I used to frequent Mediterrano in Hillsboro, NH, and absolutely loved it. When the restaurant changed ownership and then unfortunately closed during COVID, I was genuinely disappointed. About a year later, I found myself craving authentic Mediterranean food again, so I started searching for restaurants around New Hampshire. That's when I came across Ayasofia. As I looked through the menu and photos, everything seemed so familiar--it reminded me of the dishes I had loved at Mediterrano. The next day, my husband and I decided to drive an hour to Salem to try it out, and it was completely worth it. After speaking with the owner, we learned that Mediterrano had actually been owned by a member of his family and that they use the same recipes. It all made perfect sense! The owner was incredibly warm and welcoming, even encouraging us to return and meet his mother, who taught him these recipes. I highly recommend the hummus, baba ghanoush, salsa, and grape leaves--they're all fantastic. Be sure to order the lavash bread on the side, as it pairs perfectly with everything. For a main course, the adana lamb kebab is a must-try. Everything tastes incredibly fresh and full of flavor. I only wish I could cook like this--I'd happily eat Mediterranean food every single day! read more

Turkish restaurant during the day ... Rowdy party bar at night a great time. We got a plate of grape leaves and a chicken Kebab and falafel dinner. My husband was particularly excited by how the rice was made. The grape leaves were good and the dinners came with the red cabage and salad. Delicious. I also got the Raki, because I was having Turkish food, but all the cocktails sounded very good. We did not sit in the bar, but they sounded like they were having the time of their lives in there. At one point Rod Stewart came on over the speakers and you could hear them shouting "ROD!!!" I was like, shit - Turkish food AND the regulars love Rod Stewart? Sign me up! If we lived anywhere near here, we'd be back. read more

Ayasofia Mediterranean Restaurant - Falafel plate and chicken kebab plate - Mediterranean Near Me - Salem, New Hampshire

Great food very friendly owners and we couldn't have asked for anything more regarding the location. So go order some chix shawarma and win some cash at keno while you're waiting... read more

Walked in with my wife and children and were the only patrons in the restaurant. This was our first time here, so we decided to order the bread appetizer accompanied by the yogurt dip appetizer. After waiting 15 minutes for the yogurt dip appetizer, the server came over and told us that they did not have any and that she had forgotten to place the order with the kitchen. We proceeded to order our dinner and ordered a kids chicken kebab dinner, kids kafta dinner, and 2 adult kafta dinners. The food came out slowly and we were missing a kids kafta dinner (was given the wrong dish but to their credit, I was permitted to keep the erroneous dish). When we got the kefta, it was evident that it isnt cooked the same way that the chicken is cooked- no char or grill marks whatsoever. The kefta appeared to have been cooked on a flat frying pan and the taste matched the appearance. The server was extremely nice, but our bill came to $85 for just the food I listed above (no alcohol ordered). The price is steep when you have comparable Mediterranean restaurants in the area that are better (for more food) for a similar price. It was just a weird experience and being the only patrons, a little more effort could have been given overall. read more

New restaurant alert! I have been here over the years and enjoyed every single restaurant. Super happy that there is a new Mediterranean place in town! We started off with cocktails/wine which gave us some time to explore the menu. We opted to share a meal and try multiple appetizers. Nice way to try more! We started off with the spinach pie, hummus, and lavash bread. The lavash bread was nice and warm. The hummus was so good! You can tell it's made fresh. The spinach pie was yummy too! It's a serving of one, but it worked out well since we ordered so much. For dinner, we enjoyed the lamb kabobs which comes with rice and a green salad. We met the owners - a lovely and friendly couple that were cooking and working in the bar. Love supporting small businesses! read more

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This place has been on my list since it opened but the experience unfortunately was average. The ambiance is casual. The service was 5/5, the owner is such a wonderful person and goes above and beyond to make sure the diners are being take care of. I just wish the food was as good. The rice pilaf was literally boiled white rice, no flavor to it. The salad was bland, the meat was too gamey for my taste. The falafel was good though and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Their fresh bread was a lovely touch and nice to have to eat the dips with. But personally I like more soft thick breads, this was too thin and crispy for my liking. Maybe a good place if you want to have a few drinks with a few appetizers but wont go there if I want a meal. read more

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Awful. 24$ for a small wrap and barely any fries. My friends got chicken tenders and fries. All of their chicken was completely raw.

