Dining Out in Boston - Clover Food Lab

BBQ Seitan Sandwich - Clover Food Lab

Chickpea Fritter Sandwich - Clover Food Lab

Food truck turned brick and mortar restaurant! I like when that happens, it's inspiring. Clover Food Lab, originally a vegetarian food truck that started at MIT and spread to multiple locations around Boston, now has restaurants (four and counting..). For whatever reason there was never a truck near my office so I missed out on Clover's yummy vegan lunch options. I tried the food once when I happened to be on vacation and spotted a truck when wandering the city. I was impressed. Serving local and often organic food, I felt good about my choices there. They have some delicious beverages, too. When I learned a restaurant was opening up close to where I live in Brookline, I was thrilled! 

BBQ Seitan - Vegan Version

So far I have taste-tested two sandwiches, rosemary fries, and iced coffee. The Chickpea Fritter sandwich is essentially a falafel in a pita, but it's fresher-tasting than most Mediterranean joints. It comes with a handful of chickpea fritters, a generous helping of hummus, diced cucumber and tomato, shredded carrots and red cabbage, pickles, and tahini sauce in a warmed pita pocket. The seasoning in the chickpea balls is a tad different than falafel, but certainly not in a bad way. The other sandwich I've enjoyed here is the BBQ Seitan sandwich. This one comes with cheese and mayo so make sure you request it without, to make it vegan! It also comes with romaine lettuce and sliced tomato (you can tell how fresh the produce is by the bright colors!). I'm a fan of seitan on occasion for its high protein. This sandwich did not disappoint. I really enjoyed the sweet BBQ sauce and although it was lacking a couple ingredients, it felt like a complete sandwich to me. 

Give this place a try! Whether it's by truck or restaurant, Clover seems to be in a growth stage with good changes coming. I just saw a new sandwich on the menu - the Pepper Relish, I'm not sure how I feel about that one, but it's nice to see them experimenting and expanding!

Clover Food Lab

6 Harvard Street

Brookline, MA 02445

Clover Food Lab Website