Garlic 'n Lemons

Decent option for Mediterranean fast food in Allston. Took a couple of visits while looking for a quick meal in the area. The restaurant was mostly empty during my visits, so it was somewhat disappointing to find out that they used pre-carved meats for the Shawarma plate. The kebab plate was served with a made-to-order grilled chicken, so it seemed like the vertical spits, adorned with stacks of beef and chicken, were just there as decorations. While limited in numbers, their sides and salad options were great, but the meats were generally on the drier end. In terms of pricing, Garlic N Lemons positions itself at the higher end compared to other kebab joints in the city, such as Aceituna. However, the quality of the food, particularly the meats, doesn't notably surpass its competitors. While it may be a solid option in Allston, I’m not sure if I would return.

A solid choice for fast mediterranean food in Allston! Food: The food was really good - we tried one plate and one wrap. The tastes were there, the veggies tasted fresh and the sauces/dips were really tasty as well (especially the spicy garlic one). My personal preference was spicy beef, as the chicken was not as great, but that might just be a question of preference. Still, although the meat was precut and loaded to plates from the tray (a little disappointment), it still tasted pretty good. Service: Communication was a little messy, since the place was almost empty, but it was fast. Ambiance: It's nothing special. Everytime I pass it by it's half empty, so I assume many people order take out. It's definitely not a place for a date, but for what it is - it's great!

Got some shawarma plates, One was mixed shawarma and other was spicy chicken. The food was delicious and there was lot of meat portions. Loved the salad, hummus and sides too. Mixed meat was so tasty than the spicy chicken. Pita and baklava dessert was great. The flavor was really good and the price was affordable. The food portions was good for the price. Will definitely visit again. Great place to try if you are into Mediterranean foods 👍👍👍🙏🙏🙏🔥🔥🔥

A pita roll must mean something different than a Shawarma. The pita chips had more weight to it then this so-called Shawarma. I can’t believe that my sides will be the entrée tonight. Just plain disrespectful.

The shawarmas were really good. The toum on the side was almost perfectly authentic.

The best spot for Mediterranean food in the Allston area. I have had takeout several times, with the Mix Shawarma plate being the go to everytime. This is a heaping portion and gives you such a great selection at a decent price. All of the meat options are always flavorful and I love the customization options with the dips and salads, making each time feel very unique. Would definitely recommend checking it out.

Has to be one of my favorite gems in the Allston/Brighton area. Garlic and lemons offers so much. All the wraps, salads, bowls and plates are incredible. My go to is the shawarma plate with the beef and spicy chicken. It comes out to around 15$ total. It comes with some of the best garlic sauce I’ve ever tasted. Overall, it’s one of the best Mediterranean restaurants in the region. It’s hands down a must try if you’re in the area.

I was very, very dissatisfied with my meal here. I got a mixed shawarma plate. Both the chicken and the beef were super dry. It almost seemed like they had been cut in advance and reheated in an oven. I saw meat on the rotisserie but the meat for my plate all came from a drawer confirming my suspicions. The pita was terrible and I felt like it had been packed sometime during the Obama administration. I probably should have asked for a saw to cut it into pieces but even then, chewing it would have kept me there for days. The tabouleh, hummus and garlic sauce were decent but could not do much to save the disaster of a plate. I will not be visiting again.

I enjoyed the catering from here. Got to try a little bit of everything...some of the best falafel in the game! The shaved chicken was also incredible! Can't speak for the ambiance or service since I only experienced the catering but would love to come here in person!

Place is pretty damn solid. GOTTA try the spicy garlic sauce! Falafel is pretty good. Shawarma was solid. Would definitely be back!

Pricey, but the only schwarma place in Boston that tastes authentic. You can add fries into your wraps, along with pickles and pickled turnips. The spicy garlic sauce is amazing. Get a chicken schwarma wrap with spicy garlic sauce, pickles, pickled turnips, and a side of their fries with hummus. Truly worth it!

