We love Cafe Gulistan! The garden is lovely, the food is very good, the people are friendly and helpful.

Excellent Turkish food. Were in the area from Chicago and went there 2 nights in a row. Best Falafel ever. Very tasty shrimp and appetizer platter. Beautiful outdoor atmosphere. read more

Great food and great staff! Very cautious with Covid. All employees wear gloves, masks, do temp checks and frequently sanitise. They have contactless carry out and you can order online. They have socially distanced seating outside once the weather warms up. Wonderful food, amazing staff, and beautiful atmosphere. read more

Cafe Gulistan - Patio and garden area late fall/early November - Middle Eastern Near Me - Harbert, Michigan

Summer's lease has all too short a date. In between the many rains of June, a few sunny days dawned, and we trekked back to SW Michigan in search of, among other things, a few good meals. I ate in Cafe Gulistan twice within the same week, a Thursday night dinner with the very-cool Purple Grandma, and a late Saturday lunch with the Sibling and the PhD. We explored the vegetarian entrees, so I cannot tell you anything about the dead flesh on a plate. However, if you believe that care in preparation, beautiful well-balanced ingredients, and attention to detail can translate across menu items, you should definitely give the dead stuff a try. We had excellent food, drink, service, and atmosphere. What's not to like? Believe it or not, SW Michigan is not swimming in good restaurants. Oh sure, you won't have a problem finding pizza, burgers, or Olive Garden-style Italian places. But really good food? Cafe Gulistan has it; not many others do. * Sultan's Tava - fresh spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, carrots and chickpeas, sauteed in curry-garlic sauce, with Basmati rice; * Ispanak - chickpea patties with spinach, mushrooms, onions, peppers in garlic-mango-walnut cream sauce, with Basmati rice * Falafil platter - chickpea patties served with Basmati rice, sumak salad (red cabbage), garlic-dill-yogurt sauce, and seasonal vegetables * Pasta pesto - penne pasta in garlic cream sauce with basil-almond pesto and topped with parmesan cheese * Fattoush salad - romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, bell peppers, in their homemade dressing. For drinks, I can't tell you everything. We had three different reds, and a Turkish pilsener beer. The PhD had the beer; he said it was fine, a pilsener, nothing to rave about. The girls, who had the wines, were all happy. They do have some interesting selections that are available only by the bottle, but we were trying to stay mostly sober. There are tables in front of the building. Yes, they face the Red Arrow Highway, which is pretty busy, but there is a beautiful herb and flower garden in front and to the side, which makes the experience of outdoor dining even better. The weather was so nice, we ate outside each time. We had a lady server on Thursday, and a man server on Saturday. Both did very well - no problems, questions, or complaints with the service. The best meals we've had in SW Michigan. By the way, I almost strayed from the True Faith and ordered the Chicken Kabob, when I saw it being delivered to another table. But I succumbed to peer pressure and stayed meat-free. Well, it's only June. Plenty of time to get back and enjoy the bounty of Cafe Gulistan again. I've eaten 3 times at Cafe Gulistan, and had three good experiences. Highly recommended. I will try to post some photos, so you can see how gorgeous this place is. read more

Cafe Gulistan - The Side Garden at Cafe Gulistan - Middle Eastern Near Me - Harbert, Michigan

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Consistently great food, good service, and a dependable local favorite. Also open at times throughout the year when the more seasonal places are closed. Very vegetarian friendly. read more

Great food and drinks...nice atmosphere and friendly service, very nice owner (Ibrahim) who is always present.

Great Mediterranean food. We especially recommend the Ispanek under the vegetarian menu.

After reading other reviews on this place, I see a common "bad service" theme so I should have been prepared when we went. We were staying in the area at the Rabbit Run Inn. The owners recommended this place and since my husband and I are from Chicago and "ethnic eaters", we figured we would give it a try. It took a little longer than normal for a server to come take our order. No biggie. We ordered an appetizer plate and two entrees. Waited. Waited. Then suddenly had two entrees in front of us. No appetizer. Since my husband and I each used to work in the service industry... big petpeeve of ours. We mentioned it to the server. She kinda blew us off. Said the kitchen was swamped. That didn't really explain why it is our entrees came out and our appetizer didn't, but whatever. What bugged me was that was her reaction to our situation... and that was it. We finally had to ask to see a manager. He is the one who finally apologized for the mixup, got me another glass of wine on the house and brought out the appetizer plate a few minutes later, free of charge. Our entrees were delicious. Our appetizer plate mediocre. The babaganoush (sp?) was REALLY awful. The humus and falafel were ok... nothing remarkable. We were on vacation in the area which is why we went. I'll bet that if I lived in the area, I would give them one more shot. I think it's pretty silly for one server to turn you off a place forever. read more

