to Karo's Chicken Kabob cart, which is good but always has a long line. So, I was feeling simultaneously impatient and adventurous. I ordered the Kafta platter for a mere $5, and I was pleasantly surprised at the high quality/cheap price. The kafta was a tasty, well seasoned ground meat kabob over rice, doused with tahini and hot sauce. The salad was a bit better quality than Karo's or Falafel King (though not as nice as Pita Kabob's yogurt or Shirazi!) . Chopped greens, toms, cukes, and a green mustard type sauce/dressing? I don't know what exactly it was, but it was tasty! So, big thumbs up. Give it a try next time you see Karo's line winding down Summer Street!
(5)Erin M.
I am currently in the midst of a serious love affair with this place. In fact, I just finished my lunch from there and I am writing this review because I'm not ready for the moment to be over. I work up the street and I'm a "bring my own lunch" type, but since discovering Pita a few weeks ago (decided to give it a try after they sent over a cute guy with menus... good trick), I've been conveniently forgetting to pack it. The food has been fresh, fast, and delicious every time I've been. The best deals are easily the pita roll-ups, all only $5 and the perfect size for lunch. The chicken shawarma, grape leave, falafel, and hummus pitas are all delicious. I'd recommend adding hummus to any of the roll-ups because theirs is absolutely to-die-for. The pita itself, which they hit with the panini press for a little crunch, is soft and delicious. If you're getting a drink, I'd recommend the Moroccan mint iced tea, which is slightly sweet and very refreshing. Combo plates are great if you can't make up your mind or want to find a new favorite, and the salads are also tasty and come with a warm pita on the side (bonus!). Pita also serves burgers and fries and some other American fare, which I haven't bothered with myself, but could probably be good if you have an unadventurous dining partner. A cool bonus is that, although Pita has limited indoor seating, there is a clean park across the street with small picnic tables for outdoor dining on nice afternoons. Try this place. Or don't... I like a short line!
(5)Renee M.
I would give Pita a lower rating, however everything is delicious. The only problem is I sometimes don't know what I am getting. I ordered the combo plate expecting salad and rice because the label above said that's what everything below came with. Maybe I wasn't looking too carefully but I got chicken and beef with garlic sauce, a ton of hummus, two grape leaves, and two falafel. No rice? No salad? Good thing they saved their butts by everything being completely delicious. I think they could have a little more dialogue with their customers and clarify for those that get ordering stage fright and don't know what they will receive. But, the falafel is amazing! and the hummus is super fresh. The meat was meh but I will give them a million more tries.
(4)Q S.
I had a pretty good experience here. Ordered the chicken shawarma roll up and it was delicious. I am also a fan of their meze plate, which is complimentary if you order an alcoholic drink between 5-7pm. Their Moroccan mint iced tea was also very pleasant. I am not an expert on Moroccan cuisine, but everything I had was delicious!
(4)Eric H.
I also work around the corner from this place, and they have come a long way since first opening, when the quality of the food was a bit hit or miss. Now, I have consistently good experiences for lunch, especially with the falafel and kafta wrap, both really very good for the money. It's not super "fast food" and that's a good thing. I don't mind waiting 5 minutes for the food to be freshly prepared in the kitchen, and they are always very happy to take a phone order for pickup if I don't feel like waiting. Right now I do take-out only; although the seating is pleasant, the place is HOT in the summer due to some seriously underpowered A/C.
(3)Nate B.
