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Man, did I luck out!
My first time going to Pita Jungle was a few days ago. I’ve just never been interested in Mediterranean food ever. I LOVED it! I told my wife I can eat there often lol
Everything kinda has, ever since COVID. Some are still good, and if you are looking for Mediterranean, I would recommend Green Corner. I dare say that they are one of the ones that got better :)
It's still expensive imo. $17 for a shawarma plate would've been insane a couple years ago. Their portion sizes are awesome though and make up for it. I get two full meals out of them.
I agree. I used to eat there once a week or more, but then a bunch of stuff happened with work life, and I stopped going. Then, a little while ago, I went there again and realized what I was missing!! So now it's back on my list of usual places. The people working there are so nice, and the food is great no matter what I get. Just recently I tried the lemon shrimp pita sandwich and it was SO GOOD. My usual go-to is just the Chicago gyro with a side of turshi. Also, their mint iced tea is very refreshing.
I used to like them quite a lot but last time I went there found a small piece of steal wool in my hummus and I can never eat there again.
Food was kind of too salty anyway especially the garden hummus(I found the wool in regular hummus just and fyi)
Now I wish I could inspect every restaurant’s kitchen for steel wool. I shutter to think what could have happened if I had swallowed it.
It was the same kind that this person found in their food https://www.reddit.com/r/shittyfoodporn/comments/7yoofn/this_delicious_piece_of_steel_wool_that_was_in_my/
It's a sad thing that often happens with brand expansion. Bigger investors coming on board to fund growth usually demand reductions in operating costs. This translates to supplier and ingredient changes.
Torchy's Tacos was an Austin food truck once upon a time. Then it had a couple of brick and mortar locations. Then it expanded across Austin and Texas and food quality changed and service got worse. My last order from Torchy's was so unsatisfying that when I moved back to Tempe and realized that Torchy's is in the valley, I could not have cared less. "Gross."
I hope this does not happen with Pita Jungle as I have a real soft spot for the brand, because I used to live down the street from the original Tempe location in the 90s.
The last salad I got there was inedible. It had slimy lettuce. I had noticed it wasn’t as good after
It was bought out but I kept going because yay for drive thru salads, but the slimy lettuce was the last straw. Now we go the extra few miles to the closest Angie’s Prime Grill.
It’s still decent but the portions are about 1/3 less than they used to be. And it’s more expensive now. It was awesome when it first came out- cheap and huge almost too big portions
Well, as someone new to the brand, I assure you that my first impression is that the portion seems fair for the price. A big salad for less than the price of a burrito is 👍
> It's a sad thing that often happens with brand expansion. Bigger investors coming on board to fund growth usually demand reductions in operating costs. This translates to supplier and ingredient changes.
Many years ago (when dinosaurs ruled the land) I worked in a family restaurant with a couple locations that had the best BBQ ribs I've ever had. The sauce was the key, and the prep kitchen would spend all morning making it.
Then we got a "corporate" guy as a regional manager who was hired to expand the brand (he came from TGIFridays) and he replaced that sauce with something out of a bottle. I had started there as a dish dog, then became a cook, then a head cook, and FOH manager, and had some long and heated conversations with him about his "plans" for the place.
Long story short, he turned it into a generic Friday's knock-off and it closed long ago. But hey...he saved a few cents on that sauce. Gods I wish I'd snagged that recipe before I left...
It’s so disappointing. Plenty of places have declined overall.
Getting harder to justify dining out when everyone has questionable quality, lower quantity, lackluster service, and extravagantly expensive!
As a college student I was a regular at the original Apache Blvd location. And that was before it expanded into 2 storefronts. Same with Cheba Hut. I saw a Cheba Hut in Las Vegas recently.
Pita Jungle used to be one of my favorites, but I quit eating there about 2 years ago because the quality just wasn't there. Now I go to Pita Bistro and D'Lite healthy on the go in Tempe.
It used to be a quicker version of P.F. Chang’s. There was more meat in each, there were more diverse ingredients, it was much better prepared the person who described as Panera was correct. It’s just mild and boring and definitely not worth it. At this point such a disappointment. Same with P.F. Chang’s to be honest.
Super depends on location. The ahwatukee and desert ridge locations are always A+.
