The Pita Grill

From what I’ve seen of other reviews written here, The Pita Grill seems to go through peaks and valleys. Right now, it seems to be at a high point.
Mind you, even a few months ago, I noticed that the quality depended greatly on who was serving you. There was one employee who seemed to be getting a lot of hours and really didn’t give a crap about his job. Bad service and not a whole lot of love being put into food preparation. I haven’t seen him for quite some time, though. So I’m guessing the owner clued in and showed him the door.
Pita Grill has a natural advantage that can make dips in quality tempting. It’s in the student district and stays open to a wonderfully late hour (dinner, for me, frequently happens somewhere around 11 PM when most restaurants have shut down). Drunken university students at 2 AM really aren’t going to notice how good the food is. They just want a bite and don’t care.
Having said all that, I’ve greatly enjoyed most of my visits to Pita Grill in the last year or so that I’ve been going there. Had it not been for that one employee who was poisoning the well for a bit, I’d probably go 5 stars with this review. Everything’s fresh there and the latest staff are so picky with prep that if a pita breaks while they’re making your wrap, they toss it and start again.
The menu is diverse enough that you can make healthy or unhealthy choices (I usually have a philly steak wrap — not something you usually find at a pita place). The service is very friendly, these days. Oftentimes making pleasant conversation with you as they get your meal ready. Which is good, a decent wrap takes a few minutes and you shouldn’t trust a pita place that can throw one together as quickly as McDonald’s can hand you a Big Mac.
Some good stuff has been said, already, about the poutine. I agree with the comments. I do feel there are other places in this town that offer a better poutine (Frenchy’s is still the best place to go) but they still do a great job, here.
Provided they maintain their standards, I can’t recommend this place enough. I do think the Soups and Salads franchise also makes great wraps, but I like Pita Grill just that little bit better. They offer just a little bit more variety and the late-​night hours are a nice bonus too.

The rating was for an above average poutine. The whole experience was way below expectations. First they used stale pitas to make our food that kept crumpling when she was trying to pull it apart. The worker in the STP hat continued to make our 2^nd pita with the equal amount of I don’t give a shit. It was $ 3.00 extra to make it a combo, which included fries and a can of soda or a bottle of water. We both wanted diet coke, which they didn’t have so was forced to pay another $ 1.25 each to upgrade to a 591ml bottle. I would recommend the poutine but it’s $ 6 for a regular which is small or $ 7 for a large which is about normal size. Ok to take out so you don’t have to eat in the part with tables that aren’t cleaned often and chairs with tape on them. It’s close to the university so that’s why I’m guessing that there’s not a lot of care that goes into the seating area. The unhappy worker did not acknowledge us leaving.

Used to be best pitas around, but recently started using cheap chicken, the type of crap that looks like it was extruded out of a machine, and feels spongy against your teeth. They still have great selection of fresh toppings and the prices are reasonable.
Hopefully more people notice the meat and complain and they go back to their old meat supplier, otherwise they lost two customers.

The poutine was on point!
But that’s where it stops.
Came in on a Sunday afternoon and there was not a soul in the place… we wondered aloud if they were actually open (maybe someone just left the door unlocked? lol) but then an employee came out from the back. The menu is relatively small but to the point — a number of basic pita style sandwiches. I went w the club and my friend got the gyro, upon the girl’s recommendation. We ordered our sandwiches with a regular (as opposed to large) size poutine and because that made it a combo we got a can of pop for free. Cool.
The regular size poutine is $ 6, and if this is the regular I hate to see what the large is, because it was basically a small bucket. Tons of gravy and cheese curds. And the fries were done to perfection.
The pitas were ok… nothing noteworthy or memorable. Good sized, but middle of the road as far as taste and ingredients. about $ 6 each.
Now the biggest issue with this place is that it’s…well…kinda dirty. And weird. It’s just open space, not clean, weird random posters on the wall (like Scarface… huh?)…the bathroom was down some creepy basement stairs and was in dire need of a cleaning.
This seems like the type of spot that probably does TONS of business after the bars close and the drunk crowds come through for something to soak up the booze, and aren’t picky about ambiance or appearance. I’m not super familiar with all corners of Windsor but judging from what I observed from outside the window as we were eating, I don’t think it’s in the best neighborhood.
I’m not hating. Just calling it like it is. There’s a need in this world for grungy little drunk food joints. Totally.
So overall there’s not much impressive here but the poutine, which I then successfully snuck my leftovers back across the border with me to enjoy rewarmed for dinner later that night. :)

Good poutine but it’s certainly not the best
Pita Grill probably has the best poutine in the immediate area but definitely not the best in Windsor. It feels sacrilegious to give it only 3 stars, but that’s how I honestly. It is A-​OK in my book as the fries were crisp and they use real cheese curds and gravy (you’d be surprised who don’t…)
The place is located so close to campus that it should definitely be everyone’s go-​to for a good poutine. I feel bad for those who are too lazy and end up getting one from Harvey’s (awful). The poutine at Pita Grill is a bit pricier than anticipated as others must have caught wind of how good it is. The portion size was worthy of the price and it was definitely good.
The fries were crisp while the gravy all over it melted the cheese curds to where you had beautiful bridges of stringed cheese from your mouth to the cup. As with most poutines, the bottom is usually the worst thing you could look at and just soaked, but the first bites were really good.
Get this poutine if you’re in the area, but I liked Frenchy’s as the top poutine in Windsor. But it does say something about the poutine here that I had only mentioned their namesake «pita» once… and that was just the name.

