Anatolia Mediterranean – Albuquerque, New Mexico

As a bumpkinly but book-smart twenty-year-old away from home for the first time, I practically ached for adventure, something different… the antithesis of  my agrarian upbringing.  The Air Force accommodated me, sending me first to the cultural, culinary and cosmpolitan region around Boston, Massachusetts.  It was an illuminating experience which I thoroughly loved, but after two years my wandering soul wanted to experience even further away lands.  Though very open-minded, the only places not on my “dream sheet” of assignment preferences were Thule, Greenland; Shemya, Alaska; and the country of Turkey.  The latter was based on having seen Midnight Express (on a date, no less).  Though centered in a Turkish prison, the movie gave me a wholly inaccurate portrait of Turkish culture.  I would rue that prejudice for the remainder of my Air Force career.

Senior (and much wiser) mentors regaled me with tales of their experiences while stationed in Turkey.  Türkiye (the United Nations spelling since 2022), they told me, had everything I was looking for–a diversity of culture, a vastness of geographical features, geopolitical and religious history, an agreeable climate and unforgettable cuisine.  The latter, of course, was especially important to me, a young man having been weaned on red and green chile and beans.  Türkiye, my mentors raved, was as enchanting as my home state with its diversity of flavors and cuisines, fragrant spices and delectable aromas emanating from of well-prepared meat and vegetable dishes.

There wasn’t a time during my Air Force career that Türkiye wasn’t on my dream sheet.  The Air Force apparently knew better, sending me to England for both my “overseas” assignments.  Perhaps I’m not destined to ever visit Türkiye as my friends Tom and Ellyn Hamilton recently did.  Surrounded by the Mediterranean, the Aegean and the Black Sea, Türkiye has been ranked as among the world’s top-ten tourist attractions.  Its unique location–acting as a bridge that connects Asia and Europe–and especially its colorful and vast culinary variety make it a country I still hope to someday visit.  It’s heartening to know that even though Türkiye isn’t in my immediate horizon, its cuisine is.

It’s even more heartening to learn that one of my very favorite Middle Eastern slash Mediterranean restaurants anywhere has returned to Albuquerque.  We learned of Anatolia’s return via comment on my blog.  Mehmet Kokangul, the self-described “bald guy” (isn’t that term now considered sexual harassment?) apprised us that “Anatolia is back in the Albuquerque Journal Center and it’s open now and we are still in the Sawmill market too.  The Anatolia’s new address is 7600 Jefferson Street NE Suite 21.”  Could there have been a better pre-Christmas, pre-Festivus gift?

Mehmet is a peripatetic presence at Anatolia along with his younger brother Umut, the restaurant’s owner.  You might see either or both sporting a shirt with a Turkish symbol resembling a bullseye.  Umut isn’t joking when he tells you it’s an “evil eye” symbol, a talisman to ward off the evil eye curse and bring protection as well as good fortune.   Both Umut and Mehmet periodically flit back-and-forth to the Sawmill Market where the Meso Grill is located.  As with most Sawmill Market restaurants, the Meso Grill operates out of a small pod (about the size of a concession stand) and doesn’t have dedicated seating (though there is copious seating nearby).  It also has an abreviated menu offering much fewer options than Anatolia.  Thankfully, that smaller menu includes baklava and other Turkish delights as well as rotisserie spits showcasing lamb and chicken.  Meso Grill opened in 2022.

Umut explained that one of the reasons he wanted to expand to a larger location was that he loves the interaction with guests.  It’s mutual.  Over the years, long-time habitues of Anatolia have pleaded with Umut to reopen the beloved Central Avenue restaurant.   Umut is a very friendly guy who’s cultivated a lot of friendships among guests to his restaurant.  He’s as amicable and social as they come.  He credits his quarter-century of restaurant experience with his passion for the cuisine of his homeland. The Kokangul brothers are originally from Adana, Türkiye, five miles west of Incirlik Air Force Base.  Umut shared with me just how much servicemen loved serving at Incirlik.  If only I could relive my foolish youth…

Umut is committed to using only the best ingredients he can and won’t serve any food he wouldn’t eat himself.  He sources flour from Italy and uses unrefined sunflower oil to prepare various dishes.  When he says love is the secret ingredient in Anatolia’s food, you’d better believe it.  He’s a palate-pleaser as well as a people-pleaser.  Although I had never really met Umut and Mehmet, they were very grateful for my having written about many happy meals at Anatolia.  To say they treated me like a family friend is an understatement.  It was more impressive to me that they treated other guests similarly.  Sadly, there weren’t that many other guests.  Anatolia had been open about a week when we first visited.  Expect guest traffic to grow once word is out that this beloved restaurant institution is back in town.

