Didn't like this place at all. I expected more but didn't get a good experience from Istanbul Lu. Food is ok. Place is too small. Portions are too small as well. I was there 2 months ago with my wife. my server was an older woman around 30 and up I don't remember her name I think she said, she's from Bulgaria. Not friendly at all. my wife asked a few questions about the menu. She barely answered, she showed her attitude. If u have a problem just leave it at home. I do not recommend this place.
Review Source:Vacillating between 3.5 and 4 stars.  Think  it's actually a 4 star restaurant where I had a 3.5 star taste experience because I forgot I hate lamb shank.  It makes me feel like a cave (wo)man.  And not in a good way.
Cave people aside, the food tasted really fresh, the service was good, the ambience was nice, the bread warm and accompanied by something orange and hummusy, the free salad fresh and tasty. Â My husband loved his yogurt kabob and I liked the bite I tried of our friend's Adana kabob. Â They were also gracious with my friend's toddler, which I always appreciate.
I would definitely go back but will leave my cave person tendencies aside and try some more standard Turkish fare, like some good old Iskander, next time.
Amazing place. I loved all the food here. We were a party of 3 and each of us ordered an appetizer plus a main course and finally a dessert. I had their Poca soup, it was really good, although I expected it to be thicker for whatever reason. Taste was fantastic. One of my friends had ordered some kind of a lentil appetizer, it was the best of all three.
For main courses I had Iskender Kofte. It was fantastic but it was my least favorite of the three. If you're also a guy with an appetite just ask for a side of rice with it as well because what they serve you is delicious but not really enough. My buddy didn't want to eat his side of rice because his plate was huge so I ended up just mixing his rice into my meal and that was perfect. I forget what the other two meals were exactly but they were also fantastic.
Rice pudding for dessert was quite good, although my grandmother would always make it with more rice than that. Hers was also sweeter and much better, but this isn't my grandmom's kitchen so I won't hold it against them. Also I don't get the reason for torching the thick creamtop on it. It's not a creme brule, just make it authentic rather than burnt. So the only problem I had was: add more rice to your rice pudding, little bit more sugar and do away with torched creamtop.
Don't go in without reservations.
I am not an expert on Turkish food, and maybe if I knew better I would be able to compare it and place it better, but I was not excited at all after eating in this restaurant.
We ate a plate of turkish mornings and later I had the Adana sandwich. The plater didnt feature anything surprising for the price and the sandwich was a little soggy and had two very sad french fries. If you are not going to provide good french fries, better not put them
Driving around Davis Square one sultry late spring/early summer night (Friday night) and the square was packed.  All restaurants had lines out the door.  The parking was non-existant.  I was tired, I worked all day and had a big event that I worked at.  My fiancé was hungry.  We ended up driving down/up (?) to Teele Square and went to Istanbu'lu.  Surprisingly, we went as it's across the street from one of my favorite places to get tacos and a margarita.
We walked in and immediately got a table (the last two top they had). Â We looked at their long menu and chose some items.
I ended up ordering the Sak Suka which is cubed eggplant that is fried and and comes with an assortment of veggies and stewed tomatoes with yogurt and dill. Â Tasty!
For my meal, I wasn't adventurous but got the Firinda Sebzeli Guvec which is your basic white rice and roasted veggies with a light type of tomato based sauce.  Very good.  My fiancé got a lamb and white bean stew, which he proclaimed, "Delicious."  I wish the portions were a little bigger but that is only because I am an American and I know we eat more than necessary, but I still wish my plate was a bit more full.  It was a filling meal and the service was great.  Our waitress, Aksana was sweet and helpful and we had another waitress who helped us choose a dessert.  They even had one of my favorite wines, Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc, though I wish it was a bit colder, kinda had a room temp feel.  Finally, for dessert we wentwith a baklava type dessert but it was made with shredded phyllo dough, pistachios and honey.
