Arkadash Cafe

Rumor has it that this place is «moving to New York». I’m kind of happy about this, because I will no longer be tempted to return.
Let’s start with the good — the food. It’s not the best, and like all restaurants they have «off» days where things just aren’t as tasty. But normally, I drool at the sight of their chicken kabobs — which (usually) seem to have been grilled inside of lemons, so juicy and tart… the vegetarian appetizers are pretty good — with exception of the hummus, which often has an odd texture. I like that they give you bread instead of pita.
The ambiance — well, it kind of resembles your parent’s basement, with folding tables and a bar, but if you are looking toward the windows instead of the floor where the entertainment performs, it looks like a nice restaurant, with booths set up along the windows.
Entertainment — belly dancers, and a man who sings and plays a keyboard. When he is on, the music is deafening.
The service: a little slow, but always very polite, until you have an issue with the bill. Read on.
The Bad: I would not recommend drinking ANYTHING here. Sneak in your own beverage or go stick your mouth under the bathroom faucet. Arkadash screws you on beverages. When you arrive, a small bottle of water is placed in front of you, without a word, and your water glass is turned over. To me, this implies that this is the table water you are meant to drink. When you get the bill, you will find you have been charged $ 2 or even $ 3 for the water. They HAVE tap water, but you have to ask for it. Cokes are $ 3 per highball glass — no refills! The price of alcohol seems to change per table.
Check the bill thoroughly when it arrives. Chances are it will be incorrect. It will also probably include the water you did not order or drink. When you point out the error, the bill will be re-​written and returned to you, but the total will have gone UP. Polite attitude GONE.
I’ve been here several times because a friend performs here occasionally, and it’s the same situation every time.
It’s a real shame, because without being so stingy and scammy, this might have been a really pleasant place to frequent.

A night dining at the Arkadash Café is like something out of a bad movie. To use another trite, cliché, and overused axiom: You’ll either love it or hate it. The person I was with the first time I was there loved it — taking in the sights, sounds and smells of one of Edgewater’s more interesting late night experiences. The person I was there with next would have — had she had one — spent the entire time looking at her watch.
So what is it about the Arkadash Café that is so polarizing? The food is moderately-​priced and delicious, the service is stellar and the décor is — at least for a guy who doesn’t really care much about décor — more than adequate.
But then a single word enters the lexicon of this Unilocal reviewer. Ambiance.
Enter Yagmur, the Turkish Mark Mothersbaugh. Yagmur stands atop a stage that sits in front of a giant flag emblazed with his name as he plays a myriad of synthesizers over pre-​recorded drumbeats and sings to a largely empty dance floor. It’s as if someone dropped a Middle Eastern dance club in the middle of a restaurant and hired a guy who would give Andy Kaufman a run for his money if only he were in on the joke too.
To quote Morrissey: «That’s entertainment!»
Because this Mediterranean cuisine establishment doubles as a nightclub, you can stop in for dinner well past midnight making it great for those who want to eat a late meal that doesn’t consist of a something wrapped in tinfoil. As luck would have it, you can burn off the calories from your meal on the dance floor 20 feet from your table.
And that, dear reader, is what sets the Arkadash Café apart. You either like eating gyros and listening Mediterranean pseudo-​trip hop or you don’t. As I said, you’ll either love it or hate it.
This is a good place to go if… you feel a dinning experience is supplemented best by bizarre entertainment.

OK, for the record you should only come to this place after 10 PM on weekends. I have been a few times and the first time we were the only table there. After about an hour the place got jammed and the music started. The live Turkish music is great!
The food is basic gyros, kabobs, etc. A friend asked for wine selection and our server just kept saying «It is only Turkish wine». Basically if you are a wine snob, then I don’t think this is for you. It is really all about the music, dancing and hookah.

i am surprised to see so many good reviews.
maybe big signs do = good food… for some people. not so much for me.
there are some things this place is ideal for… such as, hiding a body, cheating on your wife, or planning an assassination

