We chose this place for a special night. We wanted to sit in the back part and enjoyed the city view. On the phone they told us they would not take reservation and they would do their best. We tought the reason was being busy. When we arrived, they told us that the back section was closed because of the freezing weather (it was 29F) (and we wished they told this on the phone) and they did everything to warm it up but no success. So we sat on the front part. They need to improve service quality. Tapas and calamari was not fresh. We didn't want to order the main course after tasting the appetizers and left early. Will not going back. read more

I've been coming here for over 7 years. They never disappoint. The food is delicious. I recommend the chicken or Lamb kebab to die for. Their hummus best I've tasted so far and the spicy paste is delish with the bread A treasure in Carlstadt NJ make sure to stop by for a taste of some amazing Turkish food read more

Excellent restaurant! Great food and wonderful service. The patio is wonderful and has a beautiful view of the city. This is one of our favorite spots. read more

I'm froM Los angels every time I am in the are I make it a point to come where. Authentic quality food my favorite restaurant in NJ by far.

I love the atmosphere of the restaurant. Authentic Turkish items decorating the humble interior. A beautiful view in the back part (I think only seasonal). The menu has dishes such as kebabs but also a few gems such as manti and lentil koefte! Their bread is homemade and super fresh. If you are seeking an evening full of delicious food and great ambiance this place is it! The servers are beyond professional. To the owners, Last night you had a customer who must be either a friend of the owner or someone who comes regularly. He was rude and disruptive!He was terrorizing the waiters (yok tabak eskimis, yok cicek solmus, su ekmeyi getir gotur, yok garson nerelimis). To top it all off he talked about me a few times in turkish, not very pleasant. I still give you 5 stars because your restaurant is worth it! However I think you should reconsider tolerating this type of behavior making others uncomfortable. you never know who else is turkish and understands the nonsense. Belki babasinin dukkani, bilmiyorum, ama garsonlara hele bayanlara biraz saygili davranalim. read more

Good place for authentic Turkish food. Very good views from deck. They need to work on music. It's depressing Turkish songs all the time read more

Hunkar Restaurant - Turkish Near Me - Carlstadt, New Jersey

This restaurant is super close and so we decided to give it a try. We were not disappointed. We ordered the baba ganoush an appetizer and it was delicious. My husband ordered the grilled lamb and I ordered the grilled chicken and it was amazing and super filling. It was our first time having Turkish food and our waiter was super patient with explaining the dishes and helped us make the best choice. This restaurant is also BYOB which is a plus as you sit out on their outdoor patio sipping wine surrounded by grape vines. Just beautiful! read more

Impressive! On my way to DC we were caught in traffic and with the help of YELP stopped to grab a bite here. Venue (4/5) cozy Italian feel outside of Manhattan. Good for all types of crowds. BYOB Food (5/5) my lobster in pink sauce linguine was phenomenal. One of the best Italian dishes I ever had. Service (1/5) I need to knock this review from a perfect 5 to 4. I came a month later purposefully to eat the fish noted above. We had called for reservations. They had a large party and quoted 1- 2 hour. I wish they had told us on the phone there was a large party and they would not have people eating there. read more

We come here all the time and we are never ever disappointed! The food is authentic and absolutely delicious! The staff is so friendly and will always accommodate you! The back end of the restaurant has a beautiful view of the city! In the summer the windows are all open and the summer air feels so nice when you're having a quiet dinner! I highly recommend Hunkar! read more

I have lived in Carlstadt a long time and have wanted to try this restaurant for quite a while. I was sitting home bored watching some bad movie. I decided why. It treat myself and try Hunkar. I can in and was greeted by very pleasant girls. I imagine they are family of the restaurant as they spoke with slight scents and sometimes in another language; not annoyingly though. I was asked if I wanted to eat outside. Since the weather is beautiful I decided to eat in the back. I am super happy I decided to eat out back. Their is a nice view of the city and tonight there was a nice soft breeze. I had a chicken vegetable soup for an appetizer; very good with nice white meat. My appetizer was serve red with warm break and food olive oil. I was so far very pleased. For my main dish I ordered a lamb shank with season vegetables and rice. I also got an imported orange soda which I want another of. The lamb was stew was amazing and I am sure to come and order it again. The meat fell off the bone just perfectly soft and tender but firm enough to handle. For desert I got s Turkish coffee which finished the night perfectly. I highly recommend this spot. Happy eating yelpers! read more

