It was a tough decision between a 2 star and 3 star experience. This particular time was very disappointing. I've been here in the past, although only for weekend brunch, and it's usually pretty good. Tonight was a weeknight dinner. We started off with the complimentary bread and spread. The bread was sourdough and the spread had a horseradish taste, which wasn't for me. For the entrée, I had the risotto del presidente which was slightly above average. Flavor was good but a little salty. My friend had the falafel which was dry and underwhelming. We weren't checked up on nor served water when our glasses were empty. The baklava was very good, so it was nice to end on a high note. The restaurant itself is nice, and there's plenty of outdoor seating. Sometimes there's someone playing the violin or cello, but I believe that's only on weekends. I'll likely not come here again for dinner and will stick to brunch on the weekend. read more

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Stop what you're doing and come get brunch here. Seriously. This was one of the best meals I've had in a long time. Filling. Savory. And reminiscent of my travels throughout Eurasia and the Middle East. Step into this old school establishment and be greeted by the friendly staff and beautiful bar adorned with colorful bottles. Walk towards the back wall lined with bottles of wine to your table where the experience begins. The brunch is the main event. Get the Turkish tea, I like mine with a little sugar. Then dive face first into the enormous spread of good eats coming your way. Eggs, menemen (tomato eggs), house baked breads, veggies, kofta, varied cheeses and spreads...ugh I can't get enough. I left with a full belly and heart as we sat for an hour digesting, sipping tea, and having great conversation. Seriously do yourself a favor and visit this place before it becomes too popular of a spot. 5/5 read more

Great staff - service was phenomenal and they even gifted us complimentary baklava at the end of dinner - will return undoubtedly.

This was a 3.5 star visit at most. Pros... Delicious baklava... probably the best I've had. Outstanding patio in nice weather. Cons... The service wasn't good at all...it was the biggest downfall of our visit. It look atleast 15 min to be greeted and we were 1 of 3 outdoor tables. There was an excessively long wait for anything ordered. Anything requested when we could get someone at our table had to be asked 2-3 times to get and no one was friendly about it. No one cleared plates...at any table...or checked on any table...it was just a patio of dirty plates, empty glasses and customers looking around if all the servers had left for the afternoon. Food was okay...nothing I would go back for...service definitely would leave me looking elsewhere. read more

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First time eating Turkish food and it was DELICIOUS!! A friend of mine said that it use to be more Turkish but now it has slash Mediterranean but still as good. Everything taste fresh nothing was fried . The staff was great, they explained a dish if you didn't know what it was . The desserts are excellent and it's a fantastic place to go on a date night !! read more

Really cute spot, delicious food and kind staff - found free parking right in front of the restaurant. The brunch was divine and had so much variety. The eggs with Turkish chorizo were my favorite and the bread and cheese were so fresh. Everything is halal too. Such a joy and looking forward to returning! read more

Came here with a big group last night! The space was interesting, it really echoed so you could barely hear each other. Other than that is was decorated nicely. Started with the carrot dip and bread that's on the house. This was probably my favorite appetizer and the bread is so light and fluffy it's delicious. Next had some mussels and fried calamari. The mussels are huge in a creamy tomato a sauce, which were very good. The calamari could have been cooked a little longer. For my main I had one of the specials which was a seafood risotto. This was probably my least favorite risotto I have ever had, lacking the creaminess of risotto and the seafood portions were about 3 pieces of shrimp and a jumbo scallop. Would not come back here but happy to have tried it out! read more

Turquoise Restaurant - Risotto del Presidente Dinner - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Visiting Chicago and had an enjoyable anniversary dinner with friends. Started with cocktails and wine, Mezzrow platter, lentil soup and the cheese plate. Our friends had Chicken Kabobs and another chicken dish, I tried something new "grandma's dumplings" Manti, which was really tasty. Great dining experience a cute area of Chicago. read more

Turquoise Restaurant - Turquoise Martini & Red Wine - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This place is so good!! Such good vibes and amazing food. I got the Turkish salad and chicken kabobs. The chicken kabobs were some of the best I have ever had. I also recommend the turquoise martini and tiramisu! read more

