Masha F.

Delicious food and really great atmosphere in the restaurant! There is great decor on the walls that fits the theme well. I've had a few meat dishes here before and they were all very good. The bread you get at the beginning is very yummy too.

Kirsty L.

Not worth your time. The pita bread and dipping sauce was good, but the actual meals were horrendous. They brought my husband a dish with meat in, instead of what he ordered. He couldn't eat it because he's vegetarian. My Mediterranean salad had a large bug crawling around right on top of it when the server brought it to the table. My friends dish was supposed to come In a wrap, but instead it was just slopped into a bowl. I won't be going back, and will never recommend this to others.

Riham B.

This place was okay, not amazing but not too bad. I came here for some turkish food and tried a few dishes. My favorite thing in middle eastern restaurants is the cheese rolls (sigara boregi). The ones served here were not great, only okay. The mains however were really good. We had the manti with yoghurt, and the grilled aubergine. I loved them both. They also serve warm fresh bread with the food which is really good. I can't speak to other items I love, such as kebabs or lahmacun. These may be better.

Ravikiran J.

Amazing grilled whole seabass. It's probably the second best grilled fish I've had in US. Evvia in Palo Alto takes the first for me. The seasoning was perfect. Their bread and tomato based sauce is to die for, best I've had in ages. I would just go back to eat the bread in all honesty. Ask the waiter about fish specials since they are not on the menu. They might have trout, halibut or seabass based on the day.

Nic Z.

5 stars : House bread & dipping oil with red pepper 2 stars : Chicken shish kebab I love - LOVE - Mediterranean / Greek food. I had high hopes for Cafe Baklava, but it didn't live up to the hype, at least not my dish. The chicken and vegg tasted odd and rice was flat-out inedible. Also, for $15 I got barely any meat; that will get you 3x as much chicken at another restaurant. (I always get chicken kebabs.) My friend's steak got rave reviews. Everyone else was pretty neutral with various kebab dishes. I don't think I would come back, even to try a different entree.

Skye V.

Boyfriend took me here for my birthday! First time having Mediterranean food so it was a bit different for me. I love the appetizers they brought out. It's flatbread with this tomato type dipping. It's amazing!! My boyfriend ordered the dolma for appetizers and the lamb Kebab. The dolma is grape leaves studded with pine nuts and rice with a yogurt sauce. Very unique, it has a bitterness to it but the yogurt kind of evens it out. I ordered combo kebab (beef, chicken, and lamb). The meat were a bit too dry for my taste. But I did enjoy the mixed vegetables on the side.

Jacob R.

A lovely outdoor setting for your summer meal. The food is fine, the owner cheerful, and the retsina is everything you want retsina to be - bold, unrepentant, cold, immune to your charms and entreaties. No real complaints save for the lack of chilled octopus on the app menu, which seems anathema to the experience. Oh - and it's charmingly unpretentious, something not every place on Castro can claim. Yassou!

Bert K.

Dropped in a sunday night, very low key, 2 tables, 2 peeps and we are another table. Under a minute, we are warmly greeted brought menu's. In five minutes, warm fresh whole wheat pita bread is brought with a warm minced tomato, olive oil dipping sauce. I ordered the Kuzu: marinated lamb kabobs, with roasted caulifflower, red peppers and a side of fragrant rice. The marinated lamb kabobs were cooked medium rare and tasted lamby. Perfect. Veggies were grilled al-dente and the rice was good too. $14.95 My friend said the turkish risotto was good too. Kudo's to the boss who came over and talked to us. really impressed with the food quality and customer service: despite low traffice, everything was great. Decor: fine Customer service: very good. Parking: around here, the multi level parking lots are better.

Rashad E.

Avoid if you have IBS. Most of he food has excessive spices that would make you sick for days.

Rimi K.

~~Great menu great selection great service knowledgeable staff~~ Is this her like family. They have that welcoming atmosphere and the restaurant has a very lovely atmosphere as well. Ordered: Baklava dessert Turkish tea Didnt stay up TOO late after tea... Baklava was sweet and dance worthy! Must stop

P Q.

Love the grilled fish. It's the only thing I have now since discovering it 6 months ago. And have been there 3 times in a month. Still not sick of it. Other items are all good. But man, the grilled fish!

Carmen S.

Tried it this afternoon, I ordered the mezze appetizer sampler platter for two, as my main course. It came with several small samples of different items one of which I found tasty, it was a dip made of ground nuts feta and other ingredients, the rest of the plater was mediocre at best. The mezze sampler plater at Dish Dash is far superior and comparable in price. Service was ok. Oh yes the pita bread and dipping sauce provided before our meal were very good. I went with a friend and she seemed to enjoy her meal. Maybe I made a poor choice.

Louisa T.

Service here is very attentive, always appreciate that. Shortly after you sit down, they bring you fresh, hot bread with a very delicious tomato dip. I had quite a few pieces because the dip was so good, and it's hard to say no to hot bread. Our server noticed how much we liked the dip, that we got seconds! For the lunch entree I had the Donner wrap with beef only. To be honest, I was not that impressed with the wrap. I thought the ratio of wrap to filing wasn't as well balanced ( too much wrap), and I wish there was more yogurt sauce in there. The flavor was just mediocre as well. Though my colleagues seemed to enjoy their lamb and eggplant entrees. Perhaps it's worth trying those instead of the wrap if you come.

Franklin H.

I was wondering around Downtown Mountain View when I stumbled upon Café Baklava - I was thinking it was a Greek Coffee spot - but it turns out to be a pretty decent lunch place. The appetizer was toasty flat bread served with sun-dried tomatoes were blitz with oil. It was a good amount of bread to keep my stomach happy, given that I just flew in and I didn't have breakfast. The falafel plate was most enjoyable - decent serving of rice, grilled veggies and the falafel itself. It wasn't too heavy - and provided me with a good amount of energy to proceed forward with the day. Service was friendly and engaging, everyone I was talking to and observing appeared to be happy. Also, the venue itself is a good location, easy to walk to if located in Downtown Mountain View. Also, there's some outdoor seating as well. The venue itself is clean and nicely decorated in my opinion. They do make an effort of maximizing usable space to store various serving items, which are noticeable throughout the venue. All-in-all, a good spot for lunch or even a light dinner.

Patricia O.

The lamb kabob was probably the best I've had. It was flavorful and juicy, which is rare (compared to the kabobs I've had in the past). The accompanying veggies were nice and the rice was tasty and cooked to the ideal texture. I also had an order of baklava and Turkish coffee. The baklava was nice and the Turkish coffee was top-notch. I sincerely recommend this restaurant. The atmosphere is also pretty cute. You can sit inside or outside. Outside it's a little busy, but nothing compared to University Avenue. Also, there are some cute shops in the vicinity, so you can enjoy a stroll after dinner. Oh, yes - a very important thing for me - I ate quite a bit, but given that, I did not feel super full or bloated. I was satiated, but very comfortable and satisfied. :)

Dave P.

Great food and fast service. Pita bread before the meal was excellent! We had three different entrees, all were very tasty!

Yun W.

Ordered the lamb chops here. The meat was indeed excellent. Unfortunately, the price of $26 felt kind of steep for the amount of food given. We sat outside and the waiter was quite accommodating of our large party. Overall, good food but you definitely pay a pretty high premium.

John C.

Disappointing dinner, so we won't be back anytime soon. Portions were large and prices were fair - it's the cooking that's the issue. No interesting flavors, just heavy-handed use of salt and oil. Service was a bit distracted but then it was 6pm Saturday so the place was busy. After 10 minutes the server came over and took our order. Food arrived quickly given the number of active tables. Atmosphere is clean but it seems crowded with tables. Good - Freshly baked pita bread brought for the table, very nice. Adana kebab (seasoned ground beef) was pretty tasty but oily and not served with any sauce. Too bad, would have been good with a mint-yogurt sauce. Not Good - Lamb shank special was covered with a strong flavored sauce (with beans!) that obscured any meat flavors. Rice pilaf was greasy and too salty, no appealing flavors. Roasted veggies were ok but oily. Maybe the chef left - who knows? Mediocre food gives me no reason to return.

Athena K.

I did not try the baklava, but here are my reviews of what we ate: Free bread with dipping sauce - absolutely amazing, unfortunately it was the best thing we ate. Greek salad - way too much lettuce, unripe tomatoes, invisible cucumbers, feta was decent, and parsley. Parsley does not belong on a Greek salad. Terrible. Lamb chops- tiny, so very tiny. A pretty good flavor but not as succulent as lamb should be. Manti (Turkish Ravioli) - would have been amazing but the beef inside the pasta was way too salty. It ruined the entire dish. I told our server (he might have been the owner) but he didn't really do or say anything about it. He could have at least offered me something else. I decided to just ask for more yogurt sauce to pour all over the dish to mitigate the overwhelming saltiness. Service is pretty good, but the some of the table settings are a little awkward- our table was next to the kitchen and it's a very narrow path to the back room. Also, many bottles of wine were on a shelf next to our table and the bottles were precariously perched on the edges, it made me uneasy to think of the mess that could result from one wrong move down that path. I'm not sure if this restaurant is earthquake-safe. I would not eat here again, even though the bread was so good. After suffering through the terrible food, we felt justified in asking for more bread and sauce to go.

A N.

Warm pita and tomato based dipping sauce was the highlight. The entrees were alright, I got an eggplant and bell pepper stuffed with rice, onions, raisins, and pine nuts, but it was nothing worth returning for, especially considering the prices of $11-18 per plate.

M P.

Definitely, my very best dinner spot in Mountain View.

Michael H.

This place is awesome. Not sure why this place had such low ratings. We were on Castro Road and we felt like eating Mediterranean food. We actually stopped by this place without consulting Yelp. Here is my breakdown of my experience: Place: We came here on a Tuesday night around 7pm. It's a small restaurant and we were seated immediately. Food: My gf and I ordered just one entree and one appetizer. For the entree, we decided to go with combo kebab combination, which included beef, chicken, and lamb. The chicken and beef were pretty solid. It was cooked to perfection where it was not burnt. The lamb was actually even better. As part of the combo, they give you rice and vegetables. The vegetables were ok. For the appetizers, we decided to go with the Hummus. The Pita bread that they give you is so good. They gave us the thick pita bread fresh from the oven. We also had the opportunity to try their Baklava and it was delicious. I felt they did not overload on sugar and I can at least taste different flavors. Also, it was perfectly soft for you to chew unlike most places where they make it hard as a rock. For drinks, I suggest to go with their special tea. It's a blend of Jasmine and Early Grey (like Asian fusion tea), which I thought was excellent. Service: Service is excellent. They gave us the special tea on the house and at the end they gave us the baklava on the house as well. Parking: Find street or public parking spaces

Emily C.

Incredibly poor service -our ticket got "lost" or something so it took 30 minutes to get our food. And the meals were mediocre with little flavor or creativity. The only thing we enjoyed was the warm pita bread and dipping sauce.

May N.

My mom, sister, and I wanted to eat somewhere else on Castro St, but they were closed. So we just walked down Casto St and found Cafe Baklava. We would give them 3.5 stars. We were delightfully surprised by the yummy complimentary pita bread and dip. The dip seemed to have sundried tomatoes, oil olive, and maybe garlic. Well whatever was in it, it was tasty! We ordered the manti (Turkish ravioli), karides sote, and imanbayildi pilav. Everything was pretty good and flavorful. The karides sote had prawns in a tomato sauce with garlic, tomatoes, and parsley. The sauce was good, and we dipped the pita bread in the karides site sauce. The imanbayildi pilav was a eggplant dish with zucchini, bell pepper, tomato, carrots, and cauliflower in a tomato based sauce. It comes with rice pilaf. The manti are little cute dumplings with ground beef covered with yogurt and tomato sauce. I would like coming here again if I was in the area.

Sarah Z.

Order the lamb here. They do meat extremely well. Solid Solid Solid. If you want to celebrate with close friends (not a party or drunkard place, unless you hold your alcohol) this is my pick every time. This is the place across the cross walk from the grocery store. I've had the pasta here and was delicious too.

Marta T.

I was not really impressed with food, service was decent, horrible wine choices, look for something else

Jerrica N.

Been here for dinner and got to sit outside because it was such a lovely evening. We ordered the kuzu kebab and Karides Guvec. The service was alright, when I asked the gentleman about the menu he seemed annoyed and not helpful at all. The kuzu kebab was cooked well, had really good seasonings and I felt it was good portion for myself. The rice was on the dry side and was almost unedible. The veggies were really overlooked and mushy. The karides guvee was very good, the only negative thing was that they only gave 4 measly pieces of shrimp (at least the shrimp pieces were big and not the cheapy kind. But for 16 bucks, not really worth it. Unfortunately, they did not give us their house pita, which I read in a previous review that it was pretty good. Not too sure I'd come back here or not...

Chanee M.

5 stars every time I come! The owner- Iliano- always comes by and makes sure that we are taken care of. The food is always delicious, and service is amazing. Make sure you get the baklava!

Mathilde L.

The food is awful. We had Saksuka, gyro, pasta for the kids, lentil soup and more, and everything was greasy and bland tasting. The bolognaise was the worst we ever had -and that's a pretty hard one to get wrong. We will never set foot here again.

Marco S.

I love the lamb and I always get it! Very friendly waiters and nice owner. The atmosphere is very good though it can be very loud at time. They also have outdoor seating with very nice outdoor heating and lighting. Also, the bread and sauce appetizers they give out are amazing (though very filling)

Abhi R.

Visited Cafe Baklava in a large group (10 people) . My review is for Dinner on a Friday evening. Ambience : They have 2 dining areas . Depending on your group size you will be either in the front ( small groups) or the back area (larger groups). The front area has the better vibe. Service: The staff is attentive and courteous.. The bus-boys will make sure that you silverware and plates are changed after every course. Food: Sadly this is where things went SOUTH for me - Pita Bread and Dipping sauce: The bread is fresh sadly the dipping sauce has no flavor at all .. Bland tomato drenched in Olive oil. - Appetizer platter (Mezze) : A-Ok .. I have had much better.. Falafels fail to hit the spot - Patlican Dolma & Mediterranean Risotto : Bland and devoid of any taste.. Sadly this is the only items our Vegetarian friends could order from the menu. - Lamb Moussaka : A Tiny Casserole for 17$$.. well made but way overpriced. - Beyti Kabab: The Kebab was well seasoned and grilled perfectly .. sadly the Lavash bread it was served with and the the topping of Garlic Yoghurt sauce was not upto the mark... KUDOS to the genius who put the sauce on top of the bread v/s on the meat OR on the side.. all it did was make the wrap SOGGY. - Sides : A special mention to the sides being UNDERCOOKED Rice and Whole chunks of Cauliflower , Peppers in the name of Grilled Veggies.. Seriously it feels like the Kitchen is too lazy to chop Vegetables into bite sized pieces. Not to mention they took 90 mins to get this much food out.. Makes you wonder WHY when the quality of the food is so poor. Overall : - I feel this is an Overpriced Restaurant serving mediocre Mediterranean food in Castro. - The prices you pay are for dining on Castro Street. My recommendation if you want for a no-frill best bang for your buck place serving mediterranean food is Falafel Stop on Sunnyvale-Saratoga road. (YELP reviews are testimony to this) - Castro has much better options v/s this place which may be one of the reasons why we got seated here relatively quick where-as other places had a 2 hr wait on a Friday evening.

Abha P.

I got a Veggie wrap takeout today and it was soo delish! The side salad was dressed really well and the lavash bread was roasted and I could taste that yummy smokey flavor in the veggies inside. For 9 bucks it was a hhuge lunch for me an total value for money! Will definitely go again!

Elizabeth F.

Wonderful and simple food. Ordered the combo kebab and baklava and was impressed. Great service. Only complaint was that it's a little pricey. Two entrees and a dessert to share was $70 with tip. Worth it for special occasion as but not a weekly go-to for me.

Vinay n.

Our favorite place to go for dinner. Me and my wife have been to this place a number of times, the waiters are very friendly and helpful. Their started bread is tasty! Bab Ganoush and Hummus are quite yummy too. Being vegetarians it really helps to have good number of options on the menu.

Brandon T.

Was walking around Downtown Mountain View looking for a place to eat for lunch after the place we wanted to go to was full and wouldn't be able to seat anyone else. I absolutely love Mediterranean food and couldn't find a reason not to try this place out! We ordered the Mediterranean Mezze, the Iskender Kabob, and the Kofte Pita. The Mediterranean Mezze was interesting, to say the least. I love Humus and Baba Ghanoush, and that's pretty much all I stuck to when it came to this platter. The Iskender Kabob and Kofte Pita were unfortunately very underwhelming. The meet in the Iskender Kabob was drenched in the tomato sauce and took away from the delicious meat. The Kofte Pita was plain, tasteless and dry. We ended up taking most of the food to go, and reheated the meat at home where it tasted much better.

X. Y.

A friend was visiting this weekend and we decided to try Cafe Baklava. We walked towards the door and we were asked if we wanted to sit outside or inside. We decided to sit inside and we were directed to the back of the restaurant. The place is nice inside. It looks elegant, clean and it has a warm atmosphere with photos, books and products of Turkey. A waiter brought us a dish with tomatoes and oil. The tomatoes were cut up in very small bits and they were drown in oil. The mix was excellent and it was perfect with the hot flat bread that we were served (the best part is that there are no tomato seeds or skin). I ordered Kuzu kebab, a lamb kebob which came with a side of cauliflowers, zucchini and rice. The sides were grilled and they tasted very good. The rice was the yellow long rice you can find at most middle eastern restaurants (I am particularly familiar with Iranian restaurants). The meat consisted of four well cooked pieces but I'm not sure if it was really lamb because it did not taste like lamb. Maybe they indeed made a pork version of the dish by mistake. The plate was not big but it was good and moderately filling. I'm not really sure. Along with the food, I drank an Efes Pilsner, very good pilsner-style lager from Turkey. It was refreshing but not too bitter like the pilsner from the Czech Republic. The food was good and the drinks too. The waiters are nice and the ambient is comforting. I'll definitely visit again in the future.

Eli O.

Absolutely my favorite place! Grilled items on the menu are prepared perfectly without charrring black. Chicken kebab is so orgasmic!!! Great service!

Natalya G.

We love this place - it's very friendly, great service but most important the food - really authenticate Mediterranean food! Especially their whole fish - real delicious true Turkish style. Their grill meat is a must! We often visit Istanbul and can honestly say - Baklava restaurant brings to mountain view real Turkish cousin.

Jemma B.

This was a delicious place to visit for four very hungry people on a whim. You know how it is - you're out on Castro, had some drinks, suddenly you're hungry and can't decide where to go? Well this place fit the bill. As everyone seems to corroborate - the freshly baked pitta and their sauce/salsa is delicious and fills a hole until food arrives. We got the mixed starters/mezzo plate for four, and honestly I was disappointed with how little was on the plate for the price - maybe one mouthful of each per person (not so great if you're dining with two very hungry men), but their lamb... Wow... I can recommend the lamb whole heartedly. It was plentiful, delicious, melt in the mouth and truly a speciality of theirs. This place is ever so slightly on the more expensive side, but in my opinion the lamb was worth it. The staff were great and I liked that you didn't have to shout to be heard, but it wasn't so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Also has outdoor seating for those romantic summer evenings...

Ruzan B.

We have been wanting to try this place for awhile now. We got ourselves reservations for a Friday evening. We really liked their outdoor seating. We were seated promptly and were served their delicious pita bread and sun-dried tomato dipping oil. Sadly, this was the best part of the dinner. I ordered the Ali Nazik while my wife got the combo kebab. I think I was ok with my order, though nothing great. To our great disappointment, not only was the combo kebab just ok, we found a long hair in the kebab *yekkh*. Being polite, we asked them to replace the food, which they did. However, they only replaced the kebab, the rest of the plate was served back to us as-is!! To add to it, nobody even apologized for this. Even more, we found another hair in the rice while we were packing our togo box. Sorry, not going back here again!

Dan S.

A woefully underrated small restaurant on Castro St. They never seem to be too busy, I'm not sure why. Their food is excellent! I always say that the quality of a restaurant's free appetizer break is a good predictor of the quality of their food. Well their free flatbread and dipping sauce are awesome! Their kabobs are great - I'm tried nearly all of their lamb and beef options. The Iskender and Doner are excellent too. Service is prompt. The owner often makes rounds to see how the customers are doing. Give them a shot!

Amanda L.

I came here awhile ago... and I must say that I still remember being quite disappointed. I ordered the Lamb Gyro plate, expecting well seasoned, juicy meat. What I got was charred, dry and bland. I also don't think the price was ideal for what I got. I sat outside, and while the weather was great, the chairs and tables were not. The chairs were uncomfortable and shaped weird and the table was very wobbly. Overall, I wouldn't come back. I've had much better elsewhere, plus I wouldn't want to deal with the parking situation around here.

Ro-el C.

I ordered ahead using the PayPal app and had a very good experience here. Friendly staff, excellent meat in my donor lunch wrap and outstanding pita, rivaling Oren's hummus shop's pita down the street. Happy PayPal helped me find it today!

Pragyna R.

Can give this place a miss! Pricey, slowwww service, we filled ourselves with the complimentary pita bread and lost our appetite before we got the main course. Weird mix of Italian and American decor,flavorless food. We ordered the mezze sampler, exactly 4 Falafels and little bit of baba ghanoush, little bit of tabouleh and some other weird sauce, just not worth it! I should have just ordered the Falafels. We went with the special of the day, lamb chops, so bad and least expected. If the specials are this bad, I don't even know what to expect from this place. It was undercooked and lacked flavor! The least they could do, ask us the temperature if that's how it was made. I saw in the receipt that it was done medium but they didn't bother to check on our preference. Terrible service! The only thing they served on time was water. We came, ordered right away but they took time to get the complimentary pita bread, the dipping sauce was very little for the four of us and we asked for more which never came even after a reminder and I have to say, the only thing which had any flavor among what we ordered was the dipping sauce. I had to remind them again to get the dipping sauce so I could at least make an attempt to eat the 26$!! lamb chops by dipping it in the sauce. I can't believe this place just drilled a hole in my pocket with a bad experience and service to sum it up! Stay away!

Harsha G.

Wow! All the veggie options are winners... The complimentary bread and dip is divine. Meditarranean Mezze: perfect platter includes hummus, falafel, baba ghanoush, dolma, taboule. Every one of the appetizers just right! Spanakopita(Borka): balanced blend of cheese, spinach and pastry with a side of fries that made all of ask for more Moussaka: came with a side of rice. Rich and well toasted veggies whose juices added mouthwatering flavors Vegetarian Dolma: is the bomb! Rice pilaf in eggplant and bell pepper, can't have enough of it

Treena F.

I came here with a friend a while ago for lunch on a Saturday. We were seated outside which was perfect because it was a beautiful day. For an appetizer I had the lentil soup which was actually really good. For my entrée I had the Tavuk Shish Kebab and the chicken was cook perfectly and was packed full of flavor. I also really enjoyed the rice pilaf and the grilled veggies that came with it. I will definitely come back.

Eva V.

excellent service, food is always good. love their lentil soup and turkish tea. many vegetarian options and very accommodating. my husband loves the alexander dish and lamb.

Kayla S.

Stumbled on this place and had our dogs so we sat outside. Owner plopped menus down without saying a word and was later screaming on his phone outside where we could see and hear. Okay, maybe having a bad day but I gave my dog my glass of water which was never replaced, and we were never offered drinks. Food was pretty bland. Only saving grace of this place was that the chicken was cooked really well. Probably not coming back :/

Adam K.

Hit or miss Mediterranean food. My experience at Cafe Baklava was very hot and cold. To start, when I arrived at the restaurant I walked to the restroom to wash my hands. To get to the restroom guests must walk through part of the kitchen (not ideal but whatever), which is disgustingly dirty. The floor looked like it had never been mopped and there were food scraps all over the counters. Not very appetizing. Then the bread and oil appetizer came out and I forgot all about the cleanliness of the kitchen. While eating the appetizer we ordered our mains and then waited over 45 minutes for the food to arrive! Normally, I would have walked out of the restaurant... but the manager brought us humus for being patient and apologized several times for the wait. The head chef even came out to explain that he had made fresh Doner and apologized. Ultimately, the price was right and the food was great. If they could fix their timing and cleanliness issues this would be an amazing dining destination.

Daniel N.

We were feeling a little Mediterranean and after strolling down the Mountain View strip we found Cafe Baklava and decided to give it a try. [Atmosphere/ Decor] Small, clean restaurant with limited indoor and outdoor seating. Cafe Baklava's decor had a hint of Mediterranean countryside which in a sense was very cozy. [Food] The complementary Pita bread with oil base dipping sauce was delicious! We ordered the: Hummus- Standard Garbanzo, tahini (paste made from ground sesame seeds), lemon juice, garlic and a dash of olive oil. Pork Chop Special- Four pieces of lamp served with a side of rice and mixed vegetables. Iskender (Alexander)- Thin slices of lamb and beef, topped with a tomato sauce, yogurt, drizzled with a touch of butter, then served on a bed of crispy pita bread. Nothing really stood out to us. The hummus was very bland and lacked flavor. The Pork Chop Special was neither special nor worth the price, for $26 you'll get a very small sized meal. The pork chop was dry, bland, and under seasoned. The rice was dry and the vegetables were still hard in the center. As for the Alexander, it lacked presentation and finesse. Although it tasted a lot better than my pork chop, it was still not worth the visit. [Service] The service was average and the staff were friendly, constantly refilling our water and checking up on us. ------------------------------------------------- Overall, although the service was okay, the food did not present the finesse and taste I like in Mediterranean food. I'll give Cafe Baklava another try later on but as for this visit, I was very disappointed.

