We love Istanbul Cafe. Â The lamb and chicken kababs are always tender and delicious. Â Also the feta cheese in phyllo dough appetizer is yummy too. Â Desserts are very nice with Turkish coffee for the brave. Â American palates will not enjoy the salty yogurt drink (Ayran). Â The staff are very friendly, though some nights they seem to be a bit short handed. Â Try Istanbul Cafe, it is worth the price!
Review Source:What a place it is. Modern yet traditional. Wide variety of food selection and at a great price tag. Relaxing atmosphere , great service with a wide smile. We celebrated our marriage anniversary at this place and it was a great time. Smokey hot food and delicious menu selection. The dinner ambiance is very romantic and service was top notch. They were not pushy and make us select the right thing. Best place for our regular hang out.Highly recommended.
Review Source:This restaurant is nice and clean. The food is great. The staff is friendly. I don't have any complaints. Once you arrive they are quick to bring some water and pita bread oil. The oil is great. Then the server takes your order and before you know it you have great fresh food. I definitely recommend this place to anyone.
Review Source:*I visited Istanbul Cafe with the International Supper Club - our meal served family-style with a prix fixe menu. I was especially excited about this month's restaurant selection by the fabulous Alex due to an Istanbul visit in 2009. I can't say the Turkish food has been one of my favorites, but the experience and cozy feel of most Turkish establishments makes up for it - as was the case with Istanbul Cafe.
Our menu consisted of Tarhana, Lahmacun, Kokorec, Cig Kofte, Patlıcan Dolma and
Imam Bayildi. (say what?) We sampled everything from lamb intestine and grape leaf rolls to tomato-based soup. I was surprised to find that my favorite dish was the Patlican Dolma given that I typically am not a big fan of grape leaves. Tucked inside the mild leaves was a mixture of vegetables and meat with parsley. I was very impressed by Istanbul Cafe's service throughout the evening. A group of 32-35 can be quite difficult to handle, but our drinks were constantly filled and the food kept flowing. Every ounce of me fought of the idea of ordering some sort of dessert given the day's massive consumption of sweets.
Next time - we're going allllll out. Not ordering some rakia liquor was my biggest regret of the visit.
Food, atmosphere and service are all top notch!
We started with an amazing appetizer with hummus, tabouli, baba ganoush and a few other dips, all were great - in fact the hummus was the best I've ever had. They kept the warm, fluffy pita bread coming.
I had the lunch special, a few options were available - I went for the red lentil soup - which was excellent, and the stuffed cabbage - which really felt authentic, had tasty rice and meat inside and covered in a red sauce with a subtle zing. Veggies on the side were a great complement.
There were two servers working at the time; our main one took great care of us and if he wasn't around the other one was happy to jump in. We were well taken care of and they interjected just enough fun banter.
We went Friday evening to have a food adventure - our first time for Turkish food in Indy. Â Place was pretty empty when we got there, a few people at the bar, but it filled in slowly as we sat.
Justin our waiter is really the bartender, and he was very personable and attentive (humorous as well).
We had the Fela Borek appetizer and while it was quite tasty I thought it was a little sparse for $6 - just four thin tubes of phyllo wrapped feta with flavorings. Â My wife had the Adana kebab with yogurt, cubes of ground lamb and onions in a sauce on small squares of pita bread, with yogurt. Â It had a good mix of flavors and the portion was large enough to make a good meal.
I had the cabbage rolls which came with some very well prepared and flavored mixed vegetables (green beans, carrots, squash). Â The rolled cabbage leaves were stuffed with a ground lamb/rice mixture and covered with a tasty reddish sauce. Â Again the portion was certainly sufficient - I finished all of it but was not stuffed.
The bottom line - it is a nicely decorated, well staffed restaurant, and the food is good. Â I am sure we will come back again when we are in the mood for Turkish or Mediterranean fare.
This place never disappoints. It's my favorite Indy restaurant. The atmosphere has perked up with the recent purchase by a nice family, and the food maintains the same high quality.
One especially nice thing is that they will often cook to your request. I like Gyros sandwiches (which are not Turkish), and though it is not on the menu you can order essentially the same thing as a Doner sandwich. The quality of the meat blows away any of the restaurants in town that specialize in Gyros, and the price is comparable.
This place was kinda fancy! I didn't expect anything in particular, but I wasn't expecting that. There were a few things other than kebabs on the menu, but that was the main thing.
