An unexpected stop for lunch during a cruise stop in Old San Juan, PR, the Istanbul Restaurant was…read morea combination of Turkish dishes along with dishes native to Puerto Rico. My brother and I tried dishes from both menus, and found it to be quite good. As we were walking past, a small sign for 'Grandma's Kitchen' caught our eye. My brother had been encouraging me to try Puerto Rico's national dish: Mofongo - mashed fried plantains. Unfortunately, restaurants were just packed with long waits and I wasn't in the mood to wait outside in the sun for a long time. The door next to the sign stated that it was a restaurant called 'Istanbul'. We peaked inside, and was welcomed warmly by a host, who let us know that the restaurant was both Grandma's Kitchen/Istanbul. There was nobody else dining inside, which was weird considering how every other restaurant in the area was packed. The dishes are made to order, so took a bit of time for it to come out one at a time. Mixed Seafood Stuffed Mofongo ($25) - served in a wooden pilon, the tall and narrow neck was stuffed with the mashed plantains, topped with a seafood blend of clams, dense fish pieces, octopus, and squid. The sauce was really well done, not too rich, but buttery enough to accentuate the seafood. I have to believe the seafood was prepared from frozen, but it tasted really good: a definite notch up from the seafood I've been having on the cruise boats. It was the first time having mofongo, and I liked it. This version had fried plantain chips, mixed with the mash of more plantains. I don't think this version had pork skin rinds, and I didn't miss it. It's extremely dense, so ended up eating maybe a third of it while finishing the seafood. It's a solid alternative to rice, though definitely can't eat too much of it. Doner Kebab ($18) - from the Istanbul portion of the menu, this dish was tasty, though the meat was cooked on a flat top grill like a burger patty, instead of on a vertical rotisserie. The lamb/beef patty was loosely formed and well seasoned, with the accompanying tzatziki sauce being a good add-on. Both dishes were cooked very well, the back kitchen has some skills. Service was friendly throughout. Water is not offered, but guessing they will give to you if asked. Payment was provided after the meal, and they do stick on a mandatory 15% gratuity for all party sizes.

We were in town for a short stay as we needed to get something to eat and then return to our ship…read morebefore it left port. Istanbul Restaurant to the rescue. The food was great and tasted very fresh. We ate fresh salads with the main dishes being comprised of lamb and chicken. The dining area was very cozy as we sat underneath one of the ceiling fans. The staff was very helpful and the service was quick.

Sultan Abi has a special place in my heart…read more I can't recommend this place more than enough! The food is amazing, the staff is amazing and the chairs are soo comfy! I always order the same because is just so so so good that I don't want to change‍ The seasonings are just perfect, the Hummus is the best Hummus you will have in ANY restaurant. Lately I've been ordering To-Go because of the baby, but they have NEVER given me an incorrect order. The Shredded lamb is on the things that sells fast VERY quickly so I highly recommend ordering it. The plate I ordered is the Turkish Delight where you have the best of everything. You get the shredded lamb, chicken and flank steak with any complement you like! If you are in the area please do visit because it is literally Turkey in Puerto Rico!

The food was excellent, and the staff was very attentive. This is a small family-owned restaurant…read morewith authentic Turkish food and lovely decorations, including many beautiful lamps.

Super delicious Persian food! It was the perfect option for us since we don't eat pork, and many…read morerestaurants here serve pork. Everything we ordered was fresh and flavorful. One tip: I'd recommend calling before you go because they sometimes close earlier than their posted 10 PM closing time. The server/manager was incredibly kind and welcoming. She was patient, answered all of our questions, and made sure we had a great experience. Also place was super clean, but super cold inside. I'd recommend bringing a jacket if you get cold easily lol. Definitely recommend this place, and we'll be back!

stopped by Kasa Kabob and tried the meat platter with steak, chicken, and the cooked tomatoes --…read moreeverything was fresh, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned. The portions were solid and the meats were tender, especially the chicken. Service was fast and friendly, and the food came out way quicker than I expected. Overall, a great spot if you're craving something hearty and well-made. Highly recommend. Nice easy going ambiance.

