Bay State Shawarma and Grill

The food was delicious and the price was perfect. I usually pay $ 13 for a shawarma plate so I was happy when I saw it was much cheaper here. I recommend the beef shawarma. I didn’t give it 5 stars because the grape leaves were okay and the baklava tasted funny but overall great entrees.

Great food for the money. One of the best deals here in Woo. There’s a nifty store in the back to shop for middle eastern goods to take home with you.

Poor service, I came in to get food and it took at least a minute or two before I could even get them to make eye contact with me to take my order. I asked about the spinach pies and all I got was that they were spinach pies and then they turned away and went back to sitting. I went back up to order another item and I couldn’t get the guy to get off his phone to even take my order. when we finally took my order he didn’t even let me finish ordering before he turn the way and I had to wait another 30 seconds for him turnaround to finish my order.

I so glad that I tried this place. The food is delicious The staff is so helpful and nice. The place is clean The menu is definitely diverse. If I’m ever in the area I will probably be back

Decent food but not great neighborhood. Service was OK but not particularly friendly.
I’d stop in again.

Both times I have come here the food has been amazing. I enjoyed it as did the people with me. Also love the Mediterranean market in the basement.

After reading the reviews here, I decided to give this place a try. Parking was street side.
The place was busy due to a large group of college students.
The person who took my order was very humble and nice
I ordered chicken shawarma plate and a veggie plate to go and also asked for some hot sauce. The food was freshly made in front of me and was ready in no time
Both the dishes were fantastic. Each item was very flavorful and with the right amount of spices. What made this place my favorite right away was the garlic sauce. It was just other worldly. The quantity too was good. I will be frequenting this place often

Excellent food!
Went here on the recommendation of a friend, and we were not disappointed! Had the Fatoush salad, kibbe and shawarma plates, and we were so stuffed and happy we had to roll home! There’s a little shop downstairs if you are interested in anything in quantity or items particular to middle eastern cooking.

Love this place! Everything is yummy and fresh. The prices are really good. I love the veggie place and the chicken plate. The chicken is cooked so perfectly and it’s so delicious.

Food was excellent! Defiantly something different than the usual spots and I’m SO glad we tried it when we wanted to try something new. Got the shawarma plates for lunch and it was such a great value for the price and the food was truly excellent! Can’t wait to go back soon.

Delightful meal here, my wife and I were out and around Millbury and looking for something new to try. We wanted to know what the hell Shawarma was after watching The next Great Food Truck last year.
Still don’t know exactly what Shawarma is… but I know that Bay State Shawarma is a great little restaurant. It is in Worcester which is enough to turn anyone off. Yet, it was a really night inside, to the right you can go and order your food and if you go straight ahead there is a middle-​eastern/​Mediterranean food shop. It was clean and appealing to sit and eat in.
The food was really good I got the beef Shawarma and my wife got the Chicken Shawarma, both were 7.99 for a full plate. (Beef/​chicken on rice, pita bread, small side salad, a little hummus, pickles, and garlic spread all on a heaping place). For the price what you get is great, and the food is awesome!
I would definetely recommend this as a place to try.

A gem in the heart of Worcester with the most delicious food! I am a vegetarian and the variety of options is phenomenal! I recommend to go here for a snack or a sit down dinner! mm mmmm Delicious! I am from NY and I will become a regular here !

Good authentic shawarma. Very friendly and clean place. Love the tabouli! Very flavorful and good portions of food.