This family-owned restaurant is the best restaurant in the Sawyer area. This was my second visit and both times the food and service were outstanding! We started with the Humus and pita bread. My only complaint was I wish there was more humus on the plate. We shared our entrees. We had the Falafel platter. It came with six falafel with a yogurt sauce, rice and pickled red cabbage. It was a lot of food for one person. We also got the Kavurma, marinated lamb and vegetables, also served with rice. The lamb was so tender and the sauce was flavorful - pure comfort food. There are many vegetarian options on the menu and the kids entrees were smaller versions of items off the regular menu. The did not have to suffer through another round of chicken nuggets, spaghetti or grilled cheese. Definitely check this place out when you are in harbor country. They are closed Tues and Weds so make a note. read more

Our family and extended family love this place. Great variety of delicious food. Great outdoor seating in the gardens. A must if you are In Harbor Country. If available, try their Watermelon Martini. Enjoy!! read more

I had dinner on the pleasant, nothing-fancy outdoor concrete patio overlooking an overgrown front yard that could really use some attention from a gardener. The calamari appetizer had very flavorful diced fresh tomatoes but was skimpy on the actual calamari. The lamb that came with the grilled Lamb Izgara was nicely, subtly flavored from a marinade, cooked as ordered (medium), mostly toothsome and delicious, though a few pieces were a little chewy. It came with plain basmati rice and a nicely seasoned vegetable melange. Good baklava for dessert, though the garnish of chocolate sauce and strawberries seemed inauthentic. Service was ok, not super attentive, and the entree arrived before I was done with my appetizer. More like what you'd get in a bar than with fine dining. OK selection of common wines by the glass, about 6 whites and 6 reds. This place is very casual, not white-tablecloth, but a solid local favorite, and with more distinctive and interesting food than most of the other local eateries. read more

Cafe Gulistan - Lamb Izgara - Middle Eastern Near Me - Harbert, Michigan

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We've been talking about stopping at this place and finally did for dinner. We brought the folks with us and it was a big hit with everybody. We shared the app sampler to start with. The baba ganoush and hummus were solid. Sadly our mains dropped just as we were about halfway through with it. I recommended lamb to my FIL as that usually is reliable at Mediterranean places and I was right. The grilled lamb I had was perfectly done and they were good cuts too with no scrap. He enjoyed his ground beef and lamb as well. The ladies both had chicken platters and they were happy with it. We finished with a tiny portion of baklava that was decent. All said, we were happy although they had a few dropped balls. read more

This is one of our favorite local restaurants. We love the authentic Mediterranean cuisine and wines. It's also a great atmosphere with wonderful employees. We're lucky to have such a gem right in our own town read more

Awesome experience. Fist time trying, but look forward to returning. Excellent choices for vegetarians. Had mushroom appetizer which was amazing along with babaghanoush. Followed with falafel platter, also amazing, and partner had chicken entree which was also a hit. Highlight though was dessert (flourless chocolate mousse)! Enjoyed outdoor seating on the patio. Great service with Brandy (?) read more

Oh Yelp, you've done it again. We're on the road, looking for dinner. Fire up the smartphone and start looking for places on Yelp. Up pops Cafe Gulistan. It is clean. It is nice. The service is good. the food is EXCELLENT. We had the falafel appetizer and the feta salad. All good. the feta was fresh and fabulous. Mom had the wedding beef stew. Can you make it without the mushrooms? No problem. It was delicious. Hubby had the lamb stew dish--he loved it. I had the hummus and tabbouleh platter. Everything was great. As someone else noted, the colors and presentation are well-done. This place is a class act. read more

We grabbed take out while we were in town for a weekend get away. Glad we did, the food was great, we got the kabob combo which was enough to split between the two of us, along with two appetizers. The rice and veggies in the kabob meal were very flavorful! We aren't local but I would hesitate to eat from here again. read more

This place was so cute! The service was great and they took amazing COVID precautions. We ordered the kabob combo and pasta Gulistan and both of were super tasty. Lots of outdoor seating read more

