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

Had a great time here for the first time ever going. Went with my mom and a few friends here and had an awesome time. Our server, Carl, was pretty amazing. Gave us the most in depth description of the entire menu, background stories on food and recipes, and just great company. The lamb Kebab is a must try. Fresh ingredients and authentic Turkish products. The best international cuisine in town. read more

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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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Gayle and I have dined here twice in as many trips to Bloomington. And both times we brought along her Son, his Wife, and the 2 darling grand-girls. The atmosphere is casual and relaxing and it feels like a family place all the way. The alcohol options are pretty much limited to white and red wine, which is only disappointing knowing that Turkish beer is quite good and would go well with the food choices. The food was 5-Star both times, but the service has been slow, as in you're in Europe, the table is yours, and there's no hurry. Last Sunday, the 3 year-old got a little impatient and at one point blurted out: "I am so done with this restaurant!". As far as I could tell, there were 4 people working at the restaurant last Sunday night, which might have explained the speed. But everyone was nice, and the wait person was more than accommodating towards the young ones. Gayle's son's family pretty much went with variations on Turkish pizza, while Gayle opted for lamb chops, with my choice being a clay pot (with lamb), which I think was the best choice of the evening. We left the restaurant well fed, happy, and looking forward to coming again. read more

Excited to try this place after seeing so many good reviews and it did not disappoint! For starters (Mezes) we shared the Mucver (pronounced "moosh-ver") which consisted of 4 Fried Turkish Zucchini Cakes on a bed of chilled couscous accompanied by homemade yogurt and a salad. They were just wonderful! After that I had the Combo Pide which was like a "Turkish Calzone" as our server explained - and it was also quite delicious. The herbal tea was light and yet complex in flavor. Also very nice. A friend had the Karni Yarik - an eggplant, tomato and beef situation that I sampled and would definitely order on a repeat visit. Great meal and would definitely come back! read more

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Order anything but try at least 3 items. Well made and delicious, really really delicious. Go and try it and thank me later.

We keep coming back. Still very friendly, and it's getting comfier and comfier. Lots of variety for the vegans through the carnivores. The pides (like pizza) are great choices. It can be peaceful inside, noise doesn't carry. They have a wine selection these days, and they're decent. It lacks pretension in a town that likes to be pretentious. Great Middle Eastern/Turkish food. Very consistent. And now I admit, I'm a fan. read more

Terrific great service great food Seems like two guys that really take pride in what they do! Thanks for great meal read more

I had lunch here while visiting a friend who is new to Bloomington, and we decided to try somewhere interesting. We walked from campus; it's only about a mile, but there are a few parking spots in front of the restaurant. We both ordered pides, which were new to both of us, but sounded great based on reviews and pictures. I had a small combo pide which was filled with ground and dried beef, vegetables and cheese. The crust was crisp and thin, so it isn't like eating a loaf of bread, or even a calzone for that matter since those usually have thicker crusts in my experience. The filling was tasty, and the pides arrive piping hot; they're clearly being made to order. The small was plenty for one person; I was hungry and felt satisfied but not overstuffed with the small. As others have mentioned, the accompanying salads are OK, and the soup is good, even on a hot day. The iced tea was freshly brewed and very good. Service was great! Our server was friendly and attentive. We'll definitely be back. read more

Turkuaz Cafe - Soup and salads that come with pide - Turkish Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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I was very excited to try this cafe and Turkish food. I couldn't find a menu online or online ordering so I called to place an order over the phone. Everything was super smooth and the staff was friendly and helpful. When arriving to pickup the food, the order was not ready so we waited a bit longer. Once getting home, we didn't even get all of the items we ordered. At that point it was too late to go back. The best item we ordered was the pide. I also liked the lentil soup that came with each meal but based on the overall experience, we probably will not go back. read more

Love this place! I came during lunch, but was toward the end of lunch hour and there wasn't much on the buffet. The owner asked what he could make me, what it was I had hoped to get from the buffet. So kind of him and it was delicious! Highly recommend!!! read more

What a find... Love the food. I had a small Pide. The Beef and spinach variety to be exact. Good choice on my part because I must say it was absolutely delicious. The small Pide isn't all that small btw. That thing is easily 10-11 inches long. I wonder how big the large is? It appears to be a slightly oval shaped long skinny bread, that has a wonderful crunch to it without being tough. Just right. Inside is a myriad of fillings... In my case beef, spinach, tomatoes, cheese... I ordered mine with a side of yogurt, which is perfect for dipping the Pide. The dish came with soup and salad also. The lentil soup was delicious. The salad was a triad of salads. Coucous, cabbage and a cucumber variety. I wasn't a fan of the couscous as it was too dry for my taste. The other two salads were delicious, nice and light, but with lots of flavor. Prices are quite reasonable and service was friendly. There are regular tables as well as traditional tables (basically on the floor), you get your choice. I recommend giving this place a try. I will certainly be back to try more dishes. read more

