The Hummus Republic — Restaurant in North Carolina

First, let me say that we love Mediterranean style food and have eaten at many of the more popular chains around the country so when we saw a 4.9 rating we had to give it a try. We went in about 530 and decided on a couple bowls. There was no rice available for 30 minutes so we had to settle on couscous which was bland and dry. Also, there was no chicken available, but it was being finished up on the grill so that was not a big deal. The choice of condiments included raw onion, raw red cabbage and diced tomato. All pretty bland. I chose the chicken Shawarma for protein and it was terrible. Not sure about the seasoning that they used, but it was like no Shawarma I have ever had, and it was so salty that it was practically inedible. Overall, pretty disappointing especially when we could've went right down the street and had some of the best Mediterranean food in Jacksonville for the same price. Maybe they were having a bad day, but we would not return or recommend.

Edit to Owners Response: As a retired business owner, there is one thing I know: insulting customers and accusing them of being shills for the competition is not a good long-term strategy.

It’s comforting to know that a 4.9 rating means your restaurant is perfect for everyone else, though my experience was clearly the exception. It’s truly unfortunate that I prefer my couscous edible and my chicken flavorful without being overwhelmed by salt. My standards must be outrageously high if they exceed what’s offered at a highly rated establishment like yours.

I'm sorry for expecting fresh food without an extended wait. I had no idea that expecting the basics on your menu was such a novel concept. Your fresh batches of rice and grilled chicken sound delightful, but perhaps a little more efficiency could go a long way in improving customer satisfaction. A time machine isn’t necessary; just a little more attention to food quality would be wonderful.

Regarding the seasoning, I must have an incredibly unique palate to find your "memorable" Chicken Shawarma unforgettable for all the wrong reasons. I understand that salt is an important ingredient in the balance of a dish, but when it’s overwhelming, it’s all you can taste.

As for the toppings, it’s curious that you suggested I didn’t actually visit your restaurant. I assure you, I did. I have taken the liberty to include a screenshot of the $37.22 my wife and I spent on two bowls and a drink.

Finally, I appreciate your suggestion to try the Mediterranean restaurant down the street. I have, and I must say, their food and service were impeccable. Perhaps there's something to learn from them.

There is an old saying in the business world: a happy customer will tell five people about their experience, and an unhappy customer will tell 50. Your snarky and condescending response will definitely put us...

I drove by at Christmas while visiting our son's family and couldn't wait to try this! I'm back this week & so glad I stopped here. I was greeted just about immediately after walking in the door, the mgr explained the process and even offered tastings of their hummus! We ended up with a bowl made of Chick peas, spinach, beef & lamb shaved meat, feta cheese, cucumbers & onions and traditional hummus on top. I selected a lemon & olive oil dressing (which I didn't even use). The hummus was plenty of "dressing" with the liquid of the chick peas! My bowl was fabulous & BIG. We paired it with a side of falafel with tahini sauce plus hummus & pita chips. The falafel was the most flavorful recipe I've ever tasted! Cooked perfectly, however the small plastic bowl they were placed in for our to-go order caused 2 of them to be smashed. A different packaging would be better. The hummus & pita chips came with our choice of 3 hummus varieties. I chose traditional (excellent flavor), eggplant (it was ok, not sure I'd order it again as it wasn't my favorite), and the feta hummus. The feta was really heavy on salt (and I'm a salt girl) but when mixed with the traditional it was Perfect on the pita chips. And, let's chat about those chips - the best I"be EVER had! An order of hummus and pita chips could be my go to eat too often if I lived here. To top it off, since it's still their grand opening, they provided me with a cup to taste their lemonades. They are a must when dining here. Overall, the quantity is good for the price, The staff was really friendly & the food was fresh! We are definitely visiting again...

EDIT: To clarify, per the owner’s response, this was an order from Hummus Republic in Jacksonville, NC. I ordered via Uber Eats. I’m not sure why the menu presented on Uber Eats would differ from what is offered in-store, but multiple shawarma rice bowls were on the menu (as is reflected on my receipt). Your menu link on your own Google listing has multiple shawarma rice bowls (see photo), so unsure what you are arguing with it not being a menu item. We did select multiple add-ons to customize the bowls (appreciated the variety) and as previously noted, the fried eggplant and sides of tzatziki were not included in the order. As for the “boneless” chicken, I have no doubt it is supposed to be boneless. However, there were multiple small pieces of bone-like material IN THE CHICKEN. Again, the hummus was really flavorful and delicious, but among the other issues, the other items were unfortunately bland. Altogether, (still) a disappointing experience.

Was really looking forward to trying this place, but it definitely fell short. Falafel was cold and lacking flavor. Shawarma bowls (chicken) were bland and missing ingredients (eggplant, tzatziki). My husband found multiple pieces of bone in his chicken. The tahini shake wasn’t mixed properly (all the chocolate was at the bottom). Extra hummus (harissa, feta, eggplant) was really tasty, which was good because we needed to add to the bowls for flavor. Overall really disappointing, and definitely not a good value for what...