Istanbul Market and Cafe

We went to the strip mall with the initial plan to have a Turkish breakfast at a restaurant next door (Thousand Tales). Their breakfast was $35 per person, in an upscale hotel buffet style. Though the food looked decent, there were no customers at 9:45 am on Sunday (besides the ones at the outdoor tables having bakery items), so we left. We also wanted freshly prepared menemen, rather than the one from the buffet. We found this wonderful cafe behind the Turkish grocery store and everything was perfect. Outdoor seating with some trees and an umbrella providing shade, with bird singing. Sure, it’s a rustic setup, but quite unique and authentic. The food was as good as the ones we had in highly rated places in Turkey. If you want a unique breakfast experience, I would highly recommend the place. I would love to return for lunch and dinner!

When we saw this place… we were very hesitant, housed in a charming tent, felt like entering a cafe in Istanbul! Their breakfast spread is absolutely fantastic, with a delightful array of traditional Turkish dishes that are both delicious and satisfying. From fluffy simit and rich, creamy kaymak to flavorful menemen and freshly brewed Turkish tea, every bite was a delight. The ambiance of the tent adds a touch of authenticity and coziness to the dining experience. The friendly staff and warm hospitality make this restaurant a standout gem for anyone seeking a memorable Turkish breakfast.

This is the best place to order whole lamb on grill, authentic taste you will not find anything similar but only at this place. The lamb was so delicious, perfectly cooked by best chef in town who has international experience working in Dubai 5 star restaurants. The meat was tender with the perfect seasoning. I would definitely recommend to anyone!

Hands down, some of the best food I’ve had recently! They use the freshest ingredients and make sure each dish is done the right way. The kabobs was especially memorable. Must try! I loved the selection in the grocery. Good prices. Great customer service. Highly recommended.

Had a special event and decided to order a special order from Istanbul Bazar. Was more than pleased with my choice. First off, customer service was extraordinary. The foods quality was five stars and was extremely delicious despite the difficulty of needing to prepare. Would definitely recommend to all.

This is my first time here and I love the little market and the selections they had I ordered lahmacchin and shawarma to go and it was awesome amazing authentic food It brings back to Istanbul Friendly and lovely staff Definitely coming back and don’t forget to take home away orders

I am posting photos and receipts so you can see - I was charged $12 for ONE pepper dolma, $12 for two chicken drumsticks, over $10 for a small half portion of rice, and so on. Very upset by my experience here. I went to the deli to pick up food, and stood looking at my options. A nice worker asked what I wanted, I told him I had trouble deciding because I wanted to try many things. He offered to give me half portions for half price, so I could try multiple dishes. I thought it was a great idea and agreed. The store is very busy and full of people, so I didn't get a chance to notice what was given to me or how it was charged until I left because there was no room. The man ringing up the order did not give me half price for half portion as we agreed, but 35% off, and the portions are very small and without any rice side dishes that originally came with full orders, and I was charged much more. Almost $90 total for this deli pick up - some things were combined in containers, there are only 3-4 pieces of meat and no side, etc. Very disappointed and I feel taken advantage of by this establishment, and very sad they offered these options and gave me something so different and expensive.

They always have fresh and delicious foods.Especially their Beef Stew is like Turkish Delight. Soft and juicy. Also their Beef Samsa is the best in town. Better than most of the central asian restaurants. Highly recommended.

Was craving something delicious today and was reading great reviews about this market and cafe. I was welcomed by big smiles, great conversations and an amazing menu for carryout meals. The gentleman behind the counter was so helpful and really had a passion for his food there...he described as the "Best Street Food Style Meals" I ordered Lamb Soup Wedding Soup Kofta Sandwiches Beef Shish Sandwiches Bulgar Kofta Meat filled Pide....WOWOWOWOW Many delicious recommended desserts All were amazing choices...I will definitely make the 30 mile drive to come try more. I highly recommend this place

