BEST HUMMUS IN LOS ANGELES 2020 - DR. SANDWICH

DR. SANDWICH has been recognized by a lot of middle Easterners as having the best Hummus in LA and in Beverly Hills ( They have two restaurants).  It also has unbelievable Pita bread - that tastes fresh and is very different than any other Pita's one purchases anywhere in LA. Unlike the American Pitas that are bought in Supermarkets and in many Middle Eastern Restaurants that are very thin and usually somewhat hard - Dr. Sandwich's pitas are thick, fluffy and are so fresh - they feel like they just came out of an oven.

Their Falafel is also great with a perfect taste and texture and so are other dishes they serve.

There's always a large line of people waiting to purchase their hummus - as there are a lot of middle easterners and middle eastern food lovers and the secret has been shared by all of them about this restaurant.

Now with Covid 19, there's a lot of people picking up  and rightfully so.

SO why the - BUT...

The but - is because it is relatively expensive to eat Hummus at this restaurant and they do small things that truly ruin the experience.

1. The most annoying thing is that a Hummus plate costs $10 - and it comes with a relatively small amount of hummus on the plate and only ONE!!! PITA bread.

Who ever finished a whole hummus plate with only one Pita bread? 

Most people eat 2-3 pitas with their plate - which hikes the price of a hummus plate to about $12 as they charge extra for each pita.

They will give you pickles if you ask - but those too come in a very small plastic dish. The dish is about the size of small dishes inwhich people get ketchup in other places.

Middle easterners love pickles with their Hummus - and most places are very generous about the pickles and throw also olives and other pickles vegetables to show their generosity.

Dr. Sandwich gives you pickles only if you ask - and also - in a very small portion and will fill it up if you ask.

If you want a small salad or pickled white cabbage dish which a lot of people love to eat with their Hummus that will cost you extra. Relatively a lot more extra. 

Some restaurants give these two for free if they charge an expensive price for their hummus - and other restaurants give an option to order small side dishes of these two as sides.

But this restaurant doesn't do that and forces you if you want these a salad and pickled veggies that aren't pickles- to buy them as full side dishes.

I get it - that this restaurant is in Beverly Hills - and everything is more expensive also for them - when they need to maintain it in a 90212 area code.

But usually in Beverly Hills - if you want to justify high prices - one has to look the part - and this restaurant looks far from a high end place.

The restaurants decor is very basic. It doesn't have the feel of a high end restaurant. To me it felt like a pedestrian fast food diner inside a gas station in Israel - who's main clientelle is truckers stopping for a fast food meal on their way from Beer Sheva to Tel Aviv.

BOTTOM LINE:

I loved their Hummus - and I do hope this place will survive and continue thriving.

Seeing so many middle eastern restaurants come and go in LA - I know how hard it is to keep a restaurant alive in a city where people love change and aren't loyal to even wonderful restaurants.

Because of their great hummus - they have huge lines snaking around the place - but unless they figure out their pricing scheme - and what they offer for their expensive prices - they might find themselves fighting for clients in the future and once some people will be tired of paying so much for so little food and without getting the full Middle Eastern experience - with several Pitas and a plate full of Pickles - they might one day discover that customers are leaving and never coming back.

I truly hope the owners of this wonderful Hummus restaurant realize they have the momentum right now and do the needed changes in their menu and servings to ensure their customers will realize it's not just wonderful Hummus but also a great deal that is worth coming back to again and again.

Only time will Tell - if Dr. Sandwich becomes the HUMMUS CLASSIC in LA - like PINK's is to HOT DOGS - or if it will be a fad - and a wonderful memory of a wonderful restaurant that vanished over time - like DOUGH BOYS was on THIRD STREET.

Regardless of what happens to this place in the future - I do hope everyone tastes their hummus - so that they will be able to say - LA had amazing hummus that could compete with any middle eastern restaurant in the middle east! 

Hummus: the ultimate guide for beginners

So I found this interesting article online when I googled the word Hummus. This is an article from the blog I Googled Israel giving a brief history of Hummus and top 10 places to eat Hummus in Israel:

Hummus: The ultimate guide to beginnings - article

They also have an interesting video about Hummus in Israel:

SABRA HUMMUS - ES TU BRUTE?