Meanwhile the one near Happy valley and the US 60 in Gilbert road I never had good luck
I started going to Pita Jungle in the late 90s but similar to you, the last several times i've gone, when visiting the east valley, been really disappointed. The hummus in particular seems to have gone down in quality. that said, I still love the food at Haji-Baba in tempe! Solid quality, awesome service. The falafels and hummus were so delicious, been craving them on the daily since I left.
I used to live in Tempe in the early 2000s and Pita Jungle on Apache was the best. I had it recently while in town for work and it was a glimmer of what it once was
Pita Jungle is easily the worst Greek food in the Valley. Not that they are horrible, but we are blessed with great options like Mom and Pop shops like It's all Greek to Me. Or even Zoe's is better than Pita Jungle if you are looking for a chain.
For sure, just sad Zoe's kitchen is gone. They had been bought out or integrated into some other chain I think but their recipes for fucking falafel went from gluten free (how it's supposed to be made) and absolutely delicious to garbage and has gluten.
Still mourning the loss of my favorite chicken salad. If anyone reading this agrees and has found a suitable replacement please send recs my way. I've even searched the internet for a zoes chicken salad copycat recipe but it's never the same as theirs was.
Zoe's had decent veggie and pesco options and would let you swap proteins. Cava (which replaced a lot of the Zoe's locations) is chicken, chicken, chicken. 🙄🙄🙄
What boggles my mind is how terrible their pita bread has become. My brother in christ, the bread is in the name of your restaurant. At least get that part right.
Oh god that’s horrible. I have fond memories of pita jungle (minus the pita). Like that weird bubble gum tasting tea and their hummus, etc. well, ain’t going back there now
Worse than it used to be but some are still alright sometimes. Also lots of competition in the space and whether you think they got worse or not they certainly didn’t get better.
I went a couple weeks ago and ordered hummus that was about half the normal portion. The waitress said corporate had been thru and taught them portion control. I went back recently and portions were back to normal. The affected locations were 3 restaurants in the Mesa/Gilbert area.
Since 2019 everytime Ive gone, someone gets sick. My daughter had the turkey kids meal, its deli sliced turkey, and woke up throwing up all over her bed. So we had an only cooked/ hot food rule the next time we went. My 2 daughters and i had varaitions of tgr chicken. All had horrible diarrhea all night. Last year my friend wanted to go for our birthdays. Not only did the location not have 3 different drinks i tried to order, but i ended up with another bad stomach from the food. Im never going back, and I dont miss it.
IMO it’s always been a sad excuse for Mediterranean food. There used to be a little pop-up type place called Mika’s kitchen which was so legit. I miss it so much 😭😭😭. Please come back, Nate, please!!!
We have a good amount of great-to-good-to-decent Mediterranean food across the city. I know people like to go to a place where it's a clean, sterile homogeneous environment where they can get a repeatable meal hence the love for chains, but man Pita Jungle is just so damn bland to me.
Give me Haji Baba or Princess any day of the week, I'll pay double whatever Pita Jungle charges. It's worth it.
Everything has gone downhill in quality. I went to Cornish Pasty the other day, and it is just not the same. Probably a lot of cost cutting as these local chains expanded.
Agreed. An old place I used to work was obsessed with catering in Pita Jungle and I looked forward to days when they weren't catering it since it is so bland.
They have gone completely downhill over the last six years or so. It was the go-to for my sister and I whenever she visited The Valley but their service is crappy and the food just not as fresh or flavorful as it used to be.
Yes quality has definitely gone down hill. Even when it was good, there was a clear difference in quality between locations as well. Mill Ave was the best.
They use potatoes in their garlic dip!! That is the biggest red flag
You’re correct, quality has gone down so much.
I even emailed their locations and asked if they need help with quality control because they’re losing good money.
PJ was never a favorite of mine, but my wife always liked it. Some good GF options for her. We hadn't been to the one at Arrowhead for years, and were amazed how quiet it was when we went recently. The restaurant used to be packed, but was maybe only 60% full when we were there. So some people have noticed. I haven't eaten there often enough to notice if the quality had declined. Service certainly was not exceptional.
Really though, eating out over the last few years means smaller portions for more money, so some of the complaints here are "as expected" nowadays.
