I met Chanel and her father on a cruise and they were so pleasant! They told us about their restaurant and my mom and I knew that we had to visit! Today was the day and WOW! We were amazed We saw Chanel again and she provided us with the utmost service. She selected the appetizers: salad, cheese rolls, grape leaves, and pita. The salad was delicious! The cheese rolls my absolute favorite and I could eat a whole plate of them! The grape leaves are served hot. The hot ones are my favorite and many places serve them cold so I was very excited to get hot ones! For entrees, I ordered the chicken kebab with meatballs. The chicken was SO tender and flavorful. The meatballs were tender as well and melted in your mouth. The hummus and pita were fantastic! Warm pita is always delicious. My mom ordered the ribeye kebab plate and it was scrumptious. The meat slid off the skewer and was SO tender. The portions are large as well. We finished off the meal with a slice of pistachio baklava and Turkish tea. The baklava was amazing!! So flavorful and melted in my mouth. The tea is very refreshing and was a lovely way to finish our meal. We really enjoyed our meal and will return with the rest of our family to share the joy. We can truly feel the love and tradition baked into every dish read more

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had such an amazing experience at Izmir Mediterranean Grill! I ordered the chicken plate with hummus, and WOW everything was incredible. The butter chicken was as soft as a cloud, and the chicken itself was sooo juicy and full of flavor. You can really tell the quality and care that goes into their food. The cucumber salad was super fresh and perfectly balanced, which made the whole meal even better. On top of that, the service was amazing, friendly, attentive, and made the experience feel even more welcoming.. To top it all off, they had live music on Friday, which created such a fun and vibrant atmosphere. Honestly couldn't have asked for a better experience. I'll definitely be coming back to try more of their menu! read more

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Delicious Cuisine, just like in Türkiye We loved it.. And the service is excellent.. Family owned cozy and nice place.. We will always come and enjoy it with our Friends & Family.. read more

While the service is good, and the atmosphere is decent, and the food is OK end the cost is pretty high for what you get. The chicken kebab plate is pretty expensive for just two strips of chicken and rice. The chicken itself is good, but the rice definitely could have used something to add more flavor. Even if it was some form of a hot sauce. The chicken thighs on the à la carte menu are decent, but again there's a little bit of flavor lacking. Do not get the ribeye skewer. While it looks like a good price for five dollars, the meat itself barely covers the skewer. It is probably 1 to 2 ounces of meat. Last, the mezze sampler is not worth it and very ok. For the price I expect a better quantity. Additionally, you only get two pieces of bread with the sampler. This is supposed to be something meant for sharing, and having only two pieces of bread is definitely not a sign of this. Overall, I don't recommend the spot as I think the food lacks flavor while the prices do not reflect the quality/quantity received. read more

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First time trying this charming Turkish restaurant and it was very very delicious. The portions are enough for two people if not very hungry. The filet and chicken kabob are some of the best I've ever tasted. Seasoned perfectly. We had rice pudding and tea after dinner. Also the best rice pudding I've ever had. They serve it warm with cinnamon and walnuts. Fantastic. Service was excellent. Will definitely be back. read more

First time my wife and I been here. I'm glad we did . Excellent food , the best . The rice pudding is something else The service was amazing, our server : chanell did excellent job good smile , very friendly We will be back for sure read more

I'm not too sure why it has 5 stars. I'm so sorry but the food was very underwhelming. It is definitely a cute spot and has nice servers who are attentive and friendly. The food was blah. The soup tasted so watered down. As a person who has been to various Mediterranean countries and been surrounded by Mediterranean food this was very underwhelming. Cool live music. But Luna grill would be a better choice! read more

First time trying this place and overall I had good experience. Food was very good. I tried a new dish which is kofte wrapped in eggplant. Also tried lentil soup and their dessert. Service was very good. Restaurant looked very clean. There's plenty of parking in front of the restaurant. read more

