Kirsti H.
Yelp
I was grocery shopping on Atlantic one evening last week and walked by this place -- the glow of the lights inside caught my eye. It looked so warm and inviting that I was instantly curious about it and quickly checked Yelp to see what type of cuisine they offered (Middle Eastern) and their overall rating (4.5). My stepdad is from a big Lebanese family, so I am always up for trying new riffs on the classics I grew up with.
Fast forward to today, a rainy Sunday, when the hub and I were both overly hungry but couldn't quite agree on what we wanted to eat. He recalled that I'd mentioned wanting to try Boutros, so we went with it.
When we arrived, the host/server informed us that the kitchen would be closing in 30mn, but that they would be open for another 45mn or so. He was friendly and polite about it and we assured him that we are quick eaters (it's true -- we aren't ones to linger; we're in and out). At least two more parties came in after us, so we felt better knowing that we weren't the only ones sneaking in under the wire.
In terms of food, we ordered a few things to share. Two things I knew straight away that I wanted to try were the hummus and the falafel. I was also curious about the butternut squash kibbeh, but the hub doesn't do squash. Another option we considered was the Bulgur Fried Rice. In the end, we went with the Short rib Shawarma Sandwich as the hub loves a good sammie and this one sounded promising. Also, we were both in the mood for french fries and I recalled one of the Yelp reviewers mentioning that they were good.
Hummus with short rib -- When I ordered this, our server commented that it's the best thing on the menu, so my expectations were high. The meat was nice and tender, but just a bit salty. The hummus was fine, but I've had better (one of my faves is from Damascus, a little shop a few doors down the street). The fresh pita bread that accompanied this dish was delightfully warm and fluffy.
Falafel Gougeres -- I love falafel, so was super excited for this. Sadly, this dish was a complete disappointment. I don't know about everyone else, but my expectation is that falafel will have a nice crispy exterior. While these looked like they would, they absolutely did not; the texture entirely was soft and the interior flavor was meh. The hub wondered if perhaps they'd not cooked them long enough, but I was too embarrassed to ask, particularly as the exterior appearance looked right. The hub liked the fried chick peas that were included with the dish.
Short rib Shawarma Sandwich -- Perhaps a bit redundant since we were already ordering a dish with this meat, but I'm glad we went for it as it was the star of our meal, the one thing that would bring us back. Wrapped in a soft, warm pita, the sandwich fillings melded together nicely -- tangy with a touch of heat. While the same meat was a tad salty in the hummus app, it was perfect in this application -- likely as it was balanced out by all the other flavors -- and it was pleasingly tender and juicy. While the french fries could have been a bit crispier, they were still enjoyable.
If we had ordered only the hummus and falafel, my rating would be three stars. The crave-worthy sandwich, along with the warm atmosphere and friendly service, brings my rating to four stars.
The overall atmosphere is nice, as is the service, so thumbs up there.