I’ll be honest: I was hesitant at first when I lined up to purchase a shawarma at Bay State. Yes, it does function as a good Middle East market, but my expectations of receiving good Lebanese food are pretty low, given the many mediocre and disappointing experiences I’ve had in Boston (Many are looking to profit off of drunk students at night, while others in the past have served up some spam-​substitute or given the food the microwave treatment). I do also have high expectations for my shawarmas since I am exposed to Lebanese cooking at home and have traveled and lived in Lebanon and Syria.
That said, Bay State really surprised me. They do serve up very good shawarmas– probably better than any of the shawarma joints in Boston, including the above-​average Falafel Palace in Cambridge. My shawarma had rich-​tasting meat, enough (and not layer after layer of) bread, and the correct condiments.
Generally speaking, traditional Levantine cuisine in Worcester probably has Boston beat (Oleana/​Sofra are excellent, but different beasts altogether)! No, you won’t find the shawarmas at Bay State as dirt-​cheap as in the streets of Beirut, but they are still very affordable and priced at a good value! The service, while occasionally slow or preoccupied with other matters, is usually very solid. The music videos playing around me added to the lovely, causal atmosphere and also reminded me of some of the lovely establishments I used to eat at near the American University of Beirut.
Bay State is now one of my favorite lunch spots in the city, and I’d recommend that you check it out! Bön appeitit…

Had the beef shawarma sandwich and falafel sandwich. Both were fantastic, although I think I prefer the falafel, it was a bit more flavorful and I love pickles. The sandwiches are pressed which seems to make them hold together a little better. They had a hilarious music video playing in the back ground and the sandwiches were less than $ 5. I will be back.

I had the chicken plate and a pint of hummus and it was excellent and everything was great I will be back again and again one thing I would like to say I wish they had better Pitas

I actually ate here a few times and loved it. Today I am very disappointed because something happened that made me never want to go there again.
I went there today and decided to try their rotisserie chicken, since I had tried most of the menu already. I ordered it with rice and tried to ask if it came with hummus and labneh like the other platters did, but the server was very confusing, saying yes it did and no it didn’t. I tried to ask if it could be added for a little extra but he said both that it already did come with it and it didn’t, so I gave up. They didn’t ask for money yet and went and got a half chicken and put it in the microwave. I didn’t want microwaved chicken that is all dried out and tastes funny, so I asked if that was my chicken. The server who took my order wasn’t there but one of the others said yes it was, and I didn’t have to get it if I didn’t want it. I said okay and that I was sorry but I thought it was fresh.
I went to look in their store and the server who took my order came and found me and said, «you didn’t want your chicken» I said no and that I was sorry but I don’t like microwaved chicken, and he seemed angry. I decided to go order some labneh to go since that was what I really wanted, and my server said he would make it for me fresh, and took a plastic spoon and went in the back. I asked the other one why he wasn’t giving me the labneh that was in the front, and he said it was sold already. The first one came back with it in a container and they gave it to me with no pita but I just gave up at that point because I knew I wasn’t going to eat it.
All in all a very bad experience. I’m disappointed I don’t trust this place anymore because it was really good the other times I tried it.

Fantastic! Driving around Worcester looking for something tasty for a Sunday lunch… so glad we let Unilocal lead us to this place. Delicious shwarma plate, falafel, grape leaves… Love that garlicky sauce and the hummus.
Order at the counter. Plastic plates and utensils. Not fancy. Great food.

I’ve come here a few times now. Usually, I get either the shawarma plate or the wrap. I’ve tried both beef and chicken, and they are both amazing: sliced well to fill the plate and packed with flavor.
They have a garlic paste that is AMAZING! You’ll have garlic breath after eating it, but it is worth it. Full of garlic flavor that hits you hard with even the smallest of bites, but it’s not a harsh raw garlic taste. They successfully mellow out the flavor, and allows the paste to enhance any dish you get.
The falafel appetizer is great too! My boyfriend tried his first falafel at Bay State and was amazed at how meaty the texture was — he almost didnt believe me when I said it was only made with chickpeas!
There is also a small shop connected to the restaurant which had tons of spiced, Middle Eastern treats, and freshly baked goods that they use in their restaurant.
Must try of you’re in the area!

A few years back Bay State underwent a complete interior upgrade. Food is still the same great food, but now the interior more closely matches.
I am not a fan of some spice that is in the shawarma, but I have been told by anyone I speak to that its the best around.
I love the breads found in the back of the bakery. Z’atar and cheese hands down my favorite. Nice selection of jarred/​canned/​bulk packed middle eastern staples. From pickles to spices. Great helpful staff as well.
Bonus — lots of easy parking to be had as well. Large lot directly across the street.