The brand new location was awesome! I was thrilled to come over here for my husband's 60th birthday and it did not disappoint! I was very excited for the owner Joseph because the original restaurant was a small diner which was so cozy and convenient. The new place is spacious, lofty and it looked very contemporary chic with lots of tables and the staff doubled. The food was consistently good and I tried lamb chops this time and next time I'll make sure I have it at medium rare. I tried the beet mezze for the first time and that was very delicious. The halva dessert is good as always , but this time that I tried their baklava as my husband's birthday cake and they were so gracious to sing happy birthday to him. Very lovely time and of course loved their complementary tea at the end. Good for digestion. Will be back again. I loved it and I'm really happy to see the restaurant's growth! read more

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Tl;dr Amazing food with large portions. The triple mix platter is a great value and perfect for sharing. The food here is amazing. We shared the triple mix platter for two people, and the portion size was already pretty good. The meat was super flavorful, and I really liked the lamb specifically. Everything tasted fresh and high quality. We sat at the bar and the service was excellent. We asked the server a lot of questions, and they were very friendly and took the time to answer all of them. I would love to come back and try the family plate with more people in the future. The combination of the great service and the generous portions makes this a standout spot for Mediterranean. read more

Halva Mediterranean Grill - Trio Platter - Turkish Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

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This is a delicious Turkish restaurant. It is packed. No reservations so get there early or after 7:30 when the dining room starts to free up. Food is inexpensive but large portions. Servers are very nice. Pita bread and sides are complementary and come out first. I almost liked the wrap bread that came with the kabobs better than the pita which was also very good. Baklava was just ok. This is their new location. It's very beautiful and big. Good spot for a large group. read more

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A group of my friends came here for dinner. The new location is nice. It is bright, clean, spacious, modern, and much larger. I also noticed there were a lot more waitstaff. They don't have a liquor license but have some mocktails on their menu. Everyone enjoyed the food and it is a great place for sharing food. We ordered the Halva Mezze Tasting Plate, Cauliflower Bites, Arugula Salad, White Bean Salad, Lamb Shish Kabob, Special Beyti Kebab, and the Halva Mix Family Platter (serves 2-3 people). I will be back again with my family. read more

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The new Halva on Main Street brings all the good of the previous location PLUS new items on the menu. Try the beef flatbread. Fun to eat and super tasty! read more

Halva Mediterranean Grill - Turkish Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

A HUGE disappointment. We ordered the Baba Ghanoush as an appetizer, and it was indistinct/meh. (The best eggplant appetizer we've had in Watertown (takeout) is the Kashk Bademjan from Roksana's - not exactly the same thing, but unbelievably delicious.) We split a salad - it was very good - no complaints. As for the entrees however, Halva went 0/2. My lamb shish kebab was overcooked and dry, and not particularly flavorful. I should have sent it back but instead just put up with it because we were on a schedule and didn't have excess time. My spouse's chicken kebab was also overcooked, and similarly made an unfavorable impression (how do you screw up chicken kebab??). Service was very good (no small thing these days), but the food overall was not good and we won't return given far better options close by (see next paragraph). If others have experiences like we had at Halva, I can't see this restaurant lasting. And the bar is pretty high in Watertown because there are two nearby restaurants that have far better food of this type (Persian & Turkish cuisine are not that far apart). Roksana's is takeout only but has OUTSTANDING food (Persian). And while I loved Molana while it was open (right around the corner from Halva, in Watertown Square) and it was my go-to choice for outstanding Middle Eastern food, the great news is that the owners of Molana have opened another restaurant in East Watertown, Caspian Persian Cuisine, which food-wise is as great as Molana always was. [Although I'll admit I preferred Molana's interior to the one Caspian Persian Cuisine has.] But if it's the food that matters, Caspian Persian Cuisine delivers the goods--and then some. Halva, not so much, I'm afraid. read more

