In and Out Pita - Lincolnwood

At the recommendation of my barber-the-landlord ("good food"), I made my inaugural visit here for lunch today. I did confirm that the owner of this spot is in fact a brother of one of the owners of the Pita Inn empire.

The menu bears some similarity to Pita Inn. I chose the daily (Mon-Fri) lunch special combination plate for $5.99 - similar to PI. They also have a hamburger, fries, and drink special for $6.95 which I found a bit odd for "The Best Middle Eastern Food in Town" as stated on their menu. The most expensive entree on the menu is a curry catfish with rice for $9.99. Entrees include rice, one small dish of your choice of hummus, taboula, baba ghanouj or soup. They also have the usual sandwiches and salads found at most middle eastern spots.

My plate of food was good, not great. While the meat was fairly well seasoned, it was dry. Normally, I like white sauce for dipping. The sauce here was quite watery and fairly tasteless. The pita was pretty good.

This place only has 3-4 tables for dining in. I assume they're betting on a mostly carry-out business. There's a $20 minimum for delivery. The space is long and narrow and the counter and grill are set towards the front of the restaurant. This results in having to listen to the loud exhaust over the grill while you're eating.

Overall, it was OK. If I really have a hankering for middle eastern food, it's probably worth the extra 10 minute drive further north to Pita Inn.

In & Out Pita
3918 W. Touhy Ave.
Lincolnwood, IL 60712
Phone: (847) 329-7482 (PITA)

I stopped in last Thursday for take-out after going to Schlegl's and had the lunch special as well. It was good, but not great. By the time I got back to my office the pita was fairly stale which leads me to believe it may have started that way. I'll give them another try and eat there, but Pita Inn and Pita Kabob (Lincoln and Cali) will probably keep my lunchtime business.

It closed last week. Soon to be replaced by a Cuban restaurant according to my barber-the-landlord.