This hidden "taste of Mediterranean" food is simply fantastic. We ate outside in their "garden" which was serene, with middle eastern music playing in the background. Had the Turkish chianti (awesome) and ate the falafel! They got the recipe down pat here, and the yogurt sauce...well let me just say the circus my tastebuds went to never stopped! Ate the left-overs the next day...and normally, I HATE left-overs! Kids had the chicken kabobs and the spices were delicious. We also had the vegetarian combo platter! Whoa, way too much food. Entries are more than enough to eat unless you are 4 adults! Bon appetite! read more

Cafe Gulistan - Crispy Yummy Falafel - Middle Eastern Near Me - Harbert, Michigan

The outside of the restaurant is gorgeous! Cute little water feature and outdoor seating. We sat inside as it was a bit chilly. I had a chicken option that I couldn't possibly remember the name of. It had glazed chicken, peppers, onions, and potatoes in it over basmati rice. It was good but not a super punch kind of flavor. It could definitely use more seasoning. The chicken was a bit dry. However, the pesto and warm pita bread appetizer was AMAZING and tasted so authentic. I would buy a gallon of it if I could. The ambiance wasn't really too special inside like the outside. Definitely needs a bit of updating but gives an authentic kind of vibe. The service was good enough. There were some bigger parties. The price was a bit on the expensive side. I understand the lamb costing more. My partner got a ground lamb and beef dish and it had a small portion of ground meat over some rice for over $20. Overall, it seemed like an authentic Mediterranean restaurant but not one I would choose regularly. read more

I have driven by this restaurant and heard great things about it for years. Finally, I found myself staying just down Red Arrow Highway, within walking distance, on an evening when the restaurant was open. In short, friendly service, great wine, and delicious food. I had very fresh hummous as my appetizer and the hawurma (lamb sirloin with fresh onions, tomatoes, and herbs, accompanied by basmati rice). I asked the server to bring me select the tastiest appetizer and entree. I like hummous. I like lamb. Not a huge fan of either. However, these were both excellent. There is a great variety of items on the menu. I will need to come back again and again to try more of what they offer. Word of warning: be sure that they are open the day you plan to dine here. read more

Such a great place! This was my second time going here. We had takeout on our trip last time. We dined in this time. Our server was very nice and attentive. All of the food is very flavorful and there are price points for everyone. They even have a kid's kabob meal that comes with chicken and rice. It would be nice if it also came with a small portion of green beans and less rice. But that really is my only complaint on this restaurant. The hummus was delicious. I especially love the red cabbage slaw that it was garnished with and came with some of the other dishes. This is restaurant is must try if you are in the area. read more

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On my way from Chicago to Lansing, Michigan on a Sunday night, and needed a place to eat, and found this place on Yelp. So when we drove up to the place lt looked promising. Reviewing the menu it looked a little repetitive with different meats with the same combinations, but okay. Ordered the hummus to share and one falafel dish and one lamb dish. First, people, hummus has tahini. You might of heard of it? Crushed sesame seeds? Try it. Second, $18 for 3 falafel covered with sauteed veg and a coconut cream sauce? My bad for ordering it, but what chutzpah, the dish was barely worth $10. Third, except for our server, everyone seemed miserable working there. It showed in the food. Fourth, how about fixing the slamming front door. Every time someone came in or out the door had this irritating crash. Are you desensitized by the mediocre food. I should have gone to the Taco Bell off I-94. P.S. I just read this to my co-driver and he noted the frwsh herbs. F@$k him and his fresh herbs, he did not pay $54 for that disappointment read more

First time writing a yelp review, but I visited Cafe Gulistan for the first time last weekend and felt compelled to! The staff was friendly, the food was delicious, and the front patio/garden was downright magical on a summer night. Can't wait to visit again soon! read more

Cafe Gulistan - a woman walking through a garden - Middle Eastern Near Me - Harbert, Michigan

We just finished a completely delicious meal! Five of us and we ordered four entrees and three apps and shared. Every dish was a delight. I ate here a few years ago and had a similarly fine meal. Great service, comfortable, warm place. read more

So I stopped in here on a Friday, off season, the whole week was rain and grey sky. It was after 9pm, they close at 10. The hostess greeted me as I walked in , lovely lady, I choose to sit at the bar. Was very quickly met by the lady bartender, she gave me a menu, took and served my drink order. I ordered the Feta Salad: cucumber, green and red bell peppers, tomatoes, parsley, a generous hunk of feta, (I ordered without the red onion) with a great balanced oil and vinegar dressing. The vegetables in this salad were amazing; crisp, flavorful and colorful. That just complimented the feta and dressing, It was an amazing experience for me I do hope you can experience the same some day! Quality ingredients go a long way! read more