I ordered a special birthday dinner with scallops at 2pm for 10pm delivery. At 9:30 (I sh*t you not), they call and say they ran out of scallops. Seriously? You had the order (fully paid for) at 2pm and you wait until 30 minutes before I'm expecting my birthday friend to arrive before you cancel the order? Real sh*tty of you. read more

Love the Turquoise Cafe! The food is delicious, service is impeccable. They could update the interior but the everything else is so good that I am ok with it.i plus there is plenty of tables outside during the summer. I am surprised it is not more crowded. read more

I wouldn't come back to this place. First, me and my boyfriend told the hostess we're here for our reservation but the two other guests were parking. However, she kept asking about where the other guests were. We repeatedly said they were parking the car so they'd be around the area but she kept saying, "Yes I know... but where are they?" Thankfully the other two guests came just in time. Second, our orders took an entire hour. I understand waiters/waitresses are busy dealing with multiple tasks. Working in the customer service industry is awful. But the restaurant wasn't even half full and we had to tell two different waiters our order. Lastly, most of their cocktail drinks were weird, especially the Turkish Delight. It had a soapy taste to it so we had to send it back. Overall, the food tasted good but not worth an hour wait and mediocre customer service read more

Turquoise Restaurant - Risotto del Presidente Dinner - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ordered the Lahmacun tonight and it was out of this world! So much flavor and so fresh. Already craving another one. Will be ordering again soon! read more

A solid place for Mediterranean food. They have good kabob plates, and it's a pretty standard Mediterranean kabob plate. The food is tasty and the meat is flavorful! We started off with the house made bread and it was really good! You can definitely tell the bread is fresh and the sesame seasoning is a nice touch. I got the chicken kabob plate for my entree and I really liked the way the meat was cooked. It had good spice and lots of flavor! The side of rice was nice but the side of cabbage was kind of plain and could have used more spice or dressing. We also used the yelp check-in to get a small piece of baklava! The food here is your standard Mediterranean cuisine so I'm not sure I would come out of my way to eat here again. The food is definitely flavorful though and I did enjoy our meal here! read more

Turquoise Restaurant - Chicken Kabob Plate - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Don't listen to poor reviews this place has fantastic Med food (mucvers and lintel soup are top notch). Drinks are great and so is the atmosphere. It can get a little loud, and sometimes you'll wait a bit for servers to come by but it's not enough for me to take away a Star. My wife and I are foodies and rarely go back to the same place twice but we keep coming back here! read more

The ambience was okay. It felt like the place was stuck in 90s decor but it wasn't bad. The lighting was good. Wish it had some kind of music. The food was good. We got the fried calamari ($16), Risotto Del Presidente ($38), and Sultan's Delight ($28). Fried calamari was good but the breading could be crispier. It was a good portion for two people. And it wasn't oily which was good. The risotto was good. It had flavor and the shrimp and scallop was cooked well. The portion was great. The sultan's delight was okay. It needed something else like a solid carb. You can definitely taste the smokiness of the mozzarella. It's all good but just needed some carbs. read more

We just had dinner here tonight -- I had a hankering for falafel, and it was delicious, a great balance of moist and dry and well-flavored. We also had the kofta kebab and the lahmacun, a Turkish flatbread - it was my first time trying lahmacun and I loved it! The server kindly recommended squeezing a little lemon on it, which really brought out a freshness. The place was really busy, and appeared to be a little understaffed, yet the service was excellent. Big kudos! read more