I don't know how this place has such high ratings. Lavash bread was precooked, hard and crunchy. Baba ganoush was overly lemony. Lamb cubes were small and not flavorful and it was on a bed of plain white rice and salad? It's worth going to Somersworth for much better Mediterranean food. read more

Ayasofia Mediterranean Restaurant - Mediterranean Near Me - Salem, New Hampshire

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Amazing customer service they stayed open later than normal for us and the food was excellent. We had amazing conversations with the lovely bar tender and also the owner was extremely friendly and welcoming. He continuously gave us food on the house including homemade baklava which was delicious. read more

Ayasofia Mediterranean Restaurant - Mediterranean Near Me - Salem, New Hampshire

This was one of the best Mediterranean restaurants that I have been to EVER! Homemade, amazing food and family owned. I am already looking forward to returning. We ordered kebabs, hummus, falafel, lavash bread, coffee and tea. Wonderful service and great atmosphere. read more

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We got take out from the recently opened Ayasofia restaurant which is in the old Mill Pond/ Flaming Kabob space on Arlington Lake. THe menu is quite simple, all Lebanese/ Middle Eastern cuisine. One thing I noticed that there is no American items at all on the menu- even the kid's menu which is appreciated. Last night we ordered the following, which was ready in 20 minutes. Falafel Appetizer- $6.95 Chicken Kabob Dinner- $16.95 Chicken Kabob Wrap- $8.95 French Fries- $2.95 THe falafel was quite soft both on the outside and inside. Seasoned well. Came with tomato, lettuce, cuke as a garnish. THe chicken kabob dinner had abt 6 oz of nice char broiled marinated chicken which was cooked well and tender. It was on a bed of rice (which was a surprise, as it did not state this in the menu, that is why I ordered the fries). Also had 3 small side salads on the plate (red cabbage, lettuce with parsley, and a raw onion salad). I though all three salads needed seasoning. I didn't care for the raw onion salad as I do no like raw onion. The chicken wrap was just ok not great. Not alot of chicken. ALso when we ordered it, the person said the wraps were part of the lunch menu. The menu does not state this. SHe was nice and made an exception. The fries were small portion, cold, and unseasoned. See photo. Not a good value. We will try Ayasofia again in the near future as we like to support local business. read more

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Omg!!This place is beyond horrible!! I have no idea how do they get good reviews!!! I don't even know where to begin!!! We stumbled on this place for the first time (and definitely the last )in the middle of the day because we were in the area and this was the closest middle eastern restaurant around it according to Google maps ! The minute we walked in we noticed that we were the only ones seated in the dining area (which probably was a sign )but we didn't think much of it and were hungry ! The waitress brought in the menus and asked us what we wanted to drink,as we are looking at the menu we hear a very loud bang which startled us ,it turn to be from the bar area which is in the other room .There was a bunch of Extremely loud drunken people sitting in the bar area ( and I mean to the extreme where you can't sit although you are on the other side of the restaurant ,definitely not your typical drunk people sitting in the bar area watching a game ) they were obviously locals ;regulars from the neighborhood we could tell since they would scream and shout when some one else comes in .I love the sport bars energy but this level of noise is not acceptable by most people and then we understood why there was no one dining in ! There's no way you can dine in here! I think it's Just a more like a joint ..this is better as a take out place at best !Also the fact that this is the only restaurant I have ever been to that serves baba ghanoush without bread is beyond me !!You will have to order the bread by itself for 5 dollars extra if you want any appetizers like hummus that has to be eaten with bread in the middle eastern cuisine..this is the first restaurant I have been to that does this ..when you order the baba ghanoush the waitress will actually ask you :how do you want to eat the baba ghanoush ? Oh ; maybe with our fingers or with the fork? Are you kidding me? They have no music playing whatsoever in the dining area so all you are going to hear is the extremely loud drunken people sitting at the bar..the food is Mediocre at best! We ordered the chicken shish and the lamb plate ..Nothing stood out unfortunately and they are very stingy with the portions ! Without exaggeration:You can get so much better food with much better service and ambience in the malls food court!! read more

Love their food. Grape leaves with meat. I loved everything. It used to be Jocelyn's on 28th Salem now it is called a yasofi lola

The food was great and while the menu was simple focusing on kebab options, the food was great. We had a variety of dips with the lavash bread, and we enjoyed each one with their different flavors and textures. The service was a little slow, but courteous and they were open that two of their coworkers were both out with babies on the way in the hospital. The ambiance was relaxed with one side of the restaurant geared towards families and sit down, and the other side was a bustling at with locals enjoying some drinks. Overall, it was great and I will be back. read more

We went for lunch. The Mediterranean food was perfect. The Spanakopeta was light & fluffy. The lamb was perfectly seasoned and grilled. The Mediterranean Chicken Bowl featured tzatziki that was deliciously creamy and fresh. Very friendly and attentive service in a casual setting. read more

Turkish Mediterranean... who knew. This restaurant is in an unlikely spot but we used to go here for sliders not to out of the way. Met the owner/chef and his mother who helps prepare some of the food. Must haves... the bread, it takes some time to come because it is iced from scratch for each order. The roasted eggplant reminiscent of baba ganoush but different and very good. Spinach pie again is different but very good. The items are familiar to those who eat Lebanonese or Greek but each flavor is a little different. Definitely worth a try. I will be back to explore the menu. read more

