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    Turkuaz Cafe

    4.5 (459 reviews)
    ModerateTurkish, Cafes, Kebab
    Open 4:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 2 weeks ago

    Order Turkuaz Cafe Takeout or Delivery

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    TURKUAZ CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Good for kids

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    Red Lentil Soup
    Jessi A.

    You can try good from nearly any culture in Bloomington and one day I plan to try them all ! Today I marked Turkish cuisine off of my bucket list. A friend told me this was his favorite restaurant in Bloomington, and I can definitely see why. It was a busy Saturday for the restaurant - every table nearly had guests seated at them. There was also an area of the restaurant where you could eat on the floor - you just had to remove your shoes. It was full, so we opted for a table. Even being busy, the servers were nice and we received our food quickly. I ordered the lamb pide and my partner ordered the potato pide - they both came with the red lentil soup. The soup was perfect for a chilly day like today. The texture was just right and the heat was enough without being overpowering. I tasted notes of oregano and maybe curry powder. A perfect warmup before receiving our mains. We ordered the small pides and they were more than enough to serve as a full meal. Of the two, we both preferred the lamb pide. It was crunchy and flavorful. It's definitely something more interesting than I expected ! There was also a little sign in our table stating that the fees they are charged for credit cards is high - so if you paid with cash they gave you a discount. Definitely a place I would return to.

    Red Lentil Soup
    Ana C.

    I had been meaning to try Turkuaz out especially since one of my close friends recommended it to me. We started off by sharing a yaglama (appetizer) which was really good! The only thing I didn't love about it was the yogurt dressing on top, it tasted a little sour but overall it was pretty good and the bread was amazing. I ordered a chicken gyro that came with a red lentil soup. The red lentil soup was delicious. It had a nice kick to it but wasn't overly spicy. The chicken gyro was also good. The tzatziki sauce on this wasn't as sour tasting as the yogurt dressing on the appetizer. I'm not sure if they were both tzatziki but I enjoyed what was on my gyro! I will say that the chicken needed a little more flavor or something, but overall it was enjoyable. They have tables and then an area where you can sit on the ground and eat which is pretty cool. I would recommend for the experience!

    My coffee came in a potato salad cup and the rest of my meal was the equivalent dried out sausage crumbles sprinkled amongst cardboard.

    Awful!!! My order was terrible and this is what my "Turkish coffee" arrived in and it was basically Folgers'.

    Red Lentil Soup
    Bronson S.

    I came here with some classmates and when we walked in we saw a section of the restaurant where you could dine while sitting on the floor. We thought this was really cool and decided to sit in this area, we just had to remove our shoes and place them on a rack. We started with an appetizer of babaganoush, which was served on top of pita slices and drizzled with olive oil. The flavor and texture of the babaganoush was really great and the pita was nice and crispy. Our entrees also came with a small bowl of red lentil soup, which was simple in flavor but good. For my drink I had water and also decided to order Ayran, which is a thick yogurt drink with different herbs inside it. It was really refreshing. The portion was so large I was worried I wouldn't finish, but I actually really enjoyed it and drank it all. Lastly, I got the combo pide. This is a good choice if you wanna try a variety of pides because each slice had different fillings. The pide was so good, it comes out with hot crispy crust and melty cheese and the different meats and vegetables inside all had great flavor. I would definitely come here again, the food, experience, and prices were all great!

    Lamb Gyro Dinner, $12.99 prior to tax (please note that it is $9.99 prior to tax for just the gyro)
    Vic C.

    Turkuaz Cafe is located in a strip mall, on the corner, across the street from the Police Station. Turkuaz Cafe is closed on both Monday and Tuesday currently so the hours on Yelp is not updated (we learned this the hard way since we arrived on a Tuesday evening and was sad to see they were not open and so we came back on another day to try them out). My husband and I arrived here on a Wednesday evening, around 7:50 pm. We were greeted by a friendly employee at the counter and given menus to look over because we wanted to make a to go order. We ended up ordering: Lamb Gyro Dinner, $12.99 prior to tax- If you want to just order the lamb gyro, it cost $9.99 but I opted to have the fries added to the meal for another $3. This was a tasty meal. The gyro was quite hefty and full of delicious slices of well seasoned lamb. Loved the tzatziki sauce but wished it was spread throughout instead of just a large heaping on one side. The fries added to this meal was quite a large amount but did wished they had given me a side of tzatziki sauce or ketchup. For the price, this is a great deal with the amount of food you get. I would definitely order this again. Rack of Lamb, $19.99 prior to tax- This meal came with a pita, salad, slaw and rice. This entree is pretty filling and perfect for one person (or even another person to share). The lamb itself was tender and perfectly cooked. My husband was very pleased with his selection. I thought everything tasted perfect (I had to have a bite of everything). ------------------------------ (Total= $35.29 after tax, prior to tip) We made our order to go in person, so wait time was about 22 minutes, which I did not mind since I knew our meals were made to order. But I wished they had asked if we wanted utensils when our order was brought to us (the employee, who cooked our food, I am assuming is the owner, was very friendly when he gave me our order). My husband had to go back inside to ask for them because we realized that we didn't have any in our bag. When we came, there were only 2 other parties dining in. It was fairly quiet inside. There is one unisex restroom in the back, in which I thought was clean and adequately stocked with the essentials. There is (free) parking available in the lot shared with the other businesses in the strip mall (including Lucky Express and NexGen Nails). There is also outdoor (partially covered with umbrellas), dog friendly, seating available. Overall, had a great meal and would come back here again if staying in Bloomington, Indiana.

