Best falafel I've found so far in Cambridge. The tabbouleh was awesome and fresh tasting, and if you get your meal to go, try sitting in the little park area across the street -- so relaxing. Tip: If you go after 6 PM, you don't have to mess with the suits who hold up the line. Plus, there's no one in the park but you, your falafel wrap, and the stray kitty who's dying for your leftovers. read more

This lebanese restaurant is awesome and despite it's business-lunch type of hours, it offers very authentic, healthy food. The chefs must be doing something right because their falafel aren't too greasy and are just right. Their salads are refreshing, their kefta well cooked and their kebabs full of flavor. Their stuffed grape leaves are very tasty as well. Your best bet at this place is too get a plate or sampler since they are much better means of getting a real flavor experience there since the bread in the sandwiches could take that away a bit and could mask the flavors. The portions are just right as well. Not small but not gigantic either. You will leave happy. The staff there is great and the prices are decent. Overall it's an awesome which is becoming quite famous in the area. read more

It's good. Firstly, it's authentic, second it's well prepared, and thirdly it's much needed variety in the otherwise bland Kendal food scene. The one reason it didn't make five stars is that it's a bit pricey. $9 for a shwarma is just not right. But it sure is tasty. I'd suggest skipping the pickled radishes though. Eww. A few night ago I had the kabbab plate. Delicious! The meat was so tender and succulent that my mouth is watering as I type this. Check it out. read more

There's nothing completely WRONG about Aceituna. It's more that I've been here twice and have been completely underwhelmed. The food is fine (I've had the falafel wrap as well as the chicken plate) but it's pretty overpriced for meh food. Nothing ever tastes bad, off or gross so I guess I have to give them credit for that. And I do LOVE their pickled turnip bits (which they happily add a little extra to my wrap when asked). Both times I've been the line has been rather nuts, but there didn't seem to be any waits for tables. So, in short, a solid bet if you find yourself in the area. But nothing I'd go out of my way to go to. read more

4 stars for the spicy chicken shawarma wrap bc it makes my breath oh-so-garlicky. But who cares?? Top it off with some extra spicy sauce and you have yourself a nice little lunch that contains all the protein, sour, and spicy goodness that I enjoy from a quick to-go wrap. BTW, heard the falafel isn't that great. I've been eying the grilled meats but looks too ambitious for my quick trips to Aceituna. read more

I found out about Aceituna 3 years ago and I STILL find every excuse to go (: I actually liked the feel before the make over of the place better, but the people are still friendly and food is amazing. The only reason I don't go more often is that I know lines are long and all my friends are tired of going to the same place all the time LOL (they always know this is my first choice - it's within budget and delicious and walking distance from my school) I ALWAYS get the greek salad with spicy chicken schwarma. YUM just writing this review is making my mouth water. The biggest disappointment is craving Aceituna (it doesn't compare to other mediterranean places) but it not being open :( Sad I'm moving farther away next year.. :(((( But will be sure to visit often! :D read more

Fantastic Mediterranean food, for a decent price. Everything was extremely fresh and flavorful. Felt full after only a few bites, but I kept wanting to eat! The place is clean and airy. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area. read more

Loveee this place! Their rice plate with fattoush, cauliflower and spicy chicken is so delicious. I wish they were closer to me. Their lamb/ beef is a bit dry but it goes well with their sauces. Love their hummus and pita. It's always so fresh. Their babaganoosh taste a little to burnt for me but it just might be the flavor and I am not use to it. Ohh their spicy potato is to die for! Their lentil and rice is also flavorful. Top choices in order are fried cauliflower, fattoush, spicy potato, rice and lentil, hummus and then babaganoosh. read more

I went to this place during lunch time which was my mistake so the line was pretty long, it was fully wrapped around the restaurant. That being said the 15-20 min wait was definitely worth it and I am so glad I work close by. I am a vegetarian who loves falafel and this definitely exceeded my expectations! The spicy potatoes are such a nice touch ( I have never gotten falafel with potatoes), the falafel itself was really good (and I can be pretty picky about my falafel), and the sauces were delicious. Cant say much about the meat products but it's worth a try I would say esp based on the sauces and spicy potatoes. read more

Maybe the meat is good here - the rotating shwarmas look pretty decent, if one is inclined to that sort of thing. But I'm vegetarian and I haven't been too thrilled with the vegetarian selections. There are plenty of vegetarian selections - but everything sounds (or looks) better than it tastes. Nothing bad, but overall it seems a bit bland or watery. and I also find it a little expensive for what it is. One exception is the veggie rollup, which is tasty (with those pickled turnips) and decently-priced. Despite all of this, it's a good option for lunch in the Kendall area. There's something for everybody, and it gets crowded during lunch but there usually seems to be enough seating. Also in the summer you can get it to go and eat in the little park outside (not sure what will happen with the new skating rink). read more

