What a delightful surprise after an afternoon of skiing! The food was fresh and satisfying. The chicken was slightly dry, but not offensive. The lamb was perfect. I ordered the chicken kabab and my husband had the lamb shank. For dessert, we ordered the oven baked rice pudding. It is served cold, however. This is a must visit when you're in town! They also sell other Turkish products like coffee, teas, doganay (spicy, fermented carrot juice), assortment of juices and Turkish delight. Thank you so much for sharing your wondering food with us. read more

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Passing through and needed a place for the family to stop and eat. The reviews on this place do not lie!!! Food and service were both phenomenal. We sat outside and enjoyed a fabulous meal. Everything was perfect and the facilities were spotless as well. read more

We found this restaurant on Yelp as we are visiting the area. We were there on a recent, cold Sunday evening with only one other table occupied. It's a large dining area and nicely decorated with Turkish flair. The blues/rock music playing in the background was not what you would expect, but very enjoyable. The service was good, but it did take a while to get the bill when leaving. My lentil soup was good and perfect for the cold evening. I had the Karnijarick which is eggplant stuffed with ground lamb bathed in a tomato-based sauce. Flavor was good and not oversalted, but light on spices. It was served with white rice and grilled veggies. My wife had the lamb shank which was a bit tough and too light on seasoning. The salad was good. My favorite was the naan type bread serves with the meals. Overall, enjoyable, but not a great value. read more

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In an area that is predominantly "American food" of burgers and fried food, I was excited to try this place. Why on earth would you put carrots on Pide ?? Not sure the "chef" has a comprehension of true Turkish cuisine. Service was fine, place was empty. I was originally sitting outside to enjoy the weather but after the second unhoused person asked me for money, I moved inside. Very lovely decor. read more

istanbul grill - Veggie pita with carrots ?! Ask any Turk why this is comical. Essentially I ordered pita with carrots, there was ONE slice of mushroom. - Mediterranean Near Me - Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

Found this gem while searching restaurants, within walking distance of the F.M. Kirby Center. Tasteful Turkish cuisine in comfortable, nicely decorated setting. Excellent service with helpful recommendations. Tasted a variety of entrees. All were equally delicious. Tried Turkish coffee for the first time with the kazandibi dessert. It was amazing. BYOB is a bonus. Will definitely be back to taste more. read more

istanbul grill - Turkish coffee with Kazandibi - Mediterranean Near Me - Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

Stopped here for lunch and was blown away by the food. Ordered the lamb chops and it was one of the best I've had in a while. Service was also great and the tea at the end sealed the deal for me. read more

istanbul grill - lamb chops - Mediterranean Near Me - Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

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Very good food, pleasant atmosphere, and good service. I had lamb and it was excellent. The other members of our party also all loved their food. read more

I grew up on Middle Eastern / Mediterranean food. So while on a road trip with my boyfriend, we excitedly pulled off the highway when we saw Istanbul Grill. In short: Tasty, but extremely small portions. Got the chicken shish kebab and also a garden salad with feta. Feta was an extra $4. Fresh but more of a large side-salad than a full salad. The chicken kebab lunch is listed in the menu as "kebabs" with rice, but there were only 4 pieces of chicken and about a 1/3 cup of rice. :( split with my boyfriend and we were like, "Well--that was a tasty snack." I felt obliged to let him eat 3 of the pieces so at least one of us had a semblance of a full meal. Not generous portions by any stretch for $30. Friendly staff and lovely decor. Definitely would not return though. I'm actually now irritated because the people next to us just got enormous portions. Wtf? read more

What a great find for our roadtrip! It has delicious and affordable lunch options, attentive service, a warm and colorful dining area. The grilled ground lamb Adana kebab was nicely spiced (not spicy) and super tender, served with rice, and a salad of iceberg lettuce, pickled cabbage, and shredded carrots with tzatziki. My fam also loved the hummus and chicken shish kebab. The falafel was the only thing I'd skip. It is a bit bitter and not the most flavorful. All in all a fabulous meal and we will be back! read more

istanbul grill - Lamb Adana Kebab Lunch - Mediterranean Near Me - Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

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Authentic Turkish place in downtown Wilkes-Barre, as evidenced by the Turks eating there. Food was excellent - my wife and I both had lamb dishes that were clearly made from fresh lamb. Interior decor is nicely done - pleasant place to eat. Service was good - they were having a busy night. Extensive menu, lots of into choices. We will likely return when we pass through Wilkes-Barre again - Definitely Recommended!! read more

