Turkish Mediterranean Cuisine — Restaurant in Largo

As a passionate foodie with a love for Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines, I was thrilled when four new Turkish restaurants opened within a three-mile radius in the Clearwater-Largo area. Among these, Turkish Mediterranean Cuisine on West Bay in Largo truly stands out as a culinary gem. Here's why:

Ambiance and Accessibility Located just five minutes from the famous beaches of the Gulf of Mexico, Turkish Mediterranean Cuisine is easily accessible from Tampa and St. Petersburg. The restaurant offers ample space for large parties, including a private room, and plenty of free parking. However, it's wise to arrive early as this place quickly becomes the talk of the town and fills up fast.

Exceptional Service From the moment you walk in, you are greeted with the friendliest host and staff members. The service is outstanding—courteous, prompt, and attentive. Water is served without any request, refilled constantly, and garnished with lemon or mint. A basket of freshly baked Turkish bread with olive oil, roasted peppers, and herbs is brought to you once seated. Freshly brewed tea is served free of charge and refilled as many times as you desire.

Culinary Excellence The menu is extensive, offering a variety of authentic dishes with ample portions and exceptional value. Whether you're a vegetarian, pescatarian, or carnivore, there are delicious options for everyone. The seafood dishes, such as the grouper fish shish kebab, baked grouper, and whole grilled fish, are prepared to perfection, reminiscent of the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts.

Salads like roasted eggplant salad, shepherd salad, and arugula salad are fresh and flavorful. The Turkish coffee served with Turkish delights, tiramisu, and the moistest baklava I've ever tasted make for an unforgettable end to the meal.

Chef Turgut’s Magic The owner and chef, Turgut, previously ran the kitchen at another local café, and it's no wonder the food quality here is top-notch. Every dish is prepared with meticulous attention to detail, seasoned to perfection with authentic Middle Eastern herbs, and crafted with pride, heart, and soul.

A Note on Local Competitors Unfortunately, not all neighboring establishments hold the same standards:

Sara’s Kebab House, Clearwater, FL: While the food quality is commendable, the ambiance is lacking as the seating area is right next to the cashier line of the market. More concerning are the reported mistreatment of servers and policies that prohibit them from accepting gratuities, which is both unethical and possibly illegal. Moreover, customers are forced to buy bottled water, as no complimentary drinking water is provided.

Mio’s Grill & Cafe, Clearwater, FL: Located in the Sand Key Shoppes plaza with a beautiful intercoastal waterway view, this tiny café disappoints with a very limited menu that lacks any seafood options—surprising for a restaurant in a prime seafood destination. The prices are high, and the overall dining experience does not justify a second visit.

Cafe Sahara Mediterranean Cuisine, Largo, FL: Initially opened as a market, this café has limited menu options and has been involved in unethical practices. The owner, Chris, has reportedly taken several aggressive actions against Turkish Mediterranean Cuisine, including erecting a large, obnoxious sign over the restaurant, towing vehicles of patrons who park in his plaza, and posting fake negative reviews online. Such actions reflect poorly on the establishment's integrity.

Final Thoughts For those living locally or visiting Clearwater Beach, Turkish Mediterranean Cuisine is a must-visit. It delivers an exceptional dining experience on every level—taste, quality, service, and ambiance. Special mention to Cemil, an outstanding server, for always taking great care of our party. This place is so good that after dining yesterday, we’re already planning our next visit.

Check it out for an authentic Mediterranean experience that’s second to none. You won’t be...

We were a party of 3, and we walked in for dinner around 5:30 and was happy to see the restaurant wasn’t busy. Our server, although very lackluster, came out and got our drink orders and delivered them quickly, along with some bread. We ordered an appetizer, which was good and the owner? manager? not sure, but he brought over an appetizer that he said they were testing out and we tried it. That’s when everything changed, and the service completely tanked. We had to ask our server to put in our dinner orders, which came out pretty quickly. In the meantime, I had dropped my napkin and asked the server as she was running away from our table for another one. That was the last time we saw her. She never asked if our food was good, didn’t offer drink refills, never brought me a napkin. The others that I was with enjoyed their food but I didn’t care for mine and was looking forward to some dessert to fill me up. The server never came to ask for dessert or to give take out boxes for the others at the table. My son walked up to the counter and grabbed them for himself. I was glad they have a cash register to pay at, otherwise we would still be sitting there waiting for someone, anyone, to make eye contact or acknowledge our existence. I informed our server when I was paying that we were disappointed and she said “we are short staffed”. Meanwhile, there was a single gentleman there who she spent a lot of time talking to, and eating his food he had ordered. In the time that we were there, a 6 top and 3 2 tops came in, one with a toddler and maybe 3 tables that were there before us. That’s 8 tables over the span of an hour and a half, so not busy. She said she would package up our dessert to go but we wanted to enjoy our dessert there, with some Turkish coffee. Overall, food was good. I took a chance on what I ordered and didn’t like it (not the restaurants fault). But the service was hands down the absolute worst I have ever experienced and the way we were just avoided felt personal, and purposeful, and most definitely not welcoming. There are so many other fantastic restaurants out there, so save yourself and avoid this place...

Disgustingly rude service, the young man was very quick and rude with us, never came to refill anything, we sat for 30 minutes waiting for the waiter to pick up our check but he just walked around and away from us, avoiding us.

From the very get-go the waiter was very rude. I don’t know if it was racially motivated or not but it surely felt that way, and as a Greek who loves my Turkish brothers and friends it truly was hurtful to have happen. It was my 16th birthday and ever since the summertime after going to turkey I’ve been longing to have some Turkish food again.

Though the food being absolutely delicious and perfect the waiter was very rude, made us feel very unwelcomed in their restaurant. We ordered drinks, he never brought them, we asked for plates for our cake, he never brought them, we waited for him to pick up our check, he never came so 30 minutes later we went to the front and just gave it that way.

Though on a brighter side, the food was just perfect! I loved everything I ate! The chefs really poured their hearts into each dish!! I just could not stop eating! So delicious! The picture of the plate was the delicious meal I had! 10/10 and would definitely recommend to any person looking for authentic, amazing, Turkish food! Along with that the amazing chef came out after we left and asked what happened, we explained we had horrible service with our waiter (though complimenting the food and other waiters) and he promised he’d go talk to him. He seemed like a very nice gentleman and reading into the reviews he’s more than a nice person, he’s an amazing guy that is also an excellent chef!

Regardless of our poor service I was very grateful and happy with everything else, it was a delicious and fun time for my birthday and the gentleman coming out promising to go talk to the waiter about our service was very reassuring. We all are friends regardless of our country of origin, and I am glad the gentleman was as kind...