Istanbul Shawarma

The cashier was extremely rude, unprofessional, and clearly lacks basic customer service skills. After placing my order and waiting for it to be prepared, I received an incomplete order. No apology, no accountability, and no effort to fix the mistake. This experience was unacceptable and reflects very poorly on the management. Serious improvements are needed immediately.

I usually would give Istanbul 4 stars and the one time I had the lamb I would have given 5 stars. It’s the reason I paid $10 to park and went there today. But the lamb was overcooked and under seasoned this time. Also, they weren’t busy at all and it took much too long to receive my order.

Late-night cravings in downtown Nashville? Assembly Food Hall’s got you. It’s lively, music-filled, and buzzing with energy—even after hours. That’s where we stumbled upon Istanbul Shawarma, a Mediterranean stall nestled among the chaos. I was in the mood for something hearty, so I grabbed a combo bowl with gyro-style meat, roasted eggplant, and hummus—while my husband went for chicken shish kebab with rice. I specifically asked them to skip the feta (not a fan), and… they got it backwards. Feta on mine, none on his. Classic mix-up. It’s a food court setup, so no reserved seating—just grab what you can find and wait for your buzzer to go off. When we finally dug in, the presentation was on point—bright, colorful, definitely Insta-worthy. But the taste? Meh. The chicken was dry, flavor didn’t pop, and the only saving grace was the crisp cucumber-red cabbage mix. Bottom line: vibes were 10/10, food was very average. Would I go again? For the music and the scene—sure. For Istanbul Shawarma? Probably not.

We love the environment of the food hall but the food here was just okay. The service was excellent though.

We got the street fries, lamb pita and the falafel. Evening arrived quickly and we enjoyed the fries, the falafel was okay, and the pita was pretty good. Not a bad meal and the priced pretty fairly for the food hall. I'd definitely return for the fries again!

I grabbed a pita filled with beef and lamb from Istanbul Shawarma at Assembly Food Hall; I was looking forward to it but it fell short. Seemed like the meat was leftover shavings as they were all small and cool in temp. The atmosphere is cool at Assembly Food Hall.

Wow. The beef-lamb shawarma was incredible! Healthy portions and superb taste. Highly recommended!

Istanbul Shawarma never disappoints. I know I’m going to get food that tastes great when I come here. If there’s anything I’d change, I wish they didn’t wait for you to show up to make the to go orders; it’d make more sense and save more time if the food is actually ready when you receive the text saying it’s ready, but it typically just takes a couple extra minutes

Located in the Assembly Food Hall is Istanbul Shawarma. I've had some pretty incredible shawarma before, so the bar is a bit high. I ordered the Chicken Istanbul Shawarma Bowl with bulgar as my base. It was alright, not too flavorful. It was $16, which is quite pricy for counter-service food. It was a good amount of food, though! The food hall can be quite an overstimulating experience on a Saturday at 7 pm, so be wary if you're looking for a peaceful dining experience. Good luck finding somewhere to sit. All the food booths charge $3 for a fountain drink/water unless you want to drink out of a snow cone "cup". Bring a reusable water bottle if you can!

Looking for a fresh and delicious meal??? Then Istanbul shawarma is the place for you! This place is located inside the Assembly Food Hall! First of the vibe was great, lots of people great live music and tons of choices! We wanted something not to heavy but delicious, so we settled on Istanbul... we were not disappointed!! The service was quick and friendly; the meal was a great portion size and tasted delicious. Everything was fresh and made to order. When you are sick of southern food, bbq, and/or bar food, come here!

I wish they added more meat bec its so good! Service is quick but the cashier does not give a free smile

Very speedy service during my first visit to Istanbul Shawarma. I ordered online and they were ready within just a few minutes, so fast that it probably would have been cold by the time I finished a 10 minute walk to get there. Thankfully, they waited and built everything fresh as soon as I arrived! A bit pricy for a standard bowl ($~15-20), but this seems typical for the hall and general downtown area. Like the other options there, plenty of seating and space to either watch sports or listen to some live music depending on the time/day. I'd give it another try for sure, and if you like spicy, you'll probably need an extra cup or sauce!

I was so happy to find food like this in Nashville! The shawarma bowl was outstanding. Not to mention HUGE! It was packed with flavor and quality ingredients. The server prepared the food pretty fast. This was inside the food hall, so plenty of seating nearby.

Located within the Assembly Food Hall in downtown Nashville, TN. This is one of my go-to spots to escape the crowds. Always served with quick and polite service. They will graciously answer any questions to aid in your selection of food options. Various other restaurants to choose from with ample indoor seating. Warm and inviting space to enjoy a meal alone or with an old/new acquaintance. Occasionally there will be live music played on stage facing the dining area.

Decent Mediterranean in the Assembly Food Hall. I ordered the dolmas and a pita with chicken. The dolmas were good for sharing, they were cold with mediocre spices. The pita was stuffed with a good sauce to meat ratio. Service was a little slow considering I was the only person in line.