Anatolia’s location will be very familiar to long-time Duke City diners.  It occupies the space which previously housed Torinos @ Home and before that Cafe Voila.  Few vestiges of the space’s previous occupants remain.  Umut has scoured restaurant supply companies and literally traveled across the fruited plain to give the space a complete make-over.   Colorful Turkish chandeliers illuminate the restaurant and accentuate the space with class.  Flooring is resplendent in ebony and grey shades.  My Kim fell in love with the Turkish tablecloths on each table.  A gleaming stainless steel serving counter replete with drawers and trays occupies much of one wall.  Though similar to buffet serving counters at other restaurants, Umut doesn’t plan on offering a buffet.  Those trays will be used for something special Umut has planned for guests who can’t stay for a leisurely meal.

Anatolia’s menu has not been completely finalized as of this writing (December 8, 2025).  At this point, it lists six appetizers including baba ghanoush, my favorite starter at many Mediterranean eateries.  Eight sandwiches, all constructed on freshly baked bread, also adorn the menu.  Those include both kebabs and gyros.  Lunch specials, which change daily, are available Monday through Friday from 10AM through 2PM.  Entrees include all the specialties which made Anatolia a dining destination.  Those include lamb chops, kofte kebab, lamb shish kebab, falafel plate and an iskender plate.  If you’ve never had iskender (sliced meat topped with hot tomato sauce over pieces of pita bread, and generously slathered with melted special sheep’s milk butter and yogurt) you’re in for a treat.  An array of delightful Turkish desserts are also available as are Turkish coffee and Turkish hot tea.

8 December 2025:  Note:  In the spirit of full disclosure and transparency, our meal was comped, but we would gladly have paid twice the price for one the best meals we’ve had in 2025. I rarely accept a “free meal,” and when I do it’s with the understanding that my review will include all warts and blemishes. Umut wouldn’t have it any other way, not that he had anything to worry about…not when Anatolia delivered a flawless meal and tremendous experience.  Umut wanted us to experience all the best Anatolia had to offer so he delivered to our table, a spectacular combination platter showcasing so many of our favorites.  It’s a platter he had served only once before, to a friend celebrating a birthday.  We encouraged him to make it available to all hungry guests (especially those with an appetite like the UNM Lobo offensive linemen).

8 December 2025: Our meal started with a soul-warming, comforting and nutritious red lentil soup served with bread.  Though our preference would have been to experience the bread with butter, Umut wanted us to savor the bread sans distraction.  Good call.  The bread was quite good.  The lentil soup was velvety and creamy though no cream was used in creating it.  This tomato-based soup is richly seasoned and delicious.  On a cold wintery day, it’s an elixir sure to satisfy your need for warmth and comfort.

8 December 2025: The family platter was a cornucopia of richness: rice centered around a feast of kofte kebab, lamb shish, beef shish, chicken shish, salad, tzatziki sauce, grilled tomatoes and so much more.  Where to begin.  Every item–from the fluffy, buttery rice to the feta rich salad–was everything I remembered about Anatolia.  Which is to say, it was all outstanding!  It’s uncommon for me to rave about rice, but Anatolia’s rice is sheer and simple perfection, each nonstick grain a joy.  A simple salad is hardly simple when the platter includes a hollowed out tomato holding sprigs of mint.  Mint provides a wonderful counterbalance to feta.  Among the magnificent meats, my Kim most loved the beef shish while my favorite was the kofte, grilled meatballs mixed with spices (and possibly aleppo peppers).  With every one of the meats on the platter, it was easy to envision them nestled in a warm, freshly baked pita.

