Based on a stop over the weekend, they expect to open Zad by the end of October.

In other Pita Inn news, they are expanding the market. They have taken over most (if not all) of the strip mall next to the original restaurant. The market looks like it will close to double in size. They are adding a meat counter.

Construction is underway (the bakery operations have already moved one storefront to the west), but I did not ask for at timetable. The market continues to operate in the original location.

Does anyone know what this Zad place is gonna serve?

Does anyone know if Pita Inn allows BYOB? I see the new Skokie location sells non alcoholic beer but not real beer and wine. My family loves Pita Inn but can't get them to go as often since they like to drink beer/wine when going out sometimes.

You can ask, but I assume if they are selling NA they are not permitting alcohol.

Unless something has changed recently, they do not permit alcohol or any outside beverages.

=R=

verno6000 wrote:My family loves Pita Inn but can't get them to go as often since they like to drink beer/wine when going out sometimes.

IMO, your solution isn't found at Pita Inn, it's just over a mile east at Larsa's. The non-falafel items are approximately 84736819x's better than Pita Inn (whom I do enjoy). They allow BYOB.

Feel free to make a charitable donation in my name after eating there.

verno6000 wrote:Does anyone know if Pita Inn allows BYOB? I see the new Skokie location sells non alcoholic beer but not real beer and wine. My family loves Pita Inn but can't get them to go as often since they like to drink beer/wine when going out sometimes.

I swear I'm not being snarky when I ask this, but why didn't you just call the restaurant & ask? You posted this at a time in the day when you could have, the restaurant in question was open, you could've gotten a quick & definitive answer as opposed to waiting for a possibly wrong answer from a bunch of people on "the internet" who don't work there. What happens when someone on here gives you an answer that isn't actually true & you go in there expecting what you read on here???
sorry....I work in restaurants & am tired of reading speculation & misinformation etc. from people "on the internet." I can't tell you how many times people have waved their phone in our employees' faces showing instagram, twitter, & whatever else & demanding to have the same thing served to them instead of what is on our actual menu on that day. Or insisting that something should be true of our business policies because they "read it on yelp/twitter/facebook/etc etc"

please.... when you're asking about actual policies of our business, give us a little credit & ask US, not the internet public, huh? Send an email, make a phone call, ask the people who actually work there what their policies are, please! thanks!

Rocky419 wrote:

verno6000 wrote:Does anyone know if Pita Inn allows BYOB?

I swear I'm not being snarky when I ask this, but why didn't you just call the restaurant & ask?

I would submit that LTH commenting is less about strict primary source utility value (I concede that Pita Inn is the rare classically managed restaurant w/ enough HR investment that their word carries reliability), and more about opening a pandora's box of opinionated takes from well informed sources, seeking more qualitative than quantitative feedback.

During a recent Lunch Visit, I noticed that the price for The Business Lunch Special has crept up slightly- again- as of a few weeks ago, but that the volume of tickets they generate- hasn't trailed off in the least.


The Pita Inn- Skokie- Selling More SHWARAMA than any-other-Chicago-Middle-Eastern Restaurant-I know of.... by R. Kramer, on Flickr

In fact- once when I was talking with The Manager-
I casually asked "how many of those" (Schwarma-Stacks) do you go through, inna day??!"
EIGHT- he said, quite casually.......do you realize
most Middle Eastern places barely sell a-half-a-Schwarma-a-Day
.......causing many-next-day- Schwarma- to be mushy when reheated.
Not here.
These guys reload- EIGHT-Schwarma's Each Day! by R. Kramer, on Flickr

8-in-a-Day!
Man.......that's a lotta meat.

Hombre de Acero wrote:During a recent Lunch Visit, I noticed that the price for The Business Lunch Special has crept up slightly- again- as of a few weeks ago,

Now $7.85 with tax, a 20 percent increase on top of the 20 percent increase four years ago.
Still a pretty good deal, but no longer the best deal around, IMO.
Portion size remains the same, as does the good quality.

Pita Inn has opened a DuPage County location. 1835 Arbiter Circle, Naperville.

We just got a couple chicken shawarma dishes last night (fattoush salad and the hummus-shawarma bowl) super delicious! So much better than roti and naf naf. And pretty much any other CS we've ever had. Now I get it, not only is it homemade stacked and seasoned, they go thru EIGHT a day so its always super fresh.

champs2005 wrote:So much better than roti and naf naf.