Ayasofia Mediterranean Restaurant - Eggplant and Dinner Lavash Bread - Mediterranean Near Me - Salem, New Hampshire

WOW... THIS PLACE IS AMAZING!! I'm not a "reviewer" but I felt the need. Stumbled upon this gem on Yelp. We like to get out of town and try new places. Seriously, my man is still talking about how impressed he was with dinner 2 hrs later! We knew it was going to be amazing when I asked for a special request and he said "let me ask my mom". The waiter was very welcoming and the music vibe was very nice btwn the bar and the dining room. We ordered mez platter and the lavash bread was giant and cooked to perfection, dips and grape leaves were delicious. Shepard's salad was amazing but the spinach pie was some of the best I've had. Pleasantly surprised when he brought me a side of spicy red wine vinegar sauce... I'm mostly vegetarian but I couldn't help but try my man's chicken kabob... it was perfectly spiced and tender. Food was extremely fresh and made with love, we even got a visit from the beautiful woman who made our meal. I couldn't help but order baklava and we ate every bit! GO HERE AND PLEASE TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS! Not easy to open a business during a pandemic but they are doing a great job! read more

Ayasofia Mediterranean Restaurant - Dinner Meze Platter... ate a bunch before the pic. Dinner Spinach Pie Dinner Shepard Salad - Mediterranean Near Me - Salem, New Hampshire

Love this restaurant! The owner is warm and welcoming. He takes pride in his food. The food is fresh, delicious and plentiful. I love all that I have ordered but I especially love the falafel and the baklava! Give it a try! read more

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The food was good service was horrible . One bartender serving the whole bar and tables. Not a typical Turkish restaurant but food was good . read more

This restaurant was a delightful surprise and a hidden gem. We had the falafel and baba ghanouj both homemade and excellent. Mama who is the mother of the owner and speaks only Turkish makes all the food homemade. You will feel like you have magically arrived in rural Turkey. read more

Ayasofia Mediterranean Restaurant - Babaganoush - Mediterranean Near Me - Salem, New Hampshire

The food is excellent! Everything is fresh and made to order. WITH THAT BEING SAID, i'd strongly recommend that you avoid ordering take out from Ayasofia. I only say this because I love this place and want others to enjoy their food. However, if my wife and I had not dined there prior to ordering take, we would not have went back. NOTE: here's a quick summary if you don't care to read my full rant. GREAT FOOD...UNDERSTAFFED...UNPREDICTABLE WAIT TIMES FOR TAKE OUT ORDERS Last 3 Take out orders 1) Was told "20 minutes" -- Arrived 15 minutes later. The Host/Chef was laying on the ground under his car. At the time, i thought he was just another customer who ran into some bad luck or was killing time.To my surprise, he walked in right behind me, washed his hands and informed me that my order would be ready in 15 minutes. 2) Was told "15 minutes" -- showed up 15 minutes later. Took an additional 7-10(fine as it was 6pm) 3) was told "25 minutes" -- I anticipated a delay so I left my house exactly 25 minutes after placing the order (live 5 mins away). When i got there I was again greeted by the Chef/Host/Mechanic and was told it would be another 5 minutes... 10 minutes later he came out of the kitchen to tell me he was out of cucumbers... i told him to just make the order without them. Thats when it occurred to me that he had only started to mamaking my order when i got there. I'm not exaggerating. I waited an addition 30 minutes after the original estimate of 25 mins for my order. I couldn't complain if i wanted to because it would have only delayed my order further. At least the food was still hot when i got home. IN CLOSING...GREAT FOOD...LONG/UNPREDICTABLE WAIT TIMES FOR TAKE OUT ORDERS They are under staffed and service is still slow at the restaurant but at least there are distractions and not people waiting at home for dinner. read more

Great place and the owners are exceptionally friendly. Looking forward to returning the food was marvelous.

Small and cozy place. Bartender nice and energetic but I think too worried about the whole place to remember things. His Bar service and drinks were ok. Service food wise was way way off. Three of us for lunch, one lunch came out and he was 3/4 done before the other two came. Ordered fries, reminded him, twice. At end joked he forgot. I think covering for the cook. Honestly seems like a grandma (who was cook?) running a restaurant and thinking she is making one massive dinner for her family but thats not how it works. Food was decent but portions were really small, not worth the dough and left hungry. Ordered the stuffed mushroom to go for my wife, completely gross. Can't even explain it. Not sure how this place get almost five stars. read more