First time I went (around 7:30 PM on a Wednesday), I was told that their kitchen closed at 7:30, which was NOT advertised on their website. All the website said was "open 7 days a week, 9AM-9PM". I wish their website specified when their kitchen closed, as the vagueness can be misleading for patrons. So I left and returned 2 days later. I am taking off one star for the hummus, and another for the kelle paca. First off, the hummus looked and tasted as if it was dumped straight out of a Sabra or Tribe container from Jewel. No olive oil or any kinds of seasoning added to it!! This was an absolute disgrace, as I expected better. What a waste of $5! Would've never ordered if I knew this was the "hummus" they served here. They obviously weren't even trying to make their hummus at the very least presentable, even if it didn't taste good. Second, the kelle paca was really salty and lacked flavor. Might as well have licked a salt lamp... that's literally how salty the soup was! The lamb itself (in the soup) tasted alright, was tender yet flavorless. The iskender, which I ordered for my entree, was the only saving grace for my entire meal. Loved everything about it, from the tender beef shawarma and cubed Turkish bread smothered in tomato sauce to the pistachio-dusted yogurt sauce surrounded by grilled bell peppers and tomatoes. Beautiful in presentation and excellent in flavor! The tomato and yogurt sauces blended really well together. Peppers were slightly burnt, but I don't mind that at all. I ordered a side of rice pilaf and mixed it in with my iskender, which made it even better! Would totally order this again!! Service was friendly, well-organized and efficient. I would recommend this place for those who want to try something new and interesting, like iskender. But avoid their hummus like the plague!!! All in all, this wouldn't be the first place in the area I would return to, but was good enough (only referring to the iskender) for me to be pleased that I came here.

Decided to have breakfast here on the way to the airport and no complaints. The simit was yummy and fresh and hot. I'm going to apologize as I don't remember the names but we also ordered the honey plate that we dipped the simit into. Definitely do that lol. The Turkish pizza things (again, I'm sorry, I will do better to remember the names) is not bad also. Also had the manamem which was amazing! Simple and yummy! Also the place to sit was very cute. I recommend. Ohhhh and lastly the person who was out server, huge help! Thank you! You made our last meal in chicago great!

Went back after more than a year and discovered they now have a tent set up for the cafe. That allows for more seating. Unfortunately the food wasn't as good this time. The ground beef pide was pretty good, but the kabob platter was mediocre. The cig kofte (basically mashed bulgur) was something totally new for us; it's a cold appetizer, and my wife didn't like the taste after trying a bite. I ate two full pieces and ended up with a stomach ache half hour later.

Delicious food great risotto amazing lamb chop , seafood salad good , rice pudding delicious. Not to sweet. I would give 5 star. But lacking on service wasn't busy ,they were standing around ,and ask twice to order ,other then was good dining experience

The market is a mess. The floors are torn up and things really are in a disarray the "restaurant" is a tent around the corner from the market and the food was mediocre.

Combo kabap was delicious. First time been to there and felt like hometown. The market has various stuff that you can buy. You can even find tarhana.

I wish I could give zero stars, I was hungry and wanted to have a good shawarma. To start lets talk about shawarma. Its a traditional Arabic dish which was supposed to be cheap and easily available so that everyone could enjoy it on the go or if someone wanted to have a quick bite. So coming back to the review the place is clean and employees were responsive but man $10 dollars for a shawarma, are you kidding me and I dont mind paying for my food if its good but damn man uncooked chicken one piece of lettuce and nothing else and I waited almost 20 mins for my shawarma and there was no line. Not going back to this place, highly disappointed.

It's seems look good this cafe first time but when you order something completely awful and selling expired groceries,foods are cold( Lahmajun, Samsy....) Service

Restaurant was awesome! We went for groceries then we saw the restaurant was open so decided on a quick date night dinner there. The Iskender and the lamb kebab I had was amazing soft tender and tasty. And the bread rolls were extremely fresh and delicious. The hummus needs more tahin. The dessert was light and sweet. Little pricey but I see the quality. So, overall it was lovely. We will definitely be back!

