Pilpel is a great example of a fast casual chain that does things quite well. It serves fresh, easy, healthy food with great flavor. They specialize in falafel and hummus pitas filled with a variety of toppings, similar to Maoz (which is also great) and a bunch of other such places. There’s just something about a soft pita with tons of sauces, salads, veggies and toppings that I really love if the food is fresh and tasty. Honestly, I usually don’t even get the falafel and half the time when I do, I just eat one or two of them. Falafel is fine, but I’ve never met a falafel I loved. I can recognize that some are better than others (more flavorful, less dry, etc.), but I don’t really seek it out.
Anyway, the base is a falafel and hummus pita, but if you don’t get the falafel, you get $1 off, and then you can fill the pita with unlimited salads and toppings. If you want extras like eggplant, halloumi, hard-boiled egg, or avocado, it’s a bit extra. The free salads and toppings include: seasoned onions, tabbouleh, carrots, purple cabbage, green cabbage, pickles, lettuce and tomato salad, tahini, red chili sauce, and green chili sauce. It makes for a delicious hearty and healthy meal, though it can get a bit sauce heavy if you get the hummus plus all the sauces. And take note – the salads and veggies are already sauced, so I’d recommend choosing just one sauce in addition to the hummus or at least asking for small quantities of the sauce. Otherwise, you might get quite a soggy pita by the end of it.
The pita itself is really good, by the way. It’s totally not authentic, but it’s a soft, white, fluffy, pillowy, thick pita. You have the option of whole wheat, too, if you’d rather, and even no pita at all if you want to eat it in a container in salad form. They have a variety of locations around town and it’s a place I’d recommend trying out.
