Cafe Istanbul Turkish & Mediterranean Restaurant of Dallas

My first time there. I heard good things about it. The food was very bad. We could not finish the plates. Add insult to injury, very expensive. Never again. more

Cafe Istanbul, what happened to you? You used to be so good, but since the change in management, you've gone downhill fast. My recent visit left a lot to be desired: food was bland and cold; renovations are tacky and generic; and the general manager was totally rude. A real disappointment. more

we really like going to Cafe Istanbul. Nice atmosphere; attentive service. I always orderthe lamb kebob. Good prices for lamb which not available a lot of places in town. more

I am serious, this place has the worst Turkish food ever. Period. The lentil soup was tasteless, I had to add a ton of lemon juice and pepper to it in order to bring it to an edible state. The pide was stale. The hummus actually had dried out pieces on top and tasted awful. I would have sent everything back but I had ordered in and didn't feel like making a big deal about it. I tossed all the food I had ordered and went out to get burgers. more

First off, I am Turkish and love Turkish food. I tried ordering the lamb, and they were out. So then, I tried to order the Swordfish, they were out. The waiter apologized and suggested I order the Tavuk Sis Kebap (chicken kabob plate). I took a bite of chicken and gagged a little while I was swallowing, I looked at the piece left on my plate to see that it was still raw in the center, EW. I wasn't mad, but Obviously i was DISGUSTED with the chicken, so i asked if i could have something else. The manager said he would put the chicken back on the grill for me.... Seriously? Thank you so much for cooking my chicken! I had them put it back on the grill and put it in a to go box, still had to pay for it and had to eat some of my mom's meal for lunch AND I am probably going to get sick. HORRIBLE MANAGEMENT!!!! We did have a great server, who was extremely apologetic. I wish i could give 0 stars. The other food I ate was mediocre at best. Pros: THE WAITER Cons: Food, Management and MANAGEMENT more

I was at the Dallas Location last friday for dinner . I wanted to experience the turkish food once more in Dallas after I had visited Turkey and had very good time there. But This restaurant is nothing to do with real and delicious turkish food. All appetizers brought are in small portions and they are either too cold or hot. There is no taste in the appetizers at all . The restaurant smells dirt and toilet , the waiter that served me had something gooey on his hand and my friend asked him what it was and the waiter said it was just an ''accident'' . I wonder what that accident might be. I ordered soup which had chunks of stale bread inside and I reordered it and the same soup was brought to me and this time it was colder and had more chunks . i asked him what the soup had like chunks and he grabbed a spoon and took the chunk out and said he did not know and he did not take it back or took it off the tab . We ordered Istanbul Doner that came with either eye lash or chest hair . We asked for the check and the check was 65 dollars for two appetizers and two main dishes which we did not even touch . in stead of not been brought a check we were charged 65 dollars plus tip for the worst service ever. I really wonder if all these positive feedbacks were posted by the same person or what. If you still want to go and shell out money on piece of nothing do it . I am relieved that i at least warned some people that have not gone there yet! more

best food ever!!! Pros: good people more

I was there this past Saturday and I really love this place. I had the Stuffed Chicken and it was absolutely delicious. I can also recommend the Turkish Flan for desert.\r \r The staff was friendly and as an added bonus, we were treated to belly dancing by a real beauty. \r \r Highly recommended. Pros: Great food, reasonable prices & belly dancing. Cons: No major cons more

I have been all around the world and tried many cousins,including Turkish.I had the best Turkish food,of course in Istanbul and the second in Dallas,at Cafe Istanbul.I took my friends out for dinner there and the restaurant just made my night perfect.We had appetizers,we were offered salad,amaizing and the main course was just out of this world.Very tender and spiced and cooked to perfection.Ihad lamb shank,braised overnight,my friend had stuffed chicken,swordfish sis and Istanbul Doner.AT the end the waiter brought out the sweetest part of all,some baklava and offered turkish coffee.I reccomend this place to anyone,with one of the best patio end a very nice dining room,surranded with evil-eyes,watching You having a good time. Pros: 5 star plus one more

I was craving stuffed grape leaves all week and so I went to Cafe Istanbul on a Wednesday night and was promptly seated. I ordered a glass of wine, dolma and some lamb thing in sauce. (I'm pretty new to the turkish food scene and can't recall exactly what it was.) \r \r The dolma was filled with delicious rice and pine nuts I think. I liked the texture and consistency of them. They weren't too big or too small either. As for the entree, I don't remember the name, but it was very flavorful and the tomatoes which accompanied it were perfectly grilled. I wasn't a huge fan of the entree...it reminded me of the texture of deli roast beef...although I'm sure it was a very good grade of meat. I think I'll just need to try a different entree when I return. And I definitely will return for some of those stuffed grape leaves! Pros: Amazing Dolmas! Cons: Huge portions and sorta pricey. Would like to see 1/2 entree options. more

My husband and I stumbled onto Cafe Istanbul this summer and were looking forward to returning.\r This second time we had 3 adults and a baby. Since it was Valentine's Day, we made reservations.\r We were thrilled that we were able to get a table and that they didn't change the menu for 2/14. \r We had absolutely delicious house wine, hummus with straight from the oven warm flat bed. \r The lamb and chicken dishes were just right. The pear dessert and baklava were delightful. Very attentive service. We hope to return often. Pros: Service, Fresh food more