A beloved neighborhood institution and some of the best Turkish food in Boston. It's one of those restaurants that's smaller than it looks from the outside, so if you're coming on a weekend evening, come early or be prepared to wait. We managed to snag one of the last two-tops. Even though it got full, I never had to yell or strain to hear my friend, a blessing for my ears. We tried: 1. The 3-mezze sampler, with the baba ganoush, cretan mash (a blend of broad beans, garlic, olive oil, lemon, all the good stuff), and the yogurt dip. My favorites were the smoked eggplant and cretan mash. The yogurt dip paired perfectly with the meat platter we ordered. Pita bread on the side was also delicious and fluffy. Definitely brought me back to Istanbul. 2. Falafel plate, with hummus and tahini sauce. The falafel was fried expertly, not drenched in oil. It's 3 pieces to an order for almost $10 - the only thing we ordered that I thought was a tad steep for the price. 3. Triple mix grill, with lamb, chicken, and adana (ground beef and lamb) shish kabobs. We wanted to sample all of the different meats; my favorite was the chicken - perfectly tender, so well seasoned, incredible. The platter came with two grilled peppers, two grilled tomatoes, a pile of pita pieces soaked in the sauces, and a bowl of rice. I'd say it's perfect for one person for their entree or for two people if you also order some mezzes/salad. Also got the cold milky baklava as a dessert - I only wish I was less full to enjoy it. Chocolate pistachio baklava topped with a milky syrup, need I say more? Service was super friendly. Another table was waiting for ours as we were finishing up and the hostess moved us over to the bar area and gave us some complimentary Turkish tea. Free, abundant parking in the back, so you don't need to scrounge for street parking. I'll be back! read more

Halva Mediterranean Grill - Triple mix platter - Turkish Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

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Very nice kabob- all meats are wonderful tasty. Superb pita and the sampler meze goes great together. Sharing the food family style in the relaxed environment adds point to the restaurant. This is a very busy restaurant, and the wait staffs did a good job to the guests. read more

Quick service and great food! I would definitely come back to this spot. It was open later too which was really convient as we arrived around 9pm. read more

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Great mediterranean spot roughly 20 minutes out of Boston with a nice diner type vibe inside. Staff is extremely helpful and service is great. For the price of everything, you get great quantity and overall amazing food. My friend and I shared the avocado basil hummus which tasted super fresh and the pita bread was warm and soft. read more

Halva Mediterranean Grill - Avocado Basil Hummus - Turkish Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

I am a fan of this restaurant. I have been there a few times and every time the experience has been great. The ambience and the service are good. I am big fan of their halva and coffee. They give you complimentary bread, salad, and other fun dipping sauces. I loved their kebabs. The meat was all perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection. I was a fan of the liver kebabs and would go back just for them. All in all, don't sleep on this restaurant. Give them a visit. read more

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My son and I arrived here recently on a Saturday early evening for dinner. We were warmly greeted and seated at the counter. Each staff member that passed by said hello and smiled. We started with a salad appetizer and bread with esme dip. All excellent, tasty and delicious. My son opted for a spicy beef kebab and I chose the chef's lokum kebab. Everything was delicious and hit the hungry spot. Finally we finished with a sampler of three different types of baklava, chocolate, pistachio and walnut. I loved the pistachio so much I took an order to go home. The friendly young woman working behind the counter was kind enough to answer my questions and explain what the dishes coming out of the kitchen were....we have work to do there another time! Many dishes to try! Highly recommend read more

Ordered the Halva Mixed Family Platter and 3 Mezze Sampler (chose the Eggplant Sauce, Hummus, and Babaganoush with surprisingly moist bread). The platter had beef/chicken/liver kebab, adana kebab, and kofte. All we wonderfully juicy and with just enough salt to bring the wonderful smoky flavors out. The liver kebab didn't have too strong a liver taste. The entire meal was delicious. Will definitely come here again! read more

