Hummus Factory has been reborn, in a quaintly-decorated space near the corner of Sahara and Buffalo. Owner Tony Tabet has transitioned what once was a food truck roaming the Las Vegas Valley into a brick-and-mortar venue, while also expanding his offerings. The result: a new Mediterranean dining option well worth exploring.
Restaurant life is in Tabet’s blood. His aunt Mariz Khoury’s namesake Lebanese restaurant sits nearby, and the family influences on Hummus Factory will be apparent to anyone familiar with Khoury’s—the puffy, freshly baked pitas, the silky hummus and the smoky babaganoush.
There are prominent differences, too. Hummus Factory serves its complimentary pita with an irresistible za’atar butter, with its woefully underappreciated Middle Eastern spice blend. And while both restaurants serve similar hummus, there are varied versions available at the Factory. Jalapeño is my go-to, bringing spice and textural contrast to the creamy, almost citric base without overwhelming it. The same can’t be said for the scorching habanero, and I can’t begin to imagine what the ghost pepper and scorpion versions might be like. Heed the menu’s warnings, and try them at your peril.
Mezza platters offering assorted appetizers make sampling easy, and a meat combination ($19) delivers a quartet of well-seasoned house-made proteins atop rice. The robust kafta (ground sirloin shaped like cigars) and spicy sujuk sausages are the best, and can also be ordered separately. Chicken shawarma makes a particularly good addition to the Factory Salad, a solid, well-sized rendition of a Greek salad.
One menu surprise: the epic Factory Burger—grass-fed beef topped with fried onions and a mayo-based pink sauce that complements the meat’s char nicely. Nestled in a butter-toasted brioche bun, it’s an unlikely must-try. Burger Factory, anyone?
Hummus Factory 7875 W. Sahara Ave. #101, 702-675-6020. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