So the owner was nice, he was the server as well. We sat in the dining room, it was fine, simple, but very loud as the rock music was playing so loud in the bar area we sat as far as possible. The martini says $7.00 on e menu, we did not read anywhere that each martini has a $3.00 additional martini charge as a upgrade BUT we did not do a upgrade. Ten dollars is still reasonable but that was a surprise on our bill and we felt it should of been disclosed somewhere. The lamb kabob s dinner was fine, nothing special but fine. We ordered the falafel appetizer and we were again surprised when they gave us the bill as they gave us the dinner not not appetizer. We were specific with this too. Our bill came to $83.00 two meals and three drinks. The falafel is the best!!! read more

This restaurant is delicious and the staff/owners are lovely! It was worth the 35 minute drive! The chicken shish kabob was excellent, moist and flavorful. The meze platter was wonderful and showcased all the cold appetizers (babganoush, hummus, stuffed grapes leaves, and Mediterranean style salsa). The lavash bread was awesome and made fresh when ordered. The flatbread pizza was so good I wish I had saved more room for it. I can't wait to go back! read more

The Lavash bread and hummus are excellent. Unfortunately the incredibly loud music and the drunk locals at the bar will keep me from going back.. read more

We tried this new place in town over the weekend and ordered several items to-go for lunch, and there were definitely a few items that we loved! Namely the Hummus and Lavash Bread, Stuffed Mushroom, and the Kofte Kebab! They were perfectly prepared and tasted delicious! The Beef Kabob meat was really tough by the time we got it home, but all in all, we will definitely come back to support this local business! read more

Ayasofia Mediterranean Restaurant - Chicken Kebab, Beef Kebab, Kofte Kebab, Hummus, Lavash Bread, Falafel, Stuffed Mushroom - Mediterranean Near Me - Salem, New Hampshire

We tried the grape leaves and chicken kabob. The food was great, and I loved the vegetable side that came with it! read more

Ayasofia Mediterranean Restaurant - Chicken kabob - Mediterranean Near Me - Salem, New Hampshire

The food was incredible! We didn't expect to find such great Mediterranean food in the middle of New Hampshire, but we will absolutely go back next time we are in the area. Service was excellent and everyone was in such a good mood. It was clean and casual, with plenty of space and no judgement about our toddler needing to stretch his legs mid-meal. Highly recommend :) read more

Unbelievable food!!! Wow. Never knew I liked Mediterranean food until I came here. Everything is made fresh to order. Meats are all grilled. Jack and his family are incredible hosts You won't be disappointed!!!! read more

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absolutely loved this restaurant. I wish I knew it about this place sooner...it was this little hidden gem in Salem NH...so close to Derry! Atmosphere is warm and inviting. Prices were unbelievable reasonable. Dinner Hummus, Dinner Stuffed Grape Leaves and that Dinner Lavash Bread was incredible. Sweet bartender made me incredible martini. Highly recommend fir a nice night out and something different read more

Adana kebab was so delicious. It was served with salad and rice pilaf. A classic Turkish dish with great taste The owner and servers were friendly read more

Ayasofia Mediterranean Restaurant - Adana kebab and home-made baklava was delicious - Mediterranean Near Me - Salem, New Hampshire

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The food was incredible. The service was great and a very clean and friendly atmosphere. Definitely coming back when I'm in town.

As another reviewer mentioned, it might not look like much from the outside, but don't judge a book by it's cover. The food here is awesome! We used to drive close to an hour to enjoy hot lavash bread. Their bread is even better, only 2 miles from my house! The Hummus is perfectly seasoned, as are both the Chicken Skewers and Shrimp Skewers. Even the Fries are worth mentioning! Perfectly crispy on the outside with a pillowy potato on the inside. Give this place a try. You'll be happy you did! read more

Ayasofia is some of the best Turkish food I have had in this area. Highly recommend the Lavash bread and Meze platter with beef kebab!

We randomly came across this find on a road trip. Highly recommend! Super friendly, great music, nice beers on tap and the food was great - especially the falafel. The staff was so friendly and it was packed with locals having a nice time. read more

Great ma and pop place. Food was amazing and affordable. We had plenty of leftovers that became our lunch throughout the week. The bread is not to be missed! read more

Came here to pick up a bunch of takeout on a Sunday night and got suckered into a few drinks at the bar in the meantime. Great service, friendly owners/bartender, and food was delicious! Will absolutely be back. read more

Just tried this spot for take out and it was really good. Nice mix of Turkish and Mediterranean. Everything was fresh and tasty. We had three kabob meals and two apps and every one was great. read more

We knew the food was going to be amazing when we saw the first order of bread and hummus! So glad we stopped here! The food was freshly made and homemade and everything was delicious! My kids loved the kids chicken kabob. The bread and hummus was so good that we ordered a second round! The cabbage pickled salad that came with the kabobs was so tasty I ate my kids portion. The owners had just finished a new baklava and I ate it so fast I couldn't take a picture... If you are around this restaurant definitely stop in! read more