Pasha is by far the best Turkish restaurant in the area. Food and service is always awesome. I suggest the Pasha kebab; which is a little too soaked in tomato sauce, but pretty delicious, Turkish pizza called lahmacun, and the meze platter, which is basically several kinds of cold appetizers. If you still have room for dessert, I recommend kunefe, which is angel hair pasta with syrup. Also, don't forget to order some Turkish tea with it, that comes in a fancy tiny "tulip glass".
(4)
Rajesh P.
A feel at home Turkish place , This place seems to be really authentic. Great food and service. The hostess and the owner seems to take care of people well. My friend got some Turkish language lessons from the Hostess so that was impressive. We tried Sultan's Admirer ( Hunkar Begendi ) which was ok but the Alexander the Great Kabob was just superb with rich spices and taste. After all that food I felt better with their Turkish Pumpkin Desserts which was really cool.
(4)
Gillian C.
Holy mackerel! This place was so so good. To start, we had the spicy mashed vegetables, yogurt sauce blended with walnuts and dolmades. Those dolmades are the best I've ever had. Hands down. My father had the mixed meat kebob (and he's pretty picky) and he finished the whole darned thing. Then said "OK, I will put this on my 'list'". You have to be pretty special to make "the list". My husband and I had the stuffed baby eggplant and it was perfect. It was so flavorful only enhanced by the rice and salad that was served with it. We had the pumpkin dessert. Heaven on earth. They use butternut squash because "turkish pumpkin" is impossible to procure here in the US. She told me it was infinitely better than the butternut squash. I find this very hard to believe as this was OMG good. Oh, and the service - fast and uber friendly. She was great! The only thing is that it is kind of small - so go on a weeknight! In closing, if you're in Arlington, MA, you NEED to try this place.
(5)
Liz L.
So delicious! The spicy mashed vegetables were fantastic - they came with pita but we could have eaten them by the spoonful (washed down with lots of water, of course!). The Alexander the Great, doner kabob smothered in sauce and little bits of soft and crunchy pita, was a real treat and the lamb casserole was delicious. Highly recommend!
(4)
G G.
I'm going to bump my review up a bit. Recently, my wife turned vegan, making choosing a dining spot way harder. Often, places I really want to go only give her one option. Happily, Pasha has tons of vegan options (which are clearly marked on their menu) while still having plenty of meat to keep me happy. Oh, and an odd note: I was at first dismayed when I noticed that they had french fries on the menu. That usually send up a red flag about how dedicated they are to their cuisine. How authentic can it be if ithey serve french fries? But authentic or not, they are some of the best fries I've ever had!
(5)
Richard H.
Incredible! I cannot wait to return to Pasha. We visited Pasha for lunch and found the restaurant deserted. We sat down and were immediately welcomed by friendly waitstaff and a well-priced lunch menu. We started with the red lentil soup ($5.00), which was perfectly balanced, not salty, and not too thick. It was a great start to the meal especially after walking in from a cold December day. For the main course, I decided on the Pasha Kabob ($14.50), a lamb skewer wrapped in roasted eggplant and smothered with tomato sauce and yogurt. I couldn't help myself from using the bread to sop up any leftover tomato and yogurt sauce on this excellent dish. The lamb was tender and flavorful and the eggplant had the right mix of crunch and taste - combined with the tomato/yogurt sauce, it was divine. The true highlight was the dessert. After ordering a turkish coffee, I decided on the Kunefe for dessert. ORDER THIS DISH. I rarely use caps on yelp, but this puffy wheat and honey dish with a touch of cheese was fantastic! I was slightly worried that the cheese would have a strong taste when I read the menu description, but it is very mild and the true taste comes from the honey. It is served warm, and is enough for two people. I have never had anything quite like this - especially the fluffiness of the stringy wheat cake - just order it, you will not regret it, except at your waistline. Definitely planning to return to dinner.
(5)
David T.
Pasha hits a sweet spot of great food and great ambiance. I've loved every dish I've ever had here, the staff are friendly, there's always Turkish music (or sometimes Klezmer?) playing at a pleasant background volume, and the decoration is warmly and lushly colorful without being at all gaudy or pretentious. Also, having spent some time in Istanbul I can say the food experience at Pasha is definitely authentic -- a great place for a Turkish fix back at home. Must try: -The chilled appetizers (mezes) platter -- spicy tomato tapanade, beet tzatziki, thick-as-ice-cream yoghurt, hummus, and the best grape leaves I've ever had -Haroum, a cheese/filo pastry desert Probably skip the sandwiches, and stick to the prepared appetizers and entrees for the best choices.
(5)
Lager P.
That one star is for decent food other than that the waiteress has no experince and she has attitude come on we paid for good service and trust me we were the second table at that time. Get experince waiter than ill come to eat again
(1)
Ali H.
I'm giving this place 5 stars just because the Iskender Kebab. The only Iskender Kebab i've taste so far that reminds me of Turkey. Thier sweets are great and Biymali pide (ground beef and lamb Pizza) beautiful.
(5)
Tara T.
This excellent restaurant is probably my favorite sit-down place in the well-fed Arlington Center neighborhood. I love the cold mezze plate and Turkish coffee (they have decaf!) I've been going there for ages and never written a review, but what put me over the top is that I had leftovers yesterday from a mezze plate and they packed them up impeccably. All those little little blobs of humus etc are in my take-away package for future enjoyment and well segregated by veggie sticks. Thank you, thank you!
(5)
Andy V.
This was our fourth visit to Pasha. We visited first when it opened and seemed promising but the kitchen was overwhelmed and many items on the menu were not available. The second visit was several weeks later when the restaurant seemed to hit its stride and the third a few months later with some friends. There was always something missing from this restaurant that keeps it from being truly exceptional and on our "go-to" list. Perhaps it is the menu selections, many of which can be prepared ahead of time and simply reheated when ordered (thus the lack of a really nice shish kabob). Perhaps it is the indifferent, inflexible service which doesn't allow a party of four to sit at an unreserved table by the window on a slow afternoon because a party of six might walk in and that is the only table that can seat six (hasn't the management heard of pushing one four person table and one two person table together?!) But I digress. It has been a good two years since the last visit and all these memories came back and were reinforced during our latest. We had to ask for the pita bread to be brought to our table half-way through our entree, which is something unheard of in a middle-eastern restaurant. The food was heavy; the Pasha Kabob is the closest to a shish kabob and it is cooked ahead of time basically until the meat is tough and stringy. The kitchen not-so-cleverly tries to cover up this injustice by wrapping the meat in a chewy eggplant and ladling on the the tomato-yougurt sauce. In short, this restaurant has a long way to go before it can be considered foodie-heaven, which is a shame because authentic Turkish restaurants are in short supply. It is clear that the management is trying to economize to ensure its survival in a tough market. However, others can and do flourish and I would easily recommend Sarma or Istanbu'lu in Somerville or Brookline Family Kitchen in Brookline Village if you would like to sample a much more authentic version of Turkish food. And short of a trip to Istanbul (which we are schedule to take next month) if you are ever in NYC, there is the Turkish Kitchen on 2nd Ave in Murray Hill. Any one of the aforementioned restaurants can beat Pasha hands-down on food, ambience, and service.
(3)
Alan C.
Turkish co-worker brought our team here for dinner. Great choice. Food: I had the Marinated Chicken Casserole ( Tavuk Guvec ). The chicken was extremely flavorful and the spices was infused into it very well. The melted cheese on top complimented the dish well and the mixed texture of it along with slight sharpness created a great taste in every spoonful. Goes well with the rice. Drink: No Turkish meal is complete without tea or coffee. I had the coffee which was strong and had very deep earthy flavor. Ambiance: The place is small but has few large tables and good for a 8-10 group and whole place probably sits around 20 people. The entire place was decorated in Turkish style with cloth hanging from ceiling, paintings and music. Very authentic feel to the place. Service: Waitress was attentive and provided excellent service. She spoke Turkish with our co-worker so coordinated the apps and drinks well, along with explanation on some of the dishes. The owner also came by a spoke with our co-worker and treated us well. Parking: Some street parking in front and sides. Pay for communal parking in back. If you park on the side street, make sure you read the signs as there our time restrictions and/or residency requirements.
(5)
Yasameen A.
I like the food. Little bit pricy but it worths it. Also, the stuff are so kind. We had a nice conversation with the owner. The meat is Halal too. Definitely coming back
(5)
Aibo H.
When I discovered "Pide" (Turkish pizza) on Pasha's wediste, I decided to try it the next day. We were greeted by a really friendly wait staff while walking in. The decor insides is quite rich and exotic, somehow reminds me traditional Middle East custom. Some ottomanesque fabric hangs from rafters and covers on wooden tables. About the food, we got stuffed eggplant and vegetable casserole listed on the lunch special menu, and also ordered lamb pizza and onion ring from the regular menu. Amazing! The lamb pizza (kusabasi pide) did not disappoint me. It was so good. I am glad I have asked recommendation by the wait staff since they have a variety selection of pides. The lamb pizza is good but next time I'll try something new and go with mozzarella pide. Because the wait staff told me the mozzarella is always a great choice. Stuffed eggplant is not for vegetarians. It was stuffed with some grounded beef and lamb. I only tasted a small spoon of it, it was great as well. I love vegetable casserole topped with some mozzarella cheese, which made it taste better. But it was a little greasy for my taste. After that, I ordered oven rice pudding for our dessert to share. The portion was really generous. It was definitely a perfect ending. As for the apple tea, it tasted like hot apple juice, and a tad of sweet. Overall, I felt very satisfied about everything at Pasha, from the service to the food. I can't wait to come back soon.
(5)
Denise M.
This is a great place to come with friends and grab a bite to eat. All of the appetizers are big enough to share, the entrees are a generous portion size. We ordered the falafel (gluten free) and it was perfect for us! I had the combo, I wish they would have added more skewers as to make it gluten free they took two items off the plate and didn't replace it with more food. It was still a good portion size. I ate half and took the rest home for lunch. The lamb, beef and chicken kebabs were tender, the salad and vegetables a perfect compliment to the skewers. My friend cleaned their plate, every last crumb. Love coming here. The decor is welcoming, the staff are super nice but the food is what will keep me coming back.
(4)
Prapti P.
The restaurant isn't very large but the space is warm and comfortable. We went to dinner rather early so there weren't that many people there, but when full I could see how it could feel a little cramped. The wine list was a good mix of wines including a few from Turkey which complemented the meal. I had the Kuzu Sis which is lamb grilled and served with peppers and got a side of Bulgur Pilavi (cracked wheat rice). The lamb was cooked perfectly and the seasoning was great. There was none of the gamey smell or taste that some lamb dishes can have. The grilled peppers added the perfect amount of heat if you wanted. The baklava was wonderful one of the best I have had, while the honey cake was a bit disappointing in how sweet and dry it was. The price is a bit steep but it was a wonderfully spiced meal and worth the visit.
(4)
Nan A.
The inside of this restaurant is earthy and inviting. Really expansive menu of unique Mediterranean food. I tried and loved the Ottoman Salad last time I was there. The Ottoman Salad is a mix of shredded white cabbage, red onion, tomatoes, green peppers, mint, sliced dried figs and wheat, with house pomegranate dressing. Not many restaurants can combine unusual ingredients like these and make a delicious, clean, crisp flavored salad like this. I'm looking forward to my next trip to Arlington so I can try more of their specialties.
(5)
Patricia A.
It is worth coming here just to try the smooth coffee at the end of your meal. I like the simple yet authentic ambiance of this restaurant. They sell Turkish beers and wines. We ordered a bottle of the Kavaklidere Yakut. The generous portions won't leave you hungry! We ordered the chilled mixed appetizer plate, fainting imam and a couple of the grilled lamb dishes. Everything was so good! We ended the meal with a baklava and coffee. I was impressed with all of the gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan options. Come here if you want to feel like a sultan or sultana!
(4)
H P.
The Arlington food scene has rally improved over the past 5 years. Add one more to the list of growing ethic restaurants. Turkish is not something widely available. Similar to Greek, but with its own spin. Well worth going to.
(5)
Ariel Z.
Fantastic, authentic Turkish cuisine. Literally everything was spot on! Even the starter (bread with black olive tapenade, garlicky olive oil, and spicy red pepper dip). Ordered the Pasha Kebab (Kebap) that is wrapped in eggplant and drizzled with tomato and yogurt sauce. The red lentil soup is a great starter for a cold winter night. It comes in the perfect portion and has a little kick to it. The apple tea was so delicious...almost like apple juice. It comes out in a traditional Turkish carrier and small china. The menu is so expansive that this is the type of place you have to return time and time again. This is definitely my new favorite, quiet neighborhood spot.
(4)
Timothy H.
Came here with my sister for dinner and the food was awesome. I like them, because they have more choices on their menu compared to other Turkish restaurants that I've been to. The food here is amazing! My only gripe is that this place is a lot more expensive than other Turkish places, so it's a bit of trade between more selections of dishes versus price.
(3)
Ece S.
As a Turkish person it is hard to find a good turkish cuisine in Boston!! But not this time. My husband and went there for the first time and it had very nice service. Very delicious food. It was a great experince and not a let down this one. This is going to be my favorite restaurant! !!
(5)
Janat B.
I absolutely recommend this restaurant 100 percent I always eat the food is delicious tasty well done and healthy too I Have little story for you guys when I say I recommend it I mean that Every time I'm pregnant I get diabetic and my sugar use to get so hight every time I eat something I use to get insulin shots 4 times a day And I experience every time I come to this restaurant I don't even get my insulin shot after I eat the food ( chicken kabab meal comes with salad and buger - beef - I drink juice )always always when I check my sugar is normal 110 -115 from 290-280 Is really good healthy food
(5)
Paul G.
I love this place. The kabobs are tasty. The cold appetizer dish is always good. Ending the dinner with a Turkish coffee and baklava is great.
(5)
Anna S.
We had dinner here for the first time tonight, it was simply AMAZING. Loved everything from the appetizers to the meals. We ordered the Spicy Mashed Vegetables and Mujvair for appetizers. Both were excellent. We ordered the Ottoman Salad (its a must!) flavors work amazingly well together. I ordered the Sultan's Admirer and my husband the Marinated Lamb Casserole. Food was great and service was perfect.
(5)
Dorise G.
Solidly delicious, exotically quaint, surprisingly uncrowded, and totally unique. Where else in the city can you get a turkish sausage (that's all beef, friends) and egg flatbread pide? Which basically tastes like the best part of the top of a filo pie as a pizza crust. Also, it's hard to go wrong with lamb and beef stuffed eggplant. And I know the honey goat cheese dessert looks large, but you will scarf down one of those things easy. I'm seeing lots of service complaints here which kind of surprises me - they were extremely attentive and kind, even with mild language barriers. The food wasn't quite in 5-star category, but it's definitely a solid 4/4.5 stars. If I'm in Arlington, would be stoked to go back and either repeat the same meal or try one of the other many intriguing options on the menu. If you're in Arlington, you want a great hole-in-the-wall, and you want to not be boring - Pasha's a great pic for friends or for dates or for someone who just wants to try something out of the box. Do it!
(4)
Adi D.
Delicious food. I tried the vegetarian appetizers and entree and was tasty. The baklava was also nice. Recommend to go there! Ohh and the apple tea was so cool..
(5)
Chris C.
Delicious food, adorable interior with rich tapestry runners and damask-covered lights and ceiling panels, music and tv playing scenes of turkey. I started with the Mujvair, which are 4 zucchini fritters with tomato sauce and garlic yogurt sauce drizzled over. Delicious and big enough to share. For my entree, I had the lamb casserole, which was a tomato-based casserole veggies and tender lamb, topped with just a small amount of mozzarella cheese, with a side of white rice or Bulgar. It was just the right size, and utterly delicious. For dessert I had turkish tea (nothing special) and the delicious Rolled Kataifi, which is basically a wheetabix version of baklava -- stuffed with walnuts and soaked in honey. Yum! My partner had the Iskender Kebab, which i've had at Saray in Allston, and almost warned him from getting, because i thought their version was uninspired, but his looked and tasted delicious. From beginning to end, this was a wonderful meal, and a real find.
(4)
Ammar A.
Go for dessert and coffee maybe but thats it. Food was average or below. Dry meat, under seasoned. Customer service was also not impressive. Had better for the same prices. Nop not going again
(2)
Eva G.
this is the best restaurant which I ever seen in Boston area. I was looking for a nice turkish soup and eggplant which I could find here... Thanks God) everything was very tasty! there are 2 kind of Turkish soups if you come for the first time I would advice to take not tomato but Red Lentil Soup! you should definitely try that) and if you are a coffee gourmet try MEHMET EFENDI coffee..that's the best Turkish coffee (I like it more than Italian) so, if you missed Turkish food I would advice this place.
(5)
C S.
Great find! Great vegetarian options. Exceptionally nice and helpful owner(?) We were short on time so ordered ahead. Food ready when we arrived, place was so lovely we dished our take-out onto plates and decided to enjoy and be late for the commitment. Will most definitely be back.
(5)
Meredith D.
This was a great local find - I am new to Arlington and love trying all the new places. The falafel wrap was delicious and the lentil soup very tasty. My husband got the chicken wrap which was also really tasty. Everything was so fresh. A few reasons this did not get a 5 star for me...1, the wrap itself, while tasty, reminded me of something out of a bag and not made fresh, the insides were delightful. The coffee at the end had a taste that I could not tolerate...however my husband really enjoyed his. Lastly, there wasn't any ready Baklava, but oh well, right?! I will be back for sure.
(4)
L L.
Lovely atmosphere. Great Turk food! I've ordered take-out 4x and eaten in once in the last couple of years. Every time was better than the last. Rec: stuffed eggplant. Never had it better!
(4)
Umut Z.
A Turkish owned restaurant with exceptional food and great atmosphere. Ordered a lahmajoun, manti ( Turkish Style Ravioli ) and mixed grilled kabob with my girlfriend. The original Turkish lahmajoun is supposed to be thinner; however, the taste was satisfactory. Manti and the mixed grilled kabob were delicious, very similar to how they cook in Turkey. We ordered 2 glasses of Turkish Raki (a popular anise-flavored alcoholic drink), which I couldn't detect on the menu, but asked the waiter if they have it (and they did !!!). As a dessert, we had a kunefe, which was just like how it is supposed to be! It is cheese stuffed shredded wheat with syrup on top. May sound weird but tastes fantastic. In short, it is a great Turkish restaurant. Super decoration. A bit pricey, but I think it is worth it. If you go there, ask for Turkish Raki (for some reason it is not on the menu, but they have it). And definitely try kunefe as a dessert. Finally, I think they need more waiters/waitresses. It is not a huge restaurant, but gets crowded at dinner hours and service slows down, although the staff is very friendly and kind. Edit: Heard from a friend that the quality of food is usually better on Friday and Saturday evenings. I went there on a Saturday evening and enjoyed it. Personally haven't tried it on any other day though.
(5)
Tsachi A.