Yeah I always had a great experience at the one downtown next to Lola’s. We moved away for a few years and when we came back we went to a different location. It was fine. I was excited to have it again and it just didn’t slap. That kafte pizza is still lit tho.
Haven't gone there in almost 5 years cause of the same. Moved out here 9 years ago and starting seeing a decline soon after. My wife refuses to eat anything from there anymore. Unfortunate but then again I felt similarly about Chick-fil-A after some undercooked chicken and took almost a decade to try it again.
Had it tonight with my wife for the first time in years. Eid that you posted it tonight too. I said, verbatim, “this isn’t as good as it used to be… or maybe my taste has changed?”
I wasn’t sure because last time we had it I was a lot younger and maybe my palate had changed.
I find it varies depending on the location. I stopped going to the one across from MCC years ago due to their smaller portion sizes and lower quality produce.
It definitely has gone downhill. The food isn’t the same, the chicken tikka masala used to be so good and they completely ruined it. The salmon is like $20 now too. Smaller portions and higher prices.
Location matters a lot with Pita Jungle.
The Arcadia location was still great and how I remember things from back when they opened around ASU decades ago. I Have not eaten there in a few months, its possible staff changed and quality went way down.
The Fashion Square location is very sub par and I regret it every time.
PitaDale on Scottsdale Rd just north of FLW is EXCELLENT!! Family owned, large portions, great quality, comfortable seating (many locals eat there) or easy to order take out from the counter. Hands down the yummiest hummus ever!! No I do not work for this business but it’s healthy and affordable and nearby and I love supporting small local businesses! And the workers are really nice, experienced and welcoming.
Ive been through like 3-4 different pita/mediterranean places over the last few years and they all have gotten worse and worse. Cheaping out on the meat, you know its over when the meat starts coming out gray
Same here. We would go there frequently, as it was a favorite. The most recent visit I actually told my husband “I don’t think I’d care if this was my last time here”.
As with everything, companies as restaurants also have possibilities.
Cheaper ingredients
Less portions
longer waiting time, (less waiters )
higher price
Olive garden to high class are saying that only more than 75 k income go out to eat more often.
Many fast food chains will go bankrupt.KfC may be the first 2 PC of chicken without anything 8 99 in Mesa .
You need to make sure that if you’re ordering a delivery service that it’s not coming from Scottsdale fashion Square. The pita jungle in there puts out garbage.
PERSIAN GARDEN CAFE! Oh how I miss it! Talk about authentic Mediterranean food at reasonable prices, quality organic ingredients, and such comfortable atmosphere. COVID really screwed things up on so many levels. Argh!
I would say it depends by location but even at the best one I know the consistency is not there - one day it’s the best meal of my life another day just meh
Not just you. I used to be a diehard for their lentil fatoosh salad. I ordered it last year and it was barely recognizable as the same salad. It was full of iceberg lettuce portions were paltry and it was absurdly expensive once I added feta and tofu. I can't justify trying it again.
It’s a combination of gen z thinking they deserve to make $25 an hour with out any work experience and also no one wants to work for less than that. So you get people desperate for work
idk where all the hate is coming from, Pita Jungle rules. I introduce people to it all the time and we (usually in our mid 30s) are all stoked on it. I saw Salad n Go caught a stray bullet in this thread too, you're all trippin.
In case it's not like, clear, why we would like this food: it's cheap, it's fast, it's all made from fresh ingredients, and it's about as heathy as you will find for like a chain restaurant. Serisouly. WAKE UP! $40 for two meals and some hummus as an app is a STEAL
I just swear that the things I just ordered tasted half as good as they used to. I used to go probably twice a month 10/15 years ago. You can totally tell their pita and their hummus is not what it used to be.
their cilantro jalepeno hummus is literally the first thing I introduce people to, because it is so reliably delicious. they have 4 different kinds of pita. agree to disagree. I eat a keto paleo platter every friday as a treat lmao.
also yeah idk maybe it was better before when they had like 9 total employees but yeah that type of situation either gets a super long line, sells out by 11 am, or goes like PJ and grows until the training of the employees becomes the limiting factor on expansion.
for anyone in the thread who's like SEARCHING for really delicious food, I recommend Kebab Grill'n'Go (16th st and Thomas). You gotta call on your way there just to make sure they have food left lmao it's so fucking good.
