Six years ago I wrote my first review. I've been coming back again and again. I noticed I hadn't upped my rating to 5 stars. My mistake. This is a fantastic gem of a restaurant. Go. read more

The Sunday Bruch is a Scam! We went to have lunch, they gave us a Brunch menu which is $30 Per person and not Turkish... the only option they offered at 11AM in an empty restaurant was the Dinner Menu. The lunch Menu was not available, which the lunch menu is identical to the Dinner except for the Dinner prices being higher and the portions being larger. SCAM! Then when the check came a forced minimum 18% tip included... I normally tip 25% for good service but to be forced is unacceptable! Also the food tasted like it was from a steam table and not made to order... Cannot recommend! read more

Cafe Instabul serves authentic Turkish flavors where you can dine for brunch, lunch, and dinner. A menu featuring items such as hummus, lamb shank, kebabs and much more. A great patio to enjoy if you do want to eat outside. The lamb shack and manti were very delicious. The manti featured stuffed tortellini served in a creamy yogurt tomato sauce. All of the dishes were very large and we had plenty to take home to enjoy. They can easily be shared between two people. Service was great and a wonderful place to go out for a night. read more

Cafe Istanbul - Manti - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Came here with my friends for lunch on a Friday, and had an overall just alright experience. The chicken kebab was a mixed bag - the best part of the meal was the chicken, which was seasoned very well and super tender. However, the bread and service weren't quite there - we were one of two parties in the restaurant and had to ask for our check after waiting for a while. read more

Cafe Istanbul - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is bangin' for real!!! I have no idea why we haven't tried it til now, but our bad. The eggplant dip and bread they start you out with is delicious. I could eat an entire bucket of it. The hummus was smooth and fresh. The kabob, just as delicious! Rice was cooked perfectly and included veggies divine. I can't stress enough how much we loved this local spot. Can't wait to come again soon!!! read more

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Recently had dinner with girlfriends here, and it was one of the best meals I had all year. We shared plates and probably eight close to the whole menu. Everything was absolutely amazing and slightly different than what you would get at most Mediterranean restaurants in Chicago. You could tell there is a level of authenticity that I'd be hard to find elsewhere. I can't stop thinking about how great this place was. read more

Cafe Istanbul - Kebabs - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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. I was surprised by how heavy the soup was at this restaurant, it is quite a large space and a handful of exotic items on the menu. Overall, the food was genuinely good. Everything came out flavorful, seasoned, and cooked nicely. The seafood and kuzu şiş especially stood out. Don't skip the desserts, they were awesome! Friendly, fun waitresses made the experience even better, and there's plenty of parking right next to the restaurant. Cafe Istanbul is easily one of the best Turkish restaurants I've been to in the U.S. Everything we tried was delicious. I'm not an expert in the cuisine, although I have been to Istanbul a few times, but from what I could tell everything seemed fresh! Highly recommend! read more

Revisited again.. this time time the food was just okay; didn't feel like the first few times. The food didn't taste as fresh and everything came out extremely fast (maybe because we were there noon on a Friday) we ordered creme brulee for dessert and it was the worst I've had, super sweet, and water down at the bottom not cooked all the way through. I hope they aren't loosing their consistency. read more

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I have been several times to Café Istanbul. I have also visited Turkey many many times. Cafe Istanbul does have good food but they are currently nickel and dimming people 18% service charge is inexcusable. They are charging a credit card service fee and the brunch was mediocre and small was $30 per person(no meat, bread, fruit, eggs). This is Turkish food. This is nothing gourmet. It is good, but I felt totally overcharged and that there was no fun and being there by paying all these service fees. I had Manti and Sheppard's salad $35 + their added 18%. I can tip them what I want. They don't need to add a tip onto my dinner/lunch. Too costly for one person ...charge charge charge unfortunate read more

