From the outside, it looks like a run-down tattoo parlor. When you go to the front door on Main Street, you are directed to the side door. Courage. The interior is transformative. The decor is Turkish; tables are flanked by comfortable sofas and pillows. No one was at the counter. The trick is you have to bang on the bell. The young lady who appears is cheerful, greeting, efficient. Indicate you are eating in, but stand there and order from the menu posted. The food: I dislike rice, or thought I did- their rice is sublime. What do they add to it? The baba ghanoush is the best I've tasted. My friend got chicken kabob and raved about it. My curried chicken was equally good. You won't have room for the baklava but take some home (and hide it from the family or it will disappear.) I'll be back. More of that rice for one thing. read more

We visited Istanbul together because it had been a long time. In the last few years this place has undergone a few changes. For a while there was also a market here. That is now gone, with only remnants remaining of that time period. It has gone back to looking almost exactly like my photos from years ago. We both got the mixed grill. It was fine. Lamb was a bit dry and salty. Beef was ok. Two types of chicken. Lots of rice. Salad and hummus before hand. Nothing to write home about, nothing to complain about. The guy who took our order was also our waiter and brought items to our table. Nice, energetic, kind of cute. We'd go back but prefer other places for similar food. read more

Istanbul Restaurant And Bakery - Mixed grill plate. - Kebab Near Me - Westbrook, Maine

First time here. Third in line and was told it would be about 15 min. One dish cane out about 20 min wait and almost finished before the second dish arrived. Waited 35 min for chicken shawarma and lentil soup? The food was mediocre and definitely not worth that kind of wait...we wont be back. read more

Low quality meet. Decent sauce. Can't compete with Dina's or Mazaat. My suggestion is to improve ingredient quality and it would bring your food up a good ways. read more

With a name like Istanbul restaurant you would think it was Turkish food. It was Iraqi.. foods are similar but not the same . If you're interested in Turkish food this isn't the place . read more

We tried this place for the first time tonight . We really liked it . Very casual dining area a bit sparse but it was fine for our purpose. This is a family run business with a small menu. I enjoyed the shawarma it was very flavorful. My friend a ,conservative diner, was an instant fan . ( unfortunately no photos for this review) we got a pizza to go for a friend who was reluctant to try something new. The pizza was reported to be delicious and a nice option. I got some hummus and Samoun bread to take home it was really good , I hope to return soon. read more

previously gave a 5 star review after my first and second experience which was great, but since then i've had two really bad experiences with customer service and the food quality, seems like the staff only try's when the owner is around. read more

Falafel sandwich is too dry, needs more actual falafel and sauce. This place could be great but they need to up their game.

Had intended to go this week, understanding from the listing that they would take reservations. When I called I was told that they do not take reservations. I asked if there was typically a wait for a table at 6 PM. The answer was: "Yes". No further information was offered. Sorry, that's not good enough! read more

First Time ordering here tonight. Fantastic food!! I own my own restaurant and know a quality product when I try one. Highly recommend and definitely will be back again next time we are feeling the urge for Turkish Food.. My son is 1 1/2 and he loves the falafel plate. read more

Came out to Westbrook to check out the local ethnic food scene. While Westbrook certainly isn't Manhattan, new eateries seem to be popping up, each one different than the others. Istanbul - a casual Turkish joint - is a welcome addition to the area. Clean, bright, and warm, the decor is inviting and modern. It's halal, so there's no alcohol, but this place is about Turkish home cooking, not getting your drink on. Plastic cutlery is used here. Food is certainly made fresh, in the sense that it took a decent amount of time for our food to come - a huge positive. Food that comes out too quickly is a warning. Here, they took their time preparing our main plates and side dishes. Overall, the place is delicious, and the food very well made. We enjoyed all the dishes; kebob, shawarma, rice, hummus, baba ganoush, salad and falafel. Be sure to ask for bread, as it didn't come with our plates. The bread is freshly made and incredible - worth coming here for that alone. In addition to the usual American canned sodas, a variety of Turkish juices, soft drinks, and non-alcoholic malt beverages are available. It's always fun to try sodas from other cultures. This is a welcome addition to the area, and I highly recommend it. read more

This review was written during COVID-19 with the understanding that people are just doing their best. I was looking forward to the reopening of this spot. The location has changed hands and fare several times (sometimes, confusingly, under the same name) in the last few years. I don't know who owns it now, but the shawarma is not the same. It was dry and a little salty. The rice was delicious. Overall, I was not excited but I will try it again in hopes that my mind will change. read more

We had the BEST dinner there, and we felt like royalty because of how gracious & helpful the staff was. The shawarma & curry are some of the best I've ever had, and the made-in-house desserts are to die for! I am sure that the less-than-ideal parking situation in downtown Westbrook, with all the construction and aggressive towing (do NOT park at CVS next door - they will definitely tow!), has impacted their business, but this place should have a steady line out the door. It is well worth visiting: the food is delicious, the portions are generous, and the service is wonderful. I will certainly be there frequently myself! read more

Absolutely delicious - wonderful people and amazing food! You can't go wrong. Terrific falafel and the hummus alone is worth a trip!

