It was all of the above for us for our first time: food, service, and ambiance. We merely searched for another restaurant we could sit down at and enjoy a meal after we went to a Thai restaurant that was only offering takeout by the time we got there. Well, we're glad we were redirected here because we enjoyed everything and it was worth waiting a half hour for seating. We got there around 9:30, so the larger seating area of the restaurant was closed and the side where the bakery is has limited seating. Many people who came seemed to come for their pastries, but we enjoyed a meal before having coffee and dessert. I'm not big on coffee unless it has milk and sugar, but the Turkish mineral sparkling water we had after that was the best we've ever had and I highly recommend it. As for food, we tried their red lentil soup (loved it with the fresh squeezed lemon juice), baba ghanoush, Turkish cigars (too salty for my palette but I wanted to try them), and the mixed platter. Unlike another review I read before writing mine, we enjoyed the bread, the mixed platter, and the salad. Overall, we were happy and very much look forward to coming back here when we're able to. Thank you to the cooks and everyone else who took care of us. You guys are great! read more

Tried it the first time the food was great well Cooked and delicious. We had the mixed grill, mix appetizer and we tried the gyro/chicken pide which was different but delicious. The chicken can have some more taste to it but it was still good read more

See all

Amazing food. Beautiful desserts. The staff were very friendly and attentive. The cold mixed appetizers were delicious. The bread they were served with was light and fluffy. The falafel was crunch on the outside and soft and smooth on the inside with delicious flavor. Accompanied by the delicious fresh red rice and fresh roasted vegetables, out of this world. The chicken gyro, my son devoured in moments. He said it was excellent. My daughter loved the shrimp shish which again was accompanied by the red rice and fresh roasted vegetables. We simply couldn't pick one dessert, we ended up getting five different kinds. My children were in awe of the beautiful dessert displays. The time and love that went into preparing them was evident. Of course I had to have a hot cup of Turkish tea while waiting for my food. It was perfect, simply perfect. I cannot wait to return. read more

Istanbul Cafe - Dessert display - Turkish Near Me - Centereach, New York

Great food. Midestern style. Good service. Friendly atmosphere. Not crowded. We tried different plates all good.

It's a bit pricey at first glance but once taste the food it's well worth it and brings me back to Turkey and Istanbul with its very Mediterranean style cuisine, the grill the seafood are all delicious! read more

TLDR: Perfect spot for lunch/coffee/dessert with a friend or a date. The food is delicious albeit slightly pricier than other Turkish places and the atmosphere and service are great. Service was a bit slow because there was only one server. Highly recommend! I've been waiting to come here for a while and I'm so glad I finally got a chance to go! The newly renovated space is beautiful and clean and their dessert counter is just dazzling! So many delicious desserts just waiting to be eaten! I went for lunch with a friend and we were both so happy with the atmosphere, service, and menu. True Turkish hospitality! Our server was very attentive and friendly and gladly explained unfamiliar menu items to us--she even gave us a "tour" of the desserts! The only thing was that she was the only server and there was a constant stream of customers so service was a bit slow--not for lack of effort on her part though! My friend and I wanted to stay and chat so this was fine, but we were there for about 3 hours, so you might want to allot some time when you come here. We both ordered from the lunch specials menu--you get salad, an entree, and choose from lentil soup, rice, fries, or bulgar. We got falafel and chicken adana for our entrees and the food was particularly delicious, but the portions were really tiny! I only got three pieces of falafel! For lunch! I'm not sure if the portions are bigger if you order a normal entree, but I wasn't planning to spend $15ish on lunch that day. It was really good falafel though! And I'm usually afraid falafel will be dry and course. We also ended up staying for dessert and tea--delicious! Our only issue was trying to decide what to get! Other technical notes: -the bathroom was clean and spacious (single person bathroom). -there are a few small tables in the dessert section, which looked really nice if you just wanted to come for tea/coffee and dessert. -there is a small market section with Turkish foods. -really loved the Turkish music! read more