Cafe Istanbul - Manti good, but $22 + service fee - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I recently had a very appalling experience at the restaurant, that left me shaken. I came in with wife and two children at 5pm and noticed 2 servers leisurely eating dinner at the hostess desk, in plain visibility. They had about 6 plates in front of them. We were seated, and of course our waiter was one of the two eating dinner. Every time we needed something, we flagged someone else to ask our server (Orhan) to come buy and help us. He would leisure get up and stroll over to us, then go back to his dinner. What happened later though, was a complete shock. Orhan finished his dinner, got up, pulled out a tooth brush out of his pocket and started BRUSHING HIS TEETH at the hostess desk, which was about 10 feet from our table! My wife and I sat there speechless for about a minute, then I tried to take a picture of him with my phone. He must have seen me and turned around quickly and went into the bathroom. I got a partial shot. I have never seen anything like this. I tried contacting the owner few days later, left him a message, but he never called, which says a lot. I will likely be contacting city's health department to report this, since this is a health code violation and just ridiculously unacceptable on so many levels. Needless to say, I will not consider going back to this restaurant if my life depended on it. read more

Big portions for affordable prices, delicious food, and you get seated fast on most days even though the restaurant is never really empty. There's indoor seating & outdoor seating with large heat lamps. I've been here twice - once for brunch and again for dinner, same menu except brunch has a turkish breakfast option. Every meal comes with carrot dip & bread, which for the record, is really good bread & dip. We've ordered the islim sarmasi (eggplant stuffed with beef in a tomato sauce), the mixed platter (we got a meat & seafood mixed platter, comes with scallops, lamb, steak, shrimp), the sogurme (smoked eggplant dip), and the iskender (thinly cut & sliced meat in hot tomato sauce). We also ordered the turkish tea. 1 entree and an appetizer are huge portions and probably good for 2 people. Every dish was delicious, but I'd recommend everyone to ordee the sogurme most of all - super smooth smoked eggplant dip, with some sort of oil, and fresh hot walnuts on top. By far my favorite thing on that menu. They have turkish breakfast that looks super good & comes with a large variery of items. We didn't get it, but saw others that did, and looks like a great bang for your buck at $30 per person. Service is awesome. A great, reliable mainstay on division, and also casual enough to drop in on at any time. read more

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This Chicago Turkish place has a very cozy patio and also indoor atmosphere. We tried several of the dishes including the lahmacun (a Turkish flatbread), the Adam kebap which is the most famous of the Turkish kebaps, the mantı which are like small Turkish dumplings, and the lentil soup. All were exceptional! The service was great as well! Can't wait to go back and try their kahvaltı (Turkish breakfast). read more

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A well maintained establishment with a wide menu selection, filling servings & personable service! They serve homemade bread & baba ghanoush as a complimentary appetizer while you look through their menu. The main courses were new to me but both dishes were made up of lamb & carb/bread. The Lahmacun was a great appetizer reminded me of an open face burrito or a turkish version of pizza. The iskender reminded me slightly of spaghetti except the noodles were cubes of bread and instead of ground meat it is thinly sliced lamb. The dish was served with yogurt to balance out the acidic sauce of the tomato. I paired the baba ghanoush with all the bites & enjoyed the distinct turkish taste. The restaurant definitely attracted a good flow of locals! read more

Cafe Istanbul - Lahmacun & Iskender - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A lovely neighborhood spot with solid food, excellent service, reasonable prices, and an awesome outdoor patio vibe for the warmer weather! We ordered the following dishes- - Sogurme (4.4/5) - Turkish Delight (4/5) - Manti (4.5/5)- probably my favorite dish of what we ordered. It was unique in the combinations of flavors and textures. - Kuzu Shish (4.3/5) They serve BOTH complimentary bread + dip to start and complimentary dessert to end, which we really appreciated! The bread was soft, fresh, and warm, and the dip was solid and flavorful. The dessert, a small, soft honey almond cookie, was tasty too. Overall, the service was fast and so friendly. It's a place I'd return to for a reliably solid meal experience in every facet. read more

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Cafe Istanbul was a great find. Perhaps not so rare for the local in the know, but most certainly for this out of towner craving the favors of the levant. All was excellent and the service was spectacular. Topped it off with Turkish coffee and a kazandibi. Pointless to list what I had because everything was great. read more

Having a Turkish lunch this afternoon at Cafe Istanbul on Division Street was like having lunch on the Bosporus Strait without the 11 hour plane flight; that's just how good this restaurant was. The menu is obviously Mediterranean and the foods they are preparing are indigenous to the region of Turkey. Our lunch consisted of: * HUMMUS - Chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, fresh garlic, extra virgin olive oil * LAMB DONER WRAP - Seasoned lamb cooked on rotisserie, lettuce, onions, and tomato, served with fries * ADANA KEBAB - Hand-chopped seasoned lamb shoulder, skewered and charcoal grilled, served with basmati rice * KAQANDIBI - milk pudding with almonds Everything was delicious and the portions they give you are so big, it makes for a great "leftover" dinner also; as it will tonight. The staff is very attentive and the ambiance is this quiet / chill climate perfect for a relaxing meal. I will definitely come back to the Cafe Istanbul and try more of varied and diverse menu. read more