An excellent Turkish spot in Arlington center. I'll start with what it isn't - it is not a quick bite place (atmosphere is extremely relaxed) and it is not an American-Greek style restaurant. What it does well, is making wonderfully flavored dishes that are Turkish in origin. The meat always tastes fresh and is never dry. The hummus plate is a great way to start, and goes well with the bread they serve. The owner is usually around and very friendly. Service isn't fast, but it's due to a relaxed approach, not because they ignore you. Overall it is a great place in Arlington center with different flavors compared to everything around.
(5)
Simon L.
Food is a four, service is a three. Very polite and friendly but, the constant pacing up and down the restaurant was particularly frustrating. This past Wednesday, myself and one other table were the only customers in the restaurant. 8:30 pm and my guess is that the kitchen wanted to go home because the waitress couldn't wait to take my order quickly enough and did not seem to understand that I wanted a drink, an appetizer and then a moment to acquaint myself with the menu. After struggling to intimate what I wanted, another server came over and asked if i was ready to order. A glass of turkish red was bold and booming with flavor sensations. The fresh, creamy and thick Hidieri yogurt, housemade with dill, parsley and walnuts was wonderfully refreshing. Served with toasted pita slices, carrots and celery for scooping. As recommended by the server, the stewed chicken with red tomato wine sauce, vegetables encircled by creamed eggplant is rich, smooth and completely satisfying. Served with no starches, this incredible dish is worth the trip alone. Apart from the irritating pacing, this recent addition is certainly worth the trip to Arlington.
(3)
Deb S.
This is my new favorite restaurant. The food is delicious, service great and atmosphere warm and comfortable. I especially like the wide range of choices for vegetarians and non-vegetarians, making it an easy choice for friends with different lifestyles.The wine list is good, and the Turkish wines a pleasant surprise.Prices are reasonable as well.
(5)
Andrew D.
Stopped in for dinner with my partner. Service was friendly and the atmosphere was mellow. I tried what they call the Sultan's Admirer. It has been a few months and I still think about this dish. I don't know why but the word that keeps coming to mind to describe its taste and texture is 'comforting'. I moved away from Arlington, but I've been wanting to make the 25 mile trek just to go back to Pasha.
(4)
Dave O.
Great spot. Great food. An engaged and friendly owner who appreciates his customers. The hummus is outstanding. Try the spicy mixed vegetables!
(5)
Man M.
A great addition to Arlington. Food is savory, properly cooked and seasoned. This is my comfort food even though I am not from Turkey. Try the Kunefe dessert. Simply amazing. I love the casserole dishes!
(5)
Gagash G.
visited this place numerous times during 2013 and early 2014 - never disappointed. Usually started with babaqanush and turkish beer EFES. Then.. Adana Kebab never dissapointed. Family friendly, since my 5 year old loved the place as well.
(4)
Loyda A.
I loved the food there until recently. We decided to try their Salmon and it was really bad: dried, overcooked, discolored (white instead of pink). The bulgur was also not the best. When we brought this to the attention of the waitress - she said that she will pass it along to the chef, but still charged us in full for the dish, mostly unconsumed... They might have lost the loyal customer over $19.
(2)
Sneha S.
On the recommendation of one of my Turkish friends , my husband and I dined @ pasha this weekend. We are ardent fans of the middle eastern cuisine and had high expectations. We have been to other Turkish restaurants in the area - Bosphorous and Istanbul both of which were good as well. First of, the decor of this place is beautiful- they've paid attention to aesthetics and that adds to the experience Secondly and most importantly, the food is delicious and worth all the stars it has received here. They have a yogurt based appetizer which was yum! I ordered a chicken entree and my husband ordered a poke+beef mixed entree, both of which were served with adequately spiced Bulgarian rice - all of which was really tasty And finally the staff - they are pleasant , polite ,friendly and will take time out to explain what a particular item on the menu is (especially desserts) We loved the place and highly recommend it. Best, Sneha
(4)
Crystal J.
The food is really good. Pretty much every dish is good, and their Turkish coffee is very good and unique.
(5)
Frank B.
Have on previous visits enjoyed the falafel, vegetarian Mousakka, and other vegetarian dishes. The red lentil soup is just ok when I wanted to really love it. The hummus is very good. I have not yet tried the Pide's, but am looking forward to that. We went once when it must have been a first online date sitting next to us. The close quarters can make it a little awkward sometimes if there is an unusual crowd that evening. There is also a lunch menu with good value. The servers are extremely nice and thoughtful. This is a pleasant neighborhood attraction.
(3)
Elif K.
It's one of the best Turkish restaurants I've ever been. They have amazing food. I was born in turkey so I know the real Turkish food and this place almost made me feel like I was in turkey ! Try the lahmacun it's just amazing !
(5)
Keem H.
This is a great Turkish Resturant. The food is amazing. They have some new dishes that I never tried at any other Turkish place. The atmosphere is very nice. They play authentic music that makes your visit pleasant. I was really wowed with the food. Same price as any other Turkish place in Boston. If you wanna try something different, I would highly recommend Pasha.
(5)
Stephen M.
Food was fresh and flavorful. Hilarious Turkish ministry of tourism videos playing. Man on stallion leaps over modern bridge.
(4)
Phil C.
Pasha is barely passable, and not spectacular. The service was okay and the decor was nice. However, the food was lacking in any personality (translation: flavor) and was on the pricier side. The kafka kabob I had wasn't spicy, flavorful, or salty enough. It's not a dreadful experience, but I'm sure there are better Turkish places around...
(3)
Nicole S.
Friday night, every restaurant on Boston Ave. from Harvard Sq. to Arlington seemed packed. We were a group of 4 looking for a nice spot for an impromptu dinner, and every place we went offered an hour wait. Finally we dropped into Pasha, knowing nothing about it (or about Turkish food in general). We couldn't have been more pleased! We were greeted and seated instantly. The restaurant was just quiet enough for a good conversation, with intriguing decorations and textures from walls to ceiling. Throughout the meal the servers were friendly and prompt. We were all kind of cranky after wasting so much time trying to find a place for dinner, but started cheering up the moment we sat down at Pasha. Our journery started feeling a little serendipitous- how else would we have ended up at Pasha, so far into Arlington? We started with some hummus & pita (how am I to judge a mediterranean restaurant without trying their hummus?)- perfectly garlicky and smooth, with some crunchy carrots and cucumber. So far, so good. My friends tried the fried mozzofeta sticks; they're exactly what you think, hot crispy filo around a super-melty mozzarella/feta combo. We also tried the Kavaklidere Yakut red Turkish wine. I'm no wine snob, but it was a great match for the food! Not super hungry, we split a Fainting Imam (pinenut and raisin stuffed eggplant with bulgur) and a Vegetable Moussaka (thinly sliced eggplant layered with cheese and tomato; think sort of a sweeter, softer eggplant parmesan). Both were nicely portioned- could be very filling for one person, were just enough for us to split with the appetizers. We couldn't resist the Kataifi for dessert either; crispy shredded wheat, dense walnuts and pecans, and sticky honey. Everything, excellent. I can't wait to bring my family & friends back here! New favorite Arlington spot. Possibly one of my favorites on Mass. Ave., period.
(5)
J.J. B.
Have walked by this place several times and seen it full every time. Hadn't really heard anything about it, but the wife and I decided to give it a go. Not really knowing what to expect from Turkish/Mediterranean cuisine, we were a bit skittish as to how we'd like it. We came away fans. The vegetable puree dip appetizer was very good w/a bit of a kick. I had the stuffed cabbage, which was unfortunately a bit blander than I had anticipated (hence the 3 stars), but my wife's sauteed chicken with rice was VERY GOOD with plenty of flavor and just enough spice to give it a pleasant kick. We would definitely go again.
(3)
Charlie T.
Nice, family owned business. Great to have turkish food here in Arlington. I don't remember the name of the dish I had, but it was a chicken dish served in a small hot crock pot. Best hummus I've ever had.
(4)
Emily C.
I've been here a couple of times and it's a great little restaurant with delicious food! There's a nice selection of Turkish wines and our server made a very nice recommendation to go with the lamb and vegetable kebabs with bulgur. For dessert, we had honey cakes and Turkish coffee. So good! This is definitely on our list of favorite restaurants.
(4)
DJ N.
$$$AVE YOUR MONEY!! $MALL PORTION$ HIGH PRICE$$ POOR $ERVICE We came here for my sister's birthday lunch.... Since we had a toddler with us we wanted to pick a place close to home and that had a kid's menu. Side note: for a place that has a Kid's menu, they should look into booster seats. When we walked in we were please with the simple decor. Or table was reserved (6 adults, 1 toddler) and we were seated right away. This is a small restaurant so when there are more than 10-12 people there it looks busy. The menu looked great, but we were surprised that the lunch specials were so pricey. We started with 3 appetizers, hummus (not enough pita accompanied it), the falafel (4 small flattened pieces served with tahini sauce) and the fried mozzafeta sticks. The falafel and mozzafeta came with 4 pieces each This lead us to order one more falafel plate. To be honest, the falafel was bland. We had to drench it in tahini to get decent flavor. Since the appetizers were not filling we ordered a couple of salads. We were told that the entrees that we ordered did not come with salad, but the wraps did. We ordered a mediterranean salad and a house salad. The house salad was so small and skimpy. The mediterranean salad was basically the house salad with red onion and a small sprinkle of feta. For $8.25, it was a ripoff. One person ordered the red lentil soup. It was simple, but very tasty. Our lunch entrees were $13-$15 on average and the portions were severely small. The flavors were very good, but it left us all wanting for more. 3 of us got the Adana Kebab. It was tasty, but dry. It was accompanied by a small serving of rice or bulgur. The size of the kebabs were so scrawny it felt like a kid's meal. One person had the lamb casserole and while it was flavorful it seemed like the short cut version of a casserole. When something is baked in the over it should not look or taste like it was cooked in a frying pan. This casserole was not cooked in the over - no way, no how. 2 people ordered the doner (gyro) kebab and again, it was tasty, but they left not feeling full and feeling like they were overcharged. The toddler had the chicken kebab, Not surprisingly, his portion was about the same as ours. Pasha really needs to get its act together and price its food more fairly. I don't mind paying for a good meal, but at least give me a decent portion. Other things that didn't help our experience: We called in advance to let them know we had a toddler and that we were celebrating a birthday. The reassured us that they had a cake that we could put a candle in for the obligatory/embarrassing singing of "Happy Birthday" at the end of the meal. The also said they would provide the candle. The didn't have a cake, as they told us before we went in, to bring out to wish my sister Happy Birthday, The stuck a candle in the baklava and brought it out. Not good. The service was not very good. The woman serving us was nice, but didn't understand much of what we were saying. I felt bad for her because she was the only one we saw working. Pasha needs to hire at least one other person so that customers don't feel neglected. It would be helpful if the person was fluent in english. Overal, the food was tasty, but the portions were way too small and the prices were ridiculously high. In this economy, that is a really bad combination. I do not recommend Pasha. 2 stars only because the flavors were good on some of the dishes. They could do much better!
(2)
Beth A.
Last night I was feeling adventurous and wanted to take my love out for something outside the usual pub fare -Mexican - Italian cuisine that we usually partake in. After reading many reviews I settled on pasha as it has a varied menu to choose from and is not too far from home. We were greeted by who I think was the owner and the restaurant was currently full he requested us to come back in 20 minutes which my partner and I were happy to do. Upon our return we were promptly seated and our water glasses filled. We started with the hummus which was served with fresh pita bread, 3 cucumbers and 2 baby carrots split in half. The hummus was a generous portion so my only complaint would be to add more veggies and or another pita to enjoy the deliciousness with. For my entree I got the chicken casserole which is served with rice. The casserole is comprised of chicken, peppers and onions in a tomatoes based sauce with mozzarella cheese on too it was phenomenal. My partner got the pasha kabob with chicken and it was equally delicious. With the kabob I would suggest including the side rice but honestly the rice that came with mine was enough for us to share. Our server was attentive without being overbearing and there was only one occasion throughout the meal that I wished he'd refilled my water glass sooner. Overall it was one of the best dinners I've had in a long time and I am excited to come back with a group of friends to enjoy another meal.
(4)
Manfred S.
Hmmmm - Efes! Never knew the Turkish can brew. Okay, it isn't German beer, but on par with Peroni. Oh yes, and you can eat here too, if you find a table. On this second attempt, Friday night, the wait was only 20 min. On the last attempt, I think it was a Saturday evening, we were told 90+ min and went elsewhere. Doner kebab was greasy (as it is supposed to be). The falafel appetizer was so big that it qualifies as a full meal. The other appetizer, mucver never came - which was okay as we were stuffed already. Great food with a few service imperfections. But overall, very friendly and super tasty.
(4)
Piril U.
I love their vegetarian options! I have dreams about their Vegetarian Moussaka. My Bf also loves their Doner, tender and tasty. It is super filling and usually an appetizer and entre does not quite leave space to desert :( The owner is very pleasant and generally this place has a good vibe to it. The decoration is tasteful too. I definitely prefer it over Pasha in Teele Square and I am born and raised in Turkey!
(5)
Rhea S.
As befits a small place, Pasha was crowded and service a bit erratic. And okay, it was a Saturday night. I was with a party of 6 and our meal, from start to finish, took nearly 3 hours. Four entrees came out and at that same time, the waitress told the two other people that the kitchen was "out" of their ordered meals. (Something that would have been nice to know sooner!) So, four of us were eating while two others waited a considerable time for their replacement meals. I'm relieved that they asked us to go ahead and eat and not wait for them :) It would have been nice to get comped our appetizer plate, or dessert/coffee in exchange for the hassle. When the bill came and we put our money in, we came up surprisingly short. Very short. The friend who organized the outing realized, too late, that we'd been charged for one of the entrees that we didn't get. The food was very good. I tried my husband's chicken shish kebab (very moist and nicely seasoned) and my manti was tasty, if a little visually off-putting (greyish pasta filled with minced lamb). The desserts were big enough for two people, although I would have been happy to have the semolina cake to myself. My advice is - don't go if you don't have time for a leisurely meal. Avoid weekend evenings, and be sure to check the bill. I'm glad we finally checked Pasha out and the food's good, but I wouldn't recommend it for a group of people.
(3)
Alyssa J P.
The Fainting Imam was delicious, but this place is hella expensive!!
(3)
Charlie B.
I feel like they've fixed the service issues - at least our waitress was competent, friendly, and sweet. Just got here from Turkey 2 mos ago, but her English was fine. Granted this was fairly late on a weeknight, so they weren't crowded. The food, as everyone seems to say, was great. We had the cold appetizer plate. Really the best babaganoush I've had - unusually light and fluffy and no eggplant bite at all. Also the grape leaves (dolma) were sublime; much more interestingly seasoned than I've had before. For main courses I had eggplant stuffed with ground lamb; my husband had a lamb and vegetable sort of stew. Mine was good; his was great. Very nice presentation with colorful red cabbage, good side salad, rice in two clumps to make corners on the plate. For dessert we had the vanilla pudding browned on the bottom. Again delicious. And all extremely reasonable in terms of price.
(4)
Jim S.
Wow 20+ reviews and they are all over the place. I was there Sunday evening and it was fairly empty. Our service was excellent, but I would expect that. The fact that all the servers are women and different ones may bring you different things doesn't to me sound relevant to anything. My wife had an excellent eggplant stuffed with veggies. I had a mixed grill of all sorts of grilled meats. It was good, but didn't have enough of that "charcoal grill" flavor that's so nice with kebab-type food. We both had rice pudding for desserts as we are suckers for that. This had more cream and less rice than some, but it was good. I had also forgotten that Turkish coffee still has grounds in it and needs to be stirred, but it seemed authentic. Bread came with 3 dipping sauces - nice touch. High prices? Hardly. My mixed grill was the most expensive thing on the menu at $20. Most everything else was well below that. Small portions? I eat a lot and it was plenty. Wife took half of hers home. Glad we didn't order appetizers. I used to think on Yelp you needed 20 reviews to get a picture of a place. I may have to raise that to 100.
(4)
Jen L.
I learned of this place through a Turkish friend who I used to wait tables with. I had visited Turkey when I was 13 years old - specifically Adana, on the southern coast. He took me here to eat one day and I absolutely enjoyed myself from start to finish. One word of caution - the former chef, an older gentleman who knew so much about Turkish cuisine - has since left. We started off with the yogurt, nut, mint dip - I think it's the best such dip I've ever had. We tried a red lentil soup - delicious. My entree was a kabab that was local to Adana - ground/finely chopped meat with spices, wrapped around the kebab stick & grilled. Simply delicious. The best part was it came with a whole grilled hot pepper (I believe the name of the pepper is the Longhorn pepper) and that was such a good combination. After dinner, he suggested we try the rice pudding. I've never had a pudding I was crazy about, but I said okay, and I have to say, for a pudding, it blew my mind. It was VERY tasty and the consistency (which is key) was perfect. I washed it down with Turkish çay, which I had at every shop/market in Turkey, and made me feel like I was there again. I don't know for sure what all has changed since the chef left, but this place is still delicious (I've been since) and worth checking out.
(4)
Erica P.
I had been looking for some good Mediterranean-style food around Arlington, and was very excited when my dinner companions suggested Pasha on Mass Ave. We went for an early dinner, around 4 p.m. on a Sunday. There was only one other couple in the restaurant, and we were seated right near the window at a lovely table with beautiful, embroidered runners. Between 4 people we shared 3 appetizer, each of which was tastier than the last. The hummus came with warm, freshly baked bread. The mozzofeta sticks were nice and crispy without being greasy, and the fried baby zucchini with yogurt sauce was just fantastic. If you are a meat eater, definitely go for one of their specialty kebabs. I had the chicken skewers, which were marinated and cooked perfectly. Service was good. We asked for a "side" of yogurt sauce, and our waitress (who was very attentive) brought us a huge dish of it! Nom. I was stuffed to the gills when I left. I look forward to going back and trying the Turkish coffee and baklava for dessert!
(4)
Jonathan M.
Amazing. We have been looking for a good Turkish place nearby for a while, and this place was a fantastic find. Great food, really friendly staff and reasonably priced.
(5)
Jason H.
The short: pleasant atmosphere and tasty dishes with friendly waitstaff. Good for relaxing or a real nice date! The long: I went to dinner with a coworker and her friend; I had no idea what to expect since I didn't know either of them. But Turkish food is nice so I decided to see if this place was good too. First off, thanks for the staff for keeping our table despite us being about 30 minutes late for our reservation. They were pretty busy and I assume they easily could have filled the table had they wanted to. We ordered pretty light fare, nothing that expensive. So we got the Appetizer sampler platter which was 6 cold appetizers for $15, and a Chicken casserole type thing. The appetizer plate definitely feeds 2, maybe even 3 people if you're all girls. The restaurant features a nice bread that is perfect for eating with the appetizer. In the plate was minced beet, hummus, yogurt, baba ghanoush, and a couple other things plus cucumber slices. It's not gonna floor you with how amazing it looks (but it is very clean and neat, just not a masterpiece of visual display). The flavor of each item on the dish was distinct, fresh, and pleasing. Honestly, it probably would be perfect either for winter or summer. It was a cold platter but the beets and hummus still make you feel warmer, and the yogurt can cool you down without chilling you. The table settings and hokey TV images might be a little much, but they don't get in the way of having a really nice time. Total price of the platter, chicken dish, a couple other sides, and rice pudding dessert was $50. And we were more than stuffed. Definitely good value in my book. I'm definitely coming here again. I just wish it were closer to the city. And hopefully I'll have a date next time.