Yeah, it's not a very high bar. Roti is an unmitigated disaster and doesn't even belong in any serious discussion about food. The food at Naf Naf has gotten worse and worse as they've continued to expand. When it was just the single store in Naperville, it was truly a destination. Those days are just tiny dots in the rear-view mirror.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

champs2005 wrote:So much better than roti and naf naf.

Yeah, it's not a very high bar. Roti is an unmitigated disaster and doesn't even belong in any serious discussion about food. The food at Naf Naf has gotten worse and worse as they've continued to expand.

=R=

Ron speaks Gospel with this.
I can't imagine how Roti is still thriving.
I still go to the Naf Nafs every once in a while. I'm actually pretty partial to their Baba Ghanouj bowl with chicken - liberally doused with their white garlic, and green hot sauces, and the lentil soup, but NOTHING else. The baba ghanouj and chicken schwarma aren't even good. It's that garlic and hot sauce that I crave. (and actually, the garlic sauce isn't anything too special - but that green hot sauce - I'm just all about that stuff)

Pita Inn is what a fast casual Middle Eastern place SHOULD be. Some things could be a lil better, but for the volume they pump out - and the price, I have no right to complain. Always been a big fan, even though that lunch special price has crept up into the "no longer a crazy bargain" price.

seebee wrote:Pita Inn is what a fast casual Middle Eastern place SHOULD be. Some things could be a lil better, but for the volume they pump out - and the price, I have no right to complain. Always been a big fan, even though that lunch special price has crept up into the "no longer a crazy bargain" price.

I think it fills a niche pretty well. Though, as some of my previous posts on this thread indicate, I've had my ups and downs with Pita Inn. When it's on, it's on. When it's not, oh well.

We recently hosted a last-minute work lunch for about 15 people. The food was excellent (at the top of Pita Inn's scale) and our guests were impressed. PI didn't miss a beat -- or require any advance notice -- fulfilling our order. We called it in and 30 minutes later it was ready for pick up. And happily, everything we ordered was there.

Still, I feel fortunate that Larsa's and Kabobi are both on my beaten path. I think they both surpass Pita Inn in most ways. I know those places can also turn out big orders but a bit more advance notice is generally required.

=R=

Larsa's Restaurant (website)
3724 Dempster
Skokie, IL 60076
(847) 679-3663

Kabobi (website)
4748 N Kedzie
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 583-1400

counterpoint, I actually prefer Naf Naf and Roti to Pita Inn. As I've mentioned before, I find Pita Inn's chicken dry (others have suggested I'm going during off hours, but I've had it for lunch in Skokie with similar effect). In addition the "free" vegetable offerings are better at Naf/Roti - a weird afterthought salad of iceberg and mealy tomato doesn't really do it for me (stuffing it in a pita doesn't help).

to each their own.

dudefella wrote:mealy tomato

LOL, I couldn't agree more about Pita Inn's tomatoes. Even in the peak of the season, they're truly awful. I mean, do they go out of their way to get such awful ones? But they're an afterthought and that's not why I go there. And yes, their chicken shawarma can sometimes be dry but in my experience, it usually isn't.

In any case, isn't the Pita Inn-Naf Naf-Roti discussion analogous to the McDonald's-Burger King-Wendy's discussion?

=R=

One way to get decent vegetable matter at Pita Inn is to order the fattoush salad with the chicken shwarama on top. The salad is all like red leaf lettuce no iceberg, it also had red peppers, cukes, NO white tomatoes! Dressing on the side. So much better than that horrible bitter mix of iceberg and "tomatoes" that they put in the bottom of the sandwiches.

To the person who prefers naf naf and roti to Pita Inn...really? I may never eat at naf naf or Roti (or halal guys) again. Not even in same league I feel.

Yet to try Larsas...one of those places Ive driven by a million times never been.

champs2005 wrote:To the person who prefers naf naf and roti to Pita Inn...really? I may never eat at naf naf or Roti (or halal guys) again. Not even in same league I feel.

Like I said, to each their own. but some more points for naf/roti: onions, pickles, and more sauce variety. some days you just want some schug or amba (or a reasonable approximation of it).

I’ll stick up for Naf Naf, up to a point. Hummus bowl with chicken shawarma and lots of salads, tahini, and schug hits the spot every so often. Yeah, I wish they didn’t pre-slice the shawarma and hold it in steam trays, but even Mizrahi Grill does that now (they slice it to order when they recognize me, which makes me think you could request that). Of course, Mizrahi is otherwise superior in every way.

