I used to go to this place when there were friendly people. 1. Their prices are very high compared to other Middle Eastern stores. 2. It is not clean at all. I don't understand how the Health Department doesn't close this place. 3. Every time you go there, you buy the same things but you are charged different prices. 4. Today at my last trip to this place, they tried to charge me $15 for the pound of boneless lamb. They said they pay too much so they have to charge too much. And when I told them this is wrong I don't believe it. The tall lady with glasses told me that is your problem. 5. I will never go back there. Save your money and time don't go there. read more

Very friendly woman at the cash register. The butcher works out of the basement. The butcher sent up my order of some cut up lamb which was in very large size pieces. When I asked for the meat to be cut up into smaller pieces, the butcher sent a message that he could not do any further cutting because he had cut his finger. Of course I left as quickly as I could. The meat is cut in the basement out of customers sight. Hard to know what goes on in the basement area. I hope city inspectors are checking out the place often for cleanliness. I am not going there again. read more

Oh Oh...I think this market's scales are tainted...I just got 3 lb of goat meat and when I got home I realized it was NOT 3 lb. So, I went back and asked for twice as much meat and while the guy was in the back I weighed the original packet he sold me... 1.7 pounds!!!!! I cant believe they are trying to cheat their customers like this...I hate it when business do this kinda crap!!! I WILL be calling the State standards people on this spot...NOT COOL!!!! read more

EDIT: I went there again to purchase meat and I called before hand to confirm they had the lamb stew meat and the price per pound. They told me they did and it costed $7.99/lbs. Once I got to the store, they told me it was for $12.99. Now, I'm not sure whether I was offered a different price cause when I came to the store, they decided I was willing to pay more, or because I was with a friend who was clearly not of middle-eastern decent. They either discriminate based on your gender/ethnicity or suffer from short-term memory loss. I highly doubt it is the latter. ------------------------------------------ I will start with the good stuff. The meat here is of good quality and on par with the ones at organic food stores. That's about it. Now the bad stuff. There aren't any prices on the items and I believe they charge you based on how much they think you will be willing to pay, which may or may not depend on how you look and who is running the store. I have bought yogurt at that store for $3 and $5. My friend, who happens to not be middle eastern, is charged slightly higher prices than I am for non marked items. I am not sure if they are constantly changing their pricing policies or that different people charge different prices, but it has led me to strictly not purchase anything besides meat from them since I feel that I am being taken advantage of otherwise. I highly recommend for them to start putting prices on their items so shoppers can rest easy that they are not over paying or being taken for a ride. read more

What a treasure this place is. I came in for some pomegranate syrup ($3.49) and was happily side tracked by some delicious tahini ($3.99) which I added to my order. Oh, and yes, I will take some of those incredible olives, please. Five dollars worth will last me a while. This is a tiny, old fashioned place about a block from Cambridge Street, not far from Inman Square and it is now going to be a regular part of my routine when I am shopping at Christina's for my spices or grabbing some food at one of the great restaurants nearby. It's also not far from the Whole Foods on Prospect Street near Central Square. Not only is it affordable, the owner was super nice. I am just beginning to learn more about Middle Eastern cooking and I know this will be the first place I go for my ingredients and some friendly advice. I do not eat meat, but they had a wide variety of options here for the meat eaters, and I loved the old fashioned vibe here. It's a little, family run place that sort of looks like someone's house, and I like it that way. If you enjoy shopping in small, intimate grocery stores and are the type who tends to stay away from impersonal chain stores like the dreaded Shaws, this spot will make you very happy. Wish I had wandered in ages ago. read more

So much stuff in such a little space. Tons of spices (zatar, ras el hanout), canned, pickled things, fresh yogurts and lebna and kefir etc, and of course the meat case. The bread selection varies but what he has is generally very good. Run by the nicest guy, and I also have never had any trouble communicating. Bit of an accent but totally fluent, and funny to boot :) Note: sometimes there's street parking, but as the sign on the door tells you, there are also a few dedicated spaces in the lot behind the futon store directly across Prospect. read more

I struggle between giving them 1 or 2 stars. It's really a balance between of cleanliness and quality. I don't like that I can't see where they store their meat, they bring the meats from the 'basement' so I don't know how clean it is, and judging by the cleanliness of what you see in the store, it's scares me: dusty, floor not terribly clean, grocery often have expired canned items. The meat is high quality, fresh, and the least gamey lamb you can get anywhere in boston. But, you never ever get what you ask for: every time we asked for a particular cut of meat, we got a lower quality cut added to our order. You ask for a loin, you'll get a neck or shoulder with it, it's annoying as hell when you get home and find out that your order is not exactly what you asked for! The meat tastes great, but they need to do a better job keeping the grocery floor clean, better lighting, and listen better to their customers. read more

Very friendly staff, a good clean place with different stuff. there are many different kinds of spices and other Mediterranean products, the prices are acceptable especially for halal meat, it is good and fresh. read more

An unassuming grocery with halal meats and low prices, with the bulk of shelf space filled with middle eastern staples. The sign (as of 2011) says "Al Bara Market", so presumably the name has changed from "Al Hoda Market". read more

They close at random times during the day and when you get there you're greeted by a sign that doesn't even accurately state when they will be returning, driving here was a waste or my time read more