(4)
David G.
I'd give Pasha 4 stars for food, but I can't get through the door, because of their insane reservation policy. Two of us showed up for dinner at 7:30 on a Friday night, without a reservation. We were told that it would be impossible for them to seat us. So, the following Friday, I called to make a reservation. When I said it was for two people, I was told, "We can't take a reservation for that few. Just show up". I explained what had happened the previous time we "just showed up", but got little help. So, Pasha, I'm sorry you don't want my business, but good luck, anyway.
(2)
Esther K.
How can a restaurant exist for so long with such bad service?? If a good Turkish restaurant with decent service ever opened up across the street from Pasha, pasha would go out of business.
(2)
Stephanie G.
This is now my favorite Turkish restaurant in Boston. The prices are decent, and the food is delicious. Turkish food is a great mixture of eastern food and Mediterranean food. I got all up in arms when I read the part about moussaka being Turkish (my family is Greek) - them's fightin' words! - but my dad assured me it isn't actually Greek. So the Turks are off the hook, this time. I went with a party of six and sampled a lot of the entrees around me, and I might venture that while the meat dishes are good, the vegetarian dishes are outstanding. Esp. the vegetarian moussaka. Also, get ready because not only are the entrees sizable in themselves, but they all come with rice, a salad and cooked yummy cabbage. I was so, so full. The atmosphere is fun - pretty textiles all over the place in rich Ottoman-ish colors. My mom kept getting distracted by a video of scenic places in Turkey playing on the far side of the restaurant. Only detraction - the service is not fantastic. We had to ask for extra bread four times before it came.
(4)
Meredith P.
One cuisine that I haven't explored nearly enough is Turkish food. Thankfully, a Turkish restaurant has moved into a nearby town, and we've tried it twice now. The first time we had it, we ordered take-out, but when I walked into Pasha's space to pick up our order, I was immediately transported to a small cafe in the center of Istanbul. I had to try eating there, and tonight, we did! First, let me say that the presentation on every dish that was brought to us was absolutely gorgeous. The colors, the music and the decor in the restaurant are so authentic, and I think it will quickly become one of my new local favorites. We decided to order a bunch of things to share! I'm also going to include the Turkish name for each dish, in parentheses, for fun. I love learning new languages. For appetizers (mezeler), we chose to order Mujvair (mucver), which is baby zucchini fried with fresh vegetables, topped with garlic yogurt sauce. We also ordered Beet Tarator (kirmizi pancar), which is boiled and shredded beet with homemade yogurt and mayonnaise. The zucchini was crispy and well seasoned, tasting fresh and light. The beets were REALLY good! It was a chilled dish that would make for a great summer side dish...I think I'm going to try making it sometime soon! For our shared entrees, we chose to order the Shepherd Salad (coban salatasi) and Baytea (beyti). The salad included diced tomatoes, cucumbers, red and green peppers, mint, dill, parsley and was lightly dressed with a house dressing. It was so fresh and crispy and cool...really the perfect dish for a warm spring day like today. Very refreshing! As for the Baytea, it is sauteed ground lamb gently rolled in fillo dough, topped with yogurt and tomato sauce. There must be some lemon juice in the sauce as well because it had this wonderful hint of acidity in every bite. That acidity is something I never would expect, looking at the dish, but it just adds a brilliant touch. Everything we've ordered at Pasha has been delicious, refreshing, and satisfying. It makes me want to visit Turkey so badly, to experience everything for real. Until that day, I will live vicariously through my visits to Pasha, which is located at 669A Massachusetts Avenue, in Arlington, MA. Right now, they aren't delivering, but it's worth it to drive there to pick up your order if you are looking for take-out. Their number is 781-648-5888.
(4)
Jen S.
I got a chicken kebob with peach juice. I was 100% satisfied. I am told it's not authentic, but what would I know? All I know is that it was VERY tasty. And I'll definitely go back. The service wasn't the BEST, but it wasn't bad.
(4)
Melissa T.
I thought the food here was delicious! We started off with several plates of stuffed grape leaves for the table. I love when restaurants have vegetarian grape leaves, and Pasha did not disappoint! They were stuffed with pine nuts, raisins, spices, with some yogurt drizzled on top - yum! I had the vegetarian stuffed eggplant for my entree - it was delicious! I loved the tomato sauce on top, the eggplant was roasted t perfection, and the vegetable/spice medley inside was excellent. The dishes are reasonably priced and the services was good. I would definitely go back!
(4)
Elliot J.
Pasha is shoehorned into a long narrow space in Arlington Center. Once past the window seating (where it is 10 degrees colder than the rest of the room) you are basically seated at a long banquet table for 20 or more with a few inches of space between your eating area and the next group (and perhaps also their kids). At the back there is a six seat bar with no one working specifically as a bartender. There was barely audible (I assume) Turkish music and a video travelogue about what was likely Turkey on a TV screen that ran continually, could not be heard, and had no closed captioning. The unit was quite busy and had only one open table (a deuce by the door) that no one as of yet was dumb enough to accept, as each time the door opened the temperature at that table matched the lovely 25 degrees it was outside on this evening. The wait staff (all female) work the tables, greet the guests and work as hosts, and also share the bartending duties. The name on our check was Waiter 3... does that tell you anything? Good for labor costs, not always good for prompt customer service or learning names. The staff were all smiling, but for some English was clearly a second language. They seemed either unsure of the menu items, unsure of English, or unsure of the guest's pronunciation of what they wanted, so they often asked guests to point at the items in the menu they were ordering. There were only two Turkish red wines by the glass, and one of them was out of stock. The beer selection was extremely limited We took open bar seats while waiting for the next spot in the long crowded row of dining room tables and decided to stay there rather than move to the newly opened table. This turned out to be one of a succession of good choices we made that turned the experience into a more positive one. We called over to one of the staff and ordered our meals when no one had asked if we were ready to order food; a bowl of red lentil soup, the Arugula salad, and mixed grill kebab combo. Bread and three types of toppings (hot salsa, flavored oil, and olive paste) were served quickly. The red lentil soup ($3.95) was a large bowl, served just hot enough to eat easily, and while it had the brownish color and consistency of (lets politely call it) waste water, it was tasty. The entrees made the visit. The Arugula salad ($8.50) was a large colorful bowl of greens, fresh avocado slices, onion, and red tomatoes in a light dressing. The mixed grill kebab ($20.95) was outstanding; thin slices of lamb, steak tips, chicken, and a small burger with bulgur rice and a tomato/pepper/parsley salad that I for one could not eat enough of. The three items were enough for two with some take home left over so the dog could share our evening with us. The wait staff kept making little hourglass shaped glasses of Turkish tea in front of us, so we had to try that also. The tea is made at a weaker or stronger strength by how much hot water is added to the already brewed tea. The service overall could use some work. Based on this visit, we would sit at the bar again rather than the cramped dining room spaces so maybe this area will catch on. Bottom line is we went home happy and full for $53.00 before tip. More at qaci.wordpress.com
(3)
Nancy G.
Three of us ate here for the first time last week. We were lucky and got right in, but there was a wait soon after we were seated, and I can see why. The food was exceptionally fresh and everything is served with a generous side of pink pickled turnip or cabbage, and a side salad. Even the sandwiches come with this edible garnish, so you are enjoying a balanced meal, no matter. (So many restaurants seem to think vegetables are an unnecessary expense.) We had a beef pastry in phyllo appetizer that was flavored superbly. My daughter had a stir fried chicken dish that had a major ton of crisp veggies in addition to the chicken chunks. This dish was flavored with cumin, turmeric and lemon and came with rice pilaf and the pickles and a salad. Yum! I had a shawarma sandwich, which contained plenty of lettuce and tomatoes and slices of seasoned meatballs, but was a little light on the tzaziki sauce. I would ask for more on the side, next time. My husband had a beef kebab that was very good. I saw plenty of great looking plates go by and will have to try other things here! We even tried a couple of desserts afterward, but I wouldn't necessarily bother with those next time. If you enjoy fresh interesting food, prepared with integrity and served with plenty of vegetables, you will be happy here. The service was fine, if not stellar. Price was very very reasonable for a lot of food. We will be back!
(4)
Charlotte H.
I absolutely adored the food at this restaurant. It was very fairly priced, flavorful, and delicious. We had a mixed appetizer plate... so good! For my main course, I had the Kuzu Sote (Sauteed Lamb). I couldn't rave about this dish enough. Really big portions, but it's hard not to want to eat the whole thing. Someone at my table got the Beyti (Baytea), which was lamb and beef rolled in dough. They were also absolutely delicious and addicting. No complaints about the service. Anyway, point of the story: eat here. It's awesome.
(5)
Kevin N.
This is my favourite restaurant in Arlington. The food is always outstanding, with a huge variety of very authentic Turkish dishes. Always cooked to perfection. I usually go with my family, including three small children and a baby, and the kids- who are extremely fussy- all love the food. The staff are very friendly and the restaurant itself is very smartly designed. Highly recommended for any occasasion.
(5)
Ariel E.
I'm a firm believer in recognizing improvement... and Pasha, you've really pulled your act together. I've come back a few more times and both the service and the food have been great. Bravo!
(4)
Stan S.
Fresh and seems somewhat authentic. We could hear them chopping vegetables in the back, which is a good sign. Liked the lamb gyro. But french fries were reheated frozen fries.
(3)
Jason P.
Very good food. Very iffy service. We were greeted and served by a waiter who was rather discombobulated. Her demeanor oscillated between surly and friendly - starting at the former pole when she first approached us and seemed put out that we wanted to eat there. Nonplussed but determined to eat tasty food, we shook that first interaction off, put in a simple order and made no unusual demands (or sudden moves). She then forgot bread and water, skipped putting down some of our silverware - and the olive oil and yogurt dip we'd heard about on Chowhound were nowhere to be seen. She got exercised when she plunked down the yogurt dip we ordered (since we wanted to try it even if we had to pay for it) and called her back over to ask politely for the missing bread. She disappeared for long periods of time and did not check up on us at all through the meal - which fortunately didn't take too long to get to our table - although she was observed by my spousal unit repeatedly checking her appearance in the interim. There were two other waiters who seemed to buzz about a bit more, but the kind of service issues we experienced - while relatively minor - are really not excusable in such a small room. A couple of pro waiters could easily handle the whole place by themselves during a rush. And look "mahvelous" doing it. If they can get their service act together, I'll give them at least another star ... this place can definitely be a winner and I'm rooting for them on the culinary front. However there's something else bothering me. I will say for the record that I am of Greek descent, and that the waiter was Turkish, and while I hate to worry about this kind of thing in our modern era, I did get concerned that part of her sporadic attitude problem might have stemmed from the fact that she may have recognized me as Greek (although my family's been here 100 years ... so I'm thoroughly Americanized ... plus our two peoples basically look the same ... and, of course, we are the same - culturally and otherwise) and was not pleased about me being there. For most modern immigrant Greeks and Turks I have interacted with, the old blood feuds are things of the past. But there are some people in both countries who - for whatever reason - still hold grudges. I sincerely hope that the waiter was simply a neophyte and overwhelmed, and not ethnically profiling me. The first problem is forgivable and understandable. The second is not. I did feel uncomfortable at times, and that does not make for a good dining experience.
(3)
Chris W.
I just got a craving for Pasha's mixed appetizer plate. We went to Pasha recently with friends and started our meals off by sharing the mixed appetizers. The flavors were wonderful, rich hummus, stuffed vine leaves, refreshing hidieri, tabulli and babaghannouj. Each of us soon found our favorite combinations of flavors between all the items. The plate was big enough that by the time my entree came, I was wishing I had just stopped with the appetizer. The entrees at the table were all good. The Fainting Imam, stuffed baby eggplant was amazing. Wonderful complex flavors in each bite. The Turkish style anchovies were good, but I would have enjoyed them more in a smaller appetizer size serving. After eating 5-6 or them, I was still left with a mound of anchovies. Our friends both got kebabs, which were good basic Turkish fare. But when I think about that meal I keep coming back to the appetizer plate. It was the garlicy star of the evening.
(4)
Mary R.
This restaurant probably deserves a 3, but the food was good and kept the rating a bit higher. My family came across this little find on Saturday during Arlington day. We peaked in the window and saw the cozy, warm decor and also read the menu. We gave it a shot that evening with the kids (2 1/2 & 6 months). As soon as we walked in the staff was very welcoming but not quite sure what to do with the stroller that we brought in since the baby was sleeping. They put us in a corner and the stroller fit nicely. No boosters for toddlers but the chair was high enough that my toddler was just fine. The menu was interesting, Turkish/Mediterranean - sort of a Greek flair. The food was very tasty. I had lamb skewers with toasted pita, good not great, and my husband had an eggplant vege dish (Mujvair). They also had a kids menu which was handy. The service was not very good, but I attribute that to the newness. I think they need to work out the kinks. Atmosphere was extremely pleasant with a cozy little bar up front. We will definitely be back. Overall a very nice experience.
(4)
Meredith P.
I read the reviews on Yelp and went to Pasha fully expecting inattentive service. I warned my husband that we'd be waiting hours for our food and begging for water refills. Boy, did I look silly when our service was superb. Granted, it was a Wednesday night, but it was a full house and the two servers handled it wonderfully. Our order was taken promptly, our food came quickly, and our water glasses were refilled almost excessively. Perhaps Pasha has ironed out the kinks that come with a restaurant's opening days. I ordered the lamb kebobs and it was phenomenal. My husband ordered the anchovies, which had a very strong taste that dominated the dish. I would warn anyone with an Americanized palate (like myself) to stay away from the anchovies. Even my husband, a European, had a hard time with it.
(4)
Rahul R.
Last weekend, Sunday brunch with a friend of mine was planned. We picked up "Pasha" as the place for the brunch :):) After the reviews on Yelp, we were under the impression "Pasha" would be a rocking place for the lunch :) The ambiance was nice. The decor of the restaurant was really nice. Pretty impressive. It had a essence of Turkish culture to decor & theme. Only 1 waiter servicing and managing the place was surprising. Only 1 another couple was dining out there. The time was around 3:30pm ET on Sunday . We checked out the menu. The waiter served us restaurants own cooked bread with 3 different sauce (spicy tomato sauce, spinach sauce, olive oil with some spices). The bread was soft and was tasting delicious with these three sauce. We checked out with the waiter, if they had any option for meals which are spicy and veggie. However, the waiter mentioned their crowd/customers dont prefer spicy and hence they don't have spicy dishes. This statement of the waiter kind of disheartened us and we lost our mood. However, we had to eat so hungry. Hence, we ordered "Red Lentil Soup", since that's the most common dish we always tend to order in a Middle East / Turkish restaurant. Another, most common dish we order is "Falafel" at any middle east place. So, we ordered the "Falafel" dish from the appetizers. There were hardly any major veggie options which sounded or felt attractive to me. Hence, we picked up the first one "Vegetable Mousakka with Bechamel Sauce" . The Red Lentil Soup was pretty bland. It wasn't that great. The quantity was decent. Falafel, were only 4 pieces served. That was a bit surprising to me. Since, other restaurants serve min. 8-10 pieces of falafel. The quality was ok, not that amazing compared to other places I had in the past. The veg. Mousakka was served and looked more like a Veg. lasagna. It was great in decor and creativity. The Mousakka was good. Decent in tastes. The waiter really didn't help us much on the selection of the dishes, which was surprising to me. The cost per person based on the dishes I had as mentioned above turned out to be $18. At the end of the meal, I wasn't satisfied with the meal I had for the $$ I paid. It wasn't worth spending that money for the meal we had. I would not recommend this place to any one.
(1)
Julie B.
Pros: food portions were big (not unnecessarily gigantic) , food quality was great... great tastes, great variety, ambience was pleasant Cons: Service was a bit slow, but it was very busy for a Wednesday night. it took about 15 mins for us to place our order/get any service. would definitely go again!
(4)
Sara W.
Both the service and food were great. We went to Pasha at 5PM on a Sunday. The restaurant was 1/2 full at that time but when we left it was completely full. We liked the appetizers and entrees - we had red lentil soup, assorted cold appetizer, Adana kebab, Baytea. The baklava seemed a little under cooked in the middle (which caused me to take one star off) We'll definitely go back
(4)
Pam C.
Wonderful! We just got back from Pasha and had a great time. The food was absolutely delicious. We got a free appetizer with some bread, hummus, and spicy vegetable dip. We also ordered the appetizer sampler, with came with the best babaghannouj I have EVER had. It also had something called Hideri, which was like the perfect yogurty salad dressing (the appetizer also came with a salad), stuffed vine leaves (vegetarian), spicy mashed vegetables (like a dip), with some carrot sticks for dipping. Yum! My husband got the tomato soup, which came with a bit of cheese and was tasty. The main courses were also yummy. I got the Grilled Skewered Chicken, which was so tender and juicy. It came with bulgar, a side of the spicy dip, some grilled vegetables, and a side salad. A wonderfully balanced meal. My husband had Mujvair, a vegetarian dish of fried shredded zucchini sticks on top of a large salad, which I tasted and quite liked. A friend of ours got the Fainting Imam, a vegetarian eggplant dish, which she really enjoyed. Our other friend ordered the Sauteed Chicken Curry, which he said was good. For the vegetarians out there, there were at least six options scattered across the menus, more if you count the appetizers. The only thing I didn't like was the drink I ordered - Ayran (Yogurt Drink). It turned out to be the salty kind of yogurt drink, which I hadn't had before and didn't care for. Almost everyone at the table ended up tasting it, going hmm, interesting, and only having a couple of sips more. As for the service, it was fine. There was a wait, so they took my cell phone number and called us when our table was ready, and it was ready exactly when they said. That was really nice. Within 10 minutes we had our drinks, our appetizer, and had our orders taken. The appetizers came shortly thereafter, and the food came right as we were done with the appetizers. Our drinks were refilled frequently. All together we were in and out in a little over an hour. Great food, a nice atmosphere, and overall a good dining experience.
(5)
ToLga O.
I have been back a few times since the bad review. They seem to have got their act together.
(4)
kristin l.
This is wonderful new restaurant in Arlington, we were impressed with the variety of excellent appetizers and main course selections on the menu. Our party of 5 started with a feast of tasty appetizers and Turkish Wine. Everyone was so pleased with their meal, the presentation was beautiful, and the food was flavorful and perfect . Cooked with care and attention to detail with good portion sizes. What is also very nice is that you have a choice of traditional foods or creative menu selections with Mediterranean flare- from soups, appetizers to side dishes, main courses and desserts all with a very reasonable price. We also loved the decor, the atmosphere and the friendly and excellent wait staff. Note: My brother had just returned from travels to various Mediterranean countries- he was really impressed with the food and service at Pasha's Restaurant and is planning on having a company celebration there soon! * I will be taking friends to Pashas' - it is great to have a new high quality restaurant with healthy food choices in the area. I plan to go back soon... there are so many interesting dishes on their menu.
