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| - I am always looking for great vegetarian options in Cleveland, and Boaz Cafe definitely makes the list! We decided to eat dinner here on a Wednesday night and parked directly across the street in a metered spot on Lorain Ave. As soon as we walked in, the employees at the front greeted us warmly and offered us menus. In terms of layout, Boaz Cafe is much more laid back than its big brother Aladdin - you order and pay at the front and then seat yourself. I ordered a build-your-own bowl and a mean & green juice at the suggestion of one of the staff members.
When building your bowl/pita, you select the ingredients from a large spread as an employee serves you behind the bar. The staff member who made my order was exceptionally kind - when I said I would prefer neither chicken nor beef for protein, he gave me extra lentils, which I really appreciated. You can choose as many different ingredients as you like - I ended up with greens, lentils, baba, salata, quinoa, cabbage salad, pickled turnips, pickled cucumbers, and tahini yogurt dressing. It was fantastic! My fellow diners also built their own bowls, and they agreed that their meals were delicious.
About a minute after we sat down, our juices arrived. Even though I had read through the ingredients of the mean & green, I still was pleasantly surprised to find that it was not just a sweet green juice - the ginger really gave it a little kick. Whenever I am back next, I am definitely going to try another juice or a smoothie - at $2, who could resist!?
I definitely will be returning to Boaz Cafe in the future. With it being situated just a block away from the West Side Market, I imagine others will quickly discover this gem too. Everything on the menu was extremely affordable (less than $9 total for a bowl and juice), and both the staff and the ambience were inviting and warm.
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