Cathy2 wrote:HI,

I have been going to Pita Inn since the late 80's. I have eaten at all their locations without once thinking to return food. I was surprised to not only return one dish last night, but to find all the dishes unacceptable. It won't keep me from visiting again, I was just surprised.

Regards,

What location?

I to find the Wheeling location better then the Glenview one

jnm123 wrote:

>Pita Inn's food, then removing all semblance of taste & spice from the food--that's Pita Grill, formerly Moho Grill.

Thanks for heads up. I saw this place and remembering liking the Moho Grill, I was going to give it a try.

D.

Cathy2 wrote:HI,

I have been going to Pita Inn since the late 80's. I have eaten at all their locations without once thinking to return food. I was surprised to not only return one dish last night, but to find all the dishes unacceptable. It won't keep me from visiting again, I was just surprised.

Regards,

C2,

We carry-out lunch from Pita Inn-Skokie a few times a month and generally find it to be consistent and very good. However, a few months ago, we noticed a serious downturn in the quality of many of their items. Sauces suddenly tasted different, the hummus was fluffy -- rather than dense and creamy -- and seemed almost liked it had been aerated in some way, the tabouleh was flat. There were a few other off notes but you get the general idea.

This went on for about a month and just when we were ready to give up on PI for an extended period, everything went back to 'normal' just as suddenly as it changed in the first place. I'm at a loss to explain what happened and I'm not sure exactly what it means but given your comments above, I figured it might be worth posting my experience as an additional reference point.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:just when we were ready to give up on PI for an extended period, everything went back to 'normal' just as suddenly as it changed in the first place. I'm at a loss to explain what happened and I'm not sure exactly what it means but given your comments above, I figured it might be worth posting my experience as an additional reference point.

=R=

Chef on vacation?

Hi,

I regret to inform after 20 years, I am no longer a Pita Inn enthusiast. I first learned of Pita Inn from one of my sister's boyfriends. Rigo may have long ago faded into history, though we have often remembered him fondly when pulling into Pita Inn.

For many years, Pita Inn was a source of freshly prepared middle-eastern fast food, when there were few places to go to. Pita Inn had sufficient volume of business to keep their prices low and the quality consistently high. I loved watching the middle-eastern crew go through their paces. At the original Skokie location, there used to be this woman order processor with a fabulous memory. She wrote nothing down, took multiple orders without missing a beat. There were occasions when I came back 30 minutes later to collect my dessert paid earlier. As I was approaching, she would already have my dessert in her hand ready to pass to me with no need to remind her.

When Pita Inn opened on Milwaukee, just north of Golf, was when they took a turn. Upon its opening, there was a change in the menus at all three locations with an increase in prices. We had enjoyed such favorable prices for such a long time, I really could not complain. However as time as progressed, the only middle eastern people seem to be management or taking the orders. The middle-eastern crew is now mostly Mexican, which is simply an observation.

There are now efficiencies built into their system, which may bring food faster to the table, but its fresh cooked quality diminishes. For example, their beef shishkabob was always medium rare when they cooked it fresh or just-in-time. Now they are cooked in batches and held, thus they are fully cooked and not as pleasurable to eat. I have always loved their consistently good baba ganoush. In the last year, it is no longer a consistent. I have even returned it because it was simply not made right.

While I could be coaxed into going to Pita Inn without hesitation. I now offer counter suggestions in hopes of going to a better place. My pet theory on the changes is the owner has turned the reins over to his son, who likely went to restaurant management school. He may have tweaked the organization into higher efficiency and reduced waste for higher profitability. Yet for me, the food has declined with my personal conclusion it is not the best use of my time, money or a meal well spent.

While I may still go there to please family and friends. It will not be at my suggestion any longer. Do note, there are some who think the Hwy 83 and Dundee Road location is considered the best. This is may be true, since my disappointments have been at the Milwaukee Ave and Skokie location.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:Do note, there are some who think the Hwy 83 and Dundee Road location is considered the best. This is may be true, since my disappointments have been at the Milwaukee Ave and Skokie location.

While I have heard that the Skokie location is better from a few, my experience is that the Dundee and 83 location is far superior than the Milwaukee ave location. Twice (out of two tries)at the Milwaukee location, the beef shish ka bob was not even chewable. I've ALWAYS gotten fantastic beef shish kabaob at the Dundee/83 location. Prolly go there for lunch at least once every two weeks for the past year and a half. Only once was there a problem with the contents of an order (missing one falafel) never a problem with the quality of the food. I would suggest that you give the Dundee/83 one a shot if you're in the area. Seems to be far more consistent for quality. One caveat: my experiences are from lunch only when turnover is high.