Satisfied my craving for good Turkish Food. Here's the breakdown Food: 4.75 stars: The starter bread that came with the meal was very good. Had the consistency of an Indian bread but with a much more doughy texture. For my entrée I had the hunkar Begendi which were tender chunks of lamb in a tomato sauce and an eggplant cheese puree which was outstanding. The puree tasted like liquid velvet. It had the texture of really creamy mashed potatoes. It really complimented the lamb well. One of the best things I have ever had in my life. Ironically I really didn't taste the eggplant but I wasn't complaining. The lamb was cooked perfectly although it could have used a little more seasoning. The tomato sauce was very good and blended well with the lamb. It was an extremely satisfying dish that I would order again. My girlfriend got the baby lamp chops which I thought were very good and extremely tender. The accompanying rice and veggies were a little disappointing. The vegetables lacked any real flavor. The rice while good was not cooked at the right consistency. Too chewy. Service: 3 stars. The service was friendly but very awkward. Also, it took a long time for things to be brought out in a near-empty restaurant. Atmosphere: 5 stars: We were brought to an outdoor patio/deck which offered a wonderful nighttime view. The architectural design of the deck was flawless. They had heater everywhere so that you felt really warm even if it was cold outside. The deck had candles everywhere that really made it romantic and very suited for couples. It definitely added to the experience.The inside of the restaurant was equally elegant and classy. Well-kept and clean Verdict: This is a place that is definitely worth going to. The service while awkward is still pretty good and the food is extremely good. It's a winner in my book read more

3.5 stars. Very nice people who try exceptionally hard to have perfect service. The restaurant is very classy and comfy. They have a heated porch in the back that's really lovely. The food was just average for me. Everything was good, nothing was exceptional. I did really enjoy the flaky bread they served with the babaganoush and lebni dips we ordered, and both dips were also quite good. Prices were reasonable and I'd go back. read more

I've eaten dinner here a few times, it has always been excellent. Fresh, healthy, nicely prepared meals that are served by a very pleasant wait-staff. Their lunch special is VERY reasonable. For $9.95, you have your choice of appetizer (I had the hummous -- which is very flavorful), your choice of entree (the chicken kabob is succulent), and your choice of beverage. Great value. Great food. 'Nuff said read more

Came here for Valentine's day with my girlfriend, it was pretty busy, it was a good thing we made a reservation. The ambiance is great, very homey, everyone in this place is Turkish which gives you the feeling that you made the right choice; the server staff is relatively good but completely all over the place. There were about 5 servers for 30 people or so and we waited a while for service and beverages. Our server greeted us with a big smile and we already new what we wanted by the time she came by to take our beverage orders. We ordered: Bean (ChickPea) salad Feta cheese and dill wrapped in dough and deep fried Kafta Kebab (Beef) Lamb dumplings (ravioli) with yogurt and spices The apps were amazing; the bean salad was enough for 4 people, the feta app was just enough for two. The kafta kebab was bbqed perfectly, so smoky and so tasty; the dumplings were so different and rich, the flavor was really something you don't get to experience in Italian or Spanish food. The Turkish tea is served with SUGAR CUBES, brings you back to the time where you would go to grandma's and she wouldnt have any candy in the house so you had to eat an entire box of sugar cubes along with 6 packets of sweet and low because you needed to get your sweet fix. We had a tiramisu dessert special which they ran for V-Day, it was very good, but probably not as good as the baklava may have been. It is a BYO, but just about anything goes well with Turkish food. Overall great experience and I would recommend this place to anyone, just make sure you remember to bring a jacket because parking may be difficult to find within 4 blocks, but well worth it. read more

I tried Hunkar after reading the previous reviews. I am not too familiar with Turkish food so I thought I would give it a try since I live in the area. Me and my wife had the chicken kebab dinner. The chicken came with a small portion of rice pilaf and some grilled vegetables. I enjoyed the meal and would go back. The lunch specials look like a great value. One Problem was the service. They had a new server working that was not Turkish. Apparently they did not give her much information about the menu as she was pretty much as clueless as I was about Turkish food Other than that, I would return and maybe be a little more adventurous in my dinner choice and try something other than kebabs. read more

