Eating My Way Through University City: Al-Tarboush Deli

I try to plan my cooking around our crazy schedule. With my husband in class twice a week and several other evening commitments, we often find ourselves short on time for dinner. Thankfully, we both like leftovers and I have recently become the queen of quick and easy meals.

Though University City has a variety of fast food restaurants, I try to avoid McDonalds and the like, unless it’s for an ice cream cone (one of my favorite treats!). Some evenings, however, there just simply isn’t time to make it all the way home for food before running off to whatever we have next.

Last week, when I found myself with only a few minutes to spare for dinner, I happened upon , located in the Loop on Westgate Ave.

Because it is right around the corner from and also boasts a selection of Middle Eastern food, I assumed they were related. It turns out they’re two completely separate establishments with a similar food profile. There are lots of similarities between the two menus: hummus, chicken and beef shwarma, falafel, and more. A fairly small building, the space is filled with one or two tables, a counter for ordering, and a few shelves of food available for purchase. They had everything from the completely random (large containers of salt) to the more appropriate (jars of tahini—sesame seed paste that is frequently used in Middle Eastern food). There is also a large refrigerator filled with tubs of hummus, grape leaves, and other delicacies, available for immediate purchase.

Conflicted over whether to order the chicken shwarma sandwich or the falafel sandwich, I asked the gentleman behind the counter for his recommendation. Like me, he couldn’t choose one over the other, so I opted for the falafel sandwich with the intention of returning to try the chicken shwarma. Within two minutes of making my order, my sandwich was assembled, wrapped, and bagged. Now that’s fast food! I handed over my cash (just over $5 for the sandwich), and scurried to my car.

As I drove to my next destination, the smell of the sandwich tempted me to pull over and dig in. Upon arriving, that’s exactly what I did…only to discover that the sandwich tastes as good as it smelled, if not better! For $5, this meal was a steal. The pita bread was soft and fluffy, obviously freshly made. In fact, I think I preferred it to the pita bread served at . The falafel was perfectly spiced and textured—not too greasy, with a crispy exterior and a soft interior. My favorite part was the tahini sauce, which was generously poured all over the sandwich.

Al-Tourbish will be my go-to “fast food.” With prices that rival your local chain, the food is infinitely fresher and undoubtedly healthier. Next time you find yourself in need of a quick meal, I recommend supporting this family-owned local business! Let me know what you try, so I can order on my next visit!