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This is some of the best food I've ever had. The staff was friendly and attentive and recommended some good food. I loved the red lentil soup. The atmosphere was relaxed and fun. This was such a great place to eat. Thoroughly recommend this place to anyone. read more

Looking for a vegetarian place and decided to come here. Lentil soup was best I've ever had at a Mediterranean restaurant. Falafel gyro was excellent just needed some hot sauce. Tried the veggie Pide. Never had that before. Really good. Will def return. Great service as well. read more

We got the Pides, Yaglama, and Turkish coffee. Everything was superb. Highly recommend. read more

Turkuaz Cafe - Yaglama with beef - Turkish Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

The only reference point I have for Turkuaz is Anatolia. I ordered different items at each restaurant, so I don't have an apples-to-apples comparison. But, both restaurants are great. We were up-sold appetizers and I'd recommend to skip 'em. For instance, the hummus is served on like pastry puff. The falafel-esque appetizer dish was oily. The apps at Anatolia are better. Also, entrees at Turkuaz already comes with a trio of "salads" - very tasty and "free"! For my entree, I ordered the combo pide. SOLID. You can order a small or large size for a minimal price difference so I, of course, went for the larger size. Very tasty & it was plenty of food - I had it again for lunch the next day! I do like that Anatolia gives free pide bread as a starter though. it's a tough call between the two restaurants. So, why 5-stars? Turkuaz is BYOB w/ no corkage fee. BYOB + decent food always makes for a good time! read more

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I am giving this a 4 for food but the service and kindness of the staff is a 5! We will go back again :)

OMG. This place is amazing. All homemade. The flavors and portions are outstanding. Great value too!

New ownership and smaller sizes. Went for lunch today and you normally get 3 meatballs (only got 2) in the Turkuaz dish and the large pide is now the size of a small. Food is good but the service isn't the same. read more

Quite nice! Can be seated on the floor (very comfy pillows) or at a table. Quiet, fun, good food and baklava that is a must try ( they use honey instead of sugary syrup, which makes it healthier). The restaurant is sort of tucked in, so need to look for it. Excellent date location - intimate and cool. read more

We got takeout and the food was delicious. We ordered way too much for the three of us. I suggest you order several dishes to share. Very good!! read more

Nothing breaks down barriers like hanging around tables, sitting on the floor on blankets and pillows, admiring everyone's socks and pedicures. And that's what I got when I visited Turkuaz with co-workers during my time in Bloomington. Also an ice-breaker: Trying a new delicacy. In this case, it was a Turkish pide. This could be described as if a pizza and calzone had a baby in Turkey, who adopted all of Turkey's customs yet was still inherently Italian food. It's long and boat shaped, and the crust wraps up and around the sides, displaying the Middle Eastern fillings in the middle. I followed the Yelp reviews and got the soujouk (sausage) pide. And a word to the wise, a small is almost too much food for one person. I almost ordered the large since I was quite hungry at the time. So glad I didn't because then I would have been eating pide for days (or rather, maybe I should have -- it was quite good!). It was savory, filling, cheesy and greasy like a calzone. You know that feeling when you're eating something that you know is going straight to your arteries, but it's just too guiltily good that you can't stop? Yeah, this was that. The pide was cut into several slices, which made eating it easy and less messy than I originally thought it would be. Turkuaz is also BYOB, so my group enjoyed some bottles we bought at Oliver Winery earlier in the day. The restaurant was also accommodating when we asked to bring in a cake that was made by a different business. The whole experience was relaxing and made conversation a breeze. Can't wait to try a second pide! read more

