There was a lemon chicken option and I went for it. It was so tender and has such a good zest that I was surprised. Tasteful, tender, marinated! Service is always great. I love how Tuesdays and Thursdays get so busy with folks having their weekly fix on something delicious, Thursdays and Fridays I aim to see what will be lunch and if there is anything that will make it home, baklava makes it home sometimes. read more

Istanbul Grille - Turkish Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

See all

Delicious! Great options for vegetarians. Convenient, fast service. Perfect for lunch! Can go sit outside after grabbing your food if the weather is nice. read more

Visit my bedroom, you'll get a real THRILL You can bring the tuna and I'll provide the DILL I like to use baby oil and do the windMILL If you really please me, I'll put you in my WILL But if we're talking sandwiches, I'll only pay the BILL If it tastes so good it gives me a CHILL You won't understand this ecstasy unTIL You try the Gyro plate from ISTANBUL GRILLE! WHAT! If you think Turkish females are hot, go instead to "Istanbul Girl." I first tried this food years ago... it was one of the best Middle Eastern meals I'd ever had then. If you prefer bad breakfast oats, go instead to "Istanbul Gruel." After all this time, Istanbul Grille is still one of the very best middle eastern restaurants I've ever found. It's sensational, spectacular, and amazing, and even though I got sick eating here a couple of times, I didn't care because we're talking about some of the best Middle Eastern food you'll ever have. If it was full of people hanging out and relaxing, it'd be Istanbul Chill. If they open in the Rockies, it'll be Istanbul Hill. They serve delicious Turkish Gyros and all the amazing salad, but their sides and their sauces are what make them truly special. Order the plate with a bit of everything, tell her to put whatever is good on the plate... you'll have foodgasms for hours. If they made cereals, it'd be Istanbul Mill. Once you're full, you've had your Istanbul Fill. The location is pretty awesome too. Situated deep in the heart of the tunnels underneath Pittsburgh's downtown, under a big tall glass skyscraper, here you will find one of the best and heartiest meals you will ever have, at just $10 to get the big combo. If you leave all your money to this restaurant, it's Istanbul Will. If it helps your spots clear up, it's Istanbul Clearasil. And if it gets rid of your cough, it's Istanbul Benadryl. Go ahead. Get it - I dare you. And get a little bit of everything, ask her to put all the things on the plate, and go crazy with some of the greatest food you'll ever taste. If you get murdered here, it's Istanbul Kill. And if you play a sports game here and score 0, it'd be Istanbul Nil. Open mainly for lunch, and especially fresh and good early at lunch time - in fact and I think that's really the only time the underground location seems to be open. If you think they overcharged you, check the Istanbul Bill. And if you're paralyzed from the great taste, it's Istanbul Still. Stan told me he owns this place.... the question is, though, istanbullsh**ting me. And finally, if they were drug dealers, it would be Istanbul Pill. Which would be a really catchy name, and I should patent that asap. I'm not saying they're not drug dealers by the way. I mean they may be. How would I know? I don't judge. If you wanna know, come in and ask them. Hey do you guys sell drugs. I'm sure they'll be cool about it. Or perhaps you can get carpets here. In which case they'd be Rug Dealers. You could come in and ask for carpets. Persian Rugs maybe. I mean, they're Turkish, so why not? Turks are neighbours of the Persians right? And both BFFS with Israel right? What? Was it something I said? So if Primanti's has lost its THRILL And sh**ty Shake Shack just made you ILL And the rich old man left you nothing in his WILL And Pitt Middle Eastern tastes like Dr. PHIL And Burgatory just went DOWNHILL And Five Guys is a porno, not a burger MILL And that Gastropub got 5 stars from another SHILL And you don't have the money to fly to BRASIL To get your X-Tudo and Acai FILL And you're sick of watching reruns of ONE TREE HILL And you're mis-educated like LAURYN HILL I can tell you the best Turkish, with no FRILL The yummiest thing this side of SEVILLE It's the Gyro plate with everything at ISTANBUL GRILLE (But after you eat it, get on the f***ing Treadmill) (And if your arteries didn't get clogged yet, they soon will) read more

See all

The food is so so amazing and the portions are filling. I would highly recommend the lemon chicken, cabbage, and green beans, but everything is so good. The workers are the kindest people too. read more