Pita love... South End Pita has been around for about 6 months. It's a new little eatery tucked in the South End on Albany St. It boasts some of the yummiest falafel, and hummus I've ever had. I'm no expert here, but this food was good. Let's start with there weekday happy hour special. If you go between 5-7pm on a weekday, if you buy an alcoholic drink you get a free Mezo plate which includes a falafel ball, hummus, and a large, warm pita for dipping or wrapping. Then add your entree, which are mostly under $10 and you're in heaven. They have roll-ups, good for take out and on the go eating. But they also have plates of chicken, beef, or lamb shawarma that include a few falafel balls and hummus. I went for the Chicken and Beef Shawarma and was very satisfied. The meat comes right off a spit that you see when you first walk in. The decor is very warm, and welcoming. Not your average take-out place. Although there is no waiter, you'll feel right at home eating in their small 7-8 table dining room. I've gone for lunch on a Friday and it was pretty crowded. It seems the word has gotten out about this place. I credit that mostly to the Globe review that came out recently. But I went again on a Monday evening and we had the whole place to ourselves. Good date place if you go during off hours. It can be very quiet, and pleasant (they have great mood music). I love falafel, and while this wasn't the best, it was definitely up there on my list of favorites. The outside is extremely crunchy and the inside is very warm, and moist. When I first cut into a falafel ball steam poured out, and some of the filling literally tumbled out. Some might say it's a bit undercooked on the inside, but the filling is still so tasty that it's hard to criticize their cooking. They're dabbling with delivery service. There isn't much service outside their area, but it's mostly due to lack of drivers. The owner told me that hopefully they'll expand and be able to service other areas. Try it out if you're in the neighborhood. There's not a whole lot else to do in that area, but who cares? Good hummus, falafel, and a glass of red wine is all you need!
(4)Lewis D. W.
Good falafal is hard to find! Stumbled on this place on foot - been back a few times. They are super-friendly and have great, inexpensive food - would eat here every week if I could!
(4)Tamlyn T.
I Love Middle Eastern (Lebanese, Moroccan, Mediterranean food). Friend brought take out over from here many moons ago and thought I'd try it for lunch today. Ordered the Beef Shwarma roll up. Completely inedible. Beef full of grizzle and tough - attempted to take too bites and threw it out....GROSS. I imagined this is the kind of stuff the cast of Bridesmaids got sick on.... Lucky for me I ordered a sited of falafel that was good, but not worth a trip to the bowels of the s.end.
(1)Janice A.
Ok....my friend and I couldn't even decide on the star rating as it was such a bizarre situation. Delivery took a long time and our confusion was that it was right down the street, only a few blocks away. Food was good, rice was good. We will try it again as it's something different around us with hopes that delivery will be less disappointing.
(3)holly h.
Amazing falafel. Holy crap. So, so, so, so good. Give me some pickled turnip and you get 5 stars! Hummus is the best too. Can't wait to go back. Could be a bit less expensive, but I guess that's just keeping me from overdoing it on this place!
(4)Sarah A.
Blah, not impressed. It is true it is nicely decorated and well laid out. They definitely put some effort into making the place look good. If you remember the Albany Sub Shop that used to be at this location, you will be pleasantly surprised by the change in decor. However, I was rather unimpressed with my falafel in a pita. The falafel itself was good, however it was only served in half a pita (tiny!) and they were VERY SKIMPY on the tomatoes, cucumbers and sauce. When I first saw them hand me this bag with my take out order I was like no, this has to be someone's grape leaves. This is not my falafel. But, helas, it was my tiny falafel. The worst part: just this tiny falafel was SEVEN DOLLARS! What a rip off! I will not be returning!
(2)Jen S.
From the outside you expect a stark biker-bar-by-the-side-of-the-highway look, but the decor is actually quite warm and friendly. A bit sparse on the tables maybe, but well lit and cheerful colors. We had a lamb kebab plate and a kofta pita roll up. Both were good but I would say a bit pricer than they should have been. They also took forever to make - I guess this is good, since it means they were made fresh, but if I had been in a hurry I wouldn't have been happy. Maybe more of a weekend place rather than a weekday lunch place. I'm giving it 4 stars because it is one of the few places in the South End that has anything like affordable, fast, home made food. I wish there were a thousand other places like it.
(4)Jason L.
I live down the street, so feel obligated to visit this place once in a while. Had breakfast a couple times (typical American breakfast, eggs, bacon, coffee, etc, ~$6). Nothing special. Chicken shawarma roll up was pretty good. Freshly sliced off a pit everyday. Good falafel. Hummus very fresh, a little watery for my taste, homemade according to the owner. Friendly guy. Typical south end prices. Go on Mondays ($5 roll ups).
(2)Scott M.
The best part about this place is that it's cheaper and the line is shorter than Karo's right next door. Now that doesn't mean its bad, infact I found the rice and salad to be better. And this place has beef or Kafta and not just chicken.
(4)Karen D.
