As a falafel-obsessed vegetarian, I was instantly intrigued at the mention of a hot veggie pita on the Gyro section of the Windy City Express menu. Although this restaurant has a pretty pervasive meat focus, I had faith that it would pull through on the plant-based option front.

Unfortunately, the Windy City Express veggie pita does not include falafel or any veggie protein. Furthermore, this dish seems to serve as a menu filler that caters to the occasional vegetarian visitor.

Despite the pleasant texture of the fresh pita, the menu item felt like an afterthought. With toppings including banana peppers, tomatoes, iceberg lettuce and tzatziki, it seemed as though the purveyors of Windy City Express decided to combine all of their sandwich toppings in order to concoct a bare-bones vegetarian option.

The flavor of the dish was not bad, but it reminded me more of a cheese-less Subway sandwich than a mediterranean plant-based meal. Seeing as Shawarma Joint’s off campus location is across the street from this place, I would advise that plant-based visitors explore other options before spending almost ten dollars on some sandwich toppings tossed into a pita at Windy City Express.

Unfortunately for meat-averse visitors, this restaurant does not exactly offer any plant-based protein options. However, there is one vegetarian entree, so visitors with this dietary restriction will not needlessly go hungry.

Despite best efforts, this restaurant seems like a place that is best enjoyed by a meat-loving public.

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