Amazing new cafe! Coffees are rich and flavorful. Turkish baked sweets and candied treats were awesome. Very unique desserts. You can order desserts and coffee or teas to go, or dine in their cozy cafe. The owner is friendly and kind to describe the various desserts. Staff was warm as well. Turkish restaurant is conveniently adjacent. Meaty menu options. Located in a strip mall with plenty of parking. This is a must try!! read more

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Amazing. Delicious food. Beautiful ambiance. Friendly service. Came in on a Saturday night and no problem getting a table. read more

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Every fan of Turkish food needs to check out this restaurant. It has filled a void in the Halal food scene in Chicagoland, with both refined food and an excellent dining experience. I spent over a month in Turkey, and found the Iskender Kabob here to be better then anything I tried there. A huge plus is the attached coffee shop that serves a variety of pastries, as well as traditional tea and coffee. read more

A Thousand Tales - Turkish Near Me - Mount Prospect, Illinois

A friend told me about A Thousand Tales, and I knew I had to try it out. It's in the same plaza as Istanbul Market, which I wasn't too impressed with the last time I ate there. The interior of A Thousand Tales is very fancy, but also very loud. My wife and I could barely hear each other, and this was on a Sunday night after 8 pm. The menu had a good selection of items, even breakfast items. Some items were rather pricey. We ordered the Tales Grill, a mixed grill platter, so we could get a good sampling of different items. By the way, they also served warm, complimentary bread with olive oil. The platter did indeed have a good selection of meats, justifying the $50 price. While none of the meats tasted bad, my wife felt they were under-seasoned and I found the meats to be on the dry side. I really think they should have served some sort of sauce on the side. I've definitely had juicier lamb chops. But the beef and chicken kabobs were good, as was the shawarma meat. Also, we asked for the white rice to be substituted with fries, but they apparently forgot and gave us rice. After dinner, we walked over to the adjacent bakery and got a slice of cream roll cake to take home. It came out to $10 with tax and tip. It looked amazing, but didn't quite taste as good as it looked. It was by no means bad, but lacked flavor. The outer crumbs didn't really have any taste, the chocolate layer reminded me of Hunt's chocolate pudding, and hidden inside the cream was banana. Nothing against bananas, but I would have liked all cream since I'm a creamaholic. All in all, the food was decent and the service was good. Since it's meant to be a fancier experience, I can understand the higher price tag, but I wish it was a little less boisterous inside. read more

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Thank you Emre for another great night! Delicious family dinner with dry ice show right before the giant food tray drop off! Great food, quick service, excellent elegant place! They even brought over the cake we picked up for my son's birthday from the bakery and helped us in serving at the table where we had our main meal so we could all share of the cake together! Fabulous time! read more

Nice place. We arrived without any prior reservation and luckily there was no wait. The Place is busy though. We ordered salad , and appetizers platter it was good. They don't have any chicken options except two. Their Turkish wedding soup was delicious . Wish they had chicken option in the soup , I had to skim out the meat from it. It's good place to go if you eat mutton or beef but hardly any option for chicken eaters. Other than that it's a good place . read more

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What a wonderful surprise. I have driven by A Thousand Tales many times, but for whatever reason never tried it. They have indoor and outdoor seating and a bakery cafe, which I am definitely going to try soon. We went on a Friday evening and were able to make reservations online. If you check in on Yelp, there is a check in offer. The inside restaurant is nicely decorated, cloth table cloths and gives you the impression of fancy dining. We immediately received a basket of warm bed with a dipping oil. So delicious. We split an appetizer, the choice of 3. The fresh beet dip was excellent. It had small pieces of beets and was so fresh. The hummus was very good. The jajik, cucumbers in yogurt were ok. We shared the Pomegranate Walnut salad. It was very good. The feta was so creamy. I was eagerly watching all the food as it came out and the kebobs, soups and turkish pizza looked good. We will definitely return. An amazing Turkish experience. read more

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Wonderful experience. Waitress was very helpful with menu suggestions. Very attentive to make sure that we enjoyed our food. Excellent bakery next door. read more

I was visiting a friend in Chicago and we got takeout from this restaurant. It was delicious. I could not have asked for more delicious meal. read more

Good authentic Turkish food options and the bakery had good options as well . A great idea to celebrate birthdays for meat lovers. The service was great while we were there in person . However the person when we called ahead for a reservation was hard to understand , unprofessional on the call . The only reason to give 4 stars. read more

Food was awesome, one of the most authentic Mediterranean places I've been to. Still couldn't get used to the typical Mediterranean dessert though, a bit too sweet for me read more

Excellent place to have coffee and tea. Nice bakery inside with selections from Turkish pastry favorites.

