Nar Turkish Restaurant — Restaurant in Madison

I lived in Istanbul for 5 years, and tried this place with my husband and our friend yesterday--we'll definitely be back! It's new and in a strip mall, so the decor is basic, but it's super clean and tidy. The talented and super-friendly Cagri (who co-owns with grad student wife Nar) took our orders, cooked the food, served it, put out fresh tea, and did it all with a smile.

We didn't have to wait long for the food, and it was authentic, yummy, and plentiful--I took half home for later. Unlike some ethnic dishes, Turkish kebab-type dishes are normally enjoyed even by the fussiest American kids. If you like Greek gyros and grilled meats, you'll love this food.

The coolest thing of all was Cagri's home-made Turkish ice cream, served the FUN way. In Turkey, this special, not-as-melty ice cream is handed to you by a true "artiste" at the end of a long paddle. It's a performance similar to at a Hibachi restaurant. Cagri might hand you a cone, but the ice cream ball disappears, or hand you the ice cream ball, but the cone is gone, leaving you only with a napkin. Eventually, you get your cone, and the ice cream is delicious.

This is apparently one of only two places in the entire U.S. that have traditional Turkish ice cream served the way it is in Turkey. Fun for all ages, not just kids. Well worth a drive for the ice cream alone, but be sure to order a...

Amazing food and nice atmosphere. I came here on a Monday for some dinner to go with my husband. Our first impression was a nice, clean, quiet restaurant, and it smelled really good. The woman who took our order was friendly. We asked how long our order would take because we wanted to take a quick walk. She let us know it would be about 12 minutes. When we came back, our food was packed and ready to go. We took our food home to eat and it was absolutely delicious. My husband got the lamb over rice, and I got the chicken wrap. He loved it, I tried it, and it was great. The rice was fluffy with a delicate texture and a hint of lime. The lamb was very tender and seasoned well. The tzatziki sauce is great and compliments the dish well. You get a lot of food in the dish, and you could even share for two people. The chicken wrap was so good. I am not sure if they make their tortillas fresh in-house, but it sure tastes like it. They are buttery soft. The chicken wrap meat, lettuce, and sauce line right up with the lamb over rice, just a great overall taste, seasoned well with juicy, tender meat. The chicken had a great grilled taste. I highly recommend this restaurant for take out or a quick sit down bite to eat. I will definitely be back again for lunch or dinner and to try...

We tried this place for our work lunch bunch and it was worth the good reviews for sure. Wide open eating area, simple but nicely decorated. Counter order and get a buzzer for when food is done. It took a while - probably 15-20 minutes to get the food and we were the only ones there at the time - but that is ok. It's obvious they make it with love and not premade and warmed up. I had the lamb and rice, others had beef & rice, chicken & rice, and a falafel wrap. All delish. Definitely splurge and get the Turkish ice cream. Get two scoops to try all the flavors (today was vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and oreo). Milder than american ice cream but tasty. And it's elasticity and resistance to melting make it perfect for a warm day (no drips!). Plus it comes with some...