If nothing else, go for the hummus. It's absolutely fantastic and may actually be the best I've ever had; all fresh ingredients and homemade. My friend lives in the South End and brought me here since her last six visits were great and all of the people she brought liked it as well. She got to know the owner, Rod, who is very friendly. We didn't even order off the menu. My friend asked him make us a dinner of his choosing We had some spiced beef, chicken kabob, rice, and Greek salad. The meats were well-cooked, tender, and had lots of flavor. The hummus plate, our meals, and wine for two of us came to a grand total of $36. There's hardly anywhere in the South End you could get that. The only downfall of the restaurant is that it looks a little bit too much of a take-out lunch place for sit-down dinner place, but the food really makes up for it. It is a little out-of-the-way compared to the other South End restaurants, so I hope more people go the few extra blocks to help this independent stay in business. They also have a catering menu as well.
(4)Vic M.
Great takeout spot if you work in the neighborhood. They raised their prices a while back which was disappointing, but still affordable. Shawafel Rollup with hot sauce is a solid choice.
(4)Juliana S.
My husband and I ordered take-out on a week night... and this place was fabulous!!! The food was delicious and the price can't be beat. I ordered a vegetable hummus roll up and he ordered a lamb kabob with a side of falafel. The food tasted fresh and the portions were great! The man working at the restaurant was extremely friendly! We will definitely be ordering from them again.
(5)Collin N.
Awesome lunch! I work in the area, and there is a serious lack of lunch choices. Try the beef shwarma, and their falafel is great.
(5)Billie M.
South End Pita can either be very good or solidly mediocre. There is a definite difference here day to day, maybe it depends on who is working? Whatever the reason, the inconsistency keeps South End Pita from being a heavy regular, instead relegating it to a craving only destination. When South End Pita is on, it is ON. Shawarma (both chicken and lamb/beef) that will melt in your mouth, rolled in a pita stuffed with vegetables and topped with a thin garlicky sauce that tastes sort of like a cross between tahini and zoum. Hummus whipped to perfection, smooth and rich, a layer of tahini floating on top. Dolmas that balance a tart bite with a soft perfectly blended interior. Pressed flat falafel that maintains its crispiness even when layered with spoonfuls of hummus. Kafta with more of a spice to it then I'm used to, a very pleasing difference. The prices here are right as well, $5 wraps that are bursting with ingredients, or combo platters, ranging from vegetarian starting at $7 and culminating at the shawarma combo at $10.50, a weighty dinner that includes piles of both chicken and beef shawarma, two falafels, a generous portion of hummus, and dolmas thrown in for good measure. Fleshed out with some pita, this will certainly serve two. Sadly, there have also been times when I've left here with a takeout box full of tough lamb, or burnt kofta, or sauceless chicken. The vegetarian options seem to fair much better, I've never had a complaint about the falafel or the hummus. But if I'm going to make a pit stop to Albany street, I need more sustenance than chickpeas two ways. And without a guarantee of consistent quality, I just can justify the detour all that often.
(3)Twain S.
Since I found Cafe Beirut in JP, I haven't been back.
(3)Bonita Y.
Stick with the Chicken Swarma - the beef combo plate is a bit heavy...
(4)Josh K.
Awesome. Best since my visit to the promised land!
(5)Cary C.
Falafel the second time wasn't nearly as good. They took it out of a steam tray, pretty unappealing texture. Spices weren't as good as the first time either. Chicken shwarma was pretty good though
(3)Jessie O.
Life is better with this place around. Best hummus on the planet. Always happy when I go there and happier when I leave.
(5)Malcolm F.
I'm a big fan of Mediterranean food, so I was psyched when this place opened around the corner from my office. They spent a lot of time working on it, so the space is nicely decorated and very comfortable. The menu ranges from falafel and shawerma to burgers and chicken parm (random!). The service is friendly and fast. The food is good but a bit pricey - I spent almost $9 for a falafel pita and diet soda.
(4)Mcslimj B.