(5)
Elizabeth C.
Delicious lentil soup, yummy fainting imam (stuffed baby eggplant), nice service, and they accommodated our walk-in party of 20! (no joke!). Definitely will be back when in the neighborhood.
(5)
GoldyCat N.
First and foremost the food is delicious. The service however is poor if best. We made reservations for 6 people, but 2 people had to cancel due to the flu. When we arrived, the manager was angry that we only had 4 and not 6 and said sharply, "You guys can't do this to me! You have to call ahead! I just turned away a party of 6!" Okay, we get it, but is this the way to greet paying customers? That set a very bad tone for the evening. Moreover, the waiter who served us didn't know what he was doing. He didn't present the wine well; he didn't provide plates for our appetizers; and he didn't check on us once during our dinner. Worse, after serving the dessert with a hair across it, didn't bother to take that off the check. Won't be returning.
(1)
Edwin O.
Having been to Turkey several times, I remember what top notch Turkish cuisine in Istanbul is like. I have been to some other Turkish restaurants in the area, but none could accomplish what Pasha has done: as soon as the aroma of our prepared dishes hit me, I was suddenly transported back to Turkey. The memories of the flavors and textures came flooding back. I am giving them 4 stars because I know what five star Turkish cuisine tastes like... this place gives a good feel for that, although I didn't swoon like I did in Istanbul. Nonetheless, my dining experience brought back great memories for me. Unlike prior reviews, I found the service to be attentive and good. The Turkish Coffee and desserts are outstanding. The place could use an area for waiting patrons... since there is no space inside for that, people are relegated to standing out in the elements until their name is called. We will be back!
(4)
Liz L.
This is a belated update. I was really enjoying Pasha. Then the server on the day I typically came became consistently the same person. She was friendly enough, but she wasn't a very good server. As an example, she would while away time talking to people she knew while customers were waiting for their bill or to have their order taken. Finally one day I went in while the small place was fairly busy for the time I typically ate there (which isn't to say "packed," just "comparably busy"). There were a few different empty tables, but she sat me at one that was literally inches away from each of two tables where people were having very loud, very animated conversations. As someone who most often eats lunch out by myself, I knew this would make me uncomfortable, and very politely asked if I could be reseated at a particular other empty table that was near where she was seating me. She said that she didn't want to give me that table because what if a group of 4 came in and wanted it. Despite her behavior, I know she remembered I was a repeat customer because when I placed only one of the things I most often ordered, knowing I wouldn't want to stay as long as I typically did because of the noise and proximity issues, she asked me if I didn't want to order the other thing I typically ordered too. The food was still good, but I ate rapidly and left as soon as she brought the check - that table I'd asked for still empty when I left (in fact, no new customers had come in at all while I ate) - and I never returned. By now they are closed at lunch on Mondays, the day I most often go to Arlington. I'm docking two stars for the service I experienced in my later meals. (My food was still served in the same style the last time I went, so I haven't experienced the suspicions of new ownership that a few other reviewers are reporting.)
(2)
Shumaila Y.
I love this place. The ambience and decor are very turkish, including the outfits of the servers. I love their hummus, its creamy and delicious. I had their mixed grill platter which consisted of doner( beef kababs),mutton/lamb kababs,minced meat pattie and iskender(chicken kababs ) It was excellent. Their pita bread could have been better, it was too dry and seemed a bit stale. We tried a dessert called kunefe, and it was delicious. They usually give a complimentary starter, some sort of fluffy bread with tiny portions of dips. This was perhaps something i didnt like at all. The bread is dry and ordinary. I think they should replace it with pita bread and hummus. All in all, great food. Doner kebabs are king.
(4)
R B.
Gosh, really good. Cute place with excellent food. The bread! If you haven't had Turkish food, try the combination plates and share, since you might like the lamb, or say, eggplant dishes even though you usually don't. It's that kind of place -- where you're inhaling something you thought you hated because it's so interesting and good. Attentive service. If I still lived around the corner, I'd be working my way through the menu.
(4)
J D.
There is something inherently wrong about going to a restaurant when in has just opened, then complain about the service or food. Of course things are going to go wrong. If you are driving to the cape during a holiday weekend do you yelp about the traffic? We went to pasha today for lunch. The entire staff was very friendly and attentive. My water was full and tea replaced numerous times. Food was spectacular. My nana ordered the mozz sticks, beef wrapped in pylo and the fainting imam eggplant thing. She's picky but loved it all. Super fresh and flavorful. I had the hummus and tabbouleh. Both awesome. The tabbouleh is a little different with more tomato than parsley and spicy but a welcomed twist. For dessert we had baklava and a custard with burnt sugar. Perfect. The people were wonderful. They explained the menu to my nana who asks a lot of questions and gets shit all over the floor. They were cool the whole time. I hope they do well. I'm sure once the word gets out the place will be jammed.
(5)
Laura T.
Overall a decent dining experience, though nothing I'd write home about. The service was quite good; everyone was speedy and attentive. And there was a fun, authentic ambience. They start the meal with a dense bread and three very unique dipping sauces (yogurt, oil/vinegar, and an onion relish). For entrees I got the fainting imam ($12.95) which was a light, eggplant-stuffed vegetarian dish. My friend got the Beyti ($13.95), seasoned lamb in fillo topped with a flavorful yogurt/tomato sauce. The meal was pleasant, but nothing remarkable. I felt I was paying for the appearance and plating of my dish as opposed to the food itself.
(3)
Diem D.
Amazing food for reasonable price. I loved the beet-yoghurt salad and the stuffed grape leaves and red lentil soup! Good vegetarian selection.
(5)
victoria l.
I LOVED the appetizers here...we ordered a few. The meal was Okay no one I was with was "wowed" that is until the dessert came out! They have outstanding Baklava! I would certainly go back just for the apps and dessert, very friendly staff as well.
(3)
Lisa M.
Ugh. We ordered one appetizer (baba ghanoush), 2 entrees, and 1 dessert, and with tax and tip it ended up $50! And it was not even worth $20. The baba ghanoush was simply disgusting, bland and with an odd taste, it was just served with spoons as if it was good enough to eat plain like a porridge???? The entrees were okay - the gyros was exactly what a gyros is but WHY they thought they could serve it without cucumber or tzatziki sauce is beyond me, plus, why pay more than $5 for a gyros. The stuffed eggplant was okay, but not worth the price. The baklava was the best part but didn't seem very fresh. I would never go to this restaurant again, unless we could spend no more than $20. Certainly not $50. Please, please, someone bring good food to Arlington!!!!!
(2)
C P.
The food here is so delicious, and I think the service is friendly and attentive. Came here on a Wednesday night at 5 pm with my husband, toddler, and MIL. The servers were very sweet to the our toddler, giving her crayons and even coloring with her for a little bit. The food was so amazing I ended up cleaning my plate, which I hardly ever do. I split the moussaka and stuffed eggplant with my MIL and tasted my husband's dish which was lamb in a bowl of creamed eggplant. Everything was delicious but our favorite was the moussaka. The baba ghanoush to start was a little bland and we could have used more pita and veggies to go with it, but it was still fine. My husband felt his dish needed more lamb. My daughter ate selections from all our meals and enjoyed it all! (We never bother with a kids menu.) The service was great, I never had to ask for more water-they just kept refilling my glass without me even noticing.
(4)
Gizem D.
I'd say this is the best turkish restaurant in the boston metro area. They have a pretty good menu. The food was delicious. I highly recommend the "beyti kebap". The grape leaves are made there, and definitely not out of a can. (Ewww gross!) The service was very decent. The inside of the restaurant is nicely decorated and clean. I heard that there is usually a wait. (There aren't that many tables there.) We went on a Saturday night. We were seated promptly. Highly recommended....
(4)
Jasmine C.
We did takeout during lunch hour. The food was ok. The doner kebab was generous in portion, but the quality was ok. The hamburger panini was def not the right name for the dish, because it came on a bun, not panini wrap. The hamburger was def on the dry/slightly burnt side. I am very happy that I found a turkish restaurant in Boston (which is rare). I will update my review after I give the support a try.
(3)
Lauren M.
This place is a perfect example of people who can really cook so they open a restaurant, and then they have no idea how to run the place. The food is really fantastic, but it took about 45 minutes to get our appetizer of hummus, (Come on it's sitting in a tub in the back) and then another 30 minutes to get the meal. Thank goodness we made reservations because with service like this the wait really backed up. I'd say go on a weekday or get takeout because they can't handle weekend service yet.
(2)
Betty S.
We had dinner there this past weekend. The service was great, and the food was delicious! I can highly recommend the stuffed eggplant, but everybody at my table really enjoyed their meals. Pasha is definitely on my list of restaurants to visit again.
(4)
Tam L.
Checked out Pasha for lunch and had a pleasant experience. They offer a lunch menu in addition to their regular menu which is great for those who don't want a large entree. What I loved about the lunch menu was their sandwich/wrap offerings which give you a taste of their flavorful meats without having to commit to a large plate. I had the doner wrap (6.95) which was delightful. There was a generous portion of meat and some salad mixed in. The meat was very flavorful and tender. The only thing missing was some yogurt sauce. I failed to ask for some so I don't know if they would have given it to me on the house or not. Note that included with the wrap order was a small side salad. My friend and I almost ordered the sandwich and salad combo. Good thing we didn't because you get one anyways (of course they don't tell you this). I've gotten some personal recommendations for their dinner entrees (lamb shank) so I will update my review once I have a chance to try them again. Despite the good food, I must agree with other reviewers that service is a bit on the spotty side. There were only 2 other tables there when I arrived so I expected more attentive service. The staff was very friendly, but on the slow side. I felt like there was a time lag for our orders to be taken and another time lag when we were waiting for our paid check to be picked up. I couldn't tell if they were just allowing my party some time to relax and chat, or if they were just disinterested. All in all, it was a good experience. Can't wait to give their dinner entrees a try!
(3)
Kara B.
It didn't improve with time; it crashed and burned. Menu much less interesting; most of the dishes I liked have disappeared; meals arrive cold; bread less wonderful; seems more expensive. Too bad. I thought it was on it's way to something really good!
(2)
John D.
I really, really wanted to like Pasha, but overall it was a big disappointment. The appetizer of various spreads was tasty, though the bread was bland and dry. The entrees were really dull. We had something like a beef stew, and the cubes of beef were dried out and tough. Thankfully the eggplant was tasty, what little there was on the plate. The service seemed a bit off. They seemed to pay a lot more attention to certain tables - maybe they were regulars. I'll give them another chance someday, but I have no desire to return any time soon.
Great tastes. Spiced mashed veggies are great appetizer. More like a bruschetta topping than stand alone. Stuffed eggplant was succulent combo of tastes.
(4)
Jonathan S.
Fantastic food full of unique and welcome flavors. We got take-out so I can't address the service and atmosphere. Food was incredible.
(5)
Ju L.
Tried the food last week at Pasha, and overall it was pretty decent. The falafel was not bad -- good flavor but spicy. In fact, everything we order was spicy -- even items not listed as spicy. The falafel appetizer could qualify as a meal. The taboulli was some of the worse I've ever had. It had no tomatoes, barely any parsley, and no hint of mint. It was mostly bulghar wheat with barely existent parsley. Entree-wise, it was pretty good. Avoid dishes with sauces, e.g. Iskander Kebab (or something to that effect), on the meat as they go overboard on the sauces -- especially the tomato based sauce. Portions are good and the food is fairly filling. Service was pretty good. Overall, prices were fair but I can think of better Middle Eastern/Mediterranean fare, e.g. Brookline Family Restaurant in Brookline, MA.
(3)
M S.
I would give it a 3.5 as the service really needs a professional. They have great food, but if they don't get their act together with the service, it is doomed. We went with a part of 8, the 9th person canceled last minute, and the waitress handled it with barely any skills - asking a waiting customer if they minded if we waited 10 minutes for our 9th person. The appetizers were served, (they really need bread as most are dips) and the bread came in when we were almost done. It looked like it was de frosted and cold on the inside. Also, there was no clear manager, and I sensed chaos in the service ranks. We often do parties with a large group (and ring up a good amount), but are not too keen for a next time, for a group. Food is AWESOME.
(4)
Seza M.
Terrible food terrible service. People who gave this place 4-5 stars don't know what mediterranean food or Turkish food should be like!!! Plus the food was served cold!!
(1)
Andrea H.
Good. I've been to Istanbul and had extremely high expectations of this place. Imam Bilyaldi is a dish that I still have dreams about and theirs was just missing something that you can get in the most basic cafeterias in Turkey. I'll definitely go back because Pasha is good it just wasn't the food of my dreams.
(3)
Dori P.
Went to Pasha with my parents, brother, and our SOs, and it did not disappoint. We had a reservation which was good, it was quite busy (Fri night, 7:30). The dining room is somewhat kitschy and the chairs are hard and awkward to maneuver, but this did not detract from the experience. The appetizers were delicious and generous. I ordered the mashed spicy vegetables, which is an extremely garlicky spread (the same spread that is served with bread and hummus before the apps arrived). We also had the fried mozzarella/feta sticks (wrapped in filo, a real treat), and the filo-wrapped vegetable puff (also delicious). The grilled eggplant was served with delicious cooked vegetables alongside.The service was super friendly but not yet fine-tuned, as others have said, so it took a while for our entrees to arrive and they did not arrive at the same time or at the same temperature. Still, the lamb shank was a stand-out, I adored my lightly fried vegetable balls (kind of like a crispy, latke/dumpling hybrid), and the cindered beef was also excellent. The other dishes were fine, just not as remarkable (and the Turkish ravioli arrived tepid-to-cool - not sure if this was intentional). Overall, a treat. I'm sure the service issues will get sorted out - Pasha is a great option, especially for vegetarians!
(4)
sara p.
So I wanted to like this place, but it just wasn't happening for me. The service was good (always had a filled water glass) but the food was mediocre at best. The appetizer we ordered was huge and filled with definitely canned vegetables. I ordered the sauteed shrimp and my husband had the Fainting Imam.My dish was described as "jumbo shrimp" on the menu and lo and behold I got a way too big portion of NOT jumbo shrimp (seemed like canned shrimp to me, not fresh looking at all) In fact come to think of it , there was a picture on the menu of the sauteed shrimp with jumbo shrimp! Very misleading, not to mention overpriced at $17.95! My husband's eggplant wasn't anything special. We ordered the "oven baked" rice pudding for dessert thinking it would be warm...it tasted like it came out of the fridge! I don't get it.. Not recommended.
(2)
Brandon L.
When i reviwed this restaurant the last time it was a relatively new and they were trying to fix their slow service issues. I've been there 3 times at least. The cook already changed once which is not a good sign. The new cook is better with traditional dishes but his deserts are not as good. It's very hard to find a chef who is excellent at all areas. The apetizers especially the mujver (fried mashed zucchini) is fairly large and filling. Don't be shy to give the waitress your feedback because they're really trying to improve their food. Imam bayildi and karniyarik are some of my favorite eggplant dishes but for the typical customers the grilled shish kabap meats are a safer bet. I love anchovies but don't try their "hamsi bugulama" the steamed anchovies, a dish from the black sea region...it was just horrible. For Turkish food I like the new Istanbul'lu in Somerville but Pasha's deserts are better and they have more variety. For some reason they add too much sesame paste (tahini) to their eggplant salad (babagannoush) and the roasted sesames give a bitter taste. It's about time I give Pasha another chance to see if they improved.
(3)
I. P.
We went early for dinner our young son. The place was not busy at that time. The food was delicious! We had appetizers and sandwiches and thought the portions were generous. The wait staff was friendly: they talked to our son and brought 2 re-fills of bread for our appetizers. Even at that early hour, I thought the wait staff was very slow--slow to take our orders, slow to stop by to ask if we needed anything (more bread), slow to bring food, and even slow with the check. The dining room is not that large, and two women were waiting tables. They did not appear to be understaffed. I think the waitresses are inexperienced. Looking at other reviews, I'm not the only one who thinks the food is fabulous despite lackluster service.
(4)
rob g.
Pasha has clearly gotten its "service" act together since the time of some prior reviews, and the food was wonderful. Even with a full-house at a midweek dinner, 4 of us found a cordial proprietor, readily available (and helpful) waitstaff, and fresh, delicious, well-prepared, authentically Turkish food. Looking forward to a return visit where it will be hard to resist the zucchini fritter appetizers, the lamb in many forms, the manti (ravioli) and the unusually good Turkish-style rice pudding. No reservations accepted for a group of 4 people, but they honored the advance call to put us on a sign-up list. Well worth the brief wait.
(4)
clarisse b.
My husband and I went here just over a week ago, and I warned him that the service might be slow (based on the reviews here), but I was SO wrong! The service was excellent -- we were not kept waiting very long for anything, and we also did not feel rushed. More importantly, the food was EXCELLENT! We did not get the free appetizer, but noticed that people at other tables did. We ordered the appetizer sampler plate others have mentioned, which was great. My husband got the gyro kebab which was incredibly tender and so tasty. I got the stuffed eggplant (eggplant stuffed with ground meat and vegetables), and really enjoyed it. The owner/manager (I'm guessing) also came over towards the end of our meal and asked if we would like to order another drink. We were also surprised to see how busy they were on a Thursday night -- all tables were full and there were about 3 groups of customers waiting outside or at the small bar -- another indicator of how good the food is. We did find it a little pricey ($15 for each dish), but the quality of the food compensates somewhat for that. We thought the decor was nice and I thought the large chair was comfortable. This is the perfect place to go for a nice meal. We had a great experience and will definitely be back!
(4)
NIX V.
When this restaurant first opened, the food was first rate. I had the Turkish Style Anchovies which were served in a spicy tomato vegetable mixture with a side of delicious salad, cold mashed potato (an aquired taste), and fantastic rice pilaf. I can't remember what my fellow diners had, but they were equally impressed. The pilaf was so good we got some more to-go. They also had excellent home-made tasking baklava. We went back a few weeks later and had a very mediocre meal. The pilaf had been replaced with a Near East type of generic pilaf. The food was just so-so. We figured we had hit it on an off night, so last night we went again. I ordered the Turkish Style Anchovies again and was presented with an enormous dish of dried out over-cooked anchovies entirely covered in a thick layer of melted cheese. Melted cheese is not mentioned in the description on the menu and was certainly not on it the first time I had it. I said to the waiter that this was different from what I had received before and he said "that was impossible". Again the pilaf was the generic Near East type. The other diners at the table ordered the Stuffed Eggplant, the Rolled Anchovies, and the Pasha Style Vegetable Balls. The only dish that got raves was the Vegetable Balls. The baklava had been replaced with a more commercial version, but still good. The other desserts are not worth bothering with. I am sad to say that we will not be returning here and I just loved it when it opened.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Gonen M.