I have not eaten on the restaurant side, but went to their bakery side. Looks like fun atmosphere and decor was nice. The dessert were fabulous! I couldn't try everything, but will be back. The staff was friendly and helpful , and service was great. I like the fact that they open at 7am. read more

Came with my family just for dessert but they had excellent knafeh! It wasn't overly sweet like a lot of other places. Service was excellent as well. Looking forward to returning to try dinner next time I'm in town! read more

A Thousand Tales - Knafeh - Turkish Near Me - Mount Prospect, Illinois

The bakery side is sooo cute and nicely decorated. Very clean and they serve you at your table. All homemade desserts and cookies and baklava made fresh there. Amazing and delicious profiterole today!! read more

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always good food tell nice place and never disappoints from the entrees to turkish tea read more

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At the south end of Mt Prospect, on 83, there's a surprising number of Turkish places. This one is huge - it almost reminds me, walking in, of the huge tourist reliant places you run into at vacation stops (no gift shop though). It is tastefully furnished and there was prominent loungy music playing. That gave it a bit of an old-timers vibe. Next door - you can enter through the restaurant - is a bakery coffeehouse. We were there for a weekday lunch. Not a lot of people were there. We ordered from the lunch menu. It's a pricy place for sure, you can stuff your face at cheaper places for much less. I had a chicken kebab served over a grilled pita, my wife has a beef shawarma dish. Meal included a roast tomato and roast jalapeño, a creamy yogurt sauce with dill, and bulgar pilaf. My wife's dish included labneh or something similar. A bread basket was provided and a pot of hot tea. Everything was carefully prepared and tasty. Dinner prices are much higher. Service was very polite and helpful, 18% tip included. I get the feeling, given what I've read and the size of the restaurant, that this place thrives on huge holiday meals and Sunday brunches that draw big crowds. I do think it's a bit overpriced but worth trying. We got a coconut pudding and a tres leches cake slice from the bakery on the way out. These were good, pudding rather mild on coconut flavor. The tres leches cake seems to be a thing there and we got the last slice from a large tray. read more

It was first time to try this Turkish restaurant in Mt Prospect. We were very pleased with our meal. We had the Chef's special, Lamb Tandir. It is a big portion of tender cooked lamb on flavorful rice and roasted potatoes. We also had Turkish Pizza, called Lahmacun. The crust is so thin but slightly crispy. That came with fresh tomatoes, cucumber and parsley. They also gave us what looks like Tzatziki sauce, the best one I've ever had. Everything was so flavorful and delicious. The main chef, Ibrahim, was at the chef's station talked about the different specials on the month. Super friendly guy. Service was fast and friendly. We are sure to go back and try other dishes. read more

A Thousand Tales - Turkish Pizza - Turkish Near Me - Mount Prospect, Illinois

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It's good, don't get me wrong. But owners are cocky as sh*t with pricing. Even heard the workers complaining on the cafe side that their drinks were more expensive than Starbucks. Walked in for 2 Simits, 4 burek's and 4 or 5 small desserts, $105 later, I'm questioning if I'll ever return. When every other business is emphasizing value, this place doubles down on price increases. Sorry, but $48 + tax for 4 burek's? You're high and extremely tone deaf to what's happening around you. Oh and I don't need to tip 20% when I'm ordering at the cafe counter on a $105 order, maybe change that? But again, tone deaf. read more

Good service and very testy wedding soup, thanks very much, we love so much this place read more