I keep debating whether to give this place 2 or 3 stars but the service was really bad. We got there on a Saturday night, and it was packed. I would recommend making reservations. Parking is also a bit tricky. They only had some seats in the back- they did tell us that it would be cold back there. We said we didnt mind. It was quite cold- we had to wear our jackets and gloves throughout the night. But, once again, we were warned. We ordered our drinks and our waiter forgot the Sprite. We got appetizers and it took awhile to come out. I've never gone to a place that when you order hummus, bread or pita doesnt come with it. I had to ask for bread and then it took awhile for that to come out. The bread was really good, but i do feel like they should serve pita with the hummus. They ran out of the fish dish that my friend ordered, and also the other meat dish. Thats two meals that they did not have. It took about an hour and a half before our meal came out. I'm not gonna lie- the food was good, but for that service i would not go back again. They should have came to our table and at least apologized for the wait. Now and days, service counts for a lot, and this place was lacking there. read more

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Worst Turkish resturant ever The food had no taste at all The service was average But the waiter was sooo rude Never had similar experience He came back with the check saying I don't need ur tip :-0 So rude I Will NEVER recommend it to anyone read more

Wonderful. Had a small appetizer combo and everything was great. Out standing hummus. Lamb shish marvelous--tender and perfectly done. Good atmosphere. Service somewhat indifferent but busy with private party. Didn't interfere with our enjoyment--surprised delight, actually. Went back a couple days later--enjoyed it that much. The Shepherd Salad (oban Salata) was fantastic and a small serving was enough for two of us. Then we had the Hnkar Begendi -- with lamb over an eggplant puree. Hard to believe it could be this good. And without the distractions the service was really excellent. read more

I always come here for lunch because their lunch specials are insanely good! How can u beat an appetizer entree and drink for $11!? The hummus and cigarette borek are my "go to" appetizers and I love the chicken sauté or the chicken shish kebobs for my entree! All phenomenal! They have a cute deck with a city view out back! This is easily the best Turkish place around! read more

This is the only Turkish restaurant still serving my needs in the immediate area and I am very happy with the way they do things. The restaurant is well laid out and the food is exceptional. My faves are the Imam Biyaldi, the home made gyro and their lamb dishes are wonderful. A mixed grill serves two and for dessert, the stuffed apricots in honey and the baklava. Parking is available in the church lot down the street. They get busy at night so get in early and enjoy yourselves. read more

if you seriously love this food and call it good turkish cuisine you: Have NEVER tasted doner kebab in turkey Have NO IDEA what a kofte should taste like/texture Have NO CLUE how nasty their calamari is;soggy, crappy. Have NO IDEA that what you consider good grilled meats would be wiped from floor-to-floor with real fine turkish kebabs. Very dissapointed with overall meats. Its amazing because all the workers are all from turkey, from the chefs to the food preparers to the waitresses, but armos in los angeles make a waaaay better doner. I'd thought with so many turks in NY/NJ I was gonna go home 10 LBS heavier and eat great kebabs. Well....at least I didnt gain any weight Sad to say, its nowhere even mentionable to good turkish kebabs. Love the place and decor, but food is not good at all. Especially the kofte, WTF is that man???? Service is good, people are friendly, but problem is I dont eat them. read more

This is the best Turkish food I've ever had and I have eaten at Turkish restaurants all over NJ and NYC. I took my Turkish friends there and they said that this was the best Turkish Food they've had since they left Turkey and much better than the top rated NYC Turkish restaurants. Also they use nothing but fresh ingredients as I have seen the cooks picking produce from their garden behind the restaurant. The staff is very friendly and you get a lot of food and a drink with their $10 lunch specials. At night the view of NYC is amazing with their enclosed patio in the back. Support your local businesses! This restaurant is completely family run and is BYOB :) Try an Uludag soda from Turkey - so delicious!! read more

Went with a friend, random find. Pleasantly surprised! Cute place. You must sit in the back room. You will forget you are in NJ. Perfect for a date night. BYOB. Great Shepard's Salad! read more

Hunkar Restaurant - Back room - Turkish Near Me - Carlstadt, New Jersey

Best Shepard Salad and Chicken Kabobs! Also the backroom is so lovely and BYOB is even better. Perfectly spiced dishes and great service. I have been a customer since it opened. read more

