Great service. Greeted and seated right away. Was offered a…read moretaste / sample of wine before we ordered a bottle. Had the lavash and Haydari to start. Delicious! Ate it all! The chicken with the eggplant pure was amazing. Very rich and well seasoned. The whole fish was amazing... Great experience.

A wonderful, elegant-yet-cozy Turkish restaurant within Legacy North with attentive service, decent…read moreportions, and delicious food. We arrived as a party of five on a medium-busy Sunday evening. The tables were a reasonable distance apart, and the noise level was also fair. The food was delicious. Having not experienced authentic Turkish food before, the mention of authenticity made my group eager to give Cafe Istanbul a try. Ordering was painless and easy. There are entrees for individual meals and easy options for groups to share family-style, which we opted for. We ordered an appetizer platter with beef meatball, baba ganoush, hummus, and phyllo borek (ground beef with spices and onions inside a deep-fried phyllo wrapper). It was a bit odd that there were different amounts of each (2 meatball, 4 phyllo borek, and dollops of baba ganoush and hummus were only enough to get a small taste each) but it was balanced out by the portion size of the entree. For the entree, we opted for the mixed grill plate to share. It had chicken shish kebab, lamb kebab, adana kebab (ground lamb, pepper, and spices), grilled chicken wings, and chicken beyti (ground chicken and spices, grilled). This was served with rice and red cabbage on the side. Individually, each amount seemed small, but given that this plate was meant for two, we were still pleasantly full after polishing this off. Everything was well seasoned. The meat was juicy and perfectly cooked. I'd especially recommend the chicken beyti. The here service was swift and outstanding. We were quickly offered menus, waters, and utensils. Our waters were refilled quickly, and the kitchen took our request to plate the lamb separately in stride. The moment after my fork fell to the ground, a member of their serving staff swooped to fetch it (it was behind my chair) while another brought me a new one. It was a very well-rehearsed dance. Worth mentioning is also the fact that there were two separate groups dining that evening (a large family, and a group of friends) to celebrate a birthday. This is a restaurant worthy of birthday celebrations :) Overall, the portions are decent and filling, the food is delicious, and the service is exceptional. Consider visiting this restaurant next time you're in the area; you'll be glad that you did!

Food is fantastic. I love to take friends for their first time. Always an enjoyable experienceread more

We dropped by lunch and we were we did. We found this Turkish and Kurdish restaurant tucked away…read morein a little shopping strip. We were seated right away. The inside was much more elegant than we expected. We started surf with Hummus and Baba Ganoush Sampler. It was tasty with a Turkish twist. Then, we ordered to Spicy Chicken which was made of chicken thighs. You could tell the chicken had been soaked in spices over night. We also had the Muklabah. It was a tasty dish of rice topped with meat, eggplant, and onions. I would highly recommend this dish. We finished off with a Rice Pudding Dish and Baklava. Everything rated like it was made in house. I would definitely come again.

Turkish Cafe & Lounge offers an exceptional culinary and cultural experience. A true escape from…read morethe doldrums of suburban life, with a modern American resonance of ancient Ottoman cosmopolitanism. The nightly performances are as rich and varied as the menu itself, spanning cold and warm mezzes, comforting soups, refreshing salads, filling pides, savory kebabs, and sweet kunefe. Some nights feature mesmerizing belly dancers, while others bring Brazilian Carnaval energy to the dance floor. Other evenings showcase talented singers and instrumental performers. This is not just dinner -- it's a multi-hour vacation. If you're looking for a quick bite, this is probably not the place for you. But if you have the time and are seeking a great meal paired with marvelous diversions, Turkish Cafe and Lounge offers a delightful escape from the ordinary. The weekend brunch is extraordinary as well.

Excellent atmosphere. Delicious food the decoration brow me back to the Turkish restaurant in…read more Estambul I like this place a lot

Delicious Turkish food. I drove over half an hour to come here. It was worth the drive. The food…read morewas amazing. The service was great, and felt very we the ambience felt very cozy and special. The lamb kebab was such a treat to eat.

The food was delicious, the atmosphere was calm, and the staff were attentive towards us. It's a…read moreplace I'd like to visit from time to time since everything tasted great. The only thing is that the portions could be a bit more generous.

A very unassuming place, I've passed by a lot of times but never ventured in. But we went for…read moreMother's Day and there were no regrets! The food was absolutely delicious, especially the baba ghanoush! Service definitely felt like a mom and pop shop very relaxed and pleasant.