The best Turkish restaurant in the Pittsburgh! I love the food the atmosphere every thing is great about it . I like that I feel like home when I was there , the chef and the service was great ! I ordered iskender ans falafel oh my god the best the best !! You should try it do not waste your money on another restaurant! Good job read more

Whatever you may have heard about Istanbul Grille, chances are it's all true! And if you haven't heard of Istanbul Grille, get there. Food is fresh, flavors are balanced and portions are huge. Coming here for the first time can be a little intimidating because the menu is basically Meal #1, Meal #2 and Meal #3. Really ambiguous, right? Especially when there are a dozen hot items to choose from and twice as many cold items. But just ask the workers and ultimately, it boils down to: you pick a main item, whether it be a protein or vegetable, and then you pick two sides. Easy as that. I ordered the meatballs atop bulgar rice with two cold sides: beets and cucumbers. The cold sides were served atop a salad. You also get a choice of hot sauce or cream sauce. I got the hot sauce which wasn't very hot at all. Meatballs were moist and flavorful. The cold sides were a nice refreshing touch to the comforting meatballs. My reason for docking a star was they really need to take down the Keystone Cafe signs as it really confused my lunch mate. From the outside, there isn't much that says Istanbul Grille. The old awning reading Keystone Cafe is still up and so is the lit sign in the window. At least unplug the lit sign, but the Keystone Cafe sign was still well-lit when we went there. This really led my coworker to think I was taking her to the wrong place. So if you're wanting to give it a try, just go in! All the signs for Istanbul Grille are inside! Other than the sign situation, which I'm sure will be remedied over time, food was great and affordable. I will definitely be back. read more

See all

Ok folks, the sign outside said "Keystone Cafe" - but Istanbul Grille is located inside! Absolutely come in and eat here! Food is simply Fantastic:) read more

This is my first time here. I came with my colleagues on team lunch. We ordered Lamb with rice and salad. Taste was good and yah we really got satisfied with the taste. Price was reasonable. I would suggest the restaurant guys to serve a little more hot food than right now. The hot food will taste yummy and satisfying when they eat according to my opinion. Check the picture which I ordered. Whenever you're here try this restaurant for sure. Everyone who's serving is kind and friendly. read more

Istanbul Grille - a plastic container with a variety of food items - Turkish Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I had always wanted to go to this restaurant for lunch, but never quite seemed to make it over to the USX tower. Imagine how excited I was to find out that they moved a 2nd location into the old "Keystone Cafe" (Which I thought sucked, anyway. Glad THAT's gone!)!! A few of my coworkers went earlier this week and described it to me as "kind of a buffet," which I was glad to hear because that means that there would likely be more offerings than what you typically see in chain restaurants that serve food from this part of the world. (e.g. gyro meat, hummus, yogurt, etc) And I was right! Upon walking in, I saw that there were at least 12-15 side dishes - some I knew, some I did not. Here's the cool part: when it was my turn, I told the guy how happy I was that they opened in this location and that I was very excited to try some new things. I ordered "Meal 3" which is supposed to be a salad with 3 cold sides, but I ended up with a sampler box! He generously gave me little spoonfuls of almost everything on the serving table, and he was funny and charming while doing it! I ended up with this: The "base" was a green salad with a very light but very flavorful vinegar-based dressing, cucumber salad, yogurt with dill and pine nuts, grape leaves, chic peas with tahini, beet salad, roasted red pepper and jalepeno sauces, hummus and spicy roasted eggplant. The food itself is clearly planned and prepared by people who know Turkish food, and it is out of this world! The service, the food, and the price were right. I will absolutely go back to Istanbul and will recommend it to everyone I know!!! 3/9/2016: UPDATE I went back today and the owner was just as friendly and funny as last time! He truly treats customers like friends! I wish I could work for this guy! read more

Istanbul Grille - "Meal 3" - Vegetarian. Delicious!! - Turkish Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I was walking by at lunch and decided to stop in what used to be the Keystone Cafe. It now boasted a small bar of spicy lunch items. I selected rice, meatballs and green beans with a side salad. Everything is very spicy but I did ask the server to minimize the tomoatos and spices - she did a great job ;) I enjoyed my lunch and would recommend you stop in if you like a little kick to your lunch. Enjoy. read more