Lynn C.

Great service and atmosphere. We got the doner wrap and the Mediterranean burger with fries. Both items were good and fresh. It's a bit pricey but I think it's because of the quality atmosphere. Really great service though which is why I gave it 5 stars.

Lena A.

Ooh lala a cute little meditteranean restaurant in downtown Mtn View! Gotta love it. It is definitely a nice break from all of those Chinese and Japense restaurants that line Castro street, While I wouldn't come here with a large group or for any type of big celebration (it's a bit small and low key for that), if I am in the mood for some wraps or a nice kebab and I'm nearby I will probably make a stop here..probably wouldn't go out of my way to come here, though. It's romantic yet casual and there is out door seating. There is another Gyro place down the street which has great food and is also good. This place is more expensive and just a tad bit more upscale. I only wish the service was good..it was nonexistent. This definitely reminded me brought out the "Cafe" in "Cafe Baklava"..it lacks some things that a nice restaurant might have..aka quality service. But maybe it was a cultural thing, who knows. I have yet to actually have some Baklava at Cafe Baklave, but I'll save that for my next visit. YUM.

Daniel W.

Meh. My gyro plate was devoid of most of the things I like with my gyro. Such as feta cheese, pita, tomatoes, cucumbers or vegetables of any kind. If this is authentic, I'll take the Americanized versions

Meher S.

I've been to this place and the food is really good! The ambience inside and outside is really nice, service is excellent!!

Kevin L.

There's not much that strikes me about Mediterranean food, so I was skeptical when it was decided we would dine at Cafe Baklava instead of all the other options in downtown Mountain View. Everyone else swore Cafe Baklava is one of the best Mediterranean places, so I thought, hey, why not give it a shot. - Pita bread w/ Olive Oil & Tomatoes - delicious and complementary! They do a good job with the olive oil & tomatoes and the bread came out warm each time - Lahmacun (I think was the name) - basically lamb flat bread. I'm not a huge fan of lamb, so after trying a small slice, that was the end of that. Others really enjoyed this appetizer and thought it was a good balance of vegetables and meat. - Soup of the Day - It's apparently Lentils a lot of the time, eh. - Lamb Chops - usually comes with just 4 pieces, be bold ask for more! We got more for a reasonable price. I tried a small piece, cooked just right in terms of texture, but still gamey. - Anatolia Chicken - the chicken easily fell of the bones and rested in a deep tomato sauce. Little bit too saucy for me, but the chicken was cooked well. The rice pilaf was plentiful. - Baked Sea Bass - this was their special of the night, a whole fish (the entire thing!). - Kadayif: recommended by our server, strange because he didn't suggest the baklava (namesake). I've never tried anything like it so it was a complete surprise when it arrived at the table. Sweet, crispy, delicious - get this dessert! The restaurant is shaped like an hourglass and since we were siting in the back portion of the restaurant, service was friendly but slower than what we expected (understandable considering there weren't many servers in the first place). Overall, relaxing dining experience in a quiet atmosphere. For someone who isn't a fan of lamb, nothing too impressive to invite a second visit from me.

Candice T.

I ended up ordering a vegetarian lasagna I wasn't particularly impressed with. I picked at it more than I consumed it and later on, it reheated funny and the rice didn't maintain much of its original flavor. The pita bread that is served before your meal might be the tastiest thing you'll find. Overall, I had a "meh" experience, but the service was good.

Mike G.

Pros: Solid Turkish food in Mountain View. Order anything with eggplant in it--that's a good general policy for Turkish food. Cons: Slow service. Fun: Sitting outside on a sunny day on Castro is a lot of fun.

Yemi G.

I am not sure about the reviews I have read. I found the food excellent, the service attentive and friendly and the ambience wonderful. We ordered the appetizer combinations for two and then the grilled shrimp and grilled lamb. The marinade on the lamb was perfect and the lamb was tender for my 77 year old mother. The shrimp was perfectly grilled as well. The appetizer was varied and interesting. The babaganoush was nice and smokey, the hummus fresh. The dolma and falafel were average, but ok. I enjoyed learning to say "thank you" in Turkish!

Kelsey R.

I'd wanted to try this place for awhile and I'm so bummed and disappointed! My friend and I ordered 2 dishes that tasted pretty much the same. I got the Tuvek Guvec (chicken with zucchini, onion, eggplant, tomato and pepper with rice). My friend got jumbo prawns with melted cheese and vegetables, I don't remember the name. They tasted almost identical and neither were any good. It's nice to sit on the patio on a nice night and the servers were attentive and friendly.

Meena S.

I loved their pita lasagna and the complimentary bread.OMG.It was so tasty.I'll keep going back for the bread. Like many others have mentioned in their reviews,the service is'nt impressive.

Gloria M.

My husband and I enjoyed the sidewalk patio seating and friendly, welcoming service. The complementary appetizer of sun-dried tomato and olive oil dip with hot pita bread was delicious! We shared an order of falafel which was fresh, hot, and lemony with a spicy bite to it. We had the lamb shank and rainbow trout (a whole fish!), which were both flavorful and tender, and came with rice and seasonal vegetables. We were too full for dessert! Enjoyed the atmosphere, food, and service, so we'll definitely be back!

Sarah G.

I came here with a friend of mine because she had seen this place before and really wanted to try it. We got there around 5:45ish and there were only a few other people inside the small dinning space, but by the time we left, I think there was someone at almost every table. Had the weather not been so windy, I would have preferred to sit outside, but as it was, they seated us at one of the tables next to the front. Our server was super attentive and brought over a basket of fresh, hot pitas and a dipping sauce close to marinara sauce. The sauce was excellent. It's similar to Pasta Primavera's dipping sauce in Walnut Creek. We ordered the Mediterranean Mezze to start, I ordered the Mediterranean Risotto and my friend ordered Beyti kabab. The appetizer sampler was very good. The humas, baba ghanoush and cevizli peynir were all super creamy and rich and had great flavor. The falafels were nice and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They had a little spicy kick which was nice as well. I seriously could have eaten just this sampler with the pita bread and been totally fine. Actually, by the time we were served our entrees, I was stuffed. My risotto was pretty good. For my taste, the risotto was a little undercooked, but that's just me. I thought the flavors were excellent though. I've got it for lunch today as leftovers and I can't wait to eat it. My friend's kabob was unlike any kabob I've seen before. It was seasoned ground beef wrapped and cooked in what looked like a tortilla. Served with rice and veggies and a tomato and (I think) yogurt sauce. Way more than enough food. It was all really good. They have a small wine selection, but all good wines. We tried the Greek red wine and it paired nicely with what we had. The only negative thing I found was that the food seemed to take a long time, but that may have just been me being really hungry and excited to try everything. This place is great for smaller parties (like 6-8 max), good for a date night, or just people watching on Castro. I definitely want to come back when the weather is a bit warmer to be able to sit outside with that Mezze sampler, a glass of wine and a table of good friends and enjoy.

Jenna L.

Been DYING to try this place for the longest time! It's actually the last that I want to taste from the castro strip. All the managers and coworkers say it's the best place to eat at. It's moderately priced at $11 - $15 a dish. No one ever spoke of their FRESH, FLAKY, SAVORY PITA BREADS w/ the SAUCE of a lifetime. OMGOOODNESS GRACIOUS. IT ROCKED MY WORLD.

Betsy W.

Stopped by for the first time the other night. Seated outside, I felt the atmosphere was nicely casual, and the service was attentive. Heaters dispelled the chill in the air. I enjoyed all the food I tried; the mousakka and chicken penne ordered were well-spiced and tasty, though I need another tasting session before I can distinguish whether it is 4 or 5 star food. Certainly the way the meal started and ended -- fluffy pita bread with tomato-olive oil dip at the beginning, and a shredded filo dough dessert -- push it toward five stars. Looking forward to further visits!

Tess S.

My dad and I came here for lunch last week, he ordered the lamb kabob over a bed of rice and yogurt. It was delicious. I ordered the Cafe Bakalava salad... The strips of lettuce were so thin, I couldn't even get any on my fork, it was bland and the chicken didn't taste right. I had also ordered some hummus that didn't come until I reminded them I had ordered it. Which I was okay with, because who doesn't make mistakes every once in a while, you know? (The hummus was awesome, btw). But, I didn't like my salad. So I sent it back. When we got the bill, it was still on there. So I asked the bus boy, I think it was (he spent most of the time serving us), to remove it because I didn't eat it. He said okay and grabbed the bill. When we brought back, he had charged us for it anyway! I was livid. My dad insisted that we don't bother with it. As someone who works in the service industry, I understand slip ups. I understand unreasonable customers are infuriating. But come on, we were friendly and low maintenance. My last little diatribe is also about this same bus boy. I asked for my hummus to go with the free bread that they provide. He said okay and loaded all the plates up and smashed one down on top of my hummus plate. I figured, oh well. That's the end of that. But guess what? He brought that hummus out in a box. Needless to say, I left it. Service: Terrible, cold and unhelpful. Food: Awesome! Too bad I won't be coming back here anytime soon. The benefit of the Bay Area is that good mediterranean restaurants are a dime a dozen.

Timothy G.

Best lamb chops ever. Kind of pricey but totally worth it. They were a special he listed as he took our order Nice ambiance. Great service Salmon was okay. Different flavor do that was nice Starts with pita bread with spread that's good. Indoor and outdoor seating. Lots of wine to choose from

Mies N.

Our group ordered wraps, lamb entree, and an eggplant entree. They were all very good (4), but service was really lacking, thus the 2 rating. Came here for Sunday lunch. Although practically all tables were occupied, there was one waiter and one busboy serving all patrons. The experience would have really benefited from more servers. Perhaps this place is better at off peak hours.

Jess M.

Everything was spectacular. Definitely coming back!

Mallik K.

Liked the food it was perfect for us ... we went with a group of 4 and everyone enjoyed the food. The pita bread :) .. was awesome.. never had such fresh pita bread. Good job guys..

Kim S.

Left a bad taste in my mouth. Food was actually ok... but not nearly as good as many of the other Mediterranean restaurants in Mountain View. But the service was awful. First off the waiter gave me an attitude after I showed up on a bicycle. Then they offer me more bread, I say "sure that would be great", but I can tell by their reaction that they are not happy that I accepted the offer and to confirm my suspicion they never brought me the bread! I really didn't enjoy the whole experience.

kaela h.

My husband chose this place for his first father's day lunch. I couldn't object, because it was his choice. I'm giving this place 3.5 stars not because it was horrible. I guess I'm sensitive to icky feeling (will be explained below after the pro). It's not the most beautiful restaurant, but the food's great. I loved how they come out with warm pita bread and tasty tomato sauce. We shared the grilled veggies salad, which I was surprised was pretty tasty. We demolished it, which is a good thing because we were stuffing our face with the pita (not healthy!). I had manti (Turkish ravioli) as my entree. I know this isn't the dish's fault, but it didn't have any veggies. Do everyone who order manti get separate veggies? It was a good thing I ordered a salad beforehand. Manti was okay, but I wanted some more spices on top of the small red sauce that it had on top. I can only take so much yogurt sauce. So I dumped the tomato sauce from the pita bread on top. Now I know I just bastardized the dish, but I preferred it more this way. The portion was decent, so I took part of it home. We shared this warm baked threads with sweet sauce and ice cream on top. I thought it was delicious but SO sweet. That's probably the nature of the dessert, so I can't tell just like Manti if it's supposed to be this way. I liked it but felt tremendously guilty. Overall, food was great. The service was okay to good since it during a busy lunch period with one server, it seems. There was another guy who was more of a secondary server who refilled our water and got us more tomato sauce. We sat outside. One thing that really got to me was how they left laundry basket, dish collection bin, and rag outside by our table. I didn't think it looked that professional although that's convenient for the workers to clean the table. I also thought the restroom was a little yucky with urine all over the floor. Yes, it was a unisex restroom. Must I endure men's nasty habit of letting the urine drip all around the toilet? I had to do a little circus act trying not to step into someone's pee. Yuck! I really appreciate clean restrooms. Those establishments that pay attention to this detail: thank you from the bottom of my heart.

David H.

Food was actually good, but service was terrible. The waiter was a tall guy, he asked me what I wanted to order and immediately turned his head away, not even listening! I ended up telling him what I'm ordering literally 3 times, and he didn't take away my menu after we all ordered. Unsurprisingly, when the food came, he didn't remember which plate was whose. Very unprofessional.

Raman S.

The best Greek, Mediterranean place I have been to recently. We order a kebab combo and chicken cube entree. Both the dishes were great. I would strongly recommend the kebab combo dish. The meat is perfectly cook. The lamb kebab was done very well. We also tried Greek wine Casa Lapostalle Sauvi and it was a perfect choice for the food we had ordered. The service was very good even when the place was crowded. The waiter also recommended us a dessert - Kunefe. The dessert was not very sweet and it had some cheese in it. It had a very different taste. I liked it. We are planning to go back there and try out dishes.

Czarina B.

This was very disappointing Greek food. My date and I tried 2 dishes that tasted essentially the same. I'm pretty sure they used most of the same ingredients and the same sauce in each. The moussaka had barely any bechamel sauce in it. It was extremely tomatoe-y. Maybe I don't know "authentic Greek" but to me, crushed tomato heavy moussaka is the sign of huge shortcuts being taken in the kitchen and it's not supposed to taste like that. My date's dish also just tasted like chicken and vegetables sauteed in crushed tomatoes, something even I could make at home and I'm not even a very good cook. Again, if you closed your eyes you couldn't tell which dish you were eating. The kicker though was the rice tasted funny. We asked the waiter to try some but he declined and said that was how their rice tasted because it was saffron rice. This does not bode well. It tasted soapy. I have made saffron rice myself and also ordered and eaten it before at different restaurants and it has never tasted like that. My date thought the rice may have been boiled with soapy water, that's how soapy it tasted. The rice was lukewarm when it came out and became cold very quickly which heightened the metallic/soapy after taste. They did generously fill the wine. But $20+ for dinner without tip is too much for what we got. Seriously unimpressive food. Best part was the free bread appetizer which is warm bread and red pepper olive oil spread. Overall, very disappointing as another patron told us the food was very good. Perhaps we ordered the wrong dishes? There is only 1 unisex bathroom and it was disgusting by the end of the night. Did not inspire confidence. Now that I'm coming on Yelp and reading about freaking salmonella and e. coli being contracted here, I am seriously concerned but not overly surprised. The service was the only reason for the 2nd star. The place seemed slammed with 1 busboy and 2 waiters, even though the restaurant is quite cozy. After a flourish to seat us, they forgot to give us our menus and my date actually set his phone timer to give it 5 more minutes before we should leave if they hadn't remembered us by then. They did. Even though the waiter did not seem concerned about the funny tasting rice, he and the bus boy did graciously bring in our dishes and reseat us no problem at another table when my date wanted to move indoors. Overall, I got the impression service can be spotty but that waiters cared about their jobs and generally want to provide good service, even if it's not consistently provided. I appreciate that and I wanted to like the restaurant more because of it but 2 stars is the most it can get from me.

Hasan Y.

Amazing food. Helpful friendly service. I think our server's name was Erkan. If I was his boss, I would definitely give him a raise :) Let's start 1.You should definitely try Mediterranean meze sample platter. Meze is a small delicious dish; it is basically an appetizer. 2. If you are hungry go with lentil soup. Ask for extra lemon. Soup mixes well with lemon juice. 3. I tried Beyti. It is a special Turkish dish and it taste amazing. Yogurt sauce is die for 4.if you like beer, you will like Efes. If you are a wine person, I suggest you to try kavaklidere cankaya(authentic Turkish wine) 5. If you have any space left in your stomach, try baklava. You will like it... Best,

Alex T.

Café Baklava, for me, is an establishment I'm on the fence about. The food was mostly good, and satisfied me leaving full, and the service was fluctuant between okay and good, but the atmosphere was lacking for a Mediterranean restaurant, the place was not air conditioned, and the naan (flatbread, which was highly praised by other Yelp reviewers) was not that special for me. The service, again, was mainly good, but dipped down slightly at points. More detail will go into the aspects later. The atmosphere lacked quite a bit, as opposed to the superior Naan & Kabab in Reno. Food quality: I walked in, not expecting a meal similar in quality to Naan & Kabab's meals, but still expecting fairly good food. I did get it, but it still left some to be desired. For instance, the naan, which should have been rather thin, was thick and more like regular bread. As I continued eating the naan, I felt that it was of okay quality, but I was wondering why people were raving over it. My salmon was initially covered in tomato sauce (I do not like the strong taste of tomato sauce), but I recognized that that was not the restaurant's fault. So, my parents asked for the tomato sauce to be removed from the salmon. A somewhat nice waiter came over, removed the plate, and came back later, with the salmon spotless. Once I actually started eating, I found the salmon to be of four star quality: fresh, tasty, and mostly free of the tomato taste. Extras on the plate included a helping of vegetables, which I didn't touch, as they were swimming in tomato sauce, and four potatoes, which were mediocre at best; I took a few bites, and then handed them over for my parents to try. They seemed to like it, however. Food quantity: For the price, the amount of food provided is reasonable. Salmon came as a few pieces of larger-sized meat. The four potatoes were four long (about a foot) sticks. The naan came in a few pieces, acting as the meal's appetizer; as I was mainly indifferent to it, I thought of it as an okay deal. Service: The service was good most of the time, especially when a waiter offered to remove the tomato sauce from my salmon. He did so courteously, well, and quickly. However, the others did not perform as swimmingly. It took some time for the food to arrive, and more time for the sauce to be removed. Our drinks were refilled in a timely and professional manner, though, so that's always nice. Atmosphere: If I were to choose one part of the restaurant to improve dramatically, it would probably be the atmosphere. I'm not saying the ambience is horrendous (in fact, nice paintings of Turkey and the Mediterranean are found on the walls), but there's a lot to be desired. First of all, the entire restaurant lacked air conditioning! This, I found surprising, considering the outside when we ate was blistering hot. Maybe they were figuring that since the establishment is al fresco, more patrons would eat outside, not accounting for the temperature. Still, though, other customers need to be accommodated for. Secondly, the feel of the establishment just wasn't special to me. It lacked the distinct Mediterranean air of superior restaurants. Overall: Café Baklava Mediterranean Grill is not a bad restaurant, but it's certainly not the best - not close. While the food is pretty good (about four star quality in some spots), the service can dip down at times, and the atmosphere needs to be improved by more than a short margin. Still, though, it's somewhat recommendable to the Mediterranean fanatic, somewhat. Flaws will probably keep non-residents or tourists of San Jose/the Bay Area searching, but for residents, this isn't the worst choice. Personally, I don't think the family will continue patronization. Besides, Naan & Kabab (see separate review) is near us, and we rarely visit this area. 3/5 stars Food: 3.5/5 Service: 3.5/5 Atmosphere: 3/5

Christy S.

Love this place. Very authentic. The pita is fantastic, especially with the oil tomato dip that comes with it. The service is great, very friendly. My husband and I brought our mondo double stroller and 6 month old twins and they were very accommodating seating us outside in the alley. The waiter chose a pinot noir for me that was one of the best I've ever had and paired well with the dish I ordered. The lamb is great, kabobs are amazing. The tzatziki was delicious. This is not a fast food gyro joint, it's definitely appropriate for a finer date night type of experience. It's not cheap but the quality and quantity of the food and service are well worth it.

Kelly M.

We arrived right when they opened at 11am on a Sat. We took the table next to the front window to enjoy some people watching while we waited. The ambiance reminded me of Santorini in San Carlos (my fav Mediterranean place) so that was a plus. The Hummus with the warm pita bread and sweet sun-dried tomato dip was the BEST! I'd come back just for that it was that good. I had the Vegetarian Wrap with side salad. Mine had cauliflower, eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini and feta cheese. It was just okay though I doubt I'd order it again. It didn't have much flavor and it had way too much cauliflower. The Chicken burger with fries and the Lamb kabob were also ordered at our table. The Lamb kabob was a bit disappointing. Instead of chunks of real lamb meat on a skewer it was the ground lamb meat . We also thought it was strange that the chicken burger came with ketchup already on the bun. Both of our servers were excellent. Albeit there were only one other couple besides us in the entire restaurant since it was early. I'd definitely come back during the summer and enjoy a glass of vino and the hummus on the outside patio.

Rosanna C.

Prices are decent, portions are good, taste is good. Also the al fresco dining makes for a nice weekend lunch!

Jane C.

A friend and I were looking for late night dinner in Mountain View and stopped in at Cafe Baklava on Friday night. We saw the promising menu and the "Best of Mountain View" posters from '09-11 and went for it. The decor is very cute and the place was busy. We got the sigara boregi to start with. It was delicious! Who doesn't love a little deep fried filo dough and the potatoes and basil were great. As other reviewers have said, the bread and dipping sauce are great too. The entrees left a bit to be desired. We split the Manti and and risotto. The risotto was better, neither one had outstanding flavor. We split baklava for dessert and it was soggy. The service was a bit slow but it was busy. All in all, it was good, but Dish Dash is definitely still #1 in our book!

Bora T.

Came here with my girl after dinner for drinks, dessert, & Turkish Coffee. The outside seating makes the Mediterranean experience feel authentic. I like being able to people watch from my table and she does as well so we enjoy sidewalk seating. Good place to go on a nice night. Small perk, but its fun to pop into the bookstores next door afterwards. Even though we let our server, Yusuf, know we were only here for dessert he still surprised us by bringing out the complimentary pita bread and dip we deeply appreciated. As we were at Cafe Baklava and my girl has never had baklava before *gasp* I ordered 2 servings for us. Yusuf immediately let me know that 2 would be too much and 1 serving was plenty. When it came out I totally understood what he was saying. For $6 you get 4 big baklavas that could feed a family. We ended up bagging 2, one for her mother to try and one for my Mediterranean father to test. I've had a lot of baklava in my life and I liked theirs a lot. My girl who's never had any did as well. Not too sweet, not too syrupy, and although all baklava is kinda heavy, not too heavy. I also enjoyed my Efes beer and she her wine. We wrapped it all up with a good dose of Turkish coffee. I took a class on coffee in college and for those that don't know, Turkish coffee is the original coffee so you should at least try it if you've never had it, its the forefather to the espresso shot. And getting 2 for $5 flat is nice. If you ask or are lucky Yusuf will do his trick with it when he brings it to you. All in all I had a good but admittedly limited experience here, I'll be back to try the entrees another time. However as a Mediterranean cafe Cafe Baklava hits the spot. tl;dr I enjoyed the free pita bread & dip, our drinks, the baklava, the atmosphere, the Turkish coffee, my company and Yusuf's service.

Rosalie B.

I have been here twice: once for lunch and once for dinner. My biggest negative is the service. The waitstaff is friendly and they're pretty good about refilling water. However, both times we had to wait a long time once we finished our food to get a box, and then longer to get a dessert menu, and then longer to get the check. The second time we came we skipped dessert and got it somewhere else because we had already waited so long for the check and didn't want to prolong the wait. Food was pretty good, but not great. I had the falafel wrap for lunch and the greek salad for dinner. The wrap was good. The salad dressing on the greek salad was a bit too lemony. *on a positive note-the bread and dipping sauce they bring out is delicious and hot! super yummy! and they have great outdoor seating for warm nights on Castro!

Tejaswini L.

Pita bread with garlic sauce was awesome. We ordered veg kebab, baba ghanoush and some pasta, it was oily but very tasty. Service was little slower. Their Baklava dessert is a must try. I liked the ambiance though indoor interior is bit tacky.

Tim Miriam H.

Cafe Baklava is a terrific lunch spot. Everything is very fresh - that's what makes this place stand out compared to places like Dish-Dash. Try the sampler - it's good enough to have for a lunch all by itself!

Sarah M.

Despite the name of the restaurant, this place has the WORST baklava I've ever tasted. It's so bad it should never be sold, let alone ingested. I went around closing time one night with a friend and the manager was nice enough to let me put an order in even though he was closing out the register. That's where the positive part ends. The woman who served the baklava scraped off a few pieces that were literally half charred (black almost halfway up), dry, and horrific looking. Like a home-ec project that had gone awry, I kid you not. The strange thing is that the stuff was burnt more on one end than the other, and she served me the blackest part - what is up with that? I took it in disbelief, had a tiny nibble, and promptly returned it to the manager. Then I got a second serving off the less-burnt (but still absolutely horrible) side. We kind of choked it down shaking our heads that any restaurant could sell something so bad. Four terrible pieces cost me $7. Oh, their food is not very good either but I haven't eaten it in years and can't speak authoritatively at this point. I remember being extremely underwhelmed. Yuck.

Glenn H.

