Pita House

Laura’s evening ACS meeting gave me another chance to try some new cuisine. Tonight I really wanted to go back to Juju’s Mediterranean, but the thought of fighting Woodruff Road traffic was more than I could bear. Instead, I decided to head down Pleasantburg to the Pita House. I had been here a couple of times, but I figured it was high time for another visit.

Atmosphere

Pita House has been in the same location on South Pleasantburg near Greenville Tech for many, many years. In recent years they have expanded, adding more seating and a Middle Eastern grocery.

As soon as I walked in the door, the place smelled right. The savory spices I craved let me know I was in the right place. The decor is simple, bright sandwich shop booths and tables, punctuated with a few Middle Eastern posters and knick knacks. One orders at the counter, and food is brought out.

For many years, the cuisine was out of the main stream for Greenville. Therefore, the place tends to attract more of the cool, eclectic crowd. Regardless of whether they fit that description or not, most seemed to be regulars, and were greeted warmly by the staff. I took that as a very, very good sign.

Menu

This is not a Greek/Middle East place. The focus is solely on Middle Eastern food. There are a few salads, some pita sandwiches, and a wide variety of platters, featuring kabobs, shawarma, among others. Prices for the sandwiches start around $4.50, with only slightly more for the plates, which add a salad. The platters, served over rice with a salad, hover around the $10 mark All-in-all, a very good deal.

Food

I decided a combination platter was the best way to sample everything. This started with a simple salad and homemade pita. The salad was dressed with a bit of oil infused with spices, and was wonderful. My platter featured one shish tawook (chicken kabob) and one Jerusalem kabob, which has both beef and lamb. I was looking for savory, and these did not disappoint, especially when accented with either the red harissa or white sauce provided. The meat was tender and not too dry, which is often the case with kabobs.

For dessert I decided to try a maloul, a butter cookie stuffed various fillings Dates and walnuts were available, but I decided to get mine with pistachio. This was a dryer dessert, without the sticky rose water so prevalent in Middle East desserts. As with the rest of the meal, it was great.

Service

Sparse. One orders from the counter and the food is brougut out rather quickly. One returns to the counter for drink refills, etc. As long as you know this, it’s not a problem. As mentioned before, the staff were quite friendly to regulars, but a bit reserved with strangers such as myself.

Conclusion

I don’t know why I don’t come here more often. I guess we have so many other options, I tend to forget about this place. That will change. I hope to become one of those regulars who gets the smile and friendly wave upon entering.