Ate here a few years ago and enjoyed our meal and always wanted to return again which we did last night. We were both disappointed with our meals. I had the chicken dolma and the stuffed chicken breast was hard and dried out like it had freezer burn. My wife had the shrimp kabobs and her rice was cold but the shrimp was good. I've had better Baba Ganoush at Alladins. Had a piece of baklava and it was flat, maybe a 1/2" thick if I stretched it. Nothing like you can get at Greek Fest. They could also improve their wine list a bit. Would expect a $15 bottle wine being sold for $30, not a $9 bottle of wine. Doubt if I will return since there are many other better choices on Red Arrow. read more

Visiting my hometown area and we found this little gem of a restaurant in Harbert. I had the Antepli Yahnisi, which was delicious. Would definitely come again when in SW Michigan. read more

I liked the food a lot. The place was great too. Get a seat in the garden and enjoy the cute little patio.

Driving at night and randomly found this quiant place. The food was as good as the reviews say. Ordered 3 chicken dishes and they were made super spicy l..just the way we like. The double chocolate cheesecake was an interesting choice to take at middle eastern restaurant but more than worth it. It's super close ro the highway so not much of a detour. Recommend this place!! read more

Hands down the best dinner on our recent vacation to Michigan shoreline! Loved the quaint and welcoming patio with the lush gardens, our friendly and knowledgeable server gave outstanding service, but the real hero here was the food! Had the most incredible dish called Ispanak, with this fabulous mango coconut curry sauce! Everyone in our party (carnivores and vegetarians alike) loved their food. Absolutely recommended! read more

Appetizers and main course were pretty good. Deducted one star for portion size that was rather small for the price.

Absolutely amazing food and the garden is beautiful. The garlic chicken was super tender and delicious

Probably 4.5 stars, but the being the best cuisine in a beautiful location earns the extra bump. I am quite familiar with most Near/Mid Eastern cuisines, but Turkish/Kurdish was new for me. I started with a Shiitake Mushrooms appetizer that contained shiitakes and basil sautéed with a walnut-tomato chutney in a red wine and soy sauce. It was very delicate and delicious. The main courses that we enjoyed were Ispanak, which others have mentioned in other reviews: Crispy chickpea patties topped with sautéed fresh spinach, mushrooms, onions, peppers, in a garlic-mango-walnut cream sauce, served with Basmati rice. Quite sweet and savory, with great texture in the patties. I had the Gulistani, New Zealand ground lamb sautéed with spices and spring onion, served over a bed of Basmati rice, and garnished with our house special sumac salad. It looked a lot like an Indian queema, but with a unique, delicate spice profile. The rice was lightly dilled and perfectly cooked. The baclava was honey based and home made. Not as sweet and crunchy as the reference Shatilla Bakery in Dearborn, MI, but served with strawberries and chocolate sauce. A winner. Also, they served Shorts beer. Excellent! The server was excellent, and the prices were reasonable. read more

Well, after my last visit the stars almost slipped down to a ... 2. Yikes.... bad bad service. I would chalk it up to one person, who obviously had no real interest in the vibe of the place. After spilling a glass of white wine on my friend (which totally happens, and is an accident, believe me I understand) -her reaction was only a tad tad apologetic...after seemingly annoyed by my friend and her laps attraction to wine, she sopped some of it up, only to return 5 minutes later... No glass of wine in hand to replace the entire glass that was emptied, no nothing - most importantly - no true apology... and just strange...after waiting a good 15 minutes to pay our check as she swooned over the large group of obviously wealthy vacioners, I went inside to pay -- being 3 people, we all paid with 20's...yes, one extra..she came back and declared she could not break the extra 20. huh?! Sighhhh....I only minused one star, because I do love this place - the food is still amazing! But invest in better wait staff ... it's important. read more

I had been told of a great Turkish restaurant in the vicinity of New Buffalo, Mich, and I had to go there the next time I was in the area. From the moment I walked in in the door, I and my party was welcomed and given nothing but attentive service that went beyond out expectations. A history of the restaurant and owner was offered after we asked a couple questions. Can't decide between the 2 soups of the day? No problem. We were brought a little bowl of both to help us with that decision. Our server seemed happy to have us there, as if we were company that had just dropped in. This warm feeling accompanied us throughout our meal. The food was great, and portions were huge. To-go containers were needed. This place is a great Turkish restaurant, right where I wouldn't expect one. I'll be returning, I'm sure. read more

