N & J Bakery

Rating - 4 out of 6 people
I usually eat lunch at N & J, so this was a very different experience.  At lunch, the place is crowded, the service is quick, and the food is fresh.  At dinner, none of those things are true.  We went on our usual Friday night at 7pm and only half of the tables were filled.  We had called ahead so we had a larger table set aside for us and we were seated very quickly.  Our server took our drink order and most of us just wanted water, but two wanted lemon.  We had to ask three times to get receive the forgotten lemon.  The table was edges were sticky.  They wiped the table again for us, but it is the finish on the table not the cleanliness.

Each peson ordered a different item, so I'll go over each one.
We started the meal with a large Hummus and Pita bread and Za'atar Chips.  The Hummus is the among the best in Wichita which says a lot, but tonight it was a little runny.  Their Pita is made on-site is wonderful.  The Za'atar Chips were baked just right but had little Za'atar seasoning on them so they were a little bland.
First order was a Gyro (pronounced  GEY Row With a Hard G not Gi Ro) Sandwich and sides of Tabouli and Baba Ghanouj.  The Baba Ghanouj is made like Hummus but substitute eggplant for the chickpeas.  It is not as runny and has a great tanginess.  The Tabouli (finely chopped parsley with lemon, onions, olive oil tomatoes and cracked wheat) was bright and has a zing - as usual.  The Gyro meat (roasted lamb) was slight over-cooked.
Next the Mixed Grill - The Chicken and Kafta (ground beef with parsley) were cooked nicely and tasted very good, but the steak was over-cooked. You are going to read this several times.  Much of our meal was overcooked.
Our third person ordered the Combo Platter off the appetizer menu - I've already talked about the hummus, baba ghanouj and tabouli and she agreed with the first person on these items.  Next on the plate were cabbage rolls. which are ground beef, rice, and spices cooked in a cabbage leaf.  These were very bland - lots of rice and very little spice.  Followed by Grape Leaves; these are essentially the same as cabbage rolls but in grape leaves instead.  This combination worked better because there is a lot more flavor in a grape leaf.  Not just in the leaf, but the vinegar.  Last was a couple of Falafels.  These were so overcooked that they lost all flavor and looking at the inside they appeared to be lacking in spices.  I found it really sad because falafels are one of my favorite foods and I've always favorably compared N & J's to ones I've eaten in Israel and New York City, but these puppies were burnt beyond recognition.  She also had some Labneh (cheese yogurt) which we encouraged her to spread on the last three items.  It helped, but not enough.
I got a small appetizer of Hummus Shawarma (chicken).  This and the Vegetarian Combo are my go-to meals.  Mine had lots of flavor and the chicken made the hummus not seem as runny.  My only issue was the meat was again over-cooked. 
To my right was the Gyro Platter.  This is the lamb meat served over a bed of signature rice.  The meat was so over-cooked that parts were crunchy.  The rice however was perfection.  It was cooked right and had spices and vegetables mixed throughout.
Last was the Shawarma Platter (beef).  This is the Shawarma meat served over a bed of the signature rice.  This was a flavorful dish and was properly cooked.  It was the best dish of the evening.
Three of the meals came with a House Salad which everyone really enjoyed.  The vegetables were crisp and the house dressing had a great flavor. 
Four people chose dessert - Two had Baklava (which you can choose walnut, pistachio or almond) and both liked.  The others had cheesecakes - Tuxedo and Raspberry Chocolate.  I was surprised to find out the cheesecakes come from the Cheesecake Factory.  Both were generous servings.
I ended the evening with a Turkish Coffee.  I love the N & J turkish coffee.  They serve it black and hot.  I try it wherever I travel and no one beats N & J. 

All in all the service was slow, much was over-cooked, but there were flashes of brilliance.  I will go back, but I think I'll stick to lunch.