I had the Adana Kebab. It was delicious. Between that, the Feta Borek (appetizer) - fried phyllo filled with feta) and the large amounts of pita and oil, I was able to bring half of my dinner home.... and I usually scavenge the crap out of my dinner, eating it ALL, most of the time. If anything is ever left behind, it probably wasn't edible in the first place.
As mentioned, pita bread came... and when that was empty, the server offered to bring more (and did). And we didn't ask for more because I ended up bringing the last piece home, but crap. They gave us a LOT of bread. And it was always hot.
The Adana Kebab was $14, and my boyfriend had the Chicken Kebab with yogurt, and that was $15. My Adana Kebab contained two lamb kebabs, plain rice and green beans & carrots... and not an overwhelming amount for the price.
Our server was very sweet. She asked us about our super bowl plans, and she generally seemed very down to earth. She seemed to be handling the whole restaurant by herself (they weren't terribly busy), but she was still very attentive.
We had lunch at Istanbul a few weeks ago with our large group of 19. Â I'm familiar with Middle Eastern food so I was looking forward to it. Â The restaurant is clean and very attractive (white tablecloths). Â The bathroom is immaculate (a good sign to check out before eating anywhere). Â I thought the food (hummus and my grilled vegetables) were very bland. Â Compared to the terrific, very garlicly hummus at Athens on 86th, Istanbul's hummus had very little if any garlic. Â The pita bread was crisp, fresh and wonderful. Â I expected more spices and garlic in my veggie dish though. Â Iced tea had a very nice unusual flavor. My mother had the vegetable stew and was disappointed that there were only 2 or 3 very tiny pieces of eggplant. Â And no flavor or spices but there was an over abundance of sauce. Â Others in our group seemed to enjoy their kabobs, Turkish coffee, desserts and other selections but remarked that the food was not too exciting ~not bad; just "ok". Â For our large group we had one waiter and while he was quietly reserved he was very quick in delivering our lunches all within minutes and checked on us. Â We didn't feel any warmth or distinctive welcoming but maybe it was an off day for him, their culture is more reserved, or the language barrier was challenging for him. Â He did thank us for coming and was agreeable when we requested separate checks. Â I'll try Istanbul again but if it doesn't meet my expectations, I'll have to make Athens my #1 choice for Middle Eastern/Greek food.
Review Source:Don't let the location fool you. Â This unassuming storefront opens up to a slightly upscale yet very relaxing atmosphere. Â My new favorite restaurant has a small bar and nice dining room with pleasant light colored wood lining the walls. Â
The server delivers fresh pita bread with delicious olive oil to the table to kick things off.
The feta borek appetizer is delicious but skip the calamari which is only average.
The doner kebab, served with rice and veggies, is usually enough for two meals. Â The plate looks so simple, but all of the flavors are out of this world. Â I don't know much about wine pairings, but I know the lamb tastes so good with a glass or two of Cabernet. Â They gyro plate is good too.
Service is attentive and friendly. Â I think it's a family-run joint.
The chicken kabob is where it's at! Â The best-seasoned chicken I've had in years. Â We started with an appetizer of hummus, which came with fresh, warm bread for dredging through the smooth waves of tastiness. Â My hubby had the baked eggplant and enjoyed it, but he didn't recommend that I even taste his dish after trying one of my chicken pieces--he knew that I'd been too spoiled by the chicken to properly appreciate his eggplant. Â Vegetables, no matter how carefully prepared, can never compete with the meat, I think. Â The baklava we shared for dessert was divine. Â We will be returning to this place in the future to try out more of the kebabs. Â Oh, our waiter dude was friendly and deserved the big tip we gave him.
Review Source:This was a very unfortunate meal. The waiter was incredibly un-attentive, and we didn't feel like the menu descriptions matched what we received.
After asking specifically if I could have no peppers in my meal, he brought out my dish with peppers, and tomatoes (which was not listed on the menu). If these were not the 2 veggies I hated, it wouldn't be a big deal, but, they are.
The fried eggplant appetizer came out a cold dish which was more like sauteed peppers & tomatoes with an after thought of super mushy eggplant.
The Doner Kebab my dining partner ordered came out as greasy chunks of meat - not at all what she expected. (I'm not sure how they're usually served, but she expected something completely different.)
:(
Istanbul cafe does not have a gluten free menu, but our waiter knew which dishes contained flour. I have a weakness for lamb and ordered the shish kebab and it was tender and flavorful. I also ordered the lentil soup (usually gf) and our waiter quickly told me it contained flour! I was grateful for the warning. Â We did order the Turkish flan for desert and I have now found another favorite dessert! I plan on returning often.
