Galata Kebab & Pide House — Restaurant in Pompano Beach

Ever since that last meal at CITIR in East Boca, I’ve been craving a casual Turkish spot closer to home. Then I remembered Galata Kabab & Pide—a place we visited maybe five years ago. Quiet then, and still quiet now. Practically hidden in a sleepy plaza with only one neighbor: a medical call center. Blink and you’ll miss it.

Inside, it’s serene—almost eerily so. The kind of silence you don’t expect from a restaurant. But then you notice the music. Not pop or Turkish radio, but soft, lullaby-like instrumentals playing gently in the background. It’s almost hypnotic, the kind of soundtrack that makes you exhale and slow down. You could probably fall asleep in your chair if the food weren’t so good.

Jay, the owner, is originally from Istanbul. He’s been running Galata for eight years now. The space used to be a pizza joint, but he’s turned it into a minimalist Turkish kitchen that focuses on what matters: kebabs, lahmacun, and pides. The menu isn’t huge, but every item feels considered.

Jay butchers and grinds the lamb for the kofte himself. The chicken? Marinated for 30 hours. Everything is cooked fresh, seasoned just right, and served without pretense. It’s the kind of place where the food does all the talking.

There’s also a little Turkish grocery area in the back—cheeses, yogurts, pantry goods, cookies. Nothing flashy, just honest imports for people who miss home or are curious enough to explore it.

It’s not a scene. It’s not loud. It’s not trying to be anything it’s not. It’s just good food, soft music, and a guy named Jay quietly...

Galata is a hidden gem! I ordered a chicken wrap and a chicken pide. The flavors in this wrap were on point - the chicken is char-grilled and wrapped up with grilled onions and tomatoes. They really seasoned everything in this wrap well. They have crushed red pepper and oregano on each table to add extra flavor. The chicken pide was also delicious! The chicken was a spicy chicken sausage. It reminded me of an Italian sausage or chorizo but not as greasy. The crust was thin, light and had a perfect crunch around the edges. The pide was topped with melted mozzarella and spicy chicken. It was enough to share and too much to eat by myself so I took my leftovers to go. It warmed up nicely and was just as good the next day. The restaurant is run by only a few people but they all do their jobs well. They are friendly and courteous. I asked several questions and they were happy to answer all of them. They also take pride in what they serve - bringing drinks out on a special serving platter and each chef brings out the dish they cook directly to the table. I also ordered a Turkish coffee which was a strong cup of coffee served in the cutest little cup. I did feel that the chicken wrap was a little pricey at $15.99 but overall I felt great after eating a healthy,...

Well, the purpose of going to a restaurant is essentially to eat good food, right? So, I am giving 5 stars for the food. We ordered lahmacun ( made with ground beef), pide (with ground beef + kashkaval cheese ) and yogurt drink. The food was delicious, hands down. I experienced restaurants who put stuff in their menu and lure you into thinking that they will do justice to the food they put in their menus which turns out to be huge disappointment in the end. This place is not one of them, they do what they do really good! And the service is pretty fast. That is a plus. An area to improve I think is how they greet customers. Nobody is smiling; that's a little awkward. And honestly the food was overpriced for my expectations, but it is a subjective thing afterall. They also have a little shop inside the restaurant to buy some authentic pantry essentials like tahini, olives, tomate paste, pepper paste, pomegranate molases and the likes, and surprisingly those items are reasonably priced compared to other ethnic stores. Overall, I sincerely recommend this restaurant to try...