Writing this as I'm actively eating my food. Their kabobs are SO good. I got the Koobideh with beef…read moreand lamb. But I'm sure everything else is just as good. And the service is great as well. And the vibe of the restaurant is nice. There's music but its not too loud where it overpowers conversations. I definitely recomment

This is a pretty new restaurant. It opened in October 2021. I'm a fan of Mediterranean and Middle…read moreEastern food so I've been meaning to try it. Limited parking spaces in front and no street parking. It seems like a chill spot to have a meal or just enjoy some tea. We started off with some baba Gus push and falafels. I love falafels and these didn't disappoint. Satisfaction in every bite. The baba ghanoush was also superb. I can only imagine the hummus must be off the chain too. The pita bread was warm and delicious. For main course I was between the sharearma plate or the kofta plate. I went with the beef kofta. It came with rice and salad. The sides were really good but the kofta was a bit dry. I thought it was well seasoned, though. Next time I'll try the shawarma. They also have shawarma sandwiches and falafel sandwiches. My wife got the lamb shush kebab plate and loved it. The meat was tender and juicy and well seasoned. The baklava was disappointing. Overall, the meal was very good. It did take a while to arrive and we were the only ones in the restaurant. In their defense, the food is fresh and prepared to order so that can take some time to make. Our server was friendly. I would recommend checking this place out and giving it a try.

On our way to another restaurant for lunch, we saw the sign and front facade of El Cairo and…read morechanged our plans to go inside. The menu offers plenty of choices. I was curious and ordered their lamb lunch box with rice, hummus, and salad. The box looked exactly as good as in the menu picture. While I did not love the salad, the rice, lamb, and hummus were delicious. For dessert, a strong coffee and baklava! The service was just okay. If you are a Yelper and get excited about the 10% discount for your first check-in, they did not honor it.

Food was different and delicious. Service was excellent very attentive and provided suggestions…read more Ambiance takes you to Cairo from the entrance and decor inside. The only complaint was the dessert, the baklava was not fresh. It was kind of hard and cold. Thank you.

Incredible every time. Fiko is amazing and his creations are on point. We have come here for…read moreyears and always crave for the next visit. Simply one of the best restaurants in PR.

Been there two times. First time we got take out and second time dine in. We had a wonderful…read moreexperience both occasions. Food was delicious, service was excellent and the restaurant is very clean. Some of the best wait service in town, attentive and anticipated our needs without hovering. Chef came out to greet us which was an added bonus to the experience as he answered some questions about the cooking process and ingredients. Highly recommend.

They denied service to carry out, so when we asked to then sit down they said we were getting a…read morechicken gyro , we've been clients for a long time, we mentioned that we wanted Lamb gyro, they told us that they do it this way now to prioritize people that eat at the place , we were like we said to eat here, still we had to eat what they wanted us to eat , never setting food there again and will tell all the people that I have recommended the place to , which they have been allot , the way they are working now, awful service , also watch for the salad on the gyro sometimes it's starting to spoil they still use it

It's incredible that Turkish food this good is served in PR. We keep coming back because we love…read more Warning, parking is at a premium so be patient or walk. It's well worth it.

I had this spot bookmarked for a while. Finally got to go after my kid's soccer game. It's located…read morein a strip mall behind Plaza Escorial. From the outside it doesn't look like much. Nothing stands out. But don't let that fool you, the inside is nice. It was early so we were most likely the first customers of the day. We started off with falafels. Very fresh, perfect taste. I'm sure it helped that the oil was also fresh because we'd arrived early, but I'm sure they're always fire. We also ordered the Labneh. This was also good. For the main course I went with the mix platter. It was a good way to try the different meats: chicken, lamb, and beef. It came with rice, salad, and hummus. Perfect for one person. Very tasty. Loved the rice and salad. Overall, great spot not far from San Juan. Worth the trip.

We got the lamb kofte plate and lamb shawarma. The plate comes with rice, pita, hummus, baba…read moreghanouj, and salad - the sides could be more but the kofte were delicious. The shawarma was dry. The server was friendly, and there is a fair amount of seating.