Cathy,

It's funny that you wrote this on the exact day that I returned to Pita Inn for the first time in about a year. Cookie and I were heading to Marketplace on Oakton for a shopping stock-up trip, and we decided on lunch at the Skokie Pita Inn.

We got there early, which meant that their chicken shwarema spits were barely carved up and nicely browned. We split a falafel, chicken shwarema, bowl of lentil soup, and a yogurt salad (for $11, not the same bargain that it used to be, but still reasonable).

I've been eating at the Skokie Pita Inn since the early 90s, during which time my palette has matured considerably (I think). It's never been my favorite place, but I haven't detected a severe drop in quality. I still enjoy lunch there very much.

Chicken shwarema remains, by far, the best thing on the menu.

Best,
Michael

you know, i thought they were mexican too, so i started speaking spanish to them... i don't think they responded and my brother told me they weren't mexican.

MBK wrote:you know, i thought they were mexican too, so i started speaking spanish to them... i don't think they responded and my brother told me they weren't mexican.

Not responding would indicate to me that they didn't hear you, not that they don't speak Spanish.

The cooks at the Skokie location are definitely Mexican, though the two guys who usually take orders are Middle Eastern.

im talking about the niles location

It's funny I found this entry on my first day on LTH - not only was I eating their delicious falafel about a week before Turkey Day, I just looked it up and watched the episode of it on Check Please's new site.

http://checkplease.tv/ViewRestaurant.aspx?restaurant_id=162

It gives you a good idea of what you'll be getting: Amazingness! I myself do not prefer my schwarma from a cart. But I do give Pita Inn 5 stars for the speedy service and strong flavors. Although it's a slight trek from my abode, I have had luck persuading friends with cars to drive me.

I have to counter -- I haven't been to Pita Inn for a couple months, but I haven't seen a decline in quality. Their falafel and hummus are still among the best in Chicagoland, and the shawerma and kefta are still terrific. Yes, prices went up when they opened the Niles unit, but that was the first increase in probably 15 years.

I ate at the Skokie store almost weekly for many years (it was just a block down from a comic book store for many years and it followed picking up my weekly spandex-clad hero fix), and $4.01 was the price of a falafel sammy, small hummos and a coke for the longest time. It's about $6 now, but still a good value. But even back then, the majority of the cooking staff was hispanic, as it is with nearly every restaurant in the US.

We love the Pita Inn in Wheeling. Great food, great prices, and good service. I've never been disappointed there. I did eat at the Milwaukee Ave location a few weeks ago and thought that it wasn't as good.

On a side note -- I ordered food for 25 for a shivah the other night. I didn't pick up the order, so I didn't check it. Turns out there was some missing chicken. How do I know this? The manager called the next day to apologize and let me know that they realized that it had been forgotten. A credit was issued for a portion of the bill. That was an eye opener. I will definitely go back.

So I was at pita inn for pickup right before thanksgiving (on Dempster) and due to some sort of mixup I ended getting the wrong bag--which had maybe 1/3rd of the food I had ordered, and I didn't notice till I took it out at home. I had no time to get delivery or pick up the correct order, so I was told "We'll keep your name at the register and you can get a credit next time you're in". What are the odds of this keeping true?

Frankly I'm so annoyed by the whole thing (Yes, I know people make mistakes, but I hate the whole pick up scene at Pita Inn to begin with that this is the final straw for me) that I don't even know if I want to go get my supposed credit. But if this has happened to others and they were successful in getting a credit, I suppose I'll try. Then that will be my final PI excursion

PlayItGeorge wrote:So I was at pita inn for pickup right before thanksgiving (on Dempster) and due to some sort of mixup I ended getting the wrong bag--which had maybe 1/3rd of the food I had ordered, and I didn't notice till I took it out at home. I had no time to get delivery or pick up the correct order, so I was told "We'll keep your name at the register and you can get a credit next time you're in". What are the odds of this keeping true?

I'm curious about this, too. Last time I was at the Wheeling store, I was double-charged for something I didn't order. When I brought the issue up with the counterman (and returned the extra entree), he did not have the register skills to issue me a credit. Instead, he wrote on my receipt, with a pen, that I was due a free entree upon my next visit. I still have the receipt in my wallet and intend to present it the next time I am in.