ES TU BRUTE are the last words of Casear, in Shakespeare's Casear.
The idea that you've been betrayed even by your closest friends.
Not just betrayed. Stabbed in the back. Killed by a friend's painful dagger! That's what I felt lately with Sabra's Hummus.
Sabra has been an old friend.
With all the chaos and instability in the world - Sabra Hummus has always maintained a high level of consistency and while it's never been a spectacular Hummus- it's always been good enough that it could serve as the go to Hummus when there was no other alternative around.

But the love story's gone.
The little magic their hummus used to have is lost.
I've tried several of their Hummus variations in LA and while initially I tried to give every justification in the book as to why I'm not loving their hummus.
Finally I had to admit.
The Hummus tastes different.
It tastes more bland.
It tastes more artificial.
It tastes more generic
It tastes like there's more preservatives in it and yes... it even tastes a little bit more plasticky than before.

It's sad when denial ends and you got to face the mirror and say to yourself - I've been dillusional for so long.

I have no idea why after all those years - Sabra has decided to move on from it's loyal base of Hummus lovers and fans.

But that's life.
Nothing stays constant.
Sony used to rule the music world with their walkman.
But there's a new king in town. Who remembers walkman today - it's all about the ipad...

So goes the glory of the hummus world.

Good bye Sabra.
I love you -
But now I must find another hummus to love.

What the...Hummus?

After Lebanon broke the world record with the largest Hummus plate ever, it seemed that it was just a matter of time before an Israeli would try to retaliate with his own Hummus world record.
It's the middle east, after all, and everyone wants to retaliate - right?
An eye for an eye, a hummus plate for a hummus plate...

So now, Hummus101.com, a Hummus blog reports that they themselves had decided to take the challenge and created the...

Yes you read it right - the smallest Hummus plate.

Yes. It does sound kind of bizarre, but then again perhaps not more bizarre than the largest hummus plate. Here's the official link:

http://humus101.com/EN/2009/11/13/new-guinness-record-the-smallest-hummus-plate-ever/

hummus101.com claims that :

"39mm hummus plate, containing 14 grams of hummus. 300 Lebanese chefs were needed to break the record for the largest hummus plate. We only needed ONE!"

Based on images on their blog it seems that the hummus plate was smaller than a quarter.  Check their website for pictures. Guess, We'll have to wait for the official Guiness confirmation to see if their claim is legit.

I'm delighted that Lebanese and Israeli's have found a positive area in which to compete.

Maybe instead of a war, they could just create a Hummus olympics. It will probably be cheaper, tastier and I'm sure the people on both sides will enjoy it more.

Go Hummus teams, go!

Habibi Cafe Westwood California

Every reviewer is always torn between his personal tastes and what he sees is the taste of the general public.  Perhaps that's why it's so hard for me to give an awful review to a successful restaurant that's always full of people. Maybe being a middle eastern myself  that causes my standards to be a bit high. Perhaps the crowd that comes to Habibi is less interested in the Hummus and more fascinated with smoking a Hookah close to UCLA. Habibi is  usually packed with college students wanting to mingle and smoke a Hookah.
But for those wanting a Hummus not a Hookah  I say - AVOID this place.

The Hummus tasted old and generic. I  felt it had too much garlic and I love garlic. So stating that something has a strong garlic after taste-  is not a comment I've ever used.

I also ordered their Falafel sandwich which comes in a small pita. There were about three Falafels in it overall and at the end I still felt hungry and unsatisfied. It costs $6.00 which is double what I would have paid if I would have ordered three one falafel in a small pita.
The Falafel came in the sandwich without hummus which was also dissapointing.

Their Falafel plate is $14 which I feel is robbery .

The Falafel is good but not great. I give it credit for being fresh - but the taste was nothing to write home about.  That said the way it was served was dissapointing. Tiny pita that doesn't really resemble a middle eastern pita - with a hole. It's more like a puffy Burrito or one of those things you get at a Greek restaurant. That contributed to the messy eating experience with this. It was also wrapped in an unusual way that made the entire meal uncomfortable and everything kept falling out of the sandwich.
If you're a college student on a date - don't eat the Falafel - cause you're almost guaranteed to look like a fool.

