Restaurants like [insert any of the following: TGIFridays, Chilis, Applebees, etc.] on the surface are very well-intended - casual family-friendly restaurants that don't kill your wallet - but at the cost of waist-expanding/insulin-raising, artery-clogging, mass-produced food, it's hard to really applaud this restaurant model, or at least it's execution. Most if not all of them have started offering calorie-conscious menu options in the last couple of years, but I've never been impressed with the vegetables I've had at these places and generally don't expect to be served a particularly nutritious or wholesome meal there. And it's really a shame, because if only the offerings at such restaurants were healthier and cleaner all around, it would be a tough deal to beat.
Enter Pita Jungle, which appears to be a restaurant model that others should take a few cues from. We went to the newest Phoenix location at Norterra, and I was pretty impressed. It's a casual, family-friendly eatery with a modern and minimalistic decor/layout. It also includes a full bar with a decent beer selection. The menu offers a wide variety of fantastic choices - pretty much all of which are healthy, so you can feel pretty good about whatever you order - and based on what we ate (and glances at neighboring tables), everything looks and tastes as good as it sounds. Also impressive are the prices!We ordered dinner just before the cut-off for the restaurant's happy hour tapas special, so we were able to take advantage and opted for mixed marinated olives, vegetarian dolmades (particularly delicious), and tzatziki (which I could tell was made with low- or non-fat yogurt) for $2 each:
The veggie wrap was full of greatness: mixed whole beans, brown rice, broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, eggplant, tomatoes, and carrots, and seasoned with ginger, basil and garlic. It was served hot and was extremely flavorful - a testament to the freshness of the vegetables. It was a huge portion and cost $7.99. I'd be tempted to get this for dinner on the go on a regular basis if it was closer by!
The falafel platter was part of the starter menu, and was also a huge portion - more than enough to be a main dish. The falafel texture was right on - just crispy enough on the outside, light and moist inside - and 5 were served over a salad of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and pickles with a drizzle of tahini. For $7.59, this was yet another great value.
It wasn't all perfect, but my criticisms are pretty inconsequential. The tinfoil on my veggie wrap was folded too thoroughly and tightly around the actual food, so to prevent myself from eating the foil I had to open the wrap up, remove the foil and eat everything with a fork and knife (like I said, not that big of a deal at all - but easily preventable, as I don't think they intended that to happen). I also think there should be a choice of whole grain pita bread and wraps (or just have that be the standard, vs the white they serve).For a quick, inexpensive, healthy and tasty meal at a sit-down restaurant, Pita Jungle is a really fantastic option to have available. As far as chains go, this is one that should go national if they can do so without compromising their impressive qualities!
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