I have written several glowing reviews of Ithaki over the past two years, and my partner and I…read morecontinue to enjoy the consistently superior food and value of this classic Greek restaurant. In this review, I want to concentrate on the ways that Ithaki creates a fine-dining atmosphere that is warm, relaxing, gracious, and satisfying. To begin, the facility itself is beautifully decorated, spacious, and warm. There is a bar with televisions, and some informal seating as one enters, and beyond that there are a number of booths and tables, with plenty of room for larger groups. One of the keys to Ithaki is the quality of the serving staff. I have named many of them in previous reviews. On April 21, I want to comment on the many ways that our server, Patty, made our dining experience exceptional. My partner and I were introducing two dear friends to Ithaki, and we wanted the dinner to be special. We told Patty that we wanted to take our time and enjoy all aspects of the dinner. Since it was Tuesday, we opened with the one dollar oyster specials. After serving our drinks, Patty gave us ample time to enjoy the oysters and chat, and then when everyone was finished, she brought the small plates (we had ordered mushrooms, calamari, pork souvlaki, and lamb lollipops - all up to the usual high standards). Patty made sure that everyone had finished what they wished before she began clearing the tapas plates and replacing the silverware in preparation for the main courses. One of our pet peeves is when a server removes plates and cutlery when others in the party are still eating. We had time to talk and enjoy the dinner, and only then did the mains arrive (we had a scallops special and the short rib pappardelle - again excellent). No dinner plate was removed until all parties had had time to enjoy the meal. Finally, both couples had our favorite dessert, galactobouriko, of course with new plates and silverware. There was no rush for us to leave, and two hours and fifteen minutes after we entered, we left in a state of total satisfaction, having been treated as welcome guests throughout the dinner. Too often, many restaurants make one feel that they are in a rush to "turn over" the table, but never at Ithaki! Our experience on April 21 was exceptional, but it is the same service we have been receiving since we had our first "date" over two years ago. So even though we are highlighting Patty in this review, she is just one example of a really exceptional waitstaff. Finally, even with a bottle of wine and all the delights we just mentioned, our cost with tax and a 20% tip was still just $75/person, and worth every penny.

Ithaki is one of my favorite restaurants on the north shore. It's right off route 1 and the…read morerestaurant is a lot bigger than what you'd expect. It's beautifully decorated on the inside. We're always welcomed with such a friendly staff when we come here. The food has always been great. Their bread and garlic sauce is delicious. My favorite dish is the clam pasta. All their plates are perfect portions.

Such a friendly atmosphere. Family run restaurant with authentic and delicious food. Can't…read morerecommend highly enough.

Pardon the half eaten plate pictures, we were mid bite when we decided this place deserved a great…read morereview! Just moved and picky about middle eastern food and this hit all the right spots. - chicken dinner plate came with an excellent (already eaten) salad, fresh fries, and very good baba ganoush. Salad had lots of fresh veggies including peppers and cucumber and tomato along with plenty of whole fresh mint leaves- loved it. Chicken was super fresh and crispy yet not overcooked. - wrap was HUGE! Excellent value for $14- for a normal person could def be 2 meals or a very hungry 1 meal Staff was kind and cool, music was great, and super clean. Would recommend!

The food is super affordable, has unique flavors. The service and atmosphere is beautiful, And I…read morepersonally love coming here once a while to try something new from this wonderful place.