The first time I ever had shawarma was over 10 years ago in the Cambridge/Boston area and I instantly fell in love with it. I think Garlic 'n Lemons is my new favorite place for shawarma in this area. My go-to is the mixed plate with spicy chicken and beef, half rice and half potatoes. The portions are humongous and the garlic sauce is so creamy and flavorful. I love mixing the garlic sauce into the rice and the meat. This is also the first time I see a spicy garlic sauce which also tastes great, but I prefer the regular one.

Incredible Shawarma! It's on par or slightly even better than Shawarma Falafel downtown. You get to select what else you would like inside your shawarma besides the meat/falafel. So you have the option of going authentic with just chicken, pickles, fries, and hummus/garlic No fuss shawarma and incredibly flavorful. Reminds me of Al- baik in Saudia! So so good! All halal

This is a solid Mediterranean spot. I tried their spicy beef shawarma plate with fattoush, garlic dip, rice and potatoes, and their spicy garlic sauce. The highlight of the meal was definitely the garlic dip and spicy garlic sauce, which went perfectly with everything! The garlic flavor was super strong. I liked how the spicy garlic sauce had a tanginess to it which balanced out the savory, meaty flavors in the shawarma. The portion was pretty big so I ended up having leftovers. I discovered that the garlic dip completely changes texture when reheated (the oil and garlic split), but it just turned into a very tasty garlic oil. The rice and potatoes were a generous portion but I thought they were just okay. They were good accompaniments to the meat and sauces but were a little plain on their own. We also tried their signature burger which was quite dry and not super impressive. I would much rather get their plates over their burger.

Good portion sizes and decent food. I prefer the plates over the rollups, as I feel like you get more bang for your buck. The inside has some small tables; probably not ideal for large groups. The atmosphere is casual.

This is some of the better fresh Mediterranean food I have had. I used to come here for lunch monthly, and my office often orders a catered spread from them. Love the swarma and all the sides. Tabouli is dynamite. COVID has been hard for this place, but they are coming back. The whole place has been redone and is a nice dining area. Everything is fresh.

Love love love this place and love their garlic dip omg. I always get the sharwama plate with rice, bbq chicken and garlic dip and it fills my heart with joy every time. The plate comes in a large portion so I usually have it for two meals. A friend of mine recommended the Arab yogurt drink and it's definitely an acquired taste. The drink is salty and not sweet at all, but it paired well with the food I was eating. I couldn't finish though cause I'm just used to sweeter yogurt drinks. They renovated the interior and have ample indoor seatings. The staff there always look happy and friendly. Highly recommended checking out this place for a quick meal. Food: 9/10 Experience: 9/10 Service: 9/10 Value: 9/10

The Mediterranean cuisine here is fresh, flavorful, and consistently delicious. The Shawarma Wrap is a must-try, packed with perfectly seasoned meat and fresh veggies. Their falafel is crispy on the outside and tender inside - simply the best I've had in Boston. The service is quick and friendly, making it a great spot for both a quick bite or a casual meal with friends. Highly recommended for anyone craving authentic Mediterranean flavors!

I stopped in and had the swarmer plate... a lot of food. Easily two meals .. excellent barbecue chicken, beef , salad was fresh and excellent... rice, potatoes, and white garlic tahini sauce ... very cordial staff... even offered me a glass of water with it . Came with pita type bread... I would preferred softer hot pita bread like I usually get at Greek restaurants I frequent... next time I'm going with the salad and chicken swarmer...

Came here after reading the amazing reviews. Sorry to say this is not authentic shawarma, with the chicken tasting bland and needing sauces. Even with the sauces it was blah.

