Cafe Istanbul
Cafe Istanbul
Yogurt drink.
Appetizer platter.
Turkish sausage. Spicy beef sausages grilled to perfection, served with grilled tomatoes and peppers. Spicy.
Rolled phyllo borek. Homemade, deep fried pastry filled with: Turkish feta cheese and parsley or sauteed ground beef, onion and parsley mix.
Mashed garbanzo beans blended with celery, green peppers, onion, garlic, parsley and Turkish spices, and then deep fried. Four pieces of falafel served with yogurt dipping sauce.
Calamari. Tender calamari coated with soda water-baking powder and lightly fried, accompanied by flavorful dipping sauce.
Meatball. Sauteed mix of ground beef, walnuts, onions, parsley and spices covered with cracked wheat and deep fried. 2 meatballs served with yogurt dipping sauce.
Grape leaves stuffed with rice, pine nuts, onions, black currants and Mediterranean spices.
A creamy blend of mashed garbanzo beans, tahini, yogurt, mashed garlic, lemon juice and olive oil.
Baba ganoush. Charbroiled eggplant puree flavored with yogurt, parsley, tahini, mashed garlic and a touch of olive oil.
A fresh blend of crushed tomatoes, bell peppers, parsley, onions, dry mint leaves, mashed garlic and olive oil. Spicy.
Turkish feta cheese. Medium-soft brined Turkish feta cheese served with tomatoes, lettuce and Mediterranean black olives.
Plain yogurt mixed with chopped cucumbers, mashed garlic and seasoned with dill.
Fresh green beans, olive oil, garlic, onions, and tomato
Garlic yogurt, dried mint leaves, and dill crushed topped with walnut
Red lentils cooked with tomato paste, dry mint and Turkish spices.
Seasonal salad. Lettuce, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, shredded carrot, red cabbage, corn, feta cheese, olive oil and lemon juice.
Shepherd salad. Diced tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, onions, dill, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice and a touch of red wine vinegar.
Shrimp salad. Your choice of shepherd or seasonal salad with grilled shrimp.
Chicken salad. Your choice of shepherd or seasonal salad with grilled chicken.
Doner salad. Your choice of shepherd or seasonal salad with doner.
Salmon salad. Your choice of shepherd or seasonal salad with grilled salmon.
Lahmacun platter. 2 of the homemade thin crust pizzas topped with ground beef and lamb mixture and chopped garden vegetables.
Special cheese crust. Homemade thin crust pizza, topped with your choice of mozzarella or Turkish feta cheese, Roma tomatoes and green peppers.
Turkish sausage crust. Homemade thin crust pizza, topped with Turkish sausage and mozzarella cheese.
Mix crust. Homemade thin crust pizza, topped with ground beef, Turkish sausage and mozzarella cheese.
Vegetarian crust. Homemade thin crust pizza, topped with garden fresh vegetables.
Skender. Seasoned ground lamb slowly cooked on a vertical rotisserie, shaved and served over homemade pita bread, topped with rich tomato-butter sauce. Served with yogurt, grilled tomatoes and peppers.
Seasoned ground lamb slowly cooked on a vertical rotisserie, shaved and served with homemade pita bread, Turkish rice pilaf, grilled tomatoes and peppers.
Adana kebab. Ground lamb blended with red bell pepper, hot green pepper, garlic and spices, then charbroiled on a skewer. Served with rice pilaf, grilled tomatoes and peppers. Spicy.
Spicy kebab. Marinated, charcoal grilled lamb cubes served on a bed of sauteed jalapeno, diced tomatoes, peppers and rice pilaf.
Lamb chops. Tenderized lamb chop charbroiled, then served with grilled tomatoes. Peppers and rice pilaf.
Lamb shank. Shank of lamb, slowly cooked and braised with its seasoned broth. Served on a bed of mashed grilled eggplant, red bell pepper mix with mashed potatoes and topped with tomato sauce.
