Brookline Family Restaurant, Brookline Village

I'd heard good things about the Brookline Family Restaurant for a while now, but it was never in the front of my mind when I was in the Brookline Village area. When I think of what kinds of Turkish food are going to be available in a restaurant, I usually don't think much beyond kebabs. And when I picture kebabs, it's in my own backyard with my dad pulling the skewers off the grill. But I was in the area the other day, and it was a toss-up between Turkish or Chinese for lunch, so I decided to give it a try.

The menu is extensive and includes breakfast and lunch sections. There is also a section called "Turkish Pizzas." I even recognized a few dishes from having made the Armenian versions at home, specifically lehmajun and su boreg, so I had to try those two, of course.

The lehmajun was super crispy, more like a giant meat-topped chip. It was served with plenty of fresh parsley and red onions for topping (at home, I roll my softer lehmajun around salad, while my brothers slather it with mayo). The lamb was tasty and not too dry, although it could have used a little more seasoning.


I was very surprised to see su boreg on the menu (and on the breakfast menu at that). It's a labor-intensive dish that involves extremely thin sheets of pasta layered with a cheese and parsley mixture and tons of butter. My mother and I usually make it together because it helps to have four hands working on it. The restaurant's version was very tasty, but it was missing something - salt, perhaps, or enough butter. I would definitely order it again, though, especially when I have a craving, because I rarely have enough time or energy to make it myself.

I would try other dishes the next time I go, but I'll probably just end up ordering the su boreg again :)