I am back to write a second review… and I still love this place.
You have to try the raki (do NOT try to take it as a shot, even though it looks like you should. They bring it with a cup of ice and a pitcher of water… you have to mix it all together and it turns into this white liquid, which the Turkish call «Lion’s Milk.») It’s very strong, but tasty, especially after a great dinner. We had a group of 4 and we all split one order of it because it was so potent.
Also, I love their house red wine, and their house white isn’t bad either… unfortunately I didn’t get the label of the wine, but it’s amazing (I also cannot seem to find any Turkish wine in stores, and since there are only like 2 wineries in Turkey, I figure I have a ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ shot of picking the right one if I ever find some Turkish wine).
We also decided that instead of ordering entrees, we each ordered appetizers and split them all. I got a combination plate and the falafels were to die for. Their hummus is also perfection. I’ve never had anything taste anything but great here.
The bellydancer is great, and it’s fun when she pulls people up to dance with her (I have done so a few times myself — I feel like a fool even though I’ve been taking classes for two years, but it’s still fun), and Yagmur is a great entertainer.
It’s places like this that make me wish I was Turkish and could eat like this every day.

This is my second time at Arkadash Café and I have to say I am less than pleased. For starters they bring you water bottles when you sit down instead of glasses of water and then charge you $ 2 for them. Furthermore, the drinks are $ 9 a piece.
The service is HORRIBLE, I am a server and I actually considered not tipping the snotty blond waitress, especially after the shady thing with the waters. Unfortunately, this was not an option since a 15% gratuity was added to our bill despite ONLY having 3 people at our table. This was sooo shady and possibly illegal. My friend paid with a credit card and the server actually wrote his tip in before giving the slip back to him.
The food was okay but seriously… not worth it. Go someplace that is not shady.

This place was empty and the waitress ignored us the whole time but the food was decent I must say, but it does not justify the $ 12.00 dollars for soda and not from a can but from a freaking fountain!!! That left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I will never come back to this place and if you do decide to go, bring your own pop or drink water, oh wait they might charge you for that too!!!

I went to Arkadash a couple times before with my cousins and its a pretty cool place to hang out at for a middle eastern joint. We didnt’t have a problem with our coconut hookah (the best!) and our waitress was really nice. We ordered to start the hummus and pita bread and man was it good. Then we had entrees of shish kabob and chicken and it was deliecious. The food was warm and succulent just like it should be and the salad was really good. The music is kick ass and everyone jumps in on the dance floor which could be bigger. We got to sit in the back where there are pillows and rugs and just chill as well. Prices aren’t too bad for a joint like this.

I could go back and forth between the number of stars Arkadash deserves. We average out to 3.625, but i’ll round up:
Service: 1.5 Stars.
Us: Are you a BYOB restaurant (which we assumed due to the postings on Unilocal (i have since notified the site) and Metromix)?
Lady: A BYO-​huh? (only with ze accent)
Us: Um – we brought wine. Can we drink it here?
Lady: Yes we have wine.
Us: Um – but can we drink a bottle of wine that we brought?
Her: Yes, in 35, 45 and 55 dollars.
Me (in a whisper to my companion) i don’t think she heard us. there is a large wall of liquor. let’s just order something.
Us: Do you have Turkish beer?
Her: Yes. Light and Dark.
Us: Do you have a recommendation?
Her: If you like ze light, it is better. If you like ze dark, it is ze best too.
Entertainment-​5 stars!:
We were there a few minutes before we realized that the music was live. The music is played (and sung) by a charming fellow by the name of Yagmur. We knew his name because it was emblazoned on the wall above him, as well as the platform from which he performed some of the most beautiful (albeit only) turkish synthesizer serenades i have ever had the pleasure to experience. He was sitting in a chair, but he managed an impressive amount of swaying and hip-​thrusting. I also felt as though he was making love to me with his eyes. There was also a sexy little belly dancer who, due to her lack of belly, may not have been the best belly dancer i’ve every seen, but she was mos def the hottest.
Food: 5 stars!
I would eat middle-​eastern food every day if i could. Everything was fantastic. The falafel was crispy and garlicky on the outside and mushy and steamy on the inside. My lamb kabob had tiny pieces of lamb and giant peices of pepper and onion layered between, grilled to perfection. I dared myself to eat the hot pepper garnish, and was quite close to death, so i don’t recommend that part of the meal, but for that I will not blame the restaurant.
Ambience: 3 stars.
As each member of our party of 7 arrived, they asked the same two questions: 1) where is everyone? and 2) why do i feel like i’m at a turkish wedding? We got there about 9:30 and left about 11:30, and there were no more than 5 full tables during that time. Such a shame. I wish Yagmur, the Belly-​less dancer and the steamy falafels could have had more people to appreciate them.

