Zest Mediterranean Grille

I’m all about that Mediterranean diet life, son.
With age past «creepin’ up» and onto the «holding me back» stage, I’ma do what I can to stop it from moving onto the «taking me with it» phase. Gotta eat that hummus and lean meat!
There aren’t many good Mediterranean options in the area other than Piperi, but if you are in the area, then this is a solid choice.
It is basically set up as a fast food joint where you pick your items and they put them on your plate. The staff were extremely friendly and genuinely happy to serve me… maybe because I wasn’t actin’ a fool.
I got me that chicken shawarma with rice, hummus and pita, and goodness gracious did they pile it on. I had enough food to split into 2 meals. The food itself was good with decent flavor, albeit the chicken slightly dry.
Though it won’t win any awards, Zest offers enough bang for the buck to keep anyone who likes to keep the LDL low and the wallet fat coming back.
(^_​-​) Venue
(^_​^) Service
(^_​^) Options
(^_​-​) Taste
(^_​^) Bang for buck
Glad I came. Would recommend for anyone in the area, but don’t go too far out of your way.

If I could, I’d give this place a 3.5.
It’s a quick, filling, healthy, and affordable lunch in the Prudential/​Back Bay neighborhood — a rare enough combination for the area that earns Zest the 4 stars instead of 3.
As one of my go to’s when I worked in this area, I’d always opt for the shawarma plate — your choice of meat (or falafel) + four sides + a pita.
Note: As of late December 2015 (if not earlier), they’ve updated the menu to offer different prices for large vs. small size. I got the large and it was the typical portion (and price) as it was in the past. Since it’s so much food, I might opt for the small size next time around.

Zest has a modern design and an open atmosphere, both of which I liked. I ordered a chicken and beef plate which came with half-​portions of chicken and beef with shirazi salad and rice. Texture-​wise, I thought the beef was nice and moist but the chicken was a pretty dry. Flavor-​wise, both were slightly bland without the tzatziki sauce which there wasn’t enough of. The shirazi salad dressing was a little stronger than I’m used to from Mediterranean places, but otherwise it was fine.
Overall, the food was okay and reasonably priced, but you can get better food at a better price at Gyro City a few blocks away.

Curbing up to four because of the fresh, crisp parsley and mint in an exquisite tabouleh salad.
Ten clams buys you a regular plate of chicken shawarma, carved to order from that tower stacked of roasted meat, and two falafel pucks, with a pair of your choice of sides. I went piquant crisp potatoes and the aforementioned tabouleh. The filling plate is surprisingly light, with strong, clean flavors and a delicate profile even when coated with spicy tahini. Be sure to request a pita!
The fast-​casual environment is bright and welcoming, catering to the Berklee crowd and on-​the-​go suits (prices appealing to the former). The falafel is dense, completely spongey and a bit bland when compared to Amsterdam — my gold standard — but the rest of the dish disappeared quickly.
Grab a dessert pastry and bev from the cooler, order in a jiff, and enjoy a perfectly pleasant lunch. You’re welcome.

I ate there last week. I got the falafel plate, which included two sides. The falafel didn’t strike me as especially fresh, but was fine. The humus and babaganoush (not an expert here) were cold but tasted okay.
In summary the food was entirely edible, but nothing to go out of your way for: fresh falafel and humus (I can get cold humus cheaper from a grocery store). For the same money I could have got more food at Boloco next door.

I was expecting way better things for four stars but it was very subpar. Rice wasn’t fully cooked and didn’t get much chicken on my chicken kebab plate.

I don’t know if I came on an off day or what, but this was not good. Seeing all the promising reviews, I brought an out of town guest visiting and given all the raving reviews, took her here. It so did not meet my expectations! The meat was terribly dry– to the point that I couldn’t even chew it! The only thing that was great were the beets.

