Pita Jungle has been around for about four years. The restaurant gets a lot of business from students, as it is very close to campus. Pita Jungle is located at 2107 S. University Blvd.
Atmosphere: Walking into Pita Jungle, you feel like you are in the Middle East. There’s a fountain, hookahs, traditional rugs and music.
The walls and ceiling are decorated with plants and fruits, to make diners feel as though they are in a jungle. It is wonderful, and incredibly clean. The whole restaurant is spotless.
Service and Staff: Pita Jungle has helpful and friendly employees. Service can get a little slow though, especially during mealtime rushes. If you are in a hurry, take-out is available
The Food: The food at Pita Jungle is excellent. Nothing is bland here. The dishes are the perfect combination of meat, vegetables and spices.
The menu is huge, with many different items: sandwiches, plates, salads, dips, desserts and traditional drinks. Pita Jungle even offers Middle Eastern style pizzas.
Prices are more than fair. The pita sandwiches are huge, like a Chipotle burrito, and the average price is less than $5.
The most popular items are the falafel, the gyro, the hummus, the shawarma and the shish kabob.
Pita Jungle makes the hummus fresh. It is definitely the best hummus I have ever tasted. The spices are blended perfectly and gives the garbanzo and sesame dip somewhat of a sweet taste.
The most interesting drink is called a jallab, a raisin-based drink that comes topped with pine nuts and is just about the sweetest drink I have ever tasted. It tastes something like a REALLY sweet herbal tea.
What to Order: I enjoyed Pita Jungle’s gyros. The lamb was seasoned to perfection and was served it with the perfect spices and vegetables-all wrapped in a warm, thick pita.
I also loved the garlic dip, probably the garlickiest dip you will ever taste. It had a great fluffy texture and was perfect spread on a pita. I actually enjoyed this more than the hummus. But, don’t eat it before a date!
Finish your meal off with the Turkish coffee and baklava. The Turkish coffee is a blend of herbs and coffee beans and is similar to espresso. It was delicious. It is perfect paired with the baklava, which is crisp and not too sweet, tasting of honey and pistachios.
The food was unique, excellent and a great break from the normal American cuisine. The atmosphere went well with the food, too. The service was a little slow. But definitely try this wonderful restaurant!
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
Pita Jungle’s hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 12 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday.
