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

I wasn't planning on coming here for lunch (I was walking l to the Indian buffet less than a block away), but I noticed the sign out front that said 'Lunch Buffet Mon-Fri)' so I decided to change my plans. Boy, am I glad that I did! There are 2 distinct seating areas. Near the window there is the traditional Turkish sit-on-the-floor area. Towards the back are conventional tables (no booths). What the sign in front failed to mention is that when you order from the lunch buffet ($15), you also get to choose 1 item off the appetizer as well. (If you want to see what was on the buffet the day that I went, look at the attached pictures. There is also a photo of the appetizer menu.) This is a family-run business and service is extra friendly and fast. Note: If you pay with cash, there is a 5% discount. read more

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Stopped by for late lunch / early dinner. The hummus is the best I've had in a long time. Also tried the lamb pide. So good! Will definitely come back and try other dishes. Service was great, very pleasant. Loved all the good pictures on the walls. read more

Turkuaz Cafe - Hummus, Lamb pide - Turkish Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Pretty good Turkish standards, generally authentic, not as good as in towns with big Turkish communities. Food took a while to come out, but that might have been due to ramping up the night before classes start. Lentil soup was a bit more liquidy than standard, uneventful. Pide was tasty, nice yeasty thick dough and fresh vegetables. Lamb kebab was cooked perfectly on the inside but could maybe have been seared or seasoned more on the outside. Rice and salad were standard. read more

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. read more

Turkuaz Cafe - Red Lentil Soup - Turkish Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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Looking for something different and good, try Turkuaz. Have tried different items on the menu on multiple e visits and is always tasty. Great baklava for dessert. read more

Very good food. Baklava is excellent. I had the lamb stew though it was called something fancy and foreign sounding. The lady had a chicken/eggplant pied sort of like a middle eastern calzone. read more

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! read more

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Good food good service good ambience. i am not frm Turkey but the waiter Farid and the rest of staff were very nice and knowledgable about the menu read more

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! read more

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

Turkuaz Cafe - My coffee came in a potato salad cup and the rest of my meal was the equivalent dried out sausage crumbles sprinkled amongst cardboard. - Turkish Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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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. read more

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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. read more

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for those in search of a good gyro: They do not know how to make a gyro. I was delivered a pita with loads of lettuce and tomato, and an OBSCENE amount of tahini. The tahini was 3-4 times more present than the lamb; mind you I ordered a "Lamb Gyro." If you are looking for a gyro that is sopping wet and devoid of the title ingredient, this is the place. read more

Not authentic Turkish food. If this food was served in Türkiye this place wouldn't last a full day. I make it better at home so it's either a lack of knowledge or they just don't care. The pide should be thin like flatbread and be able to pick it up to eat. It was so overstuffed the bread melted away and the toppings slid off like slop. Our pide was also full of lamb when the menu said beef. read more

Food: A nice variety of Turkish dishes that were all fantastic when we went. Loved the pides, plenty of different varieties to suit one's taste. Service: The hostess and waitress were both super kind throughout our meal. Refills were never an issue with a pitcher of water provided either! Ambiance: It is definitely a restaurant in a strip mall, but the decor and music made you feel like you were in an Eurasian cafe. We opted for the floor seating which was super comfortable with plenty of leg room and comfortable pillows. Everything was very clean. Can't wait to make this a weekend staple! read more

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. read more

Turkuaz Cafe - Combo Pide, Turkish Coffee, the chillest ambience. - Turkish Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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! read more

Turkuaz Cafe - Carpeted seating area. Gorgeous and inviting! - Turkish Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Decent food and the sitting expwrience is cool. However, if you ask for meat in a pide or in a "Turquaz dish" prepare to be disapointed. The dish had 90% veggies and only a few scant pieces of meat, same with the pide. We felt cheated. Don't come here. read more

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. read more

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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. read more

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The lentil soup was perfect! The turkuaz chicken (a wonderfully flavored stew) was so good I wanted another bowl! The baba ghanouj was definitely home made and succulently smoky! The only complaint I would have is I wish they would have given more baba ghanouj for the app- but it was definitely perfectly made! Service was also stellar. This place is a gem! read more

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We had an amazing dinner trying new items per our wonderful waitress's suggestions, many of these were not on the menu but are featured on posters hanging on the walls) and loved it all! The restaurant is cozy and comfortable and feels very authentic. We would highly recommend any and all to give Turkuaz Cafe a visit ! read more

Thought I'd echo all the rave reviews. Try the kofta (see pic). Turkuaz has an incredibly deep menu with tons of choices. This restaurant is a tie for first place on our Bloomington Foods of the World Tour. (Other favorite is Anyetsang's for Tibetan). I love the array of international restaurant options...try this one first! read more

Turkuaz Cafe - Kofta - Turkish Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Wow! Wonderful food, perfectly seasoned. The pide have crispy crust with delicious fillings. The he hummus and pita are perfect. The servers are friendly and well informed. read more

Pretty good. Super informative and thorough host. A nice sized menu with many options and several substitute-able items for the entrees. My pocket thingy was much bigger than the ' half ' size I anticipated and was delicious. read more

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Went for the Turkish Coffee which was really good, ended up getting some Turkish cake and sat on the floor to best enjoy the whole experience. Definitely recommend this place. read more

Turkuaz Cafe - Turkish Cake - Turkish Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Got takeout. Parking is not easy. Watch how/where you pull in because you may not be able to get out! The red lentil soup was wonderful! I wish I could have more!! If you get one thing, get the soup. My gyro was disappointing. Not much meat but so much onion!! Enough onion for two people! Might as well have been called an onion gyro with some meat included. Also there was a lot of sauce placed at the opening. Wish it had been spread more into the gyro. Your first two to three bites you get all sauce and nothing else for the rest of the gyro not that there was much left because most of the meat is gone and all the rest is onion. So much onion. Too much onion. Not enough meat. read more