I wanted to check their take out as well and ordered a Hummus to go and got it in a paper box which was a first - Cheap paper that became soggy and added to the awful taste of the Hummus.
Also, they were extremely ungenerous with the Hummus. They served it in a very small quantity - oh and they dizzled some olive oil which helped make the box even soggier. This treat will run you $5.95 which for the size I felt was overpriced.

They don't accept Mastercard or Visa for under $10 - which means you can't just go in there and order a falafel sanwich . I waited to get the Falafel to go for over 20 minutes even thought there was no one there. The place has bad service and is very slow. Guess people who go there aren't in a rush.

If you're a college student and want to sit with friends to smoke a Hookah I'd recommend this place.
For food - I suggest go elsewhere.

This Hummus is one of the worst Hummus I've tasted in Los Angeles - and so I give this place a one star - only for the atmosphere.

AVOID. AVOID. AVOID if possible!

The Lebanon war of hummus

This article was copied from Ynet - Israel's leading news source affiliate of the largest newspaper in Israel:

http://www.ynet.co.il/english/articles/0,7340,L-3794608,00.html

Hundreds of Lebanese chefs reclaim Guinness record with world's biggest hummus plate
AFP
Published: 10.24.09, 18:32 / Israel Culture
Hundreds of garlic-loving Lebanese came together on Saturday to make the largest hummus serving on the world's biggest plate, claiming ownership of the dish with a new Guinness world record.

The previous record was held by an Israeli company.

A Guinness representative was on hand to certify the record set by 250 Lebanese chefs and their trainees, who joined efforts to mix over two tons of the chickpea-based dip.


The Lebanon war of hummus
Hundreds of Lebanese chefs reclaim Guinness record with world's biggest hummus plate
AFP
Published: 10.24.09, 18:32 / Israel Culture
Hundreds of garlic-loving Lebanese came together on Saturday to make the largest hummus serving on the world's biggest plate, claiming ownership of the dish with a new Guinness world record.

The previous record was held by an Israeli company.

A Guinness representative was on hand to certify the record set by 250 Lebanese chefs and their trainees, who joined efforts to mix over two tons of the chickpea-based dip.

Under the watchful eyes of the adjudicator, they poured 1,350 kilograms (2,976 pounds) of mashed chickpeas and 400 liters (13,525 ounces) of lemon juice into the mega-sized pottery dish, cheered on by hundreds of onlookers.

The chefs gathered around their dish upon receiving the Guinness certificate and sang an a capella version of the national anthem before joining hands to dance the traditional dabke in celebration.
Organizers have hailed the event as "a patriotic event of national scale.

"El Hommos Lebnaneh (Hummus is Lebanese) is an attempt to break the current Guinness world records of hummus and tabbouleh, reaffirming the Lebanese proprietorship of these two dishes," said a statement issued by the industrialist association and food syndicate, which planned the event.

A battle over hummus and tabbouleh between Lebanon and Israel - two neighbors still technically at war - emerged last year and efforts have been underway ever since to clearly identify such dishes as exclusively Lebanese.

The official awards ceremony is set to take place Sunday evening, when Lebanon hopes to break another world record for the largest bowl of tabbouleh.

In August, the small northern town of Ehden gained an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records for producing the largest ever kebbe - a dish of minced meat and cracked wheat.


Photo above and it's copyright belongs to AP.

Most popular Hummus websites on Alexa

Almost Yom Kippur Eve - The Jewish holiday of reflections. So for all our Jewish friends we decided to show respect by reflecting as well.
Checked on Alexa, one of the websites to check popularity of websites to see who are the top ten Hummus related links online and we're still not there.
So for all the fans out there- do let your friends know about us and do send us info about new Hummus eateries we should write about.
Hopefully soon our website will inch it's way to be in the top ten.
There is still very little Hummus reviews worldwide. The top ten related Hummus websites are mostly restaurants or Hummus manufacturers.