Istanbul Cafe - Such a gorgeous dessert counter!! - Turkish Near Me - Centereach, New York

Pastries and desserts are excellent, owner is very friendly and gave us a tres leches on the house! We will definitely be coming back! read more

Istanbul Cafe - Tres leches, tiramisu, pastries - Turkish Near Me - Centereach, New York

Every once in a while, if you're like me, you find yourself in a town with a few spots you haven't tried; you're hungry and craving something new so you turn to your trusty yelp app and check what's in the area; you check your bookmarks, you browse 3 menus in 5 minutes. Today, I did just that. I decided, based on the hundred some-odd people to review Istanbul Cafe, that I was going to get some Manti and Lahmacun. I read a good review for the gyro pide so I threw that in as well. You get excited when see such a great response to a place you've never been, you lick your lips and cross your fingers that you just found a diamond in the rough, you race home to try the goods, you throw it down on the kitchen counter, take your best & quickest yelp photos you can muster without chewing your own arm off and you dive in. Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, yelpers and yelp Elites, I've journeyed here to tell you a great tidbit of information regarding this highly regarded establishment; it's extremely and amazingly ... disappointing. This place screams middle of the flavor road, middle of the road in that the Shimp Shish was so salty it was inedible, the Lahmacun was so bland that the lemon they DIDN'T supply couldn't help out the non-existent flavor of the under-crisp traditionally awesome Turkish starter; gave one slice of tomato and a pound of lettuce; although bland this left a bad taste in my mouth (literally and figuratively) Next we come to the Gyro Pide which was dry and boring to eat, unassisted by just about the worst yogurt sauce I've ever had. (My dining partner liked the Pide the best out of everything I ordered but still wasn't impressed) The thing I liked best was the Manti (little Turkish, pinched ravioli type dumplings) ordered without the red sauce. It was lemony and decent; not the best I've had, not the worst. Not even the free bread was good, or even near as good as other spots- I'd never bother returning and I'm almost offended by the high rating here on Yelp. You all let me down big time and I expect you people to make it up to me in the future. read more

Excellent!!!!!! Great fresh flavors , great lunch specials. Turkish / Mediterranean pastries baked on premises were outstanding! Staff is super nice, owner greets you and checks on table. Very clean including restroom. Highly recommend! read more

Food is good when they don't mess up. A little pricey for what you get, even years ago before things went up. The missing items in order are the bigger issue. I will give them another try one day as the food is good. read more

The food is delicious. We started with the mixed appetizer platter, and the baba ganoush was smoky and smooth. My husband had the lamb shank- which is a steal at 22$. My gyro salad was huge. And- they make their own delicious bread! After we stopped at the bakery side and got some cookies for home. Service is great, prices are good, food is delicious. read more

The food was good not great ... tasty with portions that varied from average to below avg... spinach pie small portion for price ....bread n butter served is basic...cans of soda??? Warm no ice ??? Service was mostly good though a tad rushed and impatient even though was not overly crowded... the older waitress was impatient and unfriendly /uninterested. Which made for a rushed and uncomfortable start .... Not good... the rest of staff seemed attentive especially the pastry guys who cared about their job and the customers... ambiance is open and bright with pics of the old country .... No alcohol on menu made for another disappointment ... on the whole service with a smile and patience counts !!! Shore up ur staff !!! Not looking to return as there are better places with Mediterranean food around.... read more

