Kervan Kebab House — Restaurant in Chesapeake

Easily some of the best Turkish food I've had on this side of the water(in reference to the US, not Chesapeake). The three entrees I had were spot on, with thigh meat being used in the chicken kebabs cooked perfectly, the doner having a nice texture and perfect amount of lamb fat/lamb, and the kofte being delightful in both flavor and texture. Accuracy of flavor is very important, and this is definitely where I would take/recommend anyone to go and experience what Turkish food is about. The borek is ok, crispy, and gives you a clue of what borek should be like, but could do with a bit more substance, and appears to be made with ready-made filo dough, along with the baklava. Before I go into the nitty gritty I just want to say I was amazed at how ALL of the dishes are perfectly salted, typically most places will either have too little or too much.

The Good:

Fantastic cacik, all flavors are spot on, the yogurt is perfect, nicely shredded cucumbers, perfect amount of salt, and yogurt to cucumber ratio is lovely.

Doner: Texture is excellent, very meaty and has a great presence in your mouth that you can bite through, but is not stringy or chewy. Potentially a bit fatty/oily for some, but that is what gives it the flavor.

Kofte: I could sit there and eat a dozen of these, perfect spice mix, has a robust feel that is great to bite through(kind of like a ripe tomato), perfect shape, size, and color.

Rice: I think it's cooked with butter, but I'm not exactly sure, either way it's great. Perfectly cooked, with each grain having distinct shape and good cohesiveness on the fork. Again, great salt.

Salad: Very simple, lettuce with tomato, which goes great with everything. very refreshing, and makes for a cheap side-dish. The onions are separated from the rest of the salad(Turks are very particular about smelly mouths), covered with a nice sprinkling of sumac. It would be nice if there were a tablespoon more of the salad, but otherwise it is an excellent refreshing side to the dish.

Chicken kebab: The grill it was cooked on imparts a nice flavor, cooked through well with nice seasoning. Juicy thigh meat which is a nice change from other places which only use chicken breast(it always dries out on a skewer). Could be improved by adding in some vegetables on to the skewer, but that is a polarizing topic for some, slices of green bell peppers, and onions would make for a more visually appealing service.

Things I did not enjoy:

Baklava- ready-made filo unfortunately brings with it an awful flavor which is especially evident in sweet foods. Although it's crispy and sweet, the dough has a slight bitterness and staleness to it which makes the baklava a 2/5 for me. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try it, but if you've had fresh baklava with dough made that day, with pistachios, walnuts and honey(instead of sugar water), you will easily understand what the difference is.

The salad dressing: I didn't try it because it looked unappealing, but my mom remarked that it was likely vegetable oil mixed with something that was sub-par. A nice extra virgin olive oil with a splash of lemon juice(or zest) would go very well with the salad(and be cheap), or a watered down cacik(but that is up to individual taste).

The hummus: the only good thing I can say about this is the consistency is perfect, it feels great on the tongue. Unfortunately, the flavor makes it unpallatable. Sour and bitter, it leaves a lot to be desired. The pide/pitta bread that it is served with tastes and feels like naan from Restaurant Depot. I can't remember the price point, but everything here is affordable enough for you to try it yourself.

The atmosphere: The tables have seen better days, the chairs are ok, and each table has napkins, toothpicks, and salt+pepper+splenda. You have four options of what you can look at: Who you came with, the parking lot, the groceries on the wall, or the counter. It feels more or less like a chinese take-out, which is kind of sad. The food quality is much higher than the prices...

I saw SO many reviews for this place. Everyone praised the food, everything

Genuinely It was underwhelming and lackluster specially for the price.

I ordered a number two, The rice 9/10 Beef 6.5/10 Yogurt 8/10 Baklava 10/10 (outstanding really) Tomato sauce 6/10 Pita in bottom soaked soggy by the sauce 4/10 I'm not sure if it was me or the combination of food. Beef was kinda dry and cold, BUT the rice was HOT. They weren't near close either, so I'm unsure what went wrong there. It was kinda just Beef and tomato sauce, very unseasoned as well. Couldn't smell or taste garlic or other significant spices at all.

I had gone to another nearby Turkish place, with MUCH larger portions, for the same price. And they even threw extra things on top. Their baklava was very good though so it wasn't ALL bad Personally would not return, very well versed in the food and been eating Middle Eastern (lived too) for years.

I only give it a three based on cleanliness, and the staff was...

An amazing spot to satisfy your hunger and pick up some Turkish goodness for later. While In the area for school this became my go to spot for lunch and dinner. Staff was friendly and inviting and the food never disappoints. Having had most of the the plates I cannot rave enough about the lamb plate which was complemented with a salad and oil dressing that once mixed up became a staple of my dinning in the area. The gyros were great and the kofte was always a wonderful dish. Being a cheese fan I would be wrong to not mention the wonderful cheeses they had for sale which always made salads that much better. The grocery section was stunning, the menu was impressive, and the overall atmosphere was second to none. Cannot recommend this place...