I would give one more star if my wine was colder and my portion was a bit bigger. Â I know that sounds picky but that is what really stuck out. Â Also I think they could improve the chairs they had as they looked like something from a Knights of Columbus and didn't fit with the decor.
I will be back soon and I know I will update my review and hopefully give Istanbu'lu FIVE STARS!
Friday, went here for the dinner. We were nervous about we were the only party there on a friday night. but the food was so tasty,  the bread before the meal is the best i had in all turkish restaurant in boston, not mention the wholeseome red pepper dip. Compare with them , turkish family  restaurant was so off by giving you the regular bread and individual package butter.
the portion is not that huge, but i am OK with it as long as it is tasty.
Then , the coming sunday, we come back for the brunch, ( the little place got filled up quickly) . I Â have to say I haven't had so good brunch in restaurant for long. we ordered borek and a kinda of turkish Cassoulet made out of their bread. it is su borek (water borek), not the simply pastry dough baked, Â the texture is so great, i can't wait to make it myself.
the cassoulet was something  you can't stop eating.
i have to say, the chef in this little place really knows how to make food tasty.
I have been to turkish family, sabur, pasha , now, i think this place is the best after all.
( i don't compare oleana with them)
Binh L. has been raving to me about Istanbul'lu for ages, but for some reason I just never got around to checking it out. UNACCEPTABLE. Seriously, it is *not* okay that it took me over two years to try the awesome food here.
I asked my server, Aksana, to order for me since I had never tried Turkish food before. We settled on a couple of different small plates and a dessert:
1. Bebek karni yarek (baby eggplant stuffed with ground lamb and sautéed onion): Aksana told me that Turkish cuisine is known for amazing eggplant dishes, and I can see why. This was easily the best eggplant I've ever had in my life -- it was the perfect vessel for the lamb and onions, tender and pleasantly oily. It came with a dollop of thick, tart yogurt that provided a nice contrast. Om. Nom. Nom.
2. Mercimek kofte (steamed red lentils with tomatoes, parsley, and scallions): I can already sense your skepticism. STOP. Just hear me out. These lentils... in all my life I have never had such extraordinary lentils. They formed a paste that was thick with flavor -- tangy and hearty and green, all at once. Again, the yogurt that it came with was like a magic ingredient. It was exactly the right thing to have along with the lentils.
3. Sutlac (rice pudding): I am a sucker for a good rice pudding. The Filipino version is one of my all-time favorite foods. So many creamy-dreamy-delicious carbohydrates! I was clearly predisposed to liking this dessert. When I broke the skin of my sutlac and tasted my first cold, vanilla-y scoop, I was smitten. It was bomb, my friends. Deeply bomb. You should order it.
The free bread was just as delicious as the small plates. It was soft and a little spongy, served with a tangy red pepper sauce for dipping. I'm sure I would have merked the entire basket if given the opportunity, but eggplant and lentils came out crazy-fast. Quick service seemed to be par for the course -- I saw a guy walk in, order, and leave with takeout in like 7 minutes flat.
Don't be like me, living a sad eggplant-and-lamb-less life. Get to Istanbul'lu as soon as you can.
Let's be honest I am from Turkey and this place is blown out of proportion. Since there aren't many Turkish restaurants in Boston, a small place in a busy area can be portrayed positively but Turkish cuisine itself is very tasty and there is nothing unique to this place that makes it any better.
Try Sultan's Kitchen in Financial District or Pasha in Arlington if you want better Turkish Food.
Cons,
Mediocre food. Small portions TOOOO expensive. Too spicy, in no region in Turkey we eat this spicy unless specifically prepared spicy.They deliver for 7 bucks.Tiny place.
Wrong spelling seriously it should be Istanbullu(meaning from Istanbul) not Istanbul'lu. I wonder why they chose a village setting whereas it could have been more fitting to have a decoration scheme that refers to Istanbul.
Pros,
Good brunch menu
End Result: A three Star, nothing was horrible, nothing went wrong. One star off because I pity the money I spent on such small portions.
