Pasha Turkish Kitchen — Restaurant in Willowick

I'm perpetually on the lookout for quaint, family-owned local gems, and Pasha Turkish Kitchen delivers on all counts. We ordered a few sampler platters and didn't have a single bad bite all evening. The appetizer plate was a veritable symphony of tastes and textures that perfectly complimented each other: the ezme and the eggplant with sauce were particularly excellent, packed as they were with warm spices and savory and umami flavors, though the fresh and lemony tabouli deserves an honorable mention (oh and the grape leaves! I've never had grape leaves with so much cinnamon and allspice before, but they were oddly delicious!). The pide (Turkish pizza) was likewise superb; the homemade dough was soft and fluffy and the cheese was gooey and tangy. I will say however that adding vegetable toppings is a mistake - not only were they oily, they detracted from the flavor of the cheese. Best to just stick to the plain pide. The mix grill meanwhile was probably the star of the meal - all of the meats were perfectly seasoned with salt and spices and were very well charred and smoky on the outside while remaining tender and juicy inside. Finally, don't sleep on the kunefa - after all, who doesn't enjoy cheese for dessert, especially when the savory cheese is balanced with crunchy phyllo shreds and a sweet and sugary syrup. All of the restaurant staff were friendly and helpful (and I do feel like we met ALL of the servers, since we had no fewer than 5 different people wait on our table throughout the night). It looked like the dining room was undergoing a remodeling project, so the atmosphere leaned a little bit into "Home Depot chic," but I'm sure it will turn out lovely when it's finished. Pasha’s is definitely worth several...

My partner and I have eaten from here twice--once for dinner and once getting take-out for lunch--and the quality is consistently fantastic.

The dining room is so clean and cozy; it was a frigid night the first time we came through and my partner gets cold easily, but it was a perfect temperature inside and neither of us was too warm. The staff were so helpful and our waitress was always right there when we needed her.

The food is all good. I really love the kofte lamb; you can tell it's well marinaded from how velvety the texture is, and all the vegetables are so fresh and delicious. If I had a single thing I wish I could change, it would be to make the red onion with spices its own side dish so I could get it with lunch!

The drinks we tried--the Turkish coffee and tea--were of a quality on part with the food. I'd personally never tried either, but I can say they're both something I'd want to get again! The tea is perfect for a cold night.

When we ordered online, my spouse said the ordering system was intuitive and easy to navigate, and I can attest that the food was ready exactly when they said it would be. In fact, on the evening we went everything came out at a very comfortable, steady pace as well.

Also if you're looking for a rice pudding to convert you, I cannot recommend theirs enough. As someone who doesn't typically like rice pudding, I always want to try new types to see if maybe I just haven't had the right one, yet--and my perseverance paid off big time. Pasha's rice pudding is smooth, mellow, creamy, and delicate; it's a perfect cap off to a hearty meal!

Over all, I cannot recommend eating here enough. Definitely more than worth the price, and a place my partner and I hope to visit for...

My first time eating here and I was pleasantly surprised. Due to the storms and power outages, we couldn't go to one of our normal restaurants. The restaurant has a great atmosphere with curtain lights and beautiful decor. It was extremely clean and had nice table settings.

We decided to split a tabouli and ordered Naan to go with it. It was very good on both the bread they give you and the Naan bread. The portion size was large and we ended up taking about half of it to go. We split the mixed grill which had several different kinds of meats. The flavors were delicious and different with each meat. I really enjoyed the gyro meat and the sausages. The flavor of the chicken was unique but it was tender and flavorful. There was enough left over to have another meal since we filled up on tabouli, Naan, and bread.

We split the rice pudding dessert and it's been a very long time since I've had rice pudding that good.

The service was exceptional. Our server asked if we had questions and could explain anything on the menu. She was friendly and even offered to charge my phone since my power was out. She checked on us the perfect amount of times. She didn't hover, but made sure we enjoyed our food. The servers helped each other out taking used plates and silverware. Waters were filled when they were down to 1/3rd full.

If you are worried about the fact that it is Turkish food, don't be scared of it. The food is delicious and they will explain anything on the menu. Give them a try and I don't think you'll be...