Alison C.
Yelp
My brother and his girlfriend had been raving about their first visit to Beyoglu Grill, so they decided to introduce me to it the other night when we were in need of a dinner destination. We arrived just under an hour before the kitchen closed and were nervous about how that would affect the quality of the experience. Well, the service was friendly and quick, without making us feel rushed.
We were seated at a spacious table in the casual, Mediterranean-inspired dining room and decided to start with some appetizers. First, we ordered a plate of smooth and garlicky Babaganoush, which was the perfect topping for their sesame seed-covered, doughy toast. Since there were 3 of us, we also shared the Octopus Salad entree as a starting course. Shredded lettuce was topped with onions and tender char-grilled slices of octopus tentacles. The simple balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing added just a hint of extra flavor, which was all that was needed. We then moved onto our main courses, and though my companions both reordered the Lamb Shish that they had enjoyed previously, I opted for the Chicken Shish. I wound up making the better decision, as my poultry was well-seasoned and moist, while the lamb was flavorful but tough and chewy. In fact, the couple said that the lamb had been much better prepared on their initial dining experience, so the late hour might have been the culprit for this misstep. Both grill platters were served over thin flatbread and were accompanied by a red cabbage slaw, singular grilled shishito pepper, and mound of buttery rice, all of which I found light and terrific.
Unfortunately, my brother and his girlfriend were not as enthused about their second experience at Beyoglu Grill, but I gladly return...though doing so at an earlier hour would be a better plan.