Pasha is by far the best Turkish restaurant in the area. Food and service is always awesome. I suggest the Pasha kebab; which is a little too soaked in tomato sauce, but pretty delicious, Turkish pizza called lahmacun, and the meze platter, which is basically several kinds of cold appetizers. If you still have room for dessert, I recommend kunefe, which is angel hair pasta with syrup. Also, don't forget to order some Turkish tea with it, that comes in a fancy tiny "tulip glass".
(4)Rajesh P.
A feel at home Turkish place , This place seems to be really authentic. Great food and service. The hostess and the owner seems to take care of people well. My friend got some Turkish language lessons from the Hostess so that was impressive. We tried Sultan's Admirer ( Hunkar Begendi ) which was ok but the Alexander the Great Kabob was just superb with rich spices and taste. After all that food I felt better with their Turkish Pumpkin Desserts which was really cool.
(4)Gillian C.
Holy mackerel! This place was so so good. To start, we had the spicy mashed vegetables, yogurt sauce blended with walnuts and dolmades. Those dolmades are the best I've ever had. Hands down. My father had the mixed meat kebob (and he's pretty picky) and he finished the whole darned thing. Then said "OK, I will put this on my 'list'". You have to be pretty special to make "the list". My husband and I had the stuffed baby eggplant and it was perfect. It was so flavorful only enhanced by the rice and salad that was served with it. We had the pumpkin dessert. Heaven on earth. They use butternut squash because "turkish pumpkin" is impossible to procure here in the US. She told me it was infinitely better than the butternut squash. I find this very hard to believe as this was OMG good. Oh, and the service - fast and uber friendly. She was great! The only thing is that it is kind of small - so go on a weeknight! In closing, if you're in Arlington, MA, you NEED to try this place.
(5)Liz L.
So delicious! The spicy mashed vegetables were fantastic - they came with pita but we could have eaten them by the spoonful (washed down with lots of water, of course!). The Alexander the Great, doner kabob smothered in sauce and little bits of soft and crunchy pita, was a real treat and the lamb casserole was delicious. Highly recommend!
(4)G G.
I'm going to bump my review up a bit. Recently, my wife turned vegan, making choosing a dining spot way harder. Often, places I really want to go only give her one option. Happily, Pasha has tons of vegan options (which are clearly marked on their menu) while still having plenty of meat to keep me happy. Oh, and an odd note: I was at first dismayed when I noticed that they had french fries on the menu. That usually send up a red flag about how dedicated they are to their cuisine. How authentic can it be if ithey serve french fries? But authentic or not, they are some of the best fries I've ever had!
(5)Richard H.
Incredible! I cannot wait to return to Pasha. We visited Pasha for lunch and found the restaurant deserted. We sat down and were immediately welcomed by friendly waitstaff and a well-priced lunch menu. We started with the red lentil soup ($5.00), which was perfectly balanced, not salty, and not too thick. It was a great start to the meal especially after walking in from a cold December day. For the main course, I decided on the Pasha Kabob ($14.50), a lamb skewer wrapped in roasted eggplant and smothered with tomato sauce and yogurt. I couldn't help myself from using the bread to sop up any leftover tomato and yogurt sauce on this excellent dish. The lamb was tender and flavorful and the eggplant had the right mix of crunch and taste - combined with the tomato/yogurt sauce, it was divine. The true highlight was the dessert. After ordering a turkish coffee, I decided on the Kunefe for dessert. ORDER THIS DISH. I rarely use caps on yelp, but this puffy wheat and honey dish with a touch of cheese was fantastic! I was slightly worried that the cheese would have a strong taste when I read the menu description, but it is very mild and the true taste comes from the honey. It is served warm, and is enough for two people. I have never had anything quite like this - especially the fluffiness of the stringy wheat cake - just order it, you will not regret it, except at your waistline. Definitely planning to return to dinner.
(5)David T.
Pasha hits a sweet spot of great food and great ambiance. I've loved every dish I've ever had here, the staff are friendly, there's always Turkish music (or sometimes Klezmer?) playing at a pleasant background volume, and the decoration is warmly and lushly colorful without being at all gaudy or pretentious. Also, having spent some time in Istanbul I can say the food experience at Pasha is definitely authentic -- a great place for a Turkish fix back at home. Must try: -The chilled appetizers (mezes) platter -- spicy tomato tapanade, beet tzatziki, thick-as-ice-cream yoghurt, hummus, and the best grape leaves I've ever had -Haroum, a cheese/filo pastry desert Probably skip the sandwiches, and stick to the prepared appetizers and entrees for the best choices.
(5)Lager P.
That one star is for decent food other than that the waiteress has no experince and she has attitude come on we paid for good service and trust me we were the second table at that time. Get experince waiter than ill come to eat again
(1)Ali H.
I'm giving this place 5 stars just because the Iskender Kebab. The only Iskender Kebab i've taste so far that reminds me of Turkey. Thier sweets are great and Biymali pide (ground beef and lamb Pizza) beautiful.
(5)Tara T.
This excellent restaurant is probably my favorite sit-down place in the well-fed Arlington Center neighborhood. I love the cold mezze plate and Turkish coffee (they have decaf!) I've been going there for ages and never written a review, but what put me over the top is that I had leftovers yesterday from a mezze plate and they packed them up impeccably. All those little little blobs of humus etc are in my take-away package for future enjoyment and well segregated by veggie sticks. Thank you, thank you!
(5)Andy V.
This was our fourth visit to Pasha. We visited first when it opened and seemed promising but the kitchen was overwhelmed and many items on the menu were not available. The second visit was several weeks later when the restaurant seemed to hit its stride and the third a few months later with some friends. There was always something missing from this restaurant that keeps it from being truly exceptional and on our "go-to" list. Perhaps it is the menu selections, many of which can be prepared ahead of time and simply reheated when ordered (thus the lack of a really nice shish kabob). Perhaps it is the indifferent, inflexible service which doesn't allow a party of four to sit at an unreserved table by the window on a slow afternoon because a party of six might walk in and that is the only table that can seat six (hasn't the management heard of pushing one four person table and one two person table together?!) But I digress. It has been a good two years since the last visit and all these memories came back and were reinforced during our latest. We had to ask for the pita bread to be brought to our table half-way through our entree, which is something unheard of in a middle-eastern restaurant. The food was heavy; the Pasha Kabob is the closest to a shish kabob and it is cooked ahead of time basically until the meat is tough and stringy. The kitchen not-so-cleverly tries to cover up this injustice by wrapping the meat in a chewy eggplant and ladling on the the tomato-yougurt sauce. In short, this restaurant has a long way to go before it can be considered foodie-heaven, which is a shame because authentic Turkish restaurants are in short supply. It is clear that the management is trying to economize to ensure its survival in a tough market. However, others can and do flourish and I would easily recommend Sarma or Istanbu'lu in Somerville or Brookline Family Kitchen in Brookline Village if you would like to sample a much more authentic version of Turkish food. And short of a trip to Istanbul (which we are schedule to take next month) if you are ever in NYC, there is the Turkish Kitchen on 2nd Ave in Murray Hill. Any one of the aforementioned restaurants can beat Pasha hands-down on food, ambience, and service.
(3)Alan C.
Turkish co-worker brought our team here for dinner. Great choice. Food: I had the Marinated Chicken Casserole ( Tavuk Guvec ). The chicken was extremely flavorful and the spices was infused into it very well. The melted cheese on top complimented the dish well and the mixed texture of it along with slight sharpness created a great taste in every spoonful. Goes well with the rice. Drink: No Turkish meal is complete without tea or coffee. I had the coffee which was strong and had very deep earthy flavor. Ambiance: The place is small but has few large tables and good for a 8-10 group and whole place probably sits around 20 people. The entire place was decorated in Turkish style with cloth hanging from ceiling, paintings and music. Very authentic feel to the place. Service: Waitress was attentive and provided excellent service. She spoke Turkish with our co-worker so coordinated the apps and drinks well, along with explanation on some of the dishes. The owner also came by a spoke with our co-worker and treated us well. Parking: Some street parking in front and sides. Pay for communal parking in back. If you park on the side street, make sure you read the signs as there our time restrictions and/or residency requirements.
(5)Yasameen A.
I like the food. Little bit pricy but it worths it. Also, the stuff are so kind. We had a nice conversation with the owner. The meat is Halal too. Definitely coming back
(5)Aibo H.
When I discovered "Pide" (Turkish pizza) on Pasha's wediste, I decided to try it the next day. We were greeted by a really friendly wait staff while walking in. The decor insides is quite rich and exotic, somehow reminds me traditional Middle East custom. Some ottomanesque fabric hangs from rafters and covers on wooden tables. About the food, we got stuffed eggplant and vegetable casserole listed on the lunch special menu, and also ordered lamb pizza and onion ring from the regular menu. Amazing! The lamb pizza (kusabasi pide) did not disappoint me. It was so good. I am glad I have asked recommendation by the wait staff since they have a variety selection of pides. The lamb pizza is good but next time I'll try something new and go with mozzarella pide. Because the wait staff told me the mozzarella is always a great choice. Stuffed eggplant is not for vegetarians. It was stuffed with some grounded beef and lamb. I only tasted a small spoon of it, it was great as well. I love vegetable casserole topped with some mozzarella cheese, which made it taste better. But it was a little greasy for my taste. After that, I ordered oven rice pudding for our dessert to share. The portion was really generous. It was definitely a perfect ending. As for the apple tea, it tasted like hot apple juice, and a tad of sweet. Overall, I felt very satisfied about everything at Pasha, from the service to the food. I can't wait to come back soon.
(5)Denise M.
This is a great place to come with friends and grab a bite to eat. All of the appetizers are big enough to share, the entrees are a generous portion size. We ordered the falafel (gluten free) and it was perfect for us! I had the combo, I wish they would have added more skewers as to make it gluten free they took two items off the plate and didn't replace it with more food. It was still a good portion size. I ate half and took the rest home for lunch. The lamb, beef and chicken kebabs were tender, the salad and vegetables a perfect compliment to the skewers. My friend cleaned their plate, every last crumb. Love coming here. The decor is welcoming, the staff are super nice but the food is what will keep me coming back.
(4)Prapti P.
The restaurant isn't very large but the space is warm and comfortable. We went to dinner rather early so there weren't that many people there, but when full I could see how it could feel a little cramped. The wine list was a good mix of wines including a few from Turkey which complemented the meal. I had the Kuzu Sis which is lamb grilled and served with peppers and got a side of Bulgur Pilavi (cracked wheat rice). The lamb was cooked perfectly and the seasoning was great. There was none of the gamey smell or taste that some lamb dishes can have. The grilled peppers added the perfect amount of heat if you wanted. The baklava was wonderful one of the best I have had, while the honey cake was a bit disappointing in how sweet and dry it was. The price is a bit steep but it was a wonderfully spiced meal and worth the visit.
(4)Nan A.
The inside of this restaurant is earthy and inviting. Really expansive menu of unique Mediterranean food. I tried and loved the Ottoman Salad last time I was there. The Ottoman Salad is a mix of shredded white cabbage, red onion, tomatoes, green peppers, mint, sliced dried figs and wheat, with house pomegranate dressing. Not many restaurants can combine unusual ingredients like these and make a delicious, clean, crisp flavored salad like this. I'm looking forward to my next trip to Arlington so I can try more of their specialties.
(5)Patricia A.
It is worth coming here just to try the smooth coffee at the end of your meal. I like the simple yet authentic ambiance of this restaurant. They sell Turkish beers and wines. We ordered a bottle of the Kavaklidere Yakut. The generous portions won't leave you hungry! We ordered the chilled mixed appetizer plate, fainting imam and a couple of the grilled lamb dishes. Everything was so good! We ended the meal with a baklava and coffee. I was impressed with all of the gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan options. Come here if you want to feel like a sultan or sultana!
(4)H P.
The Arlington food scene has rally improved over the past 5 years. Add one more to the list of growing ethic restaurants. Turkish is not something widely available. Similar to Greek, but with its own spin. Well worth going to.
(5)Ariel Z.
Fantastic, authentic Turkish cuisine. Literally everything was spot on! Even the starter (bread with black olive tapenade, garlicky olive oil, and spicy red pepper dip). Ordered the Pasha Kebab (Kebap) that is wrapped in eggplant and drizzled with tomato and yogurt sauce. The red lentil soup is a great starter for a cold winter night. It comes in the perfect portion and has a little kick to it. The apple tea was so delicious...almost like apple juice. It comes out in a traditional Turkish carrier and small china. The menu is so expansive that this is the type of place you have to return time and time again. This is definitely my new favorite, quiet neighborhood spot.
(4)Timothy H.
Came here with my sister for dinner and the food was awesome. I like them, because they have more choices on their menu compared to other Turkish restaurants that I've been to. The food here is amazing! My only gripe is that this place is a lot more expensive than other Turkish places, so it's a bit of trade between more selections of dishes versus price.
(3)Ece S.
As a Turkish person it is hard to find a good turkish cuisine in Boston!! But not this time. My husband and went there for the first time and it had very nice service. Very delicious food. It was a great experince and not a let down this one. This is going to be my favorite restaurant! !!
(5)Janat B.
I absolutely recommend this restaurant 100 percent I always eat the food is delicious tasty well done and healthy too I Have little story for you guys when I say I recommend it I mean that Every time I'm pregnant I get diabetic and my sugar use to get so hight every time I eat something I use to get insulin shots 4 times a day And I experience every time I come to this restaurant I don't even get my insulin shot after I eat the food ( chicken kabab meal comes with salad and buger - beef - I drink juice )always always when I check my sugar is normal 110 -115 from 290-280 Is really good healthy food
(5)Paul G.
I love this place. The kabobs are tasty. The cold appetizer dish is always good. Ending the dinner with a Turkish coffee and baklava is great.
(5)Anna S.
We had dinner here for the first time tonight, it was simply AMAZING. Loved everything from the appetizers to the meals. We ordered the Spicy Mashed Vegetables and Mujvair for appetizers. Both were excellent. We ordered the Ottoman Salad (its a must!) flavors work amazingly well together. I ordered the Sultan's Admirer and my husband the Marinated Lamb Casserole. Food was great and service was perfect.
(5)Dorise G.
Solidly delicious, exotically quaint, surprisingly uncrowded, and totally unique. Where else in the city can you get a turkish sausage (that's all beef, friends) and egg flatbread pide? Which basically tastes like the best part of the top of a filo pie as a pizza crust. Also, it's hard to go wrong with lamb and beef stuffed eggplant. And I know the honey goat cheese dessert looks large, but you will scarf down one of those things easy. I'm seeing lots of service complaints here which kind of surprises me - they were extremely attentive and kind, even with mild language barriers. The food wasn't quite in 5-star category, but it's definitely a solid 4/4.5 stars. If I'm in Arlington, would be stoked to go back and either repeat the same meal or try one of the other many intriguing options on the menu. If you're in Arlington, you want a great hole-in-the-wall, and you want to not be boring - Pasha's a great pic for friends or for dates or for someone who just wants to try something out of the box. Do it!
(4)Adi D.
Delicious food. I tried the vegetarian appetizers and entree and was tasty. The baklava was also nice. Recommend to go there! Ohh and the apple tea was so cool..
(5)Chris C.
Delicious food, adorable interior with rich tapestry runners and damask-covered lights and ceiling panels, music and tv playing scenes of turkey. I started with the Mujvair, which are 4 zucchini fritters with tomato sauce and garlic yogurt sauce drizzled over. Delicious and big enough to share. For my entree, I had the lamb casserole, which was a tomato-based casserole veggies and tender lamb, topped with just a small amount of mozzarella cheese, with a side of white rice or Bulgar. It was just the right size, and utterly delicious. For dessert I had turkish tea (nothing special) and the delicious Rolled Kataifi, which is basically a wheetabix version of baklava -- stuffed with walnuts and soaked in honey. Yum! My partner had the Iskender Kebab, which i've had at Saray in Allston, and almost warned him from getting, because i thought their version was uninspired, but his looked and tasted delicious. From beginning to end, this was a wonderful meal, and a real find.
(4)Ammar A.
Go for dessert and coffee maybe but thats it. Food was average or below. Dry meat, under seasoned. Customer service was also not impressive. Had better for the same prices. Nop not going again
(2)Eva G.
this is the best restaurant which I ever seen in Boston area. I was looking for a nice turkish soup and eggplant which I could find here... Thanks God) everything was very tasty! there are 2 kind of Turkish soups if you come for the first time I would advice to take not tomato but Red Lentil Soup! you should definitely try that) and if you are a coffee gourmet try MEHMET EFENDI coffee..that's the best Turkish coffee (I like it more than Italian) so, if you missed Turkish food I would advice this place.
(5)C S.
Great find! Great vegetarian options. Exceptionally nice and helpful owner(?) We were short on time so ordered ahead. Food ready when we arrived, place was so lovely we dished our take-out onto plates and decided to enjoy and be late for the commitment. Will most definitely be back.
(5)Meredith D.
This was a great local find - I am new to Arlington and love trying all the new places. The falafel wrap was delicious and the lentil soup very tasty. My husband got the chicken wrap which was also really tasty. Everything was so fresh. A few reasons this did not get a 5 star for me...1, the wrap itself, while tasty, reminded me of something out of a bag and not made fresh, the insides were delightful. The coffee at the end had a taste that I could not tolerate...however my husband really enjoyed his. Lastly, there wasn't any ready Baklava, but oh well, right?! I will be back for sure.
(4)L L.
Lovely atmosphere. Great Turk food! I've ordered take-out 4x and eaten in once in the last couple of years. Every time was better than the last. Rec: stuffed eggplant. Never had it better!
(4)Umut Z.
A Turkish owned restaurant with exceptional food and great atmosphere. Ordered a lahmajoun, manti ( Turkish Style Ravioli ) and mixed grilled kabob with my girlfriend. The original Turkish lahmajoun is supposed to be thinner; however, the taste was satisfactory. Manti and the mixed grilled kabob were delicious, very similar to how they cook in Turkey. We ordered 2 glasses of Turkish Raki (a popular anise-flavored alcoholic drink), which I couldn't detect on the menu, but asked the waiter if they have it (and they did !!!). As a dessert, we had a kunefe, which was just like how it is supposed to be! It is cheese stuffed shredded wheat with syrup on top. May sound weird but tastes fantastic. In short, it is a great Turkish restaurant. Super decoration. A bit pricey, but I think it is worth it. If you go there, ask for Turkish Raki (for some reason it is not on the menu, but they have it). And definitely try kunefe as a dessert. Finally, I think they need more waiters/waitresses. It is not a huge restaurant, but gets crowded at dinner hours and service slows down, although the staff is very friendly and kind. Edit: Heard from a friend that the quality of food is usually better on Friday and Saturday evenings. I went there on a Saturday evening and enjoyed it. Personally haven't tried it on any other day though.
(5)Tsachi A.
An excellent Turkish spot in Arlington center. I'll start with what it isn't - it is not a quick bite place (atmosphere is extremely relaxed) and it is not an American-Greek style restaurant. What it does well, is making wonderfully flavored dishes that are Turkish in origin. The meat always tastes fresh and is never dry. The hummus plate is a great way to start, and goes well with the bread they serve. The owner is usually around and very friendly. Service isn't fast, but it's due to a relaxed approach, not because they ignore you. Overall it is a great place in Arlington center with different flavors compared to everything around.
