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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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

Making a reservation was easy and then when we were running a little behind the lady on the phone was eager to help push back the reservation by 15 minutes. When we got to the restaurant we were greeted by a smiling host and seated. The waitress, Summer, was very nice and had a smile on her face. Summer gave us a run down of what she recommended. We ordered a Family Mixed Grill which serves 4-6 people (it's served and placed on these wooden holder thingies and then they set it up with dry ice, super cool IMO), Ali Nazik (which is the most amazing item on their menu) and a Mixed Pide with soujuk and pastrami and pepperoni-- the boys loved it. Everything is halal so I'd say it's a win-win!! The wait staff was very attentive and very kind. The ambiance of the restaurant has a set aesthetic. It's warm and bright at the same time. The decor is beautiful yet simple. All in all, I think next time we won't order the mixed grill next time because there were some items on there that were either super dry or undercooked like the doner kabob and the lamb chops. The Beyti Kabob however was out of this world just like the Ali Nazik-- so yes order those!!! The Bulgur was interesting in a good way, order it. Overall, we had a great evening. Also don't forget the bakery next door with the most beautiful desserts you've ever seen. They are a bit pricey however well worth it because of size, quality and the artwork itself. No pictures-- sorry we tried but so good!!! read more

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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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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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Fruit was fresh. Hot items were delicious. Salad/sides table were fresh and delicious. Desserts were yummy as well. Staff was very attentive. We will return! 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

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

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

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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We bought pies with meat and feta. There is crazy small amounts of meet and cheese inside. Basically paid just for the dough. Everything went to the garbage. read more

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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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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

The review is in regards to the breakfast buffet. The buffet is very tasty however 45$ per person (after tax and gratuity) is VERY overpriced. It should not be this expensive for a breakfast buffet. read more

On the hunt for a chill halal breakfast spot in the U.S., A Thousand Tales pleasantly surprised me. Joined by my partner, we dived into the brunch menu, discovering delightful halal options that truly hit the spot. What truly made our morning shine was the incredible trilece from the bakerya sweet finale that made us instantly decide to share our joy. No need to look further if you're after a relaxed, halal-friendly brunch spot with a delightful touch of sweetness from the bakery. A Thousand Tales nailed it! read more

A Thousand Tales - Tres Leches Milk Cake was wonderful - Turkish Near Me - Mount Prospect, Illinois

The food was excellent, kind of pricy, but understandable when you look at what they have done in the restaurant. The place is beautiful. The only thing I didn't like is that the dining room was way to bright. They need to dim down the lighting and because I think they are in the "fine" dinning category they should have table cloths and candles on the tables. read more

My recommendations: Hummus Baba ganoush Ali Nasik Beef Shish kabob Grilled meatballs Beef Shish kabob Chicken Shish kabob Adana Kabob read more

Had heard about this place and decided to have lunch with a friend. We hadn't seen each other for awhile so it was catch up time. We spent 3 hrs here. No one rushed us. They even brought complimentary Turkish coffee & Turkish delight which we didn't ask for. The food was wonderful we enjoyed the Walnut Pomegranate salad & chicken serviced on top of roasted eggplant and the rice pudding. I would highly recommend this place. The cakes & pastries in the cafe looked wonderful as well but we didn't try those. read more

Excellent grilled meats and kebab platter . Amazing leg of lamb chef's special slow roasted w a sweet pepper sauce.

Great bagels and customer service I love the food the team is great I love them so much

I have spent over a year in Turkey, tallying my many trips there with my Turkish husband. This place is the real deal. We drove nearly an hour to get there, and the Lahmacun alone made it worth the drive. We also loved the Adana Kebab, Iskender Kebab, and the baklava. Even the the tea was "to die for!" Like many, we are not fans of the 18% service charge, but the excellent service was worth it. If you love great Turkish food (see the menu for particulars) this is the place for you. read more

No worth the money at all way too expensive for amount of food they give you and the food is alright not wow