I have worked two blocks from this place for 3 1/2 years and am kicking myself for not trying it sooner. I read the mostly favorable reviews and decided to go. Wow. Every compliment is true- super fresh food including crisp greens and a soft and chewy pita. On a whim I got the soup of the day (a 15 bean soup with bacon and sausage) to go and am so glad I did. Very flavorful. The only disappointment was the cocktail weenie type sausage. Didn't affect the flavor, just weird. This will be a place I return to frequently. Get past the lack of ambiance and try it, it doesn't disappoint!
(5)
Linda O.
I liked the open space for dining and you can see right into the kitchen. I loved the contemporary dinnerware but they could upgrade the paper napkins to a nicer quality to match. The service was quick, friendly, and efficient. They got all 5 orders correct. I got the Sampler Platter appetizer (sans tzatziki sauce to make it vegan) and they immediately offered me more of another side (Wow! No one does that) so I got extra veggies which was awesome because I used the sliced cucumbers instead of the pita bread for my hummus and baba ghanouj. I thought everything was very tasty and the tabouli was packed with fresh chopped herbs and flavor. It is 0.8 miles from Providence hospital and we were in and out in an hour. I recommend!
(5)
Tamara C.
I just had lunch here. My server was terrific - can't say enough nice things about her, and am sorry I didn't get her name. Service was excellent, quick, and attentive. The gyro sandwich was tasty, but the pita was terrible! It was so DOUGH. It reminded me of a hamburger bun. That pita is the only thing that would keep me from returning - or, next time, I'll just order a salad, and skip the pita altogether. Apart from that, the place seems clean and bright.
(3)
Elaine S.
First time trying...drive by it every day on way to work...called today to order take out for lunch...picked up right away, took order-very helpful-order was ready 3 minutes later when I arrived! Food tastes very fresh and super yummy!!!!! I WILL be back!!!
(5)
Chad A.
Murm was exceptional in walking us through the menu. I had the lam schwarma. My wife had the chicken Taziki wrap with babaganush and falafels as sides. The service was uber quick, and the food was REALLY delicious. I will come here every time I am in the area, AND they offer a ACtive Duty military discount!
(5)
Furman L.
When you have a craving for the freshest Mediterranean food in Columbia, Pitas should be the place that pops up in your mind. The Greek Pizza and Gyro are two of my favorite items on the menu. The pita bread is amazing (made in-house). Tzatziki is always a great choice, too. Sweet tea always tastes great. Prices are incredibly on par. A couple can easily eat for $20-25 and walk away full. Parking is easy and free in their private lot, but can get tight during the busy lunch hour. That being said, there are 10+ street meters adjacent to Pitas always available for overflow parking. Location is great, just a few blocks away from Palmetto Health Baptist Hospital. One of the two owners is a cardiologist, so you can feel good knowing that the food served here is (mostly) heart healthy. Have dined here many times, and have also ordered takeout. Both experiences always exceed expectations. Highly recommend Pitas.
(5)
McKenna C.
Overpriced. Not authentic Greek food. Sub-par pita bread. I would go somewhere else. Very much Americanized Greek food. Definitely not my idea of good Greek food.
(2)
R C.
I have went to some great Mediterranean / Greek places and this is not one of them. So I can only guess that I didn't order the best thing in the place since there are others that have reviewed this place and have liked it. I ate there yesterday for lunch and I ordered a chicken gyro and an order of pita/hummus. The Greek sauce is good, the chicken had an odd texture and the pita was totally dried out. I tried to eat the gyro and the pita just fell apart and I had to eat it like a salad - that is fine, but not what I ordered. The other order of hummus/pita was just as disappointing. The hummus was much more watery/runny that it should be and again, this pita that they gave me for it was dried out....at least the hummus helped :-) Note, the hummus had little/no flavor - quite surprising. And for the price? $15.57 - really, for a gyro, a little bit of fries, and some hummus? WOW, I guess if they can get it and stay in business, it must work for them. My guess is that this place stays in business by being "just good enough" for the people close enough at work to grab something to stave off the hunger pains until they can get home to some real food. I would suggest that if you do eat here, don't order what I did. The guy that took my order was nice and the place was clean, but with other places around for lunch, I won't ever be stopping in this place again.
(1)
Frank A.
Great Lebanese food, run by folks who enjoy what they do. Most importantly, THEY MAKE THEIR OWN PITA BREAD. yeah... they don't bring it in - it's done right there. Only place I know in Columbia.... Decor is rather sparse and plain, but it works. I get the gyro or falafal - both are great....
