Bella Pita — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Based on reviews I've read my expectations were definitely higher than what I experienced today.

First impressions are crucial for a business, but I couldn't even tell the place was open since no one was manning the register or visible in the kitchen. The inside was dark, and the salad bar frankly looked neglected and possibly unsanitary. Still, despite every instinct to leave I tried not to judge a book by its cover and opted to stay. A man finally saw me and took my order, but his overall demeanor was not exactly warm and fuzzy.

I ordered a chicken plate which came with said chicken (more on that in a moment), rice, and...black beans??? That last item was a very, very strange choice for a Middle Eastern restaurant. The chicken was supposedly cooked to order but did not taste fresh and was badly under-seasoned. No joke, I'm praying I don't get sick.

The salad/condiment bar is free for customers but based on reviews from the recent past (and the empty trays) it has clearly been cut back. Lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, picked turnips, sliced pepperoncini, and the processed sliced pickles you put on burgers (i.e., not the authentic Middle Eastern pickles). There was also a variety of sauces in squeeze bottles. You also get a few pita triangles, but in the 5 minutes it took me to get home they'd already dried out to the point of being crackers...that was a first! Speaking of once I got home, when I opened the container there was a pool of oil and/or butter at the bottom. That's a huge gross-out thing for me.

So all of this set me back over $17 after tax and tip. I know every restaurant's costs - and thus prices - have gone up recently, so I wasn't expecting fast food prices. Still, the food didn't come close to justifying what they charged. I'm not sure if it's inflation, the pandemic, or both, but this place unfortunately oozed corner-cutting. Maybe I simply ordered the wrong thing, but not a repeat for me and I wouldn't advise a first visit for anyone else. Despite the mostly good reviews there are far better similar restaurants in the area...

This place is awesome (when not crowded)! Why? Because it's pretty tiny and it becomes pretty hectic during lunch time. Is it worth finding parking and going here? I would say YES if you're trying it for the first time.

Go in, wait in line, order, then once you receive your food, customize your thing the way you like it using the bar

I always order a wowshi. I've tried black bean, chicken, and the Steak. I would say either chicken or black bean suited me best.

I recommend adding the very spicy sauce! It's awesome(:

So, why a 4 star? Parking is hard to find, place is almost always crowded, sometimes the chicken is cooked too dry. However, don't get me wrong. I love coming to this place! Service is wonderful. Place only has 3-4 seating though, so good luck finding a seat there!

A tip: Don't overload your wowshi! makes it very...

This is honestly one of my favorite places in Westwood.

I've been here on my own and have also had it when a club uses them for catering, and it's so great every time.

All of their items are wonderful -- I've tried almost everything. You really can't go wrong here. It's quite filling and even when they cater, the food is just as good as when you go in store. Their pita is just so good that I even had some for leftovers and they were still so good the next day.

I'm a falafel fan, so that's usually the one I go with, but you honestly can't go wrong with any of them. Also, take advantage of the toppings bar! Adding more things to your pita makes it so much better.

Only downside is there isn't much seating, but honestly the food is so portable it doesn't...