12211 Hawthorne Blvd
Hawthorne, CA 90250
(310) 675-3400
Rating: 4.9 stars
Typical cost for lunch: $$ ($7-9)
What was ordered: Chicken Shawarma & Greek Salad
Date of visit: 31 May 2011 (3rd visit)
Review: I had the hankering for some pita and grilled meat, but we couldn’t decide where to go. We’ve been to various Middle Eastern restaurants in the area, but none has ever stood out. Al Hamra isn’t filling; The Hummus Factory has a pretty limited menu; Chicken Maison is a little pricey (but has delectable garlic sauce); Open Sesame and Sabra are down-right overpriced; Hummus House is… hmmm… maybe the best of the lot. With that we set off for the restaurant with 8 types of hummus!
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| Chicken Shawarma |
If nothing else, Hummus House is known for its wide variety of hummus options. They include: Traditional, Jalapeno Cilantro, Roasted Garlic, Roasted Red Pepper, Artichoke Pesto, Kalamata Olive, Habanero, and Sun Dried Tomato. When I think of hummus, I think of garlic so I usually end up getting the Roasted Garlic. It sounds a bit odd, but the Jalapeno Cilantro is actually probably the tastiest option. The Artichoke Pesto sounds flavorful but is actually a bit bland. I don’t think I’ve ever tried the traditional (who would choose plain when you have so many options?) or the Habanero. The rest are pretty tasty but not exceedingly distinctive. Most of the lunches come with your choice of hummus. I recommend you coordinate within your group so you can try a couple different ones.
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| Greek Salad |
As far as entrees, the Shawarma is my favorite (and most popular according to our server). It is a big pile of juicy marinated meat (beef or chicken), next to a scoop of rice, and a sizable salad. With the pita and hummus it is a filling lunch. I’ve had the Kabob (skewers of grilled meat) and they are excellent, too. The pita wraps are a little bit smaller but still filling. During this visit, my friend ordered the Greek Salad. It was huge and stuffed with grilled chicken breast and feta cheese. Unfortunately the salad doesn’t come with hummus.
Based on my previous two visits that would be my review and I would have given Hummus House 4 stars. However, on this visit I found something I don’t remember previously. When we sat down there was a big pot of creamy garlic sauce ready for us to add however we like to our meal. It is the same sauce that drives my back to Chicken Maison like a fly to light. However at Chicken Maison, you get a small plastic cup. Here they give you a big pot of the stuff! I looked up a recipe online for this sauce and it is basically: garlic, garlic, and more garlic. Add in a bit of olive oil and salt and blend for an eon. After some time the oil must start to emulsify to give it that creamy texture. It doesn’t have a strong bite when you first taste it, but before long you realize how much garlic you just ate. I don’t recommend this stuff before an important meeting with the client, but other than that I can’t think of too many items that wouldn’t be tastier with a little bit of this sauce.
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| Garlic Sauce!!! |
The only downside to Hummus House is that it is right next to Rosy’s Cuban Café and Bakery. Hummus house is great but it is tough walking past Rosy’s. 4.9 stars.
-Ben