Legit Turkish restaurant in North Dallas. They are one of our favorites and they have all the…read moreclassics. The kebabs are all good, especially the Adana which is moist and loaded with flavor. We got the chicken claypot stew list time and it was really good. It's like a potato stew in a claypot with pastry wrapped around so it's crispy. Highly recommend it. The best part is dessert. The pistachio baklava is the best we've had in DFW. It's very light, airy, and has the best texture without being overly sweet or using too much syrup. The kunefe is also really good and is very crispy and pairs well with the syrup and cheese. Highly recommend!

We were in Dallas for a couple of months and this was the very first place my husband and I tried…read moreon our first night in Texas. It was a Tuesday night, yet the restaurant was completely packed all the way through closing at 11 pm. We instantly knew that we picked the right place if it was this busy on a random weekday. Everything we ordered was incredible. The entire menu is halal. The beef kebab was tender and full of flavor, the chicken kebab was perfectly cooked, and the steak was just as good. But the real standout for us was the baklava. It's made in-house and served fresh and warm with ice cream, and honestly, I still crave it to this day. We ended up coming back several times during our two-month stay in Texas, and every visit was just as good as the first. I can't wait to try this again the next time I'm in Dallas!

Very clean inside, beautifully decorated, and a really pleasant atmosphere overall. The staff is…read morefriendly and welcoming, and the service is fast and attentive. The food is fresh and delicious -- the meat was incredibly juicy and full of flavor. Portions are very generous, especially for the price. The Uzbek tea was amazing, very aromatic and authentic. Prices are very reasonable and affordable for the quality and portion sizes. The restroom was also very clean and nicely maintained, which is always a plus. Overall, a great place with great food, good prices, and a comfortable, well-kept space. Definitely worth coming back.

I see that it has been a couple of years since I updated my initial review, so it is time…read more We went here for dinner on a Saturday night. We arrived early so the restaurant was not too busy but it started to fill by the time we left. The ambience remains upscale casual with a gracious greeting as you enter. We were given one of the half moon booths that faced outward to the restaurant. I ordered the hummus as a starter and it was very good. It's a mild hummus without a strong garlic element. It was very enjoyable. The wife started with babaganoush and loved it. The dip was smoky and very flavorful. For entrees, the kid had the Caesar salad and ate everything except the croutons. The wife had the spiced meatballs and loved them. The meat was tender and the sauce was very rich. I had the chicken kabob and I was in heaven. The kabob took quite a while to prepare, but it was worth the wait. The chicken was well marinated and very flavorful. Best of all, it had a smoky flavor from the char, but the chicken remained tender and moist. It was phenomenal. I wish I could have that every night. It came with sautéed vegetables that were prepared perfectly. And it included a white rice that had a rich buttery flavor. We all enjoyed our meal very much and we were happy to return to this restaurant. I need to put it in the rotation more often.

Chefika offers a classic Turkish Mediterranean menu with hearty dishes and a great selection of…read morehealthy and delicious food to choose from. I visited this restaraunt for the first time and genuinely enjoyed everything I ordered. Starting off with appetizers, my friend and I ordered the pan shared halloumi cheese. This is paired with tomatoes and fig jam and is a wonderful accompaniment to the complimentary bread and olives served for the table. I'm a big fan of halloumi in general but this one was particularly cooked well and a must order for next time. For main entree I ordered Hunkar Begendi, which is sautéed marinated lamb tenderloin with red and green bell peppers over creamy eggplant puree. The lamb was in fact tender and perfectly seasoned and the eggplant puree went very well with the slight gaminess of the meat. I enjoyed this dish overall and it didn't feel too heavy, which sometimes is the case when I eat lamb. The pieces of meat were cut small enough while not being super tough, which I appreciated. I would definitely recommend this restaraunt if you enjoy trying Mediterranean fusion spots!

