It takes a lot to convince this critic to order the vegetarian dish. For me to choose that meatless option as my favorite of the meal, it must truly be something special. But a wrap at Yalla Pita, a food truck located at a Shell station in Vienna, met the challenge, or The Challenger, as it’s called.
The Challenger isn’t quite as over-the-top as the name suggests unless you’re discussing its highly dimensional flavor. The wrap combines freshly fried falafel with fried eggplant and cauliflower, french fries, pickles, and a hard-boiled egg with strokes of mint and tahini that uplift every bite. The pita itself is baked in Canada and the pickles are shipped from the Middle East, but co-owner Saleh Sami Kishta tells me that he or his business partner, Mohammad Fdailat, make everything else themselves.
Kishta, who was manning the truck when I visited, told me that both he and Fdailat were journalists before creating Yalla Pita, originally in Culpeper. They relocated the business to Vienna just a few weeks ago. After more than two years in business, Kishta prides himself on his five-star reviews on Google, Yelp, and Facebook.
“I feel proud that we choose to go the hard way,” he says. “I think that is our secret.” That means everything is made to order, which makes for a worthwhile wait in the Shell station parking lot.
I recommend ordering some dip while you anticipate your wrap. The baba ghanoush I tried was endearingly smoky, ideally acidic, and just a bit creamy, thanks to a slick of tahini.
Most sandwiches at Yalla Pita cost $11.99 — The Challenger is the most expensive at $13.99, while a simple falafel sandwich is $9.99. For an additional $5, diners can upgrade to a platter, which includes fries, a salad with pickles and olives, soda, and two side sauces. The piquant garlic sauce is especially well worth including in your meal. It comes spread inside the chicken shawarma wrap, but you’ll want more.
The wrap, which, like everything on the menu, is halal, is carved from the traditional spit for crisp edges that make bite after bite compelling. The portion is large, too, served in the styrofoam platter in two layers, so there will be plenty of those explosively delicious mouthfuls.
If you’re a fan of Palestinian-Jordanian fare, Yalla Pita will taste like home. If you’re new to the cuisine, this won’t be your last time enjoying it.
2530 Cedar Ln., Vienna
See this: Look for the Shell gas station sign — this petite food truck operates out of a corner of the parking lot. Be prepared to eat in your car since there’s no seating.
Eat this: Baba ghanoush, The Challenger, chicken shawarma wrap
Feature image by Tyson Bateman
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