Izmir - Mediterranean Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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WOW!! Izmir was warm, welcoming and most importantly the food was DELICIOUS! I'm not sure how it's humanly possible to make such fluffy rice, but this place sure knows how! The cheese stuffed meatballs and meze sampler with spice bomb and hummus were the standouts! We will absolutely be going back! 10/10! read more

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It's in a small strip mall next to Starbucks that's surrounded by another strip mall so it might be a bit confusing. Also all the parking spots outside say 15 mins but supposedly it's so Starbucks customers don't take up all the spots? Anyways to the actual place itself. Decor is a bit odd but that doesn't matter too much. The food the food is good. The rice was buttery and delicious, the steak was cut into bite size pieces and tender. The lamb shank was worth the order, the sauce it came was with good. The chicken skewer could have been skipped though. Not everything is going to be a winner. All in all it was good and well priced considering it's near south coast plaza. read more

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Writing this review feels like I'm telling grandma sorry, your cooking bring me pleasure but your food does not. But I could just be uneducated in the ways of Aegean cuisine. But this doesn't seem like a place for pure vegetarian foods, the meat based dishes looked a lot more alluring than what we ordered, but the burnt eggplant dip was delicious. Good hot tea with sugar shaker/pourer. I wish we had ordered some of those enticing rice but seeing everyone park up and walk to 2 doors down for Mexican food solidified the reservation. read more

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Friendly customer service that makes you feel welcome from the moment you open the door, seems to be family owned business. Simple decor with a couple of tvs showing Turkish cuisine. Their dishes are generous, fresh and flavorful without being salty. read more

We ate at Izmir for the first time and it was fantastic! We got the hummus, Cheese Rolls for appetizers and both were great. Everything comes out piping hot. Yummy pita bread was served with it too. For the entrees we got the Filet Mignon Kebab plate and the Butterfly Chicken plate with the meatballs as well. It comes with rice and a salad. Everything was phenomenal. The meats were very moist and well seasoned. Service was fantastic and we felt very taken care of as if we were family. The owner Eric was very nice and helpful when we ordered. Our server Nouf was wonderful as well. It's a small cozy place and they have live music on Friday and Saturday nights. They had a live saxophonist playing music! We certainly will be coming back and have already told our family to go check it out as well. read more

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No words are needed--the empty plates speak for themselves. The butterfly chicken and beef casserole are sooooo good! Restaurants that take food seriously deserve to be rewarded. I hope this place is always packed! read more

Izmir - Hummus Butterfly Chicken (Lunch) Fire Roasted Eggplant Butterfly Chicken (Dinner) - Mediterranean Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Small mom and pop type restaurant located in a strip mall off the freeway in Costa Mesa. They specialize in Aegean food. Now, I've never technically had Aegean food, but as I understand it, and I don't mean to belittle it's history/culture, etc., it's essentially Mediterranean food that has elements of both Turkish and Greek cuisines. Based on the name of the restaurant, I think it's safe to say they lean more into the Turkish roots. The folks here are just so friendly. It really does feel family run (if not in fact) and it feels like you're going to a friend's house for a great meal. The aromas, tastes, textures, presentation, fresh ingredients, and reasonable prices - this truly is a gem of a restaurant that feels like it punches way above its weight. When I ordered, I was way too excited and ended ordering much more than I could finish in a sitting, but didn't regret the leftovers. I ordered: - Purple delight: beets/yogurt side or dip served with bread. - Piyaz: Turkish beans with tahini sauce, parsley, tomato, onion, etc. and a hard boiled egg - Meatball Anatolia: comfort food platter that had lots of good stuff. I would personally describe it as a Mediterranean chilaquiles (hopefully that makes sense) - Ayran: a refreshing yogurt drink to wash it all down I wish I could have ordered more. So many of the menu items looked great. read more

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Tried their hummus sample as well as chicken kabob, everything was very fresh, portions were big! Will def be back

