by Jesse Walker-McGraw
I was perplexed when I saw the outside of Papu’s Cafe. It looked like a normal gas station, complete with gas pumps, not a Mediterranean restaurant. The Dart had decided to review the cafe when several STA girls raved about its deliciousness. Even though I had been told the restaurant was housed in a gas station, I was still surprised when I saw the outside of the cafe.
Inside, the restaurant was starkly different. Although one side of the area was a normal gas station, with Doritos and Twizzlers for sale near a counter (and cigarettes for sale behind it), the other side was filled with nice tables (with fresh flowers on each) and a huge visible kitchen. Directly in front of the clear glass separating the kitchen from the dining area, there was a long counter, with tall chairs. Food was handed directly over the divider. There were paintings of women wearing hijabs on the wall and soon afterwards, one of the employees turned on Mediterranean music.
After all this, I expected the food to be wonderful, and was not disappointed. My friend Rita, who I had dragged with me, accompanied me to the counter, where we ordered gyros, which are sandwiches made of pita bread, thinly sliced meat, sauce, lettuce, and tomatoes. I’m picky, so I only got meat on mine, while Rita got everything except tomatoes and lettuce. The woman working the counter gave us a receipt, with our order, and we sat down at the high counter to wait. Spread along it were magazines, ranging from Time Magazine to People Magazine, in case there was a long wait, I assumed. Rita and I certainly didn’t have to wait long. Our gyros were almost immediately handed over the counter. Both of us loved our them, especially since they were only about $6. The meat was, as Rita said, “perfectly seasoned,” nicely spicy and a little greasy. The pita bread was cooked just enough and browned on the sides. After our lunch, Rita and I decided to sample a piece of baklava, a delicious layered honey pastry, for the sake of reporting, of course. I was a bit deterred when I saw that the baklava was kept in a freezer. It seemed less fresh, although it tasted homemade, and being kept in a freezer had made it hard to rip pieces off of it to eat. However, it was only about $3, and I am not one to say no to delicious honey pastry.
It was strange to be eating restaurant quality food next to gas station coolers full of flavored water. In addition, after eating, we paid for our food at the gas station counter.
As I left Papu’s Cafe, I looked back and knew that although it looked like a gas station, a delicious cafe was hidden within. I know STA girls love to eat at gas stations- cough, Quick Trip,cough- so why not try Mediterranean gas station food for a change? And hey, if you drive, you can fill up yourself and your car!
