Bridget W.
Yelp
This clover must have four leaves, because Boston is incredibly lucky to have a restaurant with this concept. Even San Francisco doesn't have a veg restaurant this spot on. I wish I could clone it and bring it back with me.
I walked in and was greeted warmly by Sarah, who came around from the counter to walk me through their large digital menu board. She explained that they were a big food truck presence around Boston and have expanded to restaurant spaces because of their popularity.
Everything is vegetarian or vegan and completely locally sourced. I would have liked to have seen more of the ingredients in detail on the digital menu or, at the very least, some kind of symbol that indicates which items are (or could be made) vegan. Fortunately there wasn't a line behind me and I had Sarah right there with me to answer my questions. Customer service is clearly a priority here, and it's so refreshing. I was also given a free sample of their new Thai coffee as I looked over the mouth-watering menu.
I decided on a veganized version of the chickpea fritter sandwich (which I'm told is what they are best known for), a side of rosemary fries, and a coffee.
As I waited, I got to check out the large, modern space and open kitchen. There is ample seating and the whole interior is bright, clean, and filled with natural light.
The sandwich I received was monstrous and needed to be cut in half. It was loaded with carrots, pickles, hummus, cabbage slaw and tomato-cucumber salad. Everything was fresh, from the soft pita bread to the well-spiced falafel. The hummus was flavorful but not overpowering and the pickled veggies added the right balance. I devoured it and have come to the conclusion that it is one of the single best vegan sandwiches that I have ever had.
The fries were good, and topped with fresh sprigs of rosemary. Although a tad too heavy on the sea salt for my taste, they were crispy and thin. I also tried the housemade ketchup, which was just tangy enough.
The coffee was good but the soymilk was just basic and unsweetened. I would have liked to had the option of almondmilk instead.
If I lived in Boston and needed a great space to work or study this would be my kind of place. The wifi is free and unlike the somber tone of coffeehouse music, the vibe was upbeat with a mix of motown favorites.
Clover won me over and I will definitely come back the next time I'm in town.