Excellent food! The quality is great and I'm so happy that they don't cook with seed oils. I'll definitely be back and telling all my friends. read more

Best Mediterranean Food! Family owned business with exceptional quality customer service and delicious food. One of my favorite go to spots. The food is consistently good- soup is my favorite. I also get the chicken kabob and have had the specials which are unique and flavorful. They don't use seed oils and are conscious about quality which is important to me. The staff are lovely, and the service is great. Friendly place that makes you feel welcome. Definitely recommend this restaurant read more

A Turkish delight! So much flavor! What a fantastic Mediterranean spot, all of the meats are packed with flavor, nicely charred, and super juicy! A real cozy decor, plus the service was great! Parking is absolutely horrible though, it doesn't help that it's next to a Starbucks, get there early! read more

Izmir - The spread! - Mediterranean Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I have a new fave! I enjoyed the flavor of this food so much so that after having it for lunch for my first time I came back and had it for dinner. Then I tried the meatball sandwich, it was amazing and look how big that thing is I actually finished it but I needed a nap afterwards! The lady I ordered from and picked up my order from we're very kind human beings. If you're in Costa Mesa or Newport Beach or Santa Ana definitely stop by this place. read more

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Very good food and ambiance. I enjoyed the Izmir Kofte. It came with a salad, cucmber yogurt, and pita. I also enjoyed the baklava and Turkish tea. read more

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First time trying Turkish food was after the Silverstone Formula One race in 2022. Driving back from the track I noticed a turkish restaurant. Amazing food, I was hooked and would add turkish food to my preference for Lebanese and Persian food if I want to eat health mediterranean food. This small and quaint establishment has delicious food, servers are attentive and kind, it just makes you want to come back for more. Fresh ingredients, well seasoned and cooked. I came for just an entree and sampled much more! The after dinner tea they provided was just as delicious, and helps digest. Highly recommend!!! read more

Izmir - A whole lotta goodness - Mediterranean Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Very friendly place! We got the meatball sandwich and ribeye plate. The meatball sandwich was SO GOOD! The meat was very flavorful (maybe needed just a TAD more salt), the bread was delicious, pillow-y and soft, but still had structure. The tomato and onions added the bit of freshness it needed. The ribeye plate was seasoned well and went well with the white rice, which was firm and delicious. The salad was also well dressed. We got the spicy yogurt with the plate and it changed the way we saw yogurt dips - just full of smoky flavor from the chilly, and the yogurt was perfect with our dish. Our only nit-picky thing was the meat was a bit small on the skewers, but we didn't actually mind the quantity of meat we got. We just expected the pieces to be bigger. However, we don't eat Turkish food often, so unsure if this is normal practice, so can't comment! Either way, we still enjoyed it. We did order an extra side of pita bread (usually $1.50) that came with the spicy yogurt, but they were so nice and didn't even charge us for it. We ended up just tipping more to make up for it and for their kind gesture. Come support this awesome place, we will definitely be back for that sandwich! read more

Saw an instagram post and decided to try this place. We came on a weekday for dinner and we were the only customers from start to finish of our meal. The side dishes were all really good, especially the cheese rolls. The meats, not so much, some were a bit tough to eat. The soup was blah and so the dessert just ok. I would come back for the side dishes. Decor is homey. While we got a parking spot in this plaza, there's very limited parking spots. read more

I picked this restaurant for lunch because my Turkish husband often misses the flavors from his home country. I'm vegetarian so we started with a selection of meze. 2 different types of eggplant dishes and the cheese rolls were the standouts. They were just how I remember them being made by my mother in law in Fethiye. The service was friendly and quick. We also ordered the manti and it was great. If you love Turkish food this is the place and if you haven't tried Turkish food now is your chance! All the authentic flavors we were looking for. It seems that there is live music at certain times but we were there for lunch and it was nice and quiet. read more

