You need to check this place out it's incredible. I'm going back to have and will write more in…read moredetail after that

Loved all three dishes we ordered: the seafood salad, the eggplant appetizer, and the variety kebab…read moreplate. The combination made for the perfect meal on a hot day. It was light and refreshing, but also still satisfying and filling. Everything complemented each other really well.

I look at Turkish food as Greek food with less ocean and more land…read more Maybe that's incorrect, but it works for me. What I mean is, it's way more meat-forward, and there's usually less focus on seafood. Anyway, this place has lots of delicately spiced meat dishes, which is what I come to a Turkish place for! Service was also very good, we were able to get in-and-out on a lunch break!

Ordered lunch here and it's phenomenal. The flavors are very delicious and it's such a great…read morealternative for all the fast food options in Chicago. The food came super warm and packed well. It even came with a piece of delicious warm bread! My first few bites of the manti were delicious! The yogurt sauce is perfect and all in all it was a very filling and tasty lunch. Il definitely try a kebab next time! The inside was super packed on a Thursday afternoon so I can tell how popular it is. Service is friendly too!

I brought my family from Nebraska to try my favorite Mediterranean restaurant in Chicago this week,…read moreand I could not applaud them enough. The service was incredibly welcoming and friendly. The staff helped my family of 6 navigate and understand the menu graciously and with enthusiasm. The food arrived timely and was delicious as always. We ended up ordering baklava for dessert. It is a perfect way to end your meal. Highly recommend for anyone looking for authentic Mediterranean food and heartfelt hospitality!

Staff is a 10/10, super kind and understanding. They answer all questions and really help you…read moreunderstand what you're ordering! The food tastes lovely and the portions are beyond fulfilling. They have a variety of different dishes and lots of flavors. The atmosphere is pretty nice and rather comforting. The music is calm, the lighting is bright, and overall it makes the meal that much more enjoyable! Highly recommended!

Just tried their breakfast after dining here for dinner and brunch. The breakfast menu is smaller…read morethan the brunch and dinner menu but still there are some interesting items, such as the Avocado Toast, Shakshuka, and Yuzu Peach tea. For my breakfast I got the Shakshuka. Asked for just one egg. Overall the dish was fantastic. The tomato sauce was rich and spicy, with a hint of sweetness from the red pepper. The egg was poached and good. It was topped with some sliced mini sweet peppers which added some crunchiness to the dish. The mint garnish gave it some herb fragrance which contrasted with the spicy tomato sauce, further elevating the dish. It was served with two slices of Publican Quality Bread sourdough. I wish there could be more bread!! Service was friendly and food came out quickly. I feel like it was better than what I experienced before. There were not many people dining in at that time, around 10am. Glad to find another spot for breakfast in Chicago!

It's a stunning space with tall windows and really nice modern century-esqu furniture…read more We went for a work dinner/happy hour and they did a great job celebrating us (we had put the reason on our reservation) and even left us a cute little signed card from the staff on the career milestone. It got busy as time went on but the service stayed nice and friendly and our server checked on us to make sure we were moving along at a nice comfortable pace. We got some drinks, food from the happy hour menu, and desserts. I had the immitation game mocktail, falafel burger and the scoop of daily ice cream - which today was carmelized white chocolate gelato. The apps - pita and hummus and the chips and tzatziki were really good! I loved the pita and having it freshly buttered was a great touch. The falafel burger needs to be renamed because it's the furthest thing from a burger and was really hard to eat. But it's filling! We did want a side of fries or something but they didn't have anything like it on the menu to go with the sandwich so that's a miss. The gelato was perfect and honestly my favorite part of the meal. I would also highly recommend their cheesecake, it wasn't too sweet or heavy while still being creamy and delicious with a fresh strawberry puree on top. Overall a good place to stop by and chill with friends with some light bites and treats. There is a 4% benefit surcharge which is clearly labeled and you can ask to have it removed if you'd like, but i just accounted for it in my tip and it's totally fine.

Turquoise is a wonderful family style restaurant and I throughly enjoyed its quaintness/ approach…read more My friend and I had a good time here on Sunday and there wasn't much traffic in the restaurant. We felt we were tended to and taken care of. Great service from the staff. We were given free carrot dip and bread which didn't taste of carrots at all. tasty dish to start us off. We ordered the spicy feta and Kalamata olive dip as well as the Lahmacun pizza. Massive portions each. For entrees, we did the branzino and seafood tagliatelle pasta. For the branzino we thought it would come as a whole fish but we received a tiny piece of fish with tons of rice and veggies. To all the food items, I want to say well seasoned, cooked to perfection. I didn't feel the need to add anything to any dish - I was very impressed. My only reason for giving this establishment 4 stars is because they cut off the brunch service early and my entire reason for visiting was to indulge in the buffet style Turkish breakfast. Due to low attendance, they cut it short which we didn't appreciate but didn't let it ruin the experience.

