Meetpoint Restaurant Cafe and Bar Inc — Restaurant in Waterloo

My last visit was different. The food was as good as usual although my shrimps looked and tasted different from the previous visit. This time the service was really slow. We ordered a bottle of wine and it literally took over 20 minutes and I had to call the server. It was not busy and probably 2.more tables besides ours. 3 servers in total and 2 were wiping tables and cleaning. Unfortunately, she also brought my food first (salad and the shrimp appetizer) so I waited for my friend's food to eat together and my shrimps got cold. I ate them like that anyway because I was not gonna send my food back to wait. I am sure this was a one off so I will be back!

Another visit and another great food and service. We ordered the lentil soup, a salad, shrimps and the beef and lamb plate. I must say the shrimps were a big hit, cooked to perfection. The meat and salad were delicious as were the dips with the naan bread. The only thing I had higher expectacions was the soup. I was expecting a thicker soup, almost like a cream and more flavours. It was not bad, it was good but not what I was expecting. Our servers were friendly and the food came very fast as well.

My second visit here did not dissapoint. Ozgar you went above and beyond!!! What a great service! Ozgar toook the time to make suggestions, explain about the dishes and was very patient and extremely helpful and kind. We ordered Cigar borek to start. It was delicious. I did not get a chance to take pictures as we were starving and devoured the full-of-flavours food in no time . Our mains were Shashlik, lamb sate and lam shish kebab. I did not like what I got which was the lamb sate. The meat was a bit chewy, it had lovely spices but I do not like chewy meat and I decided I would just have the salad. All the main courses come with the bread and dips (4 amazing different dips, my favourite being the mint, dill and yougurt) so I was ok with the apetizer and the bread and dips. The dish also comes with rice and a salad. So, I decided I was just gonna eat the salad and take the sate home. Hubby does not like when I do not enjoy the food, so although I refused to him ordering something else, he did. I was a bit embarrassed because I was fine and did not need to eat more. At this point Ozgar insisted and said he would bring the shish kebab and I could take it home if I did not eat it. The shish kebab got eaten of course because the meat is so juicy and all the spices make it heavenly good. Our dinner was completed with a nice hot tea. Needless to say, our shish kebab was complimentary and that was part of the great service received. I strongly recommend this place which looks like a family owned restaurant where you get treated...

Meetpoint at the Boardwalk just opened and my wife & I decided to give it a try. The name, the tagline (eat-drink-come together) and the exterior give no indication that this is an ethnic restaurant, which I think does the place a disservice. It is actually a Turkish restaurant and I wish they’d do more to make that more evident because I believe it’s a good selling point. It certainly sold us when we looked at their website and read, “Our goal is to provide exceptional Turkish food as a tool for introducing the experience of Turkish hospitality to the Region of Waterloo.” And the online menu had our mouths watering before we even set foot in the place!

Once inside the doors, the ethnic ambiance becomes pleasantly tangible. Nice décor with Turkish music (I assume) playing in the background (always a plus for me when it comes to ethnic restaurants!). Note: if it’s cold outside, don’t sit near the door; we got a cold blast every time someone entered or left!

They really lived up to their aim to help people experience good Turkish food and Turkish hospitality. To begin with, the server brought a basket of sliced fresh bread and four large dishes of different dips/toppings to the table. We were amazed at the amount and had to pace ourselves to not fill up on this alone!

Although there was already plenty in the way of free appetizers, we had to also try their Sheppard Salad (just the small size) after reading the description in the menu. It was delicious. Not too sour.

For mains, my wife ordered the Beef Shish Kebab and I ordered the Lamb Shish Kebab. Be prepared to wait a while for the food since it’s freshly made. But it’s well worth the wait! The meals were attractively arranged and displayed on white plates (I love it when restaurants realize that many people eat with their eyes first!). Both my wife and I agreed that the meat was probably the tenderest we’ve ever had. Couldn’t taste the marinade or seasoning very much but it did have a nice grilled flavour. I realize that taste is very subjective but if there is anything I’d like to see improved, it’s to make the seasoning a little stronger.

Unlike many Middle Eastern restaurants, Meetpoint does serve alcoholic beverages and I appreciated a nice Stella Artois to wash down the meal.

We would have loved to try some baklava for dessert and a nice tea or Turkish coffee to round off the meal, but it was already late and we were stuffed, so we passed on that.

Meetpoint is not cheap eats. Two mains, a small salad, a beer, and a Coke came to almost $75 before tip. But there were the ample appetizers to consider along with the nice atmosphere, good service, and good food, so we felt we got good value for our money....

Come for the food, not for the service.

This review also includes pictures of the entire menu.

Our family has visited on three separate occasions and the service has consistently been slow and non-existent. Even just getting water takes a long time.

The food is great though! They serve complimentary bread with four types of dipping sauces prior to any food coming out which has always been tasty and unique.

Our most recent visit, we went for Father's Day dinner and ordered for the table: Pan Fried Shrimp (appetizer) Lamb Shish Kebab Beyti Sashlik Shaksuka Pide Mediterranean Pizza

Note that the serving sizes are on the smaller side, so I'd recommend ordering a bunch of things for the table as it gives you the opportunity to properly feel full and also experience some variety. This place is definitely quality over quantity, but some dishes are hit or miss as well.

Definitely recommend the Lamb Shish Kebabs, Sashlik, and Shaksuka Pide. We've also tried the Doner Pizza in the past which was great and I'd recommend (it's like a shawarma pizza). Unfortunately they were out of doner that day so we couldn't order it.

Not a fan of the Beyti as it was dry and had a unique texture and taste.. definitely would not recommend. The quantity of Pan Fried Shrimp was disappointing for $13 and it was just alright. Wish the Mediterranean Pizza was baked longer and less pale, but it was okay too.

As an FYI, when paying, there is no option for a custom tip, and it...