Great food, reasonable price, and friendly staff. I had the gyro pita with eggplant and beet salads. Very yummy. Also when I asked for a cup of water, they threw in a free bottle. I definitely will stop in here for a quick bite the next time I am in PIT. read more

This place used to be AMAZING! And I don't mean when it was Keystone Cafe (though it was then, too). But after the Instanbul team took over, the food was delicious, nutritious and PLENTIFUL. After lunch today, when I could've fit my vegetarian platter in the palm of my hand, I'm so sad! Eight bucks isn't a ton by lunch standards, but for that I could get something far better at Chipotle. What happened?! read more

I had lunch here for the second time today, and the food tasted just as fresh and flavorful as I remembered. However, during my last visit I was told Meal 1 came with three sides, but this time I was told Meal 1 came with just one side. Please make your menu and pricing clearer! read more

Istanbul Grille - My partner got Meal 1. Half meatballs, half gyro meat, with four cold sides. - Turkish Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Fresh, flavorful, and filling! Outstanding food and service. The gentleman in front of me today did not know it was cash only, and the owner told him he could pay double next time. This kind of service is what brings people back! Although I would come back even if the service was terrible, bc the food is outrageous. Currently my favorite lunch spot in Pgh. I love all the sides you get. The carrot slaw, cucumbers, hummus, chickpea salad, lentil salad, etc. all deserve to be on my platter. Well done! read more

Istanbul Grille - Chicken w/garlic sauce and hot sauce, bulgar rice, hummus, seasoned cucumbers, carrot slaw, and chickpea salad - Turkish Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

See all

First time here(this location). I have been going for years. I remember when Josh was where Yovi's used to be on liberty. I frequent USX several times a month. This is much more space. The food is just as good. No falafel when I went? The chicken pita was great. Josh has best baba in Pittsburgh. Don't leave with out trying some sides. Nothing to be intimidated by, everything is great. If you are vegan many options and even a vegan baba. Keep up the passion for great food. A definite gem in the Pittsburgh culinary scene. If you leave here hungry you must never get filled up. read more

Istanbul Grille - Chicken pita and sides - Turkish Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Stopped in for lunch. Good sized portions. Price not too high. The lamb and rice very good. Hummus excellent!! The service was also excellent. I wish the spicy sauce had more bite to it but maybe that's what to expect with Turkish cuisine. read more

Josh is back. He makes the best Turkish food ever. It is fresh, healthy and tastes so good. I always get the lamb or chicken with salad and sides. You have to try the sides he makes fresh. You will not leave hungry and your wallet will not get hit hard. Love this place, my go to place a few times a week. read more

See all

A friend of mine has been talking this place up to the point where I decided to try it out today for lunch. It couldn't have been more perfect for a Lenten Friday, because trust me, I did not miss out on the meat at all. I asked for a salad plate with anything that the owner cared to give me, as it was my first time and I knew that I would want to try everything. And boy, did he deliver. I wish I could recall everything that I ate, but I consisted roughly of a bed of dressed salad, topped with hummus, baba ghanooj, beet salad, two types of tabbouleh (Middle Eastern and Turkish styles), something with carrots, tzatiki, and some spicy sauce that I will definitely be getting on ev-er-y-thing I order from there from now on. That wasn't even everything they have on offer--I saw cucumber salad, dolmas, chickpeas, and a few other items too. All of their cold sides, by the way, are not only vegetarian, but also vegan if you're looking for that as well. I'm SO satiated, but not sluggish. My breath smells faintly of garlic, and I don't care. If there was *anything* missing, it would have been great to have a piece of pita bread to sop up the salad from my container with. Oh, and all of this was *very* reasonably priced. I shall have to make this a regular takeout lunch spot. Just keep in mind that they are cash only. read more

Blown away by Istanbul! Heard fantastic things from multiple people recently and finally tried it last week. There is so much to choose from it was a little overwhelming, so I asked the owner to help. He then proceeded to give me a little of most of their items... the highlights: meatballs, 3 bean salad, tomato cucumber salad, Greek salad, hummus, bulgar rice. The 2 people working were both so kind and helpful, and everything was delicious! Will definitely be back. The only suggestion I have is that they need to get rid of the old Keystone Cafe sign and put up their own. read more

Simply put, this is the best food that Downtown Pittsburgh has to offer. Go. Get. Now.