We ended up at this place by default. We were going to go to some Cuban/​Colombian steak house a few doors down, but guess what they’re closed… for good! So since we were already in the hood we decided to check out this place. Now the place was dark (I didn’t get the whole blacklit thing going on… but that’s not the point); the live entertainment was loud, the people lively… just what i love. Not to mention the food was delicious & affordable. Our waitress was very attentive and answered all our questions. I will definitely go back.

I went on a weekend with a couple of friends after we couldn’t find a parking spot by the other places we wanted to go… I was thinking this place would be packed, because they have belly dance show AND live music, I was thinking if nothing else, at least it would be packed with Turks, but nope… there were about 6 or 7 tables, but regardless people were really attentive, at one point everybody was on the dance floor, it was cool. My friend and I ordered a vanilla hookah, and it wasn’t all that great, and it came way later that it should have. We actually stayed there for a while, and when we asked for the check, we were told each of us had to spend at least 15 bucks… this is so ridicilous, and in any case, we should have been told when we sat down, not when we’re leaving!!! They need to have better and more experienced waiters, sorry!

Great food, entertainment and atmosphere! Bring Khazna back!

I haven’t tried the food here, but it was fun grabbing a cocktail or two later in the evening. It’s a nice change of pace from the usual bar scene. The middle eastern music and belly dancer make you want to get out there and show your stuff!

This place is good for a sit down higher end turkish dinner. I recommend the nights/​weekends with loud music and belly dancers. Effes is a awesome turkish beer recommend trying from here. Hookah is on the expensive end at $ 20. If its not taken relax and take your shoes off to the window pillow seating. Food is good.

Ok… unlike the other reviewers I did not go on a weekend, so it was very quiet. Located on Clark St. almost where it meets Ashland, its a big place. Had a beautiful pillow-​laden table near the front windows. The bread was delicious warm semolina that we had with a very good hummous. The calamari was surprisingly light and non greasy and delicate.
We had the lamb chops which were good. We felt like we were laying in our harem bed and our servents kept bringing us food and refilling our drinks. It was a great meal. I will go back on the weekend sometime to check out the wild side of Arkadash with bellydancers and hookahs and all.

Turkish Food, Belly dancers and Hookah’s…
Yagmur and Safwan are great. I would strongly recommend reservations. That is if you are going to this place on a weekend. The best time to go is after 10pm. On the weekend this resturant turns into a Turkish Club with Live Music. Open until 3am. I would suggest it to anyone who wants to have a memorable night out with some Turkish and Arabic music. The Vegetarian plater is great or any of the lamb dish’s are yummy. If you have a large group then this is a fun interactive
place to go… just don’t eat to much hummus leave some room in your tummy for the Dancing… enjoy
servers only, mainly Russian

I went to dinner here with a friend and really did not have a good time. We were there around 8pm for dinner on a Thursday evening, so maybe the experience would have been better on a weekend, but still… The wait staff seemed very unfriendly and it took ages for them to come and take our order. Normally, it wouldn’t bother me much, but we were the only 2 people eating in the whole restaurant! I probably should have taken that as a sign when walking in. Once we got the food, it was fairly tasteless and quite oily. I wasn’t impressed.

Re: the other review. Yeah, this place is a bit weird, but Arkadash ROCKS on weekends.
Watch out for my man YAMUR on keyboards. For a real Turkish (read: wild!) night out, head to Arkadash, and don’t spare the Raki (nat’l drink of Turkey, sort of an anise liqueur and POTENT!) V. international crowd, and a unique night out.

It’s weird here and the foods not great. They added our tip for us. The only good part was the belly dancing.