02/28/24 - Tonight my wife & I went to Cafe Istanbul @ 2014 W Division Ave for dinner. I've had this restaurant on my radar for several years. Well tonight was the night & Cafe Istanbul more than lived up to my expectations. The food was outstanding. They brought us fresh bread w/a dip to die for made of yogurt w/julienne cut carrots, green onions, garlic....it was absolutely delicious. I could have made a meal of this by itself it was that good. In addition we ordered the following dishes Islim Sarmasi - Braised lamb shoulder wrapped in eggplant served with/basmati rice. Doner - Lamb & Veal combined seasone and cooked w/basmati rice, shredded red cabbage, julienne cut carrots, & dill yogurt sauce. This came w/2 piece of paper thin flat bread. I wrapped this w/the lamb, veal red cabbage, carrots & yogurt dill sauce & made a Turkish taco (lol Turkish taco Wednesday). The servings sizes are very generous & both of us will be able to make another meal from the take home leftovers. *They also have lunch menu which is less than the dinner menu. The food was outstanding as was the service & ambiance of the restaurant. This was one of the best meals I've had in a long time. We will definitely be back again soon. read more

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We came an hour before closing but the food was still stunningly fresh. Quality in every bite, each dish distinct marination just enough not to cover the honesty of the meats. We had the chefs mixed grill. It came with beef medallions(good),shrimp(good), chicken white meat(beyond good and juicy), lamb(excellent), Scallops(amazing), kofta(possibly the best ever). Kofta for the uninitiated is ground beef and lamb. Even the rice was delectable. One caveat parking on a Saturday night on Division St. is a bitch. read more

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Went w 3 other friends. We ordered a couple things to share off the menu. Everything was delicious. Service was great. Tip was already included on the bill so make sure you watch out for that. read more

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Visited some friends and was asked what I would if there was a cuisine I was interested in going to and I immediately said Turkish. Good Turkish cuisine is hard to come by I feel in the Twin Cities and whenever I travel, I like to find a good Turkish restaurant. So my friend recommended this one as it was one he had wanted to try. So the three of us went to check it out. Its a small dining hall but bright and clean with white table cloths. Fairly busy but we had an reservation so we were seated right away. Got our waters and the server asked for drinks. I had a couple of questions on the drinks but the server didn't have many suggestions as such. Ended upo with the revolver which was a good cocktail. For appetizer, we ordered the Lahmacun for the table. Very tasty. The beef was spiced really well, the bread was crispy and and plenty of it to go around between the 3 of us. For entree we ordered one each and the were all very good. The kebab was moist and flavorful. The Islim Saramasi was a unique dish and was tasty. The lamb was tender and the eggplant was not overdone. A good balance of flavors. My Iskender was exactly what i was looking for. It's one of my childhood favorites and any time I get to have it, I am all for it. Good place with fast service and great food. Next time I am in Chicago, I would certainly make this on my list of places to visit for some good turkish food. read more

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Super slow service meat overcooked Wait 1hr still didn't get anything Too bad place was advertised on tv For best kabob and roasted meat Waitress said they don't have it today ... read more

TL; DR: Cute patio, great food selection, you'll leave full This place is great for many different dishes. I would bring a group of friends, so you can all try different dishes. The SOGURME is great and the LAHMACUN is large. The CAG KEBAB is delicious and a large portion that you can take some for home! read more

10/25/25 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. read more

Very authentic and well prepared meals at a reasonable price. Attentive service. I have eaten here several times and try to visit whenever I am in Chicago. read more

Cafe Istanbul - Iskander kebob and eggplant dish Imam Bayildy. - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came here for lunch and overall enjoyed the experience. The free bread and side were very nice and delicious! Everything was very fresh tasting and tasty. The portions were good as well. I really enjoy Mediterranean food and so my opinion is based around the different Mediterranean foods I've had around Chicagoland. I'd give Cafe Istanbul 4.5/5 if i could. Service was alright, they seemed like they were kind of pushing us to order a little more than the entrees we got. The restaurant itself is very cute and cozy. I think it would've been even better at dinner time. There is an 18% service charge and a 3% credit card fee but they do make it clear on the receipt. read more

