It's Like a Mediterranean-Influenced Chipotle

Visit them online: Troy Grille

Tucked in-between Blue: A Goodwill Boutique and the Stone Tavern on Main Street in Kent, Ohio is a small Mediterranean restaurant called Troy Grille.  Like many other places that have enjoyed the revitalization of the downtown area, Troy Grille is small operation that identified a niche to be filled - in this case, Mediterranean fast-food (no, Gyro Bob doesn't count).  In contrast to some of the other local dining establishments, Troy Grille offers a wide selection of reasonably healthy options, and the familiar sounding "wrap-bowl-salad" choices that harken back to the current king of Mexican fast food, Chipotle.

What makes Troy Grille stand out is that the food is really good.   My wife and I stopped in yesterday for the first time.   We both ordered bowls - she chose a falafel bowl, and I went with a beef shwarma bowl - and then we picked from white rice and bulgar to form the basis of the bowl.  Between the two, i would recommend the bulgar - it is nicely seasoned and has a bit more going on with it than the white rice.  After choosing our base, we were presented a variety of vegetables and sauces that can be layered on, including standard items like onions, pickles, black olives, etc. as well as Mediterranean staples like cacik (which is similar to the Greek tzatziki), feta, hummus, and grape leaves.  Some items, like the hummus and grape leaves, will cost a little extra but it is well worth it.

Once we chose all of the veggies and sauces for the bowls, they topped them with the freshly heated main items (falafel and beef shwarma).  Let me just say, the beef shwarma isn't merely seasoned strips of tender beef.  It comes out in this delightful collage of beef, onions, tomatoes and mozzarella all melted together into a cohesive unit.

My wife and I were both very pleased with our respective choices, and if you know anything about my wife and ethnic cuisine, her being pleased speaks volumes.  She preferred the falafel over the beef shwarma, and I enjoyed both.  Though I have to admit that despite my skepticism of their claim to have the best falafel around, it still met all expectations.

It is important to support small, locally owned shops and restaurants to keep cities like Kent from being overrun with corporate establishments.  So the next time you happen to be wandering through Kent, be sure to check out Troy Grille.