Review: At Pita Gourmet, chicken souvlaki done right, thanks to happier workers

Immigrant family biz grew to six restaurants while investing in workers, delighting customers

Thanks to generations of Greek-rooted family restaurants, chicken souvlaki is as much a Buffalo staple as beef on weck. Pita Gourmet, the local family-run chain of quick-serve Greek-Lebanese restaurants, is an island of reliable chicken souvlaki in a town awash in leathery disappointments.

Seasoned with garlic, pepper, onion, and oregano, then grilled, chicken souvlaki replaces bacon in many a Buffalo diner breakfast, next to the eggs, homefries, and toast. The “open faced chicken souvlaki” crowns Greek salad with grilled bird. Even Williamsville’s Glen Park Tavern, justly noted for its destination beef on weck, has a chicken souvlaki salad on the next page of its menu.

Greek fries at Pita Gourmet

Pita Gourmet rocks because its people get the details right. As a result, customers get practially identical dishes at all six locations, a minor miracle in scratch-cooked meals.