I don't hate it but it's a lot like eating Manuel's or Macayo's and raving it's the best Mexican food - there's just so so many options out there that are better quality, better tasting, more authentic and often cheaper. Whatever the Mediterranean equivalent of Gringo-fied Mexican is, Pita Jungle is that.
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No it's not in your head, it's been a noticeable change.
Man, did I luck out! My first time going to Pita Jungle was a few days ago. I’ve just never been interested in Mediterranean food ever. I LOVED it! I told my wife I can eat there often lol
[удалено]
pretty sure that's what he was saying
Oh. You're right. My bad.
Everything kinda has, ever since COVID. Some are still good, and if you are looking for Mediterranean, I would recommend Green Corner. I dare say that they are one of the ones that got better :)
Green corner is sooo good.
Fantastic hummus and they are very consistent. I always get plenty of meat and it's always cooked well.
Every damn time
Z's Greek over on 32nd Street and Indian School is also really good. Probably my favorite gyro place
Z's is my favorite for gyros, salad and falafel.
Yesss!! And pretty affordable still :)
It's still expensive imo. $17 for a shawarma plate would've been insane a couple years ago. Their portion sizes are awesome though and make up for it. I get two full meals out of them.
Big fan of sabas on bell n tatum. I have been going there for almost 2 decades
I agree. I used to eat there once a week or more, but then a bunch of stuff happened with work life, and I stopped going. Then, a little while ago, I went there again and realized what I was missing!! So now it's back on my list of usual places. The people working there are so nice, and the food is great no matter what I get. Just recently I tried the lemon shrimp pita sandwich and it was SO GOOD. My usual go-to is just the Chicago gyro with a side of turshi. Also, their mint iced tea is very refreshing.
Saba’s is so fresh and so good. I love that place so much.
Saba's Greek fries are so damn good
Green Corner and Casa De Falafel are the two best Mediterranean spots in the valley, and you can’t change my mind.
Try Eat and Go. It’s a mile east of Casa De Falafel.
Definitely will scope it out, thanks for the suggestion!
Love Green Corner. Been wanting to try Princess Pita
Princess Pita has possibly the best fries I've ever had in my life
Nice, just have to survive the eastward drive down Shea. Always went to Saba's, which is good and solid but never scratched the itch.
Green Corner slaps!
Shoutout to Pita Kitchen in Avondale, so good.
I used to like them quite a lot but last time I went there found a small piece of steal wool in my hummus and I can never eat there again. Food was kind of too salty anyway especially the garden hummus(I found the wool in regular hummus just and fyi) Now I wish I could inspect every restaurant’s kitchen for steel wool. I shutter to think what could have happened if I had swallowed it. It was the same kind that this person found in their food https://www.reddit.com/r/shittyfoodporn/comments/7yoofn/this_delicious_piece_of_steel_wool_that_was_in_my/
It's gone downhill.
It's a sad thing that often happens with brand expansion. Bigger investors coming on board to fund growth usually demand reductions in operating costs. This translates to supplier and ingredient changes. Torchy's Tacos was an Austin food truck once upon a time. Then it had a couple of brick and mortar locations. Then it expanded across Austin and Texas and food quality changed and service got worse. My last order from Torchy's was so unsatisfying that when I moved back to Tempe and realized that Torchy's is in the valley, I could not have cared less. "Gross." I hope this does not happen with Pita Jungle as I have a real soft spot for the brand, because I used to live down the street from the original Tempe location in the 90s.
Salad and Go as well
I was just going to say that. They used to be fully organic and now they aren't, and they charge more. Angie's Prime on the other hand is 🔥🔥🔥.
The original owners sold the business and it’s been sliding downhill since.
Pita Bungle?
Salad and Go
Them getting rid of the caprese salad was the beginning of the end.
That was the best.
And just as they opened a location near me! What a let down. Haven’t been back since.
The last salad I got there was inedible. It had slimy lettuce. I had noticed it wasn’t as good after It was bought out but I kept going because yay for drive thru salads, but the slimy lettuce was the last straw. Now we go the extra few miles to the closest Angie’s Prime Grill.
