The Original Pita Grill (Certified OU) — Restaurant in New York

I've ordered from here and recently actually dined in the restaurant so I feel like I've got a good idea. This is a needed place for kosher meat cuisine that won't break the bank. However, keep your expectations low as there are some issues with execution.

Delivery Experience - I'd highly recommend giving yourself at least an hour from ordering to when you actually want to receive the food. They tend to get busy and don't seem to staff enough delivery people. Also, you should be strategic about what you order - try to get something that you can reheat in your own oven, or ask them to put the components of a sandwich on the side. Oh, and DEFINITELY remember to ask them if your dish includes both chummus AND pita. Just because the name of the restaurant is Pita Grill, doesn't mean you'll always get a pita with your dish.

Dine In Experience

They have an expansive Israeli menu complete with everything you'd expect. Solid shawarma, falafel and chummus, but portion sizes have decreased and they were out of chicken wings.

Appetizers - I really liked the chicken tenders, but they were lacking sauce and were not the friendliest when I asked for hot sauce to accompany it. I'd say a special sauce (garlic aoli) would work great here. The avocado rolls were recommended by the gentleman at the counter, but seemed they just put an avocado in a fried shell. Someone's got to visit the Cheesecake Factory and see how they do this.

The ambiance was extremely casual, and we got to put on the ranger game upstairs. The hot water at the sink upstairs didn't work, and they never gave us napkins, but I liked their music.

I think it would be really cool if they sold kosher meat, either frozen or unfrozen. They've already got everything there anyway, and it's extremely hard to find kosher meat in the area.

My friend got a main and we split a bunch of sides for $50 total, so much cheaper than hitting nearly any formal kosher restaurant in Manhattan....

Let me start this off with saying I've been dining here without the owner being there for 3 years with no issue. I'd have to say after dining here multiple times after classes and for lunch options that the pricing was too much for what was offered. Not to mention that me and friends were just kicked out for speaking about religious beliefs. This is after the owner felt a need to involve himself into a conversation he was not invited to 2 times. And on the second time insisted that we leave because we were talking about religious topic. Not only did he not care when I said I had a right within my first amendment for free speech but said he would call the police unless we left immediately. Within our right we asked why we were being asked to leave and he would only answer because of our "foul language" which was only a cuss here and there occasionally. We asked once more for a reason that violated the restaurants rules and regulations but we were denied and kicked out saying that we finished our food and were no longer needed to stay there to eat. He sat across from only us when there were a religious couple ALSO speaking about religious topic. It felt very racially motivated since 2 out of the 3 of us were people of dark skin tone and he didn't feel the need to ease drop on them and tell them to leave (when it was two white people) but felt the need to tell 3 17 year old's that they NEEDED to leave and were no longer needed. Only positive thing I have to say is the nice women who apologized and said they would not...

Pita Grill Restaurant Review

When you walk into Pita Grill, you’re greeted by a counter where you place your order, and seating is available upstairs on the second floor. The setup is casual, but unfortunately, the food didn’t meet my expectations, especially compared to authentic Israeli flavors.

What We Ordered: • Beef & Lamb Shawarma: While the meat was flavorful, it lacked the authentic shawarma taste I was hoping for. Instead of the traditional Israeli-style toppings like lettuce, cucumber, and tomato salad, it felt a bit off. Rating: 6/10 • Meatballs Over Rice: The dish was average and didn’t stand out. However, the baba ganoush salad on the side was a highlight. Overall, the dish was underwhelming. Rating: 5/10 • Side of Hummus: The hummus was disappointing. I’ve had far better elsewhere, and it lacked the rich, creamy texture and depth of flavor you’d expect. Rating: 4/10 • Sabich Sandwich: This was another letdown. The sandwich felt like a random assortment of vegetables with fried eggplant and a half-boiled egg thrown into a pita. Rating: 5/10

Overall, the experience left much to be desired. I wouldn’t return to Pita Grill, and I can’t confidently recommend it, especially when there are plenty of other kosher spots offering a more authentic and satisfying...