    Turkuaz Chicken Kebab
    Nicole G.

    I enjoyed coming here. I liked how they plated the food and the salad and lentil soup were tasty! I felt like the stew was a little greasy for my liking but altogether the meal was nice. I also thought maybe the baklava was a tad pricey so we didn't end up ordering it. In regards to the ambiance, they have a carpeted area which is nice and comfy looking! Everyone was so kind and checked up on us from time to time. This is a nice place to come to for Turkish food.

    Combo Pide, Turkish Coffee, the chillest ambience.
    Charles S.

    You can tell the waiter/owner clearly cares about making your experience a special one. Dude is a vault of information concerning everything from what makes up each dish to which items will fit your own taste and preferences. And the food, oh lord - the food speaks for itself. Turkish coffee - to die for - light and chocolatey espresso taste, brewed in house for each order, a hangover cure. Red Lentil Soup - BELIEVE THE HYPE. I ain't from Turkey but this tasted like home. Just a hearty, delicious, essential soup, and it comes free with most orders. Combo Pide - This was legitness. The first bite was savory, packed with flavor, and reminiscent of a cheesy and protein-packed calzone. But as I continued eating, I discovered each piece of pide had its own unique ingredients, like one would have cheese and meat, another would have only cheese and veggies, so getting through the whole thing was just a rollercoaster of taste (and emotions). Highly recommend this place, hopefully they continue to grow and this dude won't have to wait all the tables himself.

    Carpeted seating area. Gorgeous and inviting!
    Bridget K.

    Wow! It's just as I remembered it during my IU days! This was one of my very favorite restaurants to eat at while attending IU in Bloomington. They have a pizza like bread with filling called a "pide". Except it is way better than any pizza. It's absolutely delicious! I asked out server what he recommended and he made one special for my friend and me. It was loaded with veggies, a little meat and cheese. The outer crust was crispy and the filling was cheesy/veggie goodness! You can choose to sit on the floor/carpeted area by removing your shoes or choose to sit at a table. I personally love the carpet option and sit there every time! Along side the incredible food they also offer delicious tea! Everything is very reasonably priced and you can't beat the ambiance!

    Mariano G.

    This is probably my 10th time coming here and I honestly can't wait to come back! First of all the space is very cozy with options for chair seating or in comfortable cushions on the ground. We opted for the ground. Our favorite dishes there are the pide and Turkish kebabs so we ordered the combo pide and the beef and eggplant Turkish kebab. They unique thing about Turkish kebab is that they cook it in a clay pot with sauce and a pita on top. It is incredibly delicious! All the severs there are extremely helpful when trying to pick out a good dish.

    Mango juice - and my husband's sour cherry juice. Both were good!
    Sydney S.

    TLDR: if you are in the area, go here. This is, hands down, one of my new favorite restaurants in Indiana. We tried quite a bit of food here and literally all of it was just amazing. The yaglama appetizer was perfect - warm bread and deliciously seasoned beef with fresh tomatoes and cucumbers and a yogurt sauce (if I remember correctly). Then, a red lentil soup. How good could it be? Well, very good. It was hot and peppery - perfect after our cold morning hiking nearby. For my entree, I got a pide; I ordered mine with a spicy beef, garlic, cheese, and tomatoes - all of this baked on homemade bread. Again, amazing. It actually had a bit of a kick to it so I asked for a side of the yogurt sauce and it really balanced it out for me. And, finally, although we were very full, we ordered two desserts: tiramisu and baklava. Our plan was to take a bite and then take the rest home. And then we tried them. And they did not make it home. My husband and I agreed that the baklava was the best we've ever had. So although live an hour away, we've already agreed to come back for more - this Indiana gem deserves all the love and attention.

    Turkish Cake

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    4 months ago

    So much fun sitting on the floor! The food was yummy and all for a reasonable price! Will be going back.

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    Turkuaz C.

    Thanks alot for the great review.

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    Turkuaz C.

    Thanks lot. Glad everything was good

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    Ask the Community - Turkuaz Cafe

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