I'm vegetarian and even I love this place! Their hummus is THE best!! Very creamy - soo good! Goes amazing with their amazing turkish bread or veggies/crudités! Also love their zucchini pancakes, spicy paste and shepherd's salad (with feta) ! Their baklava is always yummy too! read more

Excellent food!!! One of the best middle eastern places I have ever been to! Went with a group of 8. Everything from apps to dessert was delicious! Makes me wanna go back again! Yum! For apps, tried zucchini pancakes, a combo of 6 cold apps - labni, hummus, baba ghanoush, eggplant salad, tahini and a red sauce. The combo had small servings (rightly so) but all of it was flavorful and tasty. Had lamb and yogurt for main course. It was OMG level! My mouth waters just thinking about it! Desserts were good too. Got the sampler. The service was really good as well. It seems like a family run restaurant. The owners were very hospitable and checked on us couple of times to make sure everything was okay. We were a happy camp by the end of the night. Everyone loved what they ordered!! Overall - excellent place, great service and good ambience. Definitely going back for lamb and yogurt! Tip: It's a BYOB place. The room in the back has better ambience than the inside seating. read more

One of the worst Kebab or turkish restaurants I have ever been to. Understandable that its a family owned place, but the service was really bad. They are seriously understaffed. in addition to this, the staff has no idea about the stuff that on their menu, and the foods not up to the mark. Totally not recommended. read more

They were able to accommodate a 20 person Christmas dinner very well. Great service and fantastic food! Most people loved their dishes so the dinner was a success! Did i mention its a BYOB? Yep, its the only way to go for Christmas Dinner! read more

Hunkar Restaurant - Lamb - Turkish Near Me - Carlstadt, New Jersey

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Great food and a very cool back patio. Wifey and I stopped by on a Friday night around 9pm and were unexpectedly offered a table outside that we happily accepted. We were led through the dining room to a back door that opened to a really cool little dining area (8-10 tables) overlooking the Meadowlands and city skyline in the distance. They had the windows open as it was a gorgeous night and the atmosphere was casually intimate. Our waitress recommended the zucchini pancakes and we're glad she did as they were well seasoned, moist and just lightly fried. We also had the Cacik dip, great for dipping though we were a little surprised we had to use the bread brought to the table before we ordered and weren't offered additional pita (we ordered some and suggest you do). For dinner I had the lamb chops...mouth wateringly tender and delicious. A.G. had the ground lamb kebabs which were also outstanding. We finished with the baklava, always a fan and wasn't disappointed. The staff was friendly though just a little slow at times, surprising since they mentioned multiple times that the kitchen closed at 9:30 and the restaurant at 10. We'll definitely be back. read more

This place is a diamond in the rough of North Jersey. the food here is always excellent and there's enough vegetarian options for my veggie girlfriend. The free bread is a meal in itself. It's hard to not get full on it. The appetizers are all great , especially the Lebni and Humus. I usually get the chicken kebab. The chicken is always tender and the plate is so fullof food I usually have leftovers. The back patio is awesome; great views of NYC and the meadowlands. However, it's only open when its warm out. The only negative is that when it's busy the service can start to suck. There's usually large parties on the weekends and the staff gets overwhelmed. read more

The food is fantastic. It is better than many restaurants even in Turkey. I highly recommend it. Menu is limited but the quality of food is great!! read more

Very glad we walked to Hunkar on a whim. We were happily surprised by the back sun room seating. We had the chicken begendi and the chicken in yogurt. Both were delicious and fresh - we also shared cacik. read more

The food was usually fresh and good. However, last night's food did not taste fresh. It tasted like it was made early in day and reheated before serving. Also, the waitress charged my credit card for someone else's bill! That charge was over $200! They then charged my card for our dinner, and was told they were reversing incorrect charges. That will take few days to post. Staff did not even apologize for error. Won't be going back anymore! read more

We love this place. 100% authentic. I could live on the eggplant dishes alone. Shepherd's salad is a must to start. It's a bring your own wine, which works for me. Desserts are wonderful, fresh and not overly sweet. Service is knowledgeable and outstanding. read more