Well somehow (over a year later), through clearly demented (or missing) brain cells we decide that this place was a great place last time, and I decide that yes this place would be worth eating at again. Just shoot me now because this time it was a reinforcement of how bad last time was. This time, we had the $13.00 mezze sampler appetizer: Humus [OK], Falafel [Very Good], Baba Ghanoush [very poor, very bland and barely a shadow of one of my favorite things to eat], Cevizli Peynir (Walnuts, garlic, goat cheese and red pepper with a splash of virgin olive oil) [was not bad just not that great--it looked like they took feta cheese and something purple and put it in a blender for a bit-tasting mostly like finely minced feta suspended in a purple liquid], Dolma [OK] and Taboule [OK]. All in all: Meh for $13. Then we split a Karides Guvec [Prawns and vegetables baked in a casserole served with rice pilaf]. If you read my review last year, you can bet that this is still the same face-scrunching Guvec "seasoning" that I had last year, just with prawns this time. The Karides prawns were large (4 of them) and they were perfectly done but in the same horrid cumin spice bomb that they had that exploded on the dry chicken chunks last year. Add mostly potatoes and onions with a few eggplant chunks with red peppers, and this overpriced $16 dish is mostly filler. Sage advice: Do NOT get anything with the word "Guvec" in it unless you crave cumin, onions and potatoes. The damage was $31 for an appetizer and a single entree. Sure the service was prompt but when the waiter decides to ask how things are far after we had eaten mostly the prawns out of the entree and we say " This was BAD.", he decides take it away while looking at the dish like it was from another planet. No such luck getting comped for it--we paid full price. Hopefully, next year, I can avoid repeating this same mistake and walk right past it next time--brain cells permitting .

Golda R.

This place is not bad for Mediterranean food but I like the Gyro House better which is only a block away. Don't get me wrong their food is good, but its way too oily and overpriced compared to the Gyro House.

Shanna N.

I came here for lunch on Sunday... I wasn't too impressed with anything except the warm pita bread and dip they brought to the table which I am really glad they did since they took forever to bring out our plates. We ordered the appetizer sampler, so we got to try a bit of everything... The Falafels and Dolmas were pretty good. I didn't enjoy the Babaganoush or Hummus very much. The Spiced Beef in Puff Pastry (can't remember what it's called) was really good. It's like a sesame croissant with some beef in the middle. Also the feta cheese, tomato, and cucumber plate was really fresh and good. I've definitely had better Mediterranean food before, won't be making my way out here again anytime soon.

Ravi G.

Rude service. Especially the person in orange T-shirt. Overall, not worth

Shru N.

Late lunch on Friday, one of the few places open at 4pm on a weekday They gave us fresh warm pita and a garlic-tomato sauce to start with, fell in love with that sauce...could be a dish on its own... I had a taboule (tomato,cucmber, parsley salad) which was good 4/5 "A" had Tavuk Guvec (chicken with eggplant,potatoes) which came with a side of rice, the dish was well prepared 4/5 Wine selection is not that great. but a decent lunch place with reasonable prices

Amanda G.

I had lunch here with my friend Wendy K. on a Thurs. afternoon. We were seated immediately, and service was fairly good. Although, I must add they weren't very busy. The bread they served us upon being seated was warm, and very tasty, but I really didn't like the oily tomato dip that came with it. As far as I could figure, it was grease with some tomatoes mixed in. Gross:( I had a chicken breast wrap.It was wrapped in tanour bread, and had cucumbers, and tomatoes inside, along with a light yogurt sauce. It was supposed to have onions, but I asked them to omit them, and they did. The wrap was REALLY messy to eat! It wasn't wrapped very well, and the pieces of cucumber and tomato were pretty big for a wrap. I would have liked if they'd been diced better. The chicken also wasn't seasoned well, and was pretty bland. I had to add salt, which I rarely do, but that wasn't enough to help it. The fries on the side were exceptional, but I did ask for them to be extra crispy, and if I hadn't, I don't think they would have been nearly as good. I wouldn't come back, and the service and fries were what saved them from getting a two star rating.

Rina M.

This place was more of a 2.5 stars because saying it's "A-ok" is pushing it. I came here for dinner and everything was mediocre, at best. The service was shoddy, at some points our waiter was attentive and at other times, i.e. when my friend wanted to change her wine [the one the waiter suggested] after realizing it tasted disgusting, he looked like he wanted to pummel us. Great. Food was also ok, seemed like everything was swimming in olive oil and pretty lackluster in taste. We ordered the mezze sampler platter, which was pretty ...mediocre. The baba ghanoush and falafel was great but the red pepper/feta sauce was not even appetizing. If I had known you get complimentary pita bread and dipping sauce, I'd recommend just binging on that and saving room for the entrees. My friend ordered the chicken kebab [tender and pretty good] and I got the Imanbayildi pilav/stuffed eggplant. It was drenched in an oily sauce but the vegetables themselves were well-cooked and decent. Rice was a little dry but when you ladle a bunch of sauce on it, its edible. I've eaten better food elsewhere and would probably go to Ephesus over this place because nothing really stood out as being good. Worst of all, there were 3 or 4 flies lingering around our table the whole night. What is this, rural India? And if it is, why am I paying $$? Redeeming factor: cute baby sitting at the table next to us. She threw her fork down on the floor, probably in disappointment with the food.

Todd G.

Great food and amazing service, one of my favorite places to hang out and enjoy a nice leisurely meal. I have tried a different entree every time I visit and I have yet to be disappointed. I love to sit in their sidewalk dining area, they have space heaters for cooler evenings, it's a wonderful place to enjoy the pace of Castro Street.

Senthil V.

I've had better is all I want to say .... NOT bad at all ..... A good bit of options for veggies. Touch pricey. Overall service was fine. But Chef can definitely do better .... cos there is another Mediterranean down the road who serves better Falafel and the check wont hit u bad ..... But a good experience.

Valiagd P.

A great restaurant for lunch and dinner with a nice outside sunny patio area! We loved the service too - everyone was very attentive and food was delish! We sat outside - very comfy and charming space; I had the chance to check out the space inside and I really liked the decoration! There is plenty of light and charm, it was obvious that they really put some work into it. About the food: They serve complimentary warm whole grain pita bread with an olive oil dressing on the side, which I couldn't get enough of! We tried the Mezze appetizer - everything on the plate deserved our special attention, we loved it! I also had the arugula salad with blue cheese - loved it! From the main course menu I had one of the specials of the day - a oven roasted whole seabass - it was so tender on the inside, but crispy on the outside, perfectly prepared! Finally - complimentary black tea at the end of the dinner, what more could have we asked for?! We had a great time, great food and great service! We are going back!

Shauna M.

Walked in 7:45 on a sat night. Waiter said he only had one four top available and we needed to wait 15-20 min for a two-top, even though there was no one busting down the door to be seated at that time. With that, we walked. That being said, we walked down to Sakoon Indian restaurant and it was FABULOUS! 5-Star all the way around for service, food and drinks! Such a shame, as I do love Mediterranean, but will seek it elsewhere that has higher standard of customer service.

Rebecca S.

Why the three stars, people? Have you tried their bread?! Holy mother of food heaven goodness, Cafe Baklava's house pita that's served with everything is insane. Its like a cloud of carbohydrate goodness melting in my mouth. Its seriously heavenly. While I could go on about the bread for days on end, another favorite of mine is the red lentil soup. For only $6 you get a giant bowl of hearty, filling, and (hopefully) healthy soup. And yes, it comes with bread. Easily one of my favorite take out meals on Castro. Simple. Filling. Great deal.

Tara D.

I really should have written this review while at the restaurant since now I'm not going to remember what the dishes were called but, I'll give it my best shot. I got a stuffed eggplant dish because I was really craving eggplant and onion. The eggplant was really nicely cooked, a great texture and it soaked up the seasoning and juices nicely. I was less impressed with the veggies it was stuffed with which were a little like a bland marinara sauce. Because I was craving onions I was disappointed when it arrived with two small raw onion circles neatly perched atop the pile of veggies. Darn. Before our meal we ordered some pita dipping sauces. There is one that is ground walnuts and garlic that is delicious, and the other we ordered had a very smokey flavor to it. Before the meal we were served with pita bread and a sun dried tomato dip which was my favorite. We were sat in the very front to the left of the door (entering the restaurant) and the fridge? dishwasher? something had a very loud humming noise. If possible I'd avoid this table. Service was friendly and accommodating. Some dishes are pre-mixed, one of us is allergic to tomatoes and had many dishes vetoed due to being unable to remove them.

Jon H.

Came here for a late Sunday lunch, it was pretty quiet, seems to me that this place doesn't get enough business given they are pretty solid. We sat outdoors on a beautiful day, ordered the yogurt (comes with fresh hot pita bread), which was delicious, cool, and light. Sopped it up, along with the spicy tomato sauce they serve with the fresh pita. Lunch came next. She ordered a nice lamb pita, I ordered a shwarma. Both were HUGE servings, CHOCK full of meat and with nice thick cut fresh veggies, served in the same piping hot pita (the pita is really good here). The salad was nice in her dish, but the fries were pretty bleh (normal, not very crisp). Overall, a solid place. The sandwiches were pretty dry, but dousing them in the leftover yogurt sauce was a good move. I'd hit this place up for solid mediterranean food, decent prices too (2 people, with what we ate for under $40)

Evelyn P.

Love this place--perfect spot indoors or out--everything yummy but the whole fish is always perfect!!! Always head here now instead of the other ever-changing spots on Castro. My friends come from San Jose--perfect start to an evening at Ctr. for Performing Arts. Great service, not noisy, festive but authentic atmosphere and just great food consistently--not too costly with welcome extras. And I'm always greeted and remembered...like foreign bistros. Fun!

Joseph B.

My wife and I eat lunch here on weekend afternoons, and sit outside and people-watch. The Baba Ghanoush is my favorite - delicious smoky flavor. The falafel wraps are pretty decent too.

Nancy C.

We ordered a catered meal for 14 people for a special occasion. The owner couldn't have been more helpful in designing the menu. He listened carefully to what kinds of dishes I wanted and then suggested delicious ones. And everything was reasonably priced. The food (appetizers, several main courses, salads) were absolutely delicious. And his suggested quantities were spot on. Thanks so much for helping to make a wonderful special occasion.

Arnie H.

Our party of eight had a very good experience this past weekend at Baklava. Service was excellent, our table was specially arranged ahead in the back dining area, and all went well. Food and wine seemed the most moderately priced on Castro Street, especially for the high quality. Our only minor disappointment: we expected the back dining area to be quieter for our group conversation, but another even bigger party was back there, and it was noisy. We managed.

Beatriz K.

GREAT SERVICE!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND GREAT FOOD!!!!!!!!!! We celebrated my daughters' 3rd birthday today and the food was FANTASTIC! Fresh and yummy and the service (really important to me) was GREAT!!!! We had a waiter come and serve champagne and food and coffee and he was wonderful!!!! we had a great time and best of all the waiters were super NICE and caring. I would definitely come here for another birthday party celebration. The food was fantastic!!!!!

Ankita K.

There are quite a few Mediterranean places on Castro these days, but as for flavorful food - I think Cafe Baklava has the others beat. Delicious! And, filling! Free pita (wonderful and always served hot) with red pepper olive oil. We had the appetizer sampler for 2, Patlican Dolma (grilled eggplant with goat cheese in spicy sauce), and risotto. Food came out fairly quickly. No complaints on the food --- but the service/atmosphere did leave something to be desired: small hallway area with tables a bit packed and waiters whizzing here and there and nearly bumping into each other, took forever to get water refilled or more pita. I'm going to give that the benefit of the doubt and pressume they were having an off-night.

P S.

Poor service and attitude from waiter We came in for a family dinner on a Sunday evening. From the start, our waiter was surly and not in mood...maybe he wanted to wrap up early? This isn't available, that isn't available, only one type of beer...etc etc. We can't do this and we can't do that (we are vegetarians). We told him we would be sharing all the items, and when they arrived he came with small quarter plates. My husband asked for a little bigger plates--and he sarcastically responded with "you want little bigger plates?" I don't know, the whole experience was uncomfortable and didn't give a good feeling. The waiter's name was Malcolm possibly. The busboy was wonderful, though--the only one who smiled at us the whole evening. Waste of a good evening.

Mia S.

Service has gone down since last year. Our server (possibly the owner) constantly had a wandering eye at women walking by and even while giving us the check, stared blatanly at a woman not too far away. Creepy!

Megan V.

The red lentil soup cured my of my fatigue... And so dud the warm pita bread.... The mezze platter was well laid out and filling...

J. R.

The pita bread is delicious. They used to serve the Iskender on tasteless, soggy cubes of white bread; now they serve it on delicious white pita bread that doesn't become soggy.

Kateryna D.

The best of the best!!! The food and the staff are amazing!!!! I am so happy to be here!!! It will be one of my fav places!!! You should try!!!

Sebastian S.

Excellent service, delicious and fresh food, great ambiance. They accommodate large parties and I decided to have a small family birthday party for my daughter. They were amazing bringing the food on time and opening our own champagne! They only charged us $15 corkage fee which is way less than their policy outlines!! What stood pout the most was the yummy delicious food and the GREAT service. The staff is very police and friendly!

Jennifer F.

Impeccable service--outstanding spot. Loved the beef and Amal kabob. Will definitely return!

Seda M.

We had early dinner here and it was okay.. The service was very nice but the food was very blend and boring.. I am a big fan of Turkish food for its unique and fresh taste.. They didn't have "that".. Overall food was oily and tasteless, didn't have Mediterranean taste.. It was more like Arabic food, little heavy for me.. Desserts were horrrrrribbble, they definitely need to revisit their dessert recipes we had sutlac; it was anything but sutlac.. ball of rice covered with milk and sugar is not sutlac and please cut down on the oil.. No need to add additional butter or margarine to gyro.. We will go back to give them another try due to outstanding service and hopefully we will have a better meal..

Pony J.

Cozy and romantic atmosphere. Nice place for a relaxed dining experience. All the dishes I saw were pleasantly presented but Dolmades, chicken salad and lamb dishes were average. I will return for the atmosphere.

Roxana L.

Was walking around to look for a place for lunch and saw people outside the patio eating wraps (which i really like) and the place looks clean so decided to give it a try. I got the fish wrap: This was dry (I used ketchup to save this -_-) . Basically it was some fish filet, tomatoes and onions. The fries were good but of course you can't really mess up on that. The beef kabab plate: Thick pieces of beef. Rice was plain but my bf liked it! The grilled peppers were amazing! The free pita bread + dip was actually my favorite part of the meal. The bread was so warm, fluffy and perfect texture. The dip was really good too! Apparently they don't care if non customers use the restrooms. A man walks in the restaurant holding a newspaper and walks straight to the restroom...

Vinay S.

Service is terrible. I have been waiting for a freekin ketchup for last 30mins-- reminded them 5 times now.

Jim C.

We had a great dinner at the Cafe Baklava. Moussaka and a Greek salad. The service was great and we will go there again.

Monica W.

The food is fine, but nothing special. The extremely slow service does not make it a reasonable lunch choice. We came here for a work lunch, and it took them over 20 minutes to prepare 3 wraps. For downtown Mountain View working lunch, completely unacceptable.

Finla P.

The place looks cute and all and the fact that it's in Castro helps it get customers too and I took friends here to try the place out. And boy I was disappointed with the food. Like big time. I asked for vegetable kebab and it turned out so bland and tasteless for $13. I also tasted chicken kebab and lamb kebab from friends' plates and it tastes nothing worth writing about. Just to add the moussaka was bland too. The two star is for the smiling and courteous staff and their service. About the food - I have had so much better Mediterranean fare than this. Won't waste my time here again.

Audria S.

Awhile back I ordered a bowl of lentil soup. I still remember each bite while the sun warmed the patio. The flavors were wrll balanced. The coffee is also most excellent. A great nook to escape silicon valley for a breath of the Mediterranean.

Jennie C.

Ordered the falafel wrap. Food is decent, but I've definitely had better falafel. Nice salad comes with your order though, and I loved the complimentary appetizer. The store is a little small, and there was a table of older ladies seated right in front of the front door. They glared at me when I opened the door to enter...how was I suposed to know there was a table right in front of the door :(?

Malathi R.

I enjoyed the moussaka, the taste was delicious. But I felt the quantity was less for the price. The complimentary pita bread and dip was also tasty. The bread was very soft, and the dip was full of flavors. The El Dorado was also very good. The place is small and was crowded on a Friday evening. The price range is on the higher end of $$.

Albert P.

Ordered the Iskandur plate, very good, great if you are on a keto/low carb diet (just don't eat the bread that comes with it. Service was attentive and friendly, no complaints there. Spacing, well, it is a small place and the inside was full on a Wednesday late afternoon/night. We sat outside, and they ran out of fuel for the outdoor lamps, so it was semi cold sitting outside. No blame on there part, but I guess it would be nice to get the adjacent space that used to be a Scientology business.

Esther S.

Was drawn to this place for its nice outdoor seating area. Met some girls up for a summer-y evening meal together. Service is so so there- our main server seemed to keep rushing us (we were waiting for people so were on the slower side but there were still a lot of tables open) and was not very pleasant at all. The pita bread and dip was really yummy and they kept it coming. Other food were all 3 star quality and quantity. Not cheap either. I had their house white which was pretty good though. $5 for a decent pour- great for a warm night! If I ever come back it would be to snack on their pita bread and grab a glass of wine.

Chris T.

Love baklava. It's a great place to dine and my team and I went here nervous times. Thanks! We always appreciated the great service

Anant J.

Probably the best Mediterranean food you can find in the south bay. Really love it. Visit almost every other week.

Jenn T.

Their hot, freshly made pita bread with the dipping sauce is the main reason I eat here. It is to die for! Yum! I usually fill up on the bread and eat 1/3 of my entree, but I can't resist the warm pita. They have a nice outdoor area that is great for lunch. I usually order the Greek salad with gyro. For dinner, I sit inside, which is small, but cozy. I prefer the outdoor seating more, but it's too cold in the evenings. I usually order the mousaka for dinner. Sometimes the have lamb mousaka as a special, which is better than the regular mousaka with ground beef.

Gabe F.

Delicious rainbow trout is one fabulous dish...moist tasty fish with some veggies...yum! Also had the leg of lamb - tender and tasty. Dine outside with a glass of wine and enjoy the food and friendly service.

Michael F.

I would have written this review earlier, but after reading that other users had gotten food poisoning after dining here I decided to wait about 24 hrs to make sure that nobody who I dined with or myself got food poisoning. So far, so good. Phew... Anyway, my group and I had decided to try this restaurant due to Cascal being too crowded and having a long wait time. Depending upon where you enter (there's a front door and a side door that leads to an alley) there is no specific waiting area. You essentially have to walk through a very narrow passage way with dining customers on one side and the cooking area on the other and hope to find an employee to seat you. To be fair, the restaurant is quite small. I can't complain about service, as our waiters were attentive. The bread that they gave us for an appetizer came out piping hot and I mean HOT. Like burn my ass hot. But it honestly was some of the best restaurant bread I've ever had. It was amazing. For my entree, I ordered the beyti kebab which was chunks of ground beef wrapped in a bread and bathed in a sour cream/orange sauce. Each dish came with a side of rice and veggies. The food was quite good, no complaints there. However, some items are expensive. You've been fairly warned. Now there are several major drawbacks. This restaurant is honestly somewhat filthy inside. There were bugs flying around, the menus were stained, and their ceiling fan had an ENORMOUS layer of dust on it. By ENORMOUS, I mean you could see it from the other side of the restaurant. If somebody had switched it on...yeah you can guess what would have happened. Lastly, when our bill was finally brought to us, we were told that "the system is down" and that credit cards could not be processed. We either could pay by cash or the waiter could jot down out credit card information and bill us later on. We ended up paying with cash to keep things simple (luckily we had enough on us). The bill was about $70.00 total. I give them 3 stars based upon the experience that my group and I had. However, we will likely not be returning after other reviewers mentioned getting food poisoning, which doesn't surprise me considering how this restaurant is somewhat filthy as stated above. 3 stars

Daniella M.

So if you are going to eat at this restaurant you should know that there are dishes that are amazing and dishes that are pretty pathetic. First of all: never order off of their pasta menu. Italian at a Mediterranean restaurant is like ordering Indian at a Chinese place. That being said the moussaka is good, along with the shrimp salad. Good luck!

Jeffrey A.

Not sure why there is marginal reviews. This place is delicious, the lamb chops, lamb shank and the kabobs are the best and very authentic Turkish food. Don't get them confused with Armenian food because they well take offense lol

Mitko D.

We've just spent more than 3 hours happy houring/dining in that place! We had everything from appetizers to salads to the specials of the evening to desserts. And it was all delicious (I have some reservations only for the babaganoush in the Mediterranean Mezze, which wasn't as good as I expected it to be, but it was perhaps just me). I particularly loved the Lamb special on grill - it was soft, juicy and just delicious. The quantity was also good (and I eat a lot). The desserts - baklava and kadayif - were just amazing, as usual. In fact, when my brother was in town from Europe last November we stopped by just to get 12-16 pieces of baklava for him for "support" during his Lufthansa flight back. They were very accommodating in satisfying our request during that walk-in-take-out dessert experience. We sat outdoors and it was a nice area (even though the street is just next to you). The service was very attentive and communicative - we had 3 people taking care of us with the order, serving, cleaning up the table, pouring water, etc or with just stopping by to ask "how is it everything?". Friendly people with smiles. I'll definitely come back!

Samantha W.

First restaurant I visited in Mountain View. I sat outside on their cute patio so I never actually went inside the restaurant but I got the gyro and french fries which totally hit the spot. Good food, nice outdoor seating with views of downtown Mountain View.

Aditi U.

Service: The people there don't like Yelp....I wonder why! But they are rated one of the best restaurants every year. Despite their lack of love of Yelp, they were really really friendly and helped us with wine selection and food selection! Food: Delicious! I got a falafel wrap, simple but very very well done! Very fresh, falafels weren't oily, and the balance of veggies to falafel and sauce was very good! Wine: Selection of wine from the server was perfect with my falafel. Ambience: We had gone quite early on a tuesday afternoon, so it wasn't packed, but its a cute little place, definitely intimate! Overall impression: I would definitely return when I have a craving for Mediterranean if I'm in Mountain View :D

Deborah P.

One of the best Turkish restaurants in the Bay Area. Everything is always fresh and cooked to perfection. I personally love their Moussaka and Lentil Soup. The service is sometimes a little slow, but the wait staff are quick to take care of things when you raise a hand. They also have a nice selection of Turkish wines.

Yzn A.

Love this place! Food is great albeit a bit pricey. Service has gotten significantly better. I throughout enjoy their assortment of grilled meats and vegetables as well as desserts. My go to is combo kebab with kunafe for dessert and a cup of Turkish coffee.

Rosangela B.

I absolutely love this place. The food is delicious!! The service is great and the location is perfect!! I highly recommend it. I was there last Friday with my family and we all loved it.

Veronica T.

Such a cute and ambient little authentic Turkish restaurant! They brought us a hummus and oil-base dip to start with pita. Then, I got a lamb burger with a side salad. Mmm!

Tanja F.

It was one of those nights where we didn't have a set place in mind for dinner but wanted to go next door to the bookstore for an author's talk and book signing. We got out of our car and I just followed a delicious smell that led me from the parking lot to Cafe Baklava. Just follow my nose... it always knows! As I walked down the alley between the parking lot to the front of the restaurant, I noticed dishes with beautiful presentation through the plate glass window. Between the sights and the smell, I knew I had found the place to try. We were greeted at the front, sat right away, had fantastic service from our waiter and the food was as good as it smelled. Since there were four of us, we started with the Mezze platter. It was a good choice to get a little taste of a lot of different things. I got the vegetarian moussaka entree which was wonderful. My husband got the leg of lamb (I think it was a special) and my friends got the lamb moussaka and braised chicken. Everyone was really happy with their choices and there was more than enough food. I wanted to lick my plate clean. I would definitely go back.

Ryan L.

A friend and I stopped here for lunch. We both ordered the grilled chicken greek salad that I can't remember. It was full of grilled chicken and feta on a mound of iceberg. There were three olives on the plate. It was a decent salad but not the best. We also ordered hummus that was served with lavash bread. It was ok, but not the best I've had. The best part of the experience was sitting outside in downtown Mountain View on a beautiful day.

Swaffisk C.

Good place to eat Good food Not over priced Will return to eat there again

A C.

Got a weird vibe from the guy since I only bought a dessert to go and not a whole meal but he was very friendly in all! I got four tiny pieces of baklava for about 6.50 after tax which was disappointing but to be honest, this place has the best baklava I've ever had anywhere and I would definitely come back for more on my way to work one day!

Amy D.

I honestly don't think I would come back here because of their service. I came here with a couple coworkers after work for dinner and the menu looked delicious. The waiter we had was very persistent in getting us to order immediately, and seemed a bit impatient. He appeared frustrated since we were undecided... I eventually ordered the Turkish ravoli with a white wine spritzer. If the star ratings were solely based on food and taste, I'd give it a 4 or 5. BUT the customer service experience deserves negative 2. Thinking of trying this place out? Sure... I guess. Just make sure you know what you want before sitting down.

Sandra P.