I've tried four other Shawarma spots in Boston, and out of that sample size this is definitely the best. If I was in a town with better Shawarma options I probably only give this spot a four -- I couldn't even taste the chicken underneath all the yummy sauces that they drenched it in. Five stars to me is "would go out of my way to eat here again?". Given that I love Shawarma, yes I will go out of my way to eat here again. However, since I will also keep exploring other options too, I guess it's more like a 4.5 stars

I've been meaning to go to this place for a long time. How can a place like this get such a great rating? It's the food we got pita wraps. The garlic sauce was amazing spicy sauce to add on it. Also everything was addictive. It doesn't have much of an ambience, but the food makes up for it if you want a quick, amazing lunch or dinner I highly recommend

I love Mediterranean food and I must admit from the outside, this place definitely intrigued me. However, I am sad to say the food simply didn't meet my expectations. The workers were really nice and let me sample their different shawarmas but they all were just very stringy, dry, and chalky. I'm no Mediterranean food expert, but in all my experience of eating, I have never seen spicy beef shawarma that offputtingly red. I ended up getting a chicken shawarma bowl with hummus but doused most of it in their spicy sauce for it to taste better. For the taste, price point, and portion size, I just didn't feel like it was worth it.

Great spot for takeout! Hummus is good and the portions are good for the price. We also really enjoyed the cauliflower. Will be going back

My favorite place to get Mediterranean food! I'm middle eastern and it's pretty authentic. I love ordering the Spicy Shawarma plate and adding spicy garlic on top- too good! I definitely recommend if you're looking for something healthy and fresh. The food here is so delicious and portions are big, I always end up having leftovers.

went to this place to grub after gym. missed the club because of inevitable shawarma stomach bug

Absolutely my most favorite spot in Allston ma for food. The mixed shawarma plate with a base of spicy potatoes and some Greek salad. I get it with half hummus and half garlic sauce and then top it with tahini and spicy garlic. It's such a giant serving of food and always so delicious. You can't go wrong here. Their falafel and grape leaves are great too!

Ordered: Original Beef Shawarma Plate, Mango Lassi Passed by this place and decided to try it out based on the good reviews, but was immediately disappointed after taking my first bite. The beef was on the drier side and didn't taste that fresh. The fries were also soggy and not crispy at all. The hummus was by far the best part of the meal. I thought the mango lassi was going to be freshly made, but it was bottled. It definitely was not as thick as a mango lassi should be and the flavor was a little off. Maybe their other dishes are more appetizing, but I wouldn't recommend the items I tried.

Service is failing as is the quality of food-order was 15 min late and had to wait for roll up that we made cold. Great disappointment from pre Covid

I was on the fence about ordering from here based on reviews but decided to take my chances and I desperately wish I'd gone with my first instinct. The spicy beef was the saltiest meat I've ever been served from a restaurant - like, laughably inedible. The hummus, rice, veggies, and spicy garlic sauce were fine, but no better than what I could have made at home for literally a quarter of the price. And they forgot the pita that came with my order. I've been wanting to try this place ever since moving to the area and I'm SO disappointed. If you're considering this place, I'd skip.

Whenever I am looking for something healthy, quick to go and yummy lunch I will think of this spot. The spicy chicken is my favorite choice of protein there. I always ask for extra spicy mayo sauce regarding of what meat I end up getting. The salad selection is quite amazing there as well. The sitting area is quite spacious as well. The bathroom is also very clean.

My first shewarma plate was very good. The combination of meat, spicy potatoes and garlic sauce was great. I really enjoyed the Greek salad. It was fresh and had a bright flavor. Service was friendly and fast.

OKAY SO YUMMY. Love the shawarma bowls. So good and fresh. Would go back for sure!!!!

One of my favorite places to eat in Allston. I usually get the Shwarma plate which comes with a choice of meat, potatoes or rice, hummus or garlic sauce, salad, and pita bread. They are very generous with their portions and for the amount of food you get, the price is worth it. They also have a variety of sauces to choose from to go with your food. Service is usually pretty fast and staff is friendly. There is a nice seating area next to the ordering station. I've already been to this place many times and will keep coming back.