I cannot say enough amazing things about Istanbul Diner Cafe! Every visit is an absolute pleasure,…read moreand a huge part of that is thanks to Richard. He's one of the most welcoming, attentive, and genuinely kind employees I've ever encountered. Whether you're a regular or walking in for the first time, he makes you feel right at home and truly adds to the warm atmosphere of the restaurant. The food is unbelievable -- every single dish is bursting with flavor, and the meats are always cooked to perfection. Never overdone, never dry... just tender, juicy, and seasoned beautifully. Honestly, there are no bad choices on the menu. Every plate is consistently delicious, and you can tell how much care goes into each recipe. They also offer a great variety of drink options, from traditional Turkish beverages to your usual sodas, teas, bottled water, so there's something for everyone. The space itself is super accommodating. Whether you're stopping in for a quick solo lunch or coming with a big group, there's plenty of seating without ever feeling cramped. Very clean tables and seats. The music playing throughout the restaurant sets a nice vibe -- noticeable enough to add energy but never too loud or overbearing. I absolutely love coming here, whether it's for a quick bite during the day or a cozy dinner at night. Istanbul Cafe has truly become one of my go-to spots in Saugus, and I can't recommend it enough! The Rice Pudding 10/10 Adana Plate 10/10 Lamb Burrito 10/10

Had to order food for eight while visiting sister from out of town. I called and Mohamed was so…read morehelpful picking options and thinking about serving sizes, dietary needs. Felt like I had a conversation with a friend. The fatoosh was really good (we live near Dearborn, Michigan so we know the real stuff) and the roasted veggies were great- and no one usually likes roasted veggies. It was a huge success thanks to them. Keep up the great work and service and thank you!

Lovely addition to Malden Center - delicious fatoush salad with tons of interesting vegies followed…read moreby the mixed grill - really flavorful rice, moist chicken and lamb cubes along with a grilled tomato, bell pepper and onion. Very reasonable prices and friendly service - we got an interesting historical culinary lesson about Middle Eastern food. Ambiance is like a well kept pizza place with padded booths.

Much better selections were made at this year's dinner and everyone was happy…read more We ate on the very well heated patio. Under a heat lamp. I am rarely warm enough anymore but I was. We ordered: Gambas al ajillo Greek chicken meatballs Roasted brussels Hummus w/avocado Sourdough I didn't have the bread but had a little of everything else and it was all good. The gambas were my favorite but I'd order all of these again. One weirdness that was repeated from last year was a lack of serving spoons. When we asked for some they brought forks because they were out of spoons. Come on, buy more spoons already. Some of what we ordered was awkward to portion with forks. Overall raising rating because we were much happier with our food selection and we spent less on our dinner for four than on our lunch for two at another place in the same plaza.

i've been wanting to try la gallina, and the ambiance is very aesthetic and i loved their christmas…read moredecor. jerry at the bar was attentive and friendly. i ordered the garlic cheese bread and chicken souvlaki, along with a drink that was okay. everything was good enough, but nothing really wow-ed me. the chicken was decent, the garlic cheese bread was too big & too moist, and i didn't feel the marinara complemented well, but i really liked the sides on the chicken souvlaki plate. the pita on the plate was very wet & soggy, and jerry was happy to replace it with a fresh, hot, dry pita. hugo spritz: 3/10 cheese bread 6.5/10 chicken souvlaki 7/10 overall, i may try them another time, but i'm not in a hurry to do so. there are a couple other restaurants in this plaza i prefer. also they did place the menus on top of the sink behind the bar, so i'm not sure how often they were washing their hands. ambiance: 5/5 food: 3.4/5 drinks: 1.5/5 service: 4.5/5 la gallina: 3.6/5

I'm fully obsessed. Late night, lunch, whenever -- it always hits exactly right. The chicken is…read moreinsanely flavorful and juicy, and the hot sauce takes it to another level. Spicy, comforting, and addictive in the best way. This is the kind of meal you think about when you're not even hungry. Nour Cafe never misses, and once you've had this, it's hard to want chicken shawarma from anywhere else. If you know, you know.