Really great ambiance with live piano music on the weekend! They accept reservations and tables are all filled by 7pm on a Saturday. They offered outdoor dining (with unbrellas) as well as indoor dining. Food wise i thought was average though prices are a tad higher as I feel you're paying for the ambiance. All tables are provided with homemade bread and dip. The dip is unique and is a mixture of shredded carrots, yogurt or sour cream and some other veggies. We tried the turkish pizza app which was a very thin pizza crust topped with a flavorful ground lamb/garlic mixture. I also tried the hummus which was nothing memorable and interestingly was served with Tortilla chips which did not match the theme or cuisine of the food. For entrees we wanted to try their kebabs. We got the grandfather kebab with lamb and NY strip steak and the mixed kebab platter with shrimp, scallop, chicken, beef, and salmon. The godfather platter had delicious bread soaked in a flavorful tomato sauce under the meat which paired well with the side of yogurt. Steak was not really seasoned but cooked well and the lamb kebab was tasty and had really good seasoning. The mixed grill kebab was decent though the shrimp was overcooked. The other proteins were all cooked appropriately though not a lot of seasonings on the meats outside of the chicken. One of the better parts of the dish was the rice which was really tender, buttery and a perfect vessel to pair with the meat. Overall it was fun to try the kebabs but I'm not sure I'd order them again because none of them really had a wow factor. The best part of the meal was dessert which we got on the house due to our yelp check in. The baklava was homemade and served slightly warm though it was not topped with the usual pistachio as pictured in others - could be because this was a comp item. Overall I'd come back for the ambiance and the opportunity to try some of the other dishes read more

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Had a lovely iftar here last week! The ambiance of the restaurant is nice and it was surprisingly busy for a Wednesday night. Service was excellent. We ordered the 4 person combo with appetizers for 5 people. The flatbread and cigar rolls were delicious!!!! The meat combo platter was okay, the beef kabob pieces were a bit tough and the rice and remaining items on the platter were good, but not amazing. I have had better Mediterranean food but I'm glad we gave it a try! Prices were pretty standard for a Mediterranean restaurant. read more

We were looking for restaurant that is willing to host 8 people and it was hard! The majority accept group of 6 due to Covid! Were very happy when we found this place. Although my expectation was we will get seats outside, we got a table in the 'basement'. I guess it happened because we were a big group. Doesn't matter. Food was delicious! Drinks also! Service too! So- no complaint! We had great time. And since I checked in using Yelp app, I got a free baklava! Awesome! It was the most delicious baklava in my life! Highly recommend! read more

Turquoise Restaurant - Baklava - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The restaurant easily accommodated a part of 9 to celebrate. All the food was DELICIOUS. The servers were attentive, refilling waters and bread baskets when they went empty. Everyone seemed really pleased with their meals. There was also really nice live music (Saturday night), with saxophone and piano players that really added to the ambiance. Would highly recommend a visit there! read more

They adders a 20% percent service fee Foods and service was good but not expecting the 20% fee. read more

Turquoise Restaurant - They added 20% percent - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ordered through caviar today. Food arrived on time. But, I'm so disappointed. I order branzino, carrot dip, and Turkish feta salad. This place used you be delicious but it's gone down hill. The carrot dip is not fresh. The branzino is bland (had to doctor it up at home) and the rice is overcooked/ on mushy side. Definetly not pilaf style. We moved so close to here and I was hoping they would live up to my memory of how good the food is. But unfortunately, will not be visiting / ordering from there again. Cafe istanbul is so much better. read more

A fantastic experience all around! Do yourself a favor and get the mussels dish, it was SO delicious. And dipping it with the complimentary bread was amazing! The side that comes with the bread is good too. Nice to find a restaurant that does manti although they were a little undercooked in our opinion. The drinks were mostly average, although the Turkish delight is good if you like sweet drinks. I'd be back to check out the lounge. Place was prettt busy so recommend reservations if they accept them. And don't forget the free baklava with Yelp check in! We did not see it :( read more

I was extremely disappointed upon leaving this restaurant based on how good the reviews were ! We got one of the tents during COVID (which felt very safe). Most of the staff was fairly unfriendly which put a damper on the experience and the service was very slow (we placed our order which took quite a bit of time but the waiter didn't come back to see if we wanted anything else). The food was pretty good , but ABSOLUTELY not worth the prices based on the quantity of the food . The kabobs came with a single kabob and some rice for 18$. I get certain food is going to be a bit pricier - but maybe if the staff was friendlier and the portions were a bit bigger this place would be worth it. read more

The service here is extraordinary, the are on top of their orders. We had a great time with the big party and everything was accounted for. They started dinner with bread and a yogurt veggie spread that was very yummy. I ordered the chicken kabob and the quality of the meat was great, came with veggie slaw and a yogurt dip. I had a nice tea and warm baklava after and the whole meal was wonderful. 10/10, can't wait to come back here again. read more