Restaurant critics (both amateurs and semi-pros like me -- I write for the Boston Phoenix, Stuff Magazine, and other pubs) must perform a balancing act. We want to bring attention to worthy new places, but slagging a brand-new venue during its shakedown cruise for slow service or uneven kitchen output isn't really fair. So after some rough early visits to South End Pita, a Mediterranean counter-service restaurant, I gave it some time to get through its growing pains. Ironing out the early kinks took only a few weeks: the short-order cook can now quickly and competently turn out a breakfast plate of eggs ($5-6 with bacon, ham, or sausage) with pretty fair home fries or a small chopped-tomato salad, decent filter coffee, and toast or a bagel. Three-egg omelets ($6-8) with the same accompaniments and standard fillings (cheese, onions, peppers, mushrooms, etc.) are sturdy if run-of-the-diner-mill; likewise the bagel sandwiches ($2-4). Lunch, when the owner's Moroccan roots show, is more interesting. Pita rollups ($6) feature fine falafel, kafta (beautifully spiced beef meatballs), and shawarma of chicken or beef, stuffed into pita atop tomatoes, cucumbers, and tahini. What keeps these sandwiches a notch below Boston's first rank is the decision to store fillings (like shawarma sliced off the rotisserie ahead of time) on steam tables, from which few foods benefit. At these prices, meat fillings could also be more generous. Combo plates ($7-9) include such options as very good hummus, cold rice-stuffed grape leaves, and shish kabobs of chicken, lamb, or kafta, served with rice and a small Mediterranean salad. The trencherman's choice is the shawarma combo ($10.50), with beef and chicken shawarma, falafel, and hummus. Soups taste carefully made, like the fine vegetarian lentil ($3.50). Respectable American options include a half-pound burger ($7.50) and subs of chicken parmesan ($6.95), meatball parmesan ($7), chicken salad ($6.50), and tuna salad ($6) with okay fries or a better salad. Big salads ($6-8) offer a healthier alternative, topped with a delicious Greek-like dressing and falafel, hummus, stuffed grape leaves, chicken shawarma, chicken salad, or tuna salad. The 20-seat room is sunny, spacious, and nicely decorated for a sandwich/salad joint. In all, South End Pita provides a solid option for quick, casual, relatively inexpensive meals at the extreme edge of South End gentrification, an area with few dining alternatives at any price. The initial tune-up took some time, but it's nice to see the engine finally humming.
(3)Marisa W.
Really good wraps. I love the chicken shwarma wrap. The pita bread is crisp and chewy and has a nice heft to it. It doesn't just fall apart when wet. Falafel is tasty too. Easy, quick, yummy. And their baklava is great. I'm usually not a huge baklava fan, but this was good. Not too sweet. Flakey, Chewy, Nutty, etc.
(4)Claire N.
Great food, great value. The place is set up so you can do take out or sit down. Great music and a beautiful tapestry on the wall add to the great decor of the small restaurant. Very friendly staff. Try their $5 wraps! And Backlava. Delicious.
(4)Mandy D.
I agree with some of the other comments that you do not always know what you are going to get - however it is always delicious. I have had the veggie hummus roll up, chicken kabob, and few other items - all amazing! But what keeps me coming back is their hummus - there is nothing like it!! It is amazingly good, I don't know what they put in there but it is so tasty! I'm addicted!
(5)Jim I.
I really like this place, I had a falafel there that was the best ever. However, I went back, and though it was good, it wasn't on the sandwich press as long as the previous, and so didn't wow me. Hence the -1 star. However, I will continue to go back. If you like Mediterranean food, this might be out of the way, but it's seriously seriously good.
(4)Jen F.
Terrible! Got take-out salad with chicken. The salad did not contain the majority of ingredients listed on the menu, and the chicken shawarma was dry and crusty. In addition, did not recieve any plastic utencils or napkins. This is all made worse by the fact that it is overpriced.
(1)Mark B.
Six of us had dinner at Pita last night. The chicken kabob with salad and rice was perfect! The others had falafel roll ups & salads with grape leaves & falafel! Everything was fresh and delicious! The only criticism is the A/C did nothing to cool the room down on a hot, humid evening!
(4)Drew H.
First time patron last night. A buddy took me there. He and his wife are frequent customers. We split some pita bread with hummus and some falafeI dipped in hummus. I had the special of the night which was chicken kabobs with sauteed cabbage, rice and salad. The food was very good. The price was surprisingly inexpensive. Service was good. The place was clean. I would definitely return.
(4)R L.
