Gluten- and Dairy-Free Grain Bowl Restaurant to Open in Somerville

A fast-casual restaurant in downtown Boston that serves an entirely gluten- and dairy-free menu of grain bowls, salads, and tacos will get a counterpart in Somerville’s Davis Square. Grainmaker will take over the former Amsterdam Falafelshop space at 248 Elm St. and could open as early as June.

Grainmaker first opened at 91 Summer St. in October 2017, describing itself as a “Southeast Asian street market.”

Grainmaker’s bowls start with a base of jasmine rice, cauliflower rice, rice noodles, or volcano brown rice, and accompaniments include chicken, tofu, lemongrass steak, kale and pork meatballs, and sweet chili shrimp. There are also tacos, salads, and a few other snacks. On April 22, the restaurant will be introducing its new seasonal menu, which features ahi tuna poke and salmon poke specials.

“We fit really well in the Somerville area in terms of health and wellness,” said founder Chris Freeman. Grainmaker has made regular deliveries to the area from its original downtown location, he said, and when the opportunity came up to expand, it just made sense.

As with the downtown restaurant, Grainmaker Davis will partner with local designers and artists for design and decor, including McMahon Architects (which is also responsible for Pastoral in Seaport), muralist Mark Grundig, and Tyler Gulden of Gulden Ceramics for dishes. Customers will have the opportunity to vote on design elements through Grainmaker’s Instagram page.

Keep an eye out for progress on Grainmaker’s Davis Square restaurant.

• Grainmaker in Boston May Be Expanding to Amsterdam Falafelshop Space in Somerville’s Davis Square [BRT]
• Grainmaker Will Shower Downtown Boston in Southeast Asian Street Food [EBOS]
• Grainmaker Coverage on Eater [EBOS]