Following our Middle Eastern streak, my husband and I came to A La Turka, lured by, you guessed it,…read moretheir $45 Restaurant Week menu. The food was phenomenal, and there wasn't a single bite that we didn't enjoy. We began our meal with two appetizers, the eggplant shakshouka and the sauteed shrimp. While I preferred the eggplant for its taste, I was surprised by the small portion and the lack of egg. Isn't shakshouka known for its signature fried egg, nestled in a bed of tomatoes and peppers? I could be wrong. Nonetheless, it was delicious, and the accompanying loaf was wonderfully soft and flavored with garlic oil. It was the best table bread I've ever had. For our mains, we ordered lamb chops and adana kebab. Both were so delicious and huge! I'm often leery of lamb for its gaminess, but this one wasn't gamey at all. Rather, it had a slight funk, much like a well aged cheese. It was delicious, and the sear on that tender meat added a nice smokiness. The kebab was well seasoned and it, too, had a nice, moderate sear. For dessert, there was only one option, the baklava, and it was everything a baklava ought to be: generously soaked in syrup, the filo dough flaky, with layers of crunch from the chopped pistachios. I loved everything at A La Turka, and if I ever wanted Middle Eastern food again (which I often do these days), I'll come here!

Rushed service to the max--from the time you walk in to the time you leave. Every course is on top…read moreof the one before it. The service surrounding each course was problematic. The second you sit down, you're asked for your drink order. They bring you a name brand bottle of water instead of offering tap water, which of course goes on the bill. When our waiter removed the appetizer plates, he said our entrees would be out in 5 minutes. We had 2 healthy sized appetizers so I said, we need a little more time. Can you push it out by an extra 5 minutes? And they did. But, as soon as you're done with the entree, a different waiter shows you a dessert plate. I said we needed a little time to decide. She comes back in literally under a minute. I said, you were just here, we need a minute to decide. My companion and I decided on a dessert to share, but less than 2 minutes later, the check arrives by someone else. Case closed! Food was excellent so I gave this restaurant a 3 star, but the extremely rushed service made for a very uncomfortable experience. I've been to this restaurant a number of times and I've recommended it. But it's generally the same feeling each time. This was the worst in terms of rushed service. I had a 6:30 pm reservation on a Saturday night and the place was packed when we left. I guess they don't have to worry about my review. But, I'll never go back.

Wowwwwwwww yesssss yum!!! I was starving after going to the doctor down the street. I was…read moresearching around for something in the near in vicinity on the same block. I stumbled upon this yummy restaurant... Not waiter service, but it was absolutely amazing. The nice man brought me my food and picked it up also. I started off with 1 shrimp on a stick and 1 chicken on a stick... It was so good that I ordered 2 more shrimp on a stick. The Yzatziki was siper tummy. The best ever. I recommend this please to grab and go or sit down. Very casual on the inside. I highly recommend on all angles. Thank you!

It's on 69th Street just east of 1st Avenue and this was my first visit and impression. A sign on…read morethe door says 10% off for hospital workers. We ate in, but despite several tables, there were far more people there for takeout (both locals and DoorDash types wearing helmets with delivery satchels). As soon as you walk in, you see a counter with their menu overhead on the wall and an open kitchen behind the counter. The tables and chairs were white and clean. I had the Vegetarian Platter: (1) spinach and cheese pie ("spanakopita "); (2) baked and peeled chunks of lemon potatoes; and (3) Greek salad. It was all fresh and delicious - definitely a notch above the lemon potatoes and spinach pie I've had elsewhere. I was surprised it was delivered to the table in a three-sectioned styrofoam box instead of a plate, but that supports my impression of it being more of a takeout place ... but a very good one. I also liked the stocky Greek gentleman who both took and served my order.

It was really good food. I should've looked more closely at the images. I thought everything was…read moregonna be some Greek style. So I was a little disappointed. But the Lamb euro platter was really good and tasty. I love the fries. It was also very hot. Nice service. $10 I would get the Greek salad. That photo on here is what got me here! Pretty much just a halal cart

Worst ever. It was supposed to be a sausage Gyro with everything on it and I got back to my…read moreapartment with sausage Gyro with nothing on it... Not cool.

Amazing food, and the most gracious service! My waiter was the owner of the restaurant, and you…read morecould tell! His passion for the menu was very clear. Their lunch special is an unbelievable good value for the neighborhood - so much food and every bite a delight! Vegetarian options plentiful and given every bit the same care and attention as the rest of the menu, which is always nice. Thank you!

A couple Saturdays ago when the weather was perfect, we wanted a Central Park + brunch kind of…read moremorning and stopped in here. We were walk-ins and got seated right away. Their windows open out to the street, so we were sitting right by it and honestly the best part, just soaking in the weather. We ordered the baba ganoush with pita and the Turkish eggs (6/10). I'm pretty particular about my eggs and these were watery and lacked flavor. We almost never leave food behind but this time we did. The service is incredible and staff was so kind. Maybe their dinner menu is better but I wouldn't recommend coming here for brunch.