Review Source:My high school buddies and I went to Istanbul for spring break a few years back. Â How appropriate that when 3 of us went out for a reunion dinner, we went for Turkish. Â Food was good: The appetizer dips hummus, etc., clearly are homemade and have a nice texture. Â The kebabs were solid -- the chicken kebab and the yogurt sauce kebabs were the best that I tried, but everything was fine. Â Service was attentive without being overbearing. Â The only quibble I might have is that in retrospect, I should have had my raki without ice. Â Next time....
Review Source:Because I don't live near this neighborhood, I had never heard of the Istanbul Cafe. Â However, I was able to go on an urban hike this evening and the meeting place was the parking lot between the Istanbul Cafe and Blockbuster Video (are they still in business?!). Â Since I arrived early, I decided to meander over to the Istanbul to check out their menu. Â As soon as I walked in the door and smelled the heavenly delights, I immediately placed an order for the shish kabob (lamb) and a side of the Pureed Eggplant to pick up after our hike was finished.
I have to say that the lamb was spectacular! Â So tender and juicy, I didn't mind eating it out of a to-go container :-) Â I didn't know what to expect with regard to the pureed eggplant, but OMG! I have never tasted anything so flavorful! Â It came with some flatbread that was also very moist and soft...perfect to dip into the eggplant.
If I do this same hike again -- and I'm sure I will -- I plan on dining in and enjoying the entire ambiance of this charming little restaurant. Â Don't let the stripmall deter you. Â It is a nice shopping area at the corner of W 86th and Ditch Road.
It should be noted that I am often called a food snob, and am hyper critical of bad service, particularly when paying upscale prices. Â That being said - I find nothing to criticize in this lovely restaurant. Â The menu is varied, the service is beyond polite and the food is uniquely and deliciously prepared. Â The clean white table cloths and decent wine list cap off a wonderful evening. Â The kebabs are great, the lamb chops tender and succulent and the seafood casserole was like a paella - fabulous all.
Review Source:I don't even know where to begin, because everything was really wonderful. Â I guess I'll begin with the appetizer plate which is where we began.
My husband and I shared an appetizer plate for 2 and both enjoyed everything. Â The babaganoush was the best we have had in a very long time if not ever. Â I also loved, I mean LOVED the fried eggplant in tomatoes. Â The ezme was also really, really good. Â
For dinner we shared the mixed grill plate. We were able to try shish kebob, chicken kebob, adona kebob and donner kebob. All of them were delicious. Shish kebob (lamb) was my favorite. Â The lamb was so tender and the seasoning was super. Â Really, all of the kebobs were very good, so it is difficult to explain why I like shish kebob the most, but I did. Â I would happily eat any of them, anytime though.
Typically, my son doesn't care for mediterranean food, but he had to go with us last night, and he ended up loving it.
Friendly servers, though we were never asked if we wanted anything aside from water to drink. I see another reviewer experienced the same thing, so maybe they expect you to just tell them if you do want something else. Anyway, the food was really great. They had normal Mediterranean fare, but with more of a Turkish flair than you'd find at most Mediterranean places, which seem to swing either Middle Eastern or Greek usually. We tried an appetizer called esme, which I'd never heard of & can only find one recipe online for. It was addictive. It's sort of a Turkish bruschetta/salsa w/ tomatoes, pomegranate sauce, peppers, & other ingredients culminating in a pile of yum. The pitas are piping hot & deliciously soft & fluffy. I tried their hummus, which is creamy & has a decidedly cumin flavour to it. Good, but I like lemony, garlicky hummus better. My husband got the doner kebab & ate in silent joy. Apparently it was that good. Also pronounced delicious on the carnivore side was my younger son's chicken wrap. My older son & I got veggie options. He had the veggie grill, which comes w/ a tomato sauce much like what my stuffed cabbage came in & a creamy dill sauce I thought looked like a runny tzatziki, but was way dillier. His vegetables were nicely grilled with a great smoky flavour. My vegetarian stuffed cabbage rolls were great & reminded me strongly of a warm dolma, which they also have. The vegetables they served w/ the meal were perfectly crisp-tender w/ an addictively tasty butter sauce on them & the basmati rice was light & fluffy. We were all too full to try baklava, but I really thought about it even though we weren't going to be home for hours. The inside is very tasteful, with light green walls & beautiful 2-toned wood everywhere w/ modern metal accents. There are lovely blue glazed plates hanging on the walls & I really loved the tile floors in the bathroom. I'll be back for some baklava & Turkish coffee soon.