This was one of the few spots we tried at the Assembly Hall! It's a nice little clean store with friendly staff serving middle eastern food. We ordered their beef shawarma which came with fries. The order was ready quick and the food was served hot and fresh. The beef was tender and the sauce on top was flavorful. A good place to come to if you like Shawarmas!

Located in the food hall in downtown Nashville. It's a great place to stop for a quick lunch. Fast food, quick and cheap meals. The service was efficient, the food was ordinary. We ordered: 3*Wrap with beef and lamb: served with tortilla, lettuce, tomato, onion, feta cheese, tzatziki sauce, per normal, decent amount of meat. 3*Veggie bowl: included bulgur, lettuce, tomato, onion, red cabbage. Topped with hummus or baba ghanoush. Two pieces falafel and two pieces Dolmas: healthy lunch.

This place is good, but I have definitely had a lot better. Staff was really great though and the venue was cool. My buddy had never had Shawarma before and we gave it a shot and he loved it so I guess there's a lot to say for that. so many great places to check out at the food hall, and the live music was awesome.

Great choice for a bite! I've been here a handful of times. Quick service and the food is good! I picked a pita sandwich with lamb and beef and some fries. It was yummy and made me do a little happy dance.

A quick bite to eat and the assembly hall is where to go. I ordered the lamb gyro. It was okay but meat was kind of dry. The presentation was great and the service was just as good. It's a little pricey but you are in downtown Nashville

I haven't had shawarma this delicious since I was stationed in Kuwait. This really took me back! The first place that had a great balance of beef & lamb, vegetables and cheese and sauce. Excellent and would recommend to anyone who is looking for an authentic taste from Turkey!

Yeah, I largely chose this place at the Assembly Food Hall because of the name of the stall as well as their naming choices for some of their dishes. But along with using fun names like "Istan-bowl," they had some genuinely tasty food. Quick service, and the prices were on par with the other vendors in the area. Great option for something slightly different than a lot of the other booths here.

After spending the day in Nashville, we decided to check out the Assembly Food Hall. We each got something we liked then sat together and enjoyed. I went to the Istanbul Shawarma and got their falafel pita. It was the best falafel I've had since traveling abroad! The young man who helped me was very friendly and helpful as I was making my choices. There was live music, and lots of tables and benches for people to sit at. I would definitely go again!! Highly recommend it, you won't be sorry!

This eatery is part of the Assembly Food Hall. I was looking for something healthy so I ordered the Greek salad with beef and lamb. The salad had a hefty serving of meat, but it was very dry and hard. There was almost no lettuce, a pitiful amount of shredded iceberg, with some black olives, tomatoes, red onion and cucumber. The staff was friendly and quick, but look elsewhere for a salad.

I ordered the chicken shawarma bowl. It included chicken, basmati rice, salad and sauces with hummus. The chicken was a bit dry. I've had better at other restaurants- I was not a fan of the sauce or hummus.

Service was fine, but food is just bad. Sub-par fast food "Mediterranean". No thanks. It was not even warm. Got the Veggie Bowl, but I doubt if anything on the menu is any better after what I got. Extremely lame. You've been warned.

Easy, relatively fast service on a busy night before a show. The man working the front counter was very kind and helpful. I ordered a chicken wrap and it was huge - I definitely didn't need the fries I got but I really liked how they seasoned them. Overall the wrap could've had more flavor, but I liked it. I'm a sucker for Mediterranean. The pitas looked great as well. Assembly Hall was running a 20% off with Apple Pay deal which made the food even more worth it.

This place is located in the Assembly Hall, which has a great assortment of choices. I love shawarma, but this fell short. The chicken was on the dry flaky side, and the pita was dry. Although confirming no onions, they were plentiful. There was a lot of tzatziki on top, and it presented well, so there's that.

Chicken was extremely flavorful and tender. I'd order chicken on a pita again. Hummus only comes with pita and no veggies. You do not get enough pitas with the amount of hummus served. The portions are very generous. The food is very good.

It was disappointing. Please don't use the name Istanbul, you are misrepresenting our food. My stomach upset after eating chicken

Tired of the Broadway strip in Nashville, we headed to the Assembly Food Hall just a block away. Wow, upscale shopping plus three floors of restaurants and a wine bar. Great place when traveling with friends or coworkers for everyone to get the food they want and dine together. I seriously can't think of a food they didn't have. From Thai, Chinese, of course burgers, pizza, and tacos, Vietnamese, plus a bar, ice cream, crepes and waffles. You get the idea, something for everyone. Anyway, ordered the chicken shawarma Greek salad, decent for a food court. Not expecting Greek town quality but good enough for an upscale food court.

Ordered the Dolmas, flavorless. The grape leaves still have some of the tough stalk attached which made it difficult to bite through.

Very disappointing. Ordered the beef and lamb wrap with a side of fries. Lamb and beef cuts we're extremely thinly shaved with no flavor. Meat was also room temperature. Very odd. Fries were good but I had to go back and ask for another order as they were cold. For what you pay here and the other options in the area, you're better off going somewhere else.