Tender cubes of marinated meat skewered and charbroiled. Served with rice pilaf, grilled tomatoes and peppers.
Your choice of braised lamb (cooked with tomatoes, raisins, bell peppers and spices), grilled chicken, adana or falafel served on a bed of traditional roasted eggplant puree cooked with milk and mozzarella cheese, flavored with Turkish spices, topped with rich tomato butter sauce.
Chicken beyti. Seasoned ground chicken breast skewered and charbroiled, rolled in. Tortilla, topped with garlic yogurt and tomato-butter sauce. Served with grilled tomatoes and peppers.
Hummus chicken kebab. Juicy grilled chicken cubes served on a bed of homemade hummus, drizzled with butter and paprika mix.
Chicken saute. Seasoned chicken cubes sauteed with green pepper, red bell pepper onions and tomatoes. Served with rice pilaf.
Mixed grill (for 2). The five major grilled meats of Turkish cuisine: adana, lamb shish, doner, chicken beyti, and chicken shish. Served with rice pilaf, grilled tomatoes and peppers.
Salmon fillet. Marinated fillet of salmon baked and topped with caramelized onions. Served with romaine lettuce, pickled red cabbage, olive oil - lemon juice mix on top.
Vegetarian casserole. A mix of seasoned, fresh vegetables cooked in a delectable, rich, tomato based broth. Served with rice pilaf.
Marinated pan seared juicy tender lamb filet over a garlic yogurt eggplant puree, topped with butter sauce and served with homemade pita bread
Marinated beef. Lightly charcoal grilled and served with asparagus and mashed potatoes
Lamb sauteed with green/red peppers, onions, tomatoes, garlic, and soy sauce. Served with rice pilaf.
Tender cubes of marinated meat skewered and charboiled. Served with rice pilaf,grilled sliced tomatoes and pepper.
Shrimp sauted with green peppers, red bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, garlic, soy sauce and mozzarella cheese. served with rice pilaf
Rice pilaf.
Grilled vegetables.
Mashed potatoes.
Pickled vegetables. Vegetarian.
Black olives.
Appetizer Platter, we included Humus, Grape Leaves, Spicy and Haydari. It didn't disappoint!
Mixed grill
Turkish Coffee
Turkish Black Tea
Mixed Grill
Turkish coffee
Mixed Grill (for two) - $59.95
a platter of meat and vegetables
turkish coffee
Hunkar begendi- vegetarian option with falafel.
Istanbul Doner!
Kunefe
Turkish Coffee
Mixed Grill- Adana Kebab, beef shish kebab, Istanbul Doner, chicken kebab, wings, and Beyti.
Mixed platter
The bar area
Künefe
Turkish Coffee
Shepherd Salad
Falafel, Gluten Free Baba Ganoush
Can't wait devour this Turkish food!
raiyan r.
Feb 15, 2025
The best Turkish food I had in was at this place I recommend everyone to try it out. The food is perfect and drinks are great my favorite Turkish restaurant to go to. Only con would be the quantity of the food is low rather than that everything is fine
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Julie L.
Aug 29, 2024
First time trying and it was really good! The portions were just right and service was great. Came on a Sunday evening and it wasn't too busy. We sat in the patio but indoor looked nice too. Definitely want to come back to try more of their dishes!
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Olga G.
