Sepal

Hey! Since I’m a big fan of middleastern food, I loved their simple, healthy menu! Chicken Zanzabeel and salad with hummus Plate is one of my favorites there. Check it out! It’s affordable too. its only 7.95 for a whole big meal.

I came here for lunch, and after trying a sample of the sumac chicken (which I had honestly never considered ordering before) I got the sumac chicken plate with brown rice/​lentils and green beans. Holy hell, was it delicious. And for under $ 9, you get a portion that’s easily enough for two meals.
I’m surprised to see the reviews that talk about bad customer service; I actually had the opposite experience. The girls behind the counter were extremely friendly and polite. I’m officially a fan!

I never get to have schwarma or falafel on the south shore /​cape. After a hospital trip I saw this place nearby and was so excited for it even though I knew it was a food court. They have very fast service and were friendly. My kafta was not as great as I had hoped, the s hwarma sandwich was ok and same with falafel. Not nearly as good as overseas but again it’s a foodcourt.

I came here one night for a quick meal and got the sumac chicken plate. The options for sides were white rice or brown rice and okra or beans, and I got the brown rice with beans. The beans were in a tomato-​based sauce, and the plate also came with salad. At the end it was topped with some tahini and hot sauce. The chicken was actually quite good. It was well-​seasoned, tender, and not too greasy. It was also topped with some cooked onions. Everything else was just fine — nothing to write home about but filling. Overall I liked how it felt like a relatively healthy and balanced meal. Service was good when I went.

My girlfriend took me here as a surprise and we absolutely loved it! We ordered a falafel sandwich, mosakhan wrap, and hummus. I can assure you there isn’t a place in Boston that makes better falafel than Sepal. It’s the real deal. The hummus also ranks with the best of them and the mosakhan wrap was also very good.
Lastly, the owner, Walid, is extremely hospitable and takes great pride in his food (check out his video on Sepal’s website if you have time). If you get the chance, also ask him about his relationship to Aerosmith — you won’t be disappointed.
If you’re looking for some authentic, delicious Middle Eastern food in Boston, these guys have been doing it for a LONG time, and you won’t find a better option anywhere.

I just found a moth in my chicken sumac plate. All I want to do right now is throw up. The chicken was delicious and soft– the salad was too watery for my taste. I was about halfway done with my meal and I see this black moth staring up at me surrounded by lettuce.
I went straight to the counter and told the woman working there and all she said was «I’m so sorry». I don’t care how sorry you are– give me my money back. Sorry isn’t going to take away my horrible experience. Sanitation needs to shut this place down.

Below average food served by indifferent employees. That pretty much sums it up.
Also, Unilocal wants me to put more words into my review, so this part is just padding. If you’re still reading my review, I suggest moving on to the next one.

Sepal is an excellent authentic Middle Eastern Restaurant. The food is delicious, and serving sizes are quite large, and the price is great for the amount of food you get. I would definitely recommend this restaurant. I recently ate at a more upper scale Middle Eastern restaurant in Back Bay and I definitely would choose Sepal over this restaurant, because of the good value and food quality at Sepal.

I am not a huge Unilocal contributor but when I receive excellent service or the exact opposite, I feel obliged to write here.
I have lived in Boston for little over 2 years and the staff at this Sepal location have given me the worst customer service experience in the city.
Generally when I go to a place similar to Sepal, I don’t care much if the staff smiles at me, or greets me, or answer my questions as long as the food is decent. After all, they work hard all day for little money. And despite the usually expected pleasantness, I am ready to forgo their indifferent behavior.
After the extreme rudeness I experienced here, I am never going to eat there. I want whoever runs the company to know how horribly their staff are performing. I had simply asked a question about one of the dishes (‘do you put baba ganoush and hummus in that wrap’) which they said yes and billed me $ 21 for something that would cost $ 9. When I asked for the reason they said I was charged extra for the hummus and baba ganoush. I said, in that case I didn’t want it and got a totally irrelevant reply. Something like ‘just because we serve food, we are not beneath you’. And then all the staff member talked among themselves in their own language and gave me horrible looks. I could hear some English words like ‘Cheap’.
It is really a shame that the food is actually not that bad, but really to give them my business would mean to encourage such behavior. Looking at the reviews this is not a one time deal. The staff is just poorly trained and rude. Look at some of the quotes below:
One star — Stephanie M.: «As other reviewers have noted, the service staff here can be rude and unpleasant, and that alone can be a deterrent to getting your food from here»
One star — TophBeiFon G.: «And the staff always looks unhappy, grumpy face, very rude, almost on the verge of ignoring you.»
One star — Sundus A.: «staff should learn how to deal with customers! I feel like they don’t want us to buy anything from them! seriously!»
One star — Mi R.: «Before I comment on the food, I would like to comment on the staff. Most of the women that work the counter are very rude. They are always speaking in there own language»
One star — Y.A.: «THEY ARE DISHONEST! »

This place used to be in the MIT student center, and I was sad to learn it had closed since I graduated. However, more internet and Unilocal search led me to this other location, serving the same great food. Once I got the chicken maklouba (rice, spices, SUPER tender chicken, and eggplant) back in 2006 or so, I never turned back. I get that every time and have never been disappointed. Doesn’t look all that pretty but the seasoning is always right on and the portions are generous. Their standard tomato/​cucumber salad is great too!