Cafe Istanbul - Kofte Kebab - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great location, really nice staff all around, nice option to eat outdoors if the weather is nice, is clearly very popular. The Saturday night we went it was probably 70% full. We had a reservation but they were taking walk-ins too with no wait. I loved that they offer a BYO option (with corkage fee) despite having a full bar. As for the food, I'm struggling with what to write because I'm not sure if it just wasn't for my taste, or it wasn't that great. We started with the Sogurme, basically like baba ganoush. The bread was outstanding. The dip I didn't like because I couldn't figure out what type of oil they used. It was the color and taste of vegetable oil but the dip was drenched like it should be extra virgin olive oil. The thought of dipping bread in vegetable oil was grossing me out. Related to this, they have oil on the table so I stared at that for a while trying to figure out what type of oil it was. It was yellow-y-er like EVOO but I didn't bother trying it because I was ew-ed by the other oil I consumed. For entree I got the Cag Kabob, my husband got the Doner Kabob. It comes diner style plated, with a mound of rich, mound of marinated carrots, mound of marinated cabbage, and flat bread. We both thought our meals were fine. The doner is like the kind of kabob meat that comes off a spit. He thought it was fine. The yogurt sauce they both came with was good. Lastly, watch out! An 18% service fee is already on the check (see picture) but then they have suggested tip amounts on top of that. We confirmed with the waitress the service fee was indeed the tip and she said yes. We would have tipped more than 18%. Sad that they have to force 18% and they miss out on people who typically tip more. I know we could have added on, but whatever, we just did what they asked. read more

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Amazing brunch spread! We had more dishes than table had room for! Loved the eggs and various baked goods and coffee

We usually do a substantial take out because of a family members disability. They always bag rice and chocolate pudding deserts. However, service is always great and there is good but simple ambiance. The food is always consistent, fresh and of high quality ingredients. read more

Soo I found my new lunch restaurant!! So delish that soft bread with the spread was delish. And the artichoke was fresh and healthy. The kebab was so soft well cooked and seasoned yum! They have a lunch menu so the price is reasonable for a healthy lunch. The staff was nice and the restaurant was nice and pretty soft lights with swanky music. I will be back. read more

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Came here for lunch on a Friday and got a table right away. The server was very kind and gave us recommendation. Portion sizes were good for the price. Food was very good and well seasoned. Would overall recommend this restaurant. Sitting on the patio during the summer was a very nice vibe. read more

A lot of bang for your buck! Large portion sizes, free bread and spread, and excellent service and recommendations by our waitress! We loved the authenticity of this place and will be back for a no frills, casual but super tasty dinner! Recommendations: eggplant appetizer and baklava for dessert! I think any of the mains would be a solid selection, just note everything is very garlic forward. read more

Hey, Cafe Istanbul. We need to talk. So, let's start with the good. I've been here several times in the past, and the food is always delicious. I've come with friends and with a Time Left group, and I've never had a bad meal here. When I've taken home leftovers, they never last more than 24 hours before I polish them off. Last Thursday the food did not disappoint. Where things get sticky, unfortunately, is the pricing. Now, in the U.S., consumers expect to pay the price on the menu, plus tax and tip. Sometimes a credit card fee if the restaurant is especially nickel-and-dimey. These are just part of the experience of eating at a sit-down restaurant. However, when a restaurant throws on an 18% service fee, and then sets the tip auto-calculations to show that this was not the tip, and that the expected tip is still 18%-22% on the whole bill, including all taxes and fees, the way those percentages compound, including tax, the *consumer ends up paying 61.3% more than the menu price.* This is not an acceptable level of unwritten cost and in fact passes the boundary of "hidden fees." At that point, why even bother having prices on a menu at all? You could replace the numbers with emojis and they would have about as much meaning. Personally I prefer knowing the cost of something I'm buying before I make the choice to purchase, not while sitting at a dining table having already consumed the goods. The number on the check I received last Thursday night was so significantly higher than the number we ordered (and therefore consented and agreed to pay) that I thought I dreamed it until I woke up the next day and still had the screenshot.) If the 18% is an autograt, then it needs an appropriate label so that people do not tip twice. (To be clear, given that tipping is a necessary evil to protect workers from the evils of wage theft in the U.S., I do support autograt. However, I do not support being swindled into double-tipping). If it is not an autograt, then it needs to be removed and the menu prices appropriately adjusted to meet the cost needs of your business so that people can make informed decisions about what they would or would not like to purchase before doing so. It is not acceptable to essentially dupe customers in this way. Please don't respond saying you'll "take it under consideration" as people have been complaining about this since 2022, and you've been giving the same canned reply. If I've already read it, I have no need to read it again. Actions speak louder than words. Do better, please and thank you. read more