After years of driving by this place, I finally stopped and was not disappointed. It's not on 4th street with all the other international cuisine, but it's a very short walk from that area. My girlfriend and I enjoyed at late lunch there on a Sunday afternoon. We got seated right away and sat on the floor cushions which is a unique experience for the Bloomington food scene. The red lentil soup and lamb kebab were the highlights. The pide was also nice. Tip - a large pide is enough for two people read more

Turkuaz Cafe - Red Lentil Soup - Turkish Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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GET THE YAGLAMA. Yum. A pizza-esque dish with a slightly kicky meat + freshness from the cucumbers and tzatziki. Oh I will get it every time. All mains come with their red lentil soup which is delightful and a warm balm to the soul. The pides are calzones on steroids. The waiter was so kind and informative. I loved every minute of our lunch here. read more

Stopped by Turquaz for a late lunch with my partner! We ate inside on the floor cushions -- wear shoes that are easy to slip on or off if you plan on doing the same We shared the eggplant & chicken pide and the lamb kabob Turquaz style. The pide was good but not great, but I think that's on us for the one we ordered. The Turquaz lamb, not pictured, came with delicious bread, rice, and a celery/cucumber/tomato salad. It was served stew-style with veggies and a thick sauce that paired perfectly with the rice and bread. This is definitely a dish I'd order again next time. To be honest, the real star of the show for me was the red lentil soup. It was amazing. I'm still thinking about it and need to figure out how to make it. read more

Turkuaz Cafe - Eggplant & Chicken Pide - Turkish Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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Friendly service, lovely calm atmosphere, and delicious food -- the red lentil soup to start was very tasty, and I loved the veggie combo pide. What more could one ask for?? read more

Excellent food and excellent service!! Try the sarma (stuffed grape leaves)! Wonderful kabobs and pides! Don't miss the baklava and Turkish coffee! read more

Turkuaz Cafe - Sarma - Turkish Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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Amazing, the lentil soup and veggie combo pide were fantastic. Very good service. Cozy place. Loved it. The Turkish tea was also exactly like the tea I had in Turkey. read more

Turkuaz Cafe - Veggie Combo Pide - Turkish Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Try the Turkish coffee!! The food was amazing and it was so nice eating while sitting on the ground. Parking situation isn't the best though read more

Turkuaz Cafe - Turkish Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

This is by far one of the best Turkish restaurants I've ever eaten at in the United States. I am Lebanese, but I've been to Turkey multiple times and I can't begin to explain how authentic the food is here. Not a lot of items are Americanized and you can find a few items that you can't find at your average Turkish restaurant. We had the Sarma (stuffed grape leaves) as the appetizer, and a Soujouk and Zehsu Pides, which are basically boat shaped bread stuffed with meat, cheese and all the Turkish goodness you desire. The food was beyond delicious and came out quick. We also got to try the lentil soup and a dish with 3 different types of delicious salads. The Turkish coffee was excellent and the Ayran was extremely refreshing. The service was excellent. Super friendly, efficient and if you have any questions, the staff is more than happy to answer all your questions. They are super covid cautious and masks are worn by the staff and the guests (until your food arrives). I highly highly recommend this restaurant. Do not miss out on this dining experience! read more

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The Turkish black tea here is delicious. You can get it iced or hot. We went with iced and the wife said it is the best tea she has ever had. We ordered a hummus plate to start, which consisted of pieces of flaky bread with a dollop of hummus on each. Both the hummus and the bread is good. For the price, we were expecting more than a few dollops. The entrees come with a side salad and red lentil soup. I liked the soup and agree with Yelpers who liked it, but it is not hearty. It works as a side. The side salad is two salads, cabbage salad, cucumbers and cous cous. The salads were good, though a little bland. Plain cous cous does not interest me. The Service is enthusiastic, but a little disorganized. She brought out the wife's spinach pide before my beef and eggplant Turkuaz kebab. The kebab is good, but not excellent. It tastes like beef stew or pot roast. You get brown or white rice and flat bread with it. The wife did not love the pide. Although listed in the menu as spinach and tomato, but did not have any tomato. She prefers the pides from Anatolia, which have better seasoning and crust. And you actually get what you order. read more

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Great food! Atmosphere was homey as far as the floor seats which come with tradition. The service was great as the waiter informed me of the menu. One thing I would say is it would be hard for someone who doesn't know the culture to pick their food. The waiter did a good job on helping but could be overwhelming for some. Pictures of the food would be great! Regardless, appreciative and thankful of the food and this place. Thank you! :) read more

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We took my in-laws to Turkuaz in May. The server gave us a very detailed description of the entire menu, made recommendations based on what types of meats we liked, and was very patient as we made our decisions. I ordered one of the lamb dishes and it was delicious. Sometimes lamb can be gamey tasting if it isn't done right, but this one was wonderful, and something I could never do at home. The appetizers we got, hummus and baba ghonnouz we great to share with the four of us. Very delicious. read more

Turkuaz is my go to place for Turkish food in Bloomington. The service is usually fast and always friendly, and the servers never fail to give recommendations. I usually order the chicken sautée (10/10) but today I decided to try the chicken sis kebab-which was delicious. It was served with pita bread, rice, and yogurt. The chicken was tender and flavorful. The menu is pretty versatile and almost anything you order will be good. If you haven't tried Turkuaz, I definitely recommend this place!! read more

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