This was one if my favorite restaurants on Castro until today. My friend and I wanted to eat outside. We were told to chose any empty table. We chose a table and when the waiter came by he asked us to change tables because the table wasn't clean. It looked fine to us so we asked him to clean it for us. It took him less than a minute to clean it. He never asked if we'd like a drink and only brought us water. We wanted iced tea but decided it wasn't worth trying to flag him down. We waited a good ten minutes for him to return to take our order. After ordering two salads, we waited 40 minutes for them to arrive. Really, 40 minutes for a salad! When I told the waiter that I was just about to come and ask where our salads were he just shrugged and left. If they had just said something about why we had to wait so long, we would have been okay with a legitimate excuse I had to get up and ask for the bill. When I used the bathroom (one stall) it's he door was propped open with a barstool. I moved the stool out of the way and tried to turn on the light. It wouldn't turn on. I had to go with the stool wedged in the door leaving it open to the restaurant. Because it was dark I had a difficult time finding the toilet paper. I would've used the men's room but it was occupied. The only reason I give it a second star is because the food was great. Not returning anytime soon.

Edouard Y.

We started with pita bread with hummus, and that was a great appetizer. For entrees, we had the moussaka, the karniyarik, and some lamb chops (the lamb chops was a special of the day). Everything was delicious and plentiful.

Charles L.

The food was good, but the restaurant need a good cleaning, some of the ornaments like fake plants, and stuff hanged on the wall were dirty you can visually see a lot of dust and wonder if some of that is falling in you plate. I will come back some time later and will revise this review, the food is good but appearance and cleanness matters too.

Carl J.

Love the variety of dishes and beverages. We had fried calamari and baba ganoush (roasted eggplant) and enjoyed both very much. We appreciated the abundance of pita bread and the accompanying tomato sauce. Next time we will try the seafood.

Ethan J.

This is a good place to grab dessert. The rice pudding is really delicious and I'll probably be back. However the manager/owner was really harsh on his staff right next to me which was disconcerting.

Kes D.

Excellent service in my experience (courteous and inobtrusive), nice wine selections, cool ambiance, but the food was just not that impressive. The bread was delicious and loved the dip that came with it. Tabouleh was dry. Manti was kind of bland and unexciting, but very cute. Maybe we just ordered the wrong things?? Also, it's really confusing but the entrance is on the side, sort of in an allyway.

Jess C.

I feel like I need to give this place a 5 to offset the mediocre reviews. I thought this place would for sure have at least a 3.5 overall rating because I went to DishDash recently and thought the chicken gyro wrap here was bigger, tastier, and juicier. The waiters here are friendly, sometimes a little too friendly (they've stopped me on the street in an attempt to get me to come eat), and I think the owner is the only non-greek person in the place, but other than minor identity crisis and super-friendly waiters, this is a solid Mediterranean option.

Terry B.

Great bread. Came out fast, fresh out of the oven. Good grape leaves, tasty penne pasta dish with salmon. Plus, they have salt and pepper ON THE TABLE. Yet to see much of that in CA. Cannot say it was perfect, but I did arrive near closing time. Still, totally worth a visit.

Anand N.

Cafe Baklava has an attentive staff and they refill your glasses and bread baskets very promptly, no matter how bad the bread is, the mere intent to show attention kind of attracts me. Having said that, the bread is actually awesome, me and my wife absolutely dig it. Their dishes are prices reasonable at around 11-15 dollars an entree, and they have a reasonably sized menu. The waiter who served us gave us good suggestions and explained clearly about the specials they had. We have tried the following here: 1. Pan fried Trout (Special) I will upload a picture of this soon. This was absolutely amazing, my wife and I enjoyed this a lot. 2. Chicken Sheesh Kabab The chicken was adequately flavored and tender, bigger cubes than a lot of other Mediterranean places I have visited, and the rice is absolutely amazing. 3. Chicken Salad. The serve a generous portion of chicken and greens with the salad, my wife had this and she enjoyed it a lot. 4. Hummus Standard hummus nothing to write home about. I will definitely be back to try more of their dishes including some of the other appetizers on the menu. I would rate it at 4.5 stars just because of the service, the location and the fact that its a sidewalk cafe and I love sidewalk cafes.

Michele P.

I am disappointed to have to write a review for one star because I usually love this place, but last week after lunch (Wednesday, April 25th) both my friend and I came down with food poisoning. We tested positive for E. Coli and Salmonella and I ended up in the hospital Friday afternoon--not fun. I had the salmon salad and my friend ordered an eggplant dish. Calling them today to let them know. Hope no one else out in Yelpland became as ill as we did.

Miika M.

Pricey but fantastic Kebabs and Entree plates. My good friend and I were running around on Castro a somewhat late Friday evening looking for a place to eat. Chinese was out of the question (I had a dose from my fave place in Sacramento) Mexican was no way (had a breakfast burrito from my fave place in the Mission) and a hamburger just bad bad business (my arteries did a reality check with my last night during a Netflix Watch now of Blade Runner so I need to behave) we came across this charming little villa-esque eatery located on a busy corner. Once in, it was funny to see that my friend recognized several of the other diners and apparently we had all gone to the same Conservatory. The interior of this place is quite formal. White linens. Wait staff in white aprons. Everything was formal. I was impressed. My entree order was the Doner: Thin slices of slowly cooked lamb& beef served with rice pilaf and cacik. The meat was a little more overdone than what I normally prefer with meats but delicious, especially after the dipping sauce was drizzled. This came with a savory rice pilaf and a basket full of warm tasty bread that I proceeded to dip in their oil/vinegar mixer. We had a lovely dinner and will probably be back for lunch the next time around..

Dave S.

Good pita, mealy mediocre hummus, forgettable food and inattentive service. The service in particular was frustrating as simple requests were forgotten and my water glass was empty for most of the meal. I would advise staying away from this place.

Courtney R.

I cannot believe this place has 3 stars, I always have had both great food and dining experiences when I come here. My only complaint is that they put yogurt on everything. Sine I am vegan, this is a pet peev (put it on the side). I know it's med food, but it's ON EVERYTHING, I wish it was just Tahini. They do have a separate dinner/lunch menu. The lunch menu has more warps, burgers, sandwich style things, while dinner has more dishes. My personal favorite here is the Imanbayildi (eggplant). My boyfriend like the vegetarian dolma entree. I recently tried the kabob, but think I will go back to imanbayildi. I highly recommend coming here, they also give you this amazing dip with bread. The dipping sauce is so tasty, I have to be careful not to stuff myself before I actually get my food.

Roland T.

I've been coming here as far back as 2005. It has remained exactly the way I remembered it. Place is small but thank goodness for the putdoor seating area. There seemed to be one waiter working when we got here although he was pretty attentive. The appetizer bread was fresh out of the oven and the olive oil with pureed tomatoes was delish! We paired it with hummus and made it divine! I ignored the italian portion of the menu, after all this is a mediterranean restaurant. Got the Anatolia Chicken and the Karniyarik (stuffed eggplant) which were both satisfyingly tasty! Complimented it with the appropriate glass of wine as well and having the bill under $30 for each surely made this a delightful experience! Will come back again for sure!

Kelly M.

A friend and I were in Mountain View to watch a movie at Shoreline. After movie we decided to grab dinner on Castro. We both never tried Cafe Baklava but have always wanted to, so it was an easy decision. After dinner, it took about 1 hour to get back home to San Francisco. OMG, once I got home, I had the worst tummy ache! I agonized for about 1 hour in the bathroom and had cold sweats all over my forehead and palms. I am pretty sure I was pale as a ghost. Given that I didn't have any food or drinks outside of Cafe Baklava, I am sure that my illness was a result of something that I ate there. Today I decided to check out what others write about this place on Yelp and came across another food poisoning review. This other reviewer was tested positive for E.Coli and Salmonella. Scary Not Cool.

Amy O.

Mixed feelings about this place. The food is pretty good, but the service had attitude. When we got there, we were politely greeted, and then said that there was two of us. Right then, another waiter walked up to the guy and pretty much lectured him on where to seat people right in front of us. Not a good way to start our dining experience. So, we get seated outside...that was great. And now we realize that our server is the lecturer. And let's say he treated us about the same. Quickly spoke to us, quickly left the table, was always super short with us and basically throwing our food at us. When we ordered the sampler plate which is mostly spreads...he didn't bring any pita. Huh? So, I asked for some and we never received it. Attitude the whole time. After the no pita incident, I said to my boyfriend, "whoa, what a d*ck!". Our food was good. The lamb chops were super tasty. A special, $25. Good price...and delicious. I think our bill was incorrect too, but didn't want to deal with mr. attitude.

Whiz K.

Not a busy place and so the kitchen was closed at 9:50, where as the restaurant is open till 10:30.

Eric C.

I've seen this place packed of people, but never really got around to trying it until now. Sad to say i'm not a huge fan. I, as well as almost half of the 12 person group, had the Doner wrap. The wrap was a little too brittle for my likings,and the wraps fell apart even before the first bite; not to mention that the wraps were in a puddle of grease/oil. I probably just ordered the wrong thang, but Blehhh i'll pass.

Kurt W.

Restaurant setting is quaint and the ambience is nice but you pay a price for it. Food is not bad here, but I'm not sure if you cannot get a better or equivalent meal for a better price. I think if you're looking for the ambience, this is good but be prepared to pay a little premium for it.

Stephanie L.

Great service and delicious food. Love the pita bread + olive oil / tomato sides. Main entrees all came within reasonable amount of time. Would definitely come again.

Katherine P.

Came here today and tried a falafel wrap to go. It came with a salad! The falafel wrap was huge, and came with giant falafel that were spicy! I liked that extra flavor, most falafels I eat are not spiced so well, this was a nice treat. There was a little too much of the 'wrap' part, it was rather thick, I wanted it to be more about the insides than the outsides. The salad was really tasty, the fresh greens and dressing were delicious with the falafel.

Bob R.

This is a review by a vegetarian The mezze sampler is a expensive for the size. When I ate there it was served with this thin lavash bread. Now, mezze is falafel, dolma, and three mushes. Lavash doesn't work well with mush. Then I walk by a week later and every table has a basket full of actual mush-compatible pita bread. FAIL.

Keith E.

My opinion may be biased a bit as I don't particularly like Greek food. However, I was out with friends and was outvoted basically. Usually I can find a dish on any menu that will appeal to my taste buds. I ordered the salmon dish. The menu said it came covered in a red sauce with baked potato and roasted vegetables.. The waiter brought us pita bread and the tomato sauce. Everyone raved about the pita bread. We got our food. The waiter put my plate down and I was instantly turned off by the look of my entree. It was compounded when I had NO baked potato. ARGHHH! I started to eat. The salmon was overcooked and floating in a red sea of sauce. The vegetables were decent but nothing to brag about. I really wanted that potatoe...lol The service was good but I won't be returning. Next time, I'll speak louder and suggest another place.

Liv C.

the food here is very tasty. agree with other comments about the pita and yummy sauce. they fall down a bit in execution and service. had to ask for an item 3 times. while our protein was served hot, the accompaniments (rice and veg) were served at room temperature and the sauce that covered one of the meats was actually cold, making the whole thing tepid. seems like they were too busy to pay attention to the details. server only stopped by to see how things were when we were almost done. it was hard to tracek anyone down as they raced pass our table. too bad 'cos the food is good. there are many other options in downtown mt view for similar food. will probably go to the others at this point.

Ringo M.

I was really looking forward to this place, and quite frankly, was rather disappointed. Good: House wines were decent. Eggplant dish was kind of good Complimentary bread and sauce was really good Bad: Rice was clumpy and dry. I'm not that picky with rice so I didn't really care, but the boyfriend didn't appreciate it much. He also said his lamb dishntasted like, and I quote, "dishwater." He left the dish practically untouched after one bite. Service was friendly enough at first but after the food was delivered, the waiter never came back. I had to hunt him down for our check. It's chill if you gotta talk on the phone or chill or whatever, but at least pay some attention to the, like, 3 tables that where there. -_- Weird floating things in the water. I don't know what it was, but seeing particles in my water just freaks me out. The best part of the meal was the complimentary bread and dipping sauce, which we both thought was excellent. Everything else was pretty much meh.

Avocado Donbur I.

Nice cute restaurant on Castro. The wrap was delish.

Michael S.

The one thing that I found funny about this place were the name tags that the servers wear. There was something very Applebee/TGIF esq about them with their white engraving. The guy serving us didn't seem to be very happy but he did his job well. The hummus was unmemorable kinda of the watery side of my hummus scale. The chicken kabob was cooked well, but nothing amazingly memorial here. The plate didn't come with any sauces or anything. So it's just chicken and rice. Eat up! This leaves me with a poem: Uninspired. Inspire me; life! I know, I'm deep bitches!

Kari G.

I tried Cafe Baklava by accident one night. I meant to send my friend to Bodrum Cafe but couldn't remember the name of it. It was a rainy night and we didn't want to walk down the street to Bodrum Cafe so we stayed. I was very happy with our decision to stay. The interior is beautiful, the intimate tables and candlelight lend itself to long conversations. The bread and the hummus was delicious. Dinner was good, nothing too memorable but solid good Mediterranean food. The staff took care of us, but didn't linger at all. Its a nice little spot on Castro.

Shabdita S.

I'm a foodie and someone who is rarely critical about food. Generally when I like to give people reviews about a place, its to rave about their food or service. Cafe Baklava made me want to write a review, because frankly their food was on the other spectrum. Their host was very welcoming and very warm. Their Pita was yum and the dip had a nice tangy taste to it, though I felt guilty eating it because of all the oil floating above it.So far so good right? We ordered the starter and entree with quite high expectations. The food took quite long to arrive on our table, so much so that amongst the two of us, we finished about 6 pieces of large pita bread. The Falafel was not bad, but lets just say, I've had better. The outside was a little too crisp, inside though was well seasoned and fluffy. For the entree, we had ordered one for the two of us, since we aren't really big eaters. We'd ordered the Tavuk Guvec, which is basically chicken with eggplant, potatoes, zucchini. The dish came with a measly serving of rice. The sauce was on the bland side and a little too tomato-ey for my taste. The vegetables were also quite soggy. but my problem was really with the chicken. The chicken was dry and almost cardboard like. The service in general was on the slower side. The surprising bit was however, that when our server ( I think he was the owner), asked us how the food was. We told him we liked everything other than the chicken and we told him that it was a little dry and stiff. He didn't really give us a reaction for it and walked off without acknowledging our feedback.

John H.

Probably not the most authentic, but if you just stick with the kebabs and you should be happy enough. I agree the pita bread is meh and sitting on the street next to passing cars is a little weird.

Archie R.

I like this place. Love sitting outside on a nice sunny afternoon. I love their apps menu. The staff patiently explained the details about it . The pita bread was warm and lovely . Eating it with yummy hummus, cevzil peynir was delightful . The taboule was fresh and crunchy. Falafel was just right . Too bad didn't have room for desserts . Will try their baklava next time.

Mauricio P.

The best part about this place was being able to sit outside. Other than that, my grilled chicken dish was overpriced for what was served - very little rice and a few veggies scattered on the plate.

Timothy P.

Usually I am a fan of the Doner. This time I tried their burger... Really! Lamb in a burger is very attractive. They season their meat very nicely too.

Monica L.

I really wanted to like this place when I came here last Saturday for dinner with a friend. I did enjoy the sun dried tomatoes and olive oil dip that they first give to you with some pita bread. It was a great start to an okay dinner experience. Service was very nice and friendly when we asked what the waiter recommended. We started with the Saksuka as an appetizer. We were given 4 pieces was enough for the two of us. It was very tasty and I really enjoyed it. My friend ordered the Karniyarik which was eggplant stuffed with ground beef, tomatoes, onions, garlic and chopped parsley, baked and served with rice and grilled veggies. Her dish was awesome and I highly recommend ordering it. The grilled veggies were very good as well which was a nice surprise. I ordered the Tavuk Guvec which was chicken cubes with eggplant, zucchini, potatoes, bell peppers and tomatoes. The vegetables and sauce it was in was good but a little bit bland. I did not like the chicken in the dish at all and wound up not eating the chicken. A nice place and nice service but I was totally turned off by my dish. I spent $12 basically for some vegetables and sauce. I would not order that dish again. I might be back if a friend wanted to come here but I don't think I would come back on my own.

Stefan S.

Ok food, there are higher value places out there.

Dave A.

Update: I have to give this place a 5 star because of the lamb chops. I thought the shank was good but the chops....chopped my feet away. The LAMB SHANK....EMMM EMM GOOD...the food there is halal..if people are wondering.. this place is greatttt...the best medit. food around man....ever go there then get the lamb shank...its cooked for four hours and then comes in the gravy ohh soo good....also order a side of rice and you are perfect to go.....a bit on the pricey side but its worth it....the crowd is great...its a small place so things tend to get a bit loud...we went there around 8pm saturday and it was packed...the owner actually sat us down and took the order...he is a very genuine guy... i tried the lebanon's beer and it was very good.....the only reason the place didn't get a 5 * is due to its utensils...thought they could have been newer...other than that its a solid 4...great place for a date ;)

Laura K.

I've come here several times for dinner, and after exploring the menu a bit more I'm adding a star to my original rating. The starter bread is now pita instead of lavash, but still ridiculously delicious (really, the sauce does most of the work). My new favorite dishes are veggie kabobs, which have always been the perfect combination of light and savory, and the spanikopita, which is a bit on the heavy side but still SO DELICIOUS. Both these dishes are also quite reasonably priced. One of the MAJOR highlights of coming here, however, is the kanafeh. If you haven't tried kanafeh before, it's a dessert made from soft cheese and phyllo dough, and it's mind-blowingly delicious. Baklava's is probably my favorite in the area, and the perfect way to finish dinner. To finish off, I also want to recognize the great service. The owner and servers are very friendly, the food comes out fast and I never have to wait for my water glass to be refilled.

Robert J.

A few months ago, we attended a lecture by Chris Kimball of Cook's Illustrated at a bookstore in downtown Mountain View. It was a cute little area and we vowed to come back to try some of the nearby restaurants. Last week, we attended the Clay and Glass festival in Palo Alto and decided to drive up to Mountain View for lunch. Not knowing the area, I called my brother and he suggested driving down Castro Street. We found a free parking lot just off of Castro Street. In fact, it seems that all of the parking is free, which is a far cry from the ripoff parking that pervades in San Francisco. As we walked down an alley way and turned right onto Castro Street, we noticed Cafe Baklava. It had outdoor and indoor seating. Even thought it was about 2PM, the cafe had a fair amount of business. We decided to sit inside away from the traffic noise. It was fairly quiet and comfortable inside. We started off with a Greek Salad which was very good and not overpowering with dressing or onions. We then shared a lamb shish kebob dish over saffron rice. This was also savory. The waiter and waiter's assistant were friendly and attentive. I can't remember the prices, but it seemed reasonable. I remember that they had an extensive menu and when we are in the area again and have a hankering for Mediterranean or Greek we will certainly try the Cafe Baklava.

Liz M.

I have gone to this restaurant twice now and both times the food was great! The restaurant is warm and cozy inside, a wonderful place to go on a rainy day. The most recent time we went everyone was a huge fan of the wrack of lamb, one of the specials for the evening, which was perfectly cooked and wonderfully tender. The second favorite was the Iskender Entre, which is a lamb meat dish cooked in a red sauce and served with a rich, delicious yogurt. At the end of the meal we ordered Chai and some rice pudding, all wonderful. The only downside to our experience was the way either the Turkish owner or the head waiter treated the mexican buss boy. He was yelled at repeatedly, loud enough that it was jarring. It just was not acceptable and it put a bit of a damper on the end of our meal.

Sara P.

I have tried this place 2 or 3 times over the past couple years, mostly after forgetting how unremarkable the previous experience was. On this particular evening, my water glass came smelling like mold so I politely asked for another. When that came... it had dirty, greasy fingerprints all over it. Not only could I see them in the dark ambiance, but I could feel them picking up the glass - surely the server could tell this since he carried the glass over without a tray. The food was less than satisfying, and we won't be going back. No more benefit of the doubt.

Prateek G.

The pita bread was warm and soft. I reached 10 minutes prior to closing time, so they were kind of rude and were trying to hurry up. Falafel was a little over-fried. The collection for beers was decent. They had few from Russia, Belgium, Italy..Interior had posters from Turkey. A decent place to visit.

A K.

This place kept throwing us curveballs. A very uneven experience. I should say that my husband is Turkish/Kurdish and we're slowly working our way through every 'mediterranean' restaurant in the area. We know whereof we speak. We started with the bread. It was very differently flavored than most bread I've had at Turkish restaurants, but it was really good and magically held its warmth for most of the meal. The dipping sauce was great too. We started with the greek salad, which was fine. Nothing challenging about a greek salad- all the ingredients were quality. The ayran is very good and comes in cute metal mugs that hold more than they seem. I ordered the manti, which I don't often get at Turkish restaurants, but I highly doubt they got it right. The yogurt sauce was better after I salted it, but the pasta filling was just bad. They use ground beef instead of lamb, and it was really dry and not a great quality. The pasta itself was good, so it was a real shock to bite into each one and having to taste that bland, dry meat time and again. My husband always gets lamb kebab, and he had no big praise or complaints. The rice and veggies that came with were bland and nothing special. This place also only gives you one kebab instead of two, which is kind of a rip. (If you want really good, flavorful lamb, I think our favorite place so far is Shish Kebab in Los Gatos. ) For dessert we got the baklava. I was really afraid they were going to charge us $5.95 for 2 pieces, but no, they gave us 4. My husband is the world's pickiest baklava eater and he was very unhappy with their phyllo dough, which he said must have been store bought. I didn't mind it and thought the sugar sauce had the perfect mix of sweet and salt. I think it's my favorite baklava I've had in a while. But then they had to go ruin it by serving us weak tea in the wrong glasses and giving us sugar packets instead of sugar cubes. It just felt really wrong . Which brings me to the essence of why I'm on the fence about this place. It just doesn't feel like any of it is made with love. And it's not just the fact that they have Mexicans back there actually making the food. There's just so many details that they didn't care about really getting right. If it was really inexpensive, that would be a different story but like others have said, cheap it is not. And as far as the service goes, it is bewilderingly uneven. Granted we were sitting outside, but who gives out the check without offering to show us the dessert menu? At a restaurant named after a dessert? There was certainly no reason to hustle us out; there were still seats left plus it was about to rain. The waiter was never rude to us, but he wasn't warm and welcoming either.

Marianna S.

It was Sunday branch time and it was incredibly long. We waited for one salad and one wrap more then 40 minutes. If you wanna visit this place you should be ready to help on the kitchen. In other way you will wait like us. At the same time food is good there. I like their' salads and wraps.

Local S.

Upscale Mediterranean grill specializing in kebabs, wraps, grilled vegetables, Meze-type appetizer platters, with plenty of outdoor seating. Excellent for business meals. This review reflects eight or 10 meals of all kinds since Baklava first opened a few years ago, replacing a used bookstore and curio shop. Of several Turkish-owned or Turkish-kitchen restaurants nearby (more than most people realize), Baklava is among the most explicit, i.e. it doesn't push the "Italian" or "Gyros" or even "Mediterranean" euphemism for marketing reasons. It was surpassed in both explicit Anatolianity and elegance, I think, by Bodrum Café at 383 Castro from 2008 until a few months ago, but Bodrum has now evolved into SteakOut, a completely different and novel restaurant. When Baklava opened, it was immediately a hit locally, competing most closely maybe with Zucca, which in 2001 showed the way. Baklava's strengths were a much more focused menu, done well by a clearly enthusiastic chef who, AFAIK, is still there (i.e., Baklava has seen little kitchen-personnel turnover), and a relaxed upscale ambiance with popular European-type outdoor seating, a magnet for the convivial and the well-dressed. So popular that for lunch, even more than usually, I advise avoiding peak-demand times (weekdays on Castro St., that's consistently about 12:15 to 1PM), and avoiding Fridays, when silicon valley most often eats lunch out. Baklava's outdoor seating is also good for weekend lunches and during local street fairs. If any consistent complaint troubles Baklava it concerns service, which people sometimes find curt or distracted. This may be partly a cross-cultural issue, a factor that caused a past public-relations problem at another restaurant, Vaso Azzurro (108 Castro), back when Vaso's front and kitchen staffs were both mainly from Turkey. Service perhaps considered politely formal in the Old World was mistaken in silicon valley as cold and aloof -- even though Vaso's people were the warmest and most welcoming once you got past that. My most recent Baklava service complaint, the reason I revised from 4 to 3 stars, was a lunch special, clearly heard by the whole table as "eight" dollars when the server announced it, yet billed as 18. It might have been a non-native English pronunciation issue -- but one that should never be allowed to happen in restaurant service for any reason, lest customers misunderstand it as a deliberate hustle of the kind that, sadly, do happen in some restaurants -- I could tell you some experiences. I've enjoyed everything tried -- most of Baklava's menu -- especially kebabs, served with colorful pilaf and lots of grilled vegetables. Gyros House, Mediterranean Grill House, and Neto, each different in style, are among serious competition for kebab-type dishes on Castro St.; Ephesus and Morocco's are very promising newcomers. Many more options exist farther afield (Best Bite and the two longtime Sunnyvale Afghani places -- Kabul, Afghani House -- are good examples). And yes, baklava is available for dessert -- but name aside, that's not what Café Baklava is about. Yet someone here on Yelp actually judged the whole restaurant on its baklava, a textbook example of a shallow UNhelpful review. (If you like baklava -- the pastry -- and its relatives, go up the street to Rose Market, 1060 Castro, a middle-eastern specialty grocery that retails at least a dozen _varieties_ of such desserts in boxes near the entrance.)

