Elmas Turkish & Mediterranean Cuisine — Restaurant in Parsippany-Troy Hills

👍🏻 OUTSTANDING!! The food was marvelous beyond belief and the staff couldn't have been friendlier. I rarely leave reviews of any sort but this was very much deserved.

Despite the fact that they are listed as a Turkish Food Restaurant, nearly all of their offerings are very much similar to food from the Armenian, Greek and Middle Eastern cultures.

As my wife and I are 2nd. generation "Armenian - American", we both felt very much welcomed by the staff and the food was just ALMOST as good as our Grandma's home cooking! Actually, if our grandparents were still alive today, this would be the go-to place to enjoy delicious food in a family style environment. (Of course, there's no way I could get away with rating ANY food as equal to or better than my Grandma's LOL)

I know this sounds either petty or odd, but I'm going to include this anyway. According to nearly everyone I know, I am "fussy" when it comes to food. Most of the similar Turkish restaurants in the area have similar fare but I am never really satisfied with the quality of the meat. It always seems to be "rubbery" or "grisly". I was so very pleased with Elma's meat selections. Especially the Chicken Kebab - - iits AMAZING!!

Surprisingly, their prices are very much affordable, especially considering the current and horrific state of the "Biden Economy". (hopefully they don't see this review and raise their prices - LOL)

They truly do not offer "restaurant" cooking. Their food is just about as close to home cooking as it could ever be!!

The only negative I can think of? They only provide a small amount of bread with the meals. It might just be me, but I could easily make a meal of their Hummus and toasted Turkish Bread. It is that good!! I would gladly pay a little more $ to increase the portion size of the bread. This is the only thing I could say negative about Elma's. Nearly every other item on the menu comes in abundant sizes

Side note:

Elma's offer free delivery to much of Morris County. I'm not certain about minimum orders required for delivery. Their delivery service was about as top notch as their food. Additionally, Door Dash has them listed in their app, but .. according to several friends who used Door Dash, the delivery delays are pretty substantial. Definitely stick with the "in-house" delivery.

AND... I noticed signage indicating they provide catering services. I'm not exactly sure what that all entails, but I would absolutely have a small to medium sized event there. Again, I'm not certain about details and capacity, but I would imagine it would be spectacular. More so for guests not all too familiar with this type of...

By now, it's no secret that Parsippany is home to many fine restaurants with such great variety. Regrettably, I've failed to share with all those who may be interested another great spot in Parsippany. Elmas Turkish- Mediterranean Cuisine is a great spot if your looking for something different and will soon be incorporated into your mix when looking for a quick and tasty meal.

Located at 1561 Route 46 East (The old JC's Bakery for those who have been around Parsippany for a while), Elmas is between Vail and Baldwin Road in the Parsipany Hills Shopping Plaza. Located in a shopping center, there is plenty of parking whether you pick up or sit and dine on.

During my recent visit, opted for take out and picked from the lunch menu and picked the lunch special. The lunch special is a three course meal that consists of a soup or salad, an appatizer, and an entree. I called in my order and the order found the staff to be friendly and ordering was a breeze.

For the 1st course, I chose the Choban Salad or Shephard's Salad (Tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, peppers, parsley tossed with lemon, vinegar and olive oil) Salad was really tasty made for a great start for my lunch.

For my appatizer, I picked the Babaganoush (Smoked grilled eggplant chopped and blended with tahini, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice) which paired well with the freshl bread that came with the mail.

For the entree I picked the Doner Kebab (Ground lamb wrapped around vertical cylinder and grilled to perfection then thinly sliced) which I beleive was served over white rice and bulgur rice (if I'm wrong, someone can correct me and I'll modify my post) The meal also came with two sauces that also complimented the meal nicely. Not sure what they are called so would love to know for anyone that may know the answer.

While not part of the meal, also had some rice pudding to finish odd the meal.

While most meals I devour in a single sitting, there was leftovers for another light lunch or a hearty snack down the road. I've had other meals and they are just as good as today's meal and always consistent with tasty food and great service.

Elmas has a great menu with many vegertain options as well. If you are looking for something to change up the routine, this place is definitely worth checking out. They do have a dining area to sit down and enjoy as well.

Elmas is open 6 days a week for lunch and dinner form Tuesday though Sunday and is closed on Monday. Be sure to stop on and...

I was really looking forward to trying Elmas Turkish Restaurant, especially with its high ratings and the large Turkish community in the area. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a disappointing experience, and I felt let down from the start. Perhaps a name change to Elmo's Turkish Place for giggles as this place seems to want to joke around with the Turkish name.

The lentil soup was watery and bland—surprising for a dish that’s usually rich and flavorful. I thought it might have been an off day, but things only got worse from there. I ordered an okra and rice vegetable platter, hoping for a comforting, flavorful meal after a long hike. What I got was a sad bowl of watery tomato broth, undercooked okra, barely cooked vegetables, and a plain, bland bowl of rice on the side. It was uninspired and lacked seasoning.

My friends all shared the same disappointment; every dish we tried was watered down and almost flavorless. Some of us couldn’t even finish our meals, as they just weren’t enjoyable. To make matters worse, a coffee order never arrived, and we didn’t bother to try any dessert after such a penny pinching, flavorless meal.

It was hard to believe that this restaurant could represent Turkish cuisine, as neither the flavors nor the experience matched my expectations. I’d recommend skipping this place and trying one of the many other restaurants in the area. Save your appetite for somewhere that truly appreciates Turkish flavors. Oddly enough I don't believe any of the workers in this establishment were of a...