PlayItGeorge wrote:Frankly I'm so annoyed by the whole thing (Yes, I know people make mistakes, but I hate the whole pick up scene at Pita Inn to begin with that this is the final straw for me) that I don't even know if I want to go get my supposed credit. But if this has happened to others and they were successful in getting a credit, I suppose I'll try. Then that will be my final PI excursion

I would say that if I am given any resistance when I present my notated receipt, I'll be right behind you, although I don't really see that happening. These are honorable folks, albeit fairly disorganized. I completely agree that the pickup scene at Pita Inn is nothing short of chaotic. Orders are often screwed up and it seems like if you order the same thing 10 times, you get charged differently each time. The flimsy paper bags into which they pack the carry-out orders don't have handles and they tear easily. These are some reasons why when it's my day to grab lunch for my office, I rarely get Pita Inn, even though I like their food. If you're going to bother serving carry-out, you should be properly equipped and trained to do so. Otherwise, you're really just making customers unhappy. If I'm going to spend $70-100 on lunch for my cohorts, I don't want to have to worry about the bags ripping open on my way back to the office. That just ain't cool.

=R=

The last thing I enjoy doing after a day at work is getting Pita Inn pickup because it's always a zoo there. Although I suppose this will encourage me to drive into my beloved Sahara Kebab for my shawerma/hummus fix

I haven't had such problems at the Skokie or Glenview locations. But, then again, I never leave anyplace (at least not the parking lot) without checking that I got everything I ordered and paid for. Or face inevitable disappointment.

-ramon

FWIW, I've been eating at Pita Inn for nearly 20 years without a single wrong order or other associated mishap.

Best,
Michael

eatchicago wrote:FWIW, I've been eating at Pita Inn for nearly 20 years without a single wrong order or other associated mishap.

Best,
Michael

I wish I could say the same, Michael. I want to love these guys but the mishaps I've experienced have been fairly frequent over the past few years. As I described way up thread, we experienced some quality issues a while back (which were resolved) and mistakes on carry-out orders seem to happen to us with regularity (sandwiches instead of entrees, regular pita instead of whole wheat, missing tahina and hot sauces, etc.)

I'd posit that the chances of something going wrong increase with larger orders, but the most recent double-charging experience I described above happened when there were just 3 of us at the table. I just never feel good when the remedy to a problem requires an additional visit to the place where the problem occurred. I'm not really sure why the guy at the register couldn't just give me back my $8 when I took the Chicken Shawarma entree we never ordered back to the counter. There was no dispute about the error, only an apparent inability to remedy it at the time it happened.

=R=

I've eaten at all three, usually the Glenview one, most rarely at the Wheeling one, and have never had an order screwed up.

Seems like the only place I consistently have orders screwed up and have stopped going to is Photo's in Mt. Prospect. They pretty much miss something every time (something obvious, like a sandwich) and aren't particularly apologetic for it, so I don't go back there.

Ronnie, they have whole wheat pita as an option? I didn't even know!

abe_froeman wrote:Ronnie, they have whole wheat pita as an option? I didn't even know!

Yes and it's pretty good, although sometimes they are out of it.

=R=

"FWIW, I've been eating at Pita Inn for nearly 20 years without a single wrong order or other associated mishap.

Best,
Michael"

Same here. I did try to boycott about 5 years ago when all their prices went up by a dollar. But that didn't last too long

seebee wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:Do note, there are some who think the Hwy 83 and Dundee Road location is considered the best. This is may be true, since my disappointments have been at the Milwaukee Ave and Skokie location.

While I have heard that the Skokie location is better from a few, my experience is that the Dundee and 83 location is far superior than the Milwaukee ave location. Twice (out of two tries)at the Milwaukee location, the beef shish ka bob was not even chewable. I've ALWAYS gotten fantastic beef shish kabaob at the Dundee/83 location. Prolly go there for lunch at least once every two weeks for the past year and a half. Only once was there a problem with the contents of an order (missing one falafel) never a problem with the quality of the food. I would suggest that you give the Dundee/83 one a shot if you're in the area. Seems to be far more consistent for quality. One caveat: my experiences are from lunch only when turnover is high.

ive gotten tough chewy beef at both places on occasion which is why I avoid the lunch special combo plate. I prefer the Milwaukee avenue location as I find the food pretty much the same but a LOT less chaotic than the Dundee location.

due to health reasons, i will be eating at places like pita inn more often. thanks for the bump and reminder. i'm looking forward to a hummus and shwarma along with the delicious pickled beets.

