I’ll bet I’ve had more meals at Pita House than any other restaurant in Greenville.
On one occasion, when I was receiving a fair amount of national press, I was having lunch with two other chefs. Nazih Namouz, one of the original founders, winked at me as I paid and stated: “Chef Malik, we’re honored.” Then he turned to the kitchen and told his cooks to make sure “chef Malik gets only the best olives.”
Of course, he was kidding, because everyone who ever spent $10 at Pita House got the best olives, pitas, harissa and falafel. That’s the endearing quality of the Pita House and after 27 years and the passing of Nazih, the Pita House remains our town’s champion of affordable hospitality and remarkable food.
On my most recent visit, Wael, son of Nazih, and Hani, son of Zuhair Namouz, spent a few minutes with me to show off their custom-built pita oven, their production kitchen and their commitment to the house their fathers built.
Wael Namouz has a master’s degree in bioengineering from Clemson, yet he always knew the Pita House was his future.
“I didn’t know when, I just knew,” he said. “Dad always treated this place like it was his own home, and our customers were visitors to our home. They were our guests, and our culture is all about hospitality and taking care of visitors. Often, he would thank customers for ‘dining in my house.’”
A new resident of Greenville may be vexed by Pita House’s location and its too-small parking lot. But trust me, this is probably the only restaurant in town with its own traffic light, necessary to exit the parking lot. Back in the days before the traffic signal, one needed a heavy foot on the go pedal and a second pair of eyes for a successful exit.
Once inside, there’s a glorious meal of only the best hummus, tomato and cucumber salad, and lamb gyro waiting.
“When we opened back in 1996, dad would come in here at 3 a.m. to make pitas by hand,” Wael Namouz said. “He considered it an honor to do so, and he and his brothers built this place with their commitment to great food and hospitality. Today, it’s my job to give this place longevity, to give it another 27 years. We want to see our customer’s children grow up to love the Pita House, so that’s our responsibility.”
Hani Namouz nodded and patted Wael on the back. As I took a bite of the cucumbers and admired their knife work, Hani Namouz mentioned their biggest challenge.
“At 6 a.m. when we have so many onions to dice and cucumbers to peel, it can be daunting,” he said. “We have the best crew and we’re all family. We work hard and support one another. Because when the door opens, we need to make people happy.”
The Pita House at 495 S. Pleasantburg Drive, is open six days a week from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
“City Juice” is a colloquial term for a glass of tap water served at a diner.
John Malik is a culinary adviser and broker with National Restaurant Properties. He can be reached at chefjohnmalik@gmail.com.