(5)Simon L.
Food is a four, service is a three. Very polite and friendly but, the constant pacing up and down the restaurant was particularly frustrating. This past Wednesday, myself and one other table were the only customers in the restaurant. 8:30 pm and my guess is that the kitchen wanted to go home because the waitress couldn't wait to take my order quickly enough and did not seem to understand that I wanted a drink, an appetizer and then a moment to acquaint myself with the menu. After struggling to intimate what I wanted, another server came over and asked if i was ready to order. A glass of turkish red was bold and booming with flavor sensations. The fresh, creamy and thick Hidieri yogurt, housemade with dill, parsley and walnuts was wonderfully refreshing. Served with toasted pita slices, carrots and celery for scooping. As recommended by the server, the stewed chicken with red tomato wine sauce, vegetables encircled by creamed eggplant is rich, smooth and completely satisfying. Served with no starches, this incredible dish is worth the trip alone. Apart from the irritating pacing, this recent addition is certainly worth the trip to Arlington.
(3)Deb S.
This is my new favorite restaurant. The food is delicious, service great and atmosphere warm and comfortable. I especially like the wide range of choices for vegetarians and non-vegetarians, making it an easy choice for friends with different lifestyles.The wine list is good, and the Turkish wines a pleasant surprise.Prices are reasonable as well.
(5)Andrew D.
Stopped in for dinner with my partner. Service was friendly and the atmosphere was mellow. I tried what they call the Sultan's Admirer. It has been a few months and I still think about this dish. I don't know why but the word that keeps coming to mind to describe its taste and texture is 'comforting'. I moved away from Arlington, but I've been wanting to make the 25 mile trek just to go back to Pasha.
(4)Dave O.
Great spot. Great food. An engaged and friendly owner who appreciates his customers. The hummus is outstanding. Try the spicy mixed vegetables!
(5)Man M.
A great addition to Arlington. Food is savory, properly cooked and seasoned. This is my comfort food even though I am not from Turkey. Try the Kunefe dessert. Simply amazing. I love the casserole dishes!
(5)Gagash G.
visited this place numerous times during 2013 and early 2014 - never disappointed. Usually started with babaqanush and turkish beer EFES. Then.. Adana Kebab never dissapointed. Family friendly, since my 5 year old loved the place as well.
(4)Loyda A.
I loved the food there until recently. We decided to try their Salmon and it was really bad: dried, overcooked, discolored (white instead of pink). The bulgur was also not the best. When we brought this to the attention of the waitress - she said that she will pass it along to the chef, but still charged us in full for the dish, mostly unconsumed... They might have lost the loyal customer over $19.
(2)Sneha S.
On the recommendation of one of my Turkish friends , my husband and I dined @ pasha this weekend. We are ardent fans of the middle eastern cuisine and had high expectations. We have been to other Turkish restaurants in the area - Bosphorous and Istanbul both of which were good as well. First of, the decor of this place is beautiful- they've paid attention to aesthetics and that adds to the experience Secondly and most importantly, the food is delicious and worth all the stars it has received here. They have a yogurt based appetizer which was yum! I ordered a chicken entree and my husband ordered a poke+beef mixed entree, both of which were served with adequately spiced Bulgarian rice - all of which was really tasty And finally the staff - they are pleasant , polite ,friendly and will take time out to explain what a particular item on the menu is (especially desserts) We loved the place and highly recommend it. Best, Sneha
(4)Crystal J.
The food is really good. Pretty much every dish is good, and their Turkish coffee is very good and unique.
(5)Frank B.
Have on previous visits enjoyed the falafel, vegetarian Mousakka, and other vegetarian dishes. The red lentil soup is just ok when I wanted to really love it. The hummus is very good. I have not yet tried the Pide's, but am looking forward to that. We went once when it must have been a first online date sitting next to us. The close quarters can make it a little awkward sometimes if there is an unusual crowd that evening. There is also a lunch menu with good value. The servers are extremely nice and thoughtful. This is a pleasant neighborhood attraction.
(3)Elif K.
It's one of the best Turkish restaurants I've ever been. They have amazing food. I was born in turkey so I know the real Turkish food and this place almost made me feel like I was in turkey ! Try the lahmacun it's just amazing !
(5)Keem H.
This is a great Turkish Resturant. The food is amazing. They have some new dishes that I never tried at any other Turkish place. The atmosphere is very nice. They play authentic music that makes your visit pleasant. I was really wowed with the food. Same price as any other Turkish place in Boston. If you wanna try something different, I would highly recommend Pasha.
(5)Stephen M.
Food was fresh and flavorful. Hilarious Turkish ministry of tourism videos playing. Man on stallion leaps over modern bridge.
(4)Phil C.
Pasha is barely passable, and not spectacular. The service was okay and the decor was nice. However, the food was lacking in any personality (translation: flavor) and was on the pricier side. The kafka kabob I had wasn't spicy, flavorful, or salty enough. It's not a dreadful experience, but I'm sure there are better Turkish places around...
(3)Nicole S.
Friday night, every restaurant on Boston Ave. from Harvard Sq. to Arlington seemed packed. We were a group of 4 looking for a nice spot for an impromptu dinner, and every place we went offered an hour wait. Finally we dropped into Pasha, knowing nothing about it (or about Turkish food in general). We couldn't have been more pleased! We were greeted and seated instantly. The restaurant was just quiet enough for a good conversation, with intriguing decorations and textures from walls to ceiling. Throughout the meal the servers were friendly and prompt. We were all kind of cranky after wasting so much time trying to find a place for dinner, but started cheering up the moment we sat down at Pasha. Our journery started feeling a little serendipitous- how else would we have ended up at Pasha, so far into Arlington? We started with some hummus & pita (how am I to judge a mediterranean restaurant without trying their hummus?)- perfectly garlicky and smooth, with some crunchy carrots and cucumber. So far, so good. My friends tried the fried mozzofeta sticks; they're exactly what you think, hot crispy filo around a super-melty mozzarella/feta combo. We also tried the Kavaklidere Yakut red Turkish wine. I'm no wine snob, but it was a great match for the food! Not super hungry, we split a Fainting Imam (pinenut and raisin stuffed eggplant with bulgur) and a Vegetable Moussaka (thinly sliced eggplant layered with cheese and tomato; think sort of a sweeter, softer eggplant parmesan). Both were nicely portioned- could be very filling for one person, were just enough for us to split with the appetizers. We couldn't resist the Kataifi for dessert either; crispy shredded wheat, dense walnuts and pecans, and sticky honey. Everything, excellent. I can't wait to bring my family & friends back here! New favorite Arlington spot. Possibly one of my favorites on Mass. Ave., period.
(5)J.J. B.
Have walked by this place several times and seen it full every time. Hadn't really heard anything about it, but the wife and I decided to give it a go. Not really knowing what to expect from Turkish/Mediterranean cuisine, we were a bit skittish as to how we'd like it. We came away fans. The vegetable puree dip appetizer was very good w/a bit of a kick. I had the stuffed cabbage, which was unfortunately a bit blander than I had anticipated (hence the 3 stars), but my wife's sauteed chicken with rice was VERY GOOD with plenty of flavor and just enough spice to give it a pleasant kick. We would definitely go again.
(3)Charlie T.
Nice, family owned business. Great to have turkish food here in Arlington. I don't remember the name of the dish I had, but it was a chicken dish served in a small hot crock pot. Best hummus I've ever had.
(4)Emily C.
I've been here a couple of times and it's a great little restaurant with delicious food! There's a nice selection of Turkish wines and our server made a very nice recommendation to go with the lamb and vegetable kebabs with bulgur. For dessert, we had honey cakes and Turkish coffee. So good! This is definitely on our list of favorite restaurants.
(4)DJ N.
$$$AVE YOUR MONEY!! $MALL PORTION$ HIGH PRICE$$ POOR $ERVICE We came here for my sister's birthday lunch.... Since we had a toddler with us we wanted to pick a place close to home and that had a kid's menu. Side note: for a place that has a Kid's menu, they should look into booster seats. When we walked in we were please with the simple decor. Or table was reserved (6 adults, 1 toddler) and we were seated right away. This is a small restaurant so when there are more than 10-12 people there it looks busy. The menu looked great, but we were surprised that the lunch specials were so pricey. We started with 3 appetizers, hummus (not enough pita accompanied it), the falafel (4 small flattened pieces served with tahini sauce) and the fried mozzafeta sticks. The falafel and mozzafeta came with 4 pieces each This lead us to order one more falafel plate. To be honest, the falafel was bland. We had to drench it in tahini to get decent flavor. Since the appetizers were not filling we ordered a couple of salads. We were told that the entrees that we ordered did not come with salad, but the wraps did. We ordered a mediterranean salad and a house salad. The house salad was so small and skimpy. The mediterranean salad was basically the house salad with red onion and a small sprinkle of feta. For $8.25, it was a ripoff. One person ordered the red lentil soup. It was simple, but very tasty. Our lunch entrees were $13-$15 on average and the portions were severely small. The flavors were very good, but it left us all wanting for more. 3 of us got the Adana Kebab. It was tasty, but dry. It was accompanied by a small serving of rice or bulgur. The size of the kebabs were so scrawny it felt like a kid's meal. One person had the lamb casserole and while it was flavorful it seemed like the short cut version of a casserole. When something is baked in the over it should not look or taste like it was cooked in a frying pan. This casserole was not cooked in the over - no way, no how. 2 people ordered the doner (gyro) kebab and again, it was tasty, but they left not feeling full and feeling like they were overcharged. The toddler had the chicken kebab, Not surprisingly, his portion was about the same as ours. Pasha really needs to get its act together and price its food more fairly. I don't mind paying for a good meal, but at least give me a decent portion. Other things that didn't help our experience: We called in advance to let them know we had a toddler and that we were celebrating a birthday. The reassured us that they had a cake that we could put a candle in for the obligatory/embarrassing singing of "Happy Birthday" at the end of the meal. The also said they would provide the candle. The didn't have a cake, as they told us before we went in, to bring out to wish my sister Happy Birthday, The stuck a candle in the baklava and brought it out. Not good. The service was not very good. The woman serving us was nice, but didn't understand much of what we were saying. I felt bad for her because she was the only one we saw working. Pasha needs to hire at least one other person so that customers don't feel neglected. It would be helpful if the person was fluent in english. Overal, the food was tasty, but the portions were way too small and the prices were ridiculously high. In this economy, that is a really bad combination. I do not recommend Pasha. 2 stars only because the flavors were good on some of the dishes. They could do much better!
(2)Beth A.
Last night I was feeling adventurous and wanted to take my love out for something outside the usual pub fare -Mexican - Italian cuisine that we usually partake in. After reading many reviews I settled on pasha as it has a varied menu to choose from and is not too far from home. We were greeted by who I think was the owner and the restaurant was currently full he requested us to come back in 20 minutes which my partner and I were happy to do. Upon our return we were promptly seated and our water glasses filled. We started with the hummus which was served with fresh pita bread, 3 cucumbers and 2 baby carrots split in half. The hummus was a generous portion so my only complaint would be to add more veggies and or another pita to enjoy the deliciousness with. For my entree I got the chicken casserole which is served with rice. The casserole is comprised of chicken, peppers and onions in a tomatoes based sauce with mozzarella cheese on too it was phenomenal. My partner got the pasha kabob with chicken and it was equally delicious. With the kabob I would suggest including the side rice but honestly the rice that came with mine was enough for us to share. Our server was attentive without being overbearing and there was only one occasion throughout the meal that I wished he'd refilled my water glass sooner. Overall it was one of the best dinners I've had in a long time and I am excited to come back with a group of friends to enjoy another meal.
(4)Manfred S.
Hmmmm - Efes! Never knew the Turkish can brew. Okay, it isn't German beer, but on par with Peroni. Oh yes, and you can eat here too, if you find a table. On this second attempt, Friday night, the wait was only 20 min. On the last attempt, I think it was a Saturday evening, we were told 90+ min and went elsewhere. Doner kebab was greasy (as it is supposed to be). The falafel appetizer was so big that it qualifies as a full meal. The other appetizer, mucver never came - which was okay as we were stuffed already. Great food with a few service imperfections. But overall, very friendly and super tasty.
(4)Piril U.
I love their vegetarian options! I have dreams about their Vegetarian Moussaka. My Bf also loves their Doner, tender and tasty. It is super filling and usually an appetizer and entre does not quite leave space to desert :( The owner is very pleasant and generally this place has a good vibe to it. The decoration is tasteful too. I definitely prefer it over Pasha in Teele Square and I am born and raised in Turkey!
(5)Rhea S.
As befits a small place, Pasha was crowded and service a bit erratic. And okay, it was a Saturday night. I was with a party of 6 and our meal, from start to finish, took nearly 3 hours. Four entrees came out and at that same time, the waitress told the two other people that the kitchen was "out" of their ordered meals. (Something that would have been nice to know sooner!) So, four of us were eating while two others waited a considerable time for their replacement meals. I'm relieved that they asked us to go ahead and eat and not wait for them :) It would have been nice to get comped our appetizer plate, or dessert/coffee in exchange for the hassle. When the bill came and we put our money in, we came up surprisingly short. Very short. The friend who organized the outing realized, too late, that we'd been charged for one of the entrees that we didn't get. The food was very good. I tried my husband's chicken shish kebab (very moist and nicely seasoned) and my manti was tasty, if a little visually off-putting (greyish pasta filled with minced lamb). The desserts were big enough for two people, although I would have been happy to have the semolina cake to myself. My advice is - don't go if you don't have time for a leisurely meal. Avoid weekend evenings, and be sure to check the bill. I'm glad we finally checked Pasha out and the food's good, but I wouldn't recommend it for a group of people.
(3)Alyssa J P.
The Fainting Imam was delicious, but this place is hella expensive!!
(3)Charlie B.
I feel like they've fixed the service issues - at least our waitress was competent, friendly, and sweet. Just got here from Turkey 2 mos ago, but her English was fine. Granted this was fairly late on a weeknight, so they weren't crowded. The food, as everyone seems to say, was great. We had the cold appetizer plate. Really the best babaganoush I've had - unusually light and fluffy and no eggplant bite at all. Also the grape leaves (dolma) were sublime; much more interestingly seasoned than I've had before. For main courses I had eggplant stuffed with ground lamb; my husband had a lamb and vegetable sort of stew. Mine was good; his was great. Very nice presentation with colorful red cabbage, good side salad, rice in two clumps to make corners on the plate. For dessert we had the vanilla pudding browned on the bottom. Again delicious. And all extremely reasonable in terms of price.
(4)Jim S.
Wow 20+ reviews and they are all over the place. I was there Sunday evening and it was fairly empty. Our service was excellent, but I would expect that. The fact that all the servers are women and different ones may bring you different things doesn't to me sound relevant to anything. My wife had an excellent eggplant stuffed with veggies. I had a mixed grill of all sorts of grilled meats. It was good, but didn't have enough of that "charcoal grill" flavor that's so nice with kebab-type food. We both had rice pudding for desserts as we are suckers for that. This had more cream and less rice than some, but it was good. I had also forgotten that Turkish coffee still has grounds in it and needs to be stirred, but it seemed authentic. Bread came with 3 dipping sauces - nice touch. High prices? Hardly. My mixed grill was the most expensive thing on the menu at $20. Most everything else was well below that. Small portions? I eat a lot and it was plenty. Wife took half of hers home. Glad we didn't order appetizers. I used to think on Yelp you needed 20 reviews to get a picture of a place. I may have to raise that to 100.
(4)Jen L.
I learned of this place through a Turkish friend who I used to wait tables with. I had visited Turkey when I was 13 years old - specifically Adana, on the southern coast. He took me here to eat one day and I absolutely enjoyed myself from start to finish. One word of caution - the former chef, an older gentleman who knew so much about Turkish cuisine - has since left. We started off with the yogurt, nut, mint dip - I think it's the best such dip I've ever had. We tried a red lentil soup - delicious. My entree was a kabab that was local to Adana - ground/finely chopped meat with spices, wrapped around the kebab stick & grilled. Simply delicious. The best part was it came with a whole grilled hot pepper (I believe the name of the pepper is the Longhorn pepper) and that was such a good combination. After dinner, he suggested we try the rice pudding. I've never had a pudding I was crazy about, but I said okay, and I have to say, for a pudding, it blew my mind. It was VERY tasty and the consistency (which is key) was perfect. I washed it down with Turkish çay, which I had at every shop/market in Turkey, and made me feel like I was there again. I don't know for sure what all has changed since the chef left, but this place is still delicious (I've been since) and worth checking out.
(4)Erica P.
I had been looking for some good Mediterranean-style food around Arlington, and was very excited when my dinner companions suggested Pasha on Mass Ave. We went for an early dinner, around 4 p.m. on a Sunday. There was only one other couple in the restaurant, and we were seated right near the window at a lovely table with beautiful, embroidered runners. Between 4 people we shared 3 appetizer, each of which was tastier than the last. The hummus came with warm, freshly baked bread. The mozzofeta sticks were nice and crispy without being greasy, and the fried baby zucchini with yogurt sauce was just fantastic. If you are a meat eater, definitely go for one of their specialty kebabs. I had the chicken skewers, which were marinated and cooked perfectly. Service was good. We asked for a "side" of yogurt sauce, and our waitress (who was very attentive) brought us a huge dish of it! Nom. I was stuffed to the gills when I left. I look forward to going back and trying the Turkish coffee and baklava for dessert!
(4)Jonathan M.
Amazing. We have been looking for a good Turkish place nearby for a while, and this place was a fantastic find. Great food, really friendly staff and reasonably priced.
(5)Jason H.
The short: pleasant atmosphere and tasty dishes with friendly waitstaff. Good for relaxing or a real nice date! The long: I went to dinner with a coworker and her friend; I had no idea what to expect since I didn't know either of them. But Turkish food is nice so I decided to see if this place was good too. First off, thanks for the staff for keeping our table despite us being about 30 minutes late for our reservation. They were pretty busy and I assume they easily could have filled the table had they wanted to. We ordered pretty light fare, nothing that expensive. So we got the Appetizer sampler platter which was 6 cold appetizers for $15, and a Chicken casserole type thing. The appetizer plate definitely feeds 2, maybe even 3 people if you're all girls. The restaurant features a nice bread that is perfect for eating with the appetizer. In the plate was minced beet, hummus, yogurt, baba ghanoush, and a couple other things plus cucumber slices. It's not gonna floor you with how amazing it looks (but it is very clean and neat, just not a masterpiece of visual display). The flavor of each item on the dish was distinct, fresh, and pleasing. Honestly, it probably would be perfect either for winter or summer. It was a cold platter but the beets and hummus still make you feel warmer, and the yogurt can cool you down without chilling you. The table settings and hokey TV images might be a little much, but they don't get in the way of having a really nice time. Total price of the platter, chicken dish, a couple other sides, and rice pudding dessert was $50. And we were more than stuffed. Definitely good value in my book. I'm definitely coming here again. I just wish it were closer to the city. And hopefully I'll have a date next time.
