I've walked past Boki on Phillips Avenue maybe a dozen times before I actually went in — something about the narrow storefront made me think it was smaller inside than it is. But once you're through the door, it opens up, and suddenly you're in this fast-casual spot where the menu does that thing I love: it doesn't try to be everything.
Boki calls itself European street food, and what that means here is Mediterranean-leaning wraps, bowls, and plates with a Balkan bent. I tried the ćevapi — these little grilled sausages that come with lepinja bread, ajvar, and onions — and it tasted like the kind of thing you'd eat standing up at a food stall in Sarajevo or Belgrade, which I'm assuming is the point. The chicken shawarma bowl was solid too, rice underneath, hummus on the side, everything balanced enough that I didn't feel like I needed a nap after.
The space itself is simple — order at the counter, grab a seat, food comes out when it's ready. It's not trying to be a sit-down dinner spot, and I respect that. This is lunch-break food, post-errands food, the kind of place you go when you want something that tastes like actual cooking but you're not lingering for an hour.
The service has been hit or miss for me — one visit everything came out quick and right, another time I waited longer than I expected and they forgot the sauce. Not a dealbreaker, but it's worth noting if you're in a rush.
What I keep coming back to is that Sioux Falls doesn't have a ton of places doing this kind of food. We've got plenty of Mediterranean-ish spots, sure, but Boki leans into a specific corner of Europe that doesn't get much play here — and when they get it right, it's the kind of meal that reminds you there's more out there than burgers and tacos, as much as I love both of those things.
— Grace
It's not trying to be a sit-down dinner spot, and I respect that.