Istanbul Bistro

Cute littel place, super nice staff and the food is very hearty. I love their rice!

This restaurant needs to be busier than it is. The service is impeccable, the owners are the kindest people on the planet. I think it may be that people don’t know what to expect from Turkish food. It’s Middle Eastern/​Mediterranean food – but with a Turkish spin. We’ve all had pita bread, falafel, baba ganoush, etc. This is GREAT food, but slightly different than the Lebanese food we get elsewhere. The parking is a little strange, but most people don’t know about the lot in the back.
I had the BEST baklava I have ever had in my life here. It is strictly house-​made, and not purchased in last aluminum sheets like other restaurants.
Trust me. Try this place.

Okay so the food was pretty good, which was exciting because I used to live in Turkey and am always looking for something which brings back those flavors. However, getting in a tiff with the server/​manager/​who knows and the lack of caring about customer service and realizing that customer service is ultimately what brings people back brings this down to two stars. I had purchased a Groupon which I was so excited to see posted because I already wanted to check this place out, so when my partner and I were hitting the town hungry, we thought, let’s check this place out. Now part of this is my fault, I should have read the Groupon to see that reservations were required, but in my defense, that is not the norm. So when I pulled out my voucher at the end of the meal I hoped our whoever would say no big deal, since there had only been two other tables of diners the entire time and this place ALWAYS seems empty… but no. Instead we went back and forth for a few minutes before he just gave us the bill. Tip for businesses: you sell deals, you plan on honoring them, so why place reservation restrictions, it doesn’t make a difference. In my opinion deals are supposed to drum up new business and are generally offered by businesses which may be struggling a little bit. This easily could have been a positive experience and potentially many more, but instead I will not be back.

This is a nice, small restaurant with a very friendly staff. We’ve been to Turkey and the food is as good as any that we had during that trip. My personal favorite is the Beyti Kebab, very tasty. And their bread fresh off the oven is great! I do find it a little pricy for their portion sizes, but we still eat there regularly.

This place is DELICIOUS. Had the beef moussaka, ate the whole thing. Lamb was also great, and the Turkish sausage… Which is more like a calzone, so good.

Went the other day for my first visit. I didn’t know what to expect from Turkish food but it was AWESOME. Service was great and prices good too. I’ll be going back! I had a chicken and vegetable dish which was great. It was extremely flavorful but not spicy. Just good old fashion flavor. The parking lot in front is small but I was told they have parking in back too; I didn’t check that so not sure. Anyway, I’ll be back. It was really a treat! Oh ya, the bread looked awesome but I eat gluten free so I just had to watch. It looked somewhere between pizza dough and a falafal. I don’t know but my mouth was watering!

Me and my husband tried this new place for the first time. We chose the lunch buffet consisted of a delightful fish dish with veggies and rice and chicken kebob. One of the side dishes, the humus, was the best in town! Definitely recommend this place.

we split a veggie appetizer plate and an order of mixed grill.
really more food than we could eat. it was nice to be able to sample a little bit of everything.
the food was excellent and the service was top notch.
will definitely return.

This place was a huge disappointment!
First off, we made a reservation for 4 by the window and got there with only three tables taken and were promptly stuffed in a corner with minimal breathing room from the next table… the guy who sat us acted like we had not made a reservation at all.
While service was great the food and atmosphere was severely underwhelming. We have eaten all over Turkey and expected so much more. Non-​descript, cramped dining area, no music, just the sound of people saying ‘is this rice?!’.
The appetizer meze dips were served with no bread, our acili ezme was lacking actual walnuts, our various meals came out with items not mentioned on the menu (bulgur is NOT rice!, roasted veg vs ‘salad’ etc. and the food was completely lacking in flavor and spices Turkish food is known for.
Extremely expensive (140 $) for 4 entrees a round of beer and two mezes is incredibly expensive for such lackluster, unauthentic food.
No dessert menu, just a mention of baklava and a cheese phyllo dough item from the server. Where’s the asure, sutlak or at least some lokum???
This is basically another generic Mediterranean food joint being ‘Americanized’ trying to pass itself off as ‘Turkish’. Maybe get some Raki up in the joint to liven up the atmosphere?

