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Beef Shawarma

Beef Shawarma from Bay State on Water Street in Worcester, MA

Beef Shawarma from Bay State on Water Street in Worcester, MA

Have you ever driven by a place several times and said, “I should really check that place out” and then never do. Well, Bay State Shawarma and Grill was one of those places that I’m glad I stopped in.

Bay State Shawarma and Grill is fairly understated in it’s appearance, yet holds tasty wonders inside. The interior is not super fancy, yet is a great step above a “take out” kind of business. Easily accommodated the group. And unlike many other “Worcester Foodie” events, it was the fastest service we’ve ever had. This is due to the ordering at the counter vs. a waiter or waitress. We all ordered around the same time and when it was ready, the person behind the counter called our number and we picked it up. Quick and easy.

The staff were very friendly and answered our questions about the food. If we weren’t sure what we wanted, they offered up suggestions. So many wonderful tasty delights were there to try.

I ordered the Beef Shawarma plate. It came with salad, hummus, garlic, pickles and pita bread. I haven’t had many Shawarma dinners before, so I’d have to say that I liked it so much, I think I’ve found a reason to go across town regularly. I also ordered the grape leaves stuffed with ground beef, mint and spices. I’ve had many different types of stuffed grape leaves. Let’s just say they were so good I went back to order more! I had to try the Kibbi and loved them so much I ordered some to go so I could have them the next day!

For me, this is a different type of comfort food that I hadn’t really had before, but it made me feel full, content and feeling like my taste buds had a wonderful experience.

To sum up, I really was surprised at the quality and flavors that I had experienced and plan on going back as often as I can. The price point was super reasonable and the amount of food was exactly enough for me.

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Chicken Shawarma

Chicken Shawarma from Bay Side on Water Street in Worcester, MA

Chicken Shawarma from Bay Side on Water Street in Worcester, MA

Bay State Shawarma and Grill is not your typical restaurant. This is more like a takeout place where you go up to the counter to order then wait for your number to be called. They do have ample seating though, and it was easy enough to push enough tables together to seat 15 together. The food, however, was not your typical takeout. The menu was fairly large, with a pretty wide selection of middle eastern favorites from Shawarma, to Kibbe, to Hummus.

We started dinner with a plate of Baba ghanoush, which is cooked eggplant mixed with onions, tomatoes, olive oil and various seasonings and served with a fresh pita. As an appetizer, this was more than enough, we actually didn’t finish it, and maybe the best Baba ghanoush I’ve ever had. Nice and Creamy with a stong, but not overpowering, flavor. Perfect with the pita.

For dinner, I had the Chicken Shawarma. This came over rice with a side salad, hummus and labne. The Labne is a yogurt based side with heavy garlic with a fair amount of spice/heat. This was a fantastic addition to the chicken shawarma, providing a nice creamy counterpoint to the well seasoned and quite delicious chicken. The shawarma itself was a decent sized serving, with an almost crunchy coating on shaved chicken pieces. The hummus side was on the small side, but provided a great side to the chicken and the pita that came with the dish was the perfect vehicle for the hummus.

Overall, this was delicious and a very satisfying meal. As good as any sit down middle eastern place I’ve been, but at the cost of takeout.