The place is overpriced and the food is below average and worst part is the waiter was so mean to my friend because he was not sure on what to order. Easily this could be one of the worst kebabs which I've had in Chicago. Desert was okay. Very bad experience!! Please avoid it
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Josh Ooaaahh
Café Istanbul is a must-visit for anyone looking to experience authentic Turkish cuisine in Chicago. From the moment I walked in, the ambiance transported me straight to Istanbul. The food was simply amazing; each dish was bursting with flavor and expertly prepared. What truly stood out was the exceptional service, especially from our server, Amir. He was incredibly knowledgeable and took the time to explain each unique dish in depth, enhancing our dining experience. I highly recommend Café Istanbul for a memorable culinary journey.
A true gastronomic delight! Incredible presentation, exquisite flavors, and attentive service. The restaurant left a lasting impression. I recommend it to anyone who appreciates quality and atmosphere🌟🌟🌟Emir was great! He explained everything so well!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Belal Z
Visited Cafe Istanbul and tried a pretty wide range of dishes mashed potatoes, lahmacun, the seafood mixed grill, chef’s mixed grill, and kuzu şiş. Overall, the food was genuinely good. Everything came out flavorful, seasoned, and cooked nicely. The seafood and kuzu şiş especially stood out.
The only downside was one specific order I requested well done. It came out medium three different times, even after sending it back twice. Eventually, I had to cancel that item altogether, which was disappointing considering how good the rest of the meal was.
Great food, nice menu just wish the kitchen paid a bit more attention to specific cooking requests.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Ron
Food here is excellent. We had several of their appetizers and the only thing slightly disappointing was the hummus. All of our entrees were great. We didn't have dessert because we had ordered too many apps. Only thing that dampered our experience was the noise level. It looked like a large group was celebrating a birthday and they were quite loud, which made it hard for us to hear the people in our party. Also be advised that while the do have a private parking lot, it's shared with other nearby businesses, so you may need to resort to street parking.
Tuba Yaglidere
“We came here for breakfast and had a very disappointing experience. Their so-called fine-dining system makes absolutely no sense. We came all the way from New Jersey and have been to many Turkish restaurants, but we have never seen such an unorganized and confusing setup. It felt pointless and honestly not worth our time. If we hadn’t been in a rush, we would have simply walked out.”
Service: 1
Farbod Baharkoush
Hands down this is the best turkish restaurant in Chicago area I have ever been to. The staff are very friendly and nice and the foods are very decent, delicious, fresh and generous portion. Have been coming here almost once ever frew weeks. Hope they can keep it up and win more business.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
David
Never been before and especially glad I did. Food was tasty and abundant. Service great until it got real busy ( a good sign, right? ) oddly familiar menu ( Mediterranean) and different. Certain to be back. Also if you can grab an open space there's a free parking lot right in front
M Zaibak
Café Istanbul is one of those spots I somehow return to every few months without even thinking about it & every time, the food reminds me why. It’s just fire.
i got the Chef’s Mixed Grill with a lentil soup, & both were perfect. juicy, well-seasoned, & cooked like the chef was aiming for a medal. the lentil soup hit exactly how it should warm, smooth, comforting.
my sister ordered the kuzu şiş well done. it came out medium. Sent it back… came out medium-well. At that point the lamb said “this is the best I can do today.” 😂
But as someone who always eats here, I know the quality is legit. Great menu, great flavors, and you really can’t go wrong with anything you order.
Our co worker friend took us here with his family. His wife is Turkish and recommended this spot. Everything was absolutely amazing!!! My favorite was the crepes which were perfectly paired with the jellies that came with everything else. I would come back again and again. The brunch deal is definitely the way to go to have meze for everyone to share. Can’t wait to come back someday!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ayşenur Avşar
The food was delicious and the staff was incredibly friendly. The place is clean and spacious. I definitely recommend it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Demir Bajin
It was an excellent experience for our big group. Emir was really helpful to helps it the food choices. Food was amazing!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
IL'ZAT Osmanov
They put my car key on the trash!!!
Service: 1
Rami
The food at Cafe Istanbul was very good — fresh, flavorful, and well-prepared. Unfortunately, the service completely undercut what could have been an enjoyable meal. It took about 15 minutes before our server even came by, despite asking other staff members to get her attention. Things only got worse when a large party of “friends of the program” arrived. Once they were seated, the staff made it clear that smaller tables like ours were no longer a priority. They wouldn't take any dessert or after-dinner drink orders and not so subtly encouraged us, and other patrons, to wrap up and leave to make room. Great food can't make up for being treated like an inconvenience. Disappointing experience overall.
