Photo guide to east Tucson Mediterranean restaurant Casa Pita

[Editor's note: this article contains photos of comped dishes. Casa Pita invited the Tucson Foodie team to capture a selection of dishes and drinks. View the full menu here.]

Casa Pita by Mama Amna sits at 5526 E. Grant Rd. in midtown Tucson with a menu that spans from Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking to American breakfast and burritos. Owner Amna Al-Qaisi, known to regulars and staff as Mama Amna, spent over two decades feeding Tucson.

A life lived through food and displacement

Al-Qaisi grew up in Iraq and spent years living across eight countries throughout the Middle East, studying the regional cooking traditions of each location. She came to the United States to study, eventually settling in Tucson.

Her late husband introduced her to the restaurant business through Sinbad's, a Middle Eastern spot on University Boulevard that the couple eventually took over when the original owner left. Over the years, the family built and operated a string of Tucson restaurants, including Geronimo's, Gyro King, Arabic Express, and Golden Falafel. Each one drew on Al-Qaisi's cooking and her family's traditions.

Casa Pita is located at 5526 E. Grant Rd. For more information, visit casapitabymamaamna0717.s4shops.com. Keep up with Casa Pita on Instagram.