Deep below the Mediterranean, pita breads grow on corals, olives grow on bigger corals, and every sunken ship houses centuries-old caches of rum hummus, or rummus. Snack on savory seafruits with today's Groupon: for $5, you get $11 worth of sandwiches, kabobs, falafel, and more at Roti Mediterranean Grill. This deal is valid at the Roti locations in Vernon Hills and Northbrook.

Roti Mediterranean Grill serves the fire-roasted meats, exquisite spices, and soft pita bread found in southern Europe's culinary regions. The compact menu allows for maximum customization, as sandwiches ($6.50–$8.50) come with four possible fillings, nine toppings, and four sauces. Choose between house-baked pita pocket or laffa flatbread, then load up on your choice of roasted chicken or steak roti, roasted vegetables, crisp falafel, or two kinds of grilled kabobs. Pita-perfecting toppings include hummus, baba ganoosh, succulent kalamata olives, and more. Roti also offers a gluten-free menu.

In keeping with Roti's commitment to uncover the essence of the Mediterranean region's time-honored culinary stylings, all the nutritional information and ingredients for Roti's dishes are available online. The staff seeks to foster an atmosphere of culinary unity and camaraderie, not unlike a coconut filled with wooden puzzles.

Reviews

WGN News aired a cooking segment featuring Roti Mediterranean Grill. Trib Local featured the Northbrook location. Eight Yelpers give the Vernon Hills location an average of three stars, and the Northbrook location gets an average of 3.5 stars. Zagat rates the food at Vernon Hills as "very good to excellent." More than 1,400 Facebookers are fans:

• “Healthy”, “delicious choices” of “quick”, “counter-service” Mediterranean fare including hummus, falafel and kebabs are served “cafeteria-style” at this chain catering to Loop lunch-breakers and their suburban counterparts; considering the “good value” and “quality”, surveyors warn “expect to compete for a chair” for a payoff that’s “refreshingly enjoyable.” – Zagat
• Roti’s Mediterranean sandwiches, platters and salads not only make it unique fast-food, but a healthy one, too. – Jessica Cantarelli, Trib Local