Best Of MenuPages Reviews: Baba Pita Lovefest

We may not do reviews at MenuPages, but our legions of users are all over that. Here are three of the best for Baba Pita:

Baba Pita is an unassuming Middle Eastern take out restaurant in the West Loop, on Lake Street. Since it opened a few months ago, it’s gotten consistently, suspiciously fantastic reviews from the MenuPages community. We don’t think it’s a shill campaign, because of the diversity of styles of the reviews and the variety of ISPs that they’re coming from. Still, could it really be that good?

On May 21st, “Harlen” writes:


Without a doubt, one of the best kept secrets in River West. Some of the best food I have ever eaten, especially the tomato basil soup. The food is alway fresh, always hot, and never takes more than about five minutes. I eat there at least once a week.



Okay, a little florid (“best…ever”?), but people are entitled to their opinions. This next one, from “Krabby Rangoon” on June 2nd, is more descriptive:


I received a take out menu from Baba Pita and thought the pics looked good (same pics that I see on the website). We all know how pictures of food look in comparrisson to the actual food we receive, think Mcdonalds Big Mac advertisement.. I am pleased to say that when I got my food it looked beautiful, I actually got carry out and my first impression was, Damn that smells good! When I got it home everything was proper, portions are generous and on top of that it was a complete meal, with drink, hummus, desert, and some stuff that I don’t even know what it was…it was good though! and this was in addition to my entree, I visited them ystrdy on Friday so I got the fish special, I will be getting it again. Good Food with Cheap Prices…don’t see how they can lose…friendly people too…


If this isn’t real, then the restaurant was very clever to use poor spelling and grammar, and to pretend to not be able to identify some of the components of their dishes (maybe the purple pickled item?). But this last one from “Anonymous” on June 7th is semi-suspicious because of one particular tiny clue. See if you can detect it:


I stumbled upon this restaurant because I found a take out menu at the bottom of my starewell. I enjoy trying most any restaurant and decided to be daring ~ boy was I glad I tried! The food is excellent . Low prices with large servings. I want more again already! The service is excellent ~ they happened to forget my baklawa and not only did someone come back out to bring me more, they brought me TWO pieces and not one. The person who took my order was friendly and happy to make the small changes I requested in my order. Definitely worth a try. You’ll be happy you did!


Were you able to figure it out? No? It’s the spelling of baklava - with a ‘w’ instead of a ‘v’. To be fair, the menu has it with a ‘w’, which is why this is only semi-suspicious. But Google tells us that the ‘v’ spelling is fifteen times more common, so this reviewer is either unversed in Middle Eastern desserts and simply followed the menu spelling, or is highly versed and chose to use the fancier transliteration on purpose, or is a shill. What do you think?

Baba Pita [MenuPages]
Baba Pita [Official Site]

[Photo: Wednesday’s special, Baba Pita]

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Best Of MenuPages Reviews: Baba Pita Lovefest