Mark B.

I was very pleased with my experience at this place. I'm tempted to give them 5 stars to raise their average, but I'm not going to game the system, just be fair. I'm a big fan of getting the special of the day at most restaurants because as my F&B 101 professor used to say, "that's what they want to sell and they usually do it well". I got a lamb kabob that was served over a yogurt sauce with sauteed cauliflower and red bell peppers and rice as sides. It was fabulous, I cleaned the plate. The service was satisfactorily unmemorable in the way that you want it to be. I opted for dessert and got something I can only describe as a cheesy shredded wheat biscuit with honey. It was a great juxtaposition of flavors and textures. I loved it, but I acknowledge it wouldn't be for everyone.

Joey H.

I usually enjoy my Mediterranean fare anywhere I go. We ordered lamb chop and kebabs. Food tasted okay but portion was small. The pita bread was dry and dip flavorless. They used to have a fluffy bread and amazing dip many years ago. Maybe I went on an off day (Saturday)?

Mary Jane S.

Café Baklava is another favorite restaurant of mine ( ok, you'll notice that I'll have many favorites, but Mediterranean to me is " sexy" food and on top of my list ..so it's my favorite of all favorites! ) This awesome place is conveniently located right across East-West Bookstore in Dt Mtn View and open every day..I've been there for lunch, dinner and even there late night for apps and a drink.. The wait staff is very courteous, attentive, kind, friendly and just over all welcoming on all levels. There is this one gentleman who is constantly cleaning up after the waiters and he is so sweet and respectful. Once seated, we are automatically served ice water and warm pita bread and an amazing dipping sauce. My most favorite appetizer is Cevizli Peynir, followed by a Donner Salad and fav entrée is either Mousakka or Iskender Kebob. Please excuse any misspelled words and visit their website at cafebaklava.com/menu.php for menu. When I go with my lady friends or daughters, I make sure they order something I haven't had so I can sample! Dessert isn't bad either, although not very impressed with their Chocolate Tarte ( too rich ) but their Kadayif ( filo dough filled with nuts served with syrup and ice cream, heaven in my mouth!) made up for the disappointment of tarte... In addition to all this yummy goodness, if you enjoy mimosas and or bellinis, you must give them a try here.. A M A Z I N G .... Looking forward to visiting this place again very soon!!!!!!!

Loe M.

Went here on Valentine's Day this year. I had the dinner special which was a white fish, rice and vegetables. The fish was tender and grilled to perfection, as were the veggies. The rice was yummy! Just enough saffron in it--if you are a fan of traditional Mediterranean rice, I would definitely recommend this place for you. Servers were attentive and friendly; they made good recommendations as well. They could have done more with the ambience, but it was certainly not unpleasant. I would definitely go back :)

judy n.

The place is cozy, with nice heated tables outside as well, so you can people watch. To start: - Falafel... which was crisp and tasty all it's own... but then they layered a bunch of their yogurt sauce on top... Their version is sour and not a very good contrast, in my opinion to the crispy and spice of the falafel. I would have enjoyed the falafel on its own, or with a traditional tahini sauce. my entree: - Moussaka - they described it as a "lasagna" of eggplant, potatoes, mushrooms, with a bechamel sauce and a marinara sauce... Hmm... How do I describe it... It came in a small metal baking pan, atop a plate, so it was mighty hot. while hot, the flavors I suppose worked well together, but then it's hard to eat. and while my meal cooled down... I wasn't sure how this all was supposed to "work" as one dish. It was all kind of a mushy saucy dish... I won't be ordering this one again... The service was alright. the servers have a thick accent, and the restaurant is a bit loud, when seated indoors, so it's hard to hear the specials, especially since they are announced at warp speed, and seem annoyed when you ask them to repeat themselves. They came around once to top off our water glasses... Service could have been a lot better. food could have been better. the lone falafel was the nice part of the meal, sans their yogurt sauce.

meera h.

Been here about 3-4 times now. The staff are alright...not friendly but will get you what you need. I love their Saksuka (Fried eggplant and potatoes, grilled peppers, tomato and onions served with garlic yogurt sauce)! So that's something we always order! We also love their initial complimentary serving of bread with a tomato - olive oil dipping sauce. The dipping sauce is so yummy that we always end up asking for more bread and sauce! My husband's had the Tavuc Shish Kabab ( Marinated chicken skewered with peppers and onions flame broiled to perfection and served with rice pilaf and grilled vegetables) - He says it's OK. I've had the Rainbow Trout and it's good. We recently went there with friends and ordered vegetarian. Saksuka of course and here are the others - Mediterranean Mezze ( Includes: Hummus, Falafel, Baba Ghanoush, Cevizli Peynir, Dolma and Taboule) - we ordered for 4 people and it comes in a large plate with 4 portions of the falafel and dolma along with the hummus and other stuff. We didn't like the Taboule. For the entrees we ordered - * Moussaka(Eggplant, potato, mushrooms, tomatoes with a béchamel sauce) - it came in a dish and looked like a curry. it didn't look appetizing enough for me to reach across my friends' order and taste it. * Imanbayildi pilav (Grilled eggplant stuffed with sauteed zucchini red bell pepper cauliflower ). This is what my husband and I ordered and shared. He is not a fan of eggplant like I am...but loved this dish. Very well done and yummy! I don't know why the description says the eggplant is stuffed, coz all the other stuff was placed on top of a large grilling chunk of eggplant..which was fine with us! * We ordered 2 glasses of wine( one red and one white) but don't remember the names. they seemed good. Overall - not a cheap meal but tasty so we will come back!

Jordi P.

The food was delicious! The ambiance is pretty romantic. You can choose to either eat inside or outside. I suggest going for outside. They give you an olive oil and tomato dip with pita bread to begin with. It's absolutely delicious. The only reason it wasn't a 5 star was because they took a veeery long time to get the food to us.

Laurel S.

My fiance is Turkish (only been in the states 5 years), so we're always on the lookout for authentic, tasty and affordable mediterranean cuisine. In our 3 years together, we've been just about everywhere in the Bay Area that serves anything remotely mediterranean, and let me tell you, this place blows everywhere else out of the water! Their food was incredible, the ambiance was delightful, and the waiters were attentive and good-humored. After going a couple times, and trying so many items we liked, we're always hard pressed to narrow our order down. Now each time we go, we plan our menu ahead of time and starve ourselves for three days before hand, just to make sure that we have enough room to enjoy everything. Well not really, but the place is literally that good! P.S. Beware the bread and dip...it's bottomless, sinfully good and FREE...but it will fill you up before you have the time to enjoy whatever tasty treasures you selected off the menu!!

Erica S.

Recently came here for lunch. Although the food I ordered was not what I expected, I think the place deserves a 3 star. I made a mistake of ordering the Doner (Gyro). It ended up just being a bowl of rice with sliced lamb and beef on top with a side of their yogurt sauce. The meat pretty much looked like meat crumbs on top of rice, not very appealing, but the the yogurt sauce was very good with the pita bread. I think next time, I'll stick to the kebabs.

Shanna W.

This place is just getting worse and worse. I wasn't impressed with this place from a while ago but because a colleague wanted to try this place so I went with it. The food was just a huge disappointment. The bread (pita) was dry and hard (not sure if it's because it's stale or just how it's supposed to be). I ordered the Chicken stew (with vegetables), forgot the name of it since it wasn't in English....the chicken tasted "un-fresh", the meat is dry and the flavor is "not cleaned thoroughly", and the cut was huge. Big, dry, tasting stale chicken. The vegetables had only one piece of potatoe (even though the description says "potatoes" in it). Next time I will have to insist on not going there, even if someone wanted to go there.

Nhung T.

Very nice ambiance and great customer service. I thought the food was mediocre, tasted a little bit bland to me. There wasn't a whole grand scheme of flavors. Humus: I thought costco humus tasted better Sun Dried Tomatoes dipping: that was good, but it's pretty typical sun dried tomatoes with olive oil. Chicken Kabobs over rice. I thought it was a little bit on the dry side - lack flavor Yogurt dipping: now that was the only thing remotely good besides the Calamari. Calamari: it's not your typical fried calamari, it was a whole calamari stuffed with rice I think. I actually thought this was the best dish of the night Beef/Lamb over rice: the lamb was gamy here (that's why you have to be carefully when it comes to lamb). The meat were very bland and dry, don't really recommend. Pistachio ice cream: tasted weird like there was a hint of flower...

Iye R.

Service & food are great! Will definitely come back :) Their chicken kabob is really good--so try it!

Chandler M.

While I was melting in the sun because of the lack on an umbrella, I realized this place sucks. The so-called "wrap" ceased to contain itself, with one bite everything fell out the bottom. Salad, are you sure? Im pretty sure there were 4 tiny lettuce leaves, a few shaved carrots and maybe one drop of dressing. The clear/red dipping sauce they give with the pita, is OFF THE CHARTS. The one good thing going for this place. Not much more else to say, don't think I'll be coming back here.

Vijai S.

The meat was over cooked and food tasted really bad. I would probably not go there again.

Sunil R.

Not bad, not bad. As always, appreciate the outdoor seating option. Great to kick back, enjoy the weather and people watch. I really like the bread and the oil with spices that they serve to start off. I had the appetizer sampler plate which was pretty good. The lamb moussaka was all right. The kadafil was good too and not too rich like I have had at other restaurants. The only negative was that the food took quite a while to come out and I ended up eating a lot of the bread.

Vaishali S.

The bread and dip is so good! We ordered the hummus as an appetizer and that also went really good w/the bread. I tried the chicken dish w/veggies. It was really good...baked in a casserole dish. I didn't get to try any dessert but will definitely be going back (for the bread!)

Badier V.

A turkish menu without kofte kabobs? A crying shame. I had the doner kabob plate instead, which was good, but the whole time I was pining for kofte. I'm still pining. Anyone know of a good kofte place? The outdoor seating was very nice, and the wait staff very attentive.

Anna S.

I haven't been here in about a year.... I guess I got side-tracked by all the other great places to eat on yelp. So, if the review is out of date, sorry! *Service has been great here and the portions are pretty good. I love their cold meza plate with the hummus, baba ganoush and tabouli. Their lunch wraps are good for the price you pay, however, they do over do it on the onions, though my bf liked it. I have had a few things and the most memorable dish was the grilled salmon. In the spring, the outdoor seating is very nice to just enjoy the weather with some friends during mid afternoon.

Richard P.

Sat outside on a warm, sunny day. This definitely made for a good experience, as others have noted. The inside did not look especially inviting. The service was quite good and the food was original and tasty. Their fresh bread and pita are both especially good. I had the salmon burger, which is presented on their homemade fresh bread with tomato and orange slices. Sounds a bit odd, but it was very good.

Mandy M.

Totally stumbled upon this place and decided to try it out. Going in with no expectations this place turned out to be amazing. The staff is super friendly too!

Drach V.

A bit crowded, so you are here for flavor, not privacy or atmosphere. Really loved their sun-dried-tomato+red pepper dip and tried to pry the recipe from the waiter, to no avail. Really great Moussaka, Dolmas, Kebab. Have eaten here 3-4 times, even though I live in Seattle. Even made an out of the way dray trip from Monterey specifically just to eat here. Definitely worth a try if you like Mediterranean.

Tony T.

My 2nd review. Was hoping it would be a positive one. Have to say I love Mediterranean food but am only rating the service as we didn't get an opportunity to eat the food. Sat down today after the Mountain View Family Parade. Nobody inside the restaurant and a couple of parties outside. We placed our order at the same time as the table next to us (a salad and a sandwich). I ordered a beer too. We both got our beers at the same time. That would be all we got. Table next to us got their food and was more than half way through eating. We had yet to get ours. Another party came in after we had ordered and they were seated outside next to us as well. They got their food and were half way through eating before I said something to the waiter. He didn't get back to us. I finished my beer, left $5 for it and we took off after an hour.

christina l.

We came here because the original restaurant we intended to visit was too crowded across the street. We thought we'd give Cafe Baklava a try when we passed by. And boy was I glad I did. First the waiter brought out a basket of pita bread with some sundried tomatoes in oil (like chips in a mexican restaurant). The pita pieces were still warm, and they were all toastily-toasted! (Ok, silly word, but I like it) Munching on the bread, we reviewed the menu. The waiter came and informed us about their specials, but I wanted to stick to my budget, so I just tried to pick something from the menu instead. Our final decision: Falafels for appetizer. Skender kebab--Thin slices of lamb topped with tomato sauce, yogurt and melted butter on pita bread $14.95 Tavuk Guvec--Chicken cubes with eggplant, zucchini, potatoes, bell pepper and tomatoes $12.95 We had a table on the sidewalk and the weather was great. The wait staff kept my iced water filled. People were courteous and professional. The falafels came pretty quickly---it was crunchy on the outside and most on the inside---four of them lined up on a bed of lettuce and drizzled with yogurt sauce. The entrees came in about 15 minutes or so, and when it came, we thought the portion was really rather generous and the aroma was inviting. We dig in right away. And my dish with the chicken was fantastic.. the chicken was moist, and I think it was actually a rather healthy dish by itself. My husband's Tavuk Guvec was excellent... it showed up on a hot plate (like a fajita plate) and boy did that smell good. He loved every bite of it, and we both pretty much licked our plates. So, all that is to say, I LONG to come back again. I can't wait til I can invite a friend to meet there, so I can enjoy more of their yummie food!!

Kunal N.

Cafe Baklava is a very authentic place to eat when it comes to Mediterranean food. My only problem is that it is a bit on the pricy side but for the food, it is relatively worth it. The restaurant is also pretty small so I wouldn't go there with a huge group and likewise, if a large group is already present, you may have a hard time being seated. With regards to the food, I love the dip that comes with the pita as well as the mezze sampler. All of the dips are very rich and fill you up quite fast. I normally get the mantif which is their Turkish ravioli, which is also quite delicious. I also get their dessert which is a crispy ramen-noodle-like item in sugary syrup which is usually stuffed with cheese (we get it without cheese). It is also great. The service was also wonderful. Definitely a place to stop by if you want good Mediterranean food! If it is a good day, it is also worth it to sit outside looking upon Castro Street!

Lea B.

My mom and I were in Mountain View recently and were looking for a good place to get lunch. A woman in the used book store next door suggested this place, and she also said the owners were two brothers (I think) who were very nice. Lunch was just getting started, so we had our pick of tables on the outdoor seating area, which was very cute/pleasant (except for being SO close to the road ... if cars were driving faster I would've been a little freaked out). Service was good ... everything arrived in nice timing and they even refilled our bread dip without us asking (and it wasn't even completely gone). And speaking of the bread dip -- yum! The bread itself was like delicious, light pita-type pockets with this oil/tomato-y paste/dip. I told myself not to eat too much bread, but this was so good I had to keep having more. I ordered the falafel and my mom got a shrimp salad. The falafel was SO good! Mmmm! I like most falafel, but some is definitely better than others and this one was spiced just right and had a great texture. I would totally go back for the falafel. The house side salad that came with mine was fine, but nothing exciting. My mom said her shrimp were cooked really good, but also that the salad itself was just OK/fine but nothing amazing. Maybe next time I would get the french fries with the falafel sandwich. Anyway, I've only been here once, so maybe experiences differ (because I was surprised to see all these low reviews). But as of now, I would be a repeat customer, especially if I lived closer!

Kimberly B.

I must've ordered the wrong dish or something. I can't eat just meat and rice... I need my veggies! We came here because we always passed by this place but never checked it out, so we decided to give it a try. Although the waiter was nice, he wasn't very helpful. He kept saying that "everything was good" on the menu, even though we kept asking him to give us suggestions because we had no idea what to order. At the end, we just guessed. I ordered their "doner" dish, which was just okay. It was not my type of dish because there weren't any veggies - just meat and rice! The herbs and spices are kinda too strong for my preference. I might just need to try another dish next time, like their eggplant lasagna or something.

Sheila P.

Service was a bit lacking and the seating is really cramped, but the food was good. For Appetizers we shared: Dolma: Grape Leaves stuffed with pine nuts and rice served with yogurt sauce -these were pretty good (not soggy and overly sour). Entree's : I had the Tavuk shish kebab: (Marinated chicken skewered with peppers and onions flame broiled and served with rice pilaf and grilled vegetables). Delicious flavor and the veggies were good too. Dave had the Adana kebab: (Skewered spicy ground beef mixed with green bell peppers and our special seasonings flame broiled and served with rice pilaf and grilled vegetables). He said it was very tastey. Good value for money and portion size.

Melissa N.

Would have given this place more stars, only because the food was good and the free bread and dip was delicious. Though if they didn't give you free bread you gnaw off your arm because the service is TERRIBLE! The food takes forever, and your waiter will randomly disappear, once he takes your order he never returns, you have to hunt him down. No joke. I will never go back because the service is that horrible!

Shiva S.

This place is overrated. Service here is really good....we were checked on every 5 minutes or so. Food however is just OK esp for the price.....falafal appetizer was burnt....the gravy that the lamb shank special comes with is really really salty and overpowers everything else in the dish. Not worth the $20+ dollars it costs... The beef special and lamb chops special is supposed to be good though..might give it another chance. Vegetarians at the table were disappointed with their meal...every veggie dish on the menu had eggplants...so if you don't like eggplants ur out of luck... Uploaded a bunch of pics.

Sonja S.

I would recommend this place for lunch on a nice and sunny day when you get a chance to sit outside. The reason is that the inside is pretty small and kinda cramped, especially when you are more then 2 people. Anyways, the wine selection is ok, i have ordered the house wine 2 or 3 times and yeah it is the house wine. Nothing good and nothing too bad. The food is decent, the meat dishes are usually heavily flavored but the appetizers are pretty good. The moussaka was one of the better ones I have tasted here in the US. Anyways, If you are looking for a nice lunch place with very good service then do come here and sit outside to enjoy the weather. However be prepared to at least drop $15 per person.

Thang D.

We had Sunday lunch at this cafe and took a table outdoors. The waiters were polite. Water and bread was served promptly. We like the bread. It was warm and fluffy. The dip was oily, but without it, the bread is still good. We had a Doner salad and Doner plate (Rice and a combination of beef and lamb). The salad portion was LARGE! and the meat from both plates came out tender, flavorful and well cooked. We also decided to share a plate of their baklava cake. it was 4 pieces of small square pastries. It was not overly sweet and the flavors were subtle. Not fantastic, but nice enough to top off the satisfying luncheon. Will recommend this place for a enjoyable lunch!

Nick H.

As usual, Castro Street restaurants fail to amaze. The place looks nice, but that's about all I feel it has going for it. Service was both unfriendly and slow. I was ignored after being seated for a good several minutes, with waiters whizzing by me and not bothering to see if I was ready to order. Moreover, I was one of the first folks in the lunch hour to sit, and was one of the last served. It took about 40 minutes for a burger (which I thought was a quick eat since I wanted to hit the road) and fries to arrive at the table. Luckily, I had me a book on Fourier analysis to keep me company, and we both know there isn't much better company than that. When the burger arrived, it seemed mediocre at best. The patty was huge and thick, but extremely dry, which made for pretty unpleasant eating. But it got even worse when I picked up the second half of my burger, as there was barely any patty in that half, and what little meat was there was very badly burnt. Where did these people learn to make a sandwich?? It's not rocket science. I left most of my plate untouched, tipped poorly, and left with a bad taste in my mouth and an enormous weight in my stomach. Next time I'm cruising for Mediterranean on Castro, I'll probably just go to Gyros House, which while more mediocre than this (in a good way), at least I get my food in five minutes every time.

Wendy K.

A friend suggested we eat somewhere in Mountain View for lunch today, so when I requested Greek, she suggested Cafe Baklava, based on having walked past it a lot lately. I was pretty impressed overall. We were seated immediately, the server was friendly. The free grilled pita and oil/sundried tomato spread were a yummy start to our meal! I ordered a falafel wrap, yogurt on the side, and added some feta. They forgot the yogurt on the side, but they did remember the feta. The falafel was spicy and a little oily (not overly so, but more oily than the last amazing falafel I ate), and the wrap was warm and grilled to perfection. The downside: I wish they had listed ALL of the wrap's ingredients on the menu (here's what it said, according to their website: "Wrapped tanour [sic] bread with tomatoes, fresh lettuce and yogurt sauce served with house salad or french fries")..... My main complaint is that when I got my wrap, I noticed that all of the other ingredients were smothered by raw onions. Yuck! Had I known it came with them, I would have asked for them to be left off. I picked them out as I went, but it would have been so much better without them there from the beginning. I was surprised by the salad that I got on the side. I had really low expectations, since most side salads I've had in Greek/Mediterranean places have been hearts of romaine or cheap iceberg lettuce doused in house dressing. I asked for the dressing on the side, and I was presented with a nice looking fresh fancy green/spring green salad. Yay! And the dressing on the side was a vinaigrette of some sort. Pretty nice for the free side salad. Of course, despite ordering that salad, I eyed my friend's extra crispy fries the whole time. Luckily, she let me snag a couple. And I'm so glad she did, as they were delicious! Perfectly crispy. Not too greasy. I'd return for lunch next time I'm in Mountain View and want a yummy wrap, Mediterranean flavors, and good service.

Lan A.

I ordered a Doner salad & it was delicious! It was a little bit too oily though. Service was great. Price is reasonable.

Jennifer C.

Me and my friend came here after lunch and saw plenty of empty seats in the patio area. We thought, wouldn't it be nice to just have a glass of wine? We sat down and was greeted by a very nice man who asked if we wanted water. We told him we are just going to get wine and then our waiter came and snubbly said "just wine, no food?" I asked him if it was ok and he dismissively waived his hand and said ok. I felt bad so I asked him for a desert menu- since there was NO way we can have a 2nd lunch. A few minutes passed and the nice man brought out some bread and dip for us. As he was leaving our table, our waiter said to him "they're only here for drinks, you don't have to give them bread." The waiter was about to tell the nice guy to take it away but later changed his mind. Already feeling so unwelcomed, my friend suggested we just leave and not get any deserts which was what we did. I actually WANTED to try this place out for lunch/dinner but after this very uninviting experience, I'll try the many other restaurants on Castro instead.

Nessie V.

This place was decent. Really nice and friendly staff: had a few easy conversations with a few different people there. Food was good. I never had a felafel ball that was spicy before (but oh was it good). I tried an eggplant dish which was good despite me not really liking eggplant.

Binya D.

I've never had Mediterranean food and my first experience at this place was HORRIBLE. While I agree that the pita and sun dried tomato dipping sauce was good, everything else was not. We ordered a greek salad, kalamari, and manti. All of which was completely mediocre. I was disappointed. It's also expensive! The portions were small and in total it cost us a total of $32 for AVERAGE food.

Donna W.

We really enjoyed our dinner at Baklava tonight. The service was attentive, decor and atmosphere were very simple, but it was nice to be in a place where we could easily talk to each other and not shout over the din of kitchen and diners. Everything we ate was tasty and healthy. We most enjoyed the stuffed eggplant mezze. We enjoyed having lots of veggies and reminiscing about our recent trip to Turkey. We look forward to returning.

Jessica N.

Overall, this place was less than average. The Muhlama, panned fried cheese was just "ok." This particular cheese didn't seem to have any flavor. The Kofte was "good," even though I wasn't expecting it to be a lamb meatball. I had the chicken kabob. I've had much much better. Again, the chicken had no flavor, there was nothing to dip it in, and the rice was mushier than I would have liked. Even the grilled vegetables were tasteless. My other gripe about this place was the quantity of food they give you. For a $14 kabob dinner, I got 5 small pieces of round chicken. Not worth it. If you are in the mood for mediterranean food, go somewhere else, unless you want to be disappointed and leave still hungry after shelling out $50.

Qui K.

it was a night like any other, my stomach was grumblin' for some good eats. my husband and i walked down castro in search of the right place to satisfy our gastronomic needs. after rejecting various prospects there it was, mediterranean grill house in all its romantically lit goodness. so we went in got a seat right quick got amazing service and the food, wow! my hubbs got the pasta something special with lamb in it. 10.00 and what had to be on of the tastiest dishes ever! ever! i tried the lamb burger with fries. that burger is in my top three faves now! whoa! so delicious. i want to look up as many words as i can to describe that burger because it was more than delicious. so good. i can't remember the price of the burger only that our entire meal was 22.00. what!? usually we spend twice as much when we go out to eat and sometimes it is not even worth it. we thanked the owner and i hugged the waiter. such a great experience. definitely the best restaurant in downtown mountain view.

Sarah G.

Great time here last night! Owner greeted us at the door and provided impeccable service! Asked for recommendations and he proceeded to bring out an appetizer not on the menu (knows how to make you feel like a special guest! We both had kebabs (prawns and chicken) the chicken was very juicy and grilled the perfect amount - not too crispy. The rice pilaf was the only thing that could use a kick but ask for any sauce (yogurt, garlic, olive oil) and they are happy to accommodate. Pricing is perfect for a easy night out but a step above your local taco shop. Good family spot, but later could be romantic date - esp on summer night with outdoor seating.

K.R. A.