Review Source:My Aunt brought me here and I was impressed with the decor, the service and the amazing kebabs. Â The staff was pleasant and courteous and we enjoyed our dinner this evening very much. Â No complaints and I plan to be back soon to enjoy something else from their menu. Â Again, kebabs were amazing.
Review Source:We ate here for dinner last night and really enjoyed the place. Â We were eating at "old people" time at around 4:30. Â We were the only guests in the entire place and they had the interior lights off. Â I'm going to say the lights were off to save money because that makes sense if the place is empty. Â By the time we left at 5:30 there were a few tables full.
The decor is nice, and the place is very clean. Â I'm willing to bet the owner has a serious case of OCD. Â It would also explain the lights.
We were waited on immediately and the service was consistently good.
We had the Shepards Salad as an opener and loved it. Â I enjoyed how the veggies were chopped into even sizes and small. Â Great flavors and it'll be a dish that I remember for a long time.
Next we had the zucchini pancakes and had to share them between us. Â They were fresh, light and very tasty. Â Perfectly cooked.
My entree was the chicken kabob. Â I don't like lamb so 1/2 the menu is out of the question for me. Â The chicken was perfect, great flavors and moist. Â The rice was also perfectly cooked. Â The veggies were probably not cooked to order but they still tasted great.
My wife had the Adamo (sp) Chicken. Â She enjoyed it but the pepper flavor was a little too strong. Â It ended up being finished as lunch the next day.
The experience was much more "upscale" than Bosphorus, and the zucchini pancakes (and salad) were better, but the cost was double. Â We will probably come back, but it will depend on our budget. Â If were were going to drop another $60, we'd rather have sushi more often than not.
There were no hot waitresses, or any waitresses at all when we were there.
What a wonderful little place...so glad the sushi place was closed, so I had the oppurtunity to try it.
The atmosphere is very nice...bright windows, tile floors, soothing colors really give the place a relaxing feel.
It was pretty much empty when I arrived, granted it was almost 14:30.
The service was excellent, friendly, and attentive.
I had the veg stew with humus and a Turkish tea...all of it was outstanding. The stew consisted of fresh garden veggies, in a lite tomato stew sauce and rice. The humus was a good consistancy, and had just enough garlic to taste, but not overpower. The pita bread was fresh, warm, and soaked up the humus and olive oil nicely.
Opted for a Kunefe for desert...not my usual thing to have desert after lunch, but it sounded so interesting, I had to. Shredded dough, surrounding unsalted goat cheese, topped with crushed walnuts and honey glaze! Wow...it was good...not overly sweet, but just enough to keep it in the desert realm. The goat chese inside was very savory.
A great lunch, and a must try.
I'm kind of disappointed in this place. I went here for a late lunch today and was not impressed at all. It was a bit warm out so I decided to dine indoors. I was one of only two tables seated inside. Yes it was bright inside with all the windows, but it was also kind of shadowy since they didn't have any interior lights turned on. It felt like they didn't want to be serving anyone in there at the time. They filled my water glass after a couple minutes, but didn't ask if I wanted anything else to drink. I had to flag the server down to ask for an iced tea.
On to the menu. I had high hopes for one of the kebabs. I was torn between the Chicken Adana Kebab and the Iskander Kebab. Asking the waiter for an opinion on the two he highly recommended the Iskander, so I went with that. The menu describes it as "Slices of Turkish Gyro placed over cubes of pita bread and immersed in rich tomato sauce and topped with hot butter. Served with homemade yoghurt on the side". It was tasty, but swimming in oil and not much of the rich tomato sauce. The menu also stated that "All Kebabs served with Basmati Rice and Vegetables". They never showed up. Normally I would speak up about that, but I wasn't really craving them and thought perhaps they weren't included with lunch and it would be at a cheaper price. Upon getting my bill (which I also had to flag the server down to get), it wasn't discounted for no rice or veggies. Had it not been for the fact that I wasn't that hungry and that I'll be getting reimbursed for this meal from my work, I would have pitched a fit about not getting all the food that the menu stated I would get.
Sitting in the shadows, no refill on my tea that I had to beg to get, not getting the rice and veggies promised with the dish, alright tasting, but nothing noteworthy food all for $22 equals the worst meal I've had while spending time here in Indy. Disappointing indeed.