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Wow. The Yelp reviews definitely didn't lead us astray on this one. From the floor seating with pillows and big cozy booths for large groups to the BYOB status to the garlic-packin' red lentil soup, I loved this place from head to toe. Our lunchtime feast kicked off with bottles of wine from Butler Vineyard (that we brought on our own) and hummus on a "pita-like" bread that reminded me of phyllo dough that was very tasty. I loved the crisp of the bread in contrast to the smooth hummus. Each order comes with eight pieces. Our waitress recommended the pide breads which looked like a mixture of calzones and flatbreads. Some were filled with spinach and cheese while others packed in the carne with Turkish meats, hamburger, chicken, etc. For the combo option, we were able to order a small pide (which is plenty - I had leftovers!) that automatically comes with the oh.so.tasty. and garlicky red lentil soup and salad sampler plate for only $7-$8 per person. What a steal! And, because I can never seem to leave a Middle Eastern eatery without snagging some sweets, I ordered baklava to take home which was also very delicious. Two squares per serving (check them out on the big platters when you walk in the door!). As for the decor, this place is very charming. Nothing fancy but it feels like you're hanging out in the living and dining room of a Turkish family adorned complete with evil eye paintings and windchimes of sorts. Our waitress handled the size of our group very well. I would venture to say Turkuaz would also make a great date night option. Can't wait to return! read more

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We loved everything we ordered. The pides were our favorites. The service was excellent too!

No shoes, no problem. This was by far my most relaxed dining experience ever, and I loved every second of it. My group took over the sit-on-the-floor section (shoes not allowed) and I felt myself instantly slipping into a state of relaxation. Sitting on the floor kind of makes you feel like a kid again! I ordered the half pide (chicken + spinach) and it was nearly a foot long. My advice: go for the half if you're eating solo, and you'll still have leftovers. Think of it like a Middle Eastern calzone. I didn't taste much "Middle Eastern" flavor, but I still enjoyed it. Not to mention it's served with a cuppa the delicious lentil soup and a salad sampler trio. I left stuffed to the gills with leftovers in tow. BYOB status is questionable because our group was charged a corking fee, so ask before you pop a bottle. Nonetheless, a wonderful experience that I highly recommend when you're in Btown. read more

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Great service, upholstery is a bit shabby. Excellent lamb. Baba ganoush needs some seasoning-- very bland.

Great service and atmosphere is cool!! Food is so good! Super nice chef as well! Clean plate!! read more

Turkuaz Cafe - Turkish Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Our entrees have not even arrived yet but I am so compelled to write a review already that here I am. I came to Turkuaz Cafe with a friend today, both hoping to try something new. We opted to sit in the cushioned area on the floor for the added experience. After my friend ordered Turkish Black Tea and I ordered Turkish Coffee for myself, we received our soup, salad, and appetizer of Grape leaves (get these!) and were immediately impressed with the quality of ingredients, the taste, and the presentation. Our server knelt down to take our order and also to pour our drinks carefully. Hold on--the Pides are here. Beautiful, tasty, and fresh out of the oven. I recommend the fish Pides. Overall incredible. Come here and experience it for yourself. read more

Turkuaz Cafe - Fish Pides and some Turkish Black Tea in the background. - Turkish Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

I got the rack of lamb. All of the food was fantastic! The lamb was cooked perfectly to order and flavored very well. The lentil soup starter was both well spiced and refreshing even though it was a hot day. The customer service was also great, all of the wait staff was very kind and attentive. read more

Turkuaz Cafe - Rack of Lamb - Turkish Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

I absolutely love Turkuaz, and started coming here almost weekly with my mom 10 years ago. I believe it is under new management now and the menu is a bit smaller, which makes sense for a restaurant of this size. My friend and I shared the Sarma which is essentially dolmas (stuffed grape leaves) in a tomato sauce, topped with feta. It was served with rice which made a super filling appetizer. We also split a spinach, chicken, cheese pide - size small is actually huge and was the perfect portion for us to share. A pide is a bread "boat" filled with veggies, meat, cheese. Kind of like a Turkish calzone/pizza. I've always loved the ambiance and staff. You take your shoes off when you arrive, and you eat over low tables while sitting on the floor (on pillows). When we were checking out, the owner greeted us and made sure we loved our food. I will always make it a point to come in whenever I am in Btown! read more