Two for lunch please. After shopping, we headed for this yelper-recommended Turkish restaurant. Plenty of options on the lunch menu. While my friend's ground lamb was too spicy for her constitution, I loved it. She did too, it just doesn't agree with her. I had the chicken mcver...wow, super tasty - and I felt happy getting my vegetable serving in with the precisely cooked green and red peppers! I'll be googling that sauce to try to replicate it at home. Pleasant, attentive service with two servers - five tables total up front were occupied. I loved the zucchini pancakes. The cozy dining area is simple and warm on a chilly aternoon. read more

If you're looking to for the 11.99 lunch special look elsewhere. We received two lunch specials at 11.99 for a total of 23.98 before tax. Let's say 7% sales tax on 23.98 should be 25.66, but the total came to 27.62. Now this is outside the cash tip we gave, and when we spoke up we were told that's just what it is. I'm not one to argue over a couple of bucks, but when confronted with this kind of backwards business practices I have to speak up. So, I called and asked for a manager and explained the situation and got a similar disturbing response, "This is America, don't you know this is how the taxes work in this country". Yes, sir this is America the land of the Better Business Bureau, stop payments, and Yelp. Enjoy.... read more

4 of us shared eggplant salad, shepherd salad and zucchini pancakes for appetizers and it was more than enough, along with the very good bread, to get the meal started. I had chicken shish kebab for my main course...it was also very good, moist and flavorful, served with rice and vegetables. Too stuffed to sample any desserts but able to pleasantly linger over our byob drinks at meals end. 2nd time here, hope to be back soon! read more

Very tasty Mediterranean place in what I think was lovely downtown Carlstadt. A random Yelp find - again, Yelp has never let me down. I had their lunch menu - the hummus and a chopped lamb kebab. Hummus came out first with a basket of delicious, pipping hot Turkish bread, which was a nice change from your standard pita. The hummus itself was well seasoned, plenty of cumin, and with some sliced veggies on the side. Very good. The lamb was indeed almost a ground lamb kebab, although for some reason I had expected cubed lamb. It was seasoned with red chili flakes and some other things, really quite good, if not a tiny big oily. It came with some nice, moist rice pilaf, and some great grilled vegetables, including a really hot grilled pepper that surprised me a little. after carefully deseeding it, I think I surprised the waitress by managing to eat it all. The dinner menu looks amazing - they have doner kebab, which I was told I should get, but it's only served Friday/Saturday/Sunday dinner, so no luck for me eating lunch on a Monday. They have what looked to be a newly opened patio with a nice view of the NYC skyline. I didn't partake as it was a little warm when I was there, but it would be a nice place to enjoy your meal. I will be back...uhm...the next time I find myself taking a day trip to Carlstadt... read more

A coworker recommended Hunkar. Arrived at around 6pm and the place was pretty empty, but started to fill up afterwards. I did notice a number of people speaking Turkish, clearly a positive indication. I had the donner kebab, my usual yardstick at Turkish restaurants. Texture fine, edges could be a little more crispy, overall taste could do with a boost. Didn't notice too much grease which is the usual hallmark of donner, so that's positive. My dinner date had the lamb shanks which she enjoyed. Service punctual but a little cold. BYOB, if you forget to bring a bottle there's a liquor store located within a 5-minute walk. Would go back if no other options available, mind you its a 45 minute drive from where I live in NJ. So this is more out of necessity than an indication of overall quality. Overall I was a little underwhelmed. read more

Came here for dinner with my boyfriend and his parents on a Friday evening. Love that it's a BYO. Great service. Complimentary bread was soft and fluffy, and served with olive oil. We started with fried calamari, the zucchini pancakes, and the panned eggplant. Everything was great. Most of the dishes were served with a yogurt, peppers, tomatoes, and spices. For my entree, I ordered the lamb chops medium rare. It was char grilled, served with a side of rice and veggies. Unfortunately, the char taste was overwhelming and I had to use some of the sauces from my boyfriend's Hunkar Begendi with lamb to add more flavor to my lamb. During my meal, I was wishing I had ordered the lamb shank instead! I took some of it home (with the sauce from my boyfriend's dish, and it was yummy the following day). Overall, the meal was pretty good. I've never had authentic Turkish food so I enjoyed the experience! The menu is extensive and it's a BYO -- would definitely recommend! read more