Tag: Water Street

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Beef Shawarma and Kibbe

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

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

Bay State Shawarma & Grill was a complete surprise! The placed looked a little like a cafeteria and had that style of ordering. Menu showed photos of the food and was above the food line and the staff was taking orders behind the glass. But here’s the thing- the folks working there were super friendly.  And the food, oh the food was just about the tastiest shawarma I have ever had. I ordered the Beef one and it came with salad and pickles and something else I did not recognize and when I asked about it I was told it was a yogurt mixed with a ton of garlic and mint., a side called Labne. So it had a kick, but super tasty. The grape leaves we ordered were also excellent, I had my hubby go back and order more so we could have some for lunch the next day. He returned with some kibbe as well as grape leaves and it made for a nice meal the following day.  Everything was so reasonably priced it really made for a great experience.

Over all this place was an excellent foodie choice, in fact I think I will run over there right now for lunch….

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Middle Eastern Vegetarian

Middle Eastern selection at Bay State Shawarma

Middle Eastern selection at Bay State Shawarma

We recently visited the Bay State Shawarma and Grill which is located on Water Street. I was immediately excited because I love the Canal District and adding a new restaurant is a plus! We entered into a cafeteria style setting with the food behind a viewing counter. I was excited to see they had an assortment of vegetarian options as well as many meat options, those too on display, some on rotisserie! I chose the following: Vegetarian Grape leaves, Baba Ghanouj, Loubieh and Mujadara. The grape leaves were delicious, the leaves were not stringy (which I find happens more often than not) and the rice had a wonderful assortment of herbs and spices. Next I tried the Loubieh, I had never had this dish before, green beans mixed in a tomato sauce with onions and spices, truly a delight, there was so much flavor considering the few ingredients, the beans were fresh and they mixed well with the tomato sauce and spices. I will definitely get that again. Another dish I had never tried, the Mujadara, a mix of lentils, fried onions and spices served over rice. Hands down this was my favorite dish, lentil dishes can be dry, not this one, a blend of strong but not overpowering spices and caramelized but not dried out onions, the rice was great though my only wish would be this dish was served a bit warmer, but that might be due to the fact that there were so many of us to serve. Lastly, was the Baba Ghanouj, I like mine a bit on the smokier side, and this hit the mark! Creamy and smoky, I was in heaven, their pita bread was large and fresh and perfect for dipping. As I was finishing my last bite I was already planning when I could return, not only is this the best Middle Eastern food I have had in this area it is also paired with a bakery! One stop shopping! I highly recommend for those who love great Middle Eastern food that does not lack in flavor!