Huge props to Pita Inn for their quick, friendly manner in validating the credit the MOD granted me the night my order got messed up last week. I'm sure one can understand how a messed up order can happen, particularly two nights before a major holiday, when everyone's frantic (I was hosting, and had lots of shopping, cleaning, and cooking on my mind, and it was rather busy that night).

Tried their falafel for the first time and it is my favorite here in Chicago.

Still can't stand picking it up after work, but that's a personal preference: I suppose I will just send my significant other to get it rather than pick it up myself

A new service low today from the Pita Inn in Skokie, where every single entree in our lunch order was missing. Of course, this was only discovered after the order had been brought all the way back to the office. Twice the person who picked up asked if everything was there and was told it was. Since it's virtually impossible to check the bags in the crowded counter area, the person who picked up took their word for it.

It appears that we were shorted at least one entire bag of food. I guess the good news is that they have new bags, which have handles and are made from 100% recycled material.

I've now officially banned Pita Inn as a lunch option in my office. I cannot believe how frequently they make mistakes on carry-out orders. Really, in all my years of carrying out lunch at work, I cannot think of a place that screws up the orders more frequently than Pita Inn. I'm done defending them and for the foreseeable future, I'm done eating there.

=R=

Ronnie_s -
I have no reason to defend them, nor do I care to. Just a question for you?
How many ppl do you normally order for?
I usually have an unspoken "limit" for carry out lunch orders. I do Pita Inn at least once every two weeks (wheeling) never had an issue. My limit is four ppl for them. You just can't expect people in this day and age to give a crap about you or your food*. I'm not saying that's RIGHT, I'm just saying that's just how it is. My strategy for avoiding the carry out mishaps:

Four ppl to an order.
If more ppl want to order, then they have to call in a separate order under a totally separate name. I'll still pick it up -no problem.

This method also tends to alleve any pressure of getting "change" for ppl. For some reason, folks think that since you are driving to pick up their food, and bringing it to them, then you should be treated as a delivery person and you are supposed to carry correct change on you at all time. F them. I bring back change however I get it from the register, and put it on the table along with a bag of food.

But anyway - Ronnie_s, I'm just offering a trial solution to your dilemma if you get the Pita Urge after a month of boycotting. Perhaps too many orders was too much for them to handle? You'd think that quality control would be a huge issue, but, well, lunchtime chaos, maybe a new worker or two, maybe one person was out sick. Again, I have no reason to defend them, but maybe be a little pro-active in the solution because, well, at x dollars an hour, you can't really expect them to care that much - especially when they can get the same job a few blocks away at another joint. Once more, I'm NOT saying that they shouldn't be getting these orders right, OR that it was in anyway your fault. I'm basically saying be smarter than them. Stay one step ahead. If you KNOW they are gonna screw it up, try to avoid making them have to use their brain too much.

* At certain places

I hear what you're saying, seebee but we ordered for 6, which doesn't seem like an unreasonable number of people. Perhaps Pita Inn cannot efficiently fulfill carry-out orders for more than 4 people but all the other places from which we carry out -- and we carry-out 5 days a week -- seem to be able to. In fact, sometimes we have as many as 8 people in-house for lunch and the mistakes are very few and far between. In fact, earlier this week a local place (I work in Highland Park) called me to say they forgot one of our items. They asked where our office was because they wanted to run it over for us -- which they did, in moments.

Today, when I called Pita Inn to complain (and I really did complain because I was ANGRY and pretty much lost my cool) it was clear that they thought they got the order right. I was sitting next to the person in our office who placed the order, so I know that Pita Inn blew it. What they did was give us sandwiches in place of plates and also shorted us on 1 item. The person to whom I spoke at P.I. was apologetic. I made it clear that all I wanted was for them to be more careful with carry-out orders -- no coupons, credits or make-goods. FWIW, this was the Skokie store. Next time someone in the office suggests ordering Pita Inn for lunch, I'll simply run out and grab something for myself. Maybe I'll relent after some time passes but I'm very upset right now. All I have to compare them to are the dozens of other restaurants from which we regularly order. Pita Inn Skokie has, by far, the worst success rate of any of them.

=R=

C'mon ronnie, they've only been around for 25 years, give them time to iron the kinks out. Try back in about 5 years.

not a big loss imo ronnie. the only reason i've got increased interest in it lately is because i'm trying to eat better. since it looks like you work up there why not WASC for a cheeseburger, fries and country fried bacon!