Fourth time there. Each time - fantastic. The BEST hot tea that I have ever had. The humus is…read moreperfect with the hot out of the oven nan. They do something magical with each rice dish. Most importantly, beyond the fabulous food, the people there are very friendly and welcoming. I would rank it as one of the best restaurants in Columbus - I know that is a big statement. Give it a try and let us know.

Wonderful food! Located in a quiet strip mall off Cleveland Ave, you may miss the sign unless…read moreyou're looking out for the ethnic grocery store right beside it. But anyway, the space is renovated on the inside with a nice interior and large sized single stall bathrooms. The server was great and recommended for me the lamb haneeth. The lamb truly was soft and fell off the bone. My meal didn't come with bread so I ordered extra, and was happy to see they do the massive, pizza sized flat bread. Great food, great people. Will happily come back.

Cafe Istanbul used to be in our regular dining out rotation, but somehow it slipped aside. However,…read morethe location at Easton worked for us on a recent Saturday and were we ever glad it did! We went for lunch and the cool, welcoming interior on a hot summer day set the stage for a delicious meal. We started with the combination appetizer and their wonderful bread. Every item on the plate looked as good as it tasted. I particularly loved the cold eggplant and tomato dish. I had the blackened tilapia with rice and salad. Delicious! I would certainly order this again. My fellow diners had the shrimp and the lamb shank, a weekend special. I tasted both and loved both! I took half of my meal home because the appetizer was so substantial and my tilapia was a very generous serving. The wait staff were warm and friendly, but not intrusive, making Cafe Istanbul a very comfortable place. So glad we circled back to an old favorite! Menu last weekend,

Heard rave reviews about this place so I was excited to go. Busy dinner as many of the tables were…read morefilled. Our server seemed in a rush to take our order but in a polite way. I got the Baba Ganoush and the Chicken Kabab. I thought it was strange the Baba Ganoush did not come with pita bread or chips. It also was a tad on the watery side. The Chicken Kebab entree I enjoyed the kebab but not the rice. I wish I would have gotten more veggies than the rice. Baklava was okay more dry than I would have liked. Maybe I'm a hard critic but I thought this wasn't the best representation of Mediterranean/Middle Eastern cuisine.

The food was fresh and excellent. The service was friendly and attentive…read more .......................................................................................... ..........................................................................................

My go to restaurant for healthy Mediterranean dishes. And…read moretalk about fast service, literally five minutes and it's time to chow down. My favorite is the grilled chicken rice bowl.... And you will never find any fat or gristle as they meticulously trim, grill, season and boom... perfection every single time! And that creamy Taziki sauce since my taste buds into overdrive. Love the friendly staff and spotless restaurant.

Finally came back after (almost) 4 years. The food setup is quite unique as it's like a…read moreMediterranean Chipotle. Also, best vegan chocolate chip cookies ever!!!!! Don't let the fact they substitute the butter and eggs for tahini sauce put you off. You barely notice it.

The food was really outstanding as usual. I am a big fan of the flavor rich foods that they…read moreprepare. The hummus is some of the best in town, and I love when they have special items on the menu like the brisket. My son ordered falafel sandwich and fries. The falafel was brought out pretty quickly, however, the fries never came. He had to go back inside and remind them somehow they got missing in the order not a big deal, I get that it was a busy lunch rush.

I am not a very adventurous eater but some friends suggested this restaurant. Quite a few people…read morewere here for a Saturday afternoon. Natalie was our server and she was attentive to all of our needs. The restaurant was quiet enough for conversation. I ordered grilled chicken and rice and it was flavorful and tasty. My husband ordered Kafta and he enjoyed it. The French fries were great. I was pleasantly surprised and I would definitely come back.

The food was okay and there is another dish I'd try if I go back…read more The gyro & chicken bowls boyf & I got were very large and make a couple of meals. The hand-cut fries were great and I liked the white sauce I dip them in. Service was good and the dining area is pretty large. Tip - they do not serve beer or wine.

I have been going here for many years and it's incredible every single time. The flavors,…read moreseasoning, food quality, and service are 11/10. I love getting a chicken shawarma entree and having enough leftover food for several meals. And the employees are all incredibly kind and accommodating.