The upper east side has a number of middle eastern restaurants. If you want loud and trendy, head…read moreover to Second Avenue. But if, like me, you prefer a low-key restaurant with delicious food where you can leisurely visit with friends -- Afghan Kebab House may be right up your alley. A bonus is it's BYOB without a corkage fee, unusual for NYC. Entrees are plated with rice and come with a simple yet satisfying salad. You're given a squirt bottle of the restaurant's mild white dressing, which I also used as a dipping sauce with my entree. My husband and I started with a shared appetizer: Aushak Ghoshti -- boiled dumplings with scallions and spices, topped with yogurt sauce and seasoned beef. (A Yelper's photograph piqued my interest. And yes -- it's good!) T ordered marinated lamb chops and I -- deviating from my usual chicken -- went with tandoori codfish kebab. Both recommended, though next time he'd get the lamb kebab. Notably, the restaurant accommodated my friend's strict dietary restrictions and prepared a chicken breast just as she asked. There are several options for dessert. Based on another Yelp review, we shared a generous slice of cake. Chocolatey, but not overly-so. This is a family operated restaurant with an an affable, hands-on owner. Prices are a few dollars higher than noted on their website, but not so high to deter customers. Yup. We'll return. And soon!

Side Note- Requested the website updated to match the website for the menu as they're using an old…read moresite with a defunct menu (lacks some dishes and also has wrong/different descriptions.) Anyway, a long long time ago (insert galaxy joke here,) I went to the original location of this place back when it was Afghan Kabob House II. Apparently the original had issues with rent or something similar so they moved here to this slightly smaller space which I went to a while back with a small group. The man working there was friendly and the spot looks nice and is pretty casual. Compared to the other few Afghani restaurants, the food is pretty similar to Ariana (possibly a slight preference to the latter) with this place of course being a good amount worse than the best spot which is Dunya but that is a pain to get to being in Kensington in BK. As we all ordered entrees, they gave us a large salad to begin with which had a light yogurt dressing which was simple and tasty being mostly lettuce with a bit of cucumber, cabbage, tomato, and shredded carrots. It was refreshing and worked to wet our appetite. I started with the Aushak for $8.95 listed as boiled dumplings filled with scallions, herbs, and spices topped with minted yogurt sauce. The dumplings were very soft and the dish was light with the dressing being pretty similar to what was on the salad. This was a light dish and for $3 more, I would recommend the Aushak Ghoushti instead which also comes topped with seasoned ground beef which adds extra flavor and more texture as well. For my main dish, I was originally going to get my usual standard which is the Kabuli Pulao/Palau but instead I decided to go with something I haven't had before which was the Naringe Palau for $31.95. This consisted of chunks of lamb tenderly cooked with herbs and spices under a mound of brown basmati rice topped with orange rind, pistachios, and pine nuts. The lamb was very tender with plenty of meat on the bottom. The rice had a nice texture and had a mild bitterness as well as some crunch from the various nuts. This was tasty though I would get the other dish next time. The rest of the people had either kabobs, Kabuli pulao, or some vegetarian dishes and other people enjoyed their meals. This was overall a decently tasty Afghani restaurant. It's not my favorite that I've been to but the flavors were good and the portions were decent for the price point.

Still good, great service. The food is always good, fresh. Service is still the same, super nice…read more Good food and good drinks and a bang for your buck!

I also tried a Steak Fajita Quesadilla and Chicken Mole Enchiladas (came with rice and beans), and…read morereally enjoyed both dishes. Mole was savory sweet smothering the enchiladas that was packed with chicken. Quesadilla really hit the spot tho - tons of oozing cheese, packed with steak, and a good amount of bell peppers and onions. Great flavor and textures in each bite. Quesadilla was cut into 3 large pieces. Both dishes were filling and satisfying.

Absolutely delightful. The food and service were top notch and there is nothing that I love more…read morethan a dimly lit restaurant. 10/10

If you are Middle Eastern, then this is where you need to eat when you are in NYC! And even if you…read morearen't, you still need to come here! Located on the upper East Side of Manhattan, it's wedged in the middle of the west side of the block. On a sunny warm day you can sit outside in the patio. Inside you will find a huge mural of the OG map of Persia highlighting the mountain and water areas. We spent a while pointing out where our relatives once lived to the "Gen Z's" at our table:) The service was spot on. We had a nice bottle of Pinot Grigio to accompany our meal. Our waiter was timely with the refills:) The hummus, dolmas and main dishes were are incredible!!!!

My friend and I came to this super cute Greek restaurant for dinner. The space was lovely and…read moremostly white, with blue lighting and pretty hanging lights. There was a cozy ambiance to the place. We decided to order from the prix fixe menu. For the first course, I went with the Avegolemono soup, which consisted of chicken, orzo, and egg, along with taste of lemon. This was nicely savory, hearty, and comforting. For the entree, I selected the Pork Loin with glaze sauce, broccoli rabe, and Greek fries. The Pork Loin was sliced, tender, with a smoky taste, covered with slightly sweet sauce. The flavors were bold. Greek Fries were satisfyingly crispy, with plenty of yummy seasonings and feta cheese crumbled all over. The dessert I chose was Nutella Mousse, which consisted of crushed Oreos and fresh berries. Although this did not feel very Greek to me, it was tantalizingly rich and creamy, full of Nutella and Oreo combined. Service was solid. Our waiter was welcoming and everything came out in a timely manner. I would be open to returning to try the Baby Lamb Chops or Salmon.

UES Greek restaurant with nice decor. Caters to the older crowd generally. The nice gentlemen was…read morewelcoming. After that, everything else was meh. We ordered the whole snapper for 2 with 2 sides. Snapper was decent. Brussels sprouts was overcooked, soggy and lacked any flavor. Waitress was mediocre and maybe it was a bad day but didn't care much about our table. Left $20 tip for a $115 pretax bill. They had the audacity to add $5 to $25 as it reflects on my credit card bill. It's not about $5, it's about the integrity of this restaurant. Who knows what other sketchy stuff they do.