I believe calling this place Istanbul'lu is an insult to any actual Istanbullu, i.e. Istanbulite.
The dish names are Turkish; however, the food is not authentic at all.
Patlican salatasi , i.e. the eggplant salad has nothing to do with what patlican salatasi should taste like.
Same thing for Beyti - Beyti, by definition, needs to be slices of kebab wrapped in lavash bread. This Beyti kebab looked and tasted nothing like Beyti kebab!
While our waitress was very sweet, we were very disappointed with the food.
For a non-Turkish customer, who does not know what authentic Turkish dishes should taste like, I am sure the food will taste good, and they won't know the difference.
However, I believe the food will be a disappointment for any Turkish customer who will go here, expecting an authentic Turkish taste.
We were there this past weekend with some friends for brunch and we had a good experience! If you are there for brunch, make sure you ask for the dinner menu too, as the kebabs are not available on the lunch / brunch menu.l The lamb kebabs off the dinner menu were fantastic. We also had the kofte, a poached egg dish that was topped with yogurt and two different egg dishes - one baked and one not. The baked one was superior but both were lovely! The breads and the spicy dip that came with it
Portions were a little small for sharing - not your typical American portions - but the food was extremely tasty. Customer service was attentive, the place was small and our waitress kept coming over to refill our water even though we sat for almost five hours while catching up with our friends.
We plan to go back soon and bring our friends with us again!
I had a Groupon to use here so my husband and I tried Istanbul'lu for the first time on Saturday for lunch. It was great. I love Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food, but I don't think I had ever been a straight Turkish place be I was excited to try it.
The homemade Turkish bread and red pepper dip is absolutely fantastic. I ordered a sandwich for my entree and it was served on the same, great bread. My husband and I started with a su borek with feta which was great and came with Turkish tea. A red lentil tapa with yogurt on top was also tasty as a starter. I ordered an eggplant salad sandwich which tasted a bit like baba ganoush, but with more flavor. My husband got a lamb sandwich which he enjoyed a lot as well.
I only wish we lived closer to Somerville - I'd be here at least a few times a month!
"Meh" is right. Â Istanbul'lu just didn't do it for me.
The servers were very nice, and the place is really cozy and comfortable. Â 5 stars for service alone. Â We didn't have a reservation on a busy night, but the waitress took my number and suggested that we walk around for about 20 minutes and she would call as soon as she had a table available. Â She called almost 20 minutes later on the nose and we walked right over. Â
Unfortunately the food was a big miss.
Stuffed eggplant appetizer was very bland.
My wife ordered the kebab wrapped in lavash-like bread and that was decent, but the portion size was about 20% too small. Â And the salad that came with her entree was overloaded with onions. Â I can still taste it.
My entree... I'm not sure what it was, but it wasn't Turkish. Â It was more like a chicken and vegetable stir-fry without the Asian flavors. Â The rice that came with it was very under-cooked which is a shame because it tasted good and I really appreciate well-made rice.
Great service and quality ingredients, but we just left severely underwhelmed considering other peoples' reviews and a packed house.
I love this place. I frequent the place and mostly order tapas (as a pescetarian, there aren't' a ton of entree options for me) I have always had good luck with service and love the food! I took advantage of the groupon offer with no problems, and am always satisfied when i leave.
One of the big pluses for me has always been that I have never had to wait for a table! That may be dumb luck but it definitely helps me keep coming back.
first visit today- a lazy Saturday.  Very warm welcome and very brief wait while the place was packed at 2 pm. Ethnic ambience....a nice cup of turkish coffee as the warm January sun lit up the walls. All this worked up an appetite for the tangy roasted red pepper dip with small pieces of warm turkish bread  that were brought to welcome us.
Simple brunch menu led us to Menemen- a subtly flavored vegetable omelet  and Firinda Kahvaltilik - a baked egg dish with wonderful cheese flavors I will seek out again soon.  We also tried the Mucver- a fried patty of zucchini and egg flavored with parsley, dill, feta and served with carrot and yogurt.