What a great find. I work around the corner from Pita. When you walk in the place the fragrant spices smell incredible. It's very tempting to order a bunch of stuff hoping that you'll get whatever smells so good. There are a lot of the middle eastern basics: falafel, schwarma, baba, etc. Everything is cooked to order which is a HUGE plus. Yes, you'll have to wait a little bit but it is well worth it. I'd much rather wait a little and have the great flavors. I've sampled Falafels all over Boston. This could possible be the best. Seriously. It's that good. Fresh, hot, nicely spiced. WOW. Schwarma King in Brookline is really good but these are just a notch better. I had some grape leaves which were also ridiculously fresh. The Lamb pita was great - exploding with flavor. Pitas are also reasonably priced at $5 making it a great alternative cheap eats for something different and unique in the neighborhood. I'm glad they've been able to make a business in this location. It's not ideal for foot traffic but the path from my office to their door is going to be well worn.
(5)My O.
We cater from here for work often. There always ends up being more food than you expect. I'll order half of catering option #1, have wraps cut in half and it'll feed 15 people good. Their grape leaves and hummus are some of the best I've had.
(4)Yasmine K.
I love Pita- The hummus is amazing and very authentic. If you don't like garlic you probably will not like the food. My other favorite is the "kafta" roll-up. Its a minced lamb sandwich. You will not be disappointed. Its a little off the beaten path, but worth the walk and at least you can park.
(4)Susan C.
I am always on the hunt for cheap lunch eats near my office. The $5 hummus or falafel wrap fits the bill and is very filling. Sometimes I can only eat half in one sitting, even though it's delicious. I'm excited to find a place with good falafel so close by, as it's one of my favorite things. I tried a falafel wrap from a nearby sub place a while ago, and while their other food is good, the falafel was pretty meh. Now they are off the hook since I found South End Pita. My coworkers also rave about the burger special, oddly enough. But they all say it's delicious.
(4)Rob J.
I love this place, great, simple Mediterrean [North African] food. The kafta roll up is amazing as is the hummus and pita [its so good it bears no resemblence to container hummus]. Lots of other good food but I love the kafta roll up so much it has become my staple. Its a humble place with a drafty door but I love the food.
(4)Liz L.
Horrible! I wanted to like this place so much because I love Greek food and Boston needs a good greek place! We ordered to-go and had a salad with chicken shawarma, beef shawarma roll up, and kafta shish kabobs. The chicken was so dry it tasted like cardboard. It was uneatable! I am shocked that chicken could even get that dry. The beef shawarma roll up was okay, but again the meat was dry. The best out of the three was the kafta shish kabobs. They didnt look appetizing but had nice flavor and interesting spices. I dont complain much about food, especially when I am hungry, but this was probably the worst meal I have had in a long time. I really wanted to call them up to complain, but I felt I had so much to complain about that they would get offended. If you eat here, go inside and make sure that your meat isnt leather!
(1)Pam H.
Well, there really aren't a lot of places to eat lunch in the area of the south end down at Albany street, so Pita works. They do use a bit too much cumin so that most of the food all tastes the same. But when I am in the mood for cumin dip I get the hummus, or cumin rollup I get the kafta rollup - even though it is not really Kafta. As a Lebanese American that is the weird part - nothing is what I expect. Kafta is supposed to be a burger-type thing with onions and peppers mixed inside the burger. Loose ground meat is not kafta. The chicken kebob dinner is ok, but then for the chicken kebob rollup they chop up the chicken into tiny pieces - kind of weird. Wish I could taste the meat more and the chick peas more and the cumin a little less - they need to lighten up on the seasoning. The menu is also limited - not a lot of dishes. No tabbouli?! The prices are also not fitting. The rollups are a reasonable $5 but the "plates" are $10 - definitely overpriced. Like I said, not a lot of places to go in the area. Good enough to return, but really miss the place that used to be there. This place is fair
(2)Dan M.