Pretty solid for takeaway. Delivery is usually prompt and haven't had issues with the order. Enjoyed the chicken shawarma plate which came in a huge portion. Would recommend with the rice pilaf and the garlique sauce. Tried the spicy potatoes, but didn't love them and wouldn't order those again. For dessert, the paklava was great!

Renovated a few years ago. Pleasant and clean dining atmosphere, fast food service. Short wait time, but always freshly made. Food is excellent as ever and, yes, we still drive all the way here from RI! Gotta satisfy those cravings! Tip: You get a really great deal when you order a combo shawarma wrap, which includes a side and a drink for only $10.99! The baba ghanoush (roasted eggplant dip, which is harder than it looks to make at home) is included as a side option. Dine-in restaurants normally charge $7 for the same serving size of baba ghanoush. I highly recommend the Spicy Beef Shawarma on Saj (extra $1 for the thin flat bread wrap). You can choose any drink inside the fridge at the back of the dining area--the have Snapple, bottled & canned soda, Vimto fruity flavored soda (popular in Middle East), and Orangina Citus sparkling beverage.

I hope the owners (mother & Son) read this review... if you look at my Yelp picture I was customer #1! If your wondering why your place is always empty now, please read what I am about to say, it's only because I care. Changing the decor isn't going to help you if your struggling, this is what's wrong with your place now: 1. Kitchen and serving area are gross and look like they haven't been cleaned for a long time. 2. You have 6 cooks on a Friday night all standing around while half of your serving bins are empty. No one gives a care and they are there to chat, hang out and collect money. 3. The shawarma and the food you are serving looks gross and is a version of watered down Lebanese food cooked in Latin America. 4. The girl you have on the front pretends not to speak English and all of your cooks serving food can't take simple instructions. Very frustrating as a customer! 5. If you think people are going to pay $15 for a shawarma plate that goes in a box that has shrunk down in size, to where you get one scoop of rice, your trying to cheat people because business is slow. Customers are on to you! 6. If I ask for an item outside of the plate or sandwich, your cooks are ready to Jump the island and fist fight. I want the food the way I like it and no Jose is going to tell me how to eat! Sad part is I'm willing to pay extra to have it my way, but I'm attacked instead of welcomed. What a shame! If you continue to operate this way, you will continue to lose customers, please Fix it or lose it, it's time you take your restaurant back and find the passion you had from day one! PS -Caring Concerned Customer

Top 5 lunch spots! I typically order the Spicy Chicken plate w. potatoes, Hummus & salad. In terms of the moisture of the chicken I would say order early in the day for best quality!

In Layman's terms, this is a good Mid Eastern place. In Lemons terms, it's even better. Not to be confused with Gallic and Le Mans, which is a store in the Gallic region of Northwestern France, that also hosts a car race in nearby Le Mans. Honestly not the greatest Shawarma I have ever had by any stretch of the imagination but they did put plenty of slightly spicy sauce all over it, which was goood. The chicken was a bit dry but had a decent flavour. The bread was typical Lebanese style - falling apart but in a good way. I'm not sure why the other reviews hate it so much if they've had other Lebanese style Shawarma. If it was $4 I probably would give it five star but it's twice that so it gets a 4. What does get five stars is the spectacularly gorgeous server who was making eyes with me the entire time. Do people even say that anymore. No didn't think so. I think she was Latina and embodies the reason why Latina girls are my favourite. Including Barbie. Especially Barbie. Fine, mainly Barbie. So the place is definitely mostly hype and somewhat average but at the same time I do think it's pretty damn good.

Maybe it's because we went at the end of the day, but the shawarma chicken was pretty dry and could have used more seasoning. The sauces were really good though! Ask for the hot sauce-- not to spicy but delicious and not as rich as the garlic sauce

Very mediocre falafel. Dried out falafels; watered down tahini and not great veggies. For north of $13.

I love this place. The shawarma plate is amazing. The people were amazing and I loved the feel too.