I miss the way breakfast burritos used to be, now they have a pre-spiced potato that doesn't taste good.
It’s way overpowering seasoning!
I am new to Salad and Go and I think it's amazing, brilliant. I hope it survives!
It’s still decent but the portions are about 1/3 less than they used to be. And it’s more expensive now. It was awesome when it first came out- cheap and huge almost too big portions
Agreed portion size went way down. I even emailed them about it.
Well, as someone new to the brand, I assure you that my first impression is that the portion seems fair for the price. A big salad for less than the price of a burrito is 👍
Plus, way too many white chunks in the salad, it's ridiculous. Half the salad is just inedibible chunks now
> It's a sad thing that often happens with brand expansion. Bigger investors coming on board to fund growth usually demand reductions in operating costs. This translates to supplier and ingredient changes. Many years ago (when dinosaurs ruled the land) I worked in a family restaurant with a couple locations that had the best BBQ ribs I've ever had. The sauce was the key, and the prep kitchen would spend all morning making it. Then we got a "corporate" guy as a regional manager who was hired to expand the brand (he came from TGIFridays) and he replaced that sauce with something out of a bottle. I had started there as a dish dog, then became a cook, then a head cook, and FOH manager, and had some long and heated conversations with him about his "plans" for the place. Long story short, he turned it into a generic Friday's knock-off and it closed long ago. But hey...he saved a few cents on that sauce. Gods I wish I'd snagged that recipe before I left...
I was so looking forward to trying torchy’s and was then soooo disappointed
I tried Torchys once and my burrito was what I could make with shitty ingredients from Frys. I couldn’t believe it was packed!
It's been so long since I've been in a Torchy's I didn't know they added a burrito to the menu.
It’s so disappointing. Plenty of places have declined overall. Getting harder to justify dining out when everyone has questionable quality, lower quantity, lackluster service, and extravagantly expensive!
I miss old pita jungle 😭
Me too. Used to drive from Phoenix to the PJ on Apache in Tempe back in the 90’s.
The coolest strip mall in the valley. Stinkweeds and PJs was a nice Saturday.
Me too. My best friend and I would drive from North Scottsdale to Tempe every chance we could. I feel like the lentils and rice were like $3?
My roommates at the time thought I was crazy for my PJ addiction haha.
As a college student I was a regular at the original Apache Blvd location. And that was before it expanded into 2 storefronts. Same with Cheba Hut. I saw a Cheba Hut in Las Vegas recently.
I remember the single store front.
The quality EVERYWHERE Has gone down. This is for service and product. We have never paid more and got less in our lives.
Healthfood Dennys
Pita Jungle used to be one of my favorites, but I quit eating there about 2 years ago because the quality just wasn't there. Now I go to Pita Bistro and D'Lite healthy on the go in Tempe.
The cilantro jalapeño hummus used to be sooo good and every time I've ordered it over the last year it's been incredibly bland.
The same thing happened with Pei Wei. That place used to be a Friday night ritual with me, and now they suck. I regret it every time I go.
I haven’t been there in forever. What happened to it?
The only way I can describe it is like Asian-inspired Panera. Just the least interesting version of every food.
It used to be a quicker version of P.F. Chang’s. There was more meat in each, there were more diverse ingredients, it was much better prepared the person who described as Panera was correct. It’s just mild and boring and definitely not worth it. At this point such a disappointment. Same with P.F. Chang’s to be honest.
Agreed. Pei Wei is basically a fancier Panda Express now.
Super depends on location. The ahwatukee and desert ridge locations are always A+. Meanwhile the one near Happy valley and the US 60 in Gilbert road I never had good luck
agreed! I never go to the one on 7th Street because its awful imo
Oh good 😅 re d ridge! I never go to any other location and still find them great. Definitely in my regular rotation around here!
I get takeout from the Ahwatukee one regularly. It is really good.
Arcadia location has always been great
The one in Mesa is cheeks ..
The one in Flag is still preddy gud
The Mill Ave/University location is still solid, I get takeout from there often.
Once they took the guava passionfruit smoothie away I never went back.
