Eat A Pita

Look out, South 1st shawarma scene -- Eat a Pita, the latest comer to the '04s halal brawl, has a new head of operations, and he's mean and lean. Having just replaced the quote unquote old man previously at the helm this past Tuesday, Nick's in it to win it. Judging by the chicken shawarma he's serving up, the man clearly means business, and he's certainly earned mine. A few nights ago, I called in to take out; my wife was hungry, my cooking obligations long overdue, and chicken shawarma was the order of the day. Specifically, a plate of chicken shawarma over rice, con todo, *extra* onion. Finally feeling free to quit fuddling with the food processor and have the chance to spend adequate time tending to my Firemans, my night held bright portents. My thirst satiated, and good vittels inevitable, things seemed more or less in the bag. But wait! A hitch in the plan!? Upon my call-in order, I was informed that onions had been 86'd for the night. Our emaciated pantry, having withered while weathering our 2-week 2-year-anniversary-vaca-absence, had no alliums on offer. And our local HEB wasn't just due to close up shop for the night; slated to shutter permanently in a scant few weeks, the threadbare shelves I'd witnessed the night prior granted no assurances worthy of justifying the extra ~60 second drive. In a few words, onions were out. And you know what? We were honestly fine. My wife and I are both adults, and able to handle small disappointments. But upon my arrival to the cart, the gravity of Nick's effusive apologies would have suggested I held a far more grotesque grievance; like he'd inadvertently dropped my baby, not just made an innocent inventory error. Utterly repentant over the mildly surprising absence of the staple veg, Nick promised he'd make it right. Or something along those lines. I don't really remember, because it wasn't a big deal, and I made as much clear. But his express contrition stood in stark contrast with the comportment of other Austin area service industry professionals. Indeed, while it's probably true that your quintessential waiter in this town isn't significantly more likely than Nick to commit infanticide, they have a tendency, over the course of attending to you, to at least make you *feel* like they want to murder your firstborn. The fact that my experience seemed to matter to him was refreshing, to say the least. After the air'd been cleared, we got to talking, and Nick let me know he'd be running the show from here on out. And as his previously expressed investment in my customer experience would suggest, Nick impressed upon me that the quality of his product was of similar import to him. As such, he invited my opinion, in the form of an online review (and actually said he'd prefer Google, but I'm a Yelp kinda guy). Nick wanted me to be frank; he didn't want me to pull any punches. But I let him know that even if it was the worst food I'd ever eaten, that he'd receive an honest & objective review, and walk away with no less than four stars. And that's because not only am I tactful enough not to nickel and dime a proprietor's stars away on account of my perhaps divergent take-out related neuroses, I'm also gracious and merciful enough not to take out whatever myriad stress is affecting me today out on a recently established business. Maybe I am making a big deal over nothing after all. But I know Yelp users: I know how they can get testy over minutiae, and be stingy with the stars as a result. All I'm saying is, maybe don't tickle the tiger. I just fear some may construe such an inquest as to their candor as a challenge. In any event, you're probably noticing the review is for 5 stars. Nick's got chops; onions or not, the plate was scrumptious. I'd more or less written this truck off after my initial try or two, but on Nick's account, Eat a Pita will likely find itself a fixture in our shawarma rotation. Finally, I must mention the icing on the cake; Nick's complimentary gulab jamun (the national dessert of Pakistan). It was lovely, aromatic, and sweet, truly capping our meal off on a triumphant note. And while I can't guarantee yours will be on the house, onions or not, you might want to give it a try. I recommend it!

Bad food. Bad service. Dirty kitchen/truck. This place sucks. I'm amazed that people have given it positive reviews.

Is it fair to write a review based on literally one item? I am vegetarian and gluten-free so the only option was the falafels. They were good -- crispy on the outside and fresh on the inside -- and the sauces accompanying it were very well flavored.I'd say a good neighborhood option, but not something I'd drive across town for.

When it comes to Mediterranean food, do you prefer getting a plate or wrap?Me? I prefer plates primarily since they're easier and cleaner to eat as well as tend to be a bit more filling - plus you can usually ask for a side of pita anyway.Recently I came to Eat a Pita and got:- Gyro Plate: a ground beef & lamb combination served with garlic sauce, hot sauce, rice, and veggies- Chef Special Wrap: a chicken & falafel combination served with garlic sauce and veggiesAs you'd expect, they were great. The food came out fast and I left satisfied. You can't go wrong with either dish! Prices are fair too. With that said, I give them an 4/5!

Solid place. Ordered the beef Kabob combo. I did have to wait like 10 minutes and nobody was in line in front of me. Did not mind at least i knew they cooked to order and the meat was not just under a warmer. Pita bread, and salad was solid. Only negative was the yellow rice. Flavor was lacking but can still pass for average. There sauces were OK. I prefer the sauces from The Kabob shop. Just lacked a bit of flavor but still ok. Combo plate with a can of soda came out to $15. A little higher than i would of liked for two kabobs. But for being in the hipster area i can't complain.

I've been on a hunt for the best wrap in Austin and I think I just found it. Close race with the ones I had while in Greece. And the fries....oh the fries! Trust me!

I left a mediocre review for this place before but decided to try again. I made an order and showed up and they were closed. Neither this business or the intermediary service (doordash) has refunded my money, despite my never receiving the food.

This place legit has the best gyros. Falafel is amazing too. The owner Nick is so nice and whips up everything himself, including the awesome hummus. Try adding fries to your wrap, you will not regret it. I will absolutely be coming back here.

This is the best halal platter spot in all of Austin. I've tried them all. Maybe I'm picky because I'm looking for a place to recreate that feeling, taste, and warmth of the chicken, sauce and rice beautifully married in a tin container lolThis is the spot! The chicken was seasoned perfectly with those beautiful warm shawarma spices. The rice is cooked well and the white sauce is literally crack. Every bit as good as the white sauce we Drench back home in NYC chicken and rice halal carts or in Dearborn whenever I had the pleasure of visiting. This is literally heavenly and only minutes from home. So thrilled that eat a pita exists because it is literally the best street halal food I have had outside of Michigan and nyc. Drench whatever you get in white sauce. Seriously just drench it. Drench your utensils and them too. Hell drench a tire in that white sauce and you'll be a tire connoisseur in no time. Other things this heavenly white sauce can be drenched in that will make things taste better :Shoes TV remotesUsed cigarette buttsCarrots Diapers Used diapers And cell phones even

Owner/operator Nick was fantastic!Falafel was delicious, not the fluffy ball-style I was used to, more disc-shaped and dense, but super crispy on the outside.Ask for the pita wraps with french fries on the inside, you will not regret it.This will definitely be my go-to stop for halal food in Austin.