Visited here for the first time for some takeout from the cafe/restaurant. I was a little confused at first when I entered because it looks entirely like a small market and in no area like the restaurant photos I saw here on Yelp. I noticed someone mention that the seating was in a tent "around the corner," so maybe I just didn't see that space. But I still have to wonder if those photos aren't entirely misplaced (there is also a place called Cafe Istanbul in Chicago). In any case, we found the bakery/deli-looking counter and were able to place our orders there. I ordered the Lamb Tandir from the specials menu and my husband got a Beef Doner wrap. We waited around for our food to be prepared and so I perused some of the market's offerings, which looked interesting. A couple of house flies fluttered about on this chilly November day, which is not too uncommon where there's food, I suppose, but not appetizing. I picked up a Turkish soda and before long our food was ready to go. My Lamb Tandir had the flavor profile and texture of a lamb biryani, which probably makes sense. It was not Frenched like in the photos on their website, but still pretty tender and tasty. It came with some rice and roasted vegetables. I stole a bite of Beef Doner, and if you haven't had that it tastes sort of like a gyros with a different spice profile. I thought our food was pretty good, but also pretty pricey for what it was, compared to alternatives available in the area. I might come back here again to try something else, like maybe a drink or pastry, but probably not too urgently.

My first visit to Istanbul market and cafe, they have variety of Turkish grocery options and to be honest prices was fair but I had one very small Kokorec sandwich for$17?!!! Like a ribeye steak. Other than price it was full of herbs to that point you could easily taste bitter. And house baked breads like Pide and Uzbek bread, no good quality. I had Turkish pideh a lot and I making it all the time I know the good quality bread. It wasn't. To be fair I'll return for grocery shopping not anything they make in store.

It was fantastic, I will come here again. Grocery is also beautiful! There is Russian food too.

So happy I found a place for authentic Turkish cuisine! The simit and samsa are AMAZING

Worst place for Turkish food . Staff is unwelcoming, food came out cold , I have to send back the lahmacun to heat it, no plates no knives offered after bringing the food . Unorganized with the food coming out with different order, the hungry kids had to wait for their food as our food came first , but again the beyti kebab was sent back to heat. They bring one dish and wait for the other. It was a very bad experience for a place that used to serve good food.

This is the place for Turkish grocery shopping and getting an authentic Turkish meal at the attached cafe! Food is fresh, delicious and portions are really good. The grocery side has all your staples and more. We bought fresh bread, kaymak (creme), piynar (cheese), Lokum (Turkish delight), coffee and bulgur for Pilav all imported from Turkey except for the fresh baked bread of course! We ordered food for a party too- pide (Turkish pizza), meat and cheese borek's and simit's fresh baked! Everything was delicious! Definite great place to come for everything Turkish!

Very nice and clean place, love it and will definitely recommend to all my friends. If you like coffee they do have one of the best coffee I ever had and of course so many different varieties of desserts , love this place.

Incredible. Love it. I can't say enough about how amazing the food is over here. The lentil soup with cream is my favorite! Bread is amazing as well

Small eatery. But clean and good service. As Indian origin Americans we wanted to try some 'different' food and had some nice hot lentil (dal) soup and rice with kebabs. They were very friendly to us.

I stop by this place for lunch... ordered the lamb soup... and a kabob wrap... omg y'all... that lamb soup was .. I would definitely go back and order it again... the staff was super friendly too... y'all got to try it..

As a Turk, it's hard to imagine this many dishes on the menu that are all home cooked. Even some of the biggest busiest restaurants can't manage this selection. With such a small seating area, I had to try it myself. Once I got there and realized it was also a grocery store, I realized most of the food is pre made and frozen. This place just heats most of it up. I wasn't in love with that concept. I'm sure they work hard. I just wish there was a real Turkish place around Chicago that was authentic. Not a fusion. Not Americanized. Just true to the culture. Maybe someday.

Every time we head to Chicago this is our go to Turkish restaurant. The food is excellent the grocery has everything we need.

This place is incredibly good!! The food is too good! Love their menu options Variations are good Owner is very courteous

We have looked forever for a restaurant that serves lahmacun! And Istanbul market & cafe didn't disappoint!!! The lahmacun was delish !! As was the baba ghanoush and the bread !! I got the beef Kebob sandwich. Very flavorful and fresh veggies. Fiancé has the meatball sandwich and he also liked it. After we went to the market area and got a few treats. All in all a very good experience and we will Definitely be back !! Grateful to yelp for the $15 for $30 worth of food. A good deal !

