Background:
Yafo Kitchen is brought to you by Frank Scibelli, the same restaurateur who pioneered other Charlotte staple restaurants like Mama Ricotta’s, Midwood Smokehouse, Cantina 1511, Paco’s Tacos and Tequila, and Bad Daddy’s, which he recently sold for beaucoups and beaucoups of money (shout out to Tyler’s uncle on S-Town). So, Scallionpancake clearly loves Scibelli and all that he brings to the proverbial and literal table for our burgeoning Charlotte food scene. But with Yafo Kitchen, he has clearly outdone himself. Yafo is billed as Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern, and Jason and I definitely took note of the Israeli flare, from both the food offerings (the chef is Israeli) and decor (check out the giant pic of halvah on the wall next time you go).
Rice and bulgur wheat
Basically, Yafo Kitchen is the Chipotle of Mediterranean food, and that is just a straight-up genius concept. You feel healthy AF eating here, even though the serving is enough for two hungry men, and the laffah bread probably has enough calories to sustain you for a week. But the fresh vegetables! The hummus! It’s the kind of healthy meal you would make yourself at home if you weren’t so much of a lazy bum.
Everything your heart desires
Eat This:
It seems obvious that the only way to go here is the create your own bowl, right? Right. You can create the base of your bowl with hummus, babaganoush, tzatziki, salad, rice, or the seasonal grain offering--or you can combine any of those ingredients for a 50/50 bowl. You could even throw your ingredients into a laffah wrap, or you could just eat your laffah on the side, which is our preference.
Where the laffah gets made
What is laffah? So glad you asked. Laffah is similar to pita bread, but it is more dense and more delicious, basically. It’s also called taboon bread or Iraqi pita. You can watch the employees making the bread fresh while you wait--it is served hot and you will wonder why you have never heard of this magical bread before.
Magical sauces! They have granch (Greek yogurt ranch) and schug (cilantro jalapeno sauce). Get both of these and use them liberally.
The Sides! The greek yogurt mac and cheese with toasted bread crumbs is a definite winner.
Check out that mac and cheese! Photo courtesy of Charlotte Magazine
You can also order a number of other items like sandwiches or a whole chicken with all of the mezze (side) dishes.
Dessert:
We can vouch for the chocolate chip cookies, which they also make in house. This place is the real deal, right?!
Drink:
Yafo has a fun drink counter, similar to Chopt’s offerings. You can get cucumber mint limeade, hibiscus tea, lemondae, organic unsweetened black tea, or regular sweet tea. They also have local beers!
Atmosphere:
Yafo is fast casual, so the decor is nothing fancy, but the layout is easy to navigate, and the tables are kept bussed and clean so the constant influx of customers can get in and get out with a belly (Scibelli) full of laffah. There are TVs if you would like to watch the game while you eat.
South Park Hospitality:
The folks behind the counter are a marvel of speed and efficiency. The line moves shockingly fast, considering how many add-ons and customizations can be used on each order (and many people are often ordering for a whole family). Yafo is a well-oiled machine, and we like that.
The only complaint is that it’s located in South Park, which is kind of off the beaten path for a lot of folks, and the traffic around that area can be a beast--not to mention the parking in the Morrison shopping center, which is a nightmare. This is going to get worse with the recent opening of Sabor right across the parking lot. We need more locations, Mr. Scibelli! If possible, one location should be in our kitchen. Thanks.
Frankie’s Notes:
Frankie and Frank Scibelli are going to open a fresh new restaurant concept this fall: Pugs ‘N Pops; Jason does not like halvah, blintzes, or cream cheese: is he really Jewish at all?; If S-Town Alabama had a Yafo Kitchen, would they still be S-Town?; What’s the deal with cousin Rita?; Did Tyler ever find the hidden treasure?; What can we do now with our lives now that S-Town is over?! Send all comments and suggestions our way.