The place is overpriced and the food is below average and worst part is the waiter was so mean to my friend because he was not sure on what to order. Easily this could be one of the worst kebabs which I've had in Chicago. Desert was okay. Very bad experience!! Please avoid it
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Café Istanbul is a must-visit for anyone looking to experience authentic Turkish cuisine in Chicago. From the moment I walked in, the ambiance transported me straight to Istanbul. The food was simply amazing; each dish was bursting with flavor and expertly prepared. What truly stood out was the exceptional service, especially from our server, Amir. He was incredibly knowledgeable and took the time to explain each unique dish in depth, enhancing our dining experience. I highly recommend Café Istanbul for a memorable culinary journey.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Kebab, Braised Lamb Shank
A true gastronomic delight! Incredible presentation, exquisite flavors, and attentive service. The restaurant left a lasting impression. I recommend it to anyone who appreciates quality and atmosphere🌟🌟🌟Emir was great! He explained everything so well!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Visited Cafe Istanbul and tried a pretty wide range of dishes mashed potatoes, lahmacun, the seafood mixed grill, chef’s mixed grill, and kuzu şiş. Overall, the food was genuinely good. Everything came out flavorful, seasoned, and cooked nicely. The seafood and kuzu şiş especially stood out.
The only downside was one specific order I requested well done. It came out medium three different times, even after sending it back twice. Eventually, I had to cancel that item altogether, which was disappointing considering how good the rest of the meal was.
Great food, nice menu just wish the kitchen paid a bit more attention to specific cooking requests.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Food here is excellent. We had several of their appetizers and the only thing slightly disappointing was the hummus. All of our entrees were great. We didn't have dessert because we had ordered too many apps. Only thing that dampered our experience was the noise level. It looked like a large group was celebrating a birthday and they were quite loud, which made it hard for us to hear the people in our party. Also be advised that while the do have a private parking lot, it's shared with other nearby businesses, so you may need to resort to street parking.
“We came here for breakfast and had a very disappointing experience. Their so-called fine-dining system makes absolutely no sense. We came all the way from New Jersey and have been to many Turkish restaurants, but we have never seen such an unorganized and confusing setup. It felt pointless and honestly not worth our time. If we hadn’t been in a rush, we would have simply walked out.”
Service: 1
Hands down this is the best turkish restaurant in Chicago area I have ever been to. The staff are very friendly and nice and the foods are very decent, delicious, fresh and generous portion. Have been coming here almost once ever frew weeks. Hope they can keep it up and win more business.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Never been before and especially glad I did. Food was tasty and abundant. Service great until it got real busy ( a good sign, right? ) oddly familiar menu ( Mediterranean) and different. Certain to be back. Also if you can grab an open space there's a free parking lot right in front
Café Istanbul is one of those spots I somehow return to every few months without even thinking about it & every time, the food reminds me why. It’s just fire.
i got the Chef’s Mixed Grill with a lentil soup, & both were perfect. juicy, well-seasoned, & cooked like the chef was aiming for a medal. the lentil soup hit exactly how it should warm, smooth, comforting.
my sister ordered the kuzu şiş well done. it came out medium. Sent it back… came out medium-well. At that point the lamb said “this is the best I can do today.” 😂
But as someone who always eats here, I know the quality is legit. Great menu, great flavors, and you really can’t go wrong with anything you order.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Great place.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Our co worker friend took us here with his family. His wife is Turkish and recommended this spot. Everything was absolutely amazing!!! My favorite was the crepes which were perfectly paired with the jellies that came with everything else. I would come back again and again. The brunch deal is definitely the way to go to have meze for everyone to share. Can’t wait to come back someday!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was delicious and the staff was incredibly friendly. The place is clean and spacious. I definitely recommend it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
It was an excellent experience for our big group. Emir was really helpful to helps it the food choices. Food was amazing!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
They put my car key on the trash!!!
Service: 1
The food at Cafe Istanbul was very good — fresh, flavorful, and well-prepared. Unfortunately, the service completely undercut what could have been an enjoyable meal. It took about 15 minutes before our server even came by, despite asking other staff members to get her attention. Things only got worse when a large party of “friends of the program” arrived. Once they were seated, the staff made it clear that smaller tables like ours were no longer a priority. They wouldn't take any dessert or after-dinner drink orders and not so subtly encouraged us, and other patrons, to wrap up and leave to make room. Great food can't make up for being treated like an inconvenience. Disappointing experience overall.
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