My second star is for the lovely server. Outside of his friendly demeanor, this place is a 1-star. Between the horrendous condition of the bathroom, the undrinkable water, the (presumed) owner(s) chain smoking outside a few tables away, and the flavorless food, I can't believe this place has a 4.7. I've never had a hummus that tasted like nothing before. Not even chickpeas... no salt, no lemon, flavorless olive oil. They brought out a beautifully baked pita and we were so excited but the hummus made me think I had Covid again. It tasted like gritty nothing. My falafel was flat (already not my favorite) and it was incredibly greasy and tasted old. It was served with what tasted like boxed rice. If it wasn't boxed, I'm shocked bc that's precisely what it tasted like. The most flavorful part of the meal was the pepperoncini on top of the "salad" served with the falafel and rice. My partner got their chicken which he said was very good so maybe anything that is vegetarian or vegan is the problem here. read more

Good Turkish food. Great even. The Adana lamb kebab is awesome. Plus they have Knafe! Prices are pretty fair for what you get. The ambiance is very nice, quiet and soothing. Not sure why there isn't too much foot traffic here. Friday night, only a few customers. They aren't packing them in like they should because the food is great. Maybe it's a northeast PA thing and people around here don't understand the food? Who knows but this is going to be a regular in the rotation for me. read more

We were in Wilkes-Barr picking up a car at MotorWorld. While waiting for the car we had dinner at Istanbul Grill. It was the best Turkish dinner we've ever had, much better than the Turkish restaurants in Northern NJ. We started with the ballon bread and haydari and shared the chicken mixed grill platter. The haydari was so fresh, the lemony, garlic, dill yogurt was great with the bread. The chicken platter had chicken prepared 4 ways and each was delicious. I wish we had ordered a salad to accompany the platter for more vegetables. Great ambience. They were not busy early on a Tuesday so we were in and out quickly, but still had great service read more

Found this restaurant randomly while driving through town and seriously, this is a hidden gem! When walking in here, would have never guessed that I would be eating a super delicious Turkish meal. Everything was so good! Stopped by here for an early dinner with parents while driving back to the Poconos and as soon as we walked in, we were greeted and seated right away. It took us a bit to decide what to eat because were not familiar with Turkish food, but our choices were all savory and delicious. We got... -Babaganush - one of the best ones I've had, so smoky and flavorful. -Chicken Doner - With the chicken, there was plenty of rice, a small salad, pickled beets and cabbage, pickled carrots, and a grilled tomato and the amazing white sauce that gave the meal even more umami -Lamb Mixed Grill - My parents ordered this and said it was one of the best lamb dishes they've had Not only was the food good, but the pita bread (not sure what it's called) was sooooooo good! So fluffy, pillowy, light, and delicious to each with the babaganush and the meal. It came with the babaganush originally, but it was so good, so we had to ask for another one. After the meal, since the food was good, we HAD to try dessert as well, so we ordered Kazandibi. I do admit that I had to Google each dessert and what we ordered didn't look like what I saw on Google, but it was super yummy like the rest of the meal. Surprisingly, it wasn't as super sweet as I thought it would be. Tasted like flan, but in had its own unique deliciousness to it. The staff was friendly and checked up on us several times. They seemed new and spoke limited English, but they were super nice, smiley, positive, and helpful, which added to the dining experience here. If I'm ever in the area, I would definitely stop by again and if you made it this far in my review and are still contemplating, just go, especially if you are craving Turkish food. I'll just have to be super jealous that you get to eat here. read more

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Same great food and service. Don't change a thing you have a gem. This time I tried their deserts as well and they were all amazing. The dining area has been expanded since my last visit, lots more room. read more

istanbul grill - Chicken Sish. Absolutely delicious. - Mediterranean Near Me - Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

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Driving from southern PA to NY and seeking some good food, we found Istanbul Grill on Yelp! It's a small, unassuming downtown restaurant, but lovely and inviting. We ordered multiple cold apps (get the cold app combo plate!), lamb doner kabab, and falafel. Our server was friendly and eager to help. The food was absolutely incredible. The doner kebab (pilavüstü) was definitely a house recipe, unlike any I've had elsewhere, and some of the best lamb I've had in years. The "eggplant marinara" (saksuka) was an immediate favorite, and we had to order more to-go (along with extra haydari and bread!). I swore to the servers I would leave another good Yelp review, and it is well-deserved. Regardless whether you live near Wilkes-Barre or are just visiting or passing through, you really should visit the Istanbul Grill. read more