The only reason this place gets two stars in my book is because my friend that I went with had an edible dessert that saved the meal. It was some sort of strawberry tart-like thing, so thumbs up there. Well, to be fair, the pita bread and their house specialty sauce that comes with it is kind of addicting in its own right. But the good times end there. I went here for a get together with my boss and two other old co-workers to catch up at the begging of one of them since she was moving out of the area. For the record, she loves this place. Why...is beyond me. As a courtesy (although I think in part because my boss knew the owner), we were given this cheese dish on the house. The place does get points for trying, but I think it's a bit problematic when four people can't tell whether it tastes like cheese or fish (did I mention that one is vegetarian?). Yeaahhh... Whatever you do, do NOT get the vegetarian lasagna or any of the lamb dishes. Their menu plays them up, but they are terrible and I had to spend 5 minutes cutting through one piece of meat. Chewing it thereafter was even more difficult. Overall, while I appreciate the effort, do NOT waste your time coming here.

Kirk L.

I have eaten here twice in the last 4 weeks. Great flavors, though a little over-priced. I will probably stick with Dish Dash (in Sunnyvale) unless I am already in Mountain View for some other reason. The falafel balls are the best I've had anywhere.

Eve K.

Good Mediterranean food, but kind of odd feel to the place. Highlights: - Tables outside: like this for nice summer days. Also their location doubles as perfect seats for watching people get lured into the Scientology place next door. :-O - Oil on table: instead of just garlic or olives, this had crushed tomatoes swimming in it. I love tomatoes so I was a happy camper. Actually, I'm not a camper at all so I probably wouldn't be happy doing it and shouldn't use that phrase anymore. - Chicken kabob: kabobalicious! Tender large chicken chunks accompanied with grilled veggies and rice. Sometimes this simple dish can be overcooked or poorly seasoned, but this one did not disappoint. - No wait: other places were a bit crowded, but this one wasn't so we could sit right down and order. Good for pre-movie dining. Wall-e was good by the way and it's amazing what they can do with only Robot movements and expressions without dialog, but a bit heavy for a Pixar movie. And people now call me Eeeeevaaaa. :-O Lowlights (my flip side to highlights): - Odd atmosphere: not sure what it was, but just the feel inside was off to me. Casual, but not comfortable or welcoming to me. - Pushy waiter: he told us there was a special on a wine that night which was fine, but he actually put the bottle on the table and kept on trying to get us to purchase it. Strange, uncomfortable, and a bit much for me. - Greek white wines by glass: I'm sure Greece has some good wines, but these 2 a friend and I tried were I'm not sure I will be back, but it was good food.

Diana G.

Cafe Baklava is pretty pricey, but has great quality service and food. I haven't had a dish I can't rave about, and my friend Brian and I leave satiated and satisfied every time. They have indoor and outdoor seating, and I think the service is better inside. The portion sizes are reasonable, not the super-duper oversized ones that some mid-priced American chains fall prey to. It makes a nice evening out to eat here and walk around Castro Street afterwards.

Velvet P.

We only intended to have a glass of wine on the patio of this place then continue to walk around mountain view. Well their pita bread was like none I'd ever had, so good! So we decided to order real food expecting something amazing. ordered the dolmas, which you should be able to judge on those if its really authentic Mediterranean food. they were canned. okay, move in to the next item artichokes hearts stuffed with Veggies. gross!! The "Veggies" were from a can too. terrible. we did get a lentils soup that was great, and the service was pleasant. and so was the wine. advice, stick to the wine and pita bread and you'll be very happy!

Jenna M.

More accurately, 4.5 stars. I may be a bit biased in my flagrant appreciation for Mediterranean flavors, but Cafe Baklava does them so well. Serving flatbread as a complimentary starter, with one taste of their sundried tomato dipping sauce, it's over. Whether you make a meal of their appetizers or enjoy one of their entrees or kabobs, everything is good enough to savor. Take in each mouthful like it's a precious moment that will soon fade because a meal at this place is exactly that: a treat that is far too quickly fleeting. I can personally recommend the following dishes and do, though I also suggest that on repeat visits, you try something new. Everything is delicious! * hummus * Greek salad * Taboule * Dolma * Kuzu Kebab I love their subtle use of lemon for acidity and their bold use of traditional Mediterranean flavors. Olives, feta, fresh herbs. Hearty meals still seem light and paired with good wine, this is a dining experience to remember!

Jeanne S.

Went here on a date not so long ago...the atmosphere was loud and family oriented so not the best place for a date. The waiters were all really nice, especially the short one who reminded me of Chewy on Chelsea Lately. hahah. The Lamb Kabob was sooo dry and tough. My date got the combo kabob...the meat was so tough that he got to show off his muscles. mmm. well, i guess that's good for something! Next time you want to show off your biceps, come here and start cutting up the kabobs. =P On the bright side, this is a nice place for lunch on a sunny summer day.

Annette N.

I love warm bread. Good Lamb.

Philip W.

Quality Mediterranean fare. The atmosphere is pleasant, food is very good and the prices are perfectly reasonable for what you get. The complementary pita and sun dried tomato sauce they bring out is seriously one of the best things I've ever tasted in my life. So good, in fact, that the rest of the food doesn't get a fair shake because I'm bulging at the waist before my meal even arrives. Best meal I had here was the lamb chop platter. Obscenely tender, and perfectly balanced flavor. Simply amazing.

Megan M.

I am so surprised by some of the negative reviews. We had the lamb shank and lamb chops ( I think both were specials of the evening) both were phenomenal! Both were super tender, I would go back again and again if I could have this every time. We went on a Saturday night and the service was good. We will be coming back in the future.

Jewell J.

I love this place, seriously the best Mediterranean food I've had in the south bay. I also have to rave about their falafel...it's SOOoooo good. It is a little pricey, but I think it's well worth it if you love Mediterranean food.

Ema H.

If you decide you want to go here for lunch, don't order the wraps. any of them. tavuk (chicken), lamb, falafel, they're all really, really bad. "Dry" is the theme of their wraps. They're wrapped with this thin papery bread, the same bread that they serve you as an appetizer, which is a little odd. The chicken is large cubes of overcooked and unseasoned white meat. they also make sure you know how dry the chicken is by adding no hummus, yogurt sauce, or anything flavorful or saucy. 2 stars because dinner here is actually not too bad. just don't go for the lunch menu.

Amanda E.

The food here is good, not great, but good. What makes this place awesome and a go-to dinner spot is they let you bring your own wine for free. Yes, no corkage fee...it's amazing. Even though the entrees are a bit pricey for what you get, you save a lot in what you would spend on drinks. My friends and I always have a great time here, and end up spending a good 2 hours on dinner, talking and drinking bottle after bottle of vino. I recommend anything lamb here...and the rice is delicious!

H T.

Came here with a couple friends for an early dinner. We were able to secure a table outside on their patio. The service was good, their vegetarian selections were OK, I opted for for their Greek salad. We also split an order of their hummus and pita bread. I can't say I was really floored by the food here. It's possible that I just ordered the wrong things. There are probably better middle eastern/mediterranean restaurants in the area.

Mike T.

Pretty good food but a little on the pricey side for essentially rice, meat cooked on a stick, and grilled vegetables. Then again maybe I just don't get Mediterranean or I'd appreciate it more if I dined in and didn't eat the pricey meal as take-out

Ray M.

"Mountain View's BEST of 2008" Well shoot...I guess it must be good then...right? Signs like these comfort me. Not as much as the "People on Yelp LOVE US" stickers, but still comforting. The minute I step into the door a waiter appears in front of my face with joy "How many?" "One please" He seats me outside, which is perfect, due to the warm air and great spot to people watch (through the lenses of dark sunglasses). A few minutes later he brings out slices of Lavash bread and this, red chili dip. In all honesty, this bread was the highlight of my lunch. It was rather tasty. The kind of food you can eat while watching hours of mindless T.V. There was dark pasty sauce on the bottom and what appeared to be chili oil on the top. The bread was also warm. But beware....after about 5 minutes the bread starts to harden and it feels like you're eating the crust of a baguette. But the bread was still tasty, and a bit sweet. 8 or so minutes later, I received my Donor Wrap. Beef and Lamb cooked together with tomatoes, peppers and a thin yogurt sauce, all wrapped in (ironically) the same Lavash Bread. The food was okay. And the salad isn't anything to write home about. I was almost...disappointed. Seriously? Mountain View crowned this place as one of the "best"? The food was fine. I wasn't thrilled with the food, nor was I disgusted.

Karine M.

Had something from the burger bar. They dont do good burgers, which i suppose shouldve been expected since its a medditeranean place. The pita bread appetizer and dip were delicious though. My experience was limited so i cant say much about the rest of the food. I was left ubderwhelmed.

Kimberly L.

I would give the food here a 3 star review - A-OK - but I'm bumping up my review to 4 stars because of how friendly and warm the staff was to us. This place reminded me of those Italian family-run places my mom used to take me when I was a kid and we lived in NYC. There are fake grapes hanging from the ceiling, framed and faded pictures of "the old country" - in this case, Turkey. Little fake wine casks. We ordered mezes - really tasty, especially the one made form ground walnuts - and a kebab of mixed meat. The lamb was delicious, if a little dry, and the beef was also ver good. But the wait staff and the kitchen staff - you can see into the kitchen through a window - were just so nice and friendly and really bent over backwards to make sure we were comfy after our original table had a draft and our second table was tilted. I felt like family.

Isa J.

A little bit greasy. Service is mediocre. Not kid- friendly. They take their time serving the food.

Michael C.

Had a pretty solid meal here accompanied by a couple fans of Mediterranean cuisine ... we all thought the food was very good. The site itself is pretty small (even with outside patio seating) - was there around 1 to 2pm on a weekday and it was packed with the usual lunch crowd. Started off with the baba ghanoush (nice and smokey; not overly oily like some places). Moved on to share a couple entrees ... the Karniyarik, Iskender kabob, and Tavuk shish kabob. Good, good, and good. The service was attentive - plenty of water and check-ins - and the prices were on par with other comps in the Bay Area.

Melissa S.

My chicken kebab was under-cooked. Came with plain rice and not-so-exciting roasted veggies. I may return and just have baklava and coffee, but definitely not a full meal. The service was not consistent or friendly. We had to request our check at the end of the meal. It's possible the waiter was trying to be nice and let us chat after the meal before bringing the check, but who knows? I will not return any time soon.

Lisa R.

My husband and I used to think this was our absolute favorite place to eat on Castro Street in Mountain View, but now we have a new favorite (Cascal). We've eaten here 3 or 4 times over the past 3 years. Last time was July 2008. We've always found the service to be very attentive and helpful. We love the outdoor seating out by the street. And we've always had good food. If there were no Casto Street restaurants to compare Cafe Baklava with, I'd have given it a 4. My husband's favorite dish is the Iskender Kabob...must be the butter! Actually the whole thing appeals to his taste buds. I think they have some of the best lentil soup. The Meat Dolma are wonderful.

Bhawna V.

On a nice afternoon, this place is very attractive cause we could sit out n enjoy a meal.........but their service is very very slow and also the dishes are overpriced. My husband had Kezu kebabs......and the lamb had no flavour same was for the chicken dish that i ordered......we wud never go back to this place.

Jen C.

i enjoyed the cozy and well decorated place as well as the food. i got the fish wrap with a salad for lunch, light and savory. my friend got the wrap with grilled lamb and beef with a side of fries. the new puffier pita that's fresh from the oven is a nice way to start if you've got and appetite, otherwise, hold off on it until you get your food or you will just get too full. another plus is that it's nice quiet place for business meetings and friendly gatherings. i don't know what mediterranean food is supposed to look like or taste like but it tastes satisfying to me. i think it's worth the $10-$13 a person might spend at other restaurants.

Simone S.

Cafe Baklava is great! Our waiter was very friendly, the food was excellent, fresh and tasty...good wine selection at very reasonable prices. They give you an oil/garlic/chili(?) dipping sauce for the table that is SO yummy. Plus, the outside seating is very cozy.

Yvonne W.

I came here for dinner last week with a bunch of my coworkers. Maybe it was what I ordered, but I didn't think this place was that great. I had the lamb kebabs served with grilled veggies and rice pilaf. The rice pilaf was overly salted to the point where I couldn't even eat a second bite of it. The grilled vegetables felt and looked as though someone tossed them into boiling water and then grilled them, resulting in very soggy but slightly burnt veggies. Not good. And my pieces of lamb were very dry, tough, and sort of hard to swallow. The appetizers we ordered -- the calamari, hummus, tzatziki, were pretty good, but then again, those things are quite difficult to mess up most of the time. I won't be coming back.

Mr. T.

Came out here with my girlfriend over the summer. She liked it alot. As for me, I was a bit disappointed in my chicken that was so dry. As for my girlfriend's chicken dish, she was fine with it I guess. Either she doesn't mind my standard of dry chicken(putting it nicely) or she was just being polite with me. Soak the chicken please!

A pretty good Turkish grill with some Greek options too. I stopped on spec and was not dissapointed. The squares of pitta with a salsa style dip which they give you with your menu is a great start. I can definitely recommend the Karides Shish which comes with grilled Mediteranean veg and rice. At $20 for a main course and a drink this is definitely worth visiting.

Nathalie C.

I have a problem with this restaurant. I love the falafel, but after being seriously sexually harassed by the staff not just once, but several times, I can't go there at all. I work nearby, which made it a great lunch spot, but at nights when the whole staff is out there having a post-dinner smoke or whatever, they are really insistent in all the wrong ways about their collective and individual virility. I'm not the only person to have this problem; all my female coworkers have reported similar situations, notwithstanding age or attractiveness. It's a gross, gross thing. The only reason I give this place two stars rather than one is because the falafel are the best I've had on the Castro. And, when I'm eating there as a guest, the service always very attentive and nice. But, weighing those things against the serious issue of having to say "No," more than a few times, I just don't go there anymore. I have a friend pick up lunch there and bring me back that damn tasty falafel.

Mary K.

It was OK - overpriced for what you get. Nice outdoor seating though, but the food didn't impress me enough to return. You can find other good restaurants on Castro.

Michael S.

It's too easy to fill up on their warm bread since the sauce it comes with is so delicious. The Muhlama cheese is a must-have appetizer. All of the dishes are reasonably priced for the ample portions you get and they had a good selection of specials to choose from. Their lamb shanks are so tender the meat falls right off of the bone. Make sure you try the Turkish coffee with or for dessert.

Sabrina A.

2.5 stars Meeting up with a couple friends of ours on a Saturday night we headed off to Mountain View. Unfortunately the restaurant they had chosen was an hour wait .. . we were too hungry! Looking around we came upon this little restaurant and decided we had found dinner. It's cute from the outside. Glass windows, Mediterrean style decor, cute little tables on the outside for dining and in we went. It's a really small restaurant but you feel cozy and comfortable. The kitchen is open, so the steam/smoke sits at the top of the low ceiling. . . didn't love that. The hostess at first said she had a table for the four of us, but then the other manager told her other people were first. So we were ushered to wait in this tiny hall part - um odd, so we opted for outside in the dizzeling rain. We only waited about 10 minutes though and were seated. But on the way to the table, I almost slipped on the slippery tile! OMG, my friend had to catch me. ..... can you say dangerous!!! Sitting downt, we were relived I didn't die .. and browsed the wine menu. We settled on a Cab and we sooooo happy with it. It was around 35 I think for the bottle, quit tasty! The waitress was super weird, I mean, super weird . .. She simply flew past the specials and we had to have her repeat them. As she was telling us about the trout she kept saying how JUICY it was, JUICY, JUICY, JUICY. She went on to say she had only had trout like that camping . ... we were like, ok. She was in general slow, forgetful, odd and when the bill came (though I was paying) she looked at us girls and told us 'not to pay attention'. What!! What is the bill only man's work? The food though? The free appetizer was a nan type bread with a sundried tomato type dipping sauce. Super yummy and not too too filling to neglect your main course. My dish came on a plate that literally left me with burns when I brushed against it . ..ouch! But my lamb and husband's lamb dish was very good, tasty, tender, yummy, not too try. The vegetables were not too soft or hard - a light, perfect cook. Our friends seemed to be pleased with their dishes as well. Overall the waitress killed it for us. Perhaps it would have been a four with better service.

Travis D.

The guys at the office like this place for lunch when people come to visit the office. I normally stick to the donner wrap and the chicken wrap, both are delicious, but a bit messy. Fries are surprisingly good, but im usually a tool and opt out for the salad. Service can be spotty and it seems like most of the waiters are really awkward, leading to some very interesting social situations. In the end though, its about the food and in my experience the food won't be changing my outlook on life, but it holds up. For lunch near the office, thats about all i can ask for.

Tanesha F.

Amazing food!! This is one of my absolute favorite restaurants. The food is not only tasty- it's unique and flavorful. The price is fair for the quality and quantity of food served, and the staff is always friendly and willing to give us re-fill afeter re-fill of the sundried tomatoe & olive oil sauce with pita bread.

Ali A.

Waited for 1 hour to get our food because " the kitchen messed up our order". We are not impressed!

jazzy l.

Every time I walk by this place, it's crowded during dinner time. I finally decide to try it with my coworker after work. We sat outside in the shady area which is located in the alley way next to the restaurant. The indoors was way too hot. We ordered two bellini's and a sampler plate (since there was no happy hour menu). Warm pita bread Sundried tomato with olive oil dip domas hummus eggplant/olive tapenade spread taboleuh There were barely anyone at the restaurant. We sat there from 4-630pm. I kind of wish we went to Cascal instead! I really wanted some Sangria. I probably won't be back.

Maria H.

Great relaxed atmosphere, the food is first rate as is the service. I ordered the kalamar,manti and kababs, they all very good. Can't wait to go back to try some of their other dishes.

Lizzie B.

Honestly, best mediterranean food around here. I'm Greek, so I'm uber picky, and DAMN this place is amazing! I've eaten here a BUNCH of times and I've never been disappointed. I dono what's up with these other reviewers that give this place one star... especially when they usually complain about how long it takes. Have they ever worked in the restaurant business? I have, and it's pretty hellish, especially during the busy dinner hours. Yes, sometimes the service is a bit slow around 6 or 7 pm, but I won't knock off a star for that because I know what it's like. My favorite dishes are the iskender kabab and the Turkish ravioli (manti). I recommend this place 100%. Disregard the sourpusses that give one star, they obviously don't have any empathy for restaurant workers.

Eric T.

Baffled as to why this place has only three stars. Been going there for five+ years now and they are consistently great. Kabobs are moist, flavorful and just downright delicious. A little pricier than average? Lack of ambiance (or umbrellas)? Not much room inside? Yeah, sure- but when it comes down to what really matters: consistently great food, they can't be beat. Watched many places come and go or go up and down in quality but each and every time I eat here I am left with one question: why don't I eat here more often? In another life, I lived in Turkey for 9 months. I am not claiming to be an expert but the food here reminds me of the best food I had in Turkey.

Rose A.

I was pleasantly surprised to find a delicious and reasonably priced chicken salad here. The chicken is nicely grilled and is higher quality than the chicken in salads at most restaurants I've eaten at. The salad comes with grilled eggplant and red peppers, fresh greens, tomatoes, and a roasted red pepper vinaigrette. So delicious, I came back the next day for another one. It comes with pita bread, but due to the diet I'm on skipped the bread.... it looked great though. The salad was especially appreciated because it doesn't have dairy, wheat, corn, soy, eggs. Can't wait to try more items on the menu.

Steve M.

I am surprised at the negative reviews there, but I guess we didn't have some of the dishes that many others complained about here (a lot of people seem to think their kabobs were not that great). I have to admit the pita bread and humus was just about average, nothing really special there. However, I had an order of the lamb shank special, which was absolutely delicious. The meat were soft and tender, fell right off the bone. The mixture of the shank meat with the soup base and the beans were near perfect in flavor. It was absolutely delicious. My friend had the lamp chop, from which I stole a few bites. The lamb chop were flavorful, again cooked just to the right amount of tenderness. The meat and flavor just melts in your mouth. It's even a level better than the lamb shank. Even the dessert, tea, and the port were just right. I really didn't have the type of experience the negative reviewers seem to have gone through. The mediterranean food here is more reasonably priced than other popular restaurants, like Zibbibo; and I prefer the flavor and execution of these dishes much more than Zibbibo's. Either way, I will definitely return and try more dishes.

Tony D.

Curious to try the food here, was a bit was a bit disappointed on how ordinary it tasted. I liked the sun dried tomato dip and pita. We tried the Tsantali Kadayif wine, the Karniyarik, Mediterranean Mezze, and the Sigara Boregi.

wheatberry s.

Plus: outdoor seating quick service/food is served quickly fresh ingredients quantity When we decided to sit outdoors and switched around some chairs, the server wasn't too thrilled and actually gave us unapproving looks. By the end of the meal, however, he warmed up to us and had much more of a pleasant demeanor. Portion sizes are huge. Prices are well priced - a very hearty meal for less than $10. I was in the mood for something on the lighter side and decided to order a salad. The plates were nicely presented and all ingredients were fresh. I enjoyed the roasted vegetables on my salad and the chicken was nicely seasoned. A friend ordered a fish wrap but was expecting the fish to be prepared a different way. (I think it was her mistake, though. Who would expect a filet of fish to come in a wrap?) All of us liked our dishes enough but no more than to talk about it after finishing the meal.

George K.

We had a big table of about 20 people and sat inside on what was a very warm night in MV. Couldn't really tell if the odour coming from the inside was a particular curry, or just plain old B.O. Yuk, bad first impression. Then, we ordered beers and half came out warm, the other cold. Hmm, maybe you should feel them first to see if they are cold? My only solace: the lamb shank, cooked beautifully in Mediterranean spices on a bed of chick peas and a tomato sauce. Not sure I would venture back on my own dime any time soon, but I would if someone else was paying.

Donna W.

My friend and I lunched here after a brief shopping stint. We got a really cute waiter with an accent that totally flirted with her. The moussaka and my friend had the manti, which is like a Turkish ravioloi. I really enjoyed the moussaka, but there was a pang of jealousy for the manti after I tried my friend's dish. I hadn't ordered the entre because I feared it would be too meaty, but it was perfect. For dessert we shared the ayva tatlisi (quinces with vanilla ice cream). Then we finished with tea (me) and Turkish coffee (friend). The waiter offered to read my friend's future in the dregs of the coffee, but alas, he became too busy with other customers. She'll just have to return another time to the caf! Everything was good and the price was very nice!

Foodie V.

The sidewalk patio is charming, but the food and service is not.

Rebecca D.

I've eaten here about three times and have loved it every visit. Each time I've gone on an early Saturday/Sunday afternoon; when the restarurant wasn't too crowded. I don't like the hummus here as much as at Dishdash; so I can pass on that. But I've ordered their salmon special two times and it is AWESOME. It's a fire-grilled piece of salmon; and it comes with a WHOLE avocado on the side (sliced of course); and a nice little salad with a warm greek dressing. Really delicious. I've also ordered a fish wrap that came with some really good fries; that was pretty good too.

Michelle B.

I had such high hopes when I found this place on Castro St.....the night before, hubby and I already had bad Thai food (review to come right after this!) and were hoping for ONE GOOD MEAL in Mountain View. Am I food snob? We haven't found a place that has wowed us yet.... anyhow....I ordered the Moussaka and couldn't believe how bland it was....they say there was Bechemel sauce on it but I think it dried up-hence it was over cooked.... The chicken kebab was ok. but it wasn't great. Can you really mess this up? service was just so so. all in all, I won't be coming back.

Tracey Lee D.

Just went here for the first time the other night and I thought it was fantastic. I had the falafel and the Spinach Salad. Both were awesome. We got an outstanding bottle of Shiraz. I have no idea what it was, but it was damn good. We sat there for close to two hours, and never felt rushed. We thought that they might have been eyeballing our table towards the end, but I think the shift had just changed and the new lady was checking up on us. Our table was not descended on once we got up. I really enjoyed it, and would happily go back.

Jimmy C.

Good selection. Menu has much more than just wraps/gyros. I had the veggie dolmas, which were deliciously seasoned and wonderfully aromatic. The only complaint I had was that the dish had too much rice. It was a red pepper and eggplant stuffed with rice, with a side of rice pilaf. I love rice, but it I need other stuff too. The falafel appetizer was well seasoned, but came out a little over-fried. There were 4 hefty balls, and were incredibly crunchy on the outside (kinda hard to bite into), but very soft inside. Wraps are good too. They come on warm lavash bread, with a good amount of tzatziki. I also adore the pita+red pepper/olive oil/tomato dip. Prices are reasonable, but service was kind of slow. Outside seating is kind of cramped, but a great place for lunch.

Sasha W.

This place is great! I've been here about five or six times, I think, and I've never been disappointed! Everything I ever had here was just right: fresh, juicy, and delicious. Maybe the rice was slightly on the greasy side, but unlike most people in the Bay, I don't mind a little grease. If you had bad food here, there can be only two explanations: off night, or you have no taste. I also love their Turkish Tea. For some reason, it just makes me happy :). The servers are good: one of the only places where they explained the specials, rather than rattling them off at lightning speed. Probably the only place I ever actually ordered a special, and it was great! The ambiance is great. I've sat outside and inside and definitely prefer inside, due to the quaint decorations. Overall, lovely! P.S. For those of you that said this food is not like in Greece, or recommended other restaurants beware: this place is not Greek, Persian, OR Afghani. It's TURKISH. Ok? It's not the same thing.