Oh, Cafe Gulistan, I'm still so curious how you came to Harbor Country, which doesn't exactly scream Haven of Incredible Turkish and Middle Eastern Food. My father, who lives in the area, has enjoyed your delicious presence for many, many years now and I'm so glad I've finally had the pleasure of dining there, too. It's hard to choose at a place like this. I've been to many Middle Eastern places and gorged myself on appetizer combo platters of hummus, babaghanoush and falafel, so this time, my husband and I decided to just stick with babaghanoush. It was a good choice, as the serving was large and in charge--garlicky good with a nice smoky undertone from the roasted eggplants. I was disappointed that the pitas were just regular ol' pita pockets instead of freshly-made ones, but the babaghanoush saved the day. We also had a grilled Tiger shrimp dish served with sesame seeds and an apricot sauce--perfectly cooked shrimp and lovely flavor profiles. My entree just about made me lose my mind, it was so freaking delicious. I ordered the Ispanak (without mushrooms) - falafel with sauteed spinach, onions and peppers in a garlic-mango-walnut cream sauce. Shut. The. Front. Door. Amaaaaazing. The sauce was absolutely dreamy with a luxurious texture and incredible flavor. I was full after the first falafel, but soldiered on just to get another glorious taste. Holy cow. That was fantastic. So much so that I suggested we get it the next day for dinner again (we didn't; we were heading out of town--BOO). My husband had a lamb dish he really enjoyed, but even he had to pause and say "wow" when he tried a bite of my dish. I had to try the baklava, of course, and it did not disappoint. Flaky, sweet, crisp--quite tasty and a nice treat. I would've taken another serving of the Ispanak, though. :) I don't get to visit the area nearly enough anymore now that we've moved to St. Louis, but trust that I will be on Cafe Gulistan's doorstep the next time we visit my dad. Have the Ispanak ready, Gulistan. read more

Incredible food and great service! It was the best Turkish/Kurdish food my wife and I have ever had. The rack of lamb (as everyone recommended) was delicious, tender and PERFECTLY cooked and the side of rice and the chutney were great. The Ispanak was also delicious and the sauce was incredible. I wish I could get the recipe! read more

Just ate here last Saturday. Food excellent and the bar knew how to make me a Rusty Nail which some do not. Service good but the waiter had too many tables and he was constantly on the move. Only checked with us once. But whenever I am in the Harbert neighborhood this is where I eat. Delicious ! read more

After an afternoon of lounging on the beach at Warren Dunes we decided to drive aimlessly along in hopes of stumbling on a restaurant. This place looked intriguing so we decided to pull a u-turn and give it a try. We were definitely not disappointed. In spite of our beach bum appearance we were greeted cordially and seated on the patio. A lovely garden separates the dining area from the small highway, improving the view immensely. We opened the menu to find that this was a Middle Eastern restaurant, but with specialties beyond the usual kebab and falafel. Our server suggested that we start off with the appetizer sampler plate, which we enjoyed with 2 glasses of a delicious Turkish red wine. The soft red wine complemented the delicately spiced hummus and tabbouleh perfectly, setting the stage for a great meal to come. And I can't forget to mention that the homemade pita is great! I wish I could recall the name of the dish I ordered - it was described as a "Kurdish wedding dish" and consisted of tender chunks of lamb with a thick tomato and green onion sauce, served on fragrant basmati rice. Again, the wine was the perfect accompaniment, and I was in heaven. My husband ordered one of the evening's specials, a quail dish that he enjoyed. The only sour note for him was the aioli which he said didn't go well with the quail and tasted of "deviled eggs." Oh well. Our server was attentive and gracious, and knowledgeable about the wine and food. It's very rare to stumble across such a gem, and rare that service, food, and atmosphere combine to make a restaurant experience so enjoyable. We will definitely be back - and hopefully dressed a little more appropriately next time! read more

I have wanted to dine here for some time and finally had the opportunity. Wonderful food and service! Livia was our server and she was extremely helpful with advice on menu selections. We started with some tasty humus and pita bread but the main entrees were the stars. The Izgara lamb was so very tasty and tender along with the rice and mixed vegetables. My wife had a special of scallops with some sautéed veggies which also hit the spot. I hope to be back here again sooner than later! Give it a try. You will be rewarded! Nice job Cafe Gulistan. read more