Loved all three dishes we ordered: the seafood salad, the eggplant appetizer, and the variety kebab…read moreplate. The combination made for the perfect meal on a hot day. It was light and refreshing, but also still satisfying and filling. Everything complemented each other really well.

Cafe Instabul serves authentic Turkish flavors where you can dine for brunch, lunch, and dinner. A…read moremenu featuring items such as hummus, lamb shank, kebabs and much more. A great patio to enjoy if you do want to eat outside. The lamb shack and manti were very delicious. The manti featured stuffed tortellini served in a creamy yogurt tomato sauce. All of the dishes were very large and we had plenty to take home to enjoy. They can easily be shared between two people. Service was great and a wonderful place to go out for a night.

I look at Turkish food as Greek food with less ocean and more land…read more Maybe that's incorrect, but it works for me. What I mean is, it's way more meat-forward, and there's usually less focus on seafood. Anyway, this place has lots of delicately spiced meat dishes, which is what I come to a Turkish place for! Service was also very good, we were able to get in-and-out on a lunch break!

Ordered lunch here and it's phenomenal. The flavors are very delicious and it's such a great…read morealternative for all the fast food options in Chicago. The food came super warm and packed well. It even came with a piece of delicious warm bread! My first few bites of the manti were delicious! The yogurt sauce is perfect and all in all it was a very filling and tasty lunch. Il definitely try a kebab next time! The inside was super packed on a Thursday afternoon so I can tell how popular it is. Service is friendly too!

Staff is a 10/10, super kind and understanding. They answer all questions and really help you…read moreunderstand what you're ordering! The food tastes lovely and the portions are beyond fulfilling. They have a variety of different dishes and lots of flavors. The atmosphere is pretty nice and rather comforting. The music is calm, the lighting is bright, and overall it makes the meal that much more enjoyable! Highly recommended!

06/02/26 - My wife & I went to the LA Fitness on Foster Ave. She signed up for a personal training…read moresession for 3 months. We were talking to Denae (sp?) who signed up my wife to these sessions. She recommended Antepli Mediterranean Grill on Kedzie Ave. Antepli is located in a small strip mall @ 4849 N Kedzie Ave on the east side Kedzie just north of Lawerence Avenue. My wife ordered a Falafel Plate that came w/5 pieces of Falafel (they were delicious), rice salad & hummus. I ordered the Adana Kabob which is 2 skewers of lamb & beef mixed w/herbs & spices (delicious). This also came w/a salad, rice, 1/2 grilled tomato, a jalapeño (nice touch of spice) & thin pieces of a Turkish pita type bread. Nice serving sizes (we both got enough for a small 2nd meal). Nice restaurant/good food that will be moving further north to 5324 N Kedzie Ave

Just tried their breakfast after dining here for dinner and brunch. The breakfast menu is smaller…read morethan the brunch and dinner menu but still there are some interesting items, such as the Avocado Toast, Shakshuka, and Yuzu Peach tea. For my breakfast I got the Shakshuka. Asked for just one egg. Overall the dish was fantastic. The tomato sauce was rich and spicy, with a hint of sweetness from the red pepper. The egg was poached and good. It was topped with some sliced mini sweet peppers which added some crunchiness to the dish. The mint garnish gave it some herb fragrance which contrasted with the spicy tomato sauce, further elevating the dish. It was served with two slices of Publican Quality Bread sourdough. I wish there could be more bread!! Service was friendly and food came out quickly. I feel like it was better than what I experienced before. There were not many people dining in at that time, around 10am. Glad to find another spot for breakfast in Chicago!

