Pita Joe

It was good while it lasted.
For one thing, they had pretty good falafels. Although I think Maoz was always better when it came to falafels, they definitely had a nice taste.
But what really made them great? It had to be the lemonade and fries combo. My favorite was the Raspberry lemonade. Their prices just couldn’t be beat.
Sure, it was probably store bought. But it beat walking all the way over to Union Square East. And it’s proximity to Parsons made it ideal for a hungry art student like myself.
Pita Joe, you and your Raspberry lemonade will be missed.

I’ve been to Pita Joe on a couple occasions and the last experience I had here was the most memorable. The food here at Pita Joe is decent and I’m a big supporter of good cheap food in the city but they charge for stupid stuff here. If I want anything extra on my pita it’s extra. I don’t know what world the owner is from but pitas are meant to be the same price as long as whatever you put in it fits. In fact, all assembly line food for the most part abides to the «anything you can fit goes» rule. Classic example, Chipotle. Chipotle will allow you to put anything extra for free except for the guacamole, which is understandable. Here, they’re charging for anything that’s not hummus spread, chopped Israeli salad, lettuce, and a mini pickle. Wtf? really?
When I ordered last time, the first employee I spoke with said there was a soup and pita special that day. I went ahead and ordered it. They ran out of wheat pitas and refused to make new ones when I asked. On top of that, the employee who rang me up got into an argument with me about my combo meal. They said the combo meal was not valid anymore. I didn’t want the soup anymore because I only wanted it if there was a combo special. The employee demanded I purchase both items regardless because that’s what I ordered.
Well, false information yields pissed off customer and arguing employee yields even more pissed off customer.
One star for the hidden prices for a full meal, rude employees, and ruining a potentially delicious pita experience.

The initial sign of the ‘Summer Special — Falafel and Soda for $ 4.95′ lured me in. I wound up taking advantage of that offer since a whole falafel was $ 4.95 alone, so I basically got a free soda with my meal. A full Joe’s Falafel includes 4 falafel balls, along with the works: pickles, diced cucumber, lettuce, hummus, and tahini sauce. Before you eat or take it to go, be sure to make a stop by the condiment station. You can score yourself some of the amba sauce and red hot sauce.
The falafel balls were very good, fresh and crispy on the outside. The inside was yellow as opposed to the green coloring. The freshly diced cucumber gave it some additional crunchy texture, as well as the 3 – 5 thin slices of sour pickle. A lot of lettuce was used in the falafel sandwich as a filler, which I could have definitely used less of. The hummus was solid though nothing from the norm. I was a bit disappointed with the tahini. I noticed he put a decent amount in, but I couldn’t taste the sesame flavor. An extra squirt or two could have gone a long way in making this sandwich better, as the quality of the tahini and hummus really raise the bar on a falafel sandwich. The homemade pita bread was fresher than a lot of other falafel establishments, fluffy and soft. If you decide to add some red hot sauce to your falafel sandwich, don’t expect much as the slightly chunky chili flake concoction left nothing to be desired. It only added a hint of heat while adding a every so slight bitter flavor. The amba sauce is where it’s at. This greenish-​yellowish hot sauce was a little zesty and sour. It reminded me of mustard, and was not too spicy, but definitely made the sandwich that much more enjoyable.
Pita Joe serves some above average falafels that won’t disappoint. However, if you’re expecting the best, I’d still reserve that title to Sam’s, Alan’s, or the new contender Pitopia.

I always go for their Joe in a Pocket, which basically is their falafel sandwich in a whole wheat pita. I love that they stuff everything into the pita — their Israeli salad and pickles — is so refreshing.
Their fries are pretty good too.
Plenty of seating.

Great pitas — try the grilled chicken, you won’t be disappointed.
I agree with previous reviews that the sandwich is mostly filled with cucumber and tomato salad, but so what, it’s delicious!
The girl behind the counter will even give you some of the veggies on the opposite side of the counter if you ask her nicely. some stuff she can’t.
Flaws — staff seemed a bit lethargic. Perk up, it’s not hot in the store! Also, if you don’t tell them that you want the special to include a drink with your pita, they charge you an extra 2 bucks. And what’s up with not providing the nutrition facts on your website?!

I haven’t been here in about 3 years but I have a detailed memory of being disappointed in their «Joe in a Pocket.» First of all…$ 5 for a falafel is a bit much. Maybe I have been spoiled with $ 3 falafels that fill me up, but Pita Joe’s falafel was a bit overpriced and not as filling. The actually falafel balls were dry and didn’t have the right texture for my liking.
I do like the interior of the place though. It’s clean and cute and they offer several seating options (table, bar, etc). Being so close to Union Square, it seems like a convenient place to grab a quick bite but I think there are many other places in the area where you can get your money’s worth.