We tried Halva in their new location on opening day. I tried the Antep Kebab with Pistachio dinner. The kebab was delicious, moist and flavorful with just the right spice kick. And the ezme and bread that came with it were the star of the night. But, the meal was supposed to come with rice and grilled vegetables. There was no rice, and the vegetables were half a tomato and about a quarter of a green pepper. Honestly, they were more like a garnish. I was expecting something similar to what Boston Kebab serves -- which is a generous portion of grilled onions, mushrooms, squash, eggplant and peppers. Wait staff are still getting their bearings. read more

Halva Mediterranean Grill generously donated to the nearby elementary school for our annual cultural event this year - they are a huge supporter of the local community. The food is delicious - highly recommend the hummus and warm pita! Looking forward to visiting their new location once it is open soon! read more

great portions, and great food. we ordered pickup and the food was ready before the estimated time. read more

Halva Mediterranean Grill - Turkish Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

Quality ingredients but on the pricey side. I paid about $14 for a smallish Chicken Shish Wrap - quality (somewhat bland) chicken / definitely not enough chicken to fill you up (maybe half chicken and half veg). They seem to be in the right place, though, as Watertown has gotten pricier in recent years - it was pretty busy for a random weekday, so I assume people in the area don't mind paying higher than average prices for small portions of good ingredients. Staff was very friendly and it seemed to have a good/international vibe to it. read more

Got a Greek salad with extra feta. The salad consisted of slices of cucumber, to much parsley, slices of green peppers, good feta, olives with a good dressing. Disappointed that no lettuce. read more

Place rocks. Not anything bad on the menu and they respond to customer needs-- staying open late for us!! Thank you!!!

We went for lunch and absolutely loved the food and service. Our server - Jeanette was lovely We got pita bread/hummus, Beyti kabab and Adana kebab. It was the best experience. Definitely highly recommend. read more

It's so / so food is not that good just like fast food restaurants, and expensive kind of. The style is Turkish but the truth is not equally Turkish just far away. read more

Expensive, small portions, bad customer service. We were there a few days ago and all we heard was the manager or the supervisor yelling at the servers. No wonder why they are hiring all the time. I guess no one wants to work there. read more

Stumbled upon this place and decided to give it a shot. I'm so glad we did. The food was amazing and the service was good. The music was low so it wasn't too quiet but you can have a nice conversation with some background music. I was told most of the staff is Turkish which made sense because the food was very authentic and delicious. We got the Fried Feta rolls, which tasted good and the salad was amazing. We also got the Muhammara and the kibbe. The Muhammara, served with bread, was the perfect balance of moist and spices and the nuts added a nice crunch. Absolutely loved it. For entrees, we got the Special Beyti kebab that came with a yogurt center to dip the meat. And we got the Triple mix grill which is a delicious combination of lamb, chicken shish kebab and adana kebab. The meat was so tender and flavorful. It came with a side of rice and grilled pepper and tomato and bread. Amazing. I also got a turkish orange soda that tasted good as well. If the food wasn't so filling, i would've loved to get dessert because it seems like they have great options. Absolutely loved it. read more

Very interesting menu items. Food was so delicious, with unusual flavors. Steps way above commonplace middle eastern food. Wait staff was very pleasant and kind. Atmosphere is passable. read more

I have patiently waited for their opening day since first reading that Halva Kebab would be launching at the long vacant space that once was the former New York Diner in Watertown. I was really excited when they finally set their soft opening date on Thanksgiving 2023 with a breakfast buffet; dinner menu would start about two weeks later. Stopping by on a sleepy Monday night for dinner, I was pleasantly surprised to see almost all tables occupied. I was greeted warmly and promptly seated. Having already studied their paper menu from two weeks ago, I already knew what I wanted to try first. From start to finish, every part of the meal was delightful (with ONE slight exception, the grilled tomato could be charred/cooked a tad bit more). Flavors were great, portions were decent, and the aesthetics/plating was superb. I really was impressed. In fact, they just replaced my once favorite spot in Allston. Thank you for the great food and very warm service. I look forward to being back again soon. Cheers! read more

