I remember hearing about Hummus Yummy years ago. Before they opened their brick & mortar, they had a food truck. The owner’s passion is hummus, also a favorite of Mr. Froyo’s. I like hummus a lot but not as much as he does.

Hummus Yummy is a small, casual eatery in a Jewish neighborhood – good signs. Order at the counter. The menu is includes breakfast items served with hummus, salads, sandwiches, appetizers (dips, fries, dolmas, falafel), plates, and a kids menu. The hummus plates come with pita bread, raw white onion, olives, pickles, and pepperoncini. There’s one kind of hummus (plain) but you can get it with different toppings like mushrooms, falafel, bell pepper, shawarma, etc.

Hummus baba ganoush ($12): The baba ganoush was good but not smoky. I like mine smoky. Mr. Froyo doesn’t care for the smoky flavor. The hummus was smooth, thick, and spiced just right (not too salty). It was sprinkled with paprika and fresh parsley and drizzled with olive oil. The spicy green sauce added the bright flavor of cilantro – delicious. The pita was soft and extra thick (Israeli pita). The sweet raw onions and sour pickles went well with the hummus. The food was so filling that I had enough for two meals.

Plain hummus plate ($10): Mr. Froyo approved. He said the hummus wasn’t runny but thick and full of bean flavor.

Falafel (4 balls, tahini, $3): Tiniest falafel that I’ve ever seen but they were crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, fried to a golden brown. They tasted nutty and didn’t have parsley or other herbs. I recommend getting falafel to add to your hummus.

The interior décor was simple. It looked clean. The cashier’s face mask did not cover his nose but the chef wore his mask properly. I had some communication issues that were somewhat strange. First, I called and asked whether they closed at 4 PM. He did not seem to understand my question. Then when I reached the shop and tried to order, I had to repeat my order many times. He suggested that I tell him the item number. I pointed out that there were no numbers next to the items on the menu board. We really enjoyed the food though. I believe that their food is Kosher.

4.5 out of 5 stars.

LOVE this type of casual Israeli/Mediterranean eatery…the owners are Israeli. The food is kosher and halal. And they try to hire formerly incarcerated people to give them a second chance. I didn’t know all this when I wandered in and placed my order at the kiosk. The prices were high, but it is San Francisco ($19.99 for a pita shawarma sandwich, $19.99 for a falafel plate). My order was ready quickly.

They have pita sandwiches, hummus bowls, combo plates, salads, kababs, falafel, shawarma, and crispy chicken, plus desserts and a grab n’ go dips, sauces, and pickles. The fridge also had cold drinks including Israeli soda.

Hummus Tel Aviv ($17.99): hummus topped with crispy eggplant, overnight egg, tahini, olive oil, cumin, chopped parsley. Comes with one freshly baked, thick Israeli pita bread. Not sure what an overnight egg is but it looked like a sliced hard boiled egg. The eggplant slices were deep fried with an extra crispy batter – so good. They were generous with the silky tahini. The hummus was mostly chickpea and tahini – mild, extra thick and silky. Loved everything but it’s expensive.

Place your order at the kiosk or at the counter. It’s a small place, casual, with indoor and outdoor seating.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Hatikva Grill is under new ownership this year. It also is no longer kosher as of August 2021 though the sign still says it’s kosher. The food is Israeli. There isn’t much décor or ambiance. It’s no-frills with the kitchen taking up most of the small area.

The menu includes various proteins and veggies that you can choose to have in a pita, baguette or laffa, or as a plate. Some of the options include shawarma, kebabs, sabich, shakshuka, hamburger and hot dog. They also have appetizers, hummus with different toppings, and side orders (e.g., rice, fries, Israeli salad). I asked for falafel but they didn’t have any prepared. They had cold appetizers/sides in the freezer and also some hot prepared food (salmon, rice, chicken).

Hummus chickpea ($7.95) comes with one thick pita bread: Very nice – smooth, whipped pita topped with tahini, chickpeas, olive oil, parsley. Strong tahini flavor.

Hummus with chicken shawarma ($16.95) with one pita. Seemed expensive but they did include a lot of shawarma. The chicken was shaved off the vertical rotisserie and had shawarma spices. Delicious! Plus, the hummus was so good.

Tabouli ($10): Expensive for the size and didn’t have enough parsley or lemon. It was fresh-tasting though.  

They threw in some pickles and zesty, spicy schug – yum!

4 out of 5 stars.