Cafe Istanbul - Photo of a receipt with issues highlighted, including wine price, 18% service fee, and a note about tip calculations. - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We were all really confused by this restaurant. I thought it was a Turkish restaurant, but they had french onion soup and pesto risotto. We started off with this mystery dip that tasted like a heavy on the mayo tuna salad??? The eggplant spread was decent, but the hummus was terrible. It tasted like 99% tahini and olive oil. Honestly, I initially thought it was really random that my friend's uncle ordered french onion soup at a turkish restaurant, but upon the end of the meal, I think he might have ordered the best thing on the menu. read more

Excellent Food! Must visit! Portions are huge! Service was pretty fast on a Sunday afternoon. Ambience is simple. Nothing too fancy! read more

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The food and service was great! The lamb was delicious! I came to try Lahmacun and it was good, but maybe I just wanted a meaty pizza. read more

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Have ordered delivery from here multiple times, and have had good experiences. Their food is solid, with large portions, and the packaging is good, so everything stays hot and in place (including the soups). Would recommend for a low-key, quick and tasty meal in. read more

Our son told us to come here. Beautiful restaurant inside, outside looks fabulous as well. It was just too hot. The service was perfect. The food was remarkable. The carrot dip and bread comes with every table, and it is unbelievably good. I have the seafood salad, which was stunningly, beautiful, and delicious as well. I had a bite of the lamb wrap, it was fantastic. Six stars if I could. . . They have a wide variety of food on the menu and I can't wait to go back! On a cooler day/dinner, the outdoor seating would be perfect read more

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We flew from LA just to try this restaurant and it didn't disappoint! The food and service were excellent! Everything was delicious and the portions were very generous. If you want to taste an authentic Turkish food this is the place! We will be back! read more

Super shady with the tipping process. Went there the first time with a group of 6 so it was understandable that they added the tip to the bill although, they didn't mention the tip was already on there so we almost didn't catch it and almost double tipped when they handed us the pad to add another tip. Fine. We caught it. Crisis averted. The next time we went there it was just me and another person. Again, they added the tip and handed us the pad to add another tip. That's not normal and seems shady as hell. I wonder how many people they swindled with this method. Shady tactics will keep me away read more

Takes credit card, will charge 3% service fee. Has a full bar Has inside and outside patio The inside is well decorated and beautiful plate settings. Great for dates, or regular dinner with the family. This was my first time having Turkish food so I had no expectations. And the food was so delicious. I appreciate the waiter giving me some education on Turkish food. The opening bread and dip- it's like sliced carrots, with mayo. Very nice opener to the meal. Eres beer ($7)- the most popular beer in Turkey. I really liked it, like a less bitter Stella Artois. Lahmancan ($11)- it's like a pizza but instead uses flat bread. It has minced meat on top. Iskender ($27)- this was the star of the meal. Get this! The meat was sliced thinly, had texture, soft enough to enjoy but cooked enough for flavor. Seasoned perfectly. It's served over bread coated in tomato bisque. The yogurt on the side was a great compliment to add to the coolness. Kuzu sis ($25) I initially wanted the kag kebab which I heard was amazing. The waiter said today's portion was more fatty than normal, so recommended this. The lamb was perfectly cooked. I would've liked some more seasoning on it. I appreciate grilled vegetables it came with. kazandibi (Turkish flan)- this was served with scoop of vanilla on top. Surprisingly good, not too sweet, a little burned on the top like a cremebrulee. If you want dessert, get this to share! I would definitely come back. It has components of Mediterranean food but with better flavor. read more