As far as Lebanese fast food goes, this is as good as it gets outside of Lebanon, the shawarma especially, chicken and beef, just the best... The tabbouleh as well is spot on. The service is super quick, the prices hover around 12$ per person and the portions at that price are quite filling. Bar none, this is the best Lebanese fast food outside of Lebanon I've had so far; it's the one thing I know I will miss about Cambridge for sure... read more

OK fine. I'm totally a regular. A regular on Thursdays for the day's special. People always ask me what it is, but quite honestly, I have no. idea. I think it's blended grape leaves, which creates a lovely stew base for some big chunks o' moist (yes, moist) chix breast, and topped with raw white onion, vinegar, and lemon. Nom nom nom. Update: the greens are jute leaves, a healthy green that grows in Egypt and other places around there... TYum read more

Fast and delicious. Hopping during lunch rush, and they move people and food through there with great speed and precision. I've seen other reviewers say they could be more polite, but I think the lunch rush is not the time/place to make a new friend or indulge in idle chit-chat. Perfect on a summer day to sit outside, maybe catch some live music, etc. I could see it getting crowded/cramped inside if the weather's not great, though. OK, the food: I had beef/lamb shawarma rice plate, falafel, hummus. There are easily five more things on the menu I want to go back and try. Everything was delicious, and very fresh due to the great turnover. Some reviewers mentioned that their meat was a little crispy, and I thought the beef/lamb was a little overdone for my taste, but overall very tasty. I will be going back soon. read more

I came here for lunch to look for something light and I sure found it. The food looks fresh, but the Shawarma Wrap (beef) was small, smaller then other pita wraps. I should've added the Fries and drink combo. The wrap had some lettuce (no tabblouleh even though they sell it), pickled turnip, and dressing. I see most of the customers dining in had the rice plate, that should've been a sign. The place is more so for the lunch crowd for those work in the area as there are no street parking. Tough to come back to try the rice plate. read more

Aceituna Grill - Middle Eastern Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Omg! The babaganush! I have had a lot of them over the years but never one this good! I could rave about every single thing I had the other night, but I would have to spend all day on yelp. Food was phenomenal, and I really loved how easy going Aceituna Grill was. Definitely will be back again! read more

Echoing the sentiments of another reviewer, I think that one of the best gauges of a restaurant's quality is its clientele - and if you were to go to this place outside of the lunch hour, you would see it filled with folks of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean descent, which I think speaks very highly to the quality of the food here. The menu consists of meat options including chicken and beef shwarma, grilled to order kebabs, along with a variety of traditional Middle Eastern vegetarian options like taboule, hummus, bhaba ganoush, etc...As a habibi myself (family from Lebanon & Syria), I won't go as far as to say that it's as good as my mum's cooking, but it's pretty damn close. The shwarmas are always flavorful and tender, and the side dishes taste just like homemade for me. My personal favorite is the mixed shwarma dish - a heaping portion of chicken & beef shwarma with rice pilaf, hummus, salad topped with pickled turnips and garlic sauce. I'll also mention that while the garlic sauce is delicious - be very weary. If after eating here, you plan on either a) having a meeting with your boss or b) going out on a date - then *definitely* refrain from getting the garlic sauce. Even though I work right next door to this place, I go maybe once or twice a month. Prices are just a bit on the high side for lunch but reasonable nonetheless. You can expect to pay on average $9 - $12. read more

This place is way too pricey for me to give it more than 3 stars. It has that "cafeteria" feel that implies you won't be paying $10 or more for your lunch, which is why it's so shocking when you get to the register and realize you have to pull out the credit card to pay for your lunch because you didn't have the forethought to hit the ATM that morning because you thought the ten in your pocket would be way more than enough to get you through the day. Food is decent, and (most of) the staff is nice. Falafel is way too salty (and I love salty foods), but the chicken and beef schwarma sandwiches are tasty. Try them with the hot sauce. They have pickles and turnips (bright pink!) that they put in the sandwiches, which are great, and add a nice crunch to the wraps. I also like the Greek salad with chicken, and I always get it "John" style (after my boss) with added pickles, turnips, and hot sauce. The salad is quite large and comes with pita bread, so it makes a nice meal. By far the best deal here is the vegetarian combo--3 or 5 choices of any vegetarian item they have, and they have lots, like dolmades, spicy potatoes, eggplant with tomatoes, falafel, rice with lentils, cauliflower, green beans, artichokes, chick peas, Greek salad, and so many others. This is the only way to leave this place without feeling like you've been ripped off because they give you a lot of food--the 3 choice at ~$7 is more than enough for 2 meals; the 5 choice comes in at over $9, but I don't think you really get any more food. In general, Aceituna has the local biotech workers by the balls by being the only really convenient place for many of the people to go (they largely compete with the equally overpriced Zigo down the street), and they certainly charge for the convenience. If you have the time, I'd head down the street to Desfina for tastier food, better ambiance, and a much better price! read more