A Thousand Tales - Wedding soup - Turkish Near Me - Mount Prospect, Illinois

I went on Eid 2023 with three others and we had the open buffet. It was obviously very busy however we weren't made aware of the cost nor did we ask. More on that later. Overall throughout the dining experience we were seen to. There was a long line to the buffet but again this was on Eid. The servers would change but there was always someone who went to clean our table and or get us drinks. The food was various, plentiful and delicious. I've had quite a lot of Turkish cuisine and can say this wasn't bad. However here's where the fun ends and it's a big issue. The Eid buffet comes out to $64/per person. $50/per person + 10% tax + 18% service charge. Normally this would be expensive but for the quality and diverse options here, it's within the realm of acceptable. However on Eid for Ramadan, specifically, this hit's different and is not worth it at all if you were fasting. 3 out of the 4 people with me were fasting which means throughout a month of not eating or drinking from sunup til sundown your stomach will shrink no matter your size. Only if you're working third shift is it easy and non-causal because you're already awake during the night when you're able to eat, and asleep during the day when you can't. We pretty much had portions akin to a breakfast burrito at most. Everything else was appetizers and not fancy ones, we're talking watermelon, grapes, etc. So we had a small amount of food and were more or less full. I was the only person who had a "fancy" drink. The fancy drink being one can of grade A American soda (Coke). I was struggling to put away bite size portions of dessert then. On the normal menu this would've come around $30-$40 tops per person. So I still didn't know what this was and wasn't sure so asked to get a to-go box. The wait staff person who was tending to us was on the way with it and then was intercepted by another staff member. She came to us empty handed and told us we were doing a buffet and there's no to-go boxes. This is common place at buffets and makes sense. Some places you pay a fee if you have a to-go box, others just don't let you do that. Before I knew the price, this was reasonable to me and I agreed and understood. Pretty much when I went to pay I saw the bill, did the math, then realized just how ridiculous this was. Still I wanted to treat my family out on Eid so didn't say much. However I could've easily fed 12 people for about this much elsewhere for different cuisines. It wouldn't have been delicious various Turkish food but again, we just got done fasting, it really wouldn't have mattered - hence, this hits different. TLDR - Do *not* go to the Ramadan Eid buffet if you've been fasting and or are not working third shift. read more

We got served by future rocket scientist Mariam Everything was great . They can improve cig kofte little. Will come back read more

Delicious food great service and beautiful restaurant. I will Definitely visit again. read more

Excellent food and service. This was my wife and my first visit and we'll certainly go there again.

My wife and I have visited the bakery & cafe many times. The bakery has wonderful, elaborate middle eastern baked and sweet things and coffee. All great. The cafe seating area is very pleasant. The restaurant has an extensive menu. The food was very good on my one visit to the restaurant. The table service was very good and friendly. It is rare to find a place that seems to excel in all areas. I hope they can keep it up. read more

I was pleasantly surprised! I had known a few people who highly recommended this place. A friend would often have desserts here. A family friend gifted a box of mixed assortment of sweets from here when their daughter was born. A friend and I were catching up in the area then decided to pop by after our lackluster meal. The ambiance immediately changed as the vibe in here was warm and welcoming with live Turkish music, lovely decor of a rocking chair, a faux fireplace, bookshelves. The bakery is on the left side and the restaurant is on the right side. Because it's Eid, they had some special savory sesame cookies. They paired so well with my Turkish Tea. My friend got the white peach tea and something like a chocolate croissant, Achma. It was very fresh and moist. The cashiers and servers were friendly teenage girls who rang us up and brought us our teas with a smile on their faces. With such good service, fresh food and lovely atmosphere, I definitely plan to be back again really soon! read more

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I always get cakes from them but yesterday got 2 chocolate berry cakes and taste delicious and also look so beautiful. The most important so fresh. Thanks to the person who helped also. Highly recommend! read more

A Thousand Tales - Chocolate berry cake. - Turkish Near Me - Mount Prospect, Illinois

The food here is incredible. I'm giving a 1 star rating because I noticed on the receipt they charge a service charge close to 20%. That's ridiculous. I recommend to do what I'm going to do & find somewhere else to dine. read more

The diversity of dishes!!! The Authianty of the food looks so scrumptious and Thanks for the beautiful images of the food the dishes looks great read more

This is a cute restaurant with great ambiance. The food and service at this restaurant is great! Every item we got was very delicious, and came out quick. The chicken was very tender and flavorful. The tres leches is a must try for dessert, one of the best tres leches I've had. read more

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My husband and I enjoy coffee and grabbing a pastry here in the mornings on weekends. Friendly service, casual place to relax and hang out.