The establishment was empty except for us, which meant lighting fast service (we came at the right time given that by when we left there were several clients "causing traffic," haha). We had two different waitresses since the first one's shift was almost done; both were very, very nice and welcoming. In any event, they started us with a bread plate coupled with butter and olive oil; that was quite tasty! We then continued with some appetizers; we ordered the Turkish Cigars and the Spanakopita. The Turkish Cigars were AWESOME! A MUST order, IMHO. Personally, I've never been a fan of Spanakopita, but I've tried it before (my wife makes it since she is a real fanatic of this kind of dish). I wasn't a fan of their version (a little mushy on the bottom for my liking), but I thought the taste was certainly good and flavorful. My wife enjoyed hers, but she did note that she has had better (including her own version). My kids were not fans of this item either, yet we polished it off without any gripe nonetheless! My daughter ordered the ground meat pide and my son the chicken gyro pide; my daughter loved hers and my son liked his, but was not in love with it. I tasted his dish and both he and I agreed that the issue with the item was that it was bland. I thought it lacked a good red sauce. In fact, my daughter agreed with this idea even with her dish, though she was still satisfied with her choice. I ordered their mix meats dish with their red rice and found it pretty solid! Meats and chicken were flavorful, and the lamb chop was great. My wife got the Greek salad and enjoyed it, though she was still not a fan, especially of their Tzatziki sauce. I have to say that such a thing can be sacrilege when it comes to this kind of cuisine and my wife, for she absolutely loves Tzatziki sauce! As far as their falafel... she's had better I'm afraid to report. I tasted the falafel and found it a bit bland and crumbly. In general, I agree with her observations concerning her order. Overall, the service was excellent, the ambiance was pretty sweet (nice cultural music played on the background, which helped to get us lost in the cuisine). Very clean and comfortable atmosphere with cool photos of their regions displayed on the walls. As far as their food is concerned, it was pretty decent. Don't get me wrong, nothing was poorly made; there were some excellent flavors and their portions were very generous, so you'll get your money's worth (I'm already excited about digging into my leftovers tomorrow. As a note, their packaging was environmentally friendly (aluminum as opposed to styrofoam, which is something to which I pay attention). Oh, we did order desserts; my wife and I shared the kadayif, while the kiddies each had a rice pudding. Everyone tasted everything and the overall conclusion on this area of the experience was "meh!" The kadayif has shredded phyllo dough, which was not something I enjoyed (it had this old-bread in the fridge aftertaste that I just couldn't get through no matter how much honey and nuts they stuffed into it), whereas the rice pudding, frankly, tasted like the Kozy Shack store-bought version. Hence, their desserts will not be something for which we'll remember them, LOL. At any rate, give them a try; I do recommend them, especially during lunch since I bet their wraps are awesome. As a side note, just so readers get an idea of my tastebuds, the Turkish place, Turkuaz Grill, out in Riverhead is an establishment I consider to be outstanding! Since it is a long drive for us, this restaurant works when we want to keep it local and order some takeout. read more

See all

Delicious. Everything from appetizer to turkish coffee and desserts. Make sure you try the hummus read more

Istanbul Cafe is a true gem in hiding on Long Island. The meat here is incredible, some of the best if not the best of its variety I've ever had on Long Island and comparable the places outside of it for sure. If you don't have the luxury of coming here often, get the Mix Grill platter which will give you a little taste of everything. You'll be hooked, and it's worth the investment to identify your favorites. The lamb and beef is good as I've come to expect from places like this, but what really impressed me was their chicken. They give you big pieces of chicken that are all the way juicy... just thinking about it makes me salivate. If you're in a larger group, definitely order of the pides... the Mixed Pide would be my recommendation for similar reasons to the platter. The pide is all cheesy goodness stuffed with meat, and all their bread-related stuff is super super good as well. I haven't felt a need to stray from these items, so that's why my recommendation is to try the variety and find what you like. It's a little hole-in-the-wall, but it's a charming place with good service, and I hope they stick around for a long time as this has become a new go-to for me when I'm in the area. read more

See all

We love this place we come here every day! Most authentic food you can find And good quality ! read more

Everyone is so friendly here. Delicious food, authentic. A staple in the area. I had been wanting to try it since we moved here and I'm sad we waited so long!! read more