I love coming here. It's a restaurant and grocery store combined. This place was traditionally Turkish and just recently they added Uzbek food as well. I tried the Uzbek beef Samsa and it was delicious and so juicy! Some of the traditional Turkish items that they carry and serve in the restaurant are Simit, Pide with sausage and a breakfast spread with tea. They have more lunch and dinner items but those are some of my favorite go-to's.

Ifter starter for Ramadan 2018 Great place for break fast for those busy during Ramadan.

very small portions. service was lacking. place was very unhygienic you can see slices of cakes just sitting in the freezer uncovered. The taste was fine although i really doubt this is truly an Istanbul market and not more of a Uzbek market. Head to Balkan taste next door for better service and bigger portions.

It was Thanksgiving Day and I needed something awesome to bring to family dinner. Hurray! They were open! Almond and Pistachio Baklava, freshly made. It was a hit at dinner, must've been freshly made that day, very sweet, very soft, worth the price. I can almost say, it was better than whats found on Kedzie, but, maybe it was just this batch. Will definitely go back for more. Given the name it is an ethnic market, specializing in Turkish, Greek goods. Check out their website, but if you have a chance, stop in and sample some baklava and look around.

We have been going to Istanbul Market since it opened , it is much cleaner and tidier than other Arab markets in Chicago, but in our last visits, you have to hold your breath because of the bad smell when you enter for a while, everything is very irregular and there is no hygiene left. Portioned cakes, rice puddings and many other things are on the shelves with unwrapped , and the smell of the employee passing by may be the only reason for you to leave the market without buying anything. I will never shop there again!!

Terrible experience. I had combo kabob for 23 dollars . Meat was dry no flavor . It was top of the rice very dry . Rice has no taste . Their salad pre made no matter what you get they give you that . Very low quality bunch of cucumber and onions . Cashier told me that it doesn't come with bread . How can you serve kabob with no bread ???? I had to ask 3 times for it she gave just one small piece . Service sucks it took them around 45 mins to get my food to go . Terrible experience. Never ever going there again .

I don't know what happened to The Istanbul cafe. Food is well overpriced: Laghman(An Uzbek noodle soup) nothing extraordinarily is 14$. Samsa almost 5$ for a piece.bs. Too much grease and didn't even have proper ingredients in a soup. Also,soup wasn't a full portion,1/2 portion for $14. Are you f'kn kidding me! They had some good people used to work in the kitchen and probably they all long gone. I'll never comeback and won't recommend this place to anyone! I'm Ulugbek, From Kansas City

If you are looking for authentic Turkish food this is the place. The best thing here at the attaches store is their variety of breads that are freshly baked. I have tried a lot of Tukish delights from here that you don't find from anywhere that easily. The food on the restaurant side is excellent as well.

This place is a joke! One tbsp of honey and kaymak for $4.50.. if you're going to offer kids-size plates with kids-size portions, you're prices should reflect that. EXTREMELY small portions that looks more like samples and less like actual meals for ridiculous prices and keep in mind the taste isn't even there. Save your money and go somewhere else.

This place has a wide variety of authentic Turkish food at a very reasonable prices. It is really a market with a restaurant on the side but the food is wonderful. You must try the lamb stew, and the chicken sheesh kabob platter was absolute heaven. For breakfast options their eggs with sausage is my favorite. In Chicagoland I can only compare one of my other favorite restaurants in terms of halal chicken kabobs, and that is Kabul house in Evanston...nothing else comes close. If you don't believe what I have to say, take a look at the pictures, they speak for themselves!

Terrible definitely not worth the price too expensive for very little food I mean very little, this is a joke. I think that all the people posting how good this place is are friends of the owner there's no way any normal human would think that this place is good!!!!

I really liked this place, first off this place is divided into 2 sections, the cafe and the market. The market was interesting, lots of Turkish products that I haven't seen before. And the other side which is the cafe was a simple set up, decent amount of seats, it was clean. The staff overall was very friendly. We ordered the Iskender entry and the chicken Shish Kabob plate. Overall the Iskender was amazing, the bread was fresh, the gyros were flavorful. The Shish Kabob was good, but the Iskender stood out. Another plus was the free Turkish tea. Overall a great experience.

I had the lahmacun tonight, we called the order in and then ate in, because we know it can get very busy on Friday. Food was fresh and delicious and reminded me of Istanbul.