As far as I can tell the main reasons to love the Pita Grill are:
a) You are a university student, it’s convenient and you don’t know about good food yet,
b) The poutine: you’ve never had poutine before or you really love poutine but you live in Windsor where it’s always served with shredded cheese (travesty)
Other than the poutine (which is real poutine! accept no shredded cheese!) there’s nothing special about this place. The sandwiches are OK and made to order, which is nice, but the (mostly student) staff was always surly when I went. If you’re not in the mood for a shawarma or falafel (which you should get at a shawarma place, not here) or being overcharged for bad food at the U, though, this is a decent place to get a sandwich.

Staying overnight in Windsor after traveling from Chicago to see a sporting event in Detroit. It was time to see what Windsor had to offer and The Pita Grill was on the list.
Did the sign on the window say,“World famous Poutine”? What’s all this talk about it being all about the layers and no shredded cheese? And gravy? I don’t even put ketchup on my fries, or how am I going to like this?
Well let me say every good thing I read was correct. The cheese curds, fries, and gravy were layered perfectly. The fries were cooked to order and melted well with the other ingredients. The gravy was a thick beefy goodness that even made a non-​gravy person like myself appreciated the taste. If this stuff isn’t homemade I don’t care because it was good. I can see how this would be good after leaving a bar and needing a snack to absorb the alcohol. Just like the «sliders» they sell in my area this would make a great «after bar /​late night» snack.
The service was great. The young lady was very friendly and informative on how they handle foreign, aka American, money. I didn’t try anything else, so the stars are for the Poutine and the service.
Loved The Pita Grill and next time I’m in the area I’ll be back.

The interior of the restaurant, especially the cooking area around the deep fryer is filthy. Grease is splattered all around the fryer, on the walls, the exhaust hood and the fridge beside it. The grease is dark and caked, and it’s in plain sight right behind the counter. I guess no one cares about cleanliness. The health unit gave the place 4 stars out of 5 though, go figure.
The quality of the meat in the gyros is about the same you get in the frozen packages at the grocery store, and could very possibly be what they are using. The fries in the poutine were soggy and the gravy was salty, could have been made from instant boxed gravy. At least the portion sizes were large.
I went here because I got a deal on Groupon, and I know I won’t be going back. I’d like to know if these raving reviewers on here were paid, especially Brian F. who seems to write glowing in-​depth reviews for just about every restaurant he visits.

The Chicken Ceasar salad is excellent when made by certain staff. The poutine is also good. Would get a higher rating if the food was more consistent (which is a reflection on some of the staff)

Why didn’t I think to review Pita Grill sooner? For a poutine enthusiast (self-​proclaimed, I can’t believe I forgot the BEST poutine in the world. Yes I said world, and I would bet my life on it).
There’s something about the poutine at Pita Grill that is simply magical. The fries are packed in nice and tight, the gravy is delicious, AND the cheese curds are sprinkled not only on the top, but in the middle as well! It’s like the double cheese burger of poutines! Truth be told, I’ve never had anything else there (after over two years of frequent visits), but with poutine that good, why would I even bother?
I have to give a BIG shout out to the staff as well. Usually University of Windsor students, they put up with a LOT of drunk students and the occasional brawl. Pita Grill is open late, so it’s the perfect post-​bar target. It’s a little off the beaten path, not close to the ‘club’ area of downtown Windsor, but it is close to the university and the river. There are also some great hole-​in-​the-​wall bars close by!
There very limited seating, it’s more of a grab and go Pita Pit feel.

Since my first taste of the poutine from Pita Grill, I’ve searched far and wide across Ontario for a poutine worthy of standing alongside the greatest poutine creation this great land offers. In six years of searching, nothing comes even close to being mentioned in the same breath as the magnificent production the Pita Grill puts into the white styrofoamy mug they hand over to you.
I describe Pita Grill’s poutine as a production, because in my opinion it’s largely the process that can make or break a poutine.
You can’t just throw fries, gravy and cheese curds together and expect a great tasting poutine. Yes, I know it looks like you could, but you can’t! This isn’t a stew, where you throw in whatever is lying around the kitchen and 9 times out of 10 it will turnout. If you’ve ever had a poutine and only managed to get only fries on your fork sans gravy, and sans fromage… then you know what I’m talking about! In the culinary world of fast food that’s about as large of a faux pas as serving an overcooked sirloin.
At the Pita Grill it goes like this. Small layer of fresh fries, a healthy dose of cheese CURDS, not shredded cheese… CHEESE CURDS (I have a huge problem with poutines that don’t use curds, get that weak shredded or grated cheese off my poutine!) and a nice big heap of gravy. They then repeat that process a few times until your white styrofoamy mug is filled to the brim.
So exactly why is this production process important?
Because it ensures that no matter how many times you stick that plastic fork into that styrofoamy mug of yours, you’re guaranteed to hit poutine gold! And for those who don’t know, poutine gold consists of a fork full of fries that are covered in gravy avec le fromage! A good rule of thumb here for you Americans who don’t know what a poutine is, if you don’t experience the poutine trifecta when you’re eating said «poutine» then it’s not poutine that you are eating.
While the ambiance at the Pita Grill looks like it might be sub-​par, don’t worry it only adds to the character of what I consider to be easily the best venue for poutine this fair land offers.
Agree? Disagree? Think you’ve got a poutine that stands up to this? I doubt it, but I’d love to hear about it!

Located across the street from the University of Windsor and next to a couple bars, it’s pretty obvious what sort of crowd Pita Grill caters towards. That being said the food here is fairly decent.
My favorite thing to eat here is the poutine. For those of you who are unfortunate enough not to know what poutine is, it is cheese curds on fries covered in gravy. I know this probably sounds disgusting to you, but it’s delicious. Especially when you are either drunk or hungover, it just soaks everything up. Poutine reminds me of home, like Tim Hortons and Hockey.
The Pita’s are pretty good, they cook the meat and stuff on the spot and put toppings on as you want them. They are also a pretty filling meal, also good when you are out drinking.
So, yea, I like this place.