Everything I get from them is good. The whole chicken plate out of this world! If you haven't tried their frozen burgers you are missing out. read more

Loved my falafel and salad. The chicken shawarma plate was great, even the rice has flavorful layers! Hummus is delicious, flatbread spot on...nice family too. read more

Ordered a Chicken shawarma plate and sandwich to go. The food was well portioned, not overwhelming and loved that the plate had a good variety between the salad, fries, hummus, chicken and rice. Customer service was great, they worked on my order quickly as I told them I was in a rush. The store had good selection of middle eastern goodies. I picked up a small snack plate with walnut stuffed dates and tahini. As a mom of an infant I felt supporting an business where I saw another mom of a baby boy working on my order in the kitchen... making it happen. Food was delicious. Only downside is it seemed like a shady part of town unfortunately... read more

Istanbul restaurant was awesome! I ordered the chicken shawarma and had it with a Turkish coffee and baklava for dessert. The service was prompt and friendly, I recommend the food and the staff here! read more

I got takeout last night with my family and everything we got was amazing! I loved the eggplant salad and it was some of the best falafel I've had. Not only was all the food amazing but the guy working also recommended some imported sodas! We will definitely be back again! read more

Very disappointing. Everything was pre-cooked and packaged in what looked like a TV dinner plate. They didn't have half of the menu. The wait staff behind the counter seem uninterested in what she was doing, and was on her cell. I will not be back. There's sadly nothing about Istanbul here except a name. read more

We went inside and decided the menu's didn't offer much variety. There was outdoor seating but it looked as if there were some people of questionable character lingering. We chose to look elsewhere read more

Great little place in downtown. Halal food, freshly prepared. The owner was baking the bread as I waited. I enjoyed my meal very much and will be back. read more

Istanbul Restaurant And Bakery - Owner and I believe daughter - Kebab Near Me - Westbrook, Maine

We ordered a cheese burger and mixed shawarma (chicken and beef). The cheese burger was more like a kafta kabob, with no cheese!! The quality of both foods was bad. The store was very messy, and they didn't even know the price of some of items in the store. The mixed shawarma's price was $14.99 in the menu, but I was charged $18.99!! When I asked them about it, they said the price in the menu is not correct! read more

Chicken Shawarma sandwich was the worst ever. Very old chicken tasting and rotten tomatoes. Even during the Covid pandemic, the tables aren't being cleaned. People were leaving the table and other are sitting right after. The cashier was rude and forgot several items in my order. My friend ordered a plate and the salad portion was 7 leaves of lettuce, not worth the price. No trash cans are provided outside upon fishing. No trash cans are provided outside. I am very disappointed I went here read more

Wow wowowoww...We ordered the special meal being offered for 17.99. It is an entire chicken, rice, and a ton of fresh vegetables and pickles. The seasoning and cook was spot on, as was the hummus and bread that we grabbed from their huge assortment of to go items. I am absolutely crazy about this kind of food and am super excited to have found this spot! read more

Great restaurant and amazing food. All fresh and very falvorable. Definitely one of the best Mediterranean food in portland. Highly recommend, great staff. read more

Probably be worth while to get someone different to work the phone, wow that girl is rude and annoying

I've eaten a few different dishes from Istanbul and never once been disappointed. Everyone is always so sweet when I go in, and I'm always greeted with a smile. I love a family owned restaurant, even more so when they make you feel like part of the family. Do yourself a favor and call in an order, and if you're not sure where to start, get yourself some shawarma or kebab and a soda. read more

A wonderful new place with authentic and freshly made food. The portions are great and I left satisfied without feeling bogged down like I do with fast food. I had the falafel sandwich which I basically inhaled, and my fam had the tikka chicken plate and the mixed plate. We cleaned up for sure. The rice was yummy and aromatic, which you can't always find. The meat was freshly grilled, and the fish is too (I didn't have enough time to get that). I will definitely be back! read more