I love this place. Finally, a good place around the area that features fresh Middle Eastern food with loads of sides (I do love Boston Shawarma, but the quality is just not the same). Praise be to their garlic aioli, properly called toum. It adds tons of garlic flavor and is necessary for a shawarma, in my opinion. All of their sides are great (I love the tabbouli, baba ghanoush, spicy potatoes, and salads) and they allow you to mix, match, and assemble as you want. Bonus points for having quinoa!
The only reason why I can’t give them 5 stars is the fact that the meat is shaved off of the spit in advance and then placed in containers. Traditional shawarma is shaved to order, ensuring that you get crisp and juicy pieces of meat. Since their meat sits in a container before you eat it, it’s normally dry and lackluster. The beef is definitely better than the chicken, though.

Three stars mostly for the garlic content. i do so dearly love garlic. Other than that, it was okay. Ordering was on the confusing/​awkward side and figuring out what to add was nontrivial. i had the chicken shawarma and falafel wrap which was pretty loosely wrapped and thus fantastically messy. Very fallaparty. The chicken and falafel were merely okay; you can definitely get better. By the time you get a beverage, you’ve spent a bit of money here. It’s all right, but considering the competition nearby, i don’t imagine they’ll crack my rotation any time soon.

The first time I went here, five stars.
The second time, four stars.
Just returned from the third time. This place seems to take a step down with each visit (every few months or so).
The first time I was totally blown away. Everything was delicious and fresh, and I felt full but not gross afterwards. My new favorite place in the Hynes area. This most recent time, the chicken shawarma was cut from the very burnt end of the… whatever the rotating thing is called. Half of it wasn’t even edible, just like hard plastic. The veggies tasted very bland, and my favorite side (the potatoes) were way overcooked. I’m hoping I just caught them on an off-​night or something.

Went here with a friend to grab a bite to eat for lunch on a weekday. Thankfully it was before classes had started so there was not too much of a crowd.
I decided to go with the chicken kabob plate with two orders of chicken and then hummus and beet salad as my sides. I also was lucky enough to get 2 pieces of pita from the cashier – which was a plus!
The food is all very good. The chicken was tender and flavorful, the hummus was refreshing and tasty, and the beet salad was enjoyable as well. It was also a decent amount of food for around $ 13.
Overall, this is a great little lunch spot if you’re looking for a quick bite that is clean, fresh, and delicious.

I came in again and was severely disappointed. First and foremost, usually when you order a shawarma (roll up or plate), the meat is shaved off, warmed, and placed in your order. Here, it is pre-​shaved, and the chicken shawarma wrap I had was inedible. It was full of fat pieces, and it was cold. A side of tabouli is nearly 5 dollars, and is only 3 – 4 spoons worth of tabouli.
Garlic ‘N Lemons is a good authentic Lebanese place to try for a warm sandwich with generous portions at a good price.

This place is solid. You won’t end up with anything nasty but its not great.
–Falafel wrap is good, not great
–hummus is less than good. I ordered an entire side and feel like it was pretty subpar.
–pita is dry, not soft and warm
Its nice to have this place on that little strip of takeout spots because of the variety it adds, but it certainly doesn’t compare to other middle eastern/​mediterranean joints in Boston. It’s just A-​OK.

When I think about the lunch I had at Zest, I am simultaneously overcome with elation at the thought of such perfect cuisine, and plunged into the depths of despair when I remember that it’s over 400 miles away. Why, Baltimore? Why can you not find me ONE restaurant that comes close to this kind of Middle Eastern nirvana?
I was playing vegan for the day, so went with the Falafel plate. It’s unbelievably generous for $ 10: falafel, tahini sauce, pita bread and FOUR sides, everything from starches to greens and dips. I went for tender rice pilaf under the falafel to absorb as much of the spicy tahini as possible (they have two varieties, but I always want more heat!) Then I chose baba ganoush, which was just as smoky as I like it; fattoush, full of perfectly-​ripe tomatoes and cucumbers and still-​crispy pita chips, brightened with a sumac dressing; and tabouli, which was as it should be, a flurry of chopped parsley with some bulgur and tomatoes stirred in for bulk. Everything was delicious — so delicious that I couldn’t eat one bite of the authentically thin, soft pita bread they had given me.
The falafel themselves were light, warm and crispy, but could have used more seasoning inside — they were pale, not dark with parsley the way I prefer. However, everything was such a perfect balance of flavor, texture and beauty that this small objection hardly even registered.
The interior of the restaurant is bright, clean and airy, with plenty of room to spread out and enjoy your delicious meal. It’s also even faster than «fast» food, as nothing needs to be cooked to order, and incredibly economical — any place that can take me from starving to stuffed, for so little, is nothing short of miraculous. One more reason to go back to Boston!