Capping it all off the owner is gem. Â When he saw I was short of quarters he pulled 3 out of his own pocket and insisted I take them. Â
I'd like to return- it is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner  and does take reservations which are a good idea. Istanbul'lu is the real deal.
Outstanding food, ambiance & service.
Was looking for a good meal to celebrate an event and landed at Istanbul'lu (based on Yelp reviews). Was blown away by the Paca soup which is an incredible broth containing the tenderest lamb. For entrees, we decided to do Yogurt Adana and Kofte (not seen on the current menu on Yelp so may be new additions). The meat was cooked to perfection and was complemented perfectly with sauces (for the Adana) and butter rice/peppers (for the Kofte).
Our server was polite and efficient.
My wife and I like to try new restaurants each time we go out but for this restaurant we'll break that rule and come back very soon :)
Walking by Istanbul'lu for years wondering if it was worth going in, we finally got a chance last week to check it out during a much deserved mid-move break. After spending a week in Turkey this summer I have been drooling over the chance to see if some restaurants in the States can authentically recreate some of the dishes I had there. Fortunately, Istanbul'lu nailed it.
Before looking over the menus we were given a bowl of homemade bread and roasted red pepper spread that I admittedly inhaled because it was so delicious (or was it because I was ravenous after lifting stupid boxes up and down flights of stairs all day?). Knowing full well I'd be ordering something lamb, I decided on the Tas Kabab (stewed lamb and vegetables over rice) quickly without really checking out the rest of the menu. She ordered the Sultan's Delight (same as Tas Kabab, except over a Turkish style eggplant puree). Home. Run. Loved it. Just the right proportions and it was made with great care to detail. The Turkish tea brought back some awesome memories of sitting along Bosphorus with tea and nargile :) Service was prompt and friendly and they were eager to explain anything we asked.
Now that we live in Teele Square we plan to be regulars. Huzzuh!
I really wish I lived closer so I could come here more often! The flavors are really rich and flavorful, and the employees are very  friendly. The restaurant has a great atmosphere- it's a nice place to go and relax and enjoy a great dinner with family and friends. It is a rather small place, so try and make reservations if possible. We last went there with a group of 8 and they were excellent to us!
I have been there for both lunch and dinner and would highly recommend it.
Just updating to say that I've dined in now and it's great. Â They serve an amazing bread with a garlic red pepper dipping sauce while you are waiting for the meal. Â Everything tastes amazing. Â I recommend lamb or eggplant because they know how to cook them to perfection! Â Yum! This place is such a little gem.
Review Source:Came for Saturday lunch, menemen and laz pancakes. Omelette was really good - served in a pot, more scrambled than a giant turnover, and had a good mix of veggies and other stuff. Pancakes w sausage and bacon-y stuff was also great. The pancakes were basically fried dough w honey and a good jam on top. Not healthy, but also a good size, not crazy huge and 3000 calories like typical western breakfasts. All really good. Also, served w warm bread and a cool sauce.
Got the baklava and another dessert. Both great. Even liked the Turkish tea - not too bitter
Anyway, loved it
This is the worst experience I have ever. I bought a coupon from Groupon Now, I walked all the way from Porter sqr to this restaurant. After showing the coupon I just bought, they said I cannot use it because they have already changed the rule. They add an extra using time limit which contradicts with they writes in Groupon. They're arrogant, and said you can call Groupon and get a full refund anyway....I cannot help to ask them If you don't need customers play by the rules,, why do you offer this deal?
Review Source:We came to Istanbul'lu later in the evening, around 9pm, so I am being generous with my scoring based on the fact that they were probably eager to close up shop for the night.
We had a variety of the Tapas, from Mercimek Kofte, to Imam Bayildi to the Taze Fasulye and some others. Â All the tapas were clearly leftovers re-heated and the green beans were very soggy, tasting as if it came straight out of a can. Â The flavors of the mercimek Kofte was pretty tasty, but it had a crust to the outside, again, tasting of reheat.