If you’ve eaten falafel or shawarma before, you’ll probably be surprised when they ask if you want okra or beans with your rice. Beans and okra are not what I associate with those dishes in the slightest. Hummus is not standard on the plates. Portions of falafel and chicken are very small compared to similar places. If you’re already in Longwood Galleria, just walk a few more feet to someplace better.

This is some extremely authentic middle eastern food that I love. It’s definitely worth the walk. The falafel is great and really something to try. The only problem is that they tend to run out of food and make their own hours on a day to day basis because it’s always closed around 7pm. A late dinner but all of the other places in the Galleria are still open. It’s a shame because it’s caused them to lose my business on multiple occasions.

I came here for lunch with a couple of friends, and we all walked away feeling incredibly full and satisfied! The service is very quick, there are lots of great options (but not too many so that it will be difficult to decide), and the portions are humongous!!! The prices in general are very reasonable as well. After you receive your food and pay, you can find a seat in the food court area. I ordered the chicken schwarma plate, which came with a kabob of chicken, salad with tahini sauce, rice (white or brown available), and beans — all for a little over $ 8! The chicken was tender and juicy, the rice was warm and soft, and I also loved the tahini sauce! All in all, I will definitely come back again for the wonderful food, quick service, and reasonable prices!

Proportion is great for a hungry individual. The taste is almost decent… I mean if you compared to other shops in the same court. I’d probably give it a 4 star. But compare it to everything else, this place does not even come close. So, if you are hungry and just looking for large chunks of rice and veggies to fill your stomach, this is the place for you.

This is one of my favorite Middle Eastern places in Boston. I like that it’s healthy, it’s incredibly inexpensive for the quality, and it serves some different options from other Middle Eastern places. I’m still mourning the fact that they left the Cambridgeside Galleria, although apparently they have a new place on Mass. Ave. near Huntington Ave./Northeastern.
I love the chicken sumac, chicken maklouba, and the okra.
[Also, I’m not sure why, but some of the reviews for this place are borderline offensive. What’s up with that?]

the food wasn’t cold, IT WAS FREEZING
the staff should learn how to deal with customers! I feel like they don’t want us to buy anything from them! seriously! at least smile for god sake!
anyway I will never ever order from this place again it doesn’t worth it

Tried the falafel. It’s been sitting for a while by the time we got it.
For those who want a good pointer, if you can see the falafel before you order it, they are doing it wrong, it should be fried moments before served.
I will not be coming back.

Before I comment on the food, I would like to comment on the staff. Most of the women that work the counter are very rude. They are always speaking in there own language, which is a BIG NO NO in business. There is one woman who works there who always makes me wait, never smiles, and always speaking in a foreign language. Frankly, I think that is rude. All summer, she had her minor child running around the food court while she worked.
With that said, I will comment on the food. For a food court, the food is not bad. I think it is a little pricey for a food court. I also think they give small portions for plates. I also think it depends on who you get at the counter. I also think there food is DEFINATELY NOT Authentic. I have had better! I will not being going there anymore.
Overall, I am not impressed. Better customer services is needed. A smile and eye contact would be nice. Please speak English at the counter. If you want to speak in your language, go in the backroom.

Its almost sad how most of the places in Boston serve cold food, even during the summer. Sure, in the winter, you might have an excuse, but its the damn summer, I like my food to be hot year round. If its too hot I can wait for it to cool down, but if its too cold I don’t have an option.
Wonderful, now that I have that off my back. Let me say that Sepal had a piping hot shawarma that was enjoyable to eat, simply because it was hot. Forget the flavors and what not. Isn’t hot meat pretty much 70% of the time much better than lukewarm meat? Its amazing how a food court shop can do this and some of the highest rated places in Boston can’t.
Anyways, the flavors were markedly different from what I was expecting. Its definitely an interesting chicken shawarma sandwich from multiple perspectives. First off, the flavors were interesting, it wasn’t bad, wasn’t amazing, it was just good. I figured the chicken shawarma sandwich would have shredded meat, but instead they just took the kabobs off the stick and served it like that. Add hummus + tomato/​cucumber/​onion salad + lettuce + tahini + banana peppers and you have a pretty decent sandwich. All for $ 5.95, which is for the small, and if you want a large, you I believe it it is 7 something. Great price for good, enjoyable food.
Boston shops, take notice, Sepal serves HOT delicious food. If summer is like this, I can’t imagine what winter will be like.

Great prices and pretty great food. I’m not even going to add «for a strip mall.» This place could hold its own as a regular store front. Its also another place to add to my falafel list, so that always makes me happy.
I went with the falafel plate, and was not disappointed. They even let me mix baked and fried falafels (the baked were just ok, the fried were pretty good).
honestly, one of the better options for a quick lunch in the Longwood area. I will be back.