Turquoise Restaurant - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We love visiting this lovely Turkish restaurant. The patio seating was quite pleasant on a beautiful early summer afternoon. We enjoyed the raspberry and grapefruit flavors of the drink special. The saganaki small plate was tasty, but could have been fried a bit more. The crusty, sizzly brown parts are the best part! The jam was sweet and delicious. We loved the lamb kebabs. Initial contact by our server was a bit slow. We were looking forward to their house baked bread basket, but it didn't come until we were almost done with our meal and asked about it. The bread that we received was a bit dry and too hard. Overall, we love this place and enjoyed our meal. Just deducted a star bc of the few items mentioned. Definitely a place to visit! read more

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I took my parents out for Father's Day around noon and was originally disappointed when I found out they only do brunch at that time (Sunday's 12-2 pm) BUT then all the food came out. There's a great selection of jams and eggs, shakshuka and cheese, tea and coffee Turkish chorizo and egg rolls, crepes, etc. Great value for the meal as well & satisfied all three of us. The service was also timely and polite. If you need the restroom but it's occupied, Turquoise is connected to another building (Bordeaux wine lounge, which is also owned by them) and you have access to 2 other bathrooms. Great place to go. Will be returning. Perfect for brunch. read more

Turquoise Restaurant - Brunch spread on Sundays - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Very good food good service the delicious dessert and the very good Turkish drink Thank you for everything. A read more

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I really wanted to like this restaurant bc it's halal and I always try to find new places esp when my parents are in town but unfortunately it didn't hit the mark. We started out with hummus and calamari and they were just ok. My parents got the big sampler with meat and seafood and I think my mom liked the shrimp enough but in general they felt the food wasn't flavorful enough. I got the beet goat cheese salad with salmon as a add on and it was just ok and there was only one goat cheese ball which I thought was weird. My husband got the rack of lamb which had good flavor although it came out pretty rare (we asked for med rare). Without drinks it came to ~$150 all in which is too much for an eh meal, esp since 3 out of 4 of us did not feel great afterwards. I will say the ambiance is nice and the service was great so it could be worth a shot. Maybe they were having an off day but given we have a bunch of go to mediterranean restaurants, we probably won't be back. read more

My wife and I went to Turquoise Restaurant in Roscoe Village located at 2147 W Roscoe Street. When we got there around 5pm on Memorial Day the outdoor dining area was almost full. The temperature was around 85 degrees so we decided to eat inside. The restaurant was empty except for us when we first got there. We sat at the front near the entry. As we were eating the interior began to fill up as more customers came in. The waiter brought us a delicious appetizer made of yogurt, carrots, pickles, mayo. & spices w/an excellent bread. We both ordered the Lentil Soup $5 which was outstanding. I could have made a meal out of the bread, dip and lentil soup. My wife ordered the Amish chicken breast kabobs w/a special marinade perfectly cooked juicy & succulent that came with a small cabbage side salad, white rice & tahini $17. I got the lemon chicken scaloppini on a bed of spinach sautéed with white wine, lemon, basil, capers, grape tomatoes & big old slices of garlic (yum) spread liberally throughout the dish $18. This dish also came with roasted potatoes. The chicken was cooked perfectly very tender and juicy. The food was delicious, but I found it a bit too salty for my taste as I have been cooking on a low salt diet. Just a tip to save a few dollars. We found this restaurant on Groupon w/kind of a funky deal you can save 50% with a maximum saving of $10 off. The difference is you have to put it onto a credit card and they charge you the full amount and your suppose to get the $10 dollar credit back on your card. I saw the charge on my card, but no $10 credit? read more

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Very cozy ambience with lots of outdoor seating! Food is always fresh, wonderfully spiced and seasoned, and very fairly priced. Variety is great and flavors are authentic. Honestly, it's hard to come up with something bad to say. Love coming up here when I visit the area. Highly recommend the lahmacun (Turkish pizza) as well as the Adana Kebab, but you really can't go wrong here. Turkish coffee is also delicious. read more