I am a huge fan of middle eastern, Mediterranean, North African food, so I was psyched to find this place recently. I'll always root for a family owned/mom & pop biz and these folks get an A for effort. The place is colorful and nicely laid out. The food needs a little work. I'm a falafel connoiseur so I tried that first. And the falafel patties themselves although not the best, were good. Well spiced and tasty. The tahini sauce could have put me in an altered state - yum! I could've eaten a gallon of it out of a bowl with a spoon. The salad that came with it - not so much. The salad looked pre-made. That is it had been mixed and dressed earlier in the day, so the lettuce had started to go a little wilty. (Tip for the owners: NEVER pre-dress the salad!) And the dressing was not good. My first bite and I got smacked in the mouth by yellow mustard. A big mouthful of French's. Now yellow mustard is a fine ingredient for a dressing, just not so much of it. Perhaps the batch had not been stirred well enough but KAPOW! Where was the hotdog? The salad also contained cukes, onions, tomatoes, a sprinkling of feta and olives. The olives were an issue for me. They were the generic, standard issue, supermarket sliced black olives from a can. Tasteless. C'mon folks, in a place like this I'd expect some juicy Kalamatas or something more interesting. If you're trying to be conservative to please all American palates, get over it! The very thin pita bread accompanying it was a good idea! They even heated it for me in a panini press which was very thoughtful. However, when pita is this thin, heating it turns it tough and hard very quickly. Ixnay on the eathay. Another reviewer noted how the shwarma was precut from the spit and stored in a steam table. I agree, Not a good idea. It dries out quickly after being sliced. Should be sliced to order. (Check out Aceituna in Kendall Square to see how it's done.) Although the geography of their location is a little stark, with all the businesses and office buildings in the area, they should have a line out the door everyday. I've worked in the neighborhood for six months now and no one I work with had ever heard of it and we're only two blocks away! At the height of lunch hour, I was one of only three patrons in the place. Spiff up the food a little, tone down the pre-preparation and MARKET YOURSELVES. I'm rooting for you and will return.
(3)E. R.
Oh. Em. Gee. Seriously, good stuff. I happened upon this little cart next to the infamous chicken kabob cart in downtown crossing (on my way to Falafel King) and figured what the hell...I'll see what this is all about. Best. Decision. Today. I got a falafel combo plate, was able to get hummus instead of rice, and no feta on my salad. They were very willing to change the plate for me, and so friendly! And...it only cost me $5! I got 4 falafel (crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside), hummus (probably my second favorite ever, after Rami's in Coolidge Corner), lots of salad (with actual veggies and not just lettuce), and this strange dressing, that was delicious, I just have no idea what it was. Oh, and a Pita of course. I'll definitely replace my Falafel King visits with this place, the hummus is so much better, and the falafel was so good! I am so thankful that this place showed up, I hope they stick around!
(5)Bo D.
i really hoped this place woulda-coulda pulled it together. i just had the driest most uneventful falafel sandwich, ever. dry as the deserts of the middle east. maybe i've been spoiled by living so close to little middle east in watertown - but south end pita's humus is merely average. and they don't even make tabouli...what's up with that? i've had their chicken shawarma sandwich too, and it didn't fair much better. if i ever go back maybe i'll try one of their plates. but this place could be so much better - i miss you falafel king!
(2)Heather L.
Today, I went to Pita for the second time. The first time, I had a good experience and enjoyed the food. This time was quite different. While the food was still pretty good, the woman who works there was most unpleasant. I think she was upset at me because when I was ordering (from the man) and I saw him put on gloves, I commented that I was glad he did that and I was going to ask him to do so, but now he's beat me to it. I had observed the woman patting down cous cous and grilling pitas with her bare hands. She must have thought this remark was really meant for her, and truthfully, it partly was, and I believe that is why she was bitter the rest of the time we were there. When we got there, the door was propped all the way open. It is 40 degrees outside, so I asked if I could close it. She said "yes" but seemed annoyed, and I think this is another reason she was downright rude to us. About 20 minutes later, she propped the door wide open again. I told her that I was cold (as it's a small place and all the tables are near the door) and she said that she's hot and I can wear my coat if I'm cold. Another patron of the restaurant, who seemed to know the owners, offered to swtich tables with us and commented that it is a nice day out. I appreciated that he was trying to appease the situation, though he didn't work there. Regardless, I will never come here again. It was one of the rudest, most uncomfortable experiences I've had at a dining establishment. It's a shame, I work down the street, and it would have been nice to come here with my colleagues as a regular lunch spot. Now, I'm spreading the word to them to steer clear. Lost opportunity.
(1)