One of the best recent culinary events in New Orleans was when my good friends Bülent and Lisa started the Istanbul Grill on Veterans Blvd near Clearview. All of the local Turkish community have been elated that we finally had an authentic Turkish restaurant in the area. When recently sold it to their friends, we were a little concerned if the restaurant would maintain the quality of the food and the service.Well, let me tell you that last night all my fears were alleviated. For the past few days, I have been hosting some Turkish friends and ee were trying different restaurants, I have been trying to expose them to some of our local cuisine. Last night they wanted to try Istanbul Grill even though they normally eat at some of the best restaurants in Türkiye. Our dinner resulted in excellent experience because we were greeted warmly with a typical Turkish hospitality. We had the meze combo and mixed grill plate. We had the Turkish baklava, baked muhallebi, and künefe for desert. The food was top notch. My Turkish guests rated the food five stars. So, thank you very much Istanbul Grill, because you are not just a restaurant but representative of our culinary and hospitality culture. read more

Spot on service when you dine in. Complimentary bread with two dipping sauces was packed with flavor. It was airy and thin served steaming hot. Ordered the falafel appetizer. Came with 5 pieces on hummus. They were fried to perfection with a crunch. I wanted to try a pasta, cheese dish with pistachios, but I will have to savor that next time as it was a dessert & I was there for dinner. Ordered the lamb kebab which comes with two sides- of your choice--I selected bulgar and salad. The entree also came with bread--thicker and toasted, and two sauces. The lamb was so tender I could pull it apart with my fingers. My cat enjoyed some leftovers!! I had the delicious meal with a turkish coffee. Packed the leftovers and enjoyed it the next day and it was just as tasty!! read more

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This was my first time trying Turkish food. I've passed this place so many times but never expected it to be so cute inside. It's in a strip mall on vets so I wasn't expecting it to have so much character. The service was ok. First they brought out some bread which was so good. I had to keep myself from eating too much so I could actually save room for my food. We had the Findik Lahmacun, which is the thing I was looking forward to the most, and it did not disappoint. It was really good. The bread was crispy and the meat was flavorful. We also had Eggplant Shakshuka. It's had some pretty complex flavors. The person I was with loved that dish the most. I also had the Turkish tea because I felt like t I had to try it. It was really good. read more

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Wish I could give this place more than five stars!! It truly is that good! We ordered an array of dishes and all of them were perfectly done. Well seasoned and nothing overcooked. The "balloon bread" that they bring to the table is a show-stopper. It's always freshly baked in their oven and comes with dipping sauces. I suggest trying it with the muhammara. Their falafel and tzatziki sauce with hummus is a must, as well. I ordered the chicken Adana as my main course, which I thoroughly enjoyed! It wasn't dry at all despite being ground chicken. I've never experienced that combination of flavors before! It'll be difficult to order something else next time. For dessert, we had the Kunefe. Please do yourself a favor and indulge, because it's worth it! That cheese pull is something else. The service was above and beyond. Very attentive. We never ran out of drinks and they cleared the table as we ate so nothing was messy or in the way. It isn't a huge restaurant, but there is still plenty of seating with a view of the oven. It's nicely decorated and well kept. It's somewhere I'll be taking my family again for sure! Thanks! read more

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Great customer service. The host gave us hot Turkish tea and ballon bread while we waited for our to go order. Beautiful space. Very clean. Very welcoming. Everything smells delicious and tasty. It is. I got chicken wrap. My husband got mixed plate. read more

Istanbul Grill Metairie - Combination meat rice and hummus - Middle Eastern Near Me - Metairie, Louisiana

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Location is easy in and out on Veterans. Stopped in for an impromptu early lunch right after they opened (10:30A). Was the first customer that day, I believe. Lots of window lighting and comfortable temperature, clean bathrooms. Parking lot with limited spots, but street parking around the corner. Order at the counter and it's brought to you. Pricing is reasonable and portions are ample. Bread with dips arrived at the table; way more than I needed but very yummy. Feta Roll app was served with sliced fresh tomatoes, which was a nice offset to the cheese in the rolls. Saw the word I was looking for: sujuk. When I was a child, we lived in Turkey and had sujuk sandwiches from the street vendor. Here is served on a pide (pizza) with lots of cheese. It's not a "saucy" thing because sujuk is very flavorful, but it was still amazing. To go box was easy to obtain. Other patrons were filing in when I left. If you're into Mediterranean or Turkish, definitely give this a try. read more