I've been here twice for lunch. Once I got the lunch special, once I got the lamb plate. It's overpriced, and the lunch special had one piece of meat in it. The nerve! I guess the food is OK here. For Kendall square, it is an alright option, but they have a little bit of a captive audience since there are such poor lunch options in Kendall. read more

Average Middle Eastern food. People are on crack if they think this is as good as European doner kebab joints. The chicken shwarama was very dry and did not have much flavor. I did like the falafel, which had excellent flavor. Much better choices in the Boston area are Reef Cafe and Boston Shwarama. read more

I guess I was imagining more of a menu in lap, sit at table, waiter service when coming here...but it's more casual, menu above, move through line place. The area doesn't seem as lively on a Saturday afternoon, but then it looks like it's in a newly developing area. The T line isn't too far away, just a brief 5 minute walk. The food was really good and plentiful! I really liked the spicy potatoes paired with the couscous salad and grape leaves. I ordered the 3 veggie dish and it was delicious and filling! I would check this place out if you don't want a fancy dining experience and don't want to break the bank. read more

Vertically roasted chicken that might have been a little too dry gets doused with sawce at the Kendall Square grab-and-go. But in the end, the massive line that snakes around a plain Jane interior culminates to a cafeteria selection of Mediterranean fast food: shawarma, kabobs and falafel, oh my! For $10 and in under 35 seconds from time of order, you can plow through what Blair H calls "a nap in wrap," a box of everyFries and a can of Coke Zero (aka Diet Coke for Men). Said wrap is heartily filled with chicken, pickles and other salad toppers, then smothered in a creamy, spicy squeeze that will get goopy by the last bite. When all is said and done, you'll be full, tired and looking to get back to the grind, but within three hours, the craving to return may hit you. Can't explain, not gonna fight it. Nice work, Aceituna. read more

Pretty solid falafel and shwarma. I'm prone to the mixed plate - spicy chicken and lamb over rice with pickled veggies, a heap of garlic aioli and another of hummus. It's supposedly for one person, looks like it should be a team effort but I always end up eating it all. Don't get intimidated by the line handlers - they're intense for good reason. The line often goes out the door. Use the time you have to decide beforehand, order, then keep moving down the line. It's a good heads up that they take LevelUp, so have your phone handy with the app installed. Credit is fine too, but they reward on LU (and support local startups). read more

I have yet to find a really good Middle Eastern restaurant in this city and its making me wonder where are all the Arabs and why can't one of them open a real restaurant?!!! Falafel King, not to burst your bubble but your just not cutting it anymore. I'm actually surprised anyone can find this place its so hidden. Overall not too shabby of a deli. I'm not a big fan of cold warag aenab (grape leaves) but its worth a try for those who have never tried it. The hummus is average, the sandwiches are average. Overall everything they serve is not that great but its edible. I still prefer Cedar Market's sandwiches and sides and if it wasn't so far away i'd probably go there more often. read more

Love this place Halal food in the same building where I work. Great staff and fresh food. All the sauces are amazing!!

After having amazing middle eastern food abroad, I felt the need to come back to Boston and find something comparable. This was my first try, unfortunately it did not satisfy. Bread: Dry. Chicken shawarma: Dry and bland. Shawarma should be moist, a little bit oily and spiced with cumin, etc. This was just kind of sad, waaay overcooked. Hummus: Ok. A bit too beany and not enough tahini in my opinion. Baba ganoush: Good, but a bit too roasty-flavored for my taste though. Still one of the better items. Moussaka: Good. If the shawarma would good I could see myself coming back here and trying different sides, but alas. read more

This place is right next to where I work, so it's just convenient. I don't think the food is that great at all; it's not bad, but I've had much better. I usually stick to the falafel wraps and chicken schwarmas. I always feel like the chicken is dry though. Atmosphere is good for a casual lunch. The place is packed between 12-1:30p, so I usually try to head down there at 11:50a if I'm planning on getting some takeout. Service is pretty quick though. I still grab lunch from this place when I'm in a rush and sick of the cafeteria food, but I do wish there were better mediterranean restaurants in the area. read more

Some of the worst gyros I've ever had, including falafel, spicy chicken, and beef shawarma. Meat and falafel were dry and cold. Pita was dry and somewhat hard. Fried cauliflower was cold and seemed to have been stored overnight in the refrigerator. Would not recommend. read more

