Istanbul Turkish Cafe
“they also deliver pretty far in about 30 min. u order at the register and tell them exactly how u want ur food and the computer forwards it to the chef..”
“It's not as expansive as Sahara but it has remained steady quality wise, improving gradually, for years.”
“good turkish food usually get the chicken gyro sandwich with their homemade bread and stuff grape leaves mmmm. Also their turkish tea is delicious!”
Istanbul Turkish Cafe
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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**This is a review for the take-out/fast food side, not the sit down restaurant
Wow, this is the most overpriced "fast food" place I've ever been to!
We got 2 combo platters, 2 drinks, and a side of baba ghanoush…for $40! I could have easily had a sit down dinner somewhere at that price.
Despite it being pretty empty, it took a long time for our food to come out. I didn't like the flavor of the chicken gyro. The Baba ghanoush was soooo bland. And the rice and "salad" that makes it a combo platter, were not good at all.
Better off at McDonalds!
Let me just clarify that this is really a 3-star review. I had to give the extra star solely for the steaming beauty that was their fresh baked pide bread and the Kunefe.
Yes, it's true, the service is very European (hence, the 3 stars). Lucky for them, I am used to the disinterested-bordering-annoyed tone of my own people's waitstaff both here and in Greece. I was lucky to get a smile from our server, but once orders were taken, he washed his hands of us.
The falafel with hummus I craved and the chicken kebab my mother got were on two separate ends of the salty spectrum. When eaten together, the chicken successfully seasoned the falafel balls. This was especially true the following day, when I ate the leftovers that had mingled with each other overnight in my fridge. Perfectly seasoned bites.
After motioning to different food runners for things like lemons and napkins, thanks to our server's peace out, we FINALLY got a very sweet man to not only make us two delicious cups of Turkish brew, but bring over an entire dessert tray for us to choose from. The Kunefe was a gooey sweet cheese covered in crispy fillo dough shreds piece of heaven. My mom was licking the fillo-hairs from inside the mini pan they served it in.
Fresh bread and dessert always save the day and for those two reasons, we'll probably be back.
The restaurant here, not the more casual sit down area in that is directly on the end of the block, is fairly large and spacious – great atmosphere inside and plus they have a lovely seating area outside for nice summer nights.
My friends and I came here for Turkish dinner and overall, their food is quite good. Good hearty portions and fresh bread (?) for the table.
My picks for food:
Babaganoush – YUM. Great appetizer dish to share.
Fried Liver Cubes – It sounds a bit icky, but is actually delicious. If you aren't a huge fan of liver you may still like it because of how well spiced it is and the liver texture is not as apparent since it is fried.
Lamb Adana Kebob – Really delicious meat. They only give you two pieces of lamb but overall it is very flavorful.
Meat Pie – Cheaper than the other entrees but extremely well portioned, you'll be filled with this dish. Think more Turkish quesadilla with flavorful meat versus an actual pie. I really liked this and it hit the spot.
The food was quite good overall. But why only 3 stars? Their service is a bit subpar – the waiters aren't very friendly and aren't exactly quick to try to assist you. That's a bit of a shame because otherwise I would be happy to come eat here again.
I had passed by this place numerous times, without ever having gone in. I love middle eastern/turkish food so I stopped by one day when craving a falafel sandwich. This place is excellent- ran and operated by turkish people who know the real cuisine. My food took around 20 minutes, but it was worth it. The falafel was nice and crispy, and the flavors in the pita were delightful. I would recommend this place to anyone who likes halal or middle eastern food, I will definitely be back here many times.
Mediocre food for insanely expensive prices. I got the Lamb shish kebab over rice and ended up paying $10+ for it. While it did come with bread and salad, it definitely isn't worth that much. To make matters worse, there were only 5 measly pieces of meat in my order with the rest of it being rice. I did not find the rice to be particularly tasty and the meat was not my cup of tea. It was very tough and dry and had traces of that strong lamb taste that I dread…The sauces were nothing special and seemed very watered down.
I really want to give this place another chance and try their gyro over rice next time but I'm hesitant to come back because of the mediocre food and expensive prices. Not to mention that it took forever for me to get my order and that the vibe in there is kind of hectic. Spend your money at a halal cart instead!
A little gem in the heart of Bensonhurst. The food is so delicious; the flavors so delectable. Great service & pleasant atmosphere plus outdoor seating in warm weather. Amazing bread to go along with all the food. Just LOVE it. A definite must
The falafels are perfect here, but the meat platter with chicken and lamb is a no-no. The lamb is wayy too salty, so if you were planning on diversifying what's on your plate you should probably just stick to the chicken. Yes, this combo comes with the large boulder of a bread!
Because it was my best friend and I's first time here, we didn't really know what to order (given that we dont have much experience eating Turkish food either). The cashier was blatantly irritated with our indecisiveness which was evident in the way she explained things to us. The yogurt looking drink tasted like rotten milk in my opinion, and there is a minimum for card here.
Why there are such long lines here, I don't quite understand. The one and only thing I would come back for are the falafels – and do yourself a favor and avoid the nasty cashier (the female).
I've been coming here for a while now. I love their lamb gyro platter, very juicy and tender, full of flavor, along with the rice and salad they give you. Price is expensive, considering you can get a plate of lamb gyro for around $4-8 from the food trucks and vendors, whose tastes at least 4x better than Istanbul's. But I guess for the extra price, it's made authentically, in a kitchen in front of you, so you can act fancy. I'd opt for the street vendors, whose lamb gyro is just as good, if not better.