Zad by Pita Inn: What’s Vegetarian Editorial Review

Zad by Pita Inn is a real, open Middle Eastern restaurant in Skokie, and vegetarians can eat well here. The menu is built around falafel, hummus, and grilled vegetables that are naturally meat-free, plus a few plant-based swaps for the meat-eaters’ favorites. Nothing on the menu is formally labeled vegetarian or vegan, so you’ll need to read descriptions or ask, but the options themselves are real and easy to find.

What’s vegetarian and vegan at Zad by Pita Inn

Start with the hummus, which comes in several varieties including a spicier muhammara version, and the baba ghanoush. The falafel wrap is a solid meat-free main, and the restaurant’s veggie combo platter pulls several of these dishes onto one plate. Quinoa tabbouleh shows up as a vegan side. For something closer to a full entree, Zad serves Impossible Kefta Kabobs made with plant-based meat, topped with lettuce, onions, pickles, tomatoes, and a vegan tahini sauce. Most of the vegetarian dishes on the menu can be made vegan simply by skipping any yogurt-based sauce.

How to order

Order a few mezze dishes to share rather than hunting for one big vegetarian entree. That’s how this menu is built, and it works well for a table with mixed diets. If you’re vegan, ask which sauces contain yogurt or dairy before you order, since that’s the main thing standing between a vegetarian dish and a vegan one here. The Impossible Kefta Kabobs are your best bet if you want something that feels like a full plate rather than a side.

What to watch out for

This is a halal kitchen that cooks lamb, chicken, and beef alongside the vegetarian dishes, so if strict cross-contact avoidance matters to you, ask how shared equipment like the grill and fryer gets used. There’s no dedicated vegetarian or vegan menu section, which means you’re relying on staff knowledge and item descriptions rather than a built-in guide. Some dips and dressings default to dairy, so don’t assume a sauce is vegan without checking.

Is Zad by Pita Inn worth it?

Yes. This is the more intimate, elevated sibling of the well-known Pita Inn chain that the Tabahi family runs across Chicagoland, with five Pita Inn locations plus a market and bakery in the suburbs, and Zad sits in the original Pita Inn spot in Skokie. The menu was created by chef Falah Tabahi, the founder of the Pita Inn restaurants, and reviewers describe Zad as a more intimate, sit-down take on the same family recipes. The vegetarian mezze here holds up on its own without needing a special ask. Prices are reasonable, portions are generous, and there’s enough real variety that a vegetarian or vegan diner can build a full meal instead of settling for a side salad. Zad is open every day of the week, and it takes dine-in, takeout, delivery, and catering, so there’s flexibility in how you order the vegetarian dishes. Reviewers on Tripadvisor and Yelp consistently point to the falafel and hummus as standouts, and the restaurant’s long track record, more than four decades under the same family, suggests the vegetarian side of the menu isn’t a recent add-on but a long-standing part of how Zad and Pita Inn cook.