They had the ras al hanout I was looking for, and I snagged some paprika while I was there as well. The owner was totally rad (I encountered none of the language barriers mentioned by other reviewers) and, at checkout, he said he wouldn't bother to charge me for the little pistachio nougat candy I'd picked out. On the minus side, prices aren't always posted and, when they are, they're not always right. Luckily, they're low enough that it shouldn't really matter. I'd wanted some bulk dates as well, but their selection was so sad that I passed them up. The meat selection wasn't amazing either... only about eight different options, and only a couple pounds of each. Maybe there's more lurking behind the counter? I don't know, I'm no butcher expert. read more

I came to boston in 2013 wandering around for halal meat and grocer nearby Irving st and was very happy to find this store. Pleasant shopkeeper and happy with the things I was able to get from here. Located at prospect st where there's a mosque nearby too alhamdulillah. Another grocer as salam nearby here somehow is now closed down (2014) I hope it's renovating instead of shutting down. I would definitely recommend fellow Muslims and non Muslims who simply love using Mediterranean/Indian spices in their cooking to be a patron of this shop. Two thumbs up from me. read more

See all

I have been vegetarian or vegan for half or most of my life, but I know my meats. For 3 years I ate meat from 2004 to 2006. I will occasionally make exceptions, and will not spit it out my mouth most of the time. It just sort of depends how I feel. So here's my little meat secret. It's a deal, and it's good meat. Go now! Al-Hoda (it's misspelled) is an Arabic Halel meat market in Inman Sq, right on Prospect between Cambridge and Hampshire. It's a hole in the wall ethnic place, and they serve their base, muslim people. Run by friendly enough Algerians, they have enough cuts of lamb, beef and chicken to do any kind of dish, whether it be Algerian BBQ lamb ribs (one of my favorite meats of all time), Moroccan chicken tagine (I acquit myself well here, ha ha), or simply steaks. Or as one of my friends prepared for me once, beef brains and balls. I am not kidding. The brains taste like eggs (they always do) and the balls are spongy. Kind of what you expect, right? They also make their own Merguez, a north african thing. I know Merguez too, and I can say that theirs is okay, nothing to write home to Algeria about. It's good grilled, but to "jack it up" try preparing it in a tomato base and serve it with crusty bread, even in a sub for a nice informal meal. They serve these at the Girls-Of-Yelp's favorite little haunt, Cafe Barada. One reviewer referred to them as "little penises" which sent shivers down me spine down to my groin. Not nice, girls! Anyway, buying here has several advantages. 1.) It's economical, ok, it's CHEAP, like a gorgeous leg o lamb for 35 bucks 2.) It's fresh, especially the lamb, which is from NH a lot of the time 3.) It's an experience 4.) American or NH Lamb beats the wool off NZ lamb 5.) Other arab food items and curiosities such as $10 children's hijabs during Ramadan. (The mosque is down the street.) Sometimes I had language problems getting my cut. No problem, butcher simply rolls out the whole skinned carcass complete with skull. "What do you want, my friend?" "Uh, shoulder!" Mystified look from my butcher. So I point to MY shoulder and say "Shoulder!" Then he points to the lamb's shoulder, and says, "Shoulder?!" And I say, "Yea! Shoulder! Alright!" Walk on in and say your "Salamalikum!" read more

Good meat, indeed! When you pay $8 for frozen spanakopita, cheese, a pound (!) of olives, huge pita breads, and some cookies, well, I'm sold, and have fed myself for a week. Five for you, Al-Hoda. read more

This market is nearly perfect. They have a great selection for such a small location. Moreover. The owners are very very nice. I went in there for the first time and they were very gracious. I'm most impressed by how clean the market is, and the organization of the products. I will certainly be coming back to help make this market a success. Cambridge needs a well stocked, clean halal market staffed by great people! read more

I went to this store to buy some Goat meat . The lady said she has goat meat downstairs but the butcher said there are some packed goat meat inside the shelves . I paid $18 for a little more than 2 pounds . When I came home and started cooking it turned to be Beef . I had suspicion looking at the bones. Guys be aware of what you are getting ... read more

If you know what you want beforehand and aren't too fussed about customer service, this is the best option for halal meat in the area. I checked out a couple of butcheries on Malcolm X blvd in Boston and they were extremely dodgy. Alhoda is conveniently located down the road from the mosque on Prospect Street; however this means that it gets very busy on a Friday after Jumuah. It's a small place crammed full of useful products like spices, canned goods etc so when there are 4 or more customers at a time it gets cramped. The quality of the meat and chicken is good, which is the most important thing. They will cut your purchases according to your instructions and are generally competitive pricewise too. There really aren't any other options in Cambridge. read more

This place is just okay for meat and other essentials. But I do not recommend it at all. It's sooooo overpriced. It's actually ridiculous. They just rip you off especially for the meat. Go to foodland instead, better quality of meat for much much cheaper. read more

Despite having grown up in Cambridge and passing this place a bajillion times, I had never been inside this hole-in-the-wall market. But when I was trying some recipes from a new cookbook and needed some Middle-Eastern products, I stopped in here. Great little store. While I didn't need much, the two people working were extremely helpful and friendly, and the selection was fantastic. I plan to come here a lot more often. Prices were more than reasonable too! read more

Not sure why this place has such high reviews. Went in last week, they were out of dried garbanzo beans, zatar, and several other items. The store was messy and dirty, with products strewn about on the shelves, collecting dust. Will search around for a more reputable market. read more