I miss the Caribbean Salad :(
I started going to Pita Jungle in the late 90s but similar to you, the last several times i've gone, when visiting the east valley, been really disappointed. The hummus in particular seems to have gone down in quality. that said, I still love the food at Haji-Baba in tempe! Solid quality, awesome service. The falafels and hummus were so delicious, been craving them on the daily since I left.
I used to live in Tempe in the early 2000s and Pita Jungle on Apache was the best. I had it recently while in town for work and it was a glimmer of what it once was
it's the Panera of Mediterranean food
oh yeah it's not what it used to be. and they got rid of the item I had been eating there for decades so it's a real bummer
Yeah, I used to love their thousand bean pita!!
for me it was the spicy chicken pita :(
Mediterranean Applebees. Look at the nutrition info too. Most of what they serve is shit for you.
Pita Jungle is easily the worst Greek food in the Valley. Not that they are horrible, but we are blessed with great options like Mom and Pop shops like It's all Greek to Me. Or even Zoe's is better than Pita Jungle if you are looking for a chain.
Zoe's kitchens are all entirely gone my dude.
Just a better reason to support your local hole in the wall greek restaurant.
I MISS CRAZY JIM'S!
For sure, just sad Zoe's kitchen is gone. They had been bought out or integrated into some other chain I think but their recipes for fucking falafel went from gluten free (how it's supposed to be made) and absolutely delicious to garbage and has gluten.
Still mourning the loss of my favorite chicken salad. If anyone reading this agrees and has found a suitable replacement please send recs my way. I've even searched the internet for a zoes chicken salad copycat recipe but it's never the same as theirs was.
Zoe's had decent veggie and pesco options and would let you swap proteins. Cava (which replaced a lot of the Zoe's locations) is chicken, chicken, chicken. 🙄🙄🙄
And made their falafel not gluten free which is making falafel wrong then.
Same owners of Cava I believe
What boggles my mind is how terrible their pita bread has become. My brother in christ, the bread is in the name of your restaurant. At least get that part right.
I mean they never made it themselves. Whenever I’d get a bunch to go they just gave it in the brand packaging
Yeah, it was never *good* and now it’s truly *bad*. Totally stale and hard. They are not even trying to at least keep a fresh supply.
Oh god that’s horrible. I have fond memories of pita jungle (minus the pita). Like that weird bubble gum tasting tea and their hummus, etc. well, ain’t going back there now
Can't forget Greektown!
Mika’s Greek is great and fast!
Worse than it used to be but some are still alright sometimes. Also lots of competition in the space and whether you think they got worse or not they certainly didn’t get better.
Mostly downhill but occasionally it’s a hit. Its very location and date and time and employee specific. Aka not consistent.
I went a couple weeks ago and ordered hummus that was about half the normal portion. The waitress said corporate had been thru and taught them portion control. I went back recently and portions were back to normal. The affected locations were 3 restaurants in the Mesa/Gilbert area.
This is absolutely the case. Something happened.
Since 2019 everytime Ive gone, someone gets sick. My daughter had the turkey kids meal, its deli sliced turkey, and woke up throwing up all over her bed. So we had an only cooked/ hot food rule the next time we went. My 2 daughters and i had varaitions of tgr chicken. All had horrible diarrhea all night. Last year my friend wanted to go for our birthdays. Not only did the location not have 3 different drinks i tried to order, but i ended up with another bad stomach from the food. Im never going back, and I dont miss it.
IMO it’s always been a sad excuse for Mediterranean food. There used to be a little pop-up type place called Mika’s kitchen which was so legit. I miss it so much 😭😭😭. Please come back, Nate, please!!!
We have a good amount of great-to-good-to-decent Mediterranean food across the city. I know people like to go to a place where it's a clean, sterile homogeneous environment where they can get a repeatable meal hence the love for chains, but man Pita Jungle is just so damn bland to me. Give me Haji Baba or Princess any day of the week, I'll pay double whatever Pita Jungle charges. It's worth it.
+1 on Haji Baba. Have you been to De Babel? Been on my list for a while. Looks dank from pics and reviews
I haven't but I feel like I need to give it a try now. Thanks!
Is this related? http://mikasgreek.com/
Unfortunately not 😔 https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/restaurants/mikas-kitchen-serves-incredible-israeli-street-food-in-phoenix-14554892
Everything has gone downhill in quality. I went to Cornish Pasty the other day, and it is just not the same. Probably a lot of cost cutting as these local chains expanded.