(5)
Mike O.
Other than the weird stiff upper lip when I asked if there was any coffee during the lunch hour (there was) the food here was great. The hummus was a little tahini heavy, but that's okay, just watch out. I got the veggie gyro and it was delicious. I wish I had ordered the falafel gyro because I tasted it and it was very, very, very, very awesome. I would come here all the time if I lived in Col'a.
(4)
L M.
Sorry, but it was awful! Maybe I ordered the wrong thing because the place was crowded. Worst pita bread ever, so tough and chewy. I ordered the chicken pita and the chicken had so much gristle, I had to take it out of the sandwich and trim it, and WAY too salty. Had rice as a side dish and the rice tasted like chicken?! Must have cooked it in chicken broth and added MSG. An hour later I was SO thirsty! Ick.. won't be back...
(1)
Rachel O.
Boyfriend and I both thought the food was very fresh and tasty. The tzatziki burger was excellent and Boyfriend loved his gyro. The pita bread is the best I've ever had. The hummus is tasty but I think I prefer the hummus at Devine Foods. The prices are reasonable and they do have some traditional Greek food items for sale including freshly made pita bread! :-)
(4)
Julie R.
This is quickly becoming one of our favorite go to places for Greek food. Everything we have ever eaten from here has been spot on! Our favorite dishes include the kafta dinner, the gyro ( of course) and their pizzas! They make their pizzas on their awesome homemade pita bread so they are kind of more like an appetizer but totally delicious. Also their hummus and dolmas are great as well. We have always gotten takeout here so I can't speak for the service but the people who run the place are alwà ys nice. I even got a free piece of backlava after ordering a big takeout order. Good portion sizes as well. This place is definitely worth a try!
(5)
Crystal C.
Pretty good, good price, quick service and nice people. Though I only got takeout, the food was decent. It wouldn't be on the top of my Greek list but I would go again.
(3)
Korey W.
I was really happy I went here for lunch. very good food and reasonable prices for lunch. the only things were parking was kinda tricky at lunch time and the dinning room has a school lunchroom feel to it.
(4)
Jodi B.
Nice lunch place. I had the Mediterranean pizza with hummus and baba ghanoush for appetizers. It comes with a home made hot sauce, shatta, that made everything delicious.
(4)
Cole M.
Great authentic Lebanese food. Not the best ambiance but really good eating. Try it.... You won't regret it.
(5)
Johnny G.
One of my "fabfav" restaurants in Columbia! Mark, the owner, whips up fresh Tzatziki sauce, hummus, & homemade pita bread that keep you coming back. Really good food!
(5)
Kel B.
Pita's is delicious, authentic Lebanese and Mediterranean food! The staff is extremely friendly too. I have only tried a few things here, but everything I have had was great and reasonably priced. The previous review about the restaurant feeling like a school lunchroom is true though, but the food is too good to care. Try it! The chicken dishes are especially good. Not sure what they put on their chicken, but it is awesome!
(5)
William F.
I am a local chef and don't normally do things like this. Here goes... My partner and I had one of the worst lunches ever. We were slowly greeted and told to sit where we liked. There were napkins under the tables and the window casings were dirty. We chose food from our waiter's recommendations. The food was a long time coming. It probably took awhile to prepare such dry chicken. My tzatziki chicken wrap was a nightmare of flavorless sauce and large chunks of dry chicken..the unseasoned frozen fries made me sad. My partner's kofta platter was not much better. Barely warm and served with unweildy soggy salad. How can you mess up a greek salad? Even the olives were soggy. The service was lackluster. we got the untotalled check...I guess we were supposed to add it and figure out the taxes...well you get the idea.I would NEVER recommend this place.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Greek food is a fine melody of the finest pressed olive oil, fresh fermented bread, colorful vegetables, juicy meat, sea food all cooked in spices and fresh rosemary. The people from Greek were great scholars who aimed to excel in everything they do. The results are quite visible in their food as they are the inventors of olive oil which is beneficial to health. Greeks also made different type of wines from the best quality of grapes fermented in controlled environment.
Today, you can find hundreds of restaurants offering authentic Greek food or popularly termed as Mediterranean cuisine in New York city alone. People wait in line to taste the exotic Greek dishes like saganaki, taramasalata, souvlaki, loukoumades, spanakopita, moussaka, and many more. One thing which most people like about these authentic Greek dishes is abundant use of lemon juice, olive oil, fresh rosemary and sea salt. A smart mix of few ingredients can virtually take you on the pebble streets of beautiful city of Greece.