Feb 12, 2024
It is hard to find good Turkish food in the US. Especially in the middle of the country. It was a surprise to see Cafe Istanbul on Yelp. Very friendly service, good prices, and delicious Turkish food. Started with the fresh from the oven Lavash bread. Tried the amazing "spicy" or "ezme" as it is originally named. Then a great finish with İskender kebap. Highly recommended. The food was some of the most authentic Turkish cuisine I've had outside of Turkey. The lavash bread was lightly charred on the outside and soft and pillowy on the inside. It was the perfect vessel to scoop up the ezme, which was a delicious blend of tomatoes, peppers, onions and spices. The heat was subtle and built nicely, allowing the other flavors to shine through. For the main dish, the iskender kebab did not disappoint. Thinly sliced lamb was cooked to tender perfection and laid over slices of pita. It was then topped with a tangy tomato sauce and melted butter. Each bite was a revelatory mix of flavors and textures. The portion was also quite generous. In addition to the outstanding food, the staff provided excellent and friendly service. They were knowledgeable about the menu items and happy to provide recommendations. It was refreshing to find such high quality Turkish cuisine in an unexpected location in the middle of the country. I will definitely be returning next time I'm craving authentic flavors from that part of the world. Cafe Istanbul should not be missed if you find yourself in the area..
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Tim T.
Oct 25, 2024
This place is incredible and features very authentic Turkish cuisine. I asked the waitress what was one of the most authentic Turkish items on the menu, and she recommended the Bursa Iskender (seasoned ground lamb in a delicious red tomato-butter sauce with yogurt and a pita on the side). Their cheese-filled rolls were great, as were their Turkish cherry and apricot juices - which I never had before. Their bread (more of a pita) was also very unique and can be dipped in the Iskender tomato-butter sauce. Moreover, the dessert of the Turkish flan was amazing - if you finish it all off with the tea you will be in paradise. Service was also prompt and very attentive. The interior decor is also awesome, featuring many cool Turkish artifacts and designs, plus a cartoon caricature doll of a chef I was told was Turkish somehow but I'm not sure if it was just a random cartoon character. Highly, highly recommended! Especially if you are searching for authentic Turkish cuisine!
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Christina H.
Apr 23, 2024
Pro tip: check into Yelp for free hummus and thank me later! It was my first time here and the food was hot and fresh, the service was fantastic and I left feeling full but not heavy. I am not super familiar with Turkish food so trying a little bit of everything was great. My favorite was the gyro looking meat and the lamb chops. Wish there were more sauce varieties with the meats but besides that, I had a wonderful meal and can't wait to come back.
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Elliott B.
Jan 30, 2024
I love this place. The food is solid - I usually get chicken kebabs for lunch. Turkish tea on the side is nice and light and enjoyable. The big puffy bread they bring to the table is fun, fresh, and yummy. The ambiance is pretty perfect, including a great little patio. The baklava is a MUST HAVE for dessert - or if you're just in the area and want some Turkish tea and a delicious snack. While I'm not a coffee guy, folks who are swear by the Turkish coffee, which comes in a little bitty cup, like a shot glass. High octane.Service is the only spotty part of the experience. It can be top notch or it can be... spotty! We've been forgetten or simply not checked on often enough a few times.But the food is consistently excellent!
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Danielle R.
Mar 21, 2024
This place is great, the food quality is fantastic, the service was great and it's a nice ambiance and decorated well.
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Tracey B.
Nov 25, 2024
Went here after seeing it on TikTok. I enjoyed the lamb chops and Turkish red wine. Service was definitely Top Tier...will definitely come back to explore more of the menu.
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Bethany L.
Nov 22, 2024
This is one of my favorite restaurants in Plano! They serve authentic Turkish food and the staff is amazing.
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Emily G.
Jul 6, 2024
If I could give less than a 1 star I would. First off the service is very rude and even sexist, not only did they ignore me but, only spoke to my husband and even complimented how "built" he was referring to his muscles. When they did speak to me it was beyond degrading and spoke down to me as if I was a child and acted like I was stupid. They didn't even know was paying (me...)I'm also a server and would never treat someone that way. I have never left a resturant crying because they made me feel so embarrassed and stupid. All I got was the salad, on the menu it says GRILLED chicken not marinated in Tabasco hot sauce. Which I was told the chicken is not spicy. I have tastebuds. Also said dressed with lemon juice and olive oil, not with a side of ranch?Not only was the food terrible but the service was even worse. Don't waste your time or money.
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