Istanbul Grill Metairie - Sujuk Pide - Middle Eastern Near Me - Metairie, Louisiana

Wow! This place is five minutes from my house and I never knew it was there. We just have so many good options on veterans Boulevard. This was great though. The appetizer bread that they give you is fabulous they make it to order when you walk in the door, the salads are so delicious and healthy. I had the chicken shish kebab and it was one of the best I've had, it was cooked perfectly My Wife loved her dish I forgot what it was. Service was excellent and they have a beautifulLy decorated restaurant We're going to be regulars there. Prices were good, felt like it was a good value for what we paid read more

someone that we knew recently went here and said it was really good so we decided to stop by and try it out. the restaurant is nice and has plenty of seating space. the service is also good. we ordered the shashutka, the farmers salad, and the gyro. fresh bread plus yogurt was given as a starter. the shashutka was really good with good flavor and great taste. the farmers salad was also very good with good chunks of tomatoes and cucumbers. the bread was really good and fresh and direct from the oven to the table. the gyro was alright, good portion size but average flavor. overall excellent food and ambiance, a big pricy but good flavors read more

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Pretty slow service, food took around 30 mins to arrive. The place was not very busy. Food was underwhelming, extremely bland, and portion sizes are minuscule for the price. Say to say I'd much rather stick to places like Mona's for my Mediterranean food. Would not return. read more

Delicious food. Reminded me of our trip to Istanbul. The family sized platters were a great way to try lots of things . And especially enjoyed the dessert tower. Baklava was the best I've ever had. Staff was very attentive and friendly as well. read more

I've never left a review EVER but this place irked me so bad I had to. Ordered two seven dollar nonalcoholic drinks from the stupid AI menu, and then to be served two disco ball cups that look like they came straight from the dollar tree. Not mention it was straight up pineapple juice and the other was straight cranberry juice. Food was mediocre at best. I mean, if you're going to use store-bought spring mix for your salad at least chop it up or make it look it nice. Lamb chops had no flavor. Genuinely disappointing and almost a hundred dollars nonetheless. Insane. read more

Prepare for a departure from your customary restaurant experience, since the ordering process and ambiance do not fall into the "comforting" range. Lots of bright light and sound permeate the interior, and don't expect wait staff to speak English. Once the food arrives, however, you're in for a treat. Sitting next to you will undoubtedly be families of regulars to know the menu a bit deeper, so look around the take your time. Beverages are mostly of the bottled/boring variety, and there's no alcohol available on premises (it's currently BYOB). Vegetarians will be delighted, as will serious meat eaters, not to mention kids, with ample selections for all proclivities. Parking is hit or miss, as you're dealing with a smallish parking lot next to a very busy thoroughfare. read more

My dad found this place online and we decided to try it out Saturday. When we walked in we were told we could sit wherever we wanted to and that our server would be with us shortly. The place is on the smaller side, but still relatively nice. This was our first time trying Turkish food, so our server gave us some recommendations for our meal and brought us some of the complementary bread which was really good. I ordered a fruit punch, and it's noted that all of their drinks are can drinks. I wasn't a fan of that because sometimes when eating I drink a lot, and can drinks basically mean no refills, so I got a water on the side. It was 3 of us and we decided to get the Mix Grill Kebab, which says it can feed 2-3. It was enough for the 3 of us. It came with 2 small lambchops, salad, chicken and beef shish, rice, kofte, and Adana. Our favorites were the kofte and the chicken Adana. The chicken shish was okay and the rice with the salad was okay as well. The lamb chops and beef shish were over cooked. It was hard to cut the beef with the butter knife because of how overcooked it was. If it would've been cooked properly this place would've received a 4/5. read more

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I spent 15 years of my childhood in Ankara, so was excited to try Istanbul Grill on a long weekend trip into New Orleans with the family. It was incredible. I tried 8-10 of their dishes for old times' sake, and it all took me back to my childhood. I even went back a few days later to watch the Galatasaray Champions League game there! Loved it. Highly recommend. Will certainly stop by each time I'm in Orleans. Thank you, Erdinc, Ali, and Serdar! read more

The food was delicious & service was great. This was our first time there and will definitely go again and again.