For those who don't have time to enjoy fine dining should try tasting the famous souvlaki with pita which is type of meat dish, also a trademark Greek fast food. For those who are vegetarian, or vegan can try different versions of Greek Salad. So, if you wish to enjoy a hearty yet healthy meal that tastes divine then try dining at the best Greek restaurant in your city. Greek cuisine not only tastes good but also help maintain your body in a natural way through healthy diet.
Jennifer W.
I have worked two blocks from this place for 3 1/2 years and am kicking myself for not trying it sooner. I read the mostly favorable reviews and decided to go. Wow. Every compliment is true- super fresh food including crisp greens and a soft and chewy pita. On a whim I got the soup of the day (a 15 bean soup with bacon and sausage) to go and am so glad I did. Very flavorful. The only disappointment was the cocktail weenie type sausage. Didn't affect the flavor, just weird. This will be a place I return to frequently. Get past the lack of ambiance and try it, it doesn't disappoint!
(5)Linda O.
I liked the open space for dining and you can see right into the kitchen. I loved the contemporary dinnerware but they could upgrade the paper napkins to a nicer quality to match. The service was quick, friendly, and efficient. They got all 5 orders correct. I got the Sampler Platter appetizer (sans tzatziki sauce to make it vegan) and they immediately offered me more of another side (Wow! No one does that) so I got extra veggies which was awesome because I used the sliced cucumbers instead of the pita bread for my hummus and baba ghanouj. I thought everything was very tasty and the tabouli was packed with fresh chopped herbs and flavor. It is 0.8 miles from Providence hospital and we were in and out in an hour. I recommend!
(5)Tamara C.
I just had lunch here. My server was terrific - can't say enough nice things about her, and am sorry I didn't get her name. Service was excellent, quick, and attentive. The gyro sandwich was tasty, but the pita was terrible! It was so DOUGH. It reminded me of a hamburger bun. That pita is the only thing that would keep me from returning - or, next time, I'll just order a salad, and skip the pita altogether. Apart from that, the place seems clean and bright.
(3)Elaine S.
First time trying...drive by it every day on way to work...called today to order take out for lunch...picked up right away, took order-very helpful-order was ready 3 minutes later when I arrived! Food tastes very fresh and super yummy!!!!! I WILL be back!!!
(5)Chad A.
Murm was exceptional in walking us through the menu. I had the lam schwarma. My wife had the chicken Taziki wrap with babaganush and falafels as sides. The service was uber quick, and the food was REALLY delicious. I will come here every time I am in the area, AND they offer a ACtive Duty military discount!
(5)Furman L.
When you have a craving for the freshest Mediterranean food in Columbia, Pitas should be the place that pops up in your mind. The Greek Pizza and Gyro are two of my favorite items on the menu. The pita bread is amazing (made in-house). Tzatziki is always a great choice, too. Sweet tea always tastes great. Prices are incredibly on par. A couple can easily eat for $20-25 and walk away full. Parking is easy and free in their private lot, but can get tight during the busy lunch hour. That being said, there are 10+ street meters adjacent to Pitas always available for overflow parking. Location is great, just a few blocks away from Palmetto Health Baptist Hospital. One of the two owners is a cardiologist, so you can feel good knowing that the food served here is (mostly) heart healthy. Have dined here many times, and have also ordered takeout. Both experiences always exceed expectations. Highly recommend Pitas.
(5)McKenna C.
Overpriced. Not authentic Greek food. Sub-par pita bread. I would go somewhere else. Very much Americanized Greek food. Definitely not my idea of good Greek food.
(2)R C.
I have went to some great Mediterranean / Greek places and this is not one of them. So I can only guess that I didn't order the best thing in the place since there are others that have reviewed this place and have liked it. I ate there yesterday for lunch and I ordered a chicken gyro and an order of pita/hummus. The Greek sauce is good, the chicken had an odd texture and the pita was totally dried out. I tried to eat the gyro and the pita just fell apart and I had to eat it like a salad - that is fine, but not what I ordered. The other order of hummus/pita was just as disappointing. The hummus was much more watery/runny that it should be and again, this pita that they gave me for it was dried out....at least the hummus helped :-) Note, the hummus had little/no flavor - quite surprising. And for the price? $15.57 - really, for a gyro, a little bit of fries, and some hummus? WOW, I guess if they can get it and stay in business, it must work for them. My guess is that this place stays in business by being "just good enough" for the people close enough at work to grab something to stave off the hunger pains until they can get home to some real food. I would suggest that if you do eat here, don't order what I did. The guy that took my order was nice and the place was clean, but with other places around for lunch, I won't ever be stopping in this place again.