I've eaten take out from here several times, I have never actually been inside but every time we've ordered, the food has been nothing short of amazing. The pastrami pide is my favorite thing I've eaten there, its unique and its so good. The flavors are amazing and I can't wait to have it again. I've tried pretty much every type of meat they have. I'm not crazy about the chicken kebab but its not something I typically order anyway as it usually is too dry for my liking. The lamb chops are great and I love the vegetables that come with the dinners. I'm going there this week to eat in the restaurant so I can only imagine it being better! read more

My favorite spot for authentic Turkish food! Friendly service, excellent tasteful food. If you're looking to try something new be sure to try the gyro! Thinly sliced like the real Turkish way. read more

Istanbul Cafe - Doner and lahmacun - Turkish Near Me - Centereach, New York

We love ordering from here! Always fresh when we order from doordash. Some places by the time they get the food to you it's all soggy. This place makes delicious food and seem to time their orders properly so they get to us and we're still able to enjoy them! read more

Istanbul Cafe - Chicken Adana on Turkish bread - Turkish Near Me - Centereach, New York

Great food and service! Their lunch special is a go-to during my working hours. I'm a fan.

i got the rice pudding and i was disappointed. it barely had a flavor and it was very watery. the rice was a weird texture. very thin and crumbled weird in your mouth. idk if it was a bad batch but i'm not trying it again. pita house has way better rice pudding read more

This review is for one thing only: their tip harrasment. When you walk into the restaurant, the first thing you're greeted with is a sign that says 15%-20% tip is mandatory. When they bring you the bill after running your card, they also make sure to ask you to include the minimum amount of tip. Pretty outrageous I think. A tip is never mandatory not to mention setting a minimum. They really also did not do much extra to deserve a tip. For example, they don't bring out water unless you ask and then they only bring to the person who asks for it, and they make a huge fuss if you pay with more than one credit card. Won't be coming back because of this part which made the experience poor. read more

I have never had a bad meal here. To single out one dish that I had here would be unfair to the others. However, I did have your lamb chops tonight which were out of this world. Desserts are fabulous here staff is very friendly. Tip them well when you come. read more

Istanbul is the best lunch I can get in the area. You get three options of a meat: Chicken, gyro, kofte and the choice of two sides: salad, rice (red or white), or soup for $9. Great portions and super filling. Total sit down is about an hour and pick up is awesome they pack it perfectly -- no rips or spills. We ordered food for a picnic and that's when I fell in love. We normally start with cheese sticks-- they've changed over the past year idk what happened to the thick batter in my later pics, recently they're back to regular looking motz sticks. Still amazing deff not complaining. Lentil soup is tasty especially with a dip of the awesome crispy bread they serve. Try ALL the meats. They're all delicious. Idk what they put in the chicken but the juices are incredible -- 4 pieces served for lunch is so painful but of course it's a lunch portion, I get it. I enjoy the red rice but the white is fine too. The chocolate pudding is LIFE. The restaurant itself much to look at but the service is always the best and that's what keeps us coming back to dine in! read more

See all

Very good experience. Came in without reservations and staff made sure we were taken care of despite a large party coming in soon. Couldn't remember the name of what I ordered but it was very good. Would absolutely like to try more of their food. Definitely see myself coming back Dining area is limited but the atmosphere is very nice. Bonus of having an on-site bakery read more

Been going here since they opened! They have one of the best Turkish restaurants of Long Island. Especially since they opened the bakery part. I highly recommend the kazandibi! read more

Cozy place with Delicious Turkish menu. So far best I tried in the area. Great service! Definitely coming again read more

this place is just simply delicious. The ingredients are simple. The food is always fresh. The bakery is amazing. The service is just on point. Anyone that has a problem with this place has a problem because you cannot find anything wrong here. This is home cooking at its best, we love coming here if it was up to me I would eat there every night ! I'd love the Istanbul Café you feel like you're on a little vacation while you're in Centereach! Needless to say the restaurants around our area are not the greatest. This place is on point congratulations to you all your hard work and heart shows and I really appreciate it. It's good to go somewhere where I know the food will consistently be good and I'm not wasting my money! read more