:schug:

champs2005 wrote:Yet to try Larsas...one of those places Ive driven by a million times never been.

As soon as you go, you'll kick yourself for not trying it sooner. Everything (except maybe falafel) is on a whole different level from Pita Inn. Since you mentioned enjoying the fattoush at PI, if you have any Larsa's salad with their vinaigrette (the one used in their Mediterranean Salad, I don't think they have different versions, but just trying to be clear), that too should be enough to convert you. Adding a chicken kabab (or shawarma) will be a cherry on top.

ronnie_suburban wrote:Isn't the Pita Inn-Naf Naf-Roti discussion analogous to the McDonald's-Burger King-Wendy's discussion?

=R=

I think Pita Inn is at least one FULL star better than any of that list. Maybe even two.

I haven't been to the Naperthrill Naf in AGES. It was a decent amount better than any of the new model locations I've been to. I say that because I think maybe 5ish years ago, I'd say that the Naperville NAf could hold it's own Vs Pita Inn.

Dudefella, stop it. Just stop it.

Just kidding

(But really...quit it.)

I was new to Naf Naf & Pita Inn when we moved within striking distance of the N’ville Freedom Drive food mall. Worth noting NN is the flagship store and PI is a brand new franchise.

Notes:
Pita:
Naf Naf
Always super fresh but too soft imo. Their waxing gibbous pocket can make for uneven/awkward sandwich construction

Pita Inn
Remarkably stale at this location

Meats:
Naf Naf
Shawarma (chix only) has good flavor but sometimes stewy/ mushy texture from holding. Kababs usually cooked well & fresh. Some less spiced than others. Kifta is good.

Pita Inn
Pretty dry across the board, kifta best option here too

Hummus:
Naf Naf
Industrial tasting, like supermarket product

Pita Inn
Fine if unremarkable

(Have not tried baba at either)

Rice:
Generic, cheap, Uncle Bensian at both stores

Sauces:
Naf Naf
Excellent, esp the schug. Great variety, condiment bar is fun. My son inhales the pickles.

Pita Inn
Only two- generic hot sauce and fine tahini

Salads:
Naf Naf
Flavorful and varied, though sometimes too wet

Pita Inn
Bagged lettuce mix & crappy tomatoes

So overall, Naf Naf is the clear preference. It is essential take out for us, Middle Eastern has that fresh, low grease appeal.

That said, I’ll take the crisp, moist & heavily spiced shawarma on chewy thin flatbread (or fluffy basmati) at my city standby Falafel & Grill any day.

ronnie_suburban wrote:

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=

First off, I'd like to preface this story by saying that I wish the Wheeling Pita Inn no ill will. Over the years, I haven't had many snafus with our office orders, and I generally really enjoy their food. Especially for an office lunch. They definitely offer a solid value. I'm a fan. This story is to relay an experience that seems of the variety that only happens to yours truly. For those of us who enjoy that famous blues lyric:

"If it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all."

My work team decided to hit the Deerfield office today. We holed up in a nice conference room, and pre-planned a visit to our old tried and true...Pita Inn Wheeling, for pickup. Since we moved to a newer office a few burbs north, Pita Inn Mundelein had become our new go-to. It's further away from the new office, so our visits were far fewer. Still like it though. Trust that.

Backpedal just a sec - I remember Ronnie_S writing several times about his bad luck with takeout from Pita Inn, but we never encountered many issues at all. And when we worked in Deerfield/Northbrook, we were pretty much once a week at PI Wheeling, with 10ish ppl piggybacking on the order each time.

Ok, back to today...
I used their online ordering system "Chow Now" direct from their site, didn't seem like a big deal:
5 Lunch specials
Large Baba G
Large Garlic Sauce
1 Order of Grape Leaves.

Someone else piggybacked late, but no big deal, they called in their order, gave me cash, and I basically just picked it up for them.

I walked in the door, hadn't been there in probably a year. I saw three familiar faces behind the counter right off the bat. Same as it ever was... A young lady, and a new to me gentleman were taking orders. I got there 11:40 ish, just before the lines started hitting by about ten minutes - should be all good.
"Can I help you, sir, did you place an order for pickup?"
" Yes. Two pickup orders, one is a call in, order number 36, and the other is a web order."

"Order 36 is ready, we have it right here."
<cash transaction completed in about 15 seconds, as usual>

"Sir, the web order, what is your name?"
"Seebee"
There is an order taking up two bags on the side counter. They rummage through that order, and come back puzzled..
"Your name again, please?"
"Seebee. I have the order number right here for you, if there's any issue. Here, take my phone. (I expanded the order number on the screen.)