Their food tastes A-MA-ZING! Totally reccomend! I have been going there for a while now, and i will be honest; they didnt always have the best professional service yes, BUT man! i think their kabobs are getting even tastier. I have hard time choosing what to eat every-single-time. The meat has perfect marination and gets cooked so well that it s never dry, whether chicken or beef. Even lamb chops are great, which i usually would have hard time chewing. I also suggest trying "lahmacun", sooo good, i usually have it if i m not in the mood for kabobs. I can't really say the service is at its best yet, but I can tell that they are trying, and i assume they are still improving things with the restaurant (because there is always a new thing going on). Well they are getting better and the owner is very friendly he personally checks on everyone if he is around. And I will give you a tip that will change your life; ask for KATMER! (and ask for double stuffing) I think it is a new thing they started, so it s not on the menu yet, i hope they make it permanent though. But It is a turkish dessert, and it ll be the best decision you had ever made, i guarantee you will love it! So you are welcome! :) They also make kunafa, and by far theirs is the best i had, but i still love katmer over kunafa - i mean my taste buds like it better :)

Omg I love this place I really enjoyed the food it was great!! Especially the lamb chop I will definitely recommend this place to others!!

The food and service is very good. I had the Adana kabob and the meat was very juicy and the rice was quite filling.

First time in this restaurant. I came for breakfast expecting having a very similar breakfast like they serve in Istambul not even close. They use the little disposable containers to put the honey the spread and the olives instead of using little desert real dishesThey should serve in the real ceramic mini dishes... The tea is served in a cardboard disposable cup instead of real Turkish tea cups. They should update the menu prices in the website that are lower than the real prices. The regular Breakfast a little pricey for what you get.

I really like this place. The smells of interesting spices consume your senses. Had no idea what most of the items on the shelves were. But, I will learn. A Turkish friend took me to this place. She loves the bread. I cannot remember the name. It was a round loaf with an opening and covered with sesame seeds. Made fresh and pillowy light and flavorful. Food has some similarities to Middle Eastern food, kebabs, etc. The flavor profiles though are different and thankfully so. I will be back when in the area to try the cheeses and yogurts, and the bread. Yup, a great place to shop for the out of the ordinary and have a bite to eat. A grateful change from all the ubiquitous fast food names brand restaurant.

Great little find for new Turkish fanatics. The market has everything to make and drink your Turkish coffee and tea at home, plus the restaurant has great Turkish dishes to try. I'm a new fan of this place.

Went there yesterday it was over priced , a long wait and the food was nog hood. The lamb had no taste and the chicken shish kabob was burnt and had a funny taste. Very disappointing

I returned for my second visit. Place has been renovated. I recently visited Istanbul, fair to say I was having cravings. I called ahead of time for kunafa (it takes 30 mins to make from scratch). I ordered iskander and dessert. The iskander sits on a bed of chunks of crunchy pita bread swimming in a sea of tomato sauce, accompanied by a generous scoop of yogurt. I like the combo because 1.its tasty , 2. It's abundance of sauce and it's easy to eat with a fork, no need to get your hands dirty. I think you could share this dish with another person if you're planning on having apps or dessert. I like the kunafa compared to other middle Eastern places because of the cheese and texture and taste. Overall if I had to compare it to Istanbul standards, there you can find local small dessert stops that make kunafa and then you have Hafiz Mustafa (the gold standard). This place makes kunefa comparable to the small local shops which is still good for Chicago. Dining Advantage site has a promotion for this restaurant. Take advantage it's worth a try. If you have never had Turkish food I would recommend Iskendar.

First time trying anything like it and I'm telling you give it a shot it was so good definitely coming back for seconds.

The food is delicious. The staff is friendly and nice. The restaurant is cozy. Family friendly. Love this place.

I used a coupon here and got two different entrees a soup and another appetizer and all of it tasted great! The service was also great they were very nice and the market is very nice. There are just too many things in there that I want to try!

Ordered Beef Shishi Kabab. Waited 30 min. Food taste lower than averages. No sauces almost no taste. Actually other dishes on the table looks pretty good but I wouldn't go back again.

Wonderful food! Very authentic! It just seems to take a longtime to get your food but it is worth it! I love going into the store next door to get some treats!