Very filling and delicious food. Slightly pricey, but still worth it. I got the falafel and chicken shawarma roll up. My friend had a beef and lamb roll up (which I had a nibble of). The chicken and falafel was delicious. The beef and lamb was a bit strange tasting (probably because I’m not used to lamb), but not bad. A decent amount of seating, plenty of natural sunlight, and public bathrooms all available. There is wifi but it’s locked, so you need to ask for the password. Indoor and outdoor seating is nice, especially during the summer. Would come again.

The falafel roll-​up was delicious! The falafel itself had a crispy exterior and moist interior with nice flavor. You will receive 4 falafel balls, smashed! Start off by choosing hummus/​garlic sauce/​both — the garlic sauce is fairly pungent, so a lighter hand is recommended! Then choose from an assortment of toppings — tabbouleh, marinated cucumbers/​tomatoes, and various pickled veggies. There’s plenty of seating indoors and 5 – 7 tables outdoors on the patio.

Came here on a Tues mid afternoon and got a chicken plate. It comes with 4 sides which we got tabouleh, babaganoush, cucumber salad, and beets. Also comes with one pita. For the price of $ 13, I think we got a bunch of food. The worker was not stingy with the food. I split the meal with someone and we were both stuffed.
Chicken — dry and not as flavorful as other places
Tabouleh — fresh tasting and adds a strong taste
Babaganoush — soft with eggplant strings, not as lemoney but delicious
Beets — big chunks and taste fresh
Cucumber salad — typical tasting but good
Overall, I’d come back after trying other places.

Yum! Can’t believe I haven’t been here sooner. The place has a fresh, clean, open and light vibe, similar to a frozen yogurt shop. I tried the chicken kabob roll up and it the chicken was juicy and plump. It’s assembly-​line style, so you can add what you want to your roll or plate. The pita could have been a little less chewy and a little more fresh, but I did go later in the evening, around 8:30 p.m. Free lemon water and clean spot; clean bathrooms too. I like how there are outside tables too! Perfect now that Boston’s warming up.
They also have a little selection of imported desserts and yogurt drinks.

So happy to see a fast-​casual (think Chipotle-​style) Mediterranean restaurant! Ordered a beef shawarma plate which came with 4 sides. Went with potatoes, tabbouleh, salad, and baba ghanoush which were all very good — the freshness and lightness of the veggies balanced out the heavier flavors of the potatoes and shawarma. It was a large plate of food, so enough to satiate two people or enough to immobilize a 5’2″ Asian girl.
I’d say not as delicious or authentic as Garlic n’ Lemons in Allston or Shawarma Place in Davis but definitely good food that satisfies a craving for Mediterranean. Would recommend for a quick lunch/​dinner if you’re not set on going anywhere specific!

I’m a fan of this place! I got the Falafel plate. I got an addition of turnips which add an extra crunch and zest to it. Everything is fresh and the plates are large. It is good for sharing!
You get to choose from different sides. The salad is fresh with a light dressing. It is good and recommended. The hummus is also nice and creamy. Potatoes are coated with herbs and decent!
I have not had the chance to try it again, but everything on the menu looks good. It’s in a convenient location and a good alternative to eating a healthier.