As for the top ten. Here they are:

* 1. Hummus Bros
hbros.co.uk

Mediterranean restaurant which claims to be the first eatery in the UK where hummus is used as a base for the main course. History, press, feedback.
o hbros.co.uk is not in the top 100,000 sites
o Rank: 1,918,011
o Category: Regional > Europe
o Keywords: hummus bros, hummus bros london, humus brothers special offer, hbros, humus bar restaurant

* 2. hummusplace.com
hummusplace.com

o hummusplace.com is not in the top 100,000 sites
o Rank: 2,064,760
o Keywords: hummus place, the humus place, humus retaurant upper east side

* 3. trainz.cz
trainz.cz

o trainz.cz is not in the top 100,000 sites
o Rank: 1,568,947
o Keywords: trainz csu, trs 2009, hummus trainz, auran dls, trainz.cz
4. sabra.com
sabra.com

o sabra.com is not in the top 100,000 sites
o Rank: 937,921
o Keywords: sabra, sabra hummus, colombe jacobsen, sabra.com

* 5. tribehummus.com
tribehummus.com

o tribehummus.com is not in the top 100,000 sites
o Rank: 1,055,301
o Keywords: tribe hummus, free t shirt, tribe, free tshirts

6. Summer Fresh Salads Inc.
summerfresh.com

o summerfresh.com is not in the top 100,000 sites
o Rank: 5,751,719
o Keywords: fresh salads, summer freshed, summer fresh salads, www.summerfresh.com, summerfresh

* 7. Vaření.cz
vareni.cz

Nabízí české i mezinárodní recepty v katalogu s možností vyhledávání, aktuální články o vaření, tipy a triky pro domácnost, gastronomický slovník pojmů, diskuze a možnost tvorby osobní internetové kuchařky z receptů.
o vareni.cz is a top 100,000 site
o Rank: 82,173
o Category: World > Česky
o Keywords: pangasius, recept, lasagne, musaka, chilli con carne

* 8. A Dreamer s Guide - Dream Moods
dreammoods.com

Dream Moods is a free online source in helping you interpret your dreams. Features dream dictonary, discussion forums and articles related to dreaming.
o dreammoods.com is a top 50,000 site
o Rank: 12,993
o Category: Science > Social Sciences
o Keywords: dream dictionary, dreams, dream meanings, meaning of dreams, dreammoods

* 9. חומוס להמונים
humus101.com

הכל על חומוס: היסטוריה, תרבות, ערכים תזונתיים, המלצות על חומוסיות איכותיות, וכמובן - מתכונים. איך להכין חומוס, מסבחה, טחינה, חומוס-פול ועוד.
o humus101.com is not in the top 100,000 sites
o Rank: 462,331
o Category: World > Hebrew
o Keywords: חומוס, humus recipe, מתכון חומוס, hummus recipe, אבו חסן
o From the site: Everbody in the middle east eat Hummus. Although considered an Arab dish, Israelis too consider it to be their national delicacy. In recent years, hummus has gone global, and you can find it anywhere in the world - sometimes reffered to as “Houmous” or “Humus”. This blog is about Hummus, regardless of sex, race, religion or color. It is about the love for Hummus and the things you can do with it - including making it yourself. ... More...

* 10. Coupons - Couponsurfer.com - Free Online And Printable Coupons For G
couponsurfer.com

o couponsurfer.com is a top 100,000 site
o Rank: 82,786
o Keywords: coupons for groceries, red lobster, free coupons for groceries, coupon surfer, free coupon
o From the site: Welcome to CouponSurfer.com - Just click, point and save - it's that easy! Our mission at CouponSurfer.com is to save you money when you shop by offering top brand-name deals and coupons as a free service for you. We offer hundreds of money-saving coupons for groceries, clothing, gifts, shopping, toys, travel, and lots more. ... CouponSurfer.com Offers 2 types of Coupons: 1. On-line Coupon - These coupons are used at On-line Stores like Buy.com, PETsMART.com, and others. ... More...