We've eaten here twice--wow, what fantastic food! We are recent transplants from Portland, Oregon, and our quest for decent food here has been sadly unrewarding. However, this restaurant  is a shining exception. We've eaten in restaurant (nice, clean, tastefully decorated) and had take out. The vegetarian appetizer platter was delicious (I strongly recommend the eggplant, much to my surprise) and my picky husband inhaled his chicken wrap. The pita puts store-bought pita to shame, and the baklava was a perfect ending to the meal.
Review Source:Having never eaten at a Turkish restaurant before, I have to say that I'm already a fan. Â We were actually trying to go to the nearby Oakley's Bistro, which was closed for a private party. Â As we drove in, I noticed that the special board at Istanbul had Lamb Shank (my wife's favorite) and Broiled grouper (my sister's favorite), so I figured it was worth a shot. Â We wandered our way down and peaked at the menu as a server was clearing off an outdoor table. Â He asked "First time here?" Â When we said yes, he said that we would hate it, but that if we hated it, he would buy our dinner. Â Who could refuse that? Â After zucchini pancakes, hummus, lamb shank, grouper, seafood casserole, and cabbage rolls, he was definitely wrong. Â We really loved it. Â 4 stars because of a couple small service hiccups, but we will definitely be back. Â Great food!
Review Source:I've been meaning to try the Istanbul Cafe and finally made it there yesterday for lunch with some coworkers. Â The decor was a lot fancier than our typical lunch spots, but we managed to keep our elbows off the table and keep the conversation PG. Â I ordered a cup of their lentil soup- expecting it to be the thick yellow lentil kind I'm used to- Â it was red lentil and thin, but really tasty, with a more roasted red pepper flavor than I'm used to (again, still yummy). Â I also ordered the zucchini pancake appetizer and it came with 3 good sized pancakes on the plate. Â That's way more food than I can handle, so I gave 2 away and had one for myself. Â YUMMY! Â I'm not one for fried food, but this pancake was delicious- with zucchini, carrots, maybe something onion-like and the real kicker was the dill sauce that came with it. Â It really made the dish! Â There are a lot of other good looking things on their menu that I want to try for dinner, but for a quick lunch, this was perfect! Â Prices were pretty reasonable too- I think I paid about $10 with tip for my soup and the 3 pancakes. Â Brave the strip mall and give this place a try!
Review Source:I have to say, hands-down, that this restaurant has it all: Great decor, great servers, great menu (with great desserts!). The Istanbul Cafe has a bit of everything you'd expect on a Mediterranean menu and more. Gyro dishes and kebab dishes of lamb and beef and more served with rice and fresh vegetables. I guess it makes sense that this Turkish delight feels authentic: according to the Web site, the chef is from Turkey. My advice: Try one of the kebabs or gyro platter. I promise they're better than any gyro you've had around town (yes, even the ones at the State Fair!) I've only visited during the lunch hour (it's near my workplace at 86th and Ditch), but I read on their site that they offer half-price bottles of wine on Mondays and Tuesdays! (Probably not wise to drink a bottle during your work lunch!) One other thing: I must point out the absolutely beautiful decor. The green color on the walls is unlike any paint job I've ever seen. It's stunning. If you want to try something different, check out Istanbul Cafe. You won't be sorry.
Review Source:I went there for the first time this past Friday for a friend's b-day. Â There was a large group of us and we had a reservation. Â Our service was AWFUL. Â I've never had a waiter say "If you need anything, let me know" and mean it... to the point of having to flag her down to order drinks and dinner. Â She seemed put out to be waiting on us. Â We all felt like she didn't care about our table, perhaps b/c her gratuity was already built in. Â Who knows... Â The food, however, was delicious. Â We had an appetizer platter for the table and I had the vegetarian stuffed cabbage leaves for my entree. Â All of the food was nicely seasoned and tasty. Â I'm sure I'll go back at some point... but I'd choose Bosphorous over Istanbul Cafe anytime.
Review Source:First time at Istanbul Cafe and we had quite a nice time. Â As noted by Ozgur, the decor is really clean and modern. Â
I can highly recommend the Appetizer Sampler platter for first time guests. Â The tabuleh and hummas were very nice, but the show stopper was the fried eggplant with tomato sauce. Â The eggplant was really perfectly cooked and super tasty.
There are several vege options. Â I had the vege stuffed cabbage rolls which were tasty. Â
Will definitely return if for nothing other than the fried eggplant appetizer!
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