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    Balkan Grind

    4.8 (17 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

    Order Balkan Grind Takeout or Delivery

    Balkan Grind Photos

    Business Info

    BALKAN GRIND ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Balkan Grind

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    Alan S.

    In many of our mental maps of the world, we sometimes forget how porous the border is between Turkey and the Balkans. One of the most posh neighborhoods of Istanbul is named Arnavutköy, which roughly translates to "Albanian village." As a consequence, I was able to find many of my favorite treats from the region that I normally thought of as "Turkish" at this lovely new Balkan cafe in North Williamsburg. We shared the feta böreği which was served with a lovely ajvar-esque spread and a Türk kahvesi, delivered in one of the most beautiful cups I've seen to date.

    Turkish Coffee
    Arnold S.

    Val was awesome! He made incredible coffee and had great conversation with us. His passion bleeds into the coffee , tea and pastries. Found our new coffee spot!! Ambiance was awesome and comforting. You'll want to come back!

    Luke K.

    The coffee is rich, smooth, and clearly made with care. Their traditional Turkish coffee is a must-try. The pastry selection is amazing, with authentic Balkan sweets like baklava and other unique treats you won't find at most coffee shops. The shop has such a cozy, stylish vibe (love the pink fridge and decor!) and the staff is super friendly. Perfect spot for a pick-me-up or to just hang out and enjoy something different. Highly recommend!

    The coffee is wonderful and the man who runs it is incredibly nice! He's very endearing and offered us samples of different coffees! Please go in and listen to his jokes!!

    hazelnut french press and a brownie.
    Claire L.

    What an excellent, aesthetically pleasing, authentic, comfortable, and welcoming place! The individual working (who must be the owner) was enormously kind and gracious to every client, in a way I have not seen in NYC in a while. The coffee options were numerous and unique and INCREDIBLE (incuding decaf options for everything), there's wifi, and there is an assortment of wonderful burekas and cakes and turkish delight and more. What a wonderful place to work, chat, read, and I hope they have a long time in business in the neighborhood. And not your typical Williamburg gentrified cafe - lovely welcoming and distinctive.

    The best Cheese Burek & Albanian Cheese Burek Pie!

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    13 days ago

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    11 months ago

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    7 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    5 months ago

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    9 months ago

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    7 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

    Amazing cardamon Turkish coffee and even better vibes and customer service! The owner is very sweet.

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    10 months ago

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    5 months ago

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    8 months ago

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    11 months ago

    I love the Balkan grind! Great coffee, service and absolutely delicious baklava and baked goods. Such a cute and peaceful vibe!

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    1 year ago

    The Turkish coffee is so damn good. The cherry roast. And the baklava is great. Very pleasant atmosphere and nicely decorated.

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    Ask the Community - Balkan Grind

    Review Highlights - Balkan Grind

    They serve traditional Turkish coffee, a wonderful tea selection and a great chai latte as well as they have the pastry case of my dreams.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Tava Turkish and Mediterranean

    (307 reviews)

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    Park Slope

    This gem in Brooklyn shouldn't be hidden. We had a group of 8 where a third of the party were…read moretoddlers and we were treated with so much care. The service was impeccable, understanding and kind. Now to the food,...chefs kiss. The bread Bastien was warm and soft. The grilled calamari is definitely an appetizer must. But the biggest surprise was the fried liver bites. I couldn't get enough of it. The seasoning, the juiciness, the joy it brought me was unexpected and highly appreciated. Not a fan of the fried calamari but the rest of the adult at my table liked it...to each is own. I didn't get a chance to enjoy my main course because the kids started getting rowdy but the rest of my party ate their meals and couldn't stop raving about the food. Was a little disappointment the almond pudding wasn't one that menu anymore. I really wanted to try it, but the tiramisu was delicious and the whipped cream with pistachio was light and delightful. I didn't get to take any pictures but I would definitely go back the next time I'm in Brooklyn.

    We stopped into Tava around 3 in the afternoon for a late lunch. The restaurant was nearly empty at…read morethat hour and we received lots of great attention from the staff. The ambience is comfortable. The tables are a comfortable distance apart, something you don't often find in places in Brooklyn. We sat down and our server promptly offered us water and menus. It was one of the really cold day in early February and I ordered Lentil soup. It really hit the spot-both nice and warm and tasty. My wife and I shared the other dishes that included a superb mixed appetizer plate with really delicious baba ghanoush, humus, labneh and other middle eastern delights. The grilled calamari was a really nice surprise. We typically order fried calamari, our server suggested the grilled. The calamari was tender, sweet and truly delicious. Finally, we shared the Mediterranean sea bass that was also excellent. The fish was very good with a wonderful light sauce. All around a wonderful experience at a reasonable price.

    Taci's Beyti - Chicken Adana Kebab Lunch with Rice

    Taci's Beyti

    (935 reviews)

    $$

    Midwood, Gravesend

    Great food and a local gem. If you crave meat off a skewer charred to perfection still juicy and…read morenot cooked to hell and back this is the place for you. Great service and in an upscale environment then this is the spot. Prices are a bit on the higher side but you're paying for quality.