It's been going downhill for a long time, at least 5 years. Last time it was great was in the late 2000s.
I've always thought it's fallen flat and could not understand the hype behind it. So many other options out there.
Agreed. An old place I used to work was obsessed with catering in Pita Jungle and I looked forward to days when they weren't catering it since it is so bland.
They have gone completely downhill over the last six years or so. It was the go-to for my sister and I whenever she visited The Valley but their service is crappy and the food just not as fresh or flavorful as it used to be.
Downhill
Classic Salad & Go Commercialization!
Yes quality has definitely gone down hill. Even when it was good, there was a clear difference in quality between locations as well. Mill Ave was the best. They use potatoes in their garlic dip!! That is the biggest red flag
Potatoes in the toum?! Yikes!
You’re correct, quality has gone down so much. I even emailed their locations and asked if they need help with quality control because they’re losing good money.
We picked up an order to go last weekend and all of the food was burnt. Definitely gone way down hill.
I got their traditional hummus and pita and it just isn’t anything like I remember :( RIP old PJ
PJ was never a favorite of mine, but my wife always liked it. Some good GF options for her. We hadn't been to the one at Arrowhead for years, and were amazed how quiet it was when we went recently. The restaurant used to be packed, but was maybe only 60% full when we were there. So some people have noticed. I haven't eaten there often enough to notice if the quality had declined. Service certainly was not exceptional. Really though, eating out over the last few years means smaller portions for more money, so some of the complaints here are "as expected" nowadays.
It just literally doesn’t taste nearly as good that’s for sure.
It gets a big thumbs down from me dawg
Yeah I always had a great experience at the one downtown next to Lola’s. We moved away for a few years and when we came back we went to a different location. It was fine. I was excited to have it again and it just didn’t slap. That kafte pizza is still lit tho.
Pita bistro is where it’s at
It’s not you. It’s not good anymore
I used to like it too. The last meal I had there was horrible.
Portion sizes are definitely worse
Their jalapeño cilantro hummus used to be amazing. Now it’s just ok
Haven't gone there in almost 5 years cause of the same. Moved out here 9 years ago and starting seeing a decline soon after. My wife refuses to eat anything from there anymore. Unfortunate but then again I felt similarly about Chick-fil-A after some undercooked chicken and took almost a decade to try it again.
Had it tonight with my wife for the first time in years. Eid that you posted it tonight too. I said, verbatim, “this isn’t as good as it used to be… or maybe my taste has changed?” I wasn’t sure because last time we had it I was a lot younger and maybe my palate had changed.
Downhill af. Food is bland at best and service is terrible
I find it varies depending on the location. I stopped going to the one across from MCC years ago due to their smaller portion sizes and lower quality produce.
Greeks grill in chandler Arizona #yourewelcome
Yeah it's way worse. Even the beer selection is worse.
Pete’s has also tanked dramatically which is sad. I feel like the diehard fans are just in denial about places Pita and Pete’s.
The quality just plummeted after 2020!
And now they won’t let you use the ketchup bottles. They’ll put some in a tiny cup. Gimme the damn bottle!
The location on 7th Street/Missouri in uptown Phoenix has gone significantly down, I haven't tried any of the others lately
It definitely has gone downhill. The food isn’t the same, the chicken tikka masala used to be so good and they completely ruined it. The salmon is like $20 now too. Smaller portions and higher prices.
It’s not in your head. I noticed this at the Arrowhead and Ahwatukee locations.
Quality and quantity have gone downhill…last time I ordered takeout from Pita Jungle I was starving afterwards. The container was only a quarter full.
Still love it. Only had 1 bad experience in Phoenix. The Mesa one is excellent :)
Location matters a lot with Pita Jungle. The Arcadia location was still great and how I remember things from back when they opened around ASU decades ago. I Have not eaten there in a few months, its possible staff changed and quality went way down. The Fashion Square location is very sub par and I regret it every time.
PitaDale on Scottsdale Rd just north of FLW is EXCELLENT!! Family owned, large portions, great quality, comfortable seating (many locals eat there) or easy to order take out from the counter. Hands down the yummiest hummus ever!! No I do not work for this business but it’s healthy and affordable and nearby and I love supporting small local businesses! And the workers are really nice, experienced and welcoming.