Turkuaz Cafe - Chicken, Spinach, Cheese Pide - Turkish Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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I really enjoyed the "combo" pide (pr. pee-day according to the staff) which is a Turkish version of a pizza. The "small" sized portion is nearly large enough to fill a dinner plate with it's football shaped bread (thick all the way around the edges) stuffed with items that are listed on the menu. (Reminds me also of an oversized Danish pastry!) The Combo is a great sampler of the varieties offered. It came with Soujouk (turkish dried beef with cheese), spinach, a spiced eggplant that is thoroughly cooked down to nearly sauce like texture, and the cheese beef. They were all quite tasty. My entree came sliced so I went ahead and ate it like a pizza...using my hands. I did find it easier to make another cut across the slices so that individual pieces were more manageable. The lunch serving also came with a cup of Red Lentil soup and a "3 Salad". The soup had a bit of tomato and bean flavors, but was quite mildly seasoned. The salad was literally small servings of three of their salad offerings: Coban (Tomato, Cucumber & parsley with dressing), Kisir (bulger wheat in red pepper paste & parsley), and Cabbage salad (shredded cabbage and carrots in dressing.) Unfortunately, I wasn't a fan of the Kisir (under seasoned and a bit dry) or the Cabbage (it looks like cole slaw without any of the acidity or sweetness.) But since they didn't cost any extra, no harm, no foul! The restaurant does offer standard table seating or for those who prefer, a floor seating options with colorful pillows encircling the area which has a large area rug. Throughout the restaurant are Turkish decor and music to create an atmosphere. My server (Sarah) was covering the entire restaurant and did a good job keeping up with taking orders as well as helping out in the kitchen. When I asked for my check, she said to just walk up to the counter near the kitchen when ready and she would ring up my order at that time. So, I didn't really see my bill ahead of time, but since it was a simple order, no problems were incurred. I suppose you could ask to see the bill before paying if the amount sounded off. One thing I will mention is that the restaurant, which may have been opulent at one time, is in need of a makeover. Ceiling tiles over the wine room were dirty and some of the cushions and table tops where showing signs of wear (cracked cushions, peeling finish on the tables.) There were also a number of bags and boxes stored near the entrance which gave the place a cluttered appearance. It seems a shame to spend so much on decor and then not maintain it. Review #1368 read more

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The service was amazing - the waiter asked if we were first time customers and the majority of us were so he took the time to explain the whole menu to the table. The food was amazing. I know that we are going back. read more

Oh so good were those lightly crispy bread that was served with hummus and baba ganoush... Oh that taste of fresh chick peas in my mouth.... And that courteousness in the air all over the restaurant... read more

Turkuaz Cafe - Turkish Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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Bring your own drink! We loved the hummus appetizer and the pide! Price was reasonably priced and excellent service. read more

Turkuaz Cafe - Fresh hummus - Turkish Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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This place is awesome! The smells should tell you, it's heavenly. Sit in the front, cushioned floor seating, and try a bit of everything! Best felafel I've ever had; lamb gyros so tender; chicken pide with veg - so tasty!!! The service was lovely, ambience was cool, and food sooooo delicious! Don't miss it! read more

Good was fantastic, atmosphere was relaxed, friendly service. A nice day out with my oldest. We really enjoyed the experience. Definitely leave room for dessert, you won't be disappointed! read more

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Thanks again, Yelpers. Had a business meeting today and needed lunch. I was a little disappointed that there was no buffet, actually, because I was starving. Anyway, settled for the chicken kabob in the clay pot. It was super delish, fresh, hot. A very subtle but tasty sauce. It came with a big serving of white rice which I don't eat. The bread? What is that? I try not to eat bread but I couldn't contain myself. I am quite full. Oh yeah, based on reviews, I upgraded to a large bowl of red lentil soup. Glad I did. My only regret is that I didn't get a pide, it looks and smells like a pizza of sorts. I need to make another trip down here. This place is awesome and the owner or chef is very welcoming and very interested in your experience. read more

I have a lot friends who love Turkuaz, so I've been a number of times. To be honest my experiences have been pretty average, but I'll try to break it down: Taste/price ratio: Turkuaz is priced a little higher than I'm comfortable with. Personally I've only somewhat enjoyed the food, and you can expect to $15-20/person after tax and tips. I'm ok paying a little more, but if I do it either needs to wow me and/or be a large portion size. Turkuaz is neither on this front. I will say, though, friends who have traveled to the Middle East have told me that food is authentically Turkish. So maybe it's my taste buds that are off. Atmosphere: Atmosphere sets Turkuaz apart from other Bloomington restaurants. The owner is friendly, and you can take a seat on the carpeted floor-seating area. It makes for a unique eating experience! Service: I don't like giving bad reviews based on service, so I will say this: I've been here a few times, and the service has been pretty average, not bad, not great. I had one very, very bad server who let us sit in the corner without serving us or even taking drink orders for 45 minutes, but everyone has a bad day, and I'll chalk that one up to an off night. All in all, if you come here make sure to sit on the carpeted floor seating. It's definitely worth coming in at least once, but it's not my favorite place. read more