I loved it .. price is fair because quality and quantity is perfect for that price .. food is nice and fresh I have no problem with it . Except pide I think was little salty but other then that I think I would def go there again no doubt about it my total cost was 70$ read more

Istanbul Cafe - Turkish Near Me - Centereach, New York

See all

We were looking forward to Iftar on a Friday night during Ramadan. Because of the yelp page saying no reservations, we did not call ahead - our mistake. So while we were unable to be seated, we were able to place a takeout order. I felt the staff were genuinely apologetic that there were no tables available and were very accommodating with a takeout order. This 5 star review is mainly for the staff working very hard and being pleasant, as well as the tasty food. We tried a variety of items including desserts and were really happy. We hope to come back soon and have a seat in the dining room next time. read more

My wife and I recently moved from Pakistan and my wife's first pay check came so we thought to celebrate here. The food was just ecstatic, big servings, the waiter was fast, amazing and courteous. She was so talented that she was dealing with so many customers all alone. We will come soon! read more

My husband and I used to be regulars here but the food and customber service has really declined.

I came here after a really long time before their expansion and I am so glad I came back! Their food is delicious! Staff is friendly and although there was a wait, once we were seated everything was smooth and quick. Space is medium sized- good for a large group but better for smaller groups. We started with their lahmacun- I thought it was seasoned well and tasted great because it was fresh and hot. I went with their chicken adana kabob and although I normally only like white rice- their red rice was all they had and I actually enjoyed it. The chicken was cooked perfectly and super juicy! The yogurt on the side was paired perfectly with the hot dish. I'm glad I have a new Turkish spot to go to when I get a craving for Turkish food- give this spot a chance! read more

See all

Discovered this place while looking for halal food. Definitely a step above the quick halal hole in the walls and carts you see all over. Highly recommended read more

After watching a YouTube video on Turkish food, particularly Lahmacun, which is like a very thin meat pizza that you roll up and eat, I searched Yelp for a place I where might be able to try it. Found Istanbul Cafe and stopped in. While the restaurant is a bit spartan and located in a strip mall, I could tell that the food would be authentic. The server (owner?) was from Turkey and the two guys at the table next to me were as well. The were having Lahmacun and I told the server I wanted the same. I also ordered a lentil soup to start since it was freezing outside. I wound up having a nice conversation with the Turkish guys and spoke of my travels to Istanbul and Izmir. They taught me how to eat the Lahmacun. They also suggested I get a yoghurt drink called Ayran which I did. I wasn't sure if I liked it at first but then it went very well with the Lahmacuna. They also have a bakery where you can get get excellent Turkish pastries as well as a section of Turkish pantry items for sale. Definitely give it a try. read more

Pleasantly surprise how tasty this food was!!! Place is clean and staff is very nice and helpful. Did I say the food was amazing !!!!enjoy !!! read more

I use to order food here ALL the time. I moved West 3 years ago and when I go back into Centereach/Selden I'll call in an order.

Great lamachun and Iskendar. Nehru special is amazing and the best bombas cookies we ever had.

Not really from this area, but glad I waltzed into this place! Good lighting, friendly and attentive staff. Menu is simple and easy to order from. I love that they have descriptions for their dishes! the FOOD is why you'll keep coming back here. Definitely all homemade!! Soup of the day was chicken and it was delicious! Ordered the Manti which are mini meat raviolis in yogurt sauce. Savory, creamy and tomato-y. Good to share. Also ordered the mix grill, the meat was cooked well and everything is seasoned! And if you eat in, there's a red seasoning on the table- put it on everything! The fresh hot bread they give you is phenomenal. Great selection of non-alcohol beverages. I tried the apple tea and Turkish tea, warm and delicious! Authentic spot and they have KUNEFE! Cheesy sweet dessert to die for!! Everything was spot on! Will definitely come back (: read more

See all