Good quality. Authentic. Ordered from Uber eats and it was still warm and fresh. The Uber eats prices are HIGH. I would really like to return and try dine in . read more

I had a birthday dinner with friends and it was the first time visiting for all of us. The server was very nice and took his time explaining any questions we had about the dishes we ordered. We all really enjoyed our food but loved the puffy pita bread served at the beginning, delicious! The restaurant is very casual and most of the clients were made up of families. On this visit it was a busy night but service was quick and parking was a bit limited due to the location but there are more spaces in the back of the building. read more

Delicious food and great service. Interesting, beautiful Turkish plates, vases and lights were in display to purchase too. read more

This place is adorable! It looks like a Turkish little cafe in the midst of metairie! Everyone inside was so nice. I got the lamp wrap and the grape leaves. Very very good! The menu looks great and I can't wait to try everything on the menu. read more

Someone shared this place on a social media reel and since we were headed to NOLA for the day, we had lunch here. It is truly authentic and not some Americanized version of Mediterranean food. Being half Iranian, I know good kabob, and I can honest say that their kabob was amazing. It made with ground lamb and beef, the seasoning was on point and it was brought out fresh. I would gladly make that drive from Lafayette to NOLA to eat here again. read more

Istanbul Grill Metairie - Adana - Beef/Lamb Kebab Lunch Adana - Beef/Lamb Kebab Lunch - Middle Eastern Near Me - Metairie, Louisiana

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I ordered dinner (UberEats) from a new spot tonight and WOW.... Istanbul Grill is special! The Lahmacun is kind of like Turkey's version of pizza; a crispy flatbread with seasoned ground beef and lamb. It was served with fresh tomatoes and parsley and lemon and it's one of my new favorites... sooo delicious and perfect for a meal or late night snack! The red lentil soup was mild but tasty. I got two kinds of house bread plus kibbie (which was a bit different from the Lebanese kibbie I'm used to, but still delicious)! Topped it all off with the most decadent baklava ever! I'm truly trying not to eat it all in one sitting! The portion sizes are generous, looking forward to leftovers tomorrow! Highly recommend you give Istanbul Grill a try (they really need social media accounts)! read more

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ISTANBUL GRILL 4407 Veterans Memorial Blvd, Metairie, LA 70006 When you decide to gamble on a new restaurant and it's a solid 10/10? That just means you hit JACKPOT! This new Turkish restaurant was so delicious that I was shocked in awe of how tasty it was!! Did I mention that everything is made fresh per order? 1. Turkish Tea? I do not recall the name, sadly. 2. ADANA KEBAB Ground beef/lamb flavored with red peppers, seasoned with Chef blend char-grilled. 22. 3. LAHMACUN (1 PC) A traditional Anatolian specialty, mixture of ground lamb, tomato parsley, green peppers, garlic mix spread over hand-rolled dough. 9 4. Kunefe- Crispy cheese-filled dessert made with kadayıf (kah-dah-YUF'), which is a traditional shredded wheat dessert with pistachio filling. #TurkishFood #MetairieEats #FoodPorn #Jackpot #nomnomnom #Tonylameats #istanbulgrill read more

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Just stopped in for lunch while we were in town. FANTASTIC hidden gem with fresh & very flavorful food options. Will definitely be back!

Wow what a great spot. Super clean and a delicious combination of flavors. In the heart of Dark Metry. Get ready to carb up with that fresh pita. read more

Amazing service, wonderful comforting ambience, and great food. All of the meats, breads, and hummus were delicious and the tea and rice pudding was an amazing way to end the meal. Very friendly people, this place is heart-warming and I would definitely recommend. read more

Food and service is amazing, I recommend the Beef Sauté. You are greeted with fresh hot bread and dipping sauces (vary). My favorite is puffy bread but you have to ask for it. The lentil soup is made fresh and is always served hot. read more

Istanbul Grill Metairie - Beef Sauté and rice - Middle Eastern Near Me - Metairie, Louisiana

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Loved this new restaurant that was once Falalfel King. We started off with the Lahmacun (pizza) for our appetizer. It was thin with minced meat and peppers! It tasted SOOO GOOD. For my entree, I ordered the Donor beef/lamb specials plate that came with a lentil soup and rice. Lentil soup was light and wasn't too heavy. It had a sweeter taste. The only thing that underwhelmed me was beef. It was dry and hard on the edges but the flavor was there. Service was great and fast! Loved the chill ambiance. read more

My friend and I had a wonderful dining experience at the Istanbul Grill. She and I had not seen each other in over 20 years and the staff was super kind, even though catching up took over 2 hours, but we never felt rushed! in fact, as we were finally preparing to leave, they brought us out a scrumptious baklava, on the house!! I should also note that was the best humus I've ever tasted and my beef pide was amazing! Even though I live in Covington, it was well-worth the drive, and we will definitely be back!! read more