It's a stunning space with tall windows and really nice modern century-esqu furniture…read more We went for a work dinner/happy hour and they did a great job celebrating us (we had put the reason on our reservation) and even left us a cute little signed card from the staff on the career milestone. It got busy as time went on but the service stayed nice and friendly and our server checked on us to make sure we were moving along at a nice comfortable pace. We got some drinks, food from the happy hour menu, and desserts. I had the immitation game mocktail, falafel burger and the scoop of daily ice cream - which today was carmelized white chocolate gelato. The apps - pita and hummus and the chips and tzatziki were really good! I loved the pita and having it freshly buttered was a great touch. The falafel burger needs to be renamed because it's the furthest thing from a burger and was really hard to eat. But it's filling! We did want a side of fries or something but they didn't have anything like it on the menu to go with the sandwich so that's a miss. The gelato was perfect and honestly my favorite part of the meal. I would also highly recommend their cheesecake, it wasn't too sweet or heavy while still being creamy and delicious with a fresh strawberry puree on top. Overall a good place to stop by and chill with friends with some light bites and treats. There is a 4% benefit surcharge which is clearly labeled and you can ask to have it removed if you'd like, but i just accounted for it in my tip and it's totally fine.

Turquoise is a wonderful family style restaurant and I throughly enjoyed its quaintness/ approach…read more My friend and I had a good time here on Sunday and there wasn't much traffic in the restaurant. We felt we were tended to and taken care of. Great service from the staff. We were given free carrot dip and bread which didn't taste of carrots at all. tasty dish to start us off. We ordered the spicy feta and Kalamata olive dip as well as the Lahmacun pizza. Massive portions each. For entrees, we did the branzino and seafood tagliatelle pasta. For the branzino we thought it would come as a whole fish but we received a tiny piece of fish with tons of rice and veggies. To all the food items, I want to say well seasoned, cooked to perfection. I didn't feel the need to add anything to any dish - I was very impressed. My only reason for giving this establishment 4 stars is because they cut off the brunch service early and my entire reason for visiting was to indulge in the buffet style Turkish breakfast. Due to low attendance, they cut it short which we didn't appreciate but didn't let it ruin the experience.

We tried Turquoise Cafe for an upscale dinner with halal options and we weren't disappointed. We…read moregot outdoor seating on a great weather day and we had a great time. Make no mistake the prices are on the higher end but the quantities were good. Coming from an Asian descent I wanted more salt and spices but I get every cuisine is different and everything doesn't have to be overly spiced. All in all a great spot!

If you only know of the Kurdish people or culture through the news, it's time to remedy that-- head…read moreover to Avaspi for drinks and snacks at the generous Happy Hour or for a full dinner. The beautiful bar is set back in the glowingly dining room that has a painting of the Kurdish area in Turkey from where the owner comes from. Remixes of contemporary tunes gives a kind of clubby feeling inside, and the large sidewalk patio (on the side street) to enjoy the season is a completely different vibe. It's not just another variant on Mediterranean/Middle Eastern/ Persian cuisine, though you'll find familiar salads, spreads and cuts of meat. The presentations and flavors are different. The friendly (and easy on the eyes) staff will guide you through the menu. Very nice wine list as well as creative takes on standard cocktails (some mocktails too) complement the meal. Come in a group so you can sample many things; I assure you it'll all be good. Loved the calamari and the meze plate on this last visit. Grilled haloumi and shrimp were great previously. Easy to get to so get going!

An absolutely standout meal, each dish better than the next. The stuffed dates, however, were about…read moreas spectacular as anything I've had. A perfect place to go with a group to try as many different things as possible. And don't sleep on their happy hour, which makes the experience even better!

The foods were wonderful especially the main foods. Service was unbelevible fast .Ambiance was…read morefriendly and restaurant was clean and all foods were healty.

Breakfast edition…read more Food: yummy and generous. Very authentic according to a Turkish friend. I believe served only on weekends. Service: very friendly waiters, fast Ambience: family, big groups friendly!

My date took me here to Oda on a weeknight. Oda is listed as Mediterranean but cuisine leans more…read moreTurkish/Georgian. I found the food, drink and dessert to be very savory. We shared the Oda Grill Combo and Karniyarik/Moussaka. Both were outstanding and seasoned just right. I ordered a cocktail (Drop it Like It's Hot) and that too was refreshingly tasty for a warm summer evening. Ambiance is really cute and they have an outdoor patio. Our server was kind, attentive and helped me make a decision on dinner and dessert when I was torn between a few choices. They let us hang around after dinner and they didn't rush us out which was nice too. We had the option to dine in or out but we chose to stay inside because of the humidity and frankly, we just love our air-conditioning. Granted if the weather is favorable, it's a nice space for alfresco dining. Parking is generally street only since they lack a parking lot. Depending on what time you go, you might end up finding free parking on the side streets since the meters tend to run out after 6.

