Love, spices and family make this Mediterranean spot one of the KC area’s best
First of all, I want to admit that I’m no expert on Mediterranean food. I’m just a run-of-the-mill gal from the Midwest.
I do, however, like it a lot. I eat it a lot. And I will gladly call out greatness when I see it.
As a frequent flyer in downtown Overland Park, my mouth waters every time I pass by Hummus & Pita at 8039 Santa Fe Drive. My tastebuds must remember the first chicken shawarma ($13) I ever had there.
That was when, about to head to the Johnson County Fair last year, a friend of mine offered an extra sandwich.
“Sure, I’m hungry. I like shawarma,” I said, unaware of the culinary journey that would ensue.
Upon tasting the wrap, my life was never the same — the perfectly tenderized, seasoned chicken mingled with the sauce and crunch of the onions and tomatoes. And the restaurant’s scratch-made hummus makes me feel no differently.
If you’re wondering what makes the hummus at Hummus & Pita different, owner Dhiaa Eid said it’s a painstakingly slow process.
“A lot of people, when they make hummus, they take a chickpeas can and put it in the blender, add some stuff — this is not the way,” he said. “It has to be good quality chickpeas, soak it in the water. Next day, we cook it. It takes almost a half-day.”
Eid, a Palestinian man who was born and raised in Jordan, imports his seasonings from the Middle East to bring another level of authenticity to his dishes. But his spices aren’t the only things that have echoes of home.
Eid’s late father had a restaurant by the same name in Jordan. Starting at just 6 years old, Eid worked in the restaurant alongside his parents and siblings, learning how to perfect a kabob platter.
In 2014, he moved to the United States, working in the fitness industry. He opened Hummus & Pita in 2021, in a cramped space less than half the size it is now.
With consistent lines out the door and the neighboring tenant moving out, Hummus & Pita expanded last year. Asked what his father would think about the Overland Park restaurant, Eid smiled.
“He would be so proud, if he were still alive,” Eid said.
Blood related or not, Eid wants his workers to all feel like family. One of his chefs is a longtime friend, Sabah Majit, whom he calls “Mama.” He clarifies that his biological mother is back in Jordan, but all of the workers and customers call Majit “Mama.”
“We are all a team,” Eid said. “I never treat someone who works with me like an employee. We’re all just having a good time together, joking.”
Customers who walk in and peer behind the counter will see Eid and his team cooking dishes right in front of them. The weekday late afternoon when I visited was the most quiet I’d seen it — though a handful of customers still trickled in for a full belly in the hour-and-a-half we were there.
Imagine the spot, equipped with a walk-up window, on farmers market Saturdays. It’s a highly efficient, bustling place to be.
Cooking side by side with Mama that day, he insisted we try his special dish, a gyro hero ($11.99). It’s his own creation with lamb, pickles, banana peppers, green peppers, red peppers, feta cheese and hummus wrapped in a tortilla.
I can only speak for myself, but photographer Emily Curiel said she loved it.
As cliche as seems, Eid wants the spirit of his father’s restaurant to carry over.
“We cook with love, you know?” he said. “I like when I see people happy about my food, and they’re coming here and just bragging about it all the time to other people. It makes me happy.”
This story was originally published September 11, 2025 at 5:00 AM.