We have eaten Take Out here twice in the last 3 weeks. The food was spectacular! I had heard about…read moreLavash from our pharmacist at Kroger who is Palestinian. I asked her where I go could get good Palestinian food and she suggested trying Lavash. I was expecting a small family restaurant, but Lavash is a large restaurant that apparently does a lot of catering also. My wife and I love Middle Eastern food and I can't recommend this restaurant highly enough. The Friday Special, Lamb Mencef was delicious and could easily feed a family of four, with several sides also. Basically it is large pieces of Lamb and lots of yellow rice, and a wonderful sauce, so you need to order (or make) side dishes too. We both are in our late 70's and no longer have large appetites, so this dish lasted through several meals. We both are from the Midwest and lamb is rarely on menus here in America, and the lamb on this dish is about as good as it gets. Very mild and not dried out. Thanks for the recommendation, Summer!

This place was very good. Loved the flavors together and the staff was very friendly. Clean…read morerestaurant as well I would come back

The restaurant was very clean and inviting with huge clean windows as I entered the location. The…read morestaff was enthusiastic and ready to help, as this was my first time visiting. I grabbed a pita with Greek chicken and different toppings and well it's amazing to the taste. The pita was light and warm.

It has been a few years since I was first here. Stopped by again with my husband and enjoyed it…read morevery much. I got the chicken kofta and he got the beef shawarma. Both were very good. The fruity carbonated drinks (Freez?) are REALLY good!

This is a great option for a quick, healthy meal if you're in the area. You grab a menu upon…read moreentering and then order at the counter. All utensils and plates and water are serve-yourself near the door. At lunchtime on a warm Saturday in spring they had a steady trickle of guests coming in. The person who took our order thanked us for supporting them. Food was quick and very fresh. I had 1/2 tabbouleh salad and za'atar French fries. The tabbouleh is more heavy on the greens than the grain which was a refreshing change to me. It was dressed in a bright, fresh lemony dressing. More than I could eat in one sitting. The French fries are maybe dipped in batter and fried. I'm not sure. But they are super crispy on the outside and fluffy inside - delicious. The ambiance is casual with various TV screens showing different shows and Middle Eastern music playing on the speakers. The interior is simple but warm and inviting with minimal but fun decor. While the prices are a bit higher than I would have expected, I could see myself returning for dinner.

Service was great, but honestly, I really loved the food! Everything was delicious, the prices were…read moregreat, and the staff was friendly. Definitely a place I'll be coming back to. I also heard they'll be opening a location at Saraga International Grocery soon, which is awesome! Great food, great prices, and great service. Definitely worth checking out!

Great food and fast service and the best tasting shawarma in the city. I will be back! Very nice…read morepeople also and the price

Finally came in after waiting entirely too long! Rainy Friday so it wasn't very busy, but what a…read moregreat cafe space. Sunny, really nice wood tables/benches, and feels clean and welcoming. Menu is unlike anything I've tried before and WOW is it good. Mr tried the falafel maakeesh and I tried the zaatar with vegetables and both were totally different but delicious. The falafel manakeesh did have pickles which I loved but Mr doesn't like so maybe ask for no pickles next time. The zaatar with veggies had zaatar spices baked I to the warm, freshly baked dough and had black olives, green pepper, greens, and tomatoes -- strong, gorgeous flavors. The dough is unmatched. Pillowy with perfect chew and warm right out of the oven. Can't wait to try the big bagel-like sandwiches and the chocolate manakeesh next time!

I've wanted to try this place for a while & I finally did through GrubHub…read more I had the labneh w/ salami ' the Ishta w/ Honey. They were both very good but I have a feeling they would have been much better in person. The halal salami tasted more like mortadella or a good bologna than salami, but I mean that in a good way. It was quite tasty. At first I thought the arugula that was on top should have been dressed w/ a little olive oil at least, but the more I ate of it, the more I didn't mind it. It wasn't your average store arugula & it did give a nice contrast to the fatty meat & creamy Labne. The Ishta w/ Honey arrived a bit melted & the honey had ran off a bit as well. I probably wouldn't order it to go again but it was good & not too sweet. I look forward to trying a few more items from there in person.