I would love to give this restaurant another shot, perhaps during peak hours, and attempt an entree as well. Â Until then I give it a very generous three stars.
The turkish coffee was damn delicious, at least.
For my 100th review -- seriously, can I marry into this family? This is the food security that I have been craving.
The lovely waitress recommended the lamb and baby okra rice dish. It was so amazing that I came back the next day for the same dish. She laughed at me, but I have no shame. All the food here is just the right amount of spice and nice. It's not too salty, and the texture is nothing less than comfort food. The rice is fluffed. The lamb, tomato-based with baby okra was spooned over my lovely portion.. and then I became a buffoon and stuffed my face.
It's a cozy place. Take a date here. Show 'em your cultured side and when you eat like a barbarian.. just say it's a compliment to the chef.
First of all, I let roughly 90% of the Groupons, Google Offers, Living Socials, etc. that I buy expire long before I remember, "Oh wait, I think I have a coupon to that place ..." So I tried to be way ahead of the game with Istanbu'lu, buying a Google Offer and then going two days later. This of course has roughly 0% to do with what I thought about the actual restaurant, but I was damn proud of myself for not letting another stupid coupon go to waste.
Anyhow, on to the review ...
We had three different waitresses, all of whom were great. This was important because I recognized zero dishes on the menu. We had mostly eggplant dishes recommended to us, including an eggplant dish stuffed with ground beef, and a lightly fried zucchini cake with yogurt. Before the food came, we were served bread with a really excellent red pepper tapenade.
All of the food was very, very good. The beef-stuffed eggplant stands out as particularly excellent, followed by the zucchini dish. The traditional Turkish salad was fine, as was a dish of fried dough recommended to us.
Overall, a very, very solid meal. I'd absolutely go back, and I'd likely try a main dish next time, since we only ordered from the tapas menu. If you bought the Google Offer, don't let it go to waste!
The food was really good. We ordered two cold tapas (the stuffed grape leaves and the eggplant "salad") and one hot (lentils). All three were delicious, although the lentils were a bit too spicy for my taste. Presentation was beautiful, and the bread was incredible. The waitress brought more out as soon as she saw it was gone.
For the main course, my boyfriend got the Kofte and I got the Sultan's Delight. The Kofte was AMAZING. The spices were perfect, the meat wasn't too dry, and the flavor was superb. The side of rice, however, was sub-par and too plain. It was served with a rich, thick yogurt that was the perfect complement. The Sultan's Delight was good, as well. The lamb was tender and flavorful. The eggplant was very creamy, bordering on too creamy, but overall the dish was tasty.
For dessert, we ordered two Turkish coffees -- absolutely flawless, served in beautiful Turkish china. We also ordered baklava and a shredded filo dough with pistachios. The baklava was also made with pistachios, which I thought was strange, because I've only had with walnuts or pecans. It was a little too sweet, but the shredded filo with pistachios made up for it. The texture was amazing and it was very yummy.
The waitresses were warm and knowledgeable, and very eager to help. They weren't pushy at all, and let us take our time with the meal.
The only real complaint I have with the place is the price compared to the atmosphere. The inside of the place looks cheap and old, with ugly commercial chairs and rickety tables. The food was quite pricy compared to this, and I felt like for a $15 entrée, they could at least have some better furniture and cloth napkins!
I really want to give this place 5 stars, but the atmosphere held it back. Â
The food was outstanding. Â Completely authentic (reminded me of my visit to Istanbul a few years ago) and absolutely delicious. Â The homemade bread was outstanding, as was their "special red pepper sauce". Â The tapas were all amazing. Â We couldn't go wrong!
The entrees were equally amazing. Â I had the Kofte Plate, which was perfect. Â The kofte itself was homemade and had the perfect amount of spice. Â The yogurt on the side cut the spice and blended the kofte with the spicy onion "salad" that came with it. Â The potato was delicious, and the rice helped tie it all together. Â I'm craving it now just thinking about it!