We tried Turquoise Cafe for an upscale dinner with halal options and we weren't disappointed. We…read moregot outdoor seating on a great weather day and we had a great time. Make no mistake the prices are on the higher end but the quantities were good. Coming from an Asian descent I wanted more salt and spices but I get every cuisine is different and everything doesn't have to be overly spiced. All in all a great spot!

Firat, Avaspi manager, helped us plan a surprise birthday party for a friend, which included 10…read moreguests July 8, 2026. The table was beautifully set with red cloth napkins and small lanterns adding to the ambiance of the place. He welcomed adding our own decorations- paper placemats and a balloon bouquet. The area was set apart from the main dining area which made the experience more intimate. The food was served family style on platters, attractively presented and absolutely delicious! The individual printed menus at each setting described the wine choices, the first course Meze, the Main course choices , and 2 Desserts. Each course was tastier than the next! We chose: 1st course 2 platters of Mixed Meze, homemade bread, 2 Mushroom Tava, and 2 Calamari. 2nd course: 3 platters of "Mixed Plate for two" had Chicken kebab, Beef delight, Lamb Delight, Lamb Chops, Haydara, Ezme, Fries, and Rice. 2 Orange Salmon platters and Green Olive Salad. 3rd course: Baklava and Coconut Cake. The portions were more than enough for the 10 guests In order to try almost every food choice. Our server, Maine, timed each course very well. He also cleared European-style waiting until everyone was done eating. A pleasurable change as we weren't rushed! The water glasses and wine glasses were consistently filled. Though we had dined at Avaspi for both Happy Hour and Dinner, all 8 guests expressed how enjoyable the cuisine, wine selection, service and ambiance was throughout the evending. We all plan to return!

If you only know of the Kurdish people or culture through the news, it's time to remedy that-- head…read moreover to Avaspi for drinks and snacks at the generous Happy Hour or for a full dinner. The beautiful bar is set back in the glowingly dining room that has a painting of the Kurdish area in Turkey from where the owner comes from. Remixes of contemporary tunes gives a kind of clubby feeling inside, and the large sidewalk patio (on the side street) to enjoy the season is a completely different vibe. It's not just another variant on Mediterranean/Middle Eastern/ Persian cuisine, though you'll find familiar salads, spreads and cuts of meat. The presentations and flavors are different. The friendly (and easy on the eyes) staff will guide you through the menu. Very nice wine list as well as creative takes on standard cocktails (some mocktails too) complement the meal. Come in a group so you can sample many things; I assure you it'll all be good. Loved the calamari and the meze plate on this last visit. Grilled haloumi and shrimp were great previously. Easy to get to so get going!

Knock me over with a feather! What I thought of myself as a…read moreworldly guy, who has eaten just about everything, had my first, ever "Döner" sandwich ever! What's a "Döner" you ask? It's an incredibly popular Turkish sandwich, loved and adored in the city of Berlin, Germany of all places. Our son, visiting us here in Chicago (from New York) was taunting the virtues of this rather large and tasty sandwich and of course, the city of Chicago has a restaurant making this; just right up the street. Döner 97 on Clark Street adjacent to Lincoln Park is serving up this delicious, sloppy (in a good way) sandwich with all of the fixings. I had their Combination Döner Sandwich a combination of both beef / lamb and chicken kebab sandwich with tender, seasoned meat, fresh veggies, and flavorful sauces in warm flatbread. I really liked it. We also bought a Chicken Döner Sandwich with delicious chicken döner kebab sandwich: tender, seasoned chicken, fresh veggies, and flavorful sauces in warm flatbread. Also very good. These Döner sandwiches are huge like a massive Mexican burrito, messy like a sloppy Joe sandwich, but fun like French Fondue. Döner 97 was a first for me and I was pleasantly surprised!

My cousin Mickey and his wife, Minnie, drive from Skokie twice a month because of their love for…read morethe place. It's more fast food than dining room, even though there are tables and chairs, if you prefer. The döner sandwiches are something special. It's clear they use fresh ingredients and put a little tlc in every one they prepare. If you're into baked potato check out the build your own Kumpir. Butter drenched potato with your choice of veggies and proteins added. A meal in itself! I sampled and loved their Red Lentil soup and Bulgar dishes. The big winner this night was the Ćevapi sausages in their special flatbread. Pro Tip: consider splitting something. The portion size is impressive. If you like leftovers, ignore my tip and get two completely different dishes that you can share the next day. Actually, that's two tips in one. So Pro Tips! The cost was fairly reasonable and the waitstaff very efficient. Cousin Mickey (his name is Michael, her's is Amelia; they DID have the nicknames before meeting each other) spent two years traveling back and forth between Germany and Turkey and he claims this fare to be very authentic. 09/25

The foods were wonderful especially the main foods. Service was unbelevible fast .Ambiance was…read morefriendly and restaurant was clean and all foods were healty.