I am a carnivore, however, most of the time I visit I end up ordering meal 3. I love to explore the side items for the salad. Everything is so fresh, natural and tasty. Even if you get something that might not go well on the first bite it tends to get better with the next. The first couple of visits are a bit intimidating. I think the reason is we like labels and descriptions on our food. Sure, Josh will explain each item in great detail but if it is not labeled it doesn't register. The items really aren't complicated, they are actually quite simple, but Josh works some magic and makes these ingredients work so well. If you give it try, you will return several times. read more

The food here is amazing, but what's even better is the customer service. I stopped in with 2 of my friends and we were given samples, a great overview of our options, 1 free side since it was our first time stopping in. Also, one guy with us wasn't getting anything. The gentleman behind the counter wouldn't let him leave without trying something, so he provided him with 2 little samples - 1 of beets and 1 of carrots. My friend doesn't like beets or carrots but was in shock when he loved both of the dishes he was provided. This place is so good and I will be back soon. read more

Excellent food. I live nearby and I'm a huge fan of this place. The owner is welcoming and generous.

Staff is always friendly and inviting. Food is delicious. I will admit I have to explore the menu a bit more but so far I highly recommend the Lamb Gyro, Lamb salad, or Chicken salad. They have a red homemade hot sauce that is unique and cucumber sauce that is a must try. The hummus w/ pita is also very good and can be added for just a dollar. read more

The second location for the owner (Josh) of Istanbul Grille, after the one at USX. His food is always great, though it's a bit pricey for the quantity. I would come here almost 2-3 times a week. Reviewing it so other Yelpers can see the businesses 2nd location read more

The pickiest eater in town (me) gave it a full five stars. Hope that helps! Very friendly service, ample seating, and the food was delicious. My new job is a block and a half away... I'll be coming back again... And again... read more

Took some friends here recently who came to visit from out of town and we all loved it! Everyone got something different and we just tried each other's food. I got the lamb it was so good. We also got the cold sampler for an appetizer and I loved that as well. Nothing beat the Turkish coffee at the end of dinner. I'm definitely going back!! read more

This review is for the US Steel building outlet. I buy lunch from there regularly ( more than one at a time for friends/colleagues) and recently the quantity of food especially chicken/meat has been going down day by day after the new server came in. If you are expected to pay 10 to 12 dollars for lunch atleast provide reasonable quantity. For 7$ even chipotle will give double the quantity of chicken. If the expectation is that you have to pay 12$ for 25 cents worth of costco salad and 2 spoons of rice, that is not good. I brought it to the attention of the supervisor/manager/owner and he acknowledged it but barely took any action to correct it. The food is good and some of my friends prefer to eat from there, so I will try the alternate locations when doing the takeout and see if all has started having the same problems. Would hate to see a good restaurant go down the drain trying to nickel and dime the customers! read more

Absolutely delicious. The young man and young woman that waited in us provided one of the better dink g experiences I've had in a long time. This might be one of the better meals I've had in the Pittsburgh area...all in a styrofoam container! Meal #1 couple meats, some rice and salad. Gyro meat was excellent and truly authentic. Meatballs are turkey and beef, very flavorful and tender. And the chicken was awesome as well. Salad basic middle eastern salad. White sauce...excellent. Hot sauce even better. You pick whether you got or cold side. Shredded beet salad was great. A nice bite to it. Basic but flavorful olives...and on the house. This was an absolute Mecca of goodness and all in a styrofoam container. All of this was suggested and prepared by the young gentleman that waited in us. The pita gyro might have been one of the best. The wrap, although flavorful was there simply to hold together an absolute mound of gyro meat. Adding white sauce and the hot sauce made it all the better. Tres lesche cake. Best I've ever had! And the young man brought us soup on the house. So simple, yet surprisingly flavorful. This is an absolute must for any foodie out there! Best Middle Eastern food in Pittsburgh and Cleveland, two cities which boast some pretty good food. Thank you for a wonderful dining experience, plastic fork and all. read more