I also tried the Sultan's Delight (lamb with eggplant) and it was really, really top notch.
We finished the meal off with some Turkish coffee. Â Let's just say I didn't realize how much I missed Turkish coffee until I had some of their's. Â Absolutely perfect.
The waitresses were extremely warm, patient, and helpful. Â We had a long (3 hour) meal, and they were welcoming and didn't rush us at all. Â Some of the best restaurant staff I've experienced.
So why 4 stars? Â Well the devil is in the details... the restaurant felt high end, but the tables were rickety, they used paper place mats, and the chairs were standard industrial boring metal chairs. Â The music was too loud, as well. Â It was disappointing to have such a delicious high end meal in a mediocre setting.
Overall, I can't wait to go back. Â i'm craving the Kofte right now...
I can't claim to be an expert in Turkish food or its authenticity, but we had a wonderful experience here. We arrived on a Friday night around 7:30 without a reservation and luckily snatched up a table with waiting only 10 minutes. It is a small restaurant, seating about 20.
We had the coban salat (salad), Istim Kebab (lamb shank) and the Tavuk Delight (chicken and veggies over eggplant puree). Everything was delicious. I don't know what the magic seasoning is, but even just the grilled vegetables were amazing. The eggplant puree was creamy and delicious. The lamb was tender. The salad was crunchy, fresh (oniony!).
We finished off with turkish coffee and almond pudding. They were both great, and actually really complemented each other.
To top of the experience, the wait staff was perhaps the warmest I have ever experienced, and willing to explain what certain dishes were, or make recommendations, all with a smile and without any rushing. By the time we left around 8:30, it had emptied out a lot. So if you don't want to wait a lot- I'd recommend showing up for a later dinner.
After reading an article in the Globe about best breakfasts in the area, Julia F and I decided to stop into Istanbul'lu for brunch. The restaurant is small and cute, our server was very nice. She brought out the most amazing bread I have ever had, along with a red pepper dipping sauce. I love Julia, but I might have fought her for that bread.
I ordered a sandwich because I liked the bread so much. The Mercimek Kofte was a red lentil mix, kind of shaped in a patty. I wanted to like it, but it was so spicy I couldn't even finish half. I was a little disappointed that it didn't say anything on the menu about the spice level. In fact, the menu is not quite descriptive enough. For an ethnic place, it is really important to explain exactly what each item is for us newbies.
We also had Turkish coffees and debated whether or not we would be able to read our fortunes in the mud like my Greek grandmother used to.
Overall, I wanted to like the place, but the excessive spice without warning was a real turnoff. I would love to try again and maybe ask more questions before ordering.
Secret tip in Teele square  Great, well-priced Turkish kebab place...a friend recommended this place (thanks Mark). We went there and were positively surprised.
Really good kebab, friendly and fast service in a small informal seating area. I had Adana kebab (meat was great) and my girlfriend had Yoghourt kebab which fantastic seasoning and a great sauce.
So if you're in the mood for a quick Turkish meal (and btw @iranians who look for a good kebab place you will like the meat - not the rice - as well) go to teele square and be surprised... 5 stars for price-quality-expectation ratio.
Ambiance:
Small, colorful, clean, and cozy on a freakishly snowy night in October (in fact, the same night that Kee Kar Lau and the dry cleaners burned down around the corner). Amusingly odd medley of dinner music (from the Last of the Mohicans to Bollywood).