I cannot say enough great things about this place. The falafel wraps, shawarma, greek salad, salty french fries - it's all good. I've worked in Kendall Square for a few too many years and there isn't another lunch option that I like even half as much. The special of the day usually looks appetizing, but I've yet to ever try one of them because they're never labeled. Some day... read more

The food was just ok, underwhelming at best. The chicken I order was incredibly dry. However, the rice and Greek salad were good. One of the servers was pretty rude and kept rushing my group to order even though there were no other people in line aside from us. Said server also was handling both food and money with the same gloves on, which is incredibly gross. There are better places for Mediterranean food. read more

OMGOMG DROOLLL The absolute BEST chicken shwarma wrap that I've had. I recommend getting the spicy chicken (mild), a little garlic sauce, and everything. Garlic sauce can make the wrap a little too saucy, and only hummus makes it a bit dry. They add turnip, and pickles which I've never heard of... but... DELICIOUS. I love the wrap so much that I have yet to try the plates here. I eat this around 5pm and I'm full until midnight. It's less than a block from Voltage Coffee so I definitely recommend eating a wrap here, and heading down there to study. read more

You know it's good when a place is absolutely packed with a line wrapping around the tables. I came here for lunch twice and both times, I was not disappointed. I had the chicken shawarma the first time and the beef the second time. Both times, I was not disappointed. The meat is literally roasting in front of me as I ordered and it was nice to see them cut my portion. Lots of choices as to what I could get inside of the shawarma. And they came with a side of fries in a little take out box, but I couldn't finish the fries. Not after the large portion of shawarma. I definitely recommend this to anyone in the neighborhood! Service: 4/5 Cleanliness: 3/5 Food (appearance, portion, taste): 4/5 Overall: 4/5 read more

I think this place is a little pricey for what it is, but it's in Kendall, so what the hey. The best value is the combo that gives you a wrap, plus fries (since when are fries Mediterranean?), plus drink. I wish that I went here *not* during the rush lunch hour or else I'd have more time to browse and ask questions about some of the other yummy selections they have behind the glass and truly be adventurous, but as it is, at 11:50am, a sea of people pile into the small restaurant and then it's pretty much ordering soup nazi style. The falafel is good but a little on the dry side. The spicy chicken, although I thought it would be dry, was actually quite moist and savory. Fries are good. I like to mix the ketchup and the hot sauce together :) read more

So tasty! Fantastic shwarma. Note to Cambridge manager (sorry couldn't find email on website). Could you put warning yellow/black stripes on the front door stoop and add a "look down!" sign? I tripped and twisted my ankle painfully badly at lunch today entering your restaurant. read more

I used to work at Genzyme for years, and this place was always a welcome change from the cafeteria. I admittedly have only ever had the falafel wrap, but it is hands down the best one i've had in the boston area. Good flavor and texture, plus the veggies they throw in there are yummy. I usually get them to add hot sauce as well- yum! I am not sure why so many people complain about the price, my wrap is $4.95, add about a dollar if I get a can of soda. read more

Good, clean, flavorful food. Does not disappoint. As others have noted, prices are higher than they should be given the portions. But honestly, Cambridge is a desert for good reasonably priced food options. read more

Who would have thought that buried in the anonymous phalanx of biotech blah buildings was this awesome place. Awesome veggie options like falafel and stuffed grape leaves. Meals that actually have more fresh veggies than greasy meat. Their schwarma is delish. Herbed and seasoned. Delish. Clean and well lit, too. Great spot for lunch. read more

Not sure how the great reviews keep coming in, but for the price there isn't much to rave about. The felafel that I had, at any price, was pretty awful. Salty, undercooked, greasy on the outside and grainy gross on the inside. In the past the lamb has been gummy and the shawarma OK if bland. Pile on lots of garlic or other sauces and its fine if that's what you like. The line moves quickly and the bread and ingredients are usually pretty fresh. But I haven't seen it all come together. Somehow at those prices, it should be top notch, all the time. It isn't. read more

Aceituna will be the restaurant I will miss the most when I leave the Kendall Square area. The falafel is always cooked just right -- not too dry, not too fried. The shwarma (plate and wrap) is tasty, the kibbeh is excellent, and the stuffed grape leaves are packed with flavor. Get the 3- or 5-way sampler plate -- it's worth it. There are only two minor knocks: 1) the place gets *crowded* during the height of lunch, making getting a table almost impossible; 2) they love to overuse the glowing-purple pickled turnips in the wraps. read more

Fantastic schawarma. God, that garlic sauce is insane! Avoid the falafel though. Really meh. read more

Amazing salads, it's always busy for lunch time so get in early. If not, it's definitely worth the wait! I recommend: Fattoush salad, Tabbouleh and the Greek salad with spicy chicken. read more