(4)David G.
I'd give Pasha 4 stars for food, but I can't get through the door, because of their insane reservation policy. Two of us showed up for dinner at 7:30 on a Friday night, without a reservation. We were told that it would be impossible for them to seat us. So, the following Friday, I called to make a reservation. When I said it was for two people, I was told, "We can't take a reservation for that few. Just show up". I explained what had happened the previous time we "just showed up", but got little help. So, Pasha, I'm sorry you don't want my business, but good luck, anyway.
(2)Esther K.
How can a restaurant exist for so long with such bad service?? If a good Turkish restaurant with decent service ever opened up across the street from Pasha, pasha would go out of business.
(2)Stephanie G.
This is now my favorite Turkish restaurant in Boston. The prices are decent, and the food is delicious. Turkish food is a great mixture of eastern food and Mediterranean food. I got all up in arms when I read the part about moussaka being Turkish (my family is Greek) - them's fightin' words! - but my dad assured me it isn't actually Greek. So the Turks are off the hook, this time. I went with a party of six and sampled a lot of the entrees around me, and I might venture that while the meat dishes are good, the vegetarian dishes are outstanding. Esp. the vegetarian moussaka. Also, get ready because not only are the entrees sizable in themselves, but they all come with rice, a salad and cooked yummy cabbage. I was so, so full. The atmosphere is fun - pretty textiles all over the place in rich Ottoman-ish colors. My mom kept getting distracted by a video of scenic places in Turkey playing on the far side of the restaurant. Only detraction - the service is not fantastic. We had to ask for extra bread four times before it came.
(4)Meredith P.
One cuisine that I haven't explored nearly enough is Turkish food. Thankfully, a Turkish restaurant has moved into a nearby town, and we've tried it twice now. The first time we had it, we ordered take-out, but when I walked into Pasha's space to pick up our order, I was immediately transported to a small cafe in the center of Istanbul. I had to try eating there, and tonight, we did! First, let me say that the presentation on every dish that was brought to us was absolutely gorgeous. The colors, the music and the decor in the restaurant are so authentic, and I think it will quickly become one of my new local favorites. We decided to order a bunch of things to share! I'm also going to include the Turkish name for each dish, in parentheses, for fun. I love learning new languages. For appetizers (mezeler), we chose to order Mujvair (mucver), which is baby zucchini fried with fresh vegetables, topped with garlic yogurt sauce. We also ordered Beet Tarator (kirmizi pancar), which is boiled and shredded beet with homemade yogurt and mayonnaise. The zucchini was crispy and well seasoned, tasting fresh and light. The beets were REALLY good! It was a chilled dish that would make for a great summer side dish...I think I'm going to try making it sometime soon! For our shared entrees, we chose to order the Shepherd Salad (coban salatasi) and Baytea (beyti). The salad included diced tomatoes, cucumbers, red and green peppers, mint, dill, parsley and was lightly dressed with a house dressing. It was so fresh and crispy and cool...really the perfect dish for a warm spring day like today. Very refreshing! As for the Baytea, it is sauteed ground lamb gently rolled in fillo dough, topped with yogurt and tomato sauce. There must be some lemon juice in the sauce as well because it had this wonderful hint of acidity in every bite. That acidity is something I never would expect, looking at the dish, but it just adds a brilliant touch. Everything we've ordered at Pasha has been delicious, refreshing, and satisfying. It makes me want to visit Turkey so badly, to experience everything for real. Until that day, I will live vicariously through my visits to Pasha, which is located at 669A Massachusetts Avenue, in Arlington, MA. Right now, they aren't delivering, but it's worth it to drive there to pick up your order if you are looking for take-out. Their number is 781-648-5888.
(4)Jen S.
I got a chicken kebob with peach juice. I was 100% satisfied. I am told it's not authentic, but what would I know? All I know is that it was VERY tasty. And I'll definitely go back. The service wasn't the BEST, but it wasn't bad.
(4)Melissa T.
I thought the food here was delicious! We started off with several plates of stuffed grape leaves for the table. I love when restaurants have vegetarian grape leaves, and Pasha did not disappoint! They were stuffed with pine nuts, raisins, spices, with some yogurt drizzled on top - yum! I had the vegetarian stuffed eggplant for my entree - it was delicious! I loved the tomato sauce on top, the eggplant was roasted t perfection, and the vegetable/spice medley inside was excellent. The dishes are reasonably priced and the services was good. I would definitely go back!
(4)Elliot J.
Pasha is shoehorned into a long narrow space in Arlington Center. Once past the window seating (where it is 10 degrees colder than the rest of the room) you are basically seated at a long banquet table for 20 or more with a few inches of space between your eating area and the next group (and perhaps also their kids). At the back there is a six seat bar with no one working specifically as a bartender. There was barely audible (I assume) Turkish music and a video travelogue about what was likely Turkey on a TV screen that ran continually, could not be heard, and had no closed captioning. The unit was quite busy and had only one open table (a deuce by the door) that no one as of yet was dumb enough to accept, as each time the door opened the temperature at that table matched the lovely 25 degrees it was outside on this evening. The wait staff (all female) work the tables, greet the guests and work as hosts, and also share the bartending duties. The name on our check was Waiter 3... does that tell you anything? Good for labor costs, not always good for prompt customer service or learning names. The staff were all smiling, but for some English was clearly a second language. They seemed either unsure of the menu items, unsure of English, or unsure of the guest's pronunciation of what they wanted, so they often asked guests to point at the items in the menu they were ordering. There were only two Turkish red wines by the glass, and one of them was out of stock. The beer selection was extremely limited We took open bar seats while waiting for the next spot in the long crowded row of dining room tables and decided to stay there rather than move to the newly opened table. This turned out to be one of a succession of good choices we made that turned the experience into a more positive one. We called over to one of the staff and ordered our meals when no one had asked if we were ready to order food; a bowl of red lentil soup, the Arugula salad, and mixed grill kebab combo. Bread and three types of toppings (hot salsa, flavored oil, and olive paste) were served quickly. The red lentil soup ($3.95) was a large bowl, served just hot enough to eat easily, and while it had the brownish color and consistency of (lets politely call it) waste water, it was tasty. The entrees made the visit. The Arugula salad ($8.50) was a large colorful bowl of greens, fresh avocado slices, onion, and red tomatoes in a light dressing. The mixed grill kebab ($20.95) was outstanding; thin slices of lamb, steak tips, chicken, and a small burger with bulgur rice and a tomato/pepper/parsley salad that I for one could not eat enough of. The three items were enough for two with some take home left over so the dog could share our evening with us. The wait staff kept making little hourglass shaped glasses of Turkish tea in front of us, so we had to try that also. The tea is made at a weaker or stronger strength by how much hot water is added to the already brewed tea. The service overall could use some work. Based on this visit, we would sit at the bar again rather than the cramped dining room spaces so maybe this area will catch on. Bottom line is we went home happy and full for $53.00 before tip. More at qaci.wordpress.com
(3)Nancy G.
Three of us ate here for the first time last week. We were lucky and got right in, but there was a wait soon after we were seated, and I can see why. The food was exceptionally fresh and everything is served with a generous side of pink pickled turnip or cabbage, and a side salad. Even the sandwiches come with this edible garnish, so you are enjoying a balanced meal, no matter. (So many restaurants seem to think vegetables are an unnecessary expense.) We had a beef pastry in phyllo appetizer that was flavored superbly. My daughter had a stir fried chicken dish that had a major ton of crisp veggies in addition to the chicken chunks. This dish was flavored with cumin, turmeric and lemon and came with rice pilaf and the pickles and a salad. Yum! I had a shawarma sandwich, which contained plenty of lettuce and tomatoes and slices of seasoned meatballs, but was a little light on the tzaziki sauce. I would ask for more on the side, next time. My husband had a beef kebab that was very good. I saw plenty of great looking plates go by and will have to try other things here! We even tried a couple of desserts afterward, but I wouldn't necessarily bother with those next time. If you enjoy fresh interesting food, prepared with integrity and served with plenty of vegetables, you will be happy here. The service was fine, if not stellar. Price was very very reasonable for a lot of food. We will be back!
(4)Charlotte H.
I absolutely adored the food at this restaurant. It was very fairly priced, flavorful, and delicious. We had a mixed appetizer plate... so good! For my main course, I had the Kuzu Sote (Sauteed Lamb). I couldn't rave about this dish enough. Really big portions, but it's hard not to want to eat the whole thing. Someone at my table got the Beyti (Baytea), which was lamb and beef rolled in dough. They were also absolutely delicious and addicting. No complaints about the service. Anyway, point of the story: eat here. It's awesome.
(5)Kevin N.
This is my favourite restaurant in Arlington. The food is always outstanding, with a huge variety of very authentic Turkish dishes. Always cooked to perfection. I usually go with my family, including three small children and a baby, and the kids- who are extremely fussy- all love the food. The staff are very friendly and the restaurant itself is very smartly designed. Highly recommended for any occasasion.
(5)Ariel E.
I'm a firm believer in recognizing improvement... and Pasha, you've really pulled your act together. I've come back a few more times and both the service and the food have been great. Bravo!
(4)Stan S.
Fresh and seems somewhat authentic. We could hear them chopping vegetables in the back, which is a good sign. Liked the lamb gyro. But french fries were reheated frozen fries.
(3)Jason P.
Very good food. Very iffy service. We were greeted and served by a waiter who was rather discombobulated. Her demeanor oscillated between surly and friendly - starting at the former pole when she first approached us and seemed put out that we wanted to eat there. Nonplussed but determined to eat tasty food, we shook that first interaction off, put in a simple order and made no unusual demands (or sudden moves). She then forgot bread and water, skipped putting down some of our silverware - and the olive oil and yogurt dip we'd heard about on Chowhound were nowhere to be seen. She got exercised when she plunked down the yogurt dip we ordered (since we wanted to try it even if we had to pay for it) and called her back over to ask politely for the missing bread. She disappeared for long periods of time and did not check up on us at all through the meal - which fortunately didn't take too long to get to our table - although she was observed by my spousal unit repeatedly checking her appearance in the interim. There were two other waiters who seemed to buzz about a bit more, but the kind of service issues we experienced - while relatively minor - are really not excusable in such a small room. A couple of pro waiters could easily handle the whole place by themselves during a rush. And look "mahvelous" doing it. If they can get their service act together, I'll give them at least another star ... this place can definitely be a winner and I'm rooting for them on the culinary front. However there's something else bothering me. I will say for the record that I am of Greek descent, and that the waiter was Turkish, and while I hate to worry about this kind of thing in our modern era, I did get concerned that part of her sporadic attitude problem might have stemmed from the fact that she may have recognized me as Greek (although my family's been here 100 years ... so I'm thoroughly Americanized ... plus our two peoples basically look the same ... and, of course, we are the same - culturally and otherwise) and was not pleased about me being there. For most modern immigrant Greeks and Turks I have interacted with, the old blood feuds are things of the past. But there are some people in both countries who - for whatever reason - still hold grudges. I sincerely hope that the waiter was simply a neophyte and overwhelmed, and not ethnically profiling me. The first problem is forgivable and understandable. The second is not. I did feel uncomfortable at times, and that does not make for a good dining experience.
(3)Chris W.
I just got a craving for Pasha's mixed appetizer plate. We went to Pasha recently with friends and started our meals off by sharing the mixed appetizers. The flavors were wonderful, rich hummus, stuffed vine leaves, refreshing hidieri, tabulli and babaghannouj. Each of us soon found our favorite combinations of flavors between all the items. The plate was big enough that by the time my entree came, I was wishing I had just stopped with the appetizer. The entrees at the table were all good. The Fainting Imam, stuffed baby eggplant was amazing. Wonderful complex flavors in each bite. The Turkish style anchovies were good, but I would have enjoyed them more in a smaller appetizer size serving. After eating 5-6 or them, I was still left with a mound of anchovies. Our friends both got kebabs, which were good basic Turkish fare. But when I think about that meal I keep coming back to the appetizer plate. It was the garlicy star of the evening.
(4)Mary R.
This restaurant probably deserves a 3, but the food was good and kept the rating a bit higher. My family came across this little find on Saturday during Arlington day. We peaked in the window and saw the cozy, warm decor and also read the menu. We gave it a shot that evening with the kids (2 1/2 & 6 months). As soon as we walked in the staff was very welcoming but not quite sure what to do with the stroller that we brought in since the baby was sleeping. They put us in a corner and the stroller fit nicely. No boosters for toddlers but the chair was high enough that my toddler was just fine. The menu was interesting, Turkish/Mediterranean - sort of a Greek flair. The food was very tasty. I had lamb skewers with toasted pita, good not great, and my husband had an eggplant vege dish (Mujvair). They also had a kids menu which was handy. The service was not very good, but I attribute that to the newness. I think they need to work out the kinks. Atmosphere was extremely pleasant with a cozy little bar up front. We will definitely be back. Overall a very nice experience.
(4)Meredith P.
I read the reviews on Yelp and went to Pasha fully expecting inattentive service. I warned my husband that we'd be waiting hours for our food and begging for water refills. Boy, did I look silly when our service was superb. Granted, it was a Wednesday night, but it was a full house and the two servers handled it wonderfully. Our order was taken promptly, our food came quickly, and our water glasses were refilled almost excessively. Perhaps Pasha has ironed out the kinks that come with a restaurant's opening days. I ordered the lamb kebobs and it was phenomenal. My husband ordered the anchovies, which had a very strong taste that dominated the dish. I would warn anyone with an Americanized palate (like myself) to stay away from the anchovies. Even my husband, a European, had a hard time with it.
(4)Rahul R.
Last weekend, Sunday brunch with a friend of mine was planned. We picked up "Pasha" as the place for the brunch :):) After the reviews on Yelp, we were under the impression "Pasha" would be a rocking place for the lunch :) The ambiance was nice. The decor of the restaurant was really nice. Pretty impressive. It had a essence of Turkish culture to decor & theme. Only 1 waiter servicing and managing the place was surprising. Only 1 another couple was dining out there. The time was around 3:30pm ET on Sunday . We checked out the menu. The waiter served us restaurants own cooked bread with 3 different sauce (spicy tomato sauce, spinach sauce, olive oil with some spices). The bread was soft and was tasting delicious with these three sauce. We checked out with the waiter, if they had any option for meals which are spicy and veggie. However, the waiter mentioned their crowd/customers dont prefer spicy and hence they don't have spicy dishes. This statement of the waiter kind of disheartened us and we lost our mood. However, we had to eat so hungry. Hence, we ordered "Red Lentil Soup", since that's the most common dish we always tend to order in a Middle East / Turkish restaurant. Another, most common dish we order is "Falafel" at any middle east place. So, we ordered the "Falafel" dish from the appetizers. There were hardly any major veggie options which sounded or felt attractive to me. Hence, we picked up the first one "Vegetable Mousakka with Bechamel Sauce" . The Red Lentil Soup was pretty bland. It wasn't that great. The quantity was decent. Falafel, were only 4 pieces served. That was a bit surprising to me. Since, other restaurants serve min. 8-10 pieces of falafel. The quality was ok, not that amazing compared to other places I had in the past. The veg. Mousakka was served and looked more like a Veg. lasagna. It was great in decor and creativity. The Mousakka was good. Decent in tastes. The waiter really didn't help us much on the selection of the dishes, which was surprising to me. The cost per person based on the dishes I had as mentioned above turned out to be $18. At the end of the meal, I wasn't satisfied with the meal I had for the $$ I paid. It wasn't worth spending that money for the meal we had. I would not recommend this place to any one.
(1)Julie B.
Pros: food portions were big (not unnecessarily gigantic) , food quality was great... great tastes, great variety, ambience was pleasant Cons: Service was a bit slow, but it was very busy for a Wednesday night. it took about 15 mins for us to place our order/get any service. would definitely go again!
(4)Sara W.
Both the service and food were great. We went to Pasha at 5PM on a Sunday. The restaurant was 1/2 full at that time but when we left it was completely full. We liked the appetizers and entrees - we had red lentil soup, assorted cold appetizer, Adana kebab, Baytea. The baklava seemed a little under cooked in the middle (which caused me to take one star off) We'll definitely go back
(4)Pam C.
Wonderful! We just got back from Pasha and had a great time. The food was absolutely delicious. We got a free appetizer with some bread, hummus, and spicy vegetable dip. We also ordered the appetizer sampler, with came with the best babaghannouj I have EVER had. It also had something called Hideri, which was like the perfect yogurty salad dressing (the appetizer also came with a salad), stuffed vine leaves (vegetarian), spicy mashed vegetables (like a dip), with some carrot sticks for dipping. Yum! My husband got the tomato soup, which came with a bit of cheese and was tasty. The main courses were also yummy. I got the Grilled Skewered Chicken, which was so tender and juicy. It came with bulgar, a side of the spicy dip, some grilled vegetables, and a side salad. A wonderfully balanced meal. My husband had Mujvair, a vegetarian dish of fried shredded zucchini sticks on top of a large salad, which I tasted and quite liked. A friend of ours got the Fainting Imam, a vegetarian eggplant dish, which she really enjoyed. Our other friend ordered the Sauteed Chicken Curry, which he said was good. For the vegetarians out there, there were at least six options scattered across the menus, more if you count the appetizers. The only thing I didn't like was the drink I ordered - Ayran (Yogurt Drink). It turned out to be the salty kind of yogurt drink, which I hadn't had before and didn't care for. Almost everyone at the table ended up tasting it, going hmm, interesting, and only having a couple of sips more. As for the service, it was fine. There was a wait, so they took my cell phone number and called us when our table was ready, and it was ready exactly when they said. That was really nice. Within 10 minutes we had our drinks, our appetizer, and had our orders taken. The appetizers came shortly thereafter, and the food came right as we were done with the appetizers. Our drinks were refilled frequently. All together we were in and out in a little over an hour. Great food, a nice atmosphere, and overall a good dining experience.
(5)ToLga O.
I have been back a few times since the bad review. They seem to have got their act together.
(4)kristin l.
This is wonderful new restaurant in Arlington, we were impressed with the variety of excellent appetizers and main course selections on the menu. Our party of 5 started with a feast of tasty appetizers and Turkish Wine. Everyone was so pleased with their meal, the presentation was beautiful, and the food was flavorful and perfect . Cooked with care and attention to detail with good portion sizes. What is also very nice is that you have a choice of traditional foods or creative menu selections with Mediterranean flare- from soups, appetizers to side dishes, main courses and desserts all with a very reasonable price. We also loved the decor, the atmosphere and the friendly and excellent wait staff. Note: My brother had just returned from travels to various Mediterranean countries- he was really impressed with the food and service at Pasha's Restaurant and is planning on having a company celebration there soon! * I will be taking friends to Pashas' - it is great to have a new high quality restaurant with healthy food choices in the area. I plan to go back soon... there are so many interesting dishes on their menu.
(5)Elizabeth C.
Delicious lentil soup, yummy fainting imam (stuffed baby eggplant), nice service, and they accommodated our walk-in party of 20! (no joke!). Definitely will be back when in the neighborhood.