Atmosphere: Came on a whim on a Saturday night. This place was packed. Although we arrived before…read morethe rush, they had a lot of tables reserved and still the restaurant was full. Fortunately, they had some space on the patio. It was a hot night however they had couple fans to blow away some heat. Food: Started with a salad which was fresh, flavorful and with large chunks of beets, watermelon, and feta cheese. Great appetizer. My wife and I wanted to try a couple of items to share for the main entree, I had branzino. The whole fish, filleted, and grilled. The flavor was rich, without being overly salty nor too oily. The sides 1. Grilled Branzino - Served with quinoa arugula salad 2. Ali Nazik- Chargrilled lamb shish over smoked eggplant puree served with bean salad on the side Both were fantastic. The lamb was cooked just right and turned out moist and tender. The eggplant puree was a great texture; neither too smooth to lose its integrity nor too chunky. The staff was attentive and helpful. Verdict: 9/10: Would definitely go back but with a reservation or in a mindset to sit in the heat on the patio. Also, the deboning process for the fish could've used a little more care, but that didn't take away from the flavor.

Disappointed at the experience. I had been to the restaurant…read morein the past and had enjoyed it and perhaps this was an off night and I'm sorry to leave a poor review but there is room for improvement. The good : flavors were delicious. Our server was attentive and the entire staff seemed happy to have us.The flat bread pide (at another table) looked sumptuous . Chicken shish kebab chunks were cooked well and seasoned nicely and were juicy. The complementary bread is superb. The yogurt dip that went with though was not enough for us to have more than a few bites. Needs improvement: there was no reason why the accompanying (delicious) bean and cucumber salad was 24 to 48 hours old with Limp cucumbers and parsley and flavorless tomatoes. Needs to be fresh daily and use cherry tomatoes or Campari tomatoes for flavor and crispness. Turkish Rice was meh. It was cooked properly but not a whole lot of flavor and perhaps I was expecting more of a Lebanese style pilaf with butter, nuts, spices, onions, etc. to brighten it up. Beyti minced beef had good flavor, but why did they have gristle in it? My dinner companion complains was that this was a cheap cut. The butcher supplier is not paying attention. It also could've used a little bit more sauce on the bread wrap pieces for added juiciness. We ordered the.Tzatziki yogurt dip which helped add juiciness . There was no reason why the Turkish red wine came out warm. I realize that we were in a Dallas summer at 95° at 9 PM and the restaurant was slightly warm but still. Lastly, the owners might think about mitigating the hard surfaces that reflect sound in the restaurant. It's a lively place, but we were subjected to the group of six women who were drinking enough to be loud and screechy across the room - all too common across the city -and I did not need to hear them yukking it up. The place was full on a Saturday night, which bodes well for this restaurant. The staff attitude is good, but I'm afraid this will not be a repeat for me and my companions. .

We have driven by this place for years, but never thought to go in, and I'm so glad we did. We had…read morea great meal, friendly service, and the prices were pretty reasonable for what we got. They have a two person combination platter where you get to sample many of the favorite menu items, so my wife and I got that and everything was great. I'm allergic to seafood and she doesn't like lamb, so I took the two lamb chops and she got the shrimp off the platter, and everything else we shared. It was plenty of food for both of us and great because we got to try lots of different things. We will definitely want to come back here.

Quaint Greek restaurant with lovely decor but the food want what we had hoped it to be. Service was…read morequick and professional. We had a small Greek Salad and Horiatiki. I asked for no tomatoes on the salad and it came with iceberg lettuce, crumbled Feta cheese and one kalamata olive. The horiatiki was a better salad. My wife had the S/S Kostas with shrimp and chicken. The shrimp was good but the chicken was dry. I had the Gyro plate. I didn't like it. The gyro meat had almost no flavor, wasn't seasoned and wasn't charred...like it wasn't sliced from a rotating spit. The side potatoes were lemony and good. The green beans might have been canned but I couldn't be sure. I'm glad we went because I had always wanted to go but we won't be back.

I went for lunch and ordered the Darna Lunch Platter with the lamb kofta. Everything was delicious…read moreand perfectly seasoned, and the hummus was great as well. The portions were large and there was plenty of food for the price, which I thought was very fair. The service was great too. Our water glasses were always filled and the waiter was very attentive. The restaurant has beautiful decor and a very welcoming atmosphere. It was also quiet during lunch and there was plenty of seating. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience and would definitely go back. I would also recommend it to others.

Darna brings excellent atmosphere, great service, and good food together in an upscale environment…read more First we started with the lamb hummus and it was outstanding. Highly recommend you try it. The seasoning was on point. For entrees we had the saffron chicken kebab and the Tunisian beet salad. Both were good dishes. If you are in the Legacy West area, Darna is worth a stop.