(1)Frank A.
Great Lebanese food, run by folks who enjoy what they do. Most importantly, THEY MAKE THEIR OWN PITA BREAD. yeah... they don't bring it in - it's done right there. Only place I know in Columbia.... Decor is rather sparse and plain, but it works. I get the gyro or falafal - both are great....
(5)Mike O.
Other than the weird stiff upper lip when I asked if there was any coffee during the lunch hour (there was) the food here was great. The hummus was a little tahini heavy, but that's okay, just watch out. I got the veggie gyro and it was delicious. I wish I had ordered the falafel gyro because I tasted it and it was very, very, very, very awesome. I would come here all the time if I lived in Col'a.
(4)L M.
Sorry, but it was awful! Maybe I ordered the wrong thing because the place was crowded. Worst pita bread ever, so tough and chewy. I ordered the chicken pita and the chicken had so much gristle, I had to take it out of the sandwich and trim it, and WAY too salty. Had rice as a side dish and the rice tasted like chicken?! Must have cooked it in chicken broth and added MSG. An hour later I was SO thirsty! Ick.. won't be back...
(1)Rachel O.
Boyfriend and I both thought the food was very fresh and tasty. The tzatziki burger was excellent and Boyfriend loved his gyro. The pita bread is the best I've ever had. The hummus is tasty but I think I prefer the hummus at Devine Foods. The prices are reasonable and they do have some traditional Greek food items for sale including freshly made pita bread! :-)
(4)Julie R.
This is quickly becoming one of our favorite go to places for Greek food. Everything we have ever eaten from here has been spot on! Our favorite dishes include the kafta dinner, the gyro ( of course) and their pizzas! They make their pizzas on their awesome homemade pita bread so they are kind of more like an appetizer but totally delicious. Also their hummus and dolmas are great as well. We have always gotten takeout here so I can't speak for the service but the people who run the place are alwà ys nice. I even got a free piece of backlava after ordering a big takeout order. Good portion sizes as well. This place is definitely worth a try!
(5)Crystal C.
Pretty good, good price, quick service and nice people. Though I only got takeout, the food was decent. It wouldn't be on the top of my Greek list but I would go again.
(3)Korey W.
I was really happy I went here for lunch. very good food and reasonable prices for lunch. the only things were parking was kinda tricky at lunch time and the dinning room has a school lunchroom feel to it.
(4)Jodi B.
Nice lunch place. I had the Mediterranean pizza with hummus and baba ghanoush for appetizers. It comes with a home made hot sauce, shatta, that made everything delicious.
(4)Cole M.
Great authentic Lebanese food. Not the best ambiance but really good eating. Try it.... You won't regret it.
(5)Johnny G.
One of my "fabfav" restaurants in Columbia! Mark, the owner, whips up fresh Tzatziki sauce, hummus, & homemade pita bread that keep you coming back. Really good food!
(5)Kel B.
Pita's is delicious, authentic Lebanese and Mediterranean food! The staff is extremely friendly too. I have only tried a few things here, but everything I have had was great and reasonably priced. The previous review about the restaurant feeling like a school lunchroom is true though, but the food is too good to care. Try it! The chicken dishes are especially good. Not sure what they put on their chicken, but it is awesome!
(5)William F.
I am a local chef and don't normally do things like this. Here goes... My partner and I had one of the worst lunches ever. We were slowly greeted and told to sit where we liked. There were napkins under the tables and the window casings were dirty. We chose food from our waiter's recommendations. The food was a long time coming. It probably took awhile to prepare such dry chicken. My tzatziki chicken wrap was a nightmare of flavorless sauce and large chunks of dry chicken..the unseasoned frozen fries made me sad. My partner's kofta platter was not much better. Barely warm and served with unweildy soggy salad. How can you mess up a greek salad? Even the olives were soggy. The service was lackluster. we got the untotalled check...I guess we were supposed to add it and figure out the taxes...well you get the idea.I would NEVER recommend this place.
(1)