Pita Kitchen — Restaurant in Los Angeles

I will definitely be back here!

The guys behind the counter when we came at night were very friendly. Very accommodating as well. I wanted the lamb and beef shawarma, and asked to have all the sides be hummus. Which they did very well!

The shawarma flavor is great, the texture is great. I wish the shawarma was a little more moist, but I'll admit it was pretty late, they were close to closing. So I'll definitely have to come sooner next time.

Overall though, I can't complain. They're white garlic paste that everybody loves is very lovable. Pun intended.

There should be a space or two in the front. When things get busier though on Ventura Boulevard and Van Nuys, there is a space or two in the back of the place. Otherwise, you're going to have to park in residential up the street.

This place kind of reminds me of one of those New York pizza places you would go to, except this place serves shawarma.

There's indoor seating for I would say maybe about 15 people, and then a couple of tables outside for maybe 8 to 10 people.

You're just far enough off of Ventura Boulevard to where you don't get the noisy traffic. But I would imagine traffic going north on Van Nuys could be a little rough during rush hour.

Ironically, most of the people that were in front of and behind me in line we're getting their orders to go. I just wanted to sit at the place for a while and see what the Ambiance is like....

When I walked in, the first thing I noticed was the beef and lamb shawarma sitting out, and I could immediately tell it was processed, pre-cooked frozen gyro meat. To be sure, I asked the cashier, and they confirmed it was frozen. That was enough for me to avoid ordering it altogether. They did say the chicken shawarma is homemade, so I decided to give that a try.

The chicken shawarma plate came with rice and two sides. Out of everything, the tabouli was the only item that actually felt fresh and homemade. The hummus, on the other hand, tasted bland and processed—nothing like a freshly made hummus should taste. The chicken itself didn’t carry that classic shawarma flavor; it was closer to plain grilled chicken with little seasoning. The rice wasn’t fresh either, and overall the plate felt like a letdown.

On top of the food being hit or miss, the kitchen and store looked dirty and outdated, which only made the experience worse. Between the processed frozen beef and lamb and the lackluster chicken, this isn’t a place I’d...

The Great Garbanzo. Part of the Fantastic Falafels.

Sounds like a new superhero, right? You can just imagine him or her, using the boiling oil from their fingertips to deep-fry garbanzo beans then spitting tahini from his or her mouth.

OK, sorry, went too far there.

Suffice it to say this is the great, reasonably priced middle-eastern food.

Love the falafels. Perfectly cooked. Only lightly spicy. Tasty! The pita version is just $6, the wrap $7 and the huge plate is $9. My friend got the chicken shish kabob which seemed more like schwarma. He thought it was a little overcooked and bland but I thought it was good, so what does he know?

The place is a small little hole in the wall, low ceiling, next to the newsstand, but it's totally authentic and charming in its own way. You can eat inside, in the small dining room, or outside in the plastic tented area with heat lamps in the winter.

Lots of takeout. Even...