By Richard Campbell
The cheap fast lunch options in the Seaport are starting to grow a little. In the case Aceituna Grill, which opened in 2016, the restaurant is in its second iteration- having had a restaurant in Kendal Square, Cambridge. This Mediterranean grill offers a variety of lunch options believed to be more healthy than regular fast food. It is a little off the beaten path at 57 Wharf Road, off the corner of Seaport Boulevard, but close enough to the ICA to make it a good lunch spot before going to the museum. While I was there was a small mix of young families, and middle aged business people having lunch.
I came specifically for the lamb / beef Shawarma which can be served in a pita or a salad tray option. The salad option costs three bucks more, but offers rice and various vegetables. The place passed the Shawarma test fairly well with pleasing tahini sauce and tabbouleh sides. The beef and lamb are layered on the spit so when they shave your meat you get both automatically. It was mildly flavored, not real spicy, but you can add various sauces. The salad bar that they serve from has some neat things you don’t see in most restaurants-moussaka for example, though some of the add on fees were a little penny foolish. There is something a little odd about being able to see the meats being cut off the giant rotisseries proudly displayed, but it seems to make for an efficient fast food system.
Vegetarians will of course come for the Falafel and full Greek Salads with things like roasted broccoli- which is all the rage now everywhere- pickled red onions, hot peppers, and several kinds of roasted vegetables. I have to be in the mood for falafel, but others at the table seemed to enjoy it, saying it was moist and pretty flavorful. Both the Baba Gaßnoush and the Hummus came up to standard, but I wanted the breads to be hotter, I mean steaming-where they were just warm. The fact that they had olive oil and various sauces for you to put on your food, and the staff was willing to give you options on sides was nice, but they are short in the olive category. You can get out of here with a flavorful lunch including a drink for about $12.00 which is super cheap in this neighborhood.