Pramod D.

This place was ok. The menu looked quite good and we were very excited but I think the execution was not as great. The appetizers were much better than the main dishes. Not sure why this place would open with Evvia right across the street.

Brett M.

I really want to like this place, but alas, it is bland. There, I said it... *sigh* I've gone three times and I personally have not had any service issues and I like the decor (charming!). There is something about it that makes me want to like it more than I do, but it's not going to happen in its current incarnation. It's newish, so there is time to step it up. Let's sit and watch.

Emily L.

You know, I really didn't have great expectations for this place even though all the reviews are positive. Ok, i get it. The reviews were right. I did not enjoy the dine-in experience, I did get take out...but it was delicious! I was so surprised, honestly didn't expect the food to be so good. The staff was also really understanding when I walked in just asked for take out. It wasn't very crowded, but let's remember it was a monday night....so I guess that's to be expected. I can't wait to go back with some friends.

Jadya C.

Ambiance: Nice Food: Mediocre to Horrible Come on Yelpers I am surprised to see such great reviews We were a party of Six and had Hummus, Babaghanoush, Dolmas for Apt, Had Specials with Kofte and bunch of other Kabobs. Boy, the Kabobs were just not there. To me, Kabobs is an art where you have to really balance the Spice and Grill. Cafe Baklava was way off. I was not even thrilled with their Bakalava :-( Saving Grace was Turkish Tea, which was Excellent. Service was good and the Staff was courteous.

Esti S.

I had a lunch with the friends, the food was good and fresh. Service was OK. We sat outdoors it was such a nice day. Extremely expensive desserts. I had a moussaka a year ago and it was awful- tasteless!!!

Cynthia C.

Crowded during dinner hours on weekdays AND weekends. A huge indicator of how many people rely on this place for great Mediterrean grub when they don't want to cook. Reasonably priced, balanced portions, solid kabobs, and lovely outdoor seating.

Aleksandra T.

I go to Baklava all the time and just love it. If you like lots of grilled veges, rice, grilled lamb- mmmm you will love the place. The service can be a bit slow, but is part of the culture and everyone that works there seems to be from Turkey which makes it for an experience. Desserts are really good as well.

Mark L.

After weeks of waiting around for a right moment, I finally got in to test out Cafe Baklava. I did have some trouble getting a table, even though I called ahead- I asked for a table for one, for 4 (PM). This was garbled to be "a table for 4". So I had to wait around for five minutes or longer while other folks off the street got seated. Then I saw the waiter was setting up "a table for 4" and... well, that got straightened out. Let me say the food is great. I had the Tavuc Guvec, chicken cubes simmered in a sauce with eggplant, zucchini and peppers- deliciosa! The do give a generous serving of pre-meal bread that comes in handy to wipe it all up with, and oh- the serving was large, large enough that even while I sit here, digesting and ruminating, I am still uncomfortably stuffed. But it was GOOD! And the Turkish beer I had with it, was deliciosa, ditto. Friends who have eaten here say it is the best place on the strip for Med food, as well as a good place to take a date, and now, I agree. If only the opportunity came more often- but I'm more inclined just to hustle off home right after work. Highly recommended, esp if you are flush with fat dollars. Mo' Fat! You mo' betta off.

Christopher C.

Food was overpriced, and the staff were very rude. They constantly ignored us when we tried to get service. The pita bread they gave us had some stuff on it and the glasses had lipstick on the rims. Never going back there again!

Rebecca W.

amazing service, amazing food, reasonably priced

Wes M.

When my 16-year-old brother-in-law came to visit, we took him down to Castro Street and offered him a choice between Cafe Baklava and Cafe Yulong. Since he doesn't get to eat out very much, he took it very seriously and spent amount 20 minutes deciding and asking us detailed questions about Mediterranean vs. Chinese cuisine, while we stood on the corner. Ultimately he opted for Cafe Baklava, and in retrospect it was definitely the right choice. In Mediterranean places, you usually can't go wrong with a mixed appetizer platter, and Cafe Baklava was no exception. By the time our main courses came (various kebab dishes), we were almost full. In the end we wound up taking home lots of leftovers. Now that I live in the city this place has been replaced by Bursa Kebab in West Portal (not to mention various Mediterranean Delis), but if you live in Mountain View, this is the Mediterranean place to beat - cozy ambience and delicious food.

Jaymes H.

Great lamb. solid overall.

Deepa S.

This place is okay. For appetizers I ordered the Dolma, which is my favorite food. Well, this place used oodles and oodles of plain yogurt as a garnish. Thus, it tasted pretty nasty. But I blame it on the yogurt. I ordered lamb, which was basically lamb in marinara sauce. Again, accompanied by oodles of plain yogurt. It was okay... about as good as lamb in marinara sauce could get. The restaurant was pretty damn cramped inside, so I opted for the outdoor seating. The only thing going for this restaurant are the prices. It's real cheap.

yolanda y.

Well, maybe I should have ordered a kebab dish, but noooooo, I had to go for the karniyarik (stuffed eggplant with ground beef, tomatoes, onion, garlic). Suffice it to say that the eggplant half was swimming in a pool of oil, and that was even before I touched it! When I tried to cut into it, it just squeezed out more oil, turning the pool into a small lake...blech. Well, I was pretty hungry, so I ate the ground beef mixture (piled on top the eggplant) with the rice pilaf sitting on the side. It actually tasted pretty good, and was somewhat elevated above the pool of oil by the eggplant. The pilaf itself was plain and a little dry, and the grilled vegetables that finished off the plate (cauliflower, red peppers) were fairly standard fare. The meal really wasn't anything special although I probably still would have enjoyed it if not for the oil.

SG N.

Festive, relaxed atmosphere with a very friendly staff. Our waitperson was knowledgable with wine, and picked out a perfect match for my meal. The food was delicious; I recommend getting the Mediterranean Mezze appetizer - it includes the walnut/garlic/goatcheese spread which was amazing. Lots of options for veggies, of course, and the portions were generous. It was a fun evening with tasty food.

Jason M.

My waiter told me that the meat dolma is the best dish at the restaurant so I gave it a go. The meat dolma consists of a stuffed red pepper and a stuffed eggplant with seasoned meat (think sloppy joe meat without the beans). Priced at $14, it is more for the dinner budget range as opposed to lunch. I am no chef but this meal seems simple enough that I might give it a go at home one night. The meal was good, but definitely not mind blowing. The tomato and olive oil sauce served with their pita bread (free) is pretty intriguing though as it end ups being a very light tomato sauce that you keep wanting more of. The Turkish coffee is also a nice way to finish off the meal and fight back the food coma.

Rachel L.

I've been here a handful of times and it just seems to be dying a slow death. First time was great, second time okay, third time edible, etc, etc. I went there this past weekend and I have decided to never go back. Not much food for the money and I was disgusted by the sickening amount of yogurt sauce that was poured over the Mezes plate that I shared with a friend. I don't eat dairy, so I attempted to scrape it all off rather than be a pain and ask for another plate. The tomato dip for the pita is good but that's all that I can say. I've been to Greece and this is a far cry from what you get there. Bleah! Oh yeah...and as Michael warns...watch out for the Scientologists offering stress tests.

m t.

We split the Mediterranean Mezze, Kuzu Kabob (lamb) and a salad. It was fine. I would neither recommend to you, nor deter you from, this restaurant or any of the menu items listed previously.

Tom W.

If you're going to Cafe Baklava, bring your own salt, because most dishes are going to be lacking in flavor without it. All meals start with pita and a thin guacamole dip. The pita is too hard and dry and despite having all the flavorful fat of avocado, the dip has very little flavor. I'd take balsamic vinegar over this, if the pita was worth eating. This is the first place to apply salt. The appetizer plate is pretty good, but you can get a cheaper and better plate at the hole-in-the-wall Gyros House down the street. The wraps are pretty standard, but again less flavorful and less appealing than similar dishes at many other local Mediterranean restaurants. The moussaka is a step up and is richer in flavor, but the falafel is just so-so. If you are looking to pay less for better Mediterranean and don't mind an informal setting, try Gyros House. If you are up for a more formal experience with better food at somewhat higher prices and more options, check out Zucca.

Rishi C.

Looks great! Specially with the sidewalk seating. But the staff is weird, gives women odd/ogling looks, and were openly discussing some serious detailed stuff with each other while customers were dining nearby. Food was alright. Nothing to rave/complain about.

Kalista W.

I've only been here once, but I have lasting memories of this quaint little Mediterranean restaurant, mostly because of the pita with roasted tomato spread (served as their pre-meal 'bread and butter') and the Karniyarik entree (eggplant stuffed with ground beef, tomatoes, onions and seasoned with various herbs and spices). Some other entrees our group had were the grilled lamb and a grilled tilapia; all were well-prepared with distinct and balanced flavors. The atmosphere of this place is cozy and intimate with soft dim lighting and is a perfect place for small parties of 2-6 people. Prices range from $10-15 for an entree.

The O.

Restaurant is small and the place is nice and tidy. They have a very luxurious ambiance probably due to the lighting and the window view. The food is pretty good here, but it is also not amazing. It lacks a "wow" factor from really putting itself on the map for it's food. The aroma of the dishes being cooked near the tables was pleasantly good. The meat was cooked very well but I will be back to try more of the menu.

Beth K.

Lovely lovely little restaurant. Incredible Turkish specialties and heavenly desserts. Good wine selection. This is a place best enjoyed if you eat at the restaurant. If you're just going to do take-out, then try Gyros House across the street. Yes, the prices here are a bit high. But chillax, put on a cute outfit, bring your significant or not-that-significant other, order a glass of wine, and savor the food here.

stacey p.

We tried this place for the first time and I was disappointed. the portions were small, mediocre at best and expensive, especially the rice. I asked for extra rice and was charged $2.50 for another tiny portion. I had to ask three times for water for my daughter...All in all, not a great experience and probably would not go back. This certainly was no Dish Dash.

Adam G.

OK, so they've got 3.5 starts right now, and I want to keep it that way. So I've got a 50-50 chance of picking this correctly to not skew it low. Walked in and was treated to some very nice staff who did their best to get me drinking beer asap. I was under the impression that the place was Turkish, so I opted for the Turkish beer...it's the clear choice. It was pretty good. The menu was pretty tasty sounding, and so were the specials. I wish I liked fish more, since they had a whole baked trout that sounded fantastic. I decided to go for the braised lamb special. Very tasty! It came in a soup-like substance that contained beans of some sort, which were also surprisingly tasty. Although a little bit like the canned baked beans we all know and hate. Which was why I was even more surprised to like them as much as I did. The meat was, of course, succulent (being braised and all), although I'm always a little surprised at the mildness of lamb leg compared to the rest of the animal. Oh well...c'est la vie. The pita was decent, but seemed like it came from a grocery store. The dip to put it in was quite tasty...oil and tomato and I'm not sure what else. But I liked it. Not too overwhelming, not too bland. Good place...nice find. I'd go back here, if for no other reason than to try their myriad of kabob choices!

Apel M.

The toilet smelled of sewage. Every time somebody opened the door to it, I got a whiff of sewage. I had Turkish ravioli. According to the menu it was beef. It tasted strongly like pork. Got out of there pretty quickly and didn't take the leftover food. Yuck.

Samantha S.

I like coming here for the atmosphere (cute, little restaurant with character -- a la SF), but the food is only "usually" good. I have had some dishes I would rate as "average."

Jen Jen W.

Food here was pretty good! we sat outside with our doggy and the waiter came by to check on us lots of times. The price was reasonable too and the portion was also good.

tamara w.

Came here over the weekend and left feeling happy. The Karniyarik (eggplant stuffed with meat and vegetables) was very good. A couple of us shared the Greek Salad which tasted like the typical Greek Salad. It's hard to compare Greek Salads once you've been to Greece and had the real thing but it wasn't bad :) I don't remember the names of the dishes the other people had (some reviewer I am!) but one had a meat dish that was a little spicy and it pretty good. The pita they bring at the beginning of the meal was pretty mediocre. The edges of it were pretty hard but the insides were better. The guacamole type dip (for lack of a better description) was good. Edit: I find it interesting that they use Yelp reviews on their website. Kind of cool! (See their reviews section)

haha z.

Cozy friendly and stylish place with great service and food. Depending on the weather and your preference you can sit outside or inside. The best rainbow trout I have ever tried. They know how to cook lamb which is not so easy to find at myriad of Mediterranean places. Great place to have a dinner with family or friends. Very friendly waiters that would not forget or mess up your special request.

Peter v.

Never impressed by the food or atmosphere or prices here, always impressed by how packed it is. I guess I'm missing something. I went for lunch a few months ago, the food was nothing spectacular, and certainly not better than the 3 similar joints on the same street. They sat us next to the kitchen, which was loud and busy and our table was cramped. Something you should note is that the outside seating here is right alongside one of the busiest intersections (California & Castro) in Mountain View. During busy traffic times you may find your meal interrupted by idling cars and horn honks. This is however, a common problem along Castro Street for any outdoor seating.

Bill M.

The second time I have had lunch here. My main complaint is both times the food seemed to take forever to arrive. Once we got the food the food was good. I ordered the Doner over rice. It was good, just really did not have time for an almost 2 hour lunch.

Neha A.

What the heck is up with these reviews? This place is truly medioacre - I would never go back - the service was horrendous and the food was not very good - in fact it was a horrible value for what we paid. GO SOMEWHERE ELSE - check out Chelokababi Restaurant in Sunnyvale or Kabul in San Carlos...

Linny H.

Service is sucky. You have to wait for menus, drinks, food and even the bill. At least the food was decent. Only go here if every other place on Castro is full and you're not in a hurry.

tod f.

Been there twice Service was great. really really excellent Food was good. The first time it was a little more exciting. The second wasn't as good. Same flavors. The fried fila dough with feta in them is one of the greatest things ever. I mean it. Super duper. The kind of richness that's satisfyingly cloying. Where after one or maybe two (easy tiger) you don't want any more. unfortunately that kind of sets the palate up for a little dissappointment as the flavors are a little similar. The food is heavily spiced richly. At first i thought that was the idea. But the second time, a little too salty for me. small kitchen can get overwhelmed, so be prepared to sit a spell. gets hot inside in the summer, i recommend al fresco. Specials were high and not quoted at 25. Good date spot to sit and have some wine, if thats your style.

Kim N.

One of the few places where you can get Turkish food. They have both Doner and Adana entrees. I've only been for lunch and have always had the outside sidewalk seating and during those nice days the ambiance is good enough to make you not want to go back to work. Great addition to the Castro food crush

Angie C.

I'm not usually a fan of Mediterranean food but I actually got along with this place! Small and intimate with cute tables cafe-style outside too (even tho the weather was being unfriendly today). The food was delicious, the green dipping stuff that came with the pita was amazing, and I'm definately coming back again! Even the waitstaff were flawless. I really like this place!

Shanna M.

I've been curious about Cafe Baklava for awhile, mostly because I pass it often to/from work. Well, I was a little disappointed. The pitas and tomato /red pepper dip was good, but not great as previous reviews indicated. My chicken kebab dish had a nice mix of vegetables and was fairly tasty, but a little on the greasy/oily side. And my bf's food didn't look that appealing; he thought it was just so-so. Rumor has it there the owners have an ongoing battle with Zucca -- now I know why: Zucca is way better!

jc c.

I wouldn't come out of my way to eat here, but given that we were already on Castro Street checking out the bookstores it was an easy solution to fill our bellies right next door. I had the yarikarnik (spelling?), a slice of roasted eggplant topped with meat sauce, which was tasty and filling. It was not swimming in oil as described in the reviews below although the meat was probably hamburger meat and thus quite greasy on its own - honestly, it reminded me of a meat sauce for spaghetti that could be thrown together in 10 minutes. But still tasty and hearty. The hubster had a shrimp dish also accompanied by rice that was passable. Servers were nice and service itself was efficient. We sat inside, where the decor was very homey, although I would have preferred a sidewalk seat in the shade. Overall, I am happy to add this restaurant to our growing list of stand-by's on Castro Street.

Michael S.

Very cute little restaurant, but food was exceedingly mediocre.

Julia P.

If this is what mediterranean food is supposed to be like, I can say I am easily an ANTIfan of mediterranean food. But I hope that is not the case. The place is very tiny, but outdoor seating is available. There didn't seem to be enough menus to go around (wth?) so the waiters kept going from table to table, asking the diners to 'borrow' some of the menus. our waiter (seemed like he was the manager from the way he was dressed) was pretty impatient with my table when we didn't know what was what and couldn't decide quick enough. he stopped and left in the middle of taking our order. I got a kabob, but it was just pieces of tasteless veggies and dry meat on a plate. what? kabob with no sticks? interesting... overall, the service was terrible, the place was cramped, and the food was disappointing. everything either had bad taste or no taste. everyone i went with was disappointed with the food, and the portions are small compared to the price.

K C.

The spanikopita and falafels are Cafe Baklava's two prizes dishes. Everything else is average, like a cup of Campbell's soup on a cold winter's night. The restaurant is not big at all, covering a small corner on of building in downtown Mountain View. When the weather is nice, you can dine outside and feel like a movie star. Aside from the spanikopita and falafels, the dipping sauce for the serving bread is fantastic. It's olive oil-based sauce with slight hint of pesto and sundried tomatoes... or were they two different sauces.... we forget. The appetizer combo plate is decent. We usually consider this the staple of any Mediterranean restaurant, must like Chicken Chow Mein at a Chinese restaurant. The hummus, Baba Ganoush, Tabouleh, and other appetizers are good, but still nothing pops on our taste buds. We recommend this restaurant to anyone who's looking for a quiet meal during the late-afternoon. Just don't expect too much.

Michael T.

i got the combo kebab and some greek beer... everything was delicious. people were nice and restaurant has really nice atmosphere.

katy g.

I used to love Cafe Bakalava, but over the years the service has been surly and slow, and the last dinner there must have been cooked by a different chef since the same items we'd had before were prepared entirely differently. Not bad, just not what I'd come there for. Using the restroom there for the first time, I was appalled at how filthy it was. Had I seen it before I ordered, I'd have left immediately. As it is, we won't be back. There's no excuse for a dirty bathroom right next to the kitchen. Ugh!

Rene T.

I was very impressed..seated promptly and was given the specials with not only what they were but what was in them.. I couldn't have remembered all that. The waiter made sure to watch the door and keep it shut. (it was windy and I had the baby asleep in the stroller..) Oh, and the food.. This was my first visit and it was lunch time. under 10 bucks a person and just wonderful! I had a veggie Wrap and it was just amazing. I really recommend you try this place. WONDERFUL service, GREAT FOOD and VERY reasonable. I will be returning.. Go and ENJOY!!

Alanna H.

The food is lacking a bit in the flavor category. I was expecting a little more punch from the food and was disappointed in that area. I cannot remember the name of what I had, but it was eggplant filled with ground beef, onion, and tomato. The best part of the meal was the warm pita bread and dip you get at the beginning of the meal. I wasn't so disappointed that I won't go back, but I will definitely get something different next time. Otherwise the outdoor area was quite nice and the service was good.

Liz L.

This is a solid 3. Hmmm what can I say? Nothing was superb or horrible. Service was pleasant. The complimentary tomato dipping sauce was quite good, but oh so oily! I felt like I was gargling up olive oil. The pita bread was a bit burnt and not as fluffy as I like mine, but what the hell, I was hungry. We ordered the phyllo appetizer from the other reviews here, and they were quite good. Piping hot though! Don't burn yourself. They were a bit rich (I know I know what was I expecting from wrapped feta cheese?). Be prepared. Onto the main course. We ordered the braised lamb shank special and the kuzu kebab (lamb with rice pilaf and grilled vegetables). Their vegetables were grilled quite nicely, but then again that's hard to mess up. Rice pilaf was nicely flavored. I thought the lamb kebab was a bit over-spiced but to my boyfriend, it was perfect. The lamb shank was quite tender and the polenta went nicely with the tomato-based sauce. My one complaint would be that the lamb came with the skin still on, which I'm normally fine with, but this skin was unchewable (I guess I'm not supposed to eat it! But then why couldn't they just have removed it?), and ended up bunched into nasty little balls that I tried to hide under an uneaten piece of pita... which the busboy then proceeded to lift up to reveal my hideous stack of unwanted skin! I think my bf was embarrassed. Ah well, such is the risk of dining with me. Anyways, decent. A tad expensive. We didn't try the namesake baklava because we were going to Gelayo Gusto afterwards (YUM!).

A. H.

One of the best parts of eating at Cafe Baklava is the sun dried tomato dip you receive with pita bread as the introduction to your meal. So great! I think this restaurant is one of my favorite in Mountain View. The service is good, and the dishes don't lack on flavor. As far as Mountain View goes, the pricing is pretty standard. I would recommend the entrees over some of the wraps, because they seem to have more spice!

Gleb B.

Excellent Mediterranean place! Tasty lunch and dinner dishes, good wine, and very friendly staff. Anything that has lamb in it is bound to be great - the meat literally falls off the bone. All kebabs and other meat dishes are great, but my favorite one of all Manti - meat-filled ravioli served with flavored dipping yogurt - a must-have if you're eating there for the first time. The only negative about the place is the seating - somewhat tight/crammed, and not the best place to go with a big dinner party - although the staff will do everything they can to accomodate your group.

Elaine L.

I ordered take out about a month ago, the combo kebob dinner. It took a really really long time, maybe 20 minutes, to get the food. The plate came with three kebob sticks over vegetables over rice for $18. It was tasty but definitely not worth the price. It was not much meat at all. And the vegetables and rice were nothing special.

Stephanie A.

This place is always bustling at lunch, and things looked pretty appetizing, so I finally went there on Friday night with a friend. The mezze plate was truly uninspired, with 3 gloppy dips (one hummus, don't know what the others were) and a truly ghastly grape leaf thingy with cold rice. The Turkish waiter is a bit unfriendly, and I felt rather awkward about placing an order for some meatballs. The Greek salad was over-dressed and soggy. I guess I might try this place for lunch someday, but I felt like it was a poor choice for dinner.

Andrew K.

I need to punish this restaurant with my rating because the service was so bad. By the time we got our food, several other tables that came after us were already eating and almost done with their food. Additionally, I had to ask for things several times. I had the rib eye kabob special and that was tasty and juicy. It was served with red peppers, cauliflower, and zucchini over rice. When there are so many choices on Castro street especially of the same type of food, the differentiator becomes service. So if Cafe Baklava is a reader of their yelp reviews, then this should be "food" for thought!

l. a.

I would have given this place 2 or 3 stars if it wasn't for the moldy pita they put on our table! After eating half a basket of pita with my friends, I noticed mold on the outside of my slice. I alerted the waiter who looked at the bread, didnt say a word and took it away. He later brought us another basket that had more moldy pita. I complained a second time and again, he said nothing and replaced the basket. I should have walked away at that point, but we stayed and I was very disappointed. I would avoid this place - obviously they do not use the freshest ingredients.

Joe L.

Definitely a solid Meh. My school cafeteria used to serve gyros; the lamb here was slightly better but didn't taste special. I had a hard time telling the difference between my beef and lamb both visually and taste-wise. I got the doner and the rice pilaf was okay, but the dish overall needs some vegetables (personal preference). The cacik didn't have much taste, but that wasn't a bad thing. Mediterranean food in general makes me go Meh and this restaurant did nothing to change that.

F. K.

This place is worst Turkish cuisine you can find in southern Bay Area. The Iskender stuff is no way related to actual Iskender you can find as Mediterrean cuisine. If you are really curious, there is another across the street "Gyro's house" which is far better than this place. Seating is terrible, although there was 4 seat table, they asked us to seat by the hallway which is the worst possible spot you can have dinner. We insisted to seat outside. Waitress act weird, and tell you unrelated stuff, while you are dying for food. I would never take a girl friend here.. although it might look so-so place if you are young.

Matheen R.

Cafe Baklava is excellent! The food is delicious and the servers are very friendly. We had the specials, the slow cooked lamb shank (they cook it for 3-4 hrs it seems) and the fried trout, which again was slow fried. They were both delicious, the lamb was out of the world. I have never had such delicious lamb before. It is very likely that I will go here again, and again :-).

Svein O.

Dry chicken, slow service, sour waiter, wobbly table, wrong dessert... Great location, but that's about it.

Lisa N.

Excellent! Stopped by chance for dinner. Had the lamb special -- a roll with ground lamb, mozzarella, mushrooms, spinach. Hard to recall a meal this tasty! My husband had the fish special, equally as good; sides were very nicely done. Service was excellent; attentive and friendly. Will return and recommend to friends.

Diana C.

I had the Cafe Baklava salad--lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, onion, feta, and grilled chicken, with a light olive oil dressing. It was the perfect balance of tartness, saltiness, and crunch. The salad was big and filling, but I could not resist eating three slices of pita with their roasted tomato dip, which was really smoky and flavorful. Had I not been seated outdoors on Castro street, I probably would have mopped it up with a handful of pita all at once.

Willis W.

We had pretty good lamb, and at pretty good prices. Although the kitchen is very exposed, it's quite under control and you don't really notice there are kebabs flaming right behind you. We had a great server, who explained the many specials. It looked like the kind of place you could sit for hours and celebrate food. The Kadayif dessert was really good. A step above the usual Baklava, in our opinion, because the shredded phyllo dough seems to spread out in your mouth better, distributing the sweet flavors and adding lots of crunch. It was like eating shredded wheat, but the good kind.

