Self-serve, pay-by-weight frozen yogurt shops have become ubiquitous around the region, but not all of them can boast a Middle-Eastern grill menu alongside the requisite dozen or so flavors of frozen dessert. Peachwave East Lyme & Taza Grill Middle Eastern Cuisine in Niantic is the only owner to that distinction of which I am aware.

When you think about it, it makes sense: a nice probiotic digestif sounds just about right after a feast of flavorful Middle Eastern fare.

We’ll have to try that sometime, because we opted to snack on some yogurt while we waited for our feast to be assembled. Seated on a cozy couch amid colorful chairs and tables, we compared the vanilla gelato to the vanilla bean yogurt (rich and creamy; bursting with vanilla flavor, respectively) with highlights of salted caramel (me; and it was properly sweet and salty) and pistachio (him; green, subtle and smooth).

That’s as far as we go on the yogurt, which is not unlike most others offered around these parts: choose from about 12 flavors; add toppings to your heart’s content; weigh and pay.

Taza Grill is what brought me to Niantic. We did our best to hit several bases from the Middle-Eastern menu — from apps to lamb platters.

Now, it’s going to sound like we ordered a ton of food, but it’s worth noting that Middle-Eastern fare is loaded with chopped veggies; leafy herbs like parsley, which is renowned for its nutritional benefits; protein-rich beans and seeds in many forms (hummus and tahini, for example); and other healthy gut boosters like yogurt. Such fibrous fare left us sated and happy (practically glowing) and with lots of leftovers.

While there is ample seating at Taza/Peachwave (but counter-service only), we were on a mission to feed two friends with infant twins at home, so off we went to the car with our bags of goodies. The aromas emanating from those bags left me with no choice but to tear right into my chicken shawarma sandwich ($5.99 on a pita; wraps available for $6.99). It was outstanding from bite one. Filled generously with tender, shredded, beautifully seasoned chicken (I detected a note of cinnamon or something like it), the accompanying lettuce, tomatoes, and tahini struck an ideal balance of fresh crunch to savory warmth. Plus, the pita had been grilled, which added yet another layer of texture and brought out the bread’s natural flavors.

We gave similarly high marks to the lamb shawarma, which we ordered as a platter ($11.99). Lest the price seem high, note that platters come equipped with rice, fresh, light, garlic-y (but not too garlic-y) hummus, a small serving of cucumber-rich salad, and pita bread. One platter easily could feed two; ours was loaded with delicious lamb. In both shawarma dishes, amid the wonderful seasonings and deep flavor pulled from the meat’s characteristic long grill time, we tasted notes of lemon juice — a lovely flavor nuance in an already delicious dish. And while lamb can sometimes suffer under the wrong hand and become tough, Taza’s was tender and tasty shawarma-style.

The lamb kababs, on the other hand, while not unpleasant, fell a little flat after the shawarma symphony of flavors ($12.99 for a platter). The lamb was plentiful, not perfectly tender but tender enough, and infused with good flavor from the grill; if you like kababs, you should enjoy these. Just perhaps try them BEFORE any shawarma delights. Or do like we did and augment your kabab experience with tabullie salad ($5.99). The base mixture of lemon juice, parsley, tomatoes, and bulgur added a burst of flavor and moisture to everything we ordered and served as a fabulous palate cleanser throughout. It’s also quite delicious on its own.

Speaking of quite delicious things, our group of four tasters universally enjoyed the chicken kofta ($11.99; lamb kofta also available). Kofta dishes pair ground or minced meats with an array of spices. The resulting meatloaf, so to speak, is often grilled on a skewer. Ours carried excellent grill flavor and retained a wonderful level of moisture and therefore tenderness. A masterful mix of herbs and perhaps lemon juice made for a brighter flavor than the other preparations.

So, while platters feature plenty of foods, should you prefer a sandwich and a side, we recommend the falafel appetizer (3 balls for $2.99) and the fried eggplant app ($3.99). The perfectly fried falafel carried a mellow flavor (read: no bitterness like some I’ve tried), with a subtle zing of herbal or maybe citrus flavor. As for the eggplant, it doesn’t get much better if you’re a fan of the purple fruit. Tender, smoky and succulent, a dab of it with your lamb or chicken ups a dish’s entire flavor profile. As with the tabullie, it’s also wonderful solo.

We did not get a chance to try Taza’s chicken wings, which are offered on Sundays, but that’s OK. We’re happy to go back anytime to this hidden gem inside Niantic’s bright, new yogurt shop.

If you go

Peachwave East Lyme & Taza Grill Middle Eastern Cuisine 

170 Flanders Road, Niantic (Midway Plaza)

(860) 451-8061

tazagrilleastlyme.com 

Cuisine: Middle Eastern, including shawarma, kababs, kofta, falafel and more

Atmosphere: Situated inside a bright, cheery, new Peachwave frozen yogurt shop; includes kids' corner, complete with television tuned to educational programming.

Service: Very good

Prices: Reasonable, especially given generous portion sizes; most expensive item is the Mixed Grill platter for $14.99, which includes two meat items

Hours: Monday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Handicap access: Spacious interior, ample, accessible parking and entryway

Reservations: N/A

Credit cards: Yes