Restaurant Review: Pita Oven next to the Jewel Commercial Strip at 94th Ave and 159th Street

Restaurant Review: Pita Oven next to the Jewel Commercial Strip at 94th Ave and 159th Street

9328 W. 159th Street, Orland Park, Illinois
(in the expanded Jewel Commercial Lot)
(708) 349-7482
Reviewed: July 24, 2010

Finally a restaurant that offers fast service, great Middle Eastern food and one of the cleanest shops in a long time. Pita Oven offers a wide menu, for takeout and also eating in their seating area. AND, they make dinner meals like stuffed grape leaves and stuffed zuchinni and lamb for takeout service. They make full meals.

The owner is from the Orland Park area and his family is originally from Ramallah, Palestine. The cook staff is experienced having worked not only at many restaurants but also receiving professional training.

This is a great place to stop for a great lunch -- offering all the popular sanwiches like Gyros (which is called Shawerma in Arabic) in lamb and chicken. They also offer entrees including beef/chicken shawerma, lamb or chicken baob dinners with rice, combination platters that include skewers of lamb, chicken and "kufta" which is spiced diced ground lamb grilled like tasty hamburger.

They offer a variety of salads including tabouleh and Jerusalem (or Tahini) diced salad -- tahini is merely a great tasting sesame seed paste mixed with olive oil that gives the salad an easy to enjoy falvor. Not too spicy at all. They have hummus (garbanzo bean dip) and babaghanouj (eggplant dip).

And, it is very affordable. A typical sandwich will cost between $3.50 for a falafel sandwich to $4.99 for a lamb, beef, chicken, or kufta sandwich. They offer a special gourmet falafel sandwhich for $4.50 which you ust try.

You are going to love this place. If you have never had a Middle Eastern meal before, don't worry. It is not as spicy as the Indian cousines and very healthy and tasty. Just walk in and the staff will be happy to explain any sandwhich. And once you find one you like, you'll be back every day.

If you like making some Middle Eastern foods (go to www.ZiyadRecipes.com to get great easy to make recipes) then you will also find they have a well stocked grocery section for the essentials like making tabouleh with cracked wheat, or coucous (maftoul).

Sahtein! (Arabic for enjoy the meal)

end

Newest episode of Star Chef Chicagoland scheduled for viewing

Newest episode of Star Chef Chicagoland scheduled for viewing

The second episode of the locally produced “Star Chef Chicagoland”reality show is scheduled for broadcast on Fridays on Comcast Cable TV Channel 19 in 145 suburban communities each week. The show features celebrity chefs making their favorite recipes for a panel of celebrity judges and is hosted by Ray Hanania, a columnist with Creators Syndicate and host of a weekday morning radio show on WJJG 1530 AM Radio.

Episode 2 features Second City comedian Aaron Freeman and his wife Sharon Rosenzweig making Challah Shabbat Jewish Bread and garlic pole beans. The celebrity judges include Cook County Commissioner Liz Gorman (R-17th District), former White Sox Pitcher Billy Pierce, Les Aims Escoiffier member Nemer Ziyad and Bryan Sord the owner of 94 West Steak & Seafood Restaurant where the show is taped each month. Ziyad is the vice president of Ziyad Brothers Importing, one of the nation’s largest distributors of Mediterranean Foods and also Wild Garden Hummus Dip.

All episodes are also available for viewing online at www.StarChefChicagoland.com. The show airs in Palos Park, Palos Hills and Orland Park at 8:30 PM. It airs in Palos Heights at 7 PM. More listings are available online.

[Picture attached includes: From left, former White Sox Pitcher Billy and Gloria Pierce, Cook County Commissioner Liz Gorman (R-17th) and 94 West Steak & Seafood Restaurant owner Bryan Sord. Photo courtesy Glenn Kaupert.]