Food:
I'm not expert in Turkish cuisine specifically, though familiar with a bit from the broader region (dolmas, hummus, yogurt, dishes with lamb or eggplant), but it was all fresh and delicious! To start, I had the * paca (lamp soup) - a bit of a spicy red pepper kick and tender but toothy meat. For dinner, I had a sampler of tapas (small plates): * Mucver (fried zucc fritters) - very creamy and fluffy. * Hummus - fresh and filling. * Haydari (yogurt) - accidentally brought instead of the hummus, so on the house; the highlight of the meal, so bright and sticky and rich on the traditional bread! I was full on these (and still took away leftovers). My friend was delighted with her Istim Kebab (lamb shank for special guests). The regular baklava was typical, but we were underwhelmed by their special one (too buttery). Maybe we'll have room to try the rice pudding next time.
Value:
Seemed a decent value for how satisfying the quantity and quality of the meal.
Will definitely go back (and you should too)!
This little place is a real gem. Excellent friendly and knowledgeable service with food to match. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is because they ran out of couple of the lamb dishes (lamb burger and kebab) I wanted to try. I'm hoping to fix this next time I go.
The entrees take a little time to make, so if you're hungry I'd suggest an appetizer while you wait. I had a hummus plate with delicious fresh bread. The Tavuk was good, but not what I was expecting (based on the menu). Fried breast of chicken sandwich may be the best way to describe it. Still good though. I recommend you end the meal with baklava and some Turkish coffee. Warning: the coffee is extremely strong and not for the faint of heart.
If you live in Somerville, I envy you for having a place as good as this in your neighborhood.
Step one: MAKE A RESERVATION. I called around noon on Friday to make a 7pm reservation for that same night, and our table was the last available when we arrived. Quite a few people came in looking for tables while we ate, and the place was full. It's pretty tiny, intimate I'd say.
Step two: Read the menu multiple times. Everything sounds so good, I had a really hard time deciding...
Step three: Ask the waitress lots of questions. She was super helpful in explaining some of the dishes, even answering what we were sure were some pretty stupid questions.
Step four: Eat multiple baskets of the homemade bread with red pepper dip. As yelpers have mentioned: so. good.
Step five: Order the red lentil soup. Lentil-ly, minty, delicious. The grape leaves were great too, although I tend to like them better when they're a little more tightly wrapped. And they come with an extremely large dollop of yogurt on top, so ask for them without it if you don't want it.The kirmizi beyaz, the roasted red pepper stuffed with a garlicy yogurt, was good but I'll probably try something else next time. I had three orders of tapas (and a ton of bread because it was just so good) and it was just enough food. The boyfriend had the beyti kebab, (and to quote: "which. was. AMAZING!") which was a ton of food, and I think he's still full this morning.
Step six: Pay bill (reasonably priced, a little higher than one would expect for the location but the food is worth it) and go next door to pj ryans for drinks.
I've been to Istanbul'lu a couple of times & have had a great experience every time. The place is small, simply decorated, & the service is friendly. The table bread and red pepper sauce is a yummy.
So far I've tried the Zucchini fritters, Lentil kofte sandwich, Stuffed eggplant, Stuffed roasted red peppers, Grilled/ rolled eggplant---All of which have been delicious!! Considering that almost everything was off the tapas men the portions were surprisingly filling. The only thing I would pass on was the baklava-- it was good but I've had better.
I love the idea of Turkish tapas and the prices are great so no complaints here. I will definitely keep coming back for more!
1. We got there around 7pm and hung around waiting for a table. When a table for 2 opened up, we went inside. The manager (or owner?) told us he was holding onto that table for a group of 4 that had been waiting. We put our names in and went back outside.
Fast forward a bit, and another couple arrived at the restaurant. They went inside, a couple finished up and left, and the waitstaff sat this couple at that table and then disappeared. We went in and told the couple that there must've been a mix-up.
"We put our names on a list," I said, "And we've been waiting."
The couple got up, and we sat down. The waitstaff looked at us like we were criminals or something, chasing this other couple away from their table.
The waitress approached the couple and I couldn't hear what she asked them, but the woman said, "She told us that their names were on a list." The owner (manager?) came over to them and apologized for the confusion. But no one apologized to us.
