Pita Jungle (Downtown Phoenix Location)

Yes, there are plenty of songs about love and lust, but think of how many are about waiting. In 1971, Carly Simon told us that “anticipation, anticipation / Is makin' me late / Is keepin' me waitin’.” A decade later, Tom Petty sang that “the waiting is the hardest part.” There’s been a lot of anticipation going on for a least a year in the northwest corner of Downtown Phoenix. The waiting has been for a centrally-situated branch of Pita Jungle, the popular local chain which originated in Tempe and is now known throughout the area for its Mediterranean-influenced healthful food.

exterior from Third Avenue

Pita Jungle’s new location is at Third Avenue and Roosevelt, just a few blocks west of the Roosevelt / Central light rail station. It’s not really Pita Jungle’s first foray into the city core, however. A few years ago, Bistro 101, which was Pita Jungle in all but name with menu items and staffers recognizable from other locations, had a brief run and First Avenue and Adams. The new location, however, is much better suited to the actual Pita Jungle brand. It’s in the historic Gold Spot building, near residential areas that provide a more stable customer base than the lunch crowd that predominates farther south.

back patio

The prime space within the Gold Spot sure took a while to fill, with intermittent “coming soon” and “for lease” signs on the doors for months on end. Thankfully, after all that time, Pita Jungle got it right. It’s the same casual, slightly arty look as the other restaurants in the chain, but even better. With windows wrapping around most of the dining room, there’s copious natural light, and the view from them is of an historic neighborhood, not a parking lot. There are cavernous booths ideal for family dining and high-top tables near the host station. In back, there’s a smoke-free patio and a bar with both indoor and outdoor seating.

spanokopita

Chances are you’ve already eaten at one of Pita Jungle’s eleven other locations. If so, you’ve no doubt sampled menu favorites like cilantro-jalapeno hummus, lentil fetoosh salad, or the chicken shawarma pita sandwich. Enjoy those classics for sure, but why not also use a visit to the new location to try some newer, lesser-known menu items? Pita Jungle doesn’t have a lot of red meat on the menu, but for those who crave it, the Philly Steak pita’s got thinly-sliced beef, onions, and peppers wrapped in the restaurant’s namesake bread. No “whiz” here, though; instead, there’s melted mozzarella and just enough grease to give this sandwich some cheesesteak credibility.

Moroccan gazpacho

If a sandwich inspired by South Philadelphia isn’t enough of a departure from the Jungle’s light Middle Eastern theme, then try the chicken tikka marsala. It’s quite good, although nothing like what you’d find at your neighborhood Indian or Pakistani restaurant. In fact, it tastes more southeast Asian than south Asian with small cubes of poultry in a sauce that seems more like coconut milk curry than the usual tomato-based masala. A garnish of pea shoots and a bed of brown rice beneath brings back the health-conscious theme. It’s not completely faithful to the classic dish, but it works on its own terms.

gambas con ajo

As for seafood, there’s no trendy day-boat, line caught fish du jour here, but Pita Jungle does some basic dishes really well. Gambas con ajo is a lively starter that pairs sauteed shrimp with a garlicky tomato sauce. The salmon entree isn’t particularly bold or adventurous, but it’s hard not to love a good piece of grilled fish over creamy mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach. Fast food restaurants have given fish sandwiches a bad name, but the one at Pita Jungle is a strong version featuring grilled mahi-mahi on ciabatta with a side of addictive garlic new potatoes.

tomato mozzarella salad

Pasta dishes here range from a puttanesca with abundant olive and garlic flavors, albeit without the anchovies found in some versions, to various pasta salads of rotini topped with vegetables or chicken. As with so many restaurant pasta dishes, the serving size is enormous enough to negate the advantages of low fat ingredients. Take half home if you’re serious about the healthy eating part at Pita Jungle. At the opposite end of the carb spectrum, a grilled vegetable salad is a colorful assortment of huge cauliflower florets, broccoli, peppers, carrots, and tomatoes. Over romaine and lemony vinaigrette, it’s tasty no matter what Julia Child had to say about the subject.

pizza

In contrast to some recently-opened Downtown restaurants that have had to scale back ambitious evening hours, the new Pita Jungle seems full most to the time, even on mid-week nights without special events drawing people Downtown. That’s an encouraging sign that the right mix of food, location, and feel can help create urban dining options that are equally appealing to daytime workers, evening visitors, and those customers who actually live within walking distance. Sing along to Carly Simon or Tom Petty; their songs will endure, but the long wait for Pita Jungle downtown is finally over.

fish sandwich

1001 N. 3rd Ave., Phoenix AZ 85003
(602) 258-7482
http://www.pitajungle.com




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