Had the pleasure of enjoying lunch with a friend at Turquoise once again today - "harika!" I used to live and work in Istanbul many moons ago, and miss the people and the food the most from my time spent in Turkey, which I still visit on a regular basis. Turquoise is an authentic experience if you're looking for something of a Turkish flavour, and is an excellent restaurant. I've been coming here to enjoy their food for many years and it's pleasing to see they're still going after Covid. read more

Very delicious Turkish food, and this was probably the best baklava I've had! Super gooey and loaded with sugar. The meat coma plate was definitely the best option to share with friends, and still had a bit leftover after everyone was stuffed. If you're looking for Turkish food, this is it! read more

Turquoise Restaurant - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I have been here twice and wasn't disappointed. The food here is great, I truly enjoyed everything I tried from their menu. I can't complain about service either. While indoor seating is still prohibited, the restaurant is using individual heated plastic domes for outdoor dining. Our second visit we had some issues with keeping the dome warm. The heater kept failing, and the waiter had to switch them 3 times. I still give the restaurant 5* for the effort they make to provide their guests pleasant dining experience. read more

Turquoise Restaurant - Salt-Crusted Mediterranean Branzino Dinner - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I ordered the beef kebab. It came with 3 pieces. I asked for medium rare and it was definitely overcooked. The rice and veggies were great. One thing to note is that the prices are higher than the prices on the linked menu. The menu on their website is accurate. read more

Overall: Quaint yet effective, Turquoise would be perfect if only a tad cheaper. But, still a great option! The good: The food is authentic and delicious, from the complimentary bread/patlican salatasi to the entrees (lamb kebab for me), everything really hit the spot. The lamb could have rarer in my opinion, but it was still delcious and was paired well with grilled peppers and garlic. The service was friendly and we were lucky enough to sit outside. The not-so-good: Their prices could've been much lower overall, which would've made the meal far more worth it. Not that it wasn't good, but we strayed away from over half the entrees since they were so expensive. The portion sizes were also odd; my girlfriend's Manti (dumplings) was too small, my shish kebab was just right, and my other friend's iskender was too big. Atmosphere: 8/10 Service: 8/10 Food: 8.5/10 read more

Turquoise Restaurant - Free bread and patlican salatasi - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My girlfriend and I are new to the area and we were so excited to try this restaurant out. We didn't have a reservation, but we were seated immediately. The service was wonderful and the waiters were very attentive to us. We came on a Friday night and there was live music, which made the experience even more wonderful. We had the flatbread & the lamb chops- absolutely fantastic. read more

Turquoise Restaurant - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Tried their Colorado lamb shank. Quite possibly the best lamb I've ever had. Savory, just enough flavor without being too dry or gritty, and melt-in-your-mouth tender. Nice and classy place, reasonable portions too at good prices. Friendly wait staff. They have a fully stocked bar too. Glad this place could be my first real dip into Turkish cuisine. read more

We snagged a last minute reservation here a few weeks ago as our original dinner plans fell though. We technically were seated in their new - ish wine bar next door but were allowed to chose to order from their regular menu or their wine bar menu . We chose to order from the regular menu. With a group of 6 we tried a variety of food to share. Everything was pretty good. From the Mixed Grill Kabob to the Turkish Pizza ( that dish was not my personal favorite) to the hummus and eggplant dips and Turkish salads, everything tasted good. We did have one vegetarian in our party who ordered the eggplant which was mushy and unappetizing. He exchanged the dish for the vegetarian risotto which was a much more appetizing and flavorful dish. I'm a little surprised the restaurant charged for both dishes as the eggplant was sent back uneaten ( minus a few bites from a few brave souls at the table who confirmed it was not good). The wine bar ( which is attached to the main dining room) had a pianist which while was a nice touch made conversation a little difficult for our large group but at the same time we enjoyed the festive, lively atmosphere of the wine bar . The service was a little all over the place with the food coming out fast and our drinks taking forever. Overall, this is a fun, lively place for a night out with good food. It's a little on the pricy side in my opinion but overall makes for a nice night out with friends and still deserves 4 stars. read more

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