Masal Cafe & Restaurant

This place is beyond amazing! Everything is top notch! Food is Phenomenal! Service is great and they are super friendly. Presentation of food is fantastic! We came all the way from Florida to try this place, I totally recommend it ❤️

So this place is great, but some of the staff don't speak great English, so it caused a lot of confusion upon arriving. When we got here, there was a sign, like an event sign up front, we saw a bunch of decorations, a girl with a sash and tiara, and a group of 15 or so formally dressed people and so asked if they were closed for an event. They said yes so we started walking away but then they sat us in the area up front that I assume is a waiting area and I told him we wanted to dine in, and if we couldn't, it was okay because I didn't want takeout and they insisted we could order there but sat us in the waiting area when there were at least 15 open tables. Then I guess the manager came, and I asked her and she said no they're not closed for an event and sat us. Other than the communication mishap, the food was great, pretty sharable. The lamb dish I got wasn't my favorite, it was a bit dry but the chicken version was good. Hummus was nice and creamy, the tzatziki sauce had the perfect amount of dill, and I discovered that I like baba ganoush even though I typically hate eggplant. Oh and one thing to keep in mind - if you get water, they give you bottled and charge for it - it's how they serve it. While I love drinking water, I'm used to not paying for it and if I knew I was going to pay should've just gotten a beverage. So if you get water, expect to be charged. I would've just gotten something else had I known. Must be a cultural thing, it's the same in Vietnam, they give you bottled water to ensure quality and it just because a custom. But atmosphere was nice, restaurant was well spaced out, you could hear the music but still hear your group, it was pleasant to dine and make conversation. I would come back to try more things.

The food was good, a little bit expensive. The dessert was good, too. I would recommend this place once in a while to not burden on your pocket, but one more thing I would like to mention is that the staff should listen and make sure customers are well served. My personal observations are that staff has a little bit of difficulty understanding English. Hopefully, they will cover this issue soon.
Overall experience was good 👍

Having lived in Turkey two times, I can say that the food is on point and the service is very Turkish. I’m not sure how to explain ‘Turkish service’, but overly attentive and visibly careful is the best I’ve got. I was very shy to try more fluent Turkish with our super nice waitress, but she explained some things in Turkish to me to presumably try to go with my vibe, which I found to be an exceptional gesture. The seating is comfortable and everything is super clean.

More to the food—ezme, pide bread, manti, lentil soup, kebabs, pide, cigara borek, lahmacun—they were all great. The lahmacun was super thin, which is excellent because you’re supposed to add greens, tomatoes and fresh lemon juice and roll it up and eat it. The ezme had me promising myself that I would make it this week along with the pide bread. I would like to see how their su borek is sometime as it’s carb heaven and a bit of a comforting street food in my opinion. I also noticed that they had hamsi and so they clearly import it as no bodies of water nearby contain them (they’re similar to anchovies). The price reflects that, but shoot, sign me up.

Deserts were good and presumably pricey considering the bill we got. But it’s not like you can grab the same fancy chocolate ball with different mouse and berries and pistachio cheese cake from anywhere. I also noticed that the baklava was pricey…just go down the street to the Uzbek/Turkish grocers and grab an entire box for about $1 a pop for the standard variety.

My only minor complaint is the tea. Not Earl grey lol! They have the right stuff up the street at Net Cost!

Whoever left negative reviews either did so intentionally or they lack taste or experience with real food. This place is surprisingly affordable. It is truly excellent, with phenomenal food and a beautiful interior design. It is rare to find a place with both delicious cuisine and a modern, attractive cafe in this area. The waitstaff are friendly and the tables are adorned with fresh flowers. When we spoke with the owner, she mentioned that they exclusively use fresh halal meats, never frozen. The chicken kebab was especially juicy and full of flavor. The lentil soup is unique compared to other establishments and has an exceptional taste. I highly recommend this amazing place to everyone.