It looked very promising when you walked past this establishment while wandering through the food hall.... Once I ordered and actually tasted the beef and chicken sandwich, I was disappointed. The meat had no flavor, the tzatziki sauce was the best thing on the sandwich.

This place has nice and quick to serve staff. The shawarma bowl has a lot of fresh and pickled veggies with delicious feta, hummus, and yogurt sauce. The rice is pretty good as well. There was plenty of beef in my bowl, but I found the meat to be dry and not tender enough for a wow factor.

Delicious, authentic, and fair priced for the quantity you receive. The food hall is fantastic in general but I'd stop by instanbul if you get the chance! Quick service, too.

Had a great time at Istanbul Shawarma the food was wonderful. I had a beef Shawarma bowl and a friend had a chicken Sharma bowl. I loved how the mixed rice, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, olives, Cabbage, pickles were a little weird, but good, and hummus all together.

Shocked this has 3.5 stars. For the prices and general quality of bar food on Broadway, this place was a treat. We both got lamb/ chicken Pitas that were PACKED full.

If this was local I would be a regular. Great quality food at reasonable prices. The falafel pita was delicious!!! Service was friendly and quick.

Yum! Highly recommend in the Assembly Food Hall. I got the bowl and it was delicious! I love Mediterranean food

Shareef...you're amazing. Thank you for your southern hospitality! The food is absolutely amazing. I had a mixed bowl. It's one of the best I've ever had.

Decent. I liked the variety of the shawarma, bowl. There was beef shawarma, rice, some hummus, some baba ganoush, some pickled cabbage, and tomato salad. The quality was decent, not great. It didn't rival the quality of the bao place or sushi place in that same food court area.

One of the better Mediterranean/middle eastern meals I've had in a while!! So fresh, flavorful and just good as hell!!

Unprofessional behavior with sub par food When asked these guys became defensive Never coming back

Great chicken shawarma!! Everything was fresh and tasty! This place is located inside of the food hall.

Lamb and beef shawarma was quite bland with chewy meat. Overpriced for what you get.

Super disappointed by this offering in the assembly food hall. The beef shawarma wrap was like eating shoe leather. I've never seen shawarma that was anything even close to the chewy nearly inedible product they were serving. The pita that came with the hummus also appeared to not be very fresh as it was more like cardboard than the light fluffy bread it should have been.

With all of the many options at this location, I am so glad that I gave this Shawarma a try! The cashier was so friendly and patient as I made decisions on my order. When I say my order was ready quickly, I mean I was confused when they called my name so fast! The employee making my wrap even opened it up for me to see upon finishing it! Once I got to finally enjoy my beef & chicken shawarma wrap, the experience got even better! All of the classic meat, veggies, and tajikistan flavors were so well done and so balanced. The meat stood out in the great way that it was cooked. The fries I got on the side where also incredible!

I work in the area trust me don't do it the meat they carve off of has flys that land on it all day and night and they serve that meat to the public you have been warned

Really yummy steak and chicken shawarma. Super friendly guy at the register. The fries in the street fries stay crispy until the end--so good. And quick service at a busy time.

If you are close to the Broadway Nashville, you should come to this food hall, specially to this place! They have a very quick service and the food is very fresh and well prepared

It was a great meal I had the Beef Shawarma and fries my wife had the Gozleme. Great location sat ate and listened to great music.

After being spoiled eating shawarmas in Detroit, this place was quite disappointing. We ordered the chicken shawarma bowl and the beef shawarma wrap, was like eating off brand food. The chicken had good flavor but it was so dry. The beef tasted like no shawarma beef I have ever eaten. Honestly thought we were going to be getting AUTHENTIC middle eastern food but it wasn't

This is the first time I've tried this place and it's delicious! There's no long line and the cucumber in the tzatziki sauce is so flavorful. The tomato and lettuce are fresh. The service was outstanding. I'll be back

What a great find at the new 5th and Broad Assembly Food Hall! We were downtown for a show at the Ryman, and if you know anything about food options in downtown Nashville, you know that we didn't have a ton of good quick options. Not anymore. There were lots of other places to pick from in the Food Hall, but Istanbul had the shortest line. I would imagine it's because people may not know Turkish food well, but it was some of the freshest fast casual food I've had in a long time. We both got the chicken shawarma bowl and it was delicious-really fresh ingredients, amazing homemade hummus and quality chicken. We will definitely be going back there the next time we're downtown.

Decided to get the Shawarma bowl with chicken right before the Styx concert. I have to say it was the worst place I could have chosen for dinner. The chicken shavings (like little dried shavings of leather) were so thin and dried. I bet there was like 3 tablespoons worth of meat in my bowl. Sick and tired of these restaurants cheapening out on ingredients when their products are expensive to begin with. Won't ever go back.

Probably the best food I had in downtown Nashville in a long time! Tasty Chicken Shawarma Wrap! Very friendly staff