Now and then, I feel stuck in a culinary rut. It dawns on me that I ask myself what I haven’t had in a while instead of asking, “What new thing can I try?” I sometimes have to remind myself to get out of boring food phases.
That’s where my head was when I stumbled upon Pasha Turkish Kitchen in Willowick. I was going to be in the area and, to the best of my recollection, had never been to a Turkish restaurant. It seemed the perfect way to bust out of that all-too-comfortable routine.
A local ownership group opened the place on Vine Street in April 2022, in a building that had been occupied by a sports bar. It’s a structure that has a mid-century vibe on its exterior, a lot of stonework, like what you might expect from a lounge in old Las Vegas.
Inside, the retro vibe continues. It’s relatively dimly lit, although many windows allow sunlight that a spot in Vegas would never have. Its interior is larger than it appears from the street, with a long, wraparound bar in the center, complete with vinyl-covered barstools. It’s a cool mix of contemporary vinyl-plank flooring and old-school booths, all lit by modern can lights in the ceiling and fun pendants throughout.
A dining space that’s separate from the bar area is large enough to host events, and Pasha offers off-site catering.
I visited for a late lunch/early dinner with my almost-adult son, who is the go-to person in my household to accompany me on a let’s-try-something-new quest.
Ironically, I have learned, Turkish cuisine doesn’t exactly fit the “try something new” mode. It’s a true melting pot of Middle Eastern, Asian, Eastern European and Mediterranean dishes that have been around for centuries. Geographically, Turkey is almost perfectly situated to be influenced by many cultures. The menu at Pasha reflects it, and many dishes are things I’ve had — kebabs, gyros, falafel and more.
We started with the Mixed Appetizer Plate ($22.25), which consisted of selections both familiar and unfamiliar. It’s a combination of stuffed grape leaves, ezme, tabouli, babaganoush and eggplant with sauce.
The ezme — a salsa-like, tomato-based condiment that’s garlic-forward and somewhat spicy — is the most traditionally Turkish player of the bunch. The flavor profile was interesting. It made me think the Mediterranean region doesn’t have the jalapeno equivalent of Latin America’s pepper heat source, and sweetish garlic replaces what perhaps would be cumin in traditional spicy salsa to which we Americans might be accustomed.
I think Tabouli, Babaganoush and Hummus are things that are pretty common if you’ve dabbled in Middle Eastern or Mediterranean fare — definitely not exclusive to Turkish kitchens. The eggplant-based babaganoush was the slightly less spicy version of eggplant with red sauce, and I liked the grape leaves, which were stuffed with herbed rice, raisins and pine nuts. The hummus, a chickpea-based dip with tahini, garlic and lemon, came across as very fresh. Store-bought hummus just doesn’t compare with restaurant hummus.
It’s worth noting that while the various appetizers come with sliced vegetables to dip into the various offerings, Pasha also supplies an almost non-stop stream of delicious fresh bread knots that go with everything. We had to box up quite a bit of the appetizer platter, and they almost insisted we take more bread home to go with them.
Those of us of Eastern European descent might be familiar with stuffed cabbage dishes, but the melting-pot, Turkish take on the eastern European staple hit differently. We were on the tail end of what Pasha offers as a separate lunch menu, and they accommodated me when I asked for a dinner portion of the Stuffed Cabbage from the entrée menu ($17.25, lunch portion $8.25).
This is the dinner portion of the Stuffed Cabbage entree at Pasha Turkish Kitchen in Willowick. (Mark Koestner – For The News-Herald)
Packed with herb-seasoned ground beef and lamb, the difference-makers from Eastern European stuffed cabbage and Mediterranean stuffed cabbage were the slightly spicy red sauce and cooling yogurt with which they were served. There are various cultures that incorporate stuffed cabbage in regional versions, and this version certainly worked for me.
Speaking of versions, my son ordered the lunch portion of Kofte ($8.75), which might lay claim to having the most versions in the history of food. It’s basically ground meat — meatballs in modern terms — and its origins trace back to ancient Asian cultures and, later, Roman times. Historians were writing about Kofte — “Kafta” or “Kofta” in other cultures — dating back to the 1600s.
The lunch portion of the Kofte is shown from a recent visit to Pasha Turkish Kitchen in Willowick. (Mark Koestner – For The News-Herald)
Pasha’s Kofte is a ground mix of beef and lamb, with some seasoning, shaped like sausages. It’s served with pickled cabbage (which I enjoyed) and roasted vegetable garnish. It was very good.
I don’t know from where Pasha sources its meats, but vegetables are mostly locally grown on an organic farm. They produce their own spice mixes, and some are imported from the Mediterranean. Everything comes across as very fresh.
There’s a full bar, and there are wine pairing suggestions on the drink menu, as well as craft cocktails. Beer enthusiasts might be disappointed that brews are served in bottles, not on tap. My Great Lakes Brewing Midwest IPA ($5) paired well with our meal. At the time of day we visited, it definitely felt more restaurant than bar, but I could easily see hanging out there for a long, leisurely paced meal or for happy hour drinks and small plates.
I loved the place. What started as a venture to try something new became a perfect mix of the familiar and the unexplored. That, plus the ambiance and friendly, helpful service, make Pasha Turkish Kitchen a worthy culinary destination.
Reviews are based on one anonymous visit to a restaurant.
Pasha Turkish Kitchen
31640 Vine St.
Willowick
440-278-4149
pashaturkishkitchen.com
Location: South side of Vine Street, just west of E. 317th Street.
Type of restaurant: Restaurant and bar.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday.
Liquor and wine: Full bar.
Facilities for the handicapped: Yes.
Credit cards: All major.
Cuisine: Turkish/Mediterranean fusion.
Vegetarian: Many options.
Special diets: Ask about dietary preferences.
Kid-friendliness: Kids’ menu, kid-friendly.
Outdoor dining: Yes.
Dress code: Casual
Reservations: Accepted
Wi-Fi: Yes.
Online ordering: Yes.
Delivery: Yes, via third-party apps.
Prices: Moderate — appetizers mostly in the $9 to $12 range; entrees mostly $16 to $26; lunch menu prices are less expensive.
Value: Very good
Ratings (of five):
Food: 4.5.
Atmosphere: 4.
Service: 5.
Originally Published: July 22, 2025 at 12:07 PM EDT