Located in downtown Utica, Hummus and Tabbouleh offers quality Halal food at solid prices, and is a must-visit for those looking to expand their repertoire of restaurants to take their parents to on Family Weekend. As students on a rural campus, it is easy to get stuck in a culinary rut, and off-campus adventures are often limited to well-known spots like Minar and Pho Mekong. However, Utica’s large immigrant population makes it a melting pot of dozens of different cuisines, and a massive asset to students who are looking to try something different. Hummus and Tabbouleh is a good place to start if your dietary routine needs a change.
The shop itself is a small, family-run affair, but rarely gets busy, even during the rush hour at lunchtime on weekends, when I visited this place screams “authentic,” which is a reductive and pretty meaningless word but I don’t know how else to describe it. It is a hole-in-the-wall with character and food good enough to justify the trip into Utica.
When I visited Hummus and Tabbouleh, I ordered the lamb kebab with stuffed grape leaves and baba ghanoush, in an attempt to sample the “greatest hits” of Middle Eastern cuisine. The lamb kebab was on the dry side, but overall pretty delicious. However, for a steep $17 I would have hoped for more, in both quality and quantity. The serving was small, with only a few slices of lamb between the pita, and lacking in any strong flavor. I would have been less critical of the dish if it had had a less outrageous price tag.
After a few fairly disappointing bites of my kebab, I decided to sample the stuffed grape leaves, and discovered why this restaurant has such glowing reviews on Yelp. Stuffed with paprika, brown rice, and peas, these were an absolute delight. When dipped in the baba ghanoush, a mashed eggplant dish served cold with tahini and olive oil, the rich flavors contained in the rice came to the forefront of my palate and saved a meal that was bordering on mediocrity.
Overall, Hummus and Tabbouleh is worth the 20 minute drive from campus. If you go, stick to the basics: appetizers are the best bang for your buck here, and when supplemented with a cheap entrée, can give you a satisfying experience sure to bust you out of your Commons-induced food coma.