A D.

We're really fond of Mediterranean food and have tried a lot of other places in town .. This one surely needs to update its menu and also re-consider the serving size .. Ok for a snack maybe .. but not for a dinner .. The service is just about okay .. One of the guys working there apparently does not understand english very well .. Area wise - Quite cramped and small .. Overall - am not going here again anymore .. Instead - go to the Mediterranean Grill across the street close to Starbucks -- 3 times the quantity and taste in their food at one third the price .. The place isn't upscale as Cafe Baklava but worth it ..

Dee J.

The food here is good. The service is decent. I love the kabobs, with grill veggies, and rice but after I saw some roaches crawling around, it was my last time visiting this place.

Edwin M.

The restaurant offers online and mobile ordering for take out: waitonme.com/?referrer=a…

Kamal H.

I have been going to this place for a year, and have taken family, colleagues and business clients there. The food is high quality, and some items are hard to find in other places, such as their fresh-baked pita bread, sauces, and mezzas. Highly recommended! I read others' complaints about service and I have no such issues. I treat them with respect and I get it back.

Swimming E.

$7 4 pieces of baklava. I call that ripped off. Don't even try eat their baklava it was terrible. It was all watery and not even enough walnuts in there. I called that cheating.

Trogdor B.

had the grilled salmon salad special. the grilled salmon was awesome and huge. the bed of spinach leaves was on the small side and the feta cheese went practically unnoticed...but the salmon was awesome. came out with some sort of dip and pita?...but it seemed really dry. don't know if that makes sense.

Raj A.

Like the decor and the service. We ordered Donner (thin slices of gyro) which comes with white rice and Turkish yoghurt Cacik, and Dolma which is stuffed eggplant and bell pepper servied with Greek yoghurt. While Dolma was tasty, I would have preferred my gyro to have very thin slices like they serve at other Mediterranean restaurants. Here, the slices were of random thickness and not as delicious.

Julie G.

I will admit that this place has a nice atmosphere and a good service (very attentive with the water and refilling the bread and olive oil). The lavash bread with some olive oil dip is a really nice touch. However, the food here is just not that great. At lunch, the donner wrap is good, but just not flavorful enough. On the plus side, the wrap is really big and it comes with a nice salad. For dinner, I've had the lamb kebabs and its the same story. The food is good, but not overwhelmingly so. Also, the grilled veggies are ok, but I'd rather not eat the mountainess pile that ends up on the plate. Overall, if you are looking for good mediterranean place with some atmosphere, this is your place. Just don't expect anything too spectacular.

Happy Me T.

If you are craving for Mediterranean food, this is an excellant choice. I usually come here on business lunches and have not been disappointed. The food is tasty and very rich. Service is fairly good.

Danvin R.

Not bad... The kitchen was slow getting the food out to everyone. Otherwise, the food was delicious. I had the stuffed eggplant and it was really good. I loved their rice, not sure what they do to it. Atmosphere was nice, right in the middle of downtown mountain view.

Karen S.

Cafe Baklava is a quaint Mediterranean restaurant that serves delicious food. Granted, it is pricier than the Gyro House right across the street; but what it lacks in affordability, it makes up for it in taste! I've had many dishes from here, from the House Salad to their Rack of Lamb, and all have been Mediterranean at its best.

Anu T.

I went there for lunch once and loved it so decided to go back with some friends for dinner. Dinner was very disappointing. The dolmas were dry and flavorless. The saksuka and the moussaka were bland and oily. The service was good (we sat outside but they didn't forget about us). I am definitely not going back for dinner but may head back for lunch sometime.

Tina T.

The waitstaff was horrible to us even before the meal began. We were told to wait against the wall and subsequently ignored for awhile. We asked the waitstaff what the situation was when others after us were seated first and did not get a straight answer until it was obvious we were getting angry. The food was not worth being treated in that rude way. The pita bread basket was full of stiff, stale bread. I didn't like the appetizer sampler we got either; I've had much better hummus elsewhere. For my entree, I had a kabob that was decent but the dish was too salty and greasy overall. I would not return and advise against going there.

Christine G.

The food was a pricey. The food was good, not at all awesome, but the service was great!

Nicole C.

decided after walking by it many times and seeing crowds there, that last night was the night we would try this place. i have to say, overall, we quite enjoyed it. we were promptly seated and given water, pita and some tasty tomato/oil dipping sauce. the bread was very thin and warm, and the sauce was addictive. we definitely ate way too much bread, and it didn't help that the guy kept refreshing the basket with fresh, hot pita before it was even empty! (side note: let's talk about the water, busboy, pita man. that dude clearly deserves an award for the hardest working guy in the restaurant biz. he was zipping around inside and outside, taking care of business with a smile. i give that guy 5 stars for awesomeness.) back to the food. we shared a plate of the appetizer sampler. boy, that was tasty. the falafel was a fried ball of goodness, the dolma was pretty tasty, as was the baba ganoush and hummus. the tabouleh was mostly parsley, so we weren't big fans of that. the real treat on that platter was the cevizli peynir, which was a spread that is a mix of walnuts, cheeses and olive oil. of course, you gotta have a vehicle to shovel in all this tasty goodness; yay for free pita bread! knowing i was going to be pretty full after the sampler, i just ordered an arugula salad. i rate that a "meh." the greens were wilted. had they been fresher, it would have been a tastier salad. husband had some sort of beef kabob of some sort, and said it was very good--tender and spicy. so today i wake up with major carb bloating from all that tasty pita, but i can only blame myself for that, and maybe the awesomeness of the water, pita, busboy guy for staying on top of the pita situation. we are glad we decided to finally try this place will return again for round 2.

Alvin B.

The food (wrap) is decent. Nothing special than other wraps you'd find in Turkish or Greek restaurants. I found that the service was not too friendly or hospitable. No smile and the waiter answered with short sentences.

Philip W.

I spent some time in Turkey years back, and have always lamented the rarity of good Turkish restaurants in the West Coast. Cafe Baklava fills the gap as well as any other place I've been to. Our meal was as good as many I had in Turkey. The Iskander Kebab - a dish that was a favorite over there but that I've never seen on a menu in the US - was excellent, as were the Sigara boregi. Now if only they'd add Cerkez Tavugu (Circassian Chicken) to the menu. The service was as welcoming, friendly and helpful as you would expect from Turks. I don't normally like to brave the Yuppie wasteland of the bayside Peninsula, but Baklava gives me a reason to do so.

Tony N.

3.5 is what I give it. The kebabs are a safe bet. The sun-dried tomato that comes with the flat bread is excellent, I always ask for seconds. Stay away from the lasagna in general, it's not layered like you would think. If space permits, sit outside on Castro Street, it is a great place to people watch while having a good lunch or dinner.

Karin L.

Been here three times...never again. First time we came it wasn't bad, it was a oh we'll give it another shot kinda place. The portions were good and I got the spicy ground beef kebab and it was tasty. The tomato dipping sauce was great. Second time we came was good as well. Third time is not the charm, I don't know what the hell happened. First complaint is the water, one glass had 5 pieces of ice that quickly dissolved and the other glass was 3/4 full of ice, to the point that you could hardly add any water to it and if you tried to drink from the cup, the ice would knock you in the face. Something THAT simple was screwed up, it didn't bode well. We requested a table outside in the sun, but he refused because it was a table that could accommodate 4, so we were seated in a cold shady 2 people table. Understandable I guess, but that table remained empty for the rest of lunch and was eventually given to 2 ppl. He was also curt and rushed. People seemed to be waiting quite some time for their lunches, if they can't manage the flow they really should hire more servers. There was also a lot of yelly orders from one guy to the others about where to put things or pour more water, which doesn't make for a pleasant lunch experience. This place looks cute and a lot of ppl seem to go here, don't be fooled. The price for lunch and dinner is the same for a lot of the kebab entrees ($12.95 for the spicy ground beef). The portions though seem to have shrunk 34-40%. Huge let down when our plates were served. Even the rice didn't look fresh and looked over cooked. The rice looked like yesterday's rice that sat out and dried up. *sigh* The lamb dish ($14.95) had 4 chunks of meat. The spicy ground beef kebab was a far cry from what it used to be, now it was a shriveled and dry piece of....mealy meat flavored sand. The meat on both dishes was overcooked and dry. I felt like I was eating adried meatball, it literally scratched my throat on the way down. They shoulda PAID me to eat that, terrible. The only things good on the plate were the grilled zucchini and red bell pepper. The grilled cauliflower was inconsistent, some pieces were way undercooked. Overall, a very disappointing lunch.........sad to have had to pay $30 for such a crappy lunch experience. Basically never returning again, even if someone else treats...maybe if they paid me to eat there I would. This was the WORST Mediterranean foodie experience I've ever had, and I may need a bit to recuperate before venturing out to eat at another Mediterranean place. Yes, it was so bad I'm swearing off Mediterranean food for a while.

Nishant J.

We visited Cafe Baklava last night for the second time, and again this time we were impressed. The service was top notch, with the waiter providing the correct impressions on the specials last night, and the head chef churning out his mom's own "IMAM" Eggplant recipe for my friend who is vegetarian. The lamb chops were to die for and the desserts were excellent too (we tried 4 of the available 7)! Highly recommend the place!

Brett K.

It's a really fun place that recalls European cafes--waiters squeezing by you through the narrow lanes between tightly packed tables, a small, open kitchen where you can watch the chefs preparing mounds of grilled vegetables and meat, and pretty good food. It's a great experience. and I was a big fan of the food too!

Akshay S.

Cafe Baklava is a nice little place in downtown Mountain View. I've taken a few friends from out of town there for dinner ... it's good for nights when you can't make it up to San Fran for some reason. The food and kebab's are great.... basically anything with lamb is delicious. Being able to sit outside on a warm night is really nice too... just be weary of the L. Ron Hubbard "Scientologists" next door who are always trying to give you a "free" stress test... those kinivers :) Note... you may need to make a reservation thurs-sat.

Vishwas B.

Food was good, although the place seems cramped when you have a group of 6 or more. Ordered the Tavuk Shish Kabab, which was very good. Even the Lamb chops and Mousaka were good.

Samantha R.

First off, I cannot comment on their kababs since I did not have them. But the mezze platter was very good. The baba ghanouj was flavorful and smoky, the hummus was tasty and had a nice texture, the pitas were warm and fresh. The falafel was also very good--it tasted fresh and wasn't completely coated in oil. I like the outside seating and the complimentary tomato tapenade and pita they give you. The falafel wrap was pretty standard, but their mezze platter is very good, better than Zucca's down the street. Added bonus: opportunity to escape from the preppy WASPy hell that is downtown Menlo Park .

Albert C.

Sometimes you just crave Mediterranean food (blame it on Reza's in Chicago) and when the craving hits, I head over to Cafe Baklava. Great falafel and solid hummus await. The doner (lamb and beef ) is excellent and the stuffed eggplant (karniyarik) is heavenly. I've had good experiences with the kebabs and the doner and falafel wraps (on the lunch menu) are hearty and hit the spot.

Mohammad M.

I love this place. The food is light and delicious. The wraps are very good if you want something quickly or you can try the Iskender Kabob.

hernan s.

Baklava is a pretty decent place. I would say it's the best value for your buck for a date dinner. The servers provide decent service and their selection is good. Everything in that place is cooked right. The meats are cooked right and I like the way they roast the vegetables. Piece of advice, don't avoid the appetizers!! Sometimes that's all I eat when I go to Baklava. However, my experience was once ruined when I saw a detail that hinted this is not a very clean place... Anyways, overall, this is a good place to go.

Philip T.

Above average Greek food. Service can be slow, and it's a little pricy. The outdoor dining area is nice.

monkey l.

wha? i'm a little confused about my fellow reviews. but i'll put down my two cents here. i'm somewhat of a harsh rater, i admit, but i was raised on pretty simple, homey cooking. my momma ruled the world, and what she said, i did, and because of that, now, i'll eat almost anything. that includes in college, when i only ate cheezits for dinner for a week. i'm not *that* picky - just as long as it is minimally palatable, not moldy, and not deathly undercooked. therefore, most food is average to me, good, but difficult to be mindblowing. but never, ever, have i ever had food put in front of me and have i ever said "i don't like this. it tastes bad. i can't eat it." not until, at least, last night when i went to cafe baklava. whatever was in my eggplant was just wrong. it shouldn't have been there. it tasted sour. it tasted rotten. and i think i'm repelled from eggplant forever more. true, the ambiance was there. the servers were really sweet and charming. but there was just something completely demented with the food. and that's why you go eat someplace. one star, people, one star. i warn you!

Aaron L.

I don't get down the Peninsula much, but Baklava was a nice find. The combo mezes plate was generous and well balanced; everything tasted fresh and flavorful. The kebabs I had were tender, not overcooked, and with a generous helping of grilled vegetables. Very pleasant and attentive service. If the weather's nice, sit outside.

Ruth R.

Good place if you are in the mood for some good Mediterranean food. Their Turkish tea is very good.

erdem u.

Not really authentic Turkish food. Their baklava is dry, manti they serve is basically ravioli with yogurt, and doner kebap is awful. However they have a nice atmosphere with the waitresses in traditional clothes, pictures from Turkey, you could even sometimes listen Ibrahim Tatlises (famous Turkish singer) on the background. I have to accept I am biased. Food is a big minus for somebody who ate Turkish cuisine in Turkey, but if you do not know the real taste of the foods in the menu, you might have a different feeling. If you want to eat Turkish food, find a Turkish friend who cooks or email me for the recipes :)

Kimberly M.

It was early evening, and there were only 3 other tables occupied at this spot. But I wanted to try it because I like Mediterranean food. The service was so slow and I saw our waiter chit chatting in the back alley with some other employees. He never came back to ask how the food was, he was too busy serving wine to the table of women tourists. The dish I had, Tavuk Guvec, had chunks of hard dry chicken. It was so powdery dry, I just picked at the soggy vegetables. My dining companion had a grilled kabob, and the chicken was much better prepared that way. Even though the kabob was decent, I wouldn't return to this place. I'd rather go a few miles down to the better alternative, Dish Dash, where the service is sincere and attentive, and the food is consistent.

Ann L.

So the bf and I came here the other day for lunch. It's an alright place, we were trying to find Gyros House, but couldn't find it. Well since it was a sunny day, we were seated outside. After being seated and drink orders were taken, the waiter... wait, bus boy, brought out a basket of pita triangles and this... tomato sauce dipping thing. It turned me off a bit, there was quite a lot of oil sitting on the top of it and I found it to be lacking flavor. Eh, anyway, onto our lunches. I ordered the Tavuk Wrap, which was a wrap filled with chicken breast, cucumbers, tomatoes and their yougurt sauce. I ordered fries with that but was brought out a salad (I guess that's fine, I shouldn't have fries anyway). Bf got their Tavuk Guvec which was this hot clay plate with chicken, eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers in this tomato sauce. I liked his dish more than mine, which I also thought was a little bland, but he liked my dish. We shoulda switched. Overall we liked our food and may come here again... may being the key word.

Debbi B.

I took a coworker to Cafe Baklava for lunch today. I was a little worried after reading some of the reviews, but we tried it anyway and were so glad we did! The ambience is very nice, and the food was wonderful. The portions were large enough that we both took something home. The pita and sundried tomato was really good; I'm normally not all that into bread stuff, but I kept going back for more. I would definitely recommend giving Cafe Baklava a try. It's not cheap (it was about $32 for 2 people at lunch), but it was very nice.

nimeesh s.

my wife and i were in the mood for mediterranean food and decided to check out this restaurant. we wish we had not. the food was very bland and oily. the best part of the dinner were the beer (turkish) i ordered and the glass of wine my wife had. we were both extremely disappointed with the food. the service was also lacking.

Goodbers G.

damnit, i hate when i intend to go somewhere very specific but then end up at the wrong place! i had meant to try mediterranean grill house, but my gps returned cafe baklava mediterranean grill. moussaka was ultra bland. ugh. another meal wasted on mediocre food.

Micki M.

A girlfiend decided to check out Cafe Baklava since we both enjoy outside eateries on Castro Street as well as Mediterranean food. My initial instinct upon arrival was to walk away! The waiter, possibly owner was extremely rude from the start. Although, I thought okay "BAD service, hopefully good food" I was right. The sample appetizer on the table consisted of a grilled red bellpepper sauce with pita bread for dipping. It was light and delicious!! We both decided on "wraps" She ordered the falaffel wrap and I ordered the mediterranean WRAP. Why did my wrap come out as a burger?? WTF?!?! I don't like to complain and I would probably have a "spit" wrap if I asked my food to be taken back so I just kept it. The food was mediocre. It was tasty but nothing special. The waiter never once asked if we needed anything despite the fact the the place wasn't that crowded. I asked for the bill and the waiter took my credit card with the bill and off he went. After 10-12 minutes another comes back with another bill?!? Okay again..WTF?!?! Get your act together! I said the waiter already took my credit card and the "original" bill, the baffoon huffs and puffs and walks away. My friend says make certain they don't double charge you. I called my on-line banking at that moment and found that they did! They charged my bill of $18 PLUS another $32!! So, when a different waiter comes back with my credit card slip I tell him what I just discovered. He says "And, and??!?" like i'm the f-en idiot! I called my bank to have them delete the incorrect charge and left without giving them a single penny as a tip. Since, tips means "To Insure Proper Service" there was nothing proper about the service. These guys sucked! It's unfortunate because the food wasn't bad! BEWARE OF COMPLETELY RUDE IDIOTS!

Dana L.

I thought that this place was great. The food was good, and fairly priced as well. I had lamb, which came with roasted peppers and rice. The lamb was just right; tender but not chewy, and perfectly grilled. The rice was tasty - not bland or overly sticky. I thought that the service was good, and pretty fast as well.

Alice S.

Great Mediterranean food. The eggplant beef dish is amazing. You also get a great sun dried tomato dipping sauce while you wait. A real treat. Servers are very attentive. However, the outdoor seating can be a bit loud as it is right on the street.

Sami K.

The meat was farily old and chewy. The yoghurt was delicious on the other hand. It is not cheap!

Bucky M.

Delicious Mediterranean food at reasonable prices.

Joanna S.

I think the food here was great. We were seated outside at these cute little tables. Then, I was brought some pita, which I think was not necessarily the freshest, but not the worst either. The great part about the meal was the entree. I had eggplant stuffed with rice with roasted vegetables. It was amazing.

Anita L.

There aren't many Mediterranean places I rave about. This, is certainly one who deserves accolades. The place is small with inside and outside seating as well as seating in the alleyway. The menu is also not big (typical of Mediterranean restaurants) with your typical offerings: falafel, hommous, babaghanoush, dolma etc. There are kebab offerings on the entree list as well. We opted for the Meze plate for 2 ($8.95) which wasn't big, but enough for us: 2 dolma, hommous, babaghanoush, 2 falafels, ceyvizli peynir (a walnut spread) which was delicious. Karides shish (prawn shish kebab) and the Combo kebab consisting of lamb, chicken and adana (spicy ground beef) followed. Both arrived on a bed of fragrant rice with grilled veggies (peppers and zucchini). The food was extremely flavorful but portions were small. It was enough, but I could've eaten more especially since we had to share it with the 5 year old who loved the lamb. We ordered this dessert called Kunefe which was two layers of shredded fillo dough filled with cheese, baked and served with homemade syrup and pistachio nuts. Sounds better than it tasted. The texture was like rice vermecelli which was layered with cheese, baked and served with only a little bit of syrup and nuts. I didn't like that at all. Check out their website: cafebaklava.com for more details.

markus j.

I like this place. Especially the appetizers. Very nice. Ask for recommendations. Nice atmosphere.

Chris H.

Friends at work had recommended this place. Was very impressed with the wonderful bread and sauces that came to the table, at first. We ordered the "mezza platter to share, which was very good, but a little bit on the small side... Am giving 5 stars because of the wonderful service. the fantastic bread and the "turkish coffee..." Well, I need to explain about the turkish coffee.... The waiter was wonderful and engaging... Explained to us that there was a "specific way" to serve "turkish coffee," which made it "taste better...." He brought the tiny little cups to us on a platter, but said that he needed to do "something special...." He hurled the cups around his head in a big circle, (without spilling a drop), and informed us that this made the coffee taste better.... Don't know too much about how that may have affected the taste, but the waiter was a joy!!!! Will go back again.... LOL

Aimee B.

I really wanted to like this restaurant & gave it a second try last week. It started off well - the pita tasted fresh and the dipping sauce served with it was delicious. The cup of lentil soup I ordered as a starter was pretty good. The service was good as well. I was starting to think perhaps our first visit had just been an off night. Unfortunately, the food went downhill from there. The Moussaka was bland and the spices in the Karides Guvec were overpowering. Additionally, the prawns were shelled, but not deveined and overcooked. I don't think we'll be giving it a third try.

Jeannie R.

Very good. Cozy. Good deals. My husband and I moved to the area six months ago and we eat out often. This is our favorite place. That said, it is not our favorite mediterranean restaurant anywhere by a long ways. It's the best we've found in the area.

Stephanie L.

On Valentine's Day, we went to Downtown Mountain View for lunch. More specifically, we went to Cafe Baklava. We had walked by the place a couple times after eating at other restaurants near by and noticed how cute it looked. The restaurant itself was quite small with about ten tables total. About five or six tables were located in the back area which is where we were seated. Interestingly enough, the kitchen was located near the front of the restaurant in plain view. The chef happily acknowledged us as we were one of the first customers in for the lunch hour. Our waiter came by to ask what we wanted to drink. I dared to drink on a work day during lunch, so I got a glass of Chianti. Justyn settled for a glass of water since he had to drive. A bit later we got the house "bread and butter" which consisted of a sun dried tomato mixture and flat bread. The photo below just doesn't this any justice. It was delicious... more than good. The quality of ingrediants really showed in this dish and we devoured it all. I later asked the chef what was in it. It's basically just sun dried tomato, basil, garlic, and olive oil blended together. That's it! I thought it had a touch of anchovy or sardine in it, since it had a slight fishy flavor. The waiter came by with my glass of wine and asked if we were ready to order. I had a bit of a hard time trying to decide between dishes, but I settled on the lunch special which the waiter described as "ground lamb on a couple pieces of bread topped with tartar sauce and served with fries or salad". Justyn got the kabobs with grilled veggies and rice. My dish sounds elegant and weird right? Not so. It actually turned out to be a lamb burger with tartar sauce and fries. BUT, it was good. really good. The burger was perfectly seasoned with exception of the tartar sauce. The pickles or something in the sauce was really salty. Justyn's entree was really good. The ground lamb kabobs had a lot of powerful flavors in it... one of which I picked out to be fennel seed. The grilled veggies which sounded plain to me, were extremely and suprisingly flavorful. I wished I had gotten a kabob plate instead. Oh well, I enjoyed my burger just as well. Since lunch went so well, we were half debating on getting dessert, but we were crunched for time. Once we paid the bill and walked by the kitchen, I decided to make small talk with the chef since I wanted to watch him cook. He was making risotto from scratch which I was impressed by. I stupidly told him that risotto takes a lot of time and he just shook his head. I would definitely make a second and third trip back to Cafe Baklava without blinking an eye. I love the open kitchen and being able to talk to the down to earth chef. I enjoyed the food and service a lot. I give this place a 9 of 10 which would make it the highest rated restaurant so far that I've done a review on.. I think!

jacky m.

while you decide on an order you are served complimentary homemade pita bread w/ the most delicious tomato garlic dip w/ olive oil. oh my gosh it was out of this world! my eyes rolled back bc it was so so delicious. man..i can't stop thinking about this place. it is the best mediternean restaurant i've been to. iit's tiny and cozy. one thing i love about this place is the kitchen and dining area share the same floor. diners are only a few feet from the chef! the prices are VERY reasonable about $8-15 entrees (some dishes cost more than $15). dining here on a budget is possible. moreover, portions are generous. i ordered the tilapia special ($13) and beef ravioli w/ yogurt sauce ($8). both were great which flavors were complex! the $20 bottle of French chardonnay was wonderful pairing.my buddy ordered the lamb shank w/ beans which was not worth raving about. the service was very friendly even though our waiter was forgetful. i can't stop talking about this place and i can't wait to go back!!

Jeff M.

I used to live in Mountain View, and have eaten at Cafe Baklava numerous times. The Falafal is excellent, good taste and spicy. I thought the adana kabab was pretty good, but not great. My last time there, however, I ordered the bayte kabab, which I had had before and liked, and got a meal with absolutely no spices or taste, just bland beef. I was very disappointed. Turkish food is supposed to be spicy and full of taste.... As mentioned by another reviewer, they make a good glass of Turkish tea. Would have gotten at least three stars if my last meal hadn't been so disappointing and made me so angry.

Eric A.

Great food, pretty good service, wonderful atmosphere. I loved the food here, even though I'm not big on Mediterranean food. It was delicious. The atmosphere was great. They have this little alleyway next to the restaurant where there are a few tables. It's great to be able to have outdoor dining in Mountain View without the sidewalk cutting through. Indoors is nice too. It took a little longer than I would have liked for the food to come, but what do you expect at 11:45 on a weekday when every table is filled?