Whaddapita!
408 Forest Ave., Portland
773-8111
whaddapita.com
Greek food is not in abundance in the Forest City, so it’s natural to approach a franchise-looking place on Forest Ave. named Whaddapita! with some skepticism. But Whaddapita! is not part of a chain, and despite its silly name and garish exterior, Whaddapita! makes a tasty mark.
The decor is loud and clean. Everything is bright green and orange, with big goofy W’s all over the place. There’s indoor and outdoor seating. You order at the counter and a server will promptly deliver your meal.
The appetizers include dolmades ($4), pita bread (duh; .79), straight-up feta cheese ($6), falafel ($5), and more. We went for the zucchini fritters ($6), which come with a delicious tzatziki yogurt sauce and a supposedly fiery hot sauce that didn’t quite ignite.
The platters at Whaddapita! include entrees like gyros or souvlaki sticks, served with homemade fries, red onions, tomatoes, grilled pita bread, and sauce ($9).
Their pork gyro is shaved off a rotisserie, shawarma-style. It’s extremely tasty and filling. The souvlakis (skewered meats) are equally satisfying.
The drinks are nothing special: fountain soda, beer and wine. The smoothies ($4.50) are made on the spot. The raspberry-lemonade variety was more like a slushie in its consistency, and tasted a little too sweet to be a beverage, rather than a dessert.
For dessert, there’s cheesecake ($5) and little Baklava rolls ($3) that were sweet but a little bland.
Eco-conscious diners beware: Whaddapita! uses paper plates and plastic containers and cutlery, all of which go in the trash. And depending on the time of day, even if it’s nice out, you may want to eat inside. My party didn’t want to dine beside Forest Avenue during rush hour, but the radio playing inside was much too loud. To his credit, the owner asked us about this, and when we told him Taylor Swift wasn’t our preferred dinner music, he immediately turned it down and then made sure to check in on us again.
Take-out and delivery service are also available. The tasty, satisfying food here has earned the Whaddapita! menu a coveted spot on the Nielsen Family fridge.
— Anders Nielsen
Whaddapita is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
