Hakki Baba Turkish Mediterranean Restaurant — Restaurant in Cliffside Park

I'm quite familiar with many of the middle-eastern restaurants in the North Hudson/Bergen area, some of which I've patronized for years, and finding HAKKI BABA, almost by accident, one night while driving on Anderson Avenue in Cliffside Park, after a bit disappointing dining experience at another middle-eastern restaurant, was quite intriguing. I'm glad I decided to give it a try a few days later.

HAKKI BABA is unassuming and its front, decorated with planters and a small sign, is very easy to miss, unless you know their address, of course. Its interior has a rustic feel that's cozy and instinctively sets you up for the experience you're about to have: Turkish "home-made" food, carefully prepared to order, with quality ingredients and flavors, that is simply delicious.

The menu is not too extensive and/or intimidating, so don't be afraid to venture out of your comfort zone. Here you'll find all the staples of Turkish cuisine, generously portioned and priced right.

The moment we sat at the table we were served iced water and brought in wine glasses. By the way, HAKKI BABA is BYOB! Freshly-made hot bread with butter and extra virgin olive oil with spices followed.

My partner and I ordered a small Shepherd Salad (a mix of finely chopped red tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, onions and parsley, seasoned with herbs and tossed with olive oil and vinegar), which was more than plenty for two; Hummus, Tavuk Adana Kebab (skewered ground chicken mixed with bell peppers, garlic and spices) and Fistikli Kebab (skewered ground lamb and beef mix with pistachios and herbs). They were two of the best kebabs we've ever had.

Each one of them consisted of two wide skewers, char-grilled to perfection, served with rice, char-grilled red tomatoes, green peppers, chopped lettuce and onions salad. Both kebabs were cooked right and were very juicy. The pistachio kebab, which we never had or seen elsewhere before, was a pleasant surprise and the one menu item that we keep ordering every time we dine at HAKKI BABA.

We finished our dinner with a Pistachio Milk Pudding---with the right consistency, not too sweet and with plenty pistachio flavor. Yummy!

In subsequent visits, we've tasted their Babagannoush, which is smoother and smokier (better!) than the ones we've tasted elsehwere. We've had also Tavuk Sis Kebab (skewered marinated tender cubes of white chicken), Has Has Kebab (the same skewered chicken and/or ground chicken kebabs but served on a bed of spicy chunky red sauce, which is to die for) and the Hakki Baba Special Mixed Grill, a plentiful dish of different kebabs, enough for two to share and equally delicious.

Over our frequent visits (this is where we get our Turkish "fix" pretty much on a weekly basis these days), we've come to know that the restaurant is a true family business, run by a brother (who's also the main chef), his three sisters and their parents, all hard working immigrants from the wonderful land of Turkey. Don't expect "fanciness" here, just friendly and attentive service from folks for whom English is their second language, but with all the desire in the world to please you, serve you the best Turkish food you ever had and make you come back, time and time again.

Oh, and don't be afraid to ask for reasonable food accommodations, as I'm sure they will make it happen for you too.

Diner for two (1 cold apetizer + 1 small salad + 2 entres + 1 desert) will cost you around $50 plus tip. Bring your own bottle of wine...

I’ve been here twice. The first time I though it was good, but the second time it wasn’t good at all that’s why for the 3 stars. The owner is very nice, warm, and welcoming. The house made Turkish bread here is amazing! For appetizers I had the Sigari Boregi and the pan fried eggplant (Palican Tava). The Sigari Boregi was good, but I wish I tasted more of the Feta cheese. The pan fried eggplant was horrible! I’ve had this appetizer at other Turkish restaurants and loved it. But, here they made it differently then the usual traditional Turkish way. The eggplant was soggy, and it was loaded with an awful tasting garlic yogurt! It tasted so bad that I couldn’t eat it! For dinners I had their signature dish the Sarma Beyti and the Filet mignon shish kebab with yogurt. The Sarma Beyti was good, but the Filet mignon shish kebab with yogurt was not good at all! This is another Turkish dish I’ve had at many Turkish restaurants, but here it was prepared differently as well. They were generous with the filet mignon meat, but it couldn’t be enjoyed because the meat was swimming in yogurt that didn’t taste good! It was also overloaded with sauce too! Believe me I love extra sauce, but this was more like Filet mignon in a sauce and yogurt soup mess! For desserts I had the baklava was delicious! The kadayif was just ok. I wouldn’t come back as I know far more better Turkish...

I typically order takeout here. The first time I ordered, which was a while ago, everything was good and the girl that was managing the place at the moment was very friendly and offered us to sit and have tea while they were finishing up with the order. All the time after that there's another woman there who is very grim and says almost nothing. Their website doesn't have anything except the BeyondMenu link to place online orders. It hasn't worked the last number of times. I placed the order there, then called the restaurant, and they hadn't heard of the order, as usual. So I placed the order again over the phone and was told that it would take half an hour, despite having one entree, a soup, a salad, and an appetizer. When we got there, the grim woman handed me the check and didn't say anything else. We waited for another 20 minutes before she brought our stuff. Meanwhile, the restaurant had only two tables occupied, so they weren't busy. All in all, it took them 45 minutes to fill that small order, with the grim woman not even looking at us while we waited. Their prices are a bit above average for Turkish restaurants like this. The food is pretty good, though not great. What they really got going for them is the design inside the restaurant. It does look very nice inside. But I don't think we'll be going...