Muma - Melrose Hummus

Melrose used to be a trendy place in Los Angeles until several years ago when the Grove shopping mall opened nearbye and sucked out the life out of this hipster's paradise.
Many of the hip and fun stores closed and the street started looking more like a ghost street.
Even the Hummus restaurant there like Wholesome Pita closed.

Now a new attempt is being made to open a new Hummus place with a twist and being a huge fan of Melrose I went to this place hoping that indeed they'll nail it.

The place is called Muma and the interior design and the way they serve shouts FRANCHISE. They are trying to do to Hummus what Pinkberry did to frozen yogurt.

Unlike many of the other Hummus restaurants which look like a cheap low class rundown diner- Muma has a cool and hip look which makes the tiny place feel much more spacious and fun.

They have fresh vegetables and salads that are made on premise and have interesting options for the Hummus.

The Hummus itself is good and interesting.

Their Falafel is fresh and made to order and their Pitas are also fresh.

The place is still brand new and caters to 3 different crowds:
Orthodox Jews living nearbye in La Brea/Melrose area
Israeli's working on Melrose
Vegeterians looking for a fun and tasty place in the Fairfax district.
Hipsters wanting a fast and clean meal on Melrose after shopping there.

One of the things that always dissapoints me with new places is how fast they surrender to mediocrity after the first few month's of existence.
This place is new and the two charming and charismatic owners are working there hard to make sure the food is fresh and tasty and hot for every customer.
The fans have noticed their hard work and the place is full most of the day.
I do hope they will stay this way and not give up their desire to make the best Hummus on Melrose.

Muma's is aiming directly for the Chipotle crowd. Those wanting a fast meal in a clean place that's both tasty, fast and hip but also will give them a full meal for under $10. Chipotle seem to have a lot of repeat customers that come there almost daily to eat cheaply.
Time will tell if the same concept will work for Mumma.

As they are located so close to the ultra Orthodox Jewish neighborhood of La Brea and Melrose they will hopefully attract some of the same crowd that used to go to Wholesome Pita. But in order to survive in the competitive Melrose Avenue they'll hopefully manage to get the hipsters to adopt this place to.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for this place.
It's inspiring to see young people try to bring new life into a traditional meal in such an exciting way and especially in LA which is such a hard town to bring anything new to.

I also hope they don't fall into the trap of a lot of middle eastern places that eventually try to hike up prices believing Israeli's, Jews and Arabs are suckers. They might be for awhile but eventually all places that had crazy prices for Hummus went under. Hummus and Falafel are the Pizza of the middle east and as such should be priced accordingly.
As their new competitor on Fairfax, Pita bar and Grill turned from a sweet darling to a disgusting, stale Pita serving, lousy Hummus making place in less than 6 month since they opened and also hiked up the price and so lost quite a few clients in the process - I truly hope this sweet new place doesn't look at the conduct of the current crop of middle eastern restaurants but rather at what it could become- the middle eastern Chipotle chain.

Good luck guys and may the force of chickpeas be with you.


Their info:
http://mumarestaurant.com/
7275 Melrose Ave
LA CA 90046
323-936-7697

BEST SUPERMARKET HUMMUS

Even thought originally we intended to review only restaurants, diners and fast food stands- due to requests we've decided to also include reviews of Supermarket Hummus for those interested in getting your daily dose of Hummus when there is no time or no decent Hummus place in your area.

Supermarket Hummus is never as fresh or tasty as the ones made fresh daily- but there are a few companies out there that make Hummus that's pretty good and can be an almost decent substitute for the real thing.

SABRA HUMMUS

I personally like Sabra the most. Their Hummus is good, consistent and is readily available in many supermarkets around the US.
You can check their website:
www.sabra.com
They also have a store locater to find them in your area:
http://www.sabra.com/store-locator/store-locator.aspx

TRADER JOES - AVOID
Many like their Hummus- but I'm not a big fan- even thought I love Trader Joes as a brand. The Hummus tastes like a vegiterian dip and a lot of their hummus options- don't even have garbanzo beans in them and they don't even have the hummus color or taste. So I suggest to avoid for now- until they decide to make a real Hummus that tastes like Hummus.