Phenomenal. Such a great dinner spot. Totally awesome vibe. Aurelia was our server. She was attentive, funny and great. She suggested the beets yogurt yum. The shashuka was another recommendation that was great too. I ordered the chicken kebab and husband had the ribeye kebab. Loved it and had food to take back. It was great for a cute little neighborhood restaurant. read more

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Great food and excellent service This has been my favorite spot for the past few months. They also offer daily specials--definitely worth checking out. read more

Izmir - Mediterranean Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

What a wonderful surprise to dine at this restaurant in a tiny, unassuming strip mall. If you are seeking a delicious, bountiful, authentic Turkish meal, this is the place. The red lentil soup is transcendent. The kebab assortments are varied and top notch. The mezze choices we ordered were scrumptious and atypically prepared (the dolmas were prepared as petite cylinders; the rolled cheese sticks were crisp and flavorful). The proprietor is justifiably proud of the freshness and quality of all of the menu offerings. We are already making plans to return, so that we can order Turkish raviolis and lamb shanks. Our dining companions have been to Turkey and are convinced this was the best Turkish food they've found in SoCal since they returned. There's also live entertainment on Saturday night! Izmir is a real jewel in the overall OC dining crown. read more

What a great surprise this place was! We really like Turkish food and this place had great reviews on yelp. Makes sense because the food was absolutely delicious. Quality of the food is excellent as well, the staff are super friendly and welcoming, and they give you free hot tea at the end! read more

They have a more limited menu then they show on google maps or yelp... They should make it clear about that because we went there expecting more variety read more

Izmir - Chicken Kebab (Tavuk i) - Mediterranean Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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We had the best Turkish food with AYRAN and all the salads that come with it. It's super delicious and the cost is very reasonable. The staff and the atmosphere is wonderful. read more

Izmir - Mediterranean Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

This is some of the best Mediterranean food I've ever had. The chicken shish kabobs were juicy and flavorful. The steak was also flavorful. read more

This place was amazing! Visiting our kid at Vanguard and so happy we stopped by to try this place. Had the soup, the fillet and chicken kabobs. The Turkish tea was also a nice mellow tea. Will be back! read more

We had a fantastic meal here. Even with the good reviews, we were pleasantly surprised. Our server, Oralia, was incredibly kind and friendly, and made us feel very welcome. We had two favorite dishes. The lentil soup was hearty and comforting. The fire, roasted eggplant had a very smoky and interesting flavor, and was well paired with the pita. We were really eyeing the lamb shank, but it was out of stock, so we had the ribeye skewers. The skewers were good. We had a white bean dish, Piyaz that was fresh and healthy, although we thought it tasted just OK. We also tried to order the exotic, sounding drinks on the menu, but Oralia was nice enough to let us sample them first. We found them a little too salty for our taste so decided to pass. Overall, we were really impressed with the food and atmosphere and friendly service, and can't wait to be back again read more

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Wonderful tasty food with amazing service. Would definitely recommend The shakshuka eggplant appetizer was to die for and chicken kabob was juicy and flavorful. The meatballs were good but not the best like the rest read more

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Every dish I have tried on 7 or 8 visits has been amazing. Best Grilled Chicken sandwiches around. Really warm and amazing staff too.

It's my second time at the İzmir restaurant, and both times the food was great and the service was awesome.

Good Turkish food, it's very delicious. A lot of food items here that you can't find other places and the staff is also great.

Our new favorite Mediterranean restaurant! We found this place on Yelp and the pictures made us come. Boy, were we not disappointed. This place pride's itself on cleanliness and freshness and it shows. Everything was fresh and delicious. Their chicken was perfectly cooked, as was the rice. Their tea is amazing and their Baklava is to die for! They have a lot of take out business too. Do your belly a favor and come eat here! read more

Just had dinner for the first time. Good food, good portions, amazing service! We had the meatball anatolia, butterfly chicken, grape leaves, cheese rolls, and fire roasted eggplant. We're addicted to the grape leaves and cheese rolls, sooo good. We will be back! read more