Ok, amazing food with a downtown vibe. We tried some appetizers of baba and falafel. The baba was chunky and had less garlic than I'm accustomed too. Tasty, but a little flat on depth of flavor. The falafel were flat and green inside and served with a dollop of humus. Again tasty but flat in flavor. Our main courses of lamb chops and chicken dolma were cooked perfectly and had far more seasoning that rounded out the meal. Very good quality food with good service. The pita was hot and fresh and was a big fluffy basket of joy. Enjoy! read more

We went there for dinner. We enjoyed the food we ordered. The service is good. The restaurant is spacious but it was empty when we were there. We hope more people go and enjoy the good food they offer. While we were there, we did see them doing quite a few takeouts. read more

istanbul grill - Mediterranean Near Me - Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

Went here today for the first time. We were immediately greeted, and seated. The waiter was friendly, helpful, and attentive. Our food came out fast, and was delicious. We ordered humus, grape leaves, and the spinach rolls for an appetizer, all of which were great. For main, we ordered the lamb donee wrap (pictured) which was wonderful. Overall had a great experience, and will be back! read more

istanbul grill - Lamb doner wrap - Mediterranean Near Me - Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

We found this restaurant by chance since we were just driving by, hungry and decided to take a chance! The food was EXCELLENT! Service was AMAZING. We ordered their grilled platter and it was perfect for 2 people + there were left overs. The meat was cooked to perfection the pita bread was divine! Loved our overall experience! It's a hidden gem. read more

istanbul grill - Mediterranean Near Me - Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

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Very nice people! Great service and delish food! Wish this was around when I lived in WB read more

istanbul grill - a plate of grilled meat and rice - Mediterranean Near Me - Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

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We stopped in for lunch on our way from further north back to the Philly airport. On that Sunday, it was very, very quiet, but the day was beautiful, and this block in particular did seem nice. I very much enjoyed my Lamb Doner, and the server was very friendly. I get the sense that lunch is probably not their busiest time, so I hope they get more traffic in the evenings. read more

The ambiance was beautiful, I loved the decor of this place and it had lots of seating. Everything was made fresh and the food tasted wonderful. I personally had the lamb chops and they were amazing and my family who were with me said they loved the food as well. The waiter was amazing, he was a one man job, he went around doing everything by himself it was impressive! Loved this place definitely worth coming back again ! read more

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We just stopped for dinner. Atmosphere is really nice. We were greeted and seated immediately. All staff were very friendly. The food was delicious and came out timely. We will definitely be back. read more

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Food was delicious and very fresh. Excellent spice profile, balanced with the creamy yogurt sauce. Prices are reasonable for the portions. Friendly service in a relaxed atmosphere with traditional music for ambience. Added bonus is that you can get $ back on the upside app. read more

istanbul grill - Lamb Adana Kebab - Mediterranean Near Me - Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

Solid Mediterranean restaurant. Located right downtown, there is also outside seating. We had chicken shish kebab and chicken Adana kebab. Both come with rice, salad and a broiled tomato and a lively yogurt dill sauce. Great seasoning! The homemade hummus appetizer is fresh with some delightful olive oil drizzle across the top On a Sunday mid afternoon the restaurant was over half full. Pretty impressive. read more

istanbul grill - Cool lightning fixtures - Mediterranean Near Me - Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

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First time dining here and we definitely will be back! Service was amazing! Food was amazing! Great atmosphere! Can't wait to go again!

Food was amazingly good and very filling. The Turkish coffee and sweet are worth the trip alone, believe it. Service excellent and beautiful inside and out. Flooring needs repair though. read more

I don't usually make reviews for restaurants, but I liked this place so much, I decided I would make one. The food is amazing, I would recommend the iskender kebab, which I had as an entree. My family were all satisfied from their meals too. The servers and owners are super nice and welcoming, and I would love to come back another time whenever I visit Wilkes Barre again. Thank you for the wonderful service and meal! read more

istanbul grill - Iskender Kebab Dinner - Mediterranean Near Me - Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

We had an absolutely lovely, un-rushed dinner here. The hot appetizer we chose was the cheese rolls, of which they gave us four. The were a great, light start to the meal. We both had the Doner for dinner I ended with the milk pudding (I forget the Turkish name) - it was incredibly tasty and very unique! My husband had the baklava, which was absolutely amazing. We also had the Turkish coffee, which came with an exquisite piece of Turkish delight. Our waitress was very attentive and kind. I cannot recommend this little gem enough. I chose this because a friend had recommended it to me, so spread the word -- this place is fantastic! read more