8 December 2025: Among Umut’s loyal staff is a man renowned as one of Türkiye’s best börek bakers.   It’s easy to understand why börek is irresistable to those of  us who love savory pastries.   Picture thin sheets of pastry (not philo, but dough stretched out to waifishly thin consistency) layered with cheese, spinach or minced meat and baked until crispy and gold.  These melt-in-your-mouth treats are likely a “must have” every time we visit Anatolia in the future.  One börek was layered with feta cheese while the other was blessed with ground beef seasoned flawlessly.  Anatolia’s börek is easily on par with the  boureka from Lior The Baker a Jewish bakery in Scottsdale.

8 December 2025: I’ve always believed Anatolia’s pistachio baklava is the very best I’ve had anywhere.  Thin sheets of philo dough layered with pastry, nuts and syrup create a stick, sweet bite that I can’t resist.  Umut created something perhaps even better–baklava filled with banana and drizzled with chocolate then topped with pistachios.  It is unbelievably good.  Our dessert platter was a phenomenal treat, likely the only way our savory meal could be topped.  Umut simply referred to other items on the platter as “Turkish delight.”  Those delights included one-bite treats, some made with rose petals, others with pomegranate.  Who needs candy when these pastries are around.

22 February 2026:  In Arabic, baba ghanoush translates to “spoiled daddy” or “pampered daddy.”  The name stems from folklore about a loving daughter mashing food for her elderly father or a sultan being pampered by his harem.  Baba ghanoush, the creamy, silky and smoky dip made from charred eggplant, tahini, lemon and garlic is one of my favorite appetizers, one that graces our table at most Middle Eastern restaurants.  Anatolia’s version is outstanding!  A delightful smokiness and a generous sprinkling of sumac (the Middle Eastern spice with a bright, lemony flavor and slightly astringent, fruity taste) make it among the best in the city.  It’s not mashed to an oatmeal consistency of some baba ghanoush.  Also unlike at other Middle Eastern restaurants, it’s not served with pita bread, but with the restaurant’s terrific bread.  If you’re inclined toward Gil-sized scoops, you’ll be happy to see cucumbers on the plate.  The refreshingly mild flavor of cucumber is a wonderful counterbalance to the smokiness of the eggplant.

22 February 2026: Two months having elapsed since my inaugural visit, I returned to Anatolia to find a surprisingly different menu.  Unlike at most Middle Eastern restaurants, the menu deviates from the traditional foods of the region.  The first page of the menu lists pizza and pita.  The pizza menu rivals that of any local pizzeria with several of the usual suspects: Hawaiian pizza, Supreme, Vegetarian, Four Cheese and Barbecue.  Also on the pizza menu are two pies with a decidely Middle Eastern bent: an Anatolian pizza and a Doner Chicken Pesto pizza.  There are also two Turkish Pizza Specialties.

One of those two Turkish Pizza Specialties is Lahmacun (minced ground beef paste mixed with onions, parsley and tomatoes).  After taking a lascivious gander at the lahmacun, you’ll quickly discern that this pizza is constructed on a very thin crust.  It’s somewhat similar in thinness to a Neapolitan pizza, but it doesn’t have its pronounced char.  Served as six sliced triangular slices, it’s neither crispy nor is it floppy.  Instead, it’s got a texture somewhat in between.  From the perspective of flavor, it tastes just as you might imagine a Turkish pizza might taste.  You shouldn’t miss the tomato sauce much.  The ground beef taste adheres well to the pie.  The cornicione (an Italian term for the “lip” or puffy outer edge of the pizza) is just a bit thicker than the pie itself.  There won’t be any wastage.  You’ll devour that cornicione, too.

You may notice below that this is the 1,500th review on Gil’s Thrilling…  How fitting that this milestone essay would celebrate one of the Duke City’s culinary treasures.  Anatolia belongs on a pedastal!

Anatolia Mediterranean Grill
7600 Jefferson Street, N.E., Suite 21
Albuquerque, New Mexico
(505) 814-9789
Website | Facebook Page
LATEST VISIT: 22 February 2026
1st VISIT: 8 December 2025
# OF VISITS: 2
RATING: 24
COST: $$ – $$$
BEST BET: Family Platter, Turkish Delights, Börek, Lentil Soup, Baba Ghanoush, Lahmacun
REVIEW #1500