They type the order number into some type of POS system, and then the funny guy comes over. You all know who I mean. He wasn't manning a register at this time, but you all know exactly the guy. The very friendly, tallish gentleman. He can make you snicker while taking orders, collecting payments. You know that guy that works there. THAT guy. He asks the lady and gentelman if there's an issue. Looks at me and says, "HEY SEEBEE - Long time, we haven't seen you in a while, welcome back, Seebee!" I give him a happy greeting, and he asks what's going on, and then starts chatting with the other two again about the order number on my phone, and what they have found in their pos system. The other gentleman takes out an order slip, and starts re-writing my order from the email on my phone, but nobody says anything to me. I'm just standing at the Phone Pickup Counter watching this happen. The girl then asks the next customer to step up. After the fourth customer, I just take a seat on the bench right there for the folks waiting for their order.

A few minutes goes by, and one of the guys behind the prep counter looks at me (one of the guys that has been there forever and a day, that I instantly recognized when I walked in) and he says, "Hey man, what is your order number?" (He knew I had been there way too long.) I said, "I don't have one, they didn't tell me anything." He gave me a weird look, and went back to prepping orders.

So, not many of you know me on a personal level. But, I have what a lot of ppl would call an "East Coast-ish" type attitude. As I sat, I thought about how long I should sit before taking some action, and what action to take. Serious contenders:

1. Laying down on the bench.
2. Taking the paid for order I was holding, and opening the containers, and scattering that food throughout the restaurant, and then leaving. Which would put me out about 80 dollars, and returning to my office with a decent story and no food for my office mates. I'd probably stop for some crappy fast food on the way for them, but I'd be out that money as well.
3. Asking for a refund.

A while went by, and I was honestly about to open the timer on my phone, plug in 5 minutes to countdown to option 2, and funny guy came out from behind the counter and said, "Seebee, are you still waiting for an order?"
"yes, that's why I'm still here."
"No, I am so sorry, what is it??"
"It's the web order that I told the other two about - the one you all were looking at."
"Oh no, I am so sorry!"
"I'll just take a refund, thank you." I put the card on the counter.
"No seebee, I am so sorry, I don't know how this could have happened. What was the order?"
"I gave you the order number, the name....It's 5 lunch specials.."
"Oh no, It's this one RIGHT HERE" <the one that had been sitting on the counter when I walked in>

"That's ok, I'll just take the refund, please."
"No please, we are so sorry." He snappped at the other gentleman to get me baklava immediately.
The gentleman puts one piece of baklava in a brown bag, and hands it to funny guy. Funny guy snapped even louder, for him to get me MORE than one piece.

"Please, seebee, take free baklava for everyone, we are so sorry."

"No, thank you. It's ok." I took the bags before the other gentleman was done stuffing baklava into a bag. I started walking out. Funny guy kept telling me to wait for the baklava, but I kept saying, "no thank you, I don't want it."

Just before I got to the door, he jammed it in my bag, apologizing.

Again - I wish them no ill will. I'm still a fan of Pita Inn.

So, back to the office. A little sour, I will admit.

Back at the office hungry, about 30 minutes after I should have returned, the natives were definitely restless. But I had a decent story for them. We all had a laugh.
Except...

Look at my order above.
Instead, I got:
5 lunch specials
A large HUMMUS
And a large garlic sauce.

No grape leaves, and hummus instead of baba g.
I don't want hummus, AT ALL. I can get PI quality hummus for a buck fitty at Jewel. I never order hummus. I can make hummus. I pretty uch never order hummus in a resto. I'm a baba G guy. The order clearly says Baba G in the email.

So I call and say, "Remember the web order you made me wait 20 minutes for even though it was ready? I have hummus instead of baba g. This is another reason why we won't come back. Have a good day, though." <click>

I didn't realize the grape leaves were missing until I was ready to go home.
I ordered an extra lunch special for Mrs Seebee, and Seebee Jr to split for dinner.
It was jr's first day of school today, and I wasn't able to see him off. He loves grape leaves, thought I'd bring him some for dinner. This ired me a lil more, but still, I'm all good. I can laugh it off.


In the car on the way home, it start to rain (OF FREEKIN COURSE,) so trafiic is at a standstill.

