By Sue Baldani

When Sam El Sayed, who grew up in Egypt, opened Pita Grill & Creperie in Warren 10 years ago, his goal was to share his country’s food and family recipes with the community. “He always had a passion for cooking,” says his son Hassan, who also works in the restaurant.

While specialties include authentic-tasting gyros, kabobs, shawarma and falafel, there are also many American favorites such as burgers, chicken fingers, and fries. “Our menu is pretty diverse,” he says. “We are where American meets Mediterranean.”

The most popular items, he says, are the salads, such as the Shepherd or Spinach salad topped with choices of lamb, shrimp, falafel, chicken, salmon, hummus and more. You can basically build your own salad or platter and have it made right in front of your eyes.

When someone orders a gyro or other meat-based dish, he says, the meat is all very fresh. “You're not getting pre-cooked food. It’s literally cooked in front of you and sliced off the spit.”

Adds Hassan, “We definitely pride ourselves on having a fresh, all-natural menu. It sounds cliche, but honestly, in order to have really good food, the ingredients have to be top quality. We try to get the most fresh, local produce whenever we can, and our meats are high quality too. We also make sure our recipes stay consistent so people get that same taste every time.”

Of course, the crêpes, whether savory or sweet, are a real treat. End your meal with a Cream, Honey and Pistachio crêpe, a Dulce de Leche with organic banana and caramel or another great combination. These can also be made gluten free.

The restaurant also offers delivery and catering. “For catering, we do two different styles,” he says. “My favorite one is the family style where you just get big plates of all your favorite dishes and then you create your own plate in your own setting at home or in your office. But, we also do a lunch option where you get sandwiches with various salads and dips on the side.”

Pita Grill & Creperie accommodates all different palates and dietary preferences, and even has an easy-to-follow chart on its website that shows which dishes are vegetarian, vegan and gluten free.

“We want to have an environment where customers feel welcome,” says Hassan. “Our portions are huge and at a price point that's reasonable for everyone, whether it's a lunchtime worker at one of our locations, or two people going out on a dinner date on a Friday night.”

Today, Pita Grill & Creperie has four locations. In addition to Warren, there’s one in Summit, Somerset and Metuchen. “We appreciate all of our customers and their loyal support throughout the years and we're just very happy to be here,” he says.

To find out more and see its full menu, go to PitaGrillandCreperie.com. Along with its large array of menu options, specials are offered every day. And, for even more savings, join its Rewards Program and earn delicious rewards!