Istanbul Grill Metairie - Middle Eastern Near Me - Metairie, Louisiana

I've been here four times so far. Each visit was good and food was very good. My only thought is it may be somewhat overpriced on a number of things but that's just the way it is around here. The best value at Istanbul Grill is the lunch specials. At $17 I felt the offerings shown in my photo was generous and it did include soup (not shown) The Kafta kabob was well seasoned and perfectly grilled. The breads they make are exceptional. I had a dessert on one occasion the Kunefe which is one my all time favorites. HOWEVER, it wasn't good - barely any cheese and nowhere near the quality I've had at another place on the West Bank. Overall though food alone, it. Very good, tasty and satisfying. Ownership and service very good, and the space is bright and comfortable. Good ambiance. read more

Istanbul Grill Metairie - Kefta kabob lunch special. Comes with a soup. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Metairie, Louisiana

Everything about our experience at Istanbul Grill was splendid! The service was magnificent. The staff were as warm as the delicious breads and super friendly! They've made the best out it the space. Although it isn't very large, the tables are spaced well, so guests aren't on top of each other. The decor is lovely with traditional Turkish design touches. The food is wonderfully delightful. The complimentary bread is beautiful and tasty. Everything that came out of the kitchen looked and smelled mouth watering. The tasty didn't disappoint by any measure. The lamb kebab cooked perfectly. The doner which is Turkish gyro was incredible. Nothing like what's serviced at other restaurants. The rice was flavored well and the vegetables were fresh. The beyti is highly recommended. This authentic Turkish cuisine will not disappoint, so don't over look this little gem!!! I pray they do well and expand! read more

Hidden gems like this restaurant are a true find. The food is amazing!!! One of the ladies working there asked if this was our first time there. We said yes and then she said you will love it. She was right! I cannot wait to bring the rest of my family back. We had the falafel, mix grill kebab plate, kunefe and Turkish tea. Best falafel I have ever had. The Grill Kebab plate (for 2) was so flavorful and huge portions. The bread they serve is wonderful and the kunefe was absolutely delicious. Thank you for the wonderful service and we will be back soon! read more

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The doner sandwich was tasty. After I had ordered my food, I listened to the waiter tell someone else the doner is good but he would recommend something else. When I walked in and was the only patron, he had plenty of time to talk to me and offer a suggestion, but he didn't. I'm probably being too picky but I would not hesitate to go back. read more

The restaurant was clean and the staff were friendly. We liked the kebab but not the cheese and egg pide. read more

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My wife and I ate lunch at Istanbul Grill and were very impressed with the service, staff, cleanliness, but especially the food. The Liver appetizer was well presented and very delicious. We also had the falafel appetizer which was surrounded by hummus and well presented. For our entree, we had the Guvec Kampama which was very tasty with its mix of tender beef, vegetables topped with a thin pastry layer over the dish. We finished off with Kazandibi, Baklavas, and some refreshing Ayran (yogurt drink) and Turkish tea. I recommend trying this place for the food, atmosphere and friendly staff. read more

Great food and service! The food is truly authentic and fairly close to what you would eat in Turkey. Adana kebap and lahmacun were really delicious. Check out this place! read more

Omg the perfect fix for wanting something other than Louisiana food. Everything was amazing and reheated great.

I usually don't review Middle Eastern food, mostly because many restaurants with Middle Eastern food adopted the same style as Chinese food in the US, ie: indistinguishable from one and another. Fortunately, Istanbul Grill is a wonderful exception, the food is delectable, from classical mezze to the Lahmacun, and of course the best kunefe i've tried in recent memory. The bread baked in their own oven is frequently brought at the table by a congenial and friendly service. The environment is calm, and clean with a music tuned in a much appreciated low volume. The portions are generous and the price moderate. You should give Istanbul Grill a try ! read more

Legit Turkish food in New Orleans...finally! I would give them 5 stars if the prices weren't 2-3 times higher for most of the menu than they should be. That said, it's all good. The Lamaçun is great and authentic. A rare find in the US, and at $8 is a good value. I wish they offered a German style döner in addition to their more expensive döner plates. Service is fast and friendly. Restaurant is simple and more fitting to take out than dine in, but it's all clean and well kept. I really hope these guys stick around (and add German style döners!). read more

Ordered uber eats. AMAZING!! Highly recommended. The seabass is phenomenal. As is everything! read more

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the place looks better and more open. nice staffs! i ordered the sea bass didn't think i was getting a WHOLE fish,thought i was getting a filet but it was really good! turkish pizza is always good! we would come back read more

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