Food was really good and the service was incredible. Very nice and genuine people work here. They…read morewere able to accommodate multiple allergies and substitutions. Food was reasonably priced and very filling. I highly recommend the stuffed chicken and beef shish. Kurdish coffee wasn't overpowering, very nutty, espresso sized.

My date took me here to Oda on a weeknight. Oda is listed as Mediterranean but cuisine leans more…read moreTurkish/Georgian. I found the food, drink and dessert to be very savory. We shared the Oda Grill Combo and Karniyarik/Moussaka. Both were outstanding and seasoned just right. I ordered a cocktail (Drop it Like It's Hot) and that too was refreshingly tasty for a warm summer evening. Ambiance is really cute and they have an outdoor patio. Our server was kind, attentive and helped me make a decision on dinner and dessert when I was torn between a few choices. They let us hang around after dinner and they didn't rush us out which was nice too. We had the option to dine in or out but we chose to stay inside because of the humidity and frankly, we just love our air-conditioning. Granted if the weather is favorable, it's a nice space for alfresco dining. Parking is generally street only since they lack a parking lot. Depending on what time you go, you might end up finding free parking on the side streets since the meters tend to run out after 6.

Now why aren't more people talking about Oda? I will be a FREQUENT visitor now! To start this is…read morethe perfect, quaint, neighborhood restaurant. Dim lit but still inviting and plenty of seating for various sized parties but still keeps the intimacy. Our server, Alec was friendly, attentive and gave us the entire run down on the food, cuisine, and his favorite recommendations! Everything was absolutely AMAZING. Big Fs: Fresh, flavorful and filling. Once of my main highlights from the meal was something Alec recommended, the Adjaruli Khachapuri which is Georgian cheese and egg baked in a bread boat. I had never had this before and was blown away by how absolutely tasty it was! I also ordered the Kofte Chargrilled Meatballs which were amazing they came in a large portion but also were SO good bold in flavor with the perfect texture! I ordered the Crimson Petal and the Drop it Like it's Hot cocktails which were both extremely tasty! This was the perfect meal and I cannot wait to get back!

I LOVED my meal here! Ēma (Ay-mah) brings some glamour and glitz to the Mediterranean dining scene,…read morewith an airy, elevated hotel-lobby feel that still doesn't demand a dress code. Dresscode: Smart Casual / Casual Noise Level: Medium (it gets buzzy after 5:30pm) Thursday night Happy Hour was lively, so it took about 10-15 minutes for someone to come around, but service was attentive once we got going. The food is where Ēma really shines. From the Happy Hour menu, the Charred Eggplant Hummus and Crispy Potatoes were generously portioned and great for sharing. On the main menu, the Indian-Mediterranean fusion Bhel Hummus was a party for my taste buds, while the Hot Honey Halloumi and Chicken Kefta rounded out the table nicely. The halloumi is more of a side than a main, but that sweet-and-salty hot honey combo was chef's kiss. For our finisher, the Chocolate Torte knocked us out. Decadent, delicious and chocolate with lots of depth. Overall, Ēma is an excellent spot to order a bunch of dishes for the table and get an elevated meal without feeling stuffy, and delicious without taking itself too seriously. DO's: - Make a reservation ahead, especially for happy hour 4-6pm - Treat apps like small plates, order 2-3 to sample - Entertain their wine list, they have a lot! - Bring vegetarians here, there are plenty of options DON'Ts: - Dismiss the desert menu. It's fantastic and shareable! - Forget to ask for extra pita with the hummus! - Miss out on the LettuceEats loyalty points (check-in with your server before paying your check)

Came for a late lunch. Split a meal: *Whipped spicy feta -…read moreVery tasty. The pita was warm with lots of za'atar. Enough to share with 2-3 people *Braised short rib sandwich - In a pita stuffed with cabbage. The beef was extremely tender. Unfortunately there was several large pieces of cabbage core vs shredded. The fries were crispy and seasoned with za'atar. The au jus provided, tasted it had a bit of red wine vinegar. That was a winner! Would order both items again. The decor is beautiful. Sat at the bar and the bartender wasn't in the best mood. Minus one star for the combination of the large pieces of cabbage core and sat at the bar for about 15 minutes - no one was there to serve us.