For a New School kid on a budget and who hardly ever carries cash, the whole falafel pitas are a quick and filling alternative to anything from Valentino’s. They cost a little under 5 dollars with the student discount and you can pay with card.

Falafel is nice and crunchy. The salad always tastes fresh. I just wish it had a bit more flavor. The brownies are pretty good too! Moist and dense.

Was researching lunch places in Union Square found this place and went the other day. It was great! It’s clean, laid back, not too crowded, tasty and pretty cheap. They even handed me and my friends free falafel balls.
I had the hummus plate with onions. It was very tasty and was definitely an ample amount of food. The mango lemonade was good as well. I’ll definitely be back!

I don’t think you can call yourself Pita Joe On the Go if your product is too messy to eat on the go.
That aside, this is a solid establishment for a quick pita sandwich. I’ve had both the kabob (more of a seasoned burger patty) and the schnitzel (more of a dry chicken cutlet); while they can hit the spot, I’ve got to admit they aren’t worth a trip out of your way.
Happily, they absolutely STUFF the fluffy pita (whole wheat if you want), but it’s mostly with Israeli salad (tomato and cucumber). So it seems like you’re eating a lot, but if your fat ass is anything like my fat ass, it’s going to be hungry again in about an hour.
It’s also a bit too pricey for this sort of food. $ 8.95 is $ 10 after tax because change doesn’t count as real money. And yes, I suppose I should be ecstatic that it’s bright and clean…
I dunno, call me old-​fashioned, but I like a grimy gyro shop* that saws delicious hunks off of that rotating cylinder of meat that certainly doesn’t look like any animal I’ve ever seen, and only charges me $ 5 for a pita of it.
_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​
*I miss you:

I figured I’d check this place out based on the 50% off scoutmob from the other day. From the looks of it, this place seems pretty dope. They have a clean, fresh looking atmosphere. The location is small, but has enough seating for someone looking to cherish their falafel sandwich for a few extra minutes.
Here’s the bad news… the falafel is dry. The sandwich is mostly filled with lettuce and tomatoes, and for 4.95, you can do much better on the east side of town at Cheeps.
The people that work there seemed like they wanted to be anywhere but, and it shows in the prep of the food.
Fairly disappointed. There’s much better falafel in the city.

Great falafel there and delicious hummus, just not the cheapest place to go grab a falafel meal. Not the best, not the worst.
One thing that confuses me about this place is their menu, it might be me, but their menu look a little confusing and hard to understand when I first tried out this place. Their soup portion is well sized, hummus plates are good but a little pricy, and their food might feel/​taste a little healthier than Maoz, (Maoz is cheaper though), good portion for a pocket but again, everything is a little pricier.
One other thing, they sell this weird pizza next to the cashier, don’t get it! It doesn’t taste very good or fresh.

I had a really solid sandwich here. It consisted of a whole wheat pita with grilled chicken, avocado, hummus, tahini, purple cabbage, cucumber, tomato, and lettuce.
Way to go, Pita Joe.

UGH!
How drunk was I?
I thought I ordered a «half Joe Schnitzel», which is really strips of deep fried, thin chicken.
When I got home with my «pocketed» receipt, so I remember what I need to Unilocal,it says (whole) for $ 8.75…
UGH…I know I didn’t eat a whole of ANYTHING, so that means I got ripped off. It was decent.
They have a clean bathroom, so I’m throwing them 2 stars, but drunk Unilocalers everywhere BEWARE. Look before you eat.
Read before you Unilocal

PITA JOE IS THE BEST!!!
Crazy cheap falafels that they fill to the brim! I recommend getting a half one, because they always give you so much it’s worth your money, and they rock that studnt discount! I like to add beets & their pickles are always good-​and all their lemonades in the back are delicious, and, yes, they let you taste.
I’m never awake at normal hours so I haven’t hit this place up in forever. .. but wow, Pita Joe, I miss you.

I was in Union Square for a client meeting — looking to grab some grub before being awesomely salesy. I was going to trek it to a sushi joint (why not? I heart sushi!), but then I saw Pita Joe, the «pita special» sign on the door, and the crowd milling around, and decided to pop in! Who doesn’t love a falafel in a pita smothered with AMAZING hummus, Israeli salad, pickles, and all that jazz?
The guy who put together my amazing falafel was super sweet, and that mango lemondae was faaaaaaab. :) And yes, that hot sauce was awesome!
I will definitely be back the next time I’m in the area!

