Hey Hummus

What a wondrous thing it is. Made from cooked, mashed chickpeas or other beans, blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic- hummus has been popular for centuries used as a dip or spread by cultures all over the world. Throughout the Middle East, Europe, and North America this healthy and delicious food is certainly trendy. In Philly we’ve seen the emergence of hummusiyas, restaurants that serve only hummus. And as you might’ve guessed, Hey Hummus is a kosher hummusiya.

Hey Hummus is a small cafe on the first floor of the RiverWest Condos with a few seats lining the front window. Owner Victor Fellus also has Mix and Victor’s Bar (both opened in the building in 2009).  Victor’s son Gabriel helps him manage with restaurant which opened in March 2017. They’re serving up an all kosher menu with Israeli hummus and plenty of vegan options. Each comes with whole wheat or white pita and house-made pickles.

Every batch of hummus takes 24 hours to prepare. The raw chick peas are soaked overnight, and then skinned after which they rest for another 8-9 hours. In addition to dining in, hummus is also available for bulk sales.

The most popular item on the menu is The Bowl with hummus with tahini herbs, spices, and olive oil. The Cauliflower also started as a special and was added to the regular menu later. It has hummus with tahini, herbs and spices, olive oil, fried cauliflower, paprika and lemon. If you’re looking for something meaty try the Kabob which has hummus with tahini, herbs and spices, olive oil, and ground beef. We also enjoyed the Chicken Shawarma which has hummus with tahini, herbs and spices, olive oil and topped with chicken shawarma (sauteed chicken thighs). Specials include Brisket, Hamshuka, and Lamb.

Something very unique at Hey Hummus is the Mesabaha which is hummus with tahini, herbs and spices, olive oil, hot chickpeas, lemon and jalepeño. It is served hot with equal parts tahini and chick peas for a much creamier consistency than regular hummus. They’ve also got some green house-made hot sauce which adds a nice kick. We really loved the Mushroom hummus with tahini, herbs and spices, olive oil, fried onions, mushrooms and turmeric.

Extra side options include fries, Israeli Salad (cucumber, tomato, parsley, lemon juice, and olive oil), hard-boiled egg or extra pickles. Online ordering and catering is available.