Food is amazing! Everyone really enjoyed their dishes. However, service is slow and attentive they do add gratuity automatically so assuming part of the reason. Great quality and taste of food! read more

We knew that this place would be hard to get observations on a Friday night, but we decided to try around 5:30 PM and we were easily able to find a table for 3. This restaurant has such a nice ambiance, and it is split into 2 sections. One side is a cafe and 1 side is the restaurant. We ordered beti kabob and we ordered the lamb special of the night. It was honestly one of the best lamb dishes that I've ever had! Beti Kabob was decent and flavourful. However, the dish was a little cold. My daughter had a cheeseburger from the kid's menu, and it was delicious! The only thing is that I wish that they offered lentil soup and maybe tea on the house. The bread was included. They did charge us eighteen percent gratuity for a table of three, and I'm so used to restaurants only charging gratuity for a table of 5 or more. I would definitely come back here again for the Ramadan or breakfast buffets! read more

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The food, service, and ambiance are excellent. So glad I stopped nearby to charge my rental car or I would have missed the best part of my trip to Chicago. read more

I went here with my boyfriend and everything was so delicious! I wouldn't say it was the most romantic for us, but the place was very pretty. The staff was nice though. I loved the bakery! read more

Amazing service, ambiance, and great food. We went on a Friday night, when they had a chef's special of some delicious lamb ribs with the most flavorful rice. The pide and lahmacun were fantastic. Highly recommend the milky baklava for dessert! I'd love to come back for breakfast! read more

just now NEW Cozy atmosphere great traditional food and many options to choose from !! Maria was a great host !! read more

A Thousand Tales - Turkish Near Me - Mount Prospect, Illinois

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*This review is based on 2 separate visits: first visit was for sweets and second visit was done in. We could always use some ethnic restaurants in the area and I'm glad Turkish cuisine was the winner! I've had my eye on this place since it's opened and I finally had the chance to try it out. The first visit was on a weekend and I just wanted to get some of their sweets, so i grabbed verity of Turkish delights and baklava to bring home. Both were equally delicious, not too sweet but actual Turkish flavor. The second time we came here was on a weekday and we could immediately tell the workers are overwhelmed with the tables and the groups. Nonetheless, we were seated within 5 minutes and started looking over the menu. It took few minutes for us to get greeted, but our waiter was very nice. He brought us some warm, fluffy bread that was quickly consumed We ordered a pot of tea and Lahmacun, and beef Doner plate (wanted to keep it light.) Let me start by mentioning That I've been to Istanbul recently, so I'm familiar with their food: the tea we had here was definitely superior to that we had in the Country. As for the Lahmacun, I would say it was certainly second best; very well seasoned and had the perfect width (thin dough all the way.) Now moving on to the Doner.. though the meat tasted good, it didn't have the flavors I would expect and it was kind of room temperature so hopefully they are experimenting and can produce a more flavored dish. Overall, I would absolutely return to try some of their other dishes, including more items from their bakery. read more

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This restaurant has exceptional service and attention to detail, with dishes that were flavorful and beautifully presented. My server Maria was so nice and helpfull. She recomended to try the dessert from their bakery. From huge selection of pastries I choose profitroles. So fresh and delicious! Definitely will be going back with family and friends! read more

Amazing food! Authentic. First, they brought traditional bread, that was freshly made. I ordered yogurt soup, it was delicious! It came in a big bowl, it would be enough to feed couple people or serve as a good lunch portion. Doner was perfectly cooked, amazing flavor made just right. Tea was served with a small pistachio cookie which was so good, not too sweet, I ended up buying a whole box at their bakery. Would be back again! read more