2. The waitress came over to us and asked us for our order. We ordered two menus. Then the waitress went and spoke with the displaced couple again, then gathered orders or dishes from every other table in the restaurant, then brought them to the kitchen, then made another round of all the other tables, then brought us our menus.
3. I don't know how long we waited to put in our order. We got our water glasses refilled twice each, and were brought a second bowl of bread. Though the busgirl had remembered we were there, the waitress obviously hadn't. I lost count of how many times my friend and I tried to make eye contact with her. When she approached the table next to ours for the third time since we'd been given our menus, the woman at that table said, "We're all set, but I think they'd like to order."
4. We ordered several things and then began the long wait for our food. The egregiousness of it wouldn't have bothered me so much if the food had been good, but the green beans in the Taze Fasulye had come from a can, the lettuce that all our food was served on was old and drying out, the tomatoes that came with everything were flavorless and practically colorless, and the beans in the Piyaz Salat were obviously straight from a can as well.
5. The waitress, recognizing that we'd had a less than stellar experience, offered us free coffee or dessert, but we were both pretty fed up with both the meal and the service and opted out. From arrival to departure, we'd been there a hair over 2 hours for 5 plates of old, canned food.
Incidentally: when we first sat down, there was a segment on mummies showing on the large TV, and "Walk like an Egyptian" was playing on the radio. They might have mediocre food and crappy service, but at least someone there has a sense of humor.
Istanbul'lu was a surprisingly great meal! Â To be honest, the location and setup made me skeptical at first glance, but the food completely won me over.
I had never had Turkish tapas, but I definitely appreciate getting to try small plates of several dishes when I'm a bit unfamiliar with the cuisine. Â Their homemade bread comes out first, and whether you have it with or without the accompanying red pepper sauce, its wonderful. Â The hummus is perfect. Â The green beans are served cold, which was a surprise to me, but still a good dish. Â The red lentils were delicious, served with a yogurt sauce. Â But my favorite dish was definitely the zucchini, served pancake style and topped with yogurt sauce.
After dinner came baklava and Turkish coffee. Â The baklava was quite good. Â Not overly sticky or runny. Â Perfect texture. Â The Turkish coffee was exactly as it should be: scalding hot, thick, and strong enough to keep me up past midnight. Â
The prices are fair, and the service was pleasant. Â I heard the waitress telling other customers about a lamb chop and okra entree. Â I'll be back for that.
Wow is this a great amazing change from the slow boring holland street cafe that used to be here! So happy that this moved in instead! The service was great and even though this place is small, the new decor makes it so much nicer than the place that was here before!
If you like to be adventurous with your food, this is a great place to come, mainly because you don't really know what everything is on the menu unless you are in fact Turkish. ha ha A lot of the terms and things are not fully explained so Deanna and I had to ask our waitress some clarification questions, which can be fun, but I would like to know all of my options up front :-)
We decided to split a few tapas and one of their sandwiches. That sandwich was well worth the low price because it was pretty big! Nothing came on the side and it was full of their in house made falafel type mixture and had this amazing yogurt type sauce on it. For $6 I think was the price it was a steal for how tasty it was.
We also got one of their baked eggplant tapas which definitely caught our taste and temperature sensors off guard---when something is labeled as baked, it makes it instantly seem like it will be a hot dish! Well, this one was cold. I guess this is one of the few dishes they don't make fresh but make in the morning instead. It was only okay in my opinion mainly because that kofka sandiwch was so much more flavorful and way more fun to eat.
But their fried zucchini bites in this sauce as a tapa was also pretty top notch. Especially when paired with some of the best free bread I've had in a while and this free bread comes with a delicious red pepper aioli type sauce for dipping which should make anyone happy.
We ended our meal with their house made baklava only this baklava was round, in cylinder shape and it was much harder and more cinnamon based than other baklava I've had, so I'm glad I could experience a new version of this dish! Definitely makes you want to order some milk though. That thing is pretty crunchy and sticky! But I will definitely be back here to try more of their tapas! And they are all big portions for tapas for a change too!
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