(Last visited 4/7/2025.) In Boston on business and my hotel is in Revere, but I'm coming from the…read morewest so I wanted to stop somewhere to eat that was on the way to where I was staying. I used my handy-dandy Yelp Boston app and landed on Nour cafe! I saw that they had #shawarma and that it was some of the best in the area, so here's how it went! Atmosphere/Appearance: This place is literally a gas station, but there's nothing wrong with that. You pull up to the Shell, get some gas or park at a pump that's out of order or one of the available parking spots off to the right, but this place isn't really designed for you to dine in. Lol. Yes, you can sit in and eat off to the left side, but they really want you to leave. Once inside you make a right and above the drink coolers are a series of TVs that show you the menu. Continue to your right and you'll see the kitchen where all of the magic happens. Simple setup here. Service: There isn't any. You walk up to the counter, order your food, pay for it where you'd normally pay for gas then wait for them to call your name. My food was ready in 10 minutes. Food: I went with the mixed grill plate because I just FELT IN MY SOUL that I'd get a WHOLE LOT of food. Boy was I right! Lol. So the mixed grill plate comes with chicken shawarma, steak shawarma, ground lamb kabob, rice, a big pita, pickled vegetables, a slaw, a grilled onion mixture and hummus. Wow. Everything was SO good, SO seasoned and SO filling. I literally could eat on this for 2 and maybe 3 meals! I broke the pita into 4 smaller pieces and then made mini shawarmas with different meats in them! Lol. It was a bit messy, but you can totally eat this with a fork and knife without a problem. The food was excellent. Value: $16.99 is what I paid and when I got to my hotel then opened the lid to see all of that food I was just so blown away. How did they make any money by giving me all of this?! Lol. Astounded. Everything on the menu is cheap and there were many things under $10.00. In conclusion, I'd definitely pull up and get this exact same meal again! I went with the mixed grill to experience the different meats this place had to offer. I loved eating from here.

I honestly adore this place! Food is fresh, flavorful, with terrific portions and prices. You can…read moretaste the quality, and there are a variety of delicious and fun drinks as well as desserts to complement your meal. The dining room is clean and cozy and the service is consistently warm and efficient. They really understand the meaning of hospitality! I go to their Saugus location all the time too!

I walked over here for dinner, I wasn't sure what to get. The lady behind the counter was very…read morehelpful and went over the menu with me and explained what various dishes were and told me some of her favorites. I ended up getting a bowl of lentil soup, and border of grape leaves, and an Iskander kebab platter. It was waaaaayy toooo muuuuuch food!!!!! It was also very very good! She gave me garlic sauce and hot sauce both of which were great but the food didn't even need it!! The Iskander platter was so good, thinly sliced meat on a bed of croutons with a tomato sauce and cool creamy yogurt sauce beside it. Next time I'll probably only get they - but only because the soup and grape leaves just made it too much food!! She tried to get me to get rice pudding too but I had nowhere to put it.

"One of those rare and unexpected delights that turns a vacation meal into a cherished memory. From…read morethe moment we walked in, the warm ambiance, attentive service, generous portions, and bold flavors made this spot unforgettable. We started with the perfectly fried calamari--crispy, tender, and full of flavor. I had the rich Pesto Pasta, packed with fragrant herbs, sun-dried tomatoes, and mushrooms, while my wife enjoyed the Vegetarian Parrillada, loaded with grilled mushrooms, asparagus, zucchini, carrots, broccoli, and creamy hummus. Both dishes were absolutely delicious, beautifully spiced, and paired wonderfully with their excellent wine selection. Everything--the food, the service, the portions, the spices, the wines, and the inviting ambiance--was top-notch. If you're in the Revere area (especially near the beach), Capri is a must-visit. We'll definitely be back on our next trip!"

Cosmopolitans were delish! Lunch was very good! Service is excellent. Would go back!read more

It was my first time there. I got an egg sandwich to go. It was excellent…read more I also got a very expensive organic candy bar. (There wasn't a price on it) I haven't tried it yet. They were good to donate to a recent charity auction so I wanted to give them some business.

Chicken Schwarma Wrap, Fresh Juice and healthy treats with the chocolate peanut butter balls all…read moreoutstanding. Warm and friendly and fresh made food.