(5)GoldyCat N.
First and foremost the food is delicious. The service however is poor if best. We made reservations for 6 people, but 2 people had to cancel due to the flu. When we arrived, the manager was angry that we only had 4 and not 6 and said sharply, "You guys can't do this to me! You have to call ahead! I just turned away a party of 6!" Okay, we get it, but is this the way to greet paying customers? That set a very bad tone for the evening. Moreover, the waiter who served us didn't know what he was doing. He didn't present the wine well; he didn't provide plates for our appetizers; and he didn't check on us once during our dinner. Worse, after serving the dessert with a hair across it, didn't bother to take that off the check. Won't be returning.
(1)Edwin O.
Having been to Turkey several times, I remember what top notch Turkish cuisine in Istanbul is like. I have been to some other Turkish restaurants in the area, but none could accomplish what Pasha has done: as soon as the aroma of our prepared dishes hit me, I was suddenly transported back to Turkey. The memories of the flavors and textures came flooding back. I am giving them 4 stars because I know what five star Turkish cuisine tastes like... this place gives a good feel for that, although I didn't swoon like I did in Istanbul. Nonetheless, my dining experience brought back great memories for me. Unlike prior reviews, I found the service to be attentive and good. The Turkish Coffee and desserts are outstanding. The place could use an area for waiting patrons... since there is no space inside for that, people are relegated to standing out in the elements until their name is called. We will be back!
(4)Liz L.
This is a belated update. I was really enjoying Pasha. Then the server on the day I typically came became consistently the same person. She was friendly enough, but she wasn't a very good server. As an example, she would while away time talking to people she knew while customers were waiting for their bill or to have their order taken. Finally one day I went in while the small place was fairly busy for the time I typically ate there (which isn't to say "packed," just "comparably busy"). There were a few different empty tables, but she sat me at one that was literally inches away from each of two tables where people were having very loud, very animated conversations. As someone who most often eats lunch out by myself, I knew this would make me uncomfortable, and very politely asked if I could be reseated at a particular other empty table that was near where she was seating me. She said that she didn't want to give me that table because what if a group of 4 came in and wanted it. Despite her behavior, I know she remembered I was a repeat customer because when I placed only one of the things I most often ordered, knowing I wouldn't want to stay as long as I typically did because of the noise and proximity issues, she asked me if I didn't want to order the other thing I typically ordered too. The food was still good, but I ate rapidly and left as soon as she brought the check - that table I'd asked for still empty when I left (in fact, no new customers had come in at all while I ate) - and I never returned. By now they are closed at lunch on Mondays, the day I most often go to Arlington. I'm docking two stars for the service I experienced in my later meals. (My food was still served in the same style the last time I went, so I haven't experienced the suspicions of new ownership that a few other reviewers are reporting.)
(2)Shumaila Y.
I love this place. The ambience and decor are very turkish, including the outfits of the servers. I love their hummus, its creamy and delicious. I had their mixed grill platter which consisted of doner( beef kababs),mutton/lamb kababs,minced meat pattie and iskender(chicken kababs ) It was excellent. Their pita bread could have been better, it was too dry and seemed a bit stale. We tried a dessert called kunefe, and it was delicious. They usually give a complimentary starter, some sort of fluffy bread with tiny portions of dips. This was perhaps something i didnt like at all. The bread is dry and ordinary. I think they should replace it with pita bread and hummus. All in all, great food. Doner kebabs are king.
(4)R B.
Gosh, really good. Cute place with excellent food. The bread! If you haven't had Turkish food, try the combination plates and share, since you might like the lamb, or say, eggplant dishes even though you usually don't. It's that kind of place -- where you're inhaling something you thought you hated because it's so interesting and good. Attentive service. If I still lived around the corner, I'd be working my way through the menu.
(4)J D.
There is something inherently wrong about going to a restaurant when in has just opened, then complain about the service or food. Of course things are going to go wrong. If you are driving to the cape during a holiday weekend do you yelp about the traffic? We went to pasha today for lunch. The entire staff was very friendly and attentive. My water was full and tea replaced numerous times. Food was spectacular. My nana ordered the mozz sticks, beef wrapped in pylo and the fainting imam eggplant thing. She's picky but loved it all. Super fresh and flavorful. I had the hummus and tabbouleh. Both awesome. The tabbouleh is a little different with more tomato than parsley and spicy but a welcomed twist. For dessert we had baklava and a custard with burnt sugar. Perfect. The people were wonderful. They explained the menu to my nana who asks a lot of questions and gets shit all over the floor. They were cool the whole time. I hope they do well. I'm sure once the word gets out the place will be jammed.
(5)Laura T.
Overall a decent dining experience, though nothing I'd write home about. The service was quite good; everyone was speedy and attentive. And there was a fun, authentic ambience. They start the meal with a dense bread and three very unique dipping sauces (yogurt, oil/vinegar, and an onion relish). For entrees I got the fainting imam ($12.95) which was a light, eggplant-stuffed vegetarian dish. My friend got the Beyti ($13.95), seasoned lamb in fillo topped with a flavorful yogurt/tomato sauce. The meal was pleasant, but nothing remarkable. I felt I was paying for the appearance and plating of my dish as opposed to the food itself.
(3)Diem D.
Amazing food for reasonable price. I loved the beet-yoghurt salad and the stuffed grape leaves and red lentil soup! Good vegetarian selection.
(5)victoria l.
I LOVED the appetizers here...we ordered a few. The meal was Okay no one I was with was "wowed" that is until the dessert came out! They have outstanding Baklava! I would certainly go back just for the apps and dessert, very friendly staff as well.
(3)Lisa M.
Ugh. We ordered one appetizer (baba ghanoush), 2 entrees, and 1 dessert, and with tax and tip it ended up $50! And it was not even worth $20. The baba ghanoush was simply disgusting, bland and with an odd taste, it was just served with spoons as if it was good enough to eat plain like a porridge???? The entrees were okay - the gyros was exactly what a gyros is but WHY they thought they could serve it without cucumber or tzatziki sauce is beyond me, plus, why pay more than $5 for a gyros. The stuffed eggplant was okay, but not worth the price. The baklava was the best part but didn't seem very fresh. I would never go to this restaurant again, unless we could spend no more than $20. Certainly not $50. Please, please, someone bring good food to Arlington!!!!!
(2)C P.
The food here is so delicious, and I think the service is friendly and attentive. Came here on a Wednesday night at 5 pm with my husband, toddler, and MIL. The servers were very sweet to the our toddler, giving her crayons and even coloring with her for a little bit. The food was so amazing I ended up cleaning my plate, which I hardly ever do. I split the moussaka and stuffed eggplant with my MIL and tasted my husband's dish which was lamb in a bowl of creamed eggplant. Everything was delicious but our favorite was the moussaka. The baba ghanoush to start was a little bland and we could have used more pita and veggies to go with it, but it was still fine. My husband felt his dish needed more lamb. My daughter ate selections from all our meals and enjoyed it all! (We never bother with a kids menu.) The service was great, I never had to ask for more water-they just kept refilling my glass without me even noticing.
(4)Gizem D.
I'd say this is the best turkish restaurant in the boston metro area. They have a pretty good menu. The food was delicious. I highly recommend the "beyti kebap". The grape leaves are made there, and definitely not out of a can. (Ewww gross!) The service was very decent. The inside of the restaurant is nicely decorated and clean. I heard that there is usually a wait. (There aren't that many tables there.) We went on a Saturday night. We were seated promptly. Highly recommended....
(4)Jasmine C.
We did takeout during lunch hour. The food was ok. The doner kebab was generous in portion, but the quality was ok. The hamburger panini was def not the right name for the dish, because it came on a bun, not panini wrap. The hamburger was def on the dry/slightly burnt side. I am very happy that I found a turkish restaurant in Boston (which is rare). I will update my review after I give the support a try.
(3)Lauren M.
This place is a perfect example of people who can really cook so they open a restaurant, and then they have no idea how to run the place. The food is really fantastic, but it took about 45 minutes to get our appetizer of hummus, (Come on it's sitting in a tub in the back) and then another 30 minutes to get the meal. Thank goodness we made reservations because with service like this the wait really backed up. I'd say go on a weekday or get takeout because they can't handle weekend service yet.
(2)Betty S.
We had dinner there this past weekend. The service was great, and the food was delicious! I can highly recommend the stuffed eggplant, but everybody at my table really enjoyed their meals. Pasha is definitely on my list of restaurants to visit again.
(4)Tam L.
Checked out Pasha for lunch and had a pleasant experience. They offer a lunch menu in addition to their regular menu which is great for those who don't want a large entree. What I loved about the lunch menu was their sandwich/wrap offerings which give you a taste of their flavorful meats without having to commit to a large plate. I had the doner wrap (6.95) which was delightful. There was a generous portion of meat and some salad mixed in. The meat was very flavorful and tender. The only thing missing was some yogurt sauce. I failed to ask for some so I don't know if they would have given it to me on the house or not. Note that included with the wrap order was a small side salad. My friend and I almost ordered the sandwich and salad combo. Good thing we didn't because you get one anyways (of course they don't tell you this). I've gotten some personal recommendations for their dinner entrees (lamb shank) so I will update my review once I have a chance to try them again. Despite the good food, I must agree with other reviewers that service is a bit on the spotty side. There were only 2 other tables there when I arrived so I expected more attentive service. The staff was very friendly, but on the slow side. I felt like there was a time lag for our orders to be taken and another time lag when we were waiting for our paid check to be picked up. I couldn't tell if they were just allowing my party some time to relax and chat, or if they were just disinterested. All in all, it was a good experience. Can't wait to give their dinner entrees a try!
(3)Kara B.
It didn't improve with time; it crashed and burned. Menu much less interesting; most of the dishes I liked have disappeared; meals arrive cold; bread less wonderful; seems more expensive. Too bad. I thought it was on it's way to something really good!
(2)John D.
I really, really wanted to like Pasha, but overall it was a big disappointment. The appetizer of various spreads was tasty, though the bread was bland and dry. The entrees were really dull. We had something like a beef stew, and the cubes of beef were dried out and tough. Thankfully the eggplant was tasty, what little there was on the plate. The service seemed a bit off. They seemed to pay a lot more attention to certain tables - maybe they were regulars. I'll give them another chance someday, but I have no desire to return any time soon.
(2)talia s.
The décor in this place is super cute, but don't go here in the winter. They have attempted to block off the door with curtains, but every time the door opened it was a blast of cold air. This is a serious comfort issue. The food: MEH. I have had better. It was very reasonably priced, the bread was warm and fresh, but the main course was mediocre. I ordered the Beyti because I am a sucker for fillo. It was very disappointing. The "fillo" dough, if it was fillo dough, was not cooked at all. I pretty much ate raw dough. The best thing on my plate was the white rice. The dessert was delicious, but nothing I feel I couldn't get somewhere else. The service was really good. My water was constantly filled, which I enjoyed. Overall, I would not return to Pasha.
(2)Don M.
Great tastes. Spiced mashed veggies are great appetizer. More like a bruschetta topping than stand alone. Stuffed eggplant was succulent combo of tastes.
(4)Jonathan S.
Fantastic food full of unique and welcome flavors. We got take-out so I can't address the service and atmosphere. Food was incredible.
(5)Ju L.
Tried the food last week at Pasha, and overall it was pretty decent. The falafel was not bad -- good flavor but spicy. In fact, everything we order was spicy -- even items not listed as spicy. The falafel appetizer could qualify as a meal. The taboulli was some of the worse I've ever had. It had no tomatoes, barely any parsley, and no hint of mint. It was mostly bulghar wheat with barely existent parsley. Entree-wise, it was pretty good. Avoid dishes with sauces, e.g. Iskander Kebab (or something to that effect), on the meat as they go overboard on the sauces -- especially the tomato based sauce. Portions are good and the food is fairly filling. Service was pretty good. Overall, prices were fair but I can think of better Middle Eastern/Mediterranean fare, e.g. Brookline Family Restaurant in Brookline, MA.
(3)M S.
I would give it a 3.5 as the service really needs a professional. They have great food, but if they don't get their act together with the service, it is doomed. We went with a part of 8, the 9th person canceled last minute, and the waitress handled it with barely any skills - asking a waiting customer if they minded if we waited 10 minutes for our 9th person. The appetizers were served, (they really need bread as most are dips) and the bread came in when we were almost done. It looked like it was de frosted and cold on the inside. Also, there was no clear manager, and I sensed chaos in the service ranks. We often do parties with a large group (and ring up a good amount), but are not too keen for a next time, for a group. Food is AWESOME.
(4)Seza M.
Terrible food terrible service. People who gave this place 4-5 stars don't know what mediterranean food or Turkish food should be like!!! Plus the food was served cold!!
(1)Andrea H.
Good. I've been to Istanbul and had extremely high expectations of this place. Imam Bilyaldi is a dish that I still have dreams about and theirs was just missing something that you can get in the most basic cafeterias in Turkey. I'll definitely go back because Pasha is good it just wasn't the food of my dreams.
(3)Dori P.
Went to Pasha with my parents, brother, and our SOs, and it did not disappoint. We had a reservation which was good, it was quite busy (Fri night, 7:30). The dining room is somewhat kitschy and the chairs are hard and awkward to maneuver, but this did not detract from the experience. The appetizers were delicious and generous. I ordered the mashed spicy vegetables, which is an extremely garlicky spread (the same spread that is served with bread and hummus before the apps arrived). We also had the fried mozzarella/feta sticks (wrapped in filo, a real treat), and the filo-wrapped vegetable puff (also delicious). The grilled eggplant was served with delicious cooked vegetables alongside.The service was super friendly but not yet fine-tuned, as others have said, so it took a while for our entrees to arrive and they did not arrive at the same time or at the same temperature. Still, the lamb shank was a stand-out, I adored my lightly fried vegetable balls (kind of like a crispy, latke/dumpling hybrid), and the cindered beef was also excellent. The other dishes were fine, just not as remarkable (and the Turkish ravioli arrived tepid-to-cool - not sure if this was intentional). Overall, a treat. I'm sure the service issues will get sorted out - Pasha is a great option, especially for vegetarians!
(4)sara p.
So I wanted to like this place, but it just wasn't happening for me. The service was good (always had a filled water glass) but the food was mediocre at best. The appetizer we ordered was huge and filled with definitely canned vegetables. I ordered the sauteed shrimp and my husband had the Fainting Imam.My dish was described as "jumbo shrimp" on the menu and lo and behold I got a way too big portion of NOT jumbo shrimp (seemed like canned shrimp to me, not fresh looking at all) In fact come to think of it , there was a picture on the menu of the sauteed shrimp with jumbo shrimp! Very misleading, not to mention overpriced at $17.95! My husband's eggplant wasn't anything special. We ordered the "oven baked" rice pudding for dessert thinking it would be warm...it tasted like it came out of the fridge! I don't get it.. Not recommended.
(2)Brandon L.
When i reviwed this restaurant the last time it was a relatively new and they were trying to fix their slow service issues. I've been there 3 times at least. The cook already changed once which is not a good sign. The new cook is better with traditional dishes but his deserts are not as good. It's very hard to find a chef who is excellent at all areas. The apetizers especially the mujver (fried mashed zucchini) is fairly large and filling. Don't be shy to give the waitress your feedback because they're really trying to improve their food. Imam bayildi and karniyarik are some of my favorite eggplant dishes but for the typical customers the grilled shish kabap meats are a safer bet. I love anchovies but don't try their "hamsi bugulama" the steamed anchovies, a dish from the black sea region...it was just horrible. For Turkish food I like the new Istanbul'lu in Somerville but Pasha's deserts are better and they have more variety. For some reason they add too much sesame paste (tahini) to their eggplant salad (babagannoush) and the roasted sesames give a bitter taste. It's about time I give Pasha another chance to see if they improved.
(3)I. P.
We went early for dinner our young son. The place was not busy at that time. The food was delicious! We had appetizers and sandwiches and thought the portions were generous. The wait staff was friendly: they talked to our son and brought 2 re-fills of bread for our appetizers. Even at that early hour, I thought the wait staff was very slow--slow to take our orders, slow to stop by to ask if we needed anything (more bread), slow to bring food, and even slow with the check. The dining room is not that large, and two women were waiting tables. They did not appear to be understaffed. I think the waitresses are inexperienced. Looking at other reviews, I'm not the only one who thinks the food is fabulous despite lackluster service.
(4)rob g.
Pasha has clearly gotten its "service" act together since the time of some prior reviews, and the food was wonderful. Even with a full-house at a midweek dinner, 4 of us found a cordial proprietor, readily available (and helpful) waitstaff, and fresh, delicious, well-prepared, authentically Turkish food. Looking forward to a return visit where it will be hard to resist the zucchini fritter appetizers, the lamb in many forms, the manti (ravioli) and the unusually good Turkish-style rice pudding. No reservations accepted for a group of 4 people, but they honored the advance call to put us on a sign-up list. Well worth the brief wait.
(4)clarisse b.
My husband and I went here just over a week ago, and I warned him that the service might be slow (based on the reviews here), but I was SO wrong! The service was excellent -- we were not kept waiting very long for anything, and we also did not feel rushed. More importantly, the food was EXCELLENT! We did not get the free appetizer, but noticed that people at other tables did. We ordered the appetizer sampler plate others have mentioned, which was great. My husband got the gyro kebab which was incredibly tender and so tasty. I got the stuffed eggplant (eggplant stuffed with ground meat and vegetables), and really enjoyed it. The owner/manager (I'm guessing) also came over towards the end of our meal and asked if we would like to order another drink. We were also surprised to see how busy they were on a Thursday night -- all tables were full and there were about 3 groups of customers waiting outside or at the small bar -- another indicator of how good the food is. We did find it a little pricey ($15 for each dish), but the quality of the food compensates somewhat for that. We thought the decor was nice and I thought the large chair was comfortable. This is the perfect place to go for a nice meal. We had a great experience and will definitely be back!
(4)NIX V.
When this restaurant first opened, the food was first rate. I had the Turkish Style Anchovies which were served in a spicy tomato vegetable mixture with a side of delicious salad, cold mashed potato (an aquired taste), and fantastic rice pilaf. I can't remember what my fellow diners had, but they were equally impressed. The pilaf was so good we got some more to-go. They also had excellent home-made tasking baklava. We went back a few weeks later and had a very mediocre meal. The pilaf had been replaced with a Near East type of generic pilaf. The food was just so-so. We figured we had hit it on an off night, so last night we went again. I ordered the Turkish Style Anchovies again and was presented with an enormous dish of dried out over-cooked anchovies entirely covered in a thick layer of melted cheese. Melted cheese is not mentioned in the description on the menu and was certainly not on it the first time I had it. I said to the waiter that this was different from what I had received before and he said "that was impossible". Again the pilaf was the generic Near East type. The other diners at the table ordered the Stuffed Eggplant, the Rolled Anchovies, and the Pasha Style Vegetable Balls. The only dish that got raves was the Vegetable Balls. The baklava had been replaced with a more commercial version, but still good. The other desserts are not worth bothering with. I am sad to say that we will not be returning here and I just loved it when it opened.
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