Lafayette Restaurant Project: December 2024

For a new restaurant project installment, it’s so easy to eat the food but so hard to write the report!😆 Pita Grill opened last summer at 802 S Public Road, where Deli-cious Z’s used to be. I first visited it in late October, and I loved the food so much that I’ve made two additional visits since then. I am not a hummus devotee—I like it fine, but it is something I can usually take or leave—but the hummus at Pita Grill has made me a convert. Not to mention the lovely soft, fresh pita bread to dunk in it.

On my first visit with friends, we tried quite a few different things. K had the king combo (house salad, baba ghanouj, hummus, tabuli, grape leaves, falafel, 1 beef kafta, 1 chicken kabob), and my one regret is that I didn’t get a photo of this combo because it was gorgeous, not to mention delicious. C had the falafel entrée, which came on a bed of rice with a large side of hummus. M had the falafel sandwich (on pita with tahini, hot sauce, tomato, pickle, and lettuce). I had the Syrian meat combo for two (2 beef kafta, 2 lamb kabobs, 2 chicken kabobs, rice, hummus, and salad) because I knew G would like it, and I planned to bring dinner home for him. This combo also came on an enormous bed of rice, and all of the entrées came with pita.

It was all so good! I’m not sure my plate exactly matched the menu description that I copied above; all four kabobs appeared to be chicken, and there were four kaftas, so maybe two of those were lamb? Because of the similar seasonings, I couldn’t really tell, but I thought all of the meat was excellent. The combo for two came with two dinner salads and a large container of hummus, so I had a huge amount of food to bring home. There was enough not only for G to eat dinner that night but for both of us to have at least one more substantial dinner.

A few days later, I went back just for an order of hummus. This time I introduced myself to Aziza, the owner (who is also the head chef and the main server and no doubt wears a number of additional hats), who is from Syria. I asked her if she would characterize the food as Mediterranean or Middle Eastern, and she said both.

G and I ate some of the hummus that day and the rest the next day with our friend A, who has lived in the Mediterranean and spent time in Syria, and A agreed that the hummus was outstanding and said it tasted very authentic. Because the pita was a day old at that point, I cut it into triangles and toasted it in the toaster oven, and it still tasted wonderful.

A week or so later, we went back for takeout: king combo for me, chicken kabob dinner for G (because the kabobs were his favorite thing from the meat combo), and the veggie combo (house salad, baba ghanouj, hummus, tabuli, grape leaves, falafel, rice, and pita) for A. Once again, everything was delicious. In addition to my previous favorites, I especially liked the large, crisp falafels.

Pita Grill is open every day from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. I don’t think they had an online ordering system at the time I first visited, but they do now (www.pitagrillco.com), or you can call (720) 998-0990 to place an order. Note that they do not serve alcohol.

* LRP Redux: visiting all the new places that have opened since the end of the previous round of the LRP. www.lafayetterestaurantproject.com