Mmmm is the first thing that comes to mind when I think of Pita Joe.
I decided to try it today for lunch and I was very happy with the results.
Firstly, the customer service is great and friendly. I ordered pick up and barely had to wait. Napkins and different sauces were nicely included in the bag already. The counter girl also struck up a conversation with a customer which I found sweet.
Secondly, now for the food. I ordered the Joe in a pocket (falafel pita) which was deeeelish. I smothered it in a combo of that brown-​yellow sauce and the white sauce. The brown-​yellow sauce tasted strange at first, but as I got more accustomed to the taste, I liked it. The hot sauce was a bit too chunky for me, but definitely hot!
Thirdly, I REALLY like pita joe because it’s so cheap! I got a substantial lunch for only $ 5.33 (I ordered the whole).
I’ll be sure to go there next week for the Naked Joe since everyone on Unilocal recommends it so strongly!

With a few ‘mega margaritas’ pumping through my veins last night, the bright lights of Pita Joe caught my eye. I stopped in and instantly knew I needed a Purple Joe (still not sure why, but I do not regret the decision). There were about 2 other people in the shop, so the service was quick and they filled my little pita to the brim! I asked for the food to-​go, paid a mere $ 3.52, and continued the journey home. Less than 30 seconds into the walk, I had unwrapped my snack and began devouring. I was really impressed with the freshness of the veggies and the perfect tahini sauce to sandwich ratio. Needless to say, my pita was gone in a few minutes and I began questioning if it was really as good as I thought or if my margarita-​induced state had gotten the best of me.
I returned tonight to experience the Purple Joe. Again, it was delicious! Really fresh ingredients and generous portions (none of that «oh, extra 50cents for another piece of cucumber»). I also liked feeling comfortably full after the meal (usually after feasting at Taim, I’m stuffed, greasy, and uncomfortable… but that may very well be my own fault).
I’m pretty excited about this find– both the price and convenience. I see many more Purple Joes in my near future.

Another hummus place in Union Square? There can never be too many if you ask me. I was walking past this place on sunday and decided to drop in. I was pretty impressed.
First of all I ordered the purple joe, which is eggplant instead of the usual falafel. It was great, and included mixed veggies, hummus, and hot sauce. But at the checkout I spyed PITA WITH ZA’TAR. I asked the cute checkout girl about it, and well she was pretty persuasive. «It’s like a mediterranean garlic bread» she told me. Wow, that’s an understatement. This stuff is delicious.
Afterward I went back for a stamp card and the cute checkout girl winked at me. 5 stars for cute staff!

I thought Pita Joe would be a good choice for dinner but it ended up being more like a snack. I’m still hungry. That’s all I can say. My meal started off right but then just ended wrong.
I ordered a half Joe Schnitzel. At first glance, the pita was loaded. At first taste the schnitzel was the perfect chicken cutlet. Almost like the chicken cutlet at Dojo. The combination of hummus, lettuce, cucumbers and grilled onions with my schnitzel was nice but at the end I was looking for more. Not more as in I need the other half portion or damn that was so good I want another, but more as in… hmmmm those last 10 minutes were kinda bland. I also wasn’t going to order a drink but then the free flowing lemonades really caught my eye. Passion fruit lemonade was the special of the day but I went for raspberry lemonade instead. It was definitely on the sour side and I lost interest half way. I left feeling unsatisfied. I’m munching on cereal right now because I feel like I didn’t have a proper dinner.
Pita Joe is clean, orderly, fresh, organic, and kosher. Their pita is pretty strong too. It didn’t rip at all. These are all great things so hats off to Pita Joe but I wanted to feel the same about Pita Joe as I do about Maoz and Mamoun’s. While Maoz and Mamoun’s really hit the spot, Pita Joe is just ho hum.

Having had falafel sandwiches at Mamoun’s, Chickpea, and Maoz Vegeterian, Pita Joe’s here has disrupted the falafel trifecta… so I guess now we have a rhombus. Incidentally, they’re all probably within a ten-​block radius.
But as a contender, I would have to say Pita Joe’s falafel sandwiches are a new favorite. I have the one with the whole wheat pita, falafel, Israeli salad, and hummus. The tipping point that made the food here especially good was that when you finish the sandwich, because of the organic ingredients, you feel clean. As in, the antithesis of, oh-​I-​feel-​so-​gross-​after-​all-​that-​greasy-​falafel-​goodness.
So it would not be advisable to mistaken this «clean» feeling for not feeling satiated and thusly going toward union square and stuffing your face with cupcakes.