Now why aren't more people talking about Oda? I will be a FREQUENT visitor now! To start this is…read morethe perfect, quaint, neighborhood restaurant. Dim lit but still inviting and plenty of seating for various sized parties but still keeps the intimacy. Our server, Alec was friendly, attentive and gave us the entire run down on the food, cuisine, and his favorite recommendations! Everything was absolutely AMAZING. Big Fs: Fresh, flavorful and filling. Once of my main highlights from the meal was something Alec recommended, the Adjaruli Khachapuri which is Georgian cheese and egg baked in a bread boat. I had never had this before and was blown away by how absolutely tasty it was! I also ordered the Kofte Chargrilled Meatballs which were amazing they came in a large portion but also were SO good bold in flavor with the perfect texture! I ordered the Crimson Petal and the Drop it Like it's Hot cocktails which were both extremely tasty! This was the perfect meal and I cannot wait to get back!

I LOVED my meal here! Ēma (Ay-mah) brings some glamour and glitz to the Mediterranean dining scene,…read morewith an airy, elevated hotel-lobby feel that still doesn't demand a dress code. Dresscode: Smart Casual / Casual Noise Level: Medium (it gets buzzy after 5:30pm) Thursday night Happy Hour was lively, so it took about 10-15 minutes for someone to come around, but service was attentive once we got going. The food is where Ēma really shines. From the Happy Hour menu, the Charred Eggplant Hummus and Crispy Potatoes were generously portioned and great for sharing. On the main menu, the Indian-Mediterranean fusion Bhel Hummus was a party for my taste buds, while the Hot Honey Halloumi and Chicken Kefta rounded out the table nicely. The halloumi is more of a side than a main, but that sweet-and-salty hot honey combo was chef's kiss. For our finisher, the Chocolate Torte knocked us out. Decadent, delicious and chocolate with lots of depth. Overall, Ēma is an excellent spot to order a bunch of dishes for the table and get an elevated meal without feeling stuffy, and delicious without taking itself too seriously. DO's: - Make a reservation ahead, especially for happy hour 4-6pm - Treat apps like small plates, order 2-3 to sample - Entertain their wine list, they have a lot! - Bring vegetarians here, there are plenty of options DON'Ts: - Dismiss the desert menu. It's fantastic and shareable! - Forget to ask for extra pita with the hummus! - Miss out on the LettuceEats loyalty points (check-in with your server before paying your check)

Ema has a great atmosphere and a lot of really good bites. I have celiac disease and appreciated…read morethat most of the menu is gluten free (they have a dedicated GF fryer and knowledgeable staff). The lamb and beef kefta was tasty but very dry. The tune and watermelon salad and hummus were awesome. We were disappointed with the level of service. We were seated 30 minutes after our reservation time and waited even longer to be greeted by a waitress. Our wine took a while to come out and we had to request our check twice.

The doners are amazing-- so amazing that I got one for lunch two days in a row. The team is…read morefriendly with those waiting for pick ups. I love that they have real herb pots right by the front window because it very much fits with the care and freshness that comes out of the kitchen. Generous included fry portions too!

I visited Zizi's Cafe on 2/1 for lunch and had an incredible experience. The staff were friendly,…read morewelcoming, and knowledgeable on the menu. The waitress brought us a carrot dip with very warm bread which was delicious, and I ordered the Döner wrap which was filled with delicious ground lamb and beef. The restaurant was very clean, there was plenty of seating, and they had wonderful decor to look at. I cannot wait to return as the restaurant had a homey feeling to it. Thank you Zizi's for a wonderful experience!