Cazbar in Columbia: Turkish Meze and Grilled Meat in Howard County

Cazbar is a full-service Turkish restaurant in Columbia's Town Center that specializes in meze (small plates), grilled lamb and chicken, and wood-fired bread. It occupies a sit-down dining space with table service, aiming at the same audience as Mediterranean and Middle Eastern restaurants across the Baltimore region, but with focused Turkish execution rather than broad regional coverage.

What Cazbar serves

The menu centers on Turkish grilled proteins and traditional appetizers. Signature dishes include lamb shish kebab, chicken adana kebab (spiced ground meat formed around a wide skewer), and grilled whole fish. Meze options include hummus, baba ganoush, stuffed grape leaves, and Turkish white cheese with watermelon. Pide, a boat-shaped pastry topped with meat or cheese, appears as an appetizer and can serve as a light entree. The restaurant makes its own bread in a wood-fired oven, visible from the dining room.

Price range runs from roughly $8 to $12 for individual meze, $16 to $28 for grilled entrees, and $4 to $6 for sides like rice pilaf and grilled vegetables. Entrees come as protein-only plates; meze and bread orders are separate. A two-person meze spread with one entree and drinks typically costs $50 to $70 before tax and tip.

How Cazbar compares to other Turkish and Mediterranean options in the region

Cazbar's nearest direct competitor is Anatolia in Fells Point, which also offers Turkish kebab and meze in a table-service setting. Anatolia has a slightly larger wine list and operates in a denser neighborhood; Cazbar's Columbia location places it in a shopping center with surface parking, making it more car-dependent but less congested during dinner. Both restaurants smoke their grilled meats over charcoal or wood. Cazbar's visible wood-fired bread oven is a functional difference; Anatolia does not emphasize bread-making in the same way.

For those seeking Turkish food without full sit-down dining, there are no other Turkish-specific takeout or counter-service options in Baltimore County or Howard County, making Cazbar the only choice if you want Turkish entrees and meze in the Columbia area. Mediterranean restaurants like Sayat Nova (Armenian, in Hampden) and restaurants in the Arab community along Edmondson Avenue in West Baltimore offer overlapping meze and grilled meat, but not Turkish specificity.

Who Cazbar suits and does not suit

Cazbar works well for diners comfortable with grilled lamb and offal, familiar with Turkish or Mediterranean cuisines, or interested in bread-centric meals. Groups of four or more can order multiple meze and share entrees, which suits the restaurant's format. Vegetarians have options (hummus, baba ganoush, cheese pide), though the menu is meat-forward.

The restaurant is less suitable for those seeking quick casual dining; meals take 45 minutes to an hour from order to plate. It does not accommodate large private events and does not list a bar program, so it is not a destination for cocktails. Diners with a strong preference for mild, non-gamey flavors should confirm the lamb sourcing before ordering.

What the first visit involves

Arrive expecting a full-service restaurant with a host stand, table assignment, and waiter service. Menus are provided; the server recites daily specials. Order meze to start while entrees are prepared. Bread arrives warm with a small dish of olive oil. Entrees come plated with minimal garnish, emphasizing the grilled meat and wood-fired character. Expect to spend at least 45 minutes start to finish, longer if you order multiple courses.

Hours, parking, and logistics

Cazbar is located in Columbia's Town Center, a mixed-use development with a shopping complex and surface parking lot shared with other retailers. Parking is free and typically available. The restaurant is situated within a five-minute walk of other Town Center tenants but not adjacent to Baltimore's public transit network; drive or rideshare is necessary from outside immediate Columbia.

Hours are typically Tuesday through Thursday 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; verify current hours and any seasonal closures before visiting. The restaurant accepts both cash and card.

Why Cazbar matters in Columbia

Turkish restaurants are rare in the Baltimore region, and Cazbar is the only one in Howard County. It fills a specific gap for diners seeking Turkish cooking rather than a broader Mediterranean or Middle Eastern menu, and its wood-fired bread program differentiates it from the limited Turkish competition farther north in Fells Point.