"Ok Google"
"Pita Inn Wheeling"
<call>

"Hi, I picked up 80 dollars worth of food today for lunch, and I'm missed an order of grape leaves, and I got a large order of hummus instead of baba ghannouj. I justwanted to let you know, that since you guys don't care anymore, then neither do I. Have a good day." Click.

10 minutes later, Funny Guy calls me back.
He deduces it's me.
Offers me a credit.
"No thank you. I don't want anything at all."
"No, seebee, we are so sorry, this happened."
"It's ok, I don't want any credits. I don't want anything at all."
"Seebee, I will refund you"
"How are you going to do that?"
"I will find the order and refund your CC for the two mixup items"
"Well, we'll see if it actually happens, thanks."
"It should be 48 hours, we are so sorry."

Again, no ill will, mistakes happen. I just found it humorous, since I'm pretty sure I've told Ron how smooth our sailing has been, whereas, he has complaints. I finally got Ronnied by Pita Inn.

After I explained what happened to wife 1.0 when I got home, here's the support I get:
"Wait, we're not DONE with Pita Inn are we???"

She was legit 100% only concerned about her ability to get leftover lunch specials going forward.

A good thing did come out of this: The free baklava - first time I tried theirs. It's pretty decent.

Had to go to see my "Adjustment" Doctor in Buffalo Grove last week and needed no better excuse than to veer off of Dundee Road to the Wheeling location of Pita Inn.
A late lunch crowd filled the place, but not too overcrowded.
"Torshi" plate + 2-Sauce(s) + Lunch Special $6.95 w/xtra Falafel -upcharge= 75¢. @ PITA INN-Wheeling, IL. by R. Kramer, on Flickr

Yes- I know that looks damn good- and- ya know what? It was!

The "Torshi" was crisp and fresh.Torshi = Arabic term for Pickled Turnip + Olive accoutrements to - Lunch Special $6.95 @ PITA INN-Wheeling, IL. by R. Kramer, on Flickr

The extra falafel ball (& Sliced tomato,Pickled Onions and Tahini) provided enough material for it's own Sammy in one half of the Pita Bread.

And all of the other "Lunch Special" components-were.....well....."Special" and savory-ly delish!

Hot Sauce or Tahina- "no Toum" - @Lunch Special $6.95 w/xtra Falafel -upcharge= 75¢. @ PITA INN-Wheeling, IL. by R. Kramer, on Flickr
and
Shawarma- waiting........Lunch Special $6.95 w/xtra Falafel -upcharge= 75¢. @ PITA INN-Wheeling, IL. by R. Kramer, on Flickr

In the woids of Gary Wivott- "Count-Me-a-Fan"

Hombre de Acero wrote:The extra falafel ball (& Sliced tomato,Pickled Onions and Tahini) provided enough material for it's own Sammy in one half of the Pita Bread.

Nice pictures!

Hombre de Acero wrote:In the woids of Gary Wivott- "Count-Me-a-Fan"

I find myself at the Dempster Pita Inn once every month or so, veggie lunch special, $6.99, plus two or four extra falafel balls, load up on torshi, tahini, hot sauce, healthy filling lunch for under ten dollars. Main reason I get the veggie lunch special, as opposed to chicken or business, it includes hummus.
Absolutely! Pita Inn,count me a Fan!

My dryer died so during the snow week before last I went to Abt to purchase a new one and eat at the Pita Inn around the corner.

Food was great and the mint tea was just what I wanted on a cold wet, and snowy day.

Oh, and when did their hummus get delicious!?

pairs4life wrote:Oh, and when did their hummus get delicious!?

It's always been really good. Smooth and a lot of tahini. I don't get a lot of basis for comparison out here in the burbs, but Naf Naf's is merely fine.

JoelF wrote:

pairs4life wrote:Oh, and when did their hummus get delicious!?

It's always been really good. Smooth and a lot of tahini. I don't get a lot of basis for comparison out here in the burbs, but Naf Naf's is merely fine.

Naf Naf's quality has dropped off appreciably. On the other hand Libanais hits it out of the park every time.

JoelF wrote:

pairs4life wrote:Oh, and when did their hummus get delicious!?

It's always been really good. Smooth and a lot of tahini. I don't get a lot of basis for comparison out here in the burbs, but Naf Naf's is merely fine.

Why would you ever get hummus at Pita Inn when they have the best babaganoush on the planet? I guess you could get both, but if you only want one the baba is a no brainer for me. It's so friggen good. I sometimes get a quart and have it over a couple days.