Zaps? ZAPS!

While “Try Something New” is the catchphrase that new Allston restaurant Zaps uses to get people to try their Zap sandwiches, it should be something more like “welcome back, old friend.” A Zap is an open faced toasty sandwich that comes from Poland apparently, and while I had never had one before my visit to this new shop, it felt like I had been eating these tasty treats my whole life.

Reminiscent of a French bread pizza, the Zap (short for zapiekanka) is a really great new lunch option, but I can see it being a great late night snack as well.  These crunchy, yet somehow soft, “sandwiches” are well over a foot long, and came in a variety of toppings.  For around $7, you can get a Zap of your choice, a bag of chips, and a beverage.  The friendly staff also pointed out that not only do they have a variety of sauces to top these savory sandwiches, but to give the garlic sauce a try.  It was little tips like this that really showcased what a cool little spot this is, and that garlic sauce was a wonderful addition to my already delicious zap.

The zaps themselves, boy do they do these things right (I would assume. Even if they are doing them wrong, they are doing them DELICIOUS!).  A little bit of crunch encases a soft, warm bread, topped with melted cheese and your choice of toppings.  While all the zaps come with a cheese/mushroom combo, you can top them with just about anything or try one of the signature zaps.  The Country has bacon and onion (and was super delicious), The Farmer has corn, ham and chives, and The Greek has feta, olives, and onions, just to name a few.  If you aren’t happy with these options (and you’d be crazy not to be), you can always customize and do something crazy like jalapenos, pineapples, and pesto (not recommended).

While Zaps is still new, it seems like they have ironed out most of the quirks.  The zaps take about 5 minutes to make, are a real decent price, and they even deliver via mixmenu.com (if you are into that kind of thing).  I hope this trend catches on, as these things are about as addictive as you can imagine, and are a much welcomed addition to the Allston area.