Dolma Mediterranean Cuisine — Restaurant in Brookline

UPDATE (02/27/2023, after their reply):

Just because their attempt to weasel out of their poor service by giving a ridiculous reason, I’ve taken away one more star. A lot to unpack from their response, “But we should cut and heat our Dolmas for serve you hot”: (1) admitting it’d been reheated means it was stale; (2) if stale, most probably it had previously been frozen that when they heated the pepper it totally collapsed and became literally watery (beyond mushy). When a pepper is frozen and then thawed, its texture and flavor changes. The freezing process can cause ice crystals to form, which can damage the cell structure of the pepper, making it mushy or watery when it thaws. When the thawed pepper is heated, it will start to cook and release moisture, which can cause it to become even more mushy. As it was mushy I didn’t eat any of it when I could have enjoyed it if it weren’t so collapsed mush; (3) I’m totally fine with reheating the contents of their Dolmas if they had been properly and safely kept refrigerated, but why they haven’t used a fresh set of peppers is my main question! To save a couple cents when I’d to pay a premium for their dish? What a shame 🤦🏽‍♂️.

Regarding clarification they sought about my disappointment in their customer service, there was lack of warm, friendly and welcoming greeting. There was lack of follow up - like “How did you find it?”. Serving of a totally destroyed, collapsed beyond mushy “unstuffed” “stuffed peppers” Dolmas is a clear sign of disrespect that they would NOT do to just any of their other customers. They have obviously been selective.

Hope they’ve learned a lesson and they will avoid making the same mistake going forward. Hope they also don’t judge a book by its cover.

ORIGINAL POST:

I ordered Chicken Lentil soup and Dolma (Stuffed Peppers) from their entrees menu. The soup was amazingly delicious and enjoyed it the most. However, as to the entrée - although it was alright in taste I was served a collapsed peppers instead of “stuffed” as advertised on their menu with pictures. Obviously, they would not serve that to everyone. Their customer service is a little poor. Be wary of that. Because of of those two issues I gave them 3 stars when they could...

I placed an online order through the website (which outsources to Toast) at 5:19pm; my credit card was charged for the amount of the order ($100+) at that time. However, I did not receive a confirmation email with an order number, so I called the restaurant at 5:31pm and, after giving the name and address for the order, was assured that they had received it. Delivery was expected to take 35 minutes.

I waited until 6:50pm to call again and ask about the status of the order. The same person answered the phone and, after I said the name the order was under and the address it was to be delivered to, they told me the driver was on the way.

At 7:19pm, I called again and this time was handed off to another person who asked for the order number. I explained that I had ordered two hours ago, that the charge had appeared on my card, and that I had been repeatedly assured that the order was received and on its way. This person told me that they had no record of the order; when I asked what I should do, they did not offer to remake the order or refund the purchase and instead suggested that I initiate a chargeback on the credit card.

Dolma is a family-run restaurant that we love and have had great food from before, but we will not be placing another order for either pickup or delivery until they fix their process.

EDIT: In light of the response below (and after cooking/eating at home so we were less hangry), I have amended my rating to three stars to reflect our previous positive experience as well. As I am still unsure how my card was charged if an order was never created in the system, I'll be reaching out to Toast customer support to see if that is where the...

At 5 Kendall Street, there is a lovely family restaurant where we can all comfortably and safely enjoy Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine. The charming outdoor seating area offers wheelchair accessible sitting and great pet-friendly option with four tables under sweet yellow and green umbrellas and, also they have three colorful charming chairs with tables next to the window. Besides, off-street parking availability relieves any parking concerns.

Everyone working at Dolma is genuinely friendly and helpful with all their smiles and sincerity. There is so much to say about the food, with numerous outstanding dishes. At the very least, I must say: Dolma's "Dolma" is amazing! (I mean Stuffed Papers in English) So as a Turkish, I can confirm that it is made just like our mothers and grandmothers used to make it. Creamy Mushroom Chicken, Mousakka (with Meat or Lentils), Manti, Turkish Panini, and Shakshuka are some of the highlights, but I've tried almost everything, and not a single dish falls me in anytime. As far as I know most beloved desserts are Baklava, Rice Pudding, Mosaic Cake, and Noah Pudding (Its Legendary if you can find it).

Dolma is truly a wonderful place with its staff, food, and ambiance! We are very lucky to have this gateway to Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine in Boston, which makes us feel at home with everything it offers. 5 Kendall Street Dolma is the perfect spot for a dining experience. It's like you feel as if you are with your family...