Fall in love with fresh food: Pita My Heart opens today

Brian Bergstrom
April 9, 2019

Today is the day the pita will steal your heart.

That’s right: Buckhannon’s newest downtown eatery, Pita My Heart, will officially start serving their signature sandwiches, salads and smoothies for the first time when the doors open at 10 a.m. this morning, Tuesday, April 9.

Owners Katie De La Vega and Eric Roark look forward to offering their fresh, healthy menu to the Upshur County community.

“Our goal is to offer a fresh, healthy and fast alternative to the comfort foods that are so common in Buckhannon, so it didn’t take long to settle on a Mediterranean menu,” De La Vega said. “We look forward to serving the community.”

Sourced from local ingredients whenever possible, the list of pitas runs the gamut from the traditional Greek gyro to the exotic falafel to favorites like chicken Caesar. Some classics have a fun, healthy twist, such as the chicken bacon ranch, with includes avocado and fresh cilantro.

The smoothies are meals unto themselves – 20 ounces chock full of frozen yogurt, fruits and juices. With flavors both mild and massive, they’ll transport you to the exotic locales from which they are named – whether you’re enjoying the mango-and-orange Beach Vibes or the pineapple-and-coconut Hawaiian Sunset.

The Kale Storm smoothie, meanwhile, matches the vibrant green color that accents the shop itself. And while the smoothie does feature plenty of kale, the dominant flavor comes from the fruit it also contains. It’s like drinking a crisp green apple, and it’s glorious.

The menu also includes salads – which draw inspiration from the pitas, except without the pita itself – and large blended coffees.

Pricing is simple: pitas are $7.49, smoothies $6.49 and blended coffees $4.95. Salads come in two sizes: a small is $5.49 and a large $7.49.

Special dietary needs? The salads can be ordered gluten free, but not the pitas – at least not yet. They’re still searching for the perfect gluten free pita bread.

While De La Vega and Roark are no strangers to the local business scene – they own the Social, just down the street – they’ve also added some restaurant expertise by hiring Jackie Cornell as assistant manager. She’ll help oversee a staff that currently totals nine.

Pita My Heart is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday. It’s located a stone’s throw from Main Street at 14. N Kanawha Street, near Miss Piggies and across from the Moose Lodge.