Big fan of Garlic n Lemons but a bit frustrated with today's experience. Called 9 times but no one picked up the phone (no voicemail either). And when ordering on DoorDash, I was forced to add an additional / "extra" side for my veggie plate - instead of being optional, the $0.50 sauce or $1 pickles were "required" to place the order. Overall I enjoyed my beef kebab plate. Meat was flavorful, mostly tender just a few chewy pieces. Would get again! The baba ghanoush was on the salty side but had good smoky flavor, and the tabouli was not as fresh as I've had before - could use more lemon to brighten it up.

Garlic 'n Lemons is owned by a mother-and-son duo, Mama Rosie and Mardig, and this cute eatery offers shawarma, kebabs, burgers, salads, and vegetarian options. We tried the Shawerma Plate, which includes a choice of shawerma (original chicken, spicy chicken, beef, spicy beef, or a mix), salad (Greek salad, fetoush, tabouleh, or couscous), dips, and rice pilaf. I had the Spicy Chicken with the tabouleh, a side of potatoes, baba ghanouj, and the garlic sauce. YUM! This was SO SO SO GOOD! The chicken slices could have been right off the spit and be served hot, though, as they were served a little cold and slightly dried-out. I loved the spicy sauce (don't forget to ask for more!), which was just a cream-based and wasn't all that spicy. The garlic sauce was light and garlic-y, and great mixed in with the chicken. The potatoes were cooked perfectly and well-seasoned with their house spices; they were tasty and great side choice! Staff were a little stand-offish, but the line seemed to be moving along quickly. There were handful of tables to dine-in and enjoy your food, but most patrons seem to call ahead and get their orders for take-out. You're responsible in throwing away any leftovers and placing the dirty dishes and the silverware in their labeled bins. +Shawerma Plate - spicy chicken +request for extra spicy sauce and garlic sauce! +yummy potatoes! +extremely limited restricted parking

This place was just A-OK. It is a chipotle style way of ordering food. My Lebanese friend said it was lacking. I thought it was okay, but something was missing. I'm not an expert in this cuisine so I can only go off what my friend said. Prices were decent for the amount you are given so stop on in and order some grub :)

So good! Got chicken shawarma, Greek salad, and rice pilaf. Oh man, and with the garlic sauce on top... yum! Also added some pickles. Delicious! Will definitely be back to try the rest of the menu. It's spacious and calm inside, and it's awesome that it's a family run business.

The food gave me food poisoning!! Beware of this place. Unfortunately, the food is not that great so I can't say it is worth it either. The spicy beef meat is alarmingly red and looked unappetizing. The spicy chicken is okay. I enjoyed the spicy potatoes but that's really all. I prefer Boston shawarma. I would not come again.

HOOOLY SHIT bro the wraps or whatever tf its called they good as hell. Fries are good, crispy and they don't get soggy quick, sauce is unbeatable, and potatoes wifh the sauce are good as hell

This is a good option if you're looking for a quick and healthy lunch. My husband and I each had the lunch box, which consisted of a plate of rice or potatoes, a serving of rotisserie meat, and a side salad. My mom had the vegetarian plate, which allowed a choice of three vegetarian dishes. I thought the vegetarian plate was overpriced (something around $10) for the amount of food you receive. All the food was prepared in advance and in trays behind a plastic separator, so you can see what you're selecting. The person serving was not very helpful and kind of quiet. We had never been there before, so we didn't know exactly how it worked and what all the food items are, but it felt like we were expected to know everything. The food overall was tasty, though I do wish they allowed the rotisserie to get more char!!...isn't that the point of a rotisserie?