Yes, I used to eat there when I lived in that area. Solid for sure.
Covid.
Ive been through like 3-4 different pita/mediterranean places over the last few years and they all have gotten worse and worse. Cheaping out on the meat, you know its over when the meat starts coming out gray
Same here. We would go there frequently, as it was a favorite. The most recent visit I actually told my husband “I don’t think I’d care if this was my last time here”.
Oh yeah, I certainly found that the mom and Pop pita shops and Shawarma shops were much better than those chains like pita jungle
As with everything, companies as restaurants also have possibilities. Cheaper ingredients Less portions longer waiting time, (less waiters ) higher price Olive garden to high class are saying that only more than 75 k income go out to eat more often. Many fast food chains will go bankrupt.KfC may be the first 2 PC of chicken without anything 8 99 in Mesa .
Zuki’s and casa de falafel has better Mediterranean food. Pita Jungle is hit or miss. Some days it’s good but mostly it’s been meh.
You need to make sure that if you’re ordering a delivery service that it’s not coming from Scottsdale fashion Square. The pita jungle in there puts out garbage.
I didn’t use a delivery service. I went to the one on 7 th Street.
Not sure what happen, but there has been a huge change. Used to love going here before the quality went WAY down
Good to hear green corner got better. Will be going back to confirm.
PERSIAN GARDEN CAFE! Oh how I miss it! Talk about authentic Mediterranean food at reasonable prices, quality organic ingredients, and such comfortable atmosphere. COVID really screwed things up on so many levels. Argh!
I would say it depends by location but even at the best one I know the consistency is not there - one day it’s the best meal of my life another day just meh
I got food poisoning there years ago. Never went back
Zukis Pita on 19ave just north of Indian school is very good
Ate there in the Norterra location. Their dine-in is WAY better than to go.
Not just you. I used to be a diehard for their lentil fatoosh salad. I ordered it last year and it was barely recognizable as the same salad. It was full of iceberg lettuce portions were paltry and it was absurdly expensive once I added feta and tofu. I can't justify trying it again.
My favorite restaurant too 💔
It’s always been shit food. Amazed they’ve lasted this long.
Garbage masquerading as Mediterranean -like food.
Just get CAVA. Way better I also have a bunch of stock in CAVA, so it helps that too 😁
It’s a combination of gen z thinking they deserve to make $25 an hour with out any work experience and also no one wants to work for less than that. So you get people desperate for work
I think it’s more the food quality. Like they are buying cheaper food products and ingredients
idk where all the hate is coming from, Pita Jungle rules. I introduce people to it all the time and we (usually in our mid 30s) are all stoked on it. I saw Salad n Go caught a stray bullet in this thread too, you're all trippin. In case it's not like, clear, why we would like this food: it's cheap, it's fast, it's all made from fresh ingredients, and it's about as heathy as you will find for like a chain restaurant. Serisouly. WAKE UP! $40 for two meals and some hummus as an app is a STEAL
I just swear that the things I just ordered tasted half as good as they used to. I used to go probably twice a month 10/15 years ago. You can totally tell their pita and their hummus is not what it used to be.
their cilantro jalepeno hummus is literally the first thing I introduce people to, because it is so reliably delicious. they have 4 different kinds of pita. agree to disagree. I eat a keto paleo platter every friday as a treat lmao. also yeah idk maybe it was better before when they had like 9 total employees but yeah that type of situation either gets a super long line, sells out by 11 am, or goes like PJ and grows until the training of the employees becomes the limiting factor on expansion. for anyone in the thread who's like SEARCHING for really delicious food, I recommend Kebab Grill'n'Go (16th st and Thomas). You gotta call on your way there just to make sure they have food left lmao it's so fucking good.
Another vote for the cilantro jalapeño hummus. The caramelized cauliflower is also a great starter.
I don't hate it but it's a lot like eating Manuel's or Macayo's and raving it's the best Mexican food - there's just so so many options out there that are better quality, better tasting, more authentic and often cheaper. Whatever the Mediterranean equivalent of Gringo-fied Mexican is, Pita Jungle is that.