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Wife's family is part Sirian so I am familiar with this style of cuisine. If you don't like it try it. It will surprise you. Get the sampler and see what they eat over there. It's fantastic. Maybe we're doing it wrong with all the fatty foods here. Nice lean kabobs. Fresh grape leaves. Service is snappy and the please look great. I love the chandeliers. Amazing it used to be a factory once. Bathrooms are clean read more

Yaaaaas. What a talented crew. Some seriously good chow going on here and you are fool to miss out on it. The fresh bread served alongside the outstanding mücver fritters is enough to make you contemplate murder; it's that good. The grill is also magically worked to render vegetables and kofta kebab into wondrous creations. Don't forget a cup of tea to top it all off. If you miss eating here, you are wrong. read more

This falafel platter is burnt. The rice tastes like it comes from a packet. This meal is unacceptable. I can't believe they would serve this to a customer. Very disappointing. I won't be back. Update: The owner responded to a message I sent about this within 24 hours inviting me to return with a friend for a free meal after he returns to the country near the end of the month. I think that's fair and will add an update afterwards. read more

istanbul grill - This is obviously burnt. They should never have served this. The rice tastes like a packet of Lipton rice pilaf. - Mediterranean Near Me - Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

This family owned BYOB restaurant located in the heart of downtown Wilkes-Barre has delectable dishes and a city style vibe. The service is great, plus they have indoor and outdoor dining. Located near the F.M. Kirby Center. A great place to have dinner before a show. read more

Good food. Tasty and generous portions. Authentic. Service also good. Right after in the heart of town with sweet little outdoor seating on the sidewalk, perfect for a nice summer evening. Hubby had the lamb Adana kabab over rice which he said was delicious. I had 2 appetizers; grape leaves with stuffed rice that had slight lemon flavor to it. Yummy. I also had eggplant with a tomato sauce. I was kind of expecting marinara but it was more oil based. Still is was good, just not what a was thinking so I probably wouldn't get it again. If you like Mediterranean food, check this place out. It's for real. read more

This restaurant is a gem. Driving through Wilkes-Barre we were in need of a gluten free restaurant. The place was very clean, even the bathroom. The food was delicious, fresh and I can't recommend this place enough. I wish we lived closer. read more

This place does not disappoint. Grilled meats, all seasoned to perfection and cooked amazing. Fantasy taste and perfect consistency. The cold plate appetizer was a fantastic sharing dost. We all came here and loved it! The homemade desserts were fresh and amazing. We will definitely be back when in this side of the woods again. read more

I absolutely love Turkish food so when I discovered that Wilkes-Barre had a Turkish restaurant I knew I had to try it. I wasn't disappointed. First things first. I can't say enough about how good the waitress performed her work. She was not only efficient but pleasantly graceful in her manner. She offered suggestions and was very pleasant. I loved that the had water glasses on the table and cloth napkins. I can remember when the vast majority of restaurants did this and I don't understand why more don't. The decor in the restaurant was nice and I felt very welcomed. They have both a lunch and dinner menu. The lunch menu has fewer selections but they were hard to choose from and I'm sure I would have enjoyed any one of them. I ordered a Donner kebab which came over a bed of rice and a small salad in the side of the plate. Doner is very similar to gyro meat and it was superb. The rice was cooked perfectly and the parsley in the salad gave it so much flavor. I also had the baklava for dessert and I almost never have dessert at lunch. I'm so glad I did. It was spectacular. Fantastically thin phyllo layered with an soft filling along with honey. It was so very good. This may now be my favorite spot in Wilkes-Barre. read more

Great for a quick lunch! I really enjoyed my falafel wrap and the hummus appetizer we shared. It's located right downtown which is great for walking around as well. read more

I love it here! Located in what is basically an ethnic food dessert, meaning Wilkes-Barre (besides the Thai place across the street) it's a delightful find. The staff is very welcoming, friendly, and efficient. You can tell they have extreme pride in their food and business. The Turkish tea is served in a fancy way - love the sugar cubes! Lots of vegetarian options. The bread is outstanding! Hot and fresh out of the oven, in a big pouf - tear into it and enjoy. So light and delicate. The desserts are not to be missed. Had the baklava and the rice pudding. Soooo goood. I can't wait to go back. read more