Love this place!! The chicken shawarma plate, garlic sauce, hummus, Greek salad, spiced potatoes, saj with extra spicy sauce. It's quite a big portion, you may have leftovers for the next day (nobody's complaining!). You can also go half n half on your plate, and ask for say, half a Greek salad and half tabouleh. I like their desert too, the one with the cream filling. I think it's called osmalia, they even sprinkle some rose water on it. The only thing we didn't enjoy was the falafel, quite tasteless. The customer service may be a hit or a miss, depends on who's around! I've had times when they've been extremely patient with my order, explaining what all the sides are and other times they've tried to rush it even though there's no crowd. But the food is still good! This is mostly a take-out place though they do have chairs and tables if you like a sit-down meal. Unfortunately no parking for customers. If you're very lucky, you might score some street parking.

I was super excited to try this place and finally got the chance to go in. I got a mix platter with chicken and beef. Choose potatoes, rice, and toubouleh. added olives as well. and it came with pita bread. The portions were big and the potatoes were delish and nicely seasoned. The spicy beef was an odd red color and texture. it was dry and not the best in my opinion. I wonder if it had just been sitting out for a while? The chicken was good though and wasn't dry. I was kinda underwhelmed by this place after being so excited about it. Maybe I will try again and update my review

Delicious! Everything is so fresh from garlic n lemons. I've been a few times in the past few months, and enjoy it every time. Easy to order online, also quick to order in store. The hummus is fantastic! Also recommend the fried pita chips, which are so crunchy and perfect with the hummus.

Most of my friends do not know about this place when they really should! This is a great spot in allston if you want to get something healthy but filling. I swear they have the best hummus I have ever had. The portions are huge and the workers are nice! Shawerma Plate with beef with Greek Salad, Hummus, and rice pilaf ($12.49). The greek salad is light and fresh, and the meat is not dry like other shawerma places!

Place seems like it is frequented by local college students. At 9pm on a weekend, that's pretty much the crowd that was there when I visited. Plenty of seating too. Got the spicy chicken shawarma platter to-go ($8-9). It consists of rice, chicken, salad, thin pita, and choice of tahini or mayo-based sauce. There is a $1 up-charge from shredded lettuce + tomatoes to a marinated cucumber tomato salad or tabouli. -1 star for the salad options. The base is just the shredded lettuce and tomato. The lettuce looked wilted and brown, maybe because it was towards the end of the night. Either way, I wasn't going to eat it if I got it with the basic platter so got the cucumber tomato salad instead for the extra $1. Overall, I probably would return.

Didn't really expect anything but just went in because I was so hungry but the exploding flavors made my pitas original beef delightfully delicious.

Just stop already. I've been going to GnL for over 5 years. The food was so good and one of my all time favorites. Now I wouldnt send anyone there. The food is Half the portions it used to be and the costs went way up. Problems didnt start at Covid either. The tabbouleh is very watery/soggy now and not finely chopped up, a lot of hard pieces mixed in, ouch and yuck. The chicken is now on a pan already cut up rather than on the spindle freshly cut. Last year they started giving smaller portions in the regular size containers they would fill it up about 65-75% (used to be 100%) of the way and then I would watch them place their hands underneath pretending to close it all the while pushing up the bottom of the take out container. Yep they dent in the bottom of the container to make it look full when you'd get less. Now they just said F it and decided to just use a smaller container altogether but its like half the size or less! The price was around 10 bucks for a shwarma plate two years ago around. two years later the price is around 3-4 dollars plus, wtf huge increase! Times are hard for a lot of ppl but this is just ripping people off. Meat prices increased but not by that much. They keep raising their prices and now you get less than half or what you would have paid for just a few months ago. Robbery. I think they forget there are quite a few shwarma places in the area. Im out, cant do it anymore.

If was ok I've definitely had better. The food didn't really have a taste, I found it to be rather bland. The service was nice and the place was clean. Parking makes the experience less fulfilling, constantly circling the block looking for a spot.

Another decent middle eastern choice that will leave you full and satisfied. This is on the pricier side but you get large portions and great quality food. The place is spacious and the staff is friendly. You cant go wrong with any of their plates. I could not make up my mind but I know I needed meat! My beef kebabs were great and all the sides just really enhanced my meal! Definitely worth trying.