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Had a celebration of life for my late sister who lived in Athens. We touch base with several places near the venue in Watertown, and Joseph was quick to respond and was extremely helpful with tastings etc. The event was beautiful and the food was great! Everyone raved about how everything was so fresh and wonderful. I highly recommend them for catering. read more

I don't really enjoy eating middle eastern food bút this place definitely has some very good hummus! The chicken kebabs are not dry and their lunch menu definitely hits the spot!! The service was excellent and it is a tiny place. read more

Absolutely obsessed with Halva. Whenever I am visiting family in the area I always request coming here for dinner. The food is extremely fresh, so flavorful, and there is something for everyone. As a Persian girlie its hard to find places where I really like the Kabob, and Halva knocks it out of the park and has become my #1 recommendation for middle eastern food in the area when people ask. Note that the restaurant itself is relatively small so you may need to wait a bit if you come on a busy night, but its very much worth the wait. read more

The service here was awful and we didn't even stay to eat because the waitress refused to seat our party of 4. There were two tables for 2 right next to each other and she refused to seat us and made up an arbitrary 30 minute wait. Probably won't come back here again after being turned away so rudely. read more

Fun diner style restaurant, great coffee and cheap delicious food; perfect for lunch. Would recommend if you need a quick bite or filling meal in the Watertown area read more

We got takeout from here and really liked it! We got the kebab sampler where there was chicken, lamb, and beef kebab along with rice, pita bread and a salad. All the meats were so flavorful and juicy, but my favorite was the spicy lamb kebab. The portion was also large too. The service was really great. Even though we were waiting for takeout, the server offered us Turkish tea on the house that came in beautiful glasses. The interior is also kind of like a diner, which wasn't what I expected from the outside but it does give a nice, casual vibe. Can't wait to come back! read more

Going there for the first time, I was greeted by a pleasant, knowledgable staff. The lunch menu sample and suggestion was on point!! Highly recommend! Fresh, hot, delicious!!! read more

Awesome place. Today I watched the driver coming to my house on the map. He almost made it but then I saw him driving all the way back to the restaurant. When he finally got to my house he said the restaurant called him to come back cause they forgot the hummus on the order. I thought this was commendable and the food is amongst the best I've ever had. read more

Halva Mediterranean Grill is a quaint restaurant in Watertown square. It sits on the corner of Mt Auburn St. the food is delicious. Each time I come in, the staff is polite, friendly and responsive. This is a restaurant that I frequent and well worth visiting. My go to meal is the Adana kabobs. read more

Tucked away on Mount Auburn St, this small restaurant offers delicious, flavorful items, made with rich ingredients. The service is great! read more

Halva Mediterranean Grill - Turkish Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

Small restaurant, gets busy Sunday nights with large family groups. Very friendly service, great food. Everything seems very fresh. We love the huge shish kebabs, hummus, salads, and the yummy apps they give you to start. Only thing I didn't love was the baklava. read more

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My party of 9 had a wonderful experience at Halva. The food was delicious and the service was great. We highly recommend this restaurant that made us all feel at home. read more

Overall it was really good, big fans of the lentil soup which tastes authentic and seems to have clean ingredients. The chicken was fantastic too. The wraps are a bit small. Biggest disappointment was skimping on the rice, rice is relatively so cheap so why cut that corner. The white sauce is also not great. But overall it's a fantastic place with clean food. read more

Delicious food! Must go Turkish Restaurant in Boston. Definitely order couple different dishes. read more

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I've had lunch here quite a few times and am slowly turning into a regular! The Adana kebab wrap is my go-to order but their falafel wrap and lentil soup are really good too. The staff is super friendly and are happy to provide recommendations. Don't leave without trying their pistachio baklava! read more

Halva Mediterranean Grill - Adana Kebab Wrap - Turkish Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

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