Chicken Casserole in Side — Hawaii Restaurant & Bar

Chicken casserole at Hawaii Restaurant & Bar in Side is a Turkish speciality of chicken pieces, vegetables and garlic topped with cheese and cooked in our stone oven, then served on a traditional clay plate. It arrives with rice and chips on the side — a hearty, comforting plate in Side old town.

What chicken casserole is at Hawaii

This is home-style cooking done properly. We take pieces of chicken, combine them with vegetables and garlic, top the whole thing with cheese, and cook it in our stone oven. It's listed under our Turkish Specialities for a reason: it's the kind of oven-baked comfort food that fills a table and warms you up, rather than a quick grill-and-go plate.

The stone oven does the heavy lifting. Cooking the chicken, vegetables and garlic together lets the flavours settle into one another, while the cheese on top melts through the dish. It's honest food — no fuss, no gimmicks — from the same kitchen that runs our real wood fire and charcoal grill here in Side.

How Hawaii serves it

Presentation is part of the point. Your chicken casserole comes to the table on a clay plate, straight from the oven, so it stays hot while you eat. On the side you get rice and chips, which makes it a genuinely filling plate on its own — the rice soaks up the cheese and garlic, and the chips are there for anyone who wants them.

Because it's cooked in the stone oven, this is a dish worth ordering when you can sit back and let it arrive at its own pace. The clay plate keeps it warm right through the meal, so it suits a relaxed evening rather than a rushed one.

Who it's for and when to order it

Chicken casserole is the friendly choice at our table. If you're travelling with people who want something warm and satisfying but aren't in the mood for a big steak or a spicy plate, this is where they'll land — chicken, cheese and vegetables are easy crowd-pleasers, and it's a natural pick on a family night. It's equally good as a cooler-evening dish when you want oven-baked comfort rather than something off the flame.

It also works well for anyone who wants a proper Turkish speciality without ordering a kebab. If you're new to Turkish cooking, this is a gentle, approachable entry point — see our Turkish food guide for tourists and our chicken dishes guide if you're weighing up options. Fellow fans of oven-and-clay cooking should also read our clay pot and casserole dishes guide.

What to drink with it

A baked, cheesy, garlicky plate like this pairs happily with a cold beer to cut through the richness. If you'd rather have wine, a glass of Turkish red stands up well to the cheese, while a crisp white is the lighter option. For something with more of a holiday feel, our signature Blue Hawaii or a frozen cocktail does the trick, and there are alcohol-free cocktails for the kids at the table. If you're eating between 19:00 and 20:00, our daily Happy Hour is the time to order that drink. For ideas, browse our Happy Hour in Side notes and the cocktail bar guide.

How it fits the wider menu

Chicken casserole sits alongside the rest of our Turkish Specialities and our wider kitchen. If you love the clay-plate idea, the testi kebab is another traditional favourite worth trying. Prefer chicken done differently? Look at the chicken Kiev too. And if half your group is craving something else entirely, we also run thin-crust 33cm Italian-style pizzas and full plates off the wood fire and charcoal grill — so nobody has to compromise. Hawaii has been an international restaurant in Side since 2000 precisely because there's something for everyone at the table.

Practical details

Hawaii Restaurant & Bar is in Side old town (512. Sk., Manavgat/Antalya) and we're open daily from 10:00 to 02:00. For today's price on the chicken casserole and everything else, check our live menu at /menu/. To hold a table, book through /reservation/. We offer free hotel pickup and drop-off from selected hotels, plus an affordable two-way transfer if you're staying further out — message us on WhatsApp at +90 533 930 12 83 to arrange it. Prefer to stay in? We do takeaway and nearby delivery too, so you can enjoy the chicken casserole at your hotel. See our free hotel pickup guide for how the shuttle works.