    I have been coming to Taci's Beyti since 2013 and frequented it a lot when I lived in Brooklyn but…read morenow moving to Queens for the past few years I still make the trip over 2-3 times a year. The quality of their food has always been top notch and honestly is my favorite spot for a Turkish meal. Their hummus and basically all their skewers, kababs and grilled meats are simply amazing. Fast forward, I haven't gone to Taci's Beyti for over a year and I just recently went for our anniversary dinner over the weekend. Place still felt the same, so I ordered my hummus, mixed grill and the chicken kebab for the misses. When The entrees arrived, I was a bit disappointed. They seem to have changed what use to come with their main entrees. Gone is the bed of thinly sliced onions under your meats, so is the roasted pepper and also the roasted tomato. Three items I actually enjoyed having with my entree. They also changed the pita under the meats as well but they replaced it with a very sad salad instead, with no dressing or even a vinaigrette at that. Just plain dry leaves with some red onions. They also have two prices now, one for cash and one for credit, the cost has gone up (which I understand) but they've also cut the portions and what use to come with it. Yes the food is still good but after that last trip I am rethinking about ever going back. I am disappointed that either through choice, greed, or whatever they decided to cut back. Time to scout and try some other Turkish restaurants in the boroughs I suppose, and no I am not leaving a one star review, their food quality and taste hasn't changed. I am just very disappointed.

    Bayridge Turkish Cafe - Katmer and Turkish tea

    Bayridge Turkish Cafe

    (7 reviews)

    Bay Ridge

    I could make this restaurant a weekly habit. The employees provide excellent customer attention…read more The small footprint of Bayridge Turkish Cafe doesn't compromise cleanliness or comfort. Our minimal menu exploration was adequately rewarding. This restaurant delivers well.

    Have you ever seen the misadventures of Nedim Sahin, the guy who went viral with videos at his…read moreBaruthane Pilavcisi restaurants? He claimed to taste the first spoonful of each new batch of food to ensure that it meets his mom's standards. There is a well-known Turkish proverb he quotes from - "pilavdan dönenin kaşığı kırılsın". In literal translation it's "break the cooking spoon of the pilaf maker who falters in its task". It's understood as either "see it though come hell or high water" or "bring your A-game or don't bother showing up". Eh, I wonder if the guy who served me this kofte platter at BayRidge Turkish cafe has ever heard the quote? When it came to Turkish food, certain items are universally loved, like çorba (soup) and kofte (meatballs). Çorba has such an elevated status that a commander of the Ottoman elite military corps (Janassary) is known as a çorbaci (soup man). Even today, the term is used in modern Turkish slang as "boss". There's an old saying in Turkish that the best kofte is made by your mom, but the best çorba is from the local kebab joint. What makes for good Turkish kofte? It's supposed to be fluffy juicy pillows of meat the size of say, a mini Snickers bar, made with ground beef and sometimes lamb, with some diced lamb tail fat whipped into the mixture, seasoned with sweet and savory spices like cumin, mint, coriander, mace and such, then grilled over coals. In Turkey the usual service is with a bowl of buttery Turkish lentil soup (often accompanied by their bread), ice cold Ayran, piyaz (navy bean salad), then kofte fresh off the grill, and maybe some rice pilaf (buttery rice with bits of toasted orzo within) on the side. Who does a good version in Brooklyn? Kofte Piyaz in Sunset Park - it ain't cheap, though. So what is up with this 15 dollar kofte platter I got at Bayridge cafe? Well, the size of the kofte is odd, like breakfast sausages (my wife is much less charitable on the comparison and said it looked like something from a kitty litter box). It tasted dry and shriveled up, with no flavor at all, like it was air fried once too many. The iceberg lettuce and tomato salad that came on the side just bleeds off the mediocrity. The rice is just white rice and not pilaf. The inexplicable part is when they serve up lentil soup and gave us slices of American white bread. Not toasted, not buttered, and certainly not Turkish bread. Me and my wife bursted out laughing. The soup is...serviceable, but it certainly won't make any Ottoman Sultan dance for joy or fuel warriors into battle - it tasted flat (the version that I make has tomato and pepper paste, onions, garlic and dried mint...which this didn't have) and we didn't see the usual shaker of aleppo (pul) peppers for sprinkling onto the soup to give it a kick. The bean stew that we ordered (Kuru Fasulye) was watery and without much distinctive flavors. So, eh, is this place bad per-se? Not really. Despite the disappointing kofte, it comes with a small bit of eggplant salad that was honestly not too bad. The Turkish tea was on-point (well, they used Caykur Tomurcuk, which is a Turkish Earl Grey grade) and they used a double boiler to do the tea, which means that it's legitly brewed in the Turkish fashion with the right flavors. The Tulumba wasn't nearly as good as, say...Safa in Istanbul, but it isn't a disappointingly soggy mess like the ones at Djerdan Borek or coyingly sweet with salad oil stench like the ones at Artion bakery in Astoria. It was like how you imagine a good churro would be - warm, not too oily, sweet but not too much so. Crisp exterior, honeyed interior, goes well with a cup of hot tonic Turkish tea, served strong and fragrant. So yeah, it's not hopeless. But geez, guys, save your wonderbread for the American sandwiches and toss pitas or Turkish bread with your Turkish fares, and talk to your mom about serving up proper kofte. I can excuse the soup but that kofte is a travesty. Köftedan dönenin isgaralar kırılsın - either make something worthwhile or don't bother at all.

    Balkan Grind - coffee - Updated May 2026

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