The wait staff was friendly and the service was above average. The should just name all the dishes in English so people can remember and understand what they are ordering. I love the warm flat bread and I didn’t like the ayran (no froth). Plan on spending at least $ 15-​$ 20 per person.
Istanbul Bistro is worth visiting. Check it out.

Cozy atmosphere, filling the old Formoli’s spot in East Sac.
Went on a Tuesday night at 8; only one other table occupied. Needless to say, we had top-​notch service and a custom-​cooked meal. We split the Turkish mixed grill ($ 35) which was more than ample. Lamb, chicken and a couple of yummy mystery meat.
Lots of good appetizers too; next time will probably try a series of small plates of appetizers and veggies.
Too full for the baklava.

It was a’ite. The chicken kabob was okay and the service excellent. I love the atmosphere and bold colors. Im sure that if I wasnt there helping my brother nurse his hangover I would have had a better food adventure. It was the first time I’ve ever had a circular kabob before and it was floating in a red sauce that tasted Chef Boyardi’ish… Not sure about it. But it was yummy notheless. Im looking forward to going again to try their other nom’noms but next time no hungover bro-​bro allowed.

Wonderful food and service.
This is the second time I’ve eaten here, and I was really pleased both times. Flavors are fresh & unique and the food is beautifully presented. The Turkish bread they serve literally goes with everything. I recommend the Acili Ezme and the Beyti Kebab.
Service couldn’t have been better. We were promptly seated, given helpful answers to our menu questions, ice water reliably (and quietly!) refilled. Loved how the staff was attentive and helpful without hovering or being overly personal. The space is really nice too. It’s cozy, with a view of the open kitchen but still protected from too much prep noise. Prices are steal for the good quality of food that you get, and so happy to see a different cuisine in East Sac.
Finally, a followup to my earlier review. I spent a month in Turkey this summer, and I was pleased to discover that Istanbul Bistro’s food is really authentic: many of the dishes they serve were stables around Istanbul, and I loved that they serve some of the more traditional but yet-​unknown-​locally foods, like the yogurty Ayran drink. Definitely worth a trip to East Sac to check it out!

Went there for dinner and I was not blown away.
The service was ok, but the person giving us water would be talking loudly to another table while giving us water… I thought it was kind of rude. The area we sat in was odd… a very narrow space and the sound reverberated it, and we were sat right next to 2 others in a mostly empty restaurant. so it was loud in the small space we were in.
The food did not impress me that much… I had the vegetable casserole and my husband had a chicken dish (sorry don’t remember the name, but it was covered in dough and sauce). Both were heavily sauced and a bit bland. And small for the price ($ 14 each). I had a salad too. It was basically chopped veggies and it was $ 6. It was good, but I thought a bit pricey and it looked like something I could make… and I’m not a professional chef by any means.
I don’t think I would go back. Not horrible, I just didn’t think it was worth the cost and the food just didn’t do it for me.

We wanted to try them for lunch, but they were closed — counter to what their hours listed. Lame, no? But then, we were looking for dinner late one evening and their lights were blazing. It was like a siren call. We simply had to go.
It’s a narrow restaurant with a few posters of Turkish places on the wall and Japanese tatami mats covering lights on the ceiling. (smh, I don’t know either.)
It’s a nice place with white tablecloths on the tables and linen napkins. The service is top notch. Our waiter was always present when we needed him and very charming.
They bring out a basket of freshly made bread before your meal. The bread was incredibly delicious — it made me have high expectations for the meal ahead.
Luckily, the meals we got match our high expectations. I got the Imam Bayildi (eggplant stuffed with yumminess) and my husband got the Manti (ravioli/​yoghurt sauce). The manti was super delicious. The imam bayildi was excellent — nice and eggplant-​y. (Fun fact — the name of the dish refers to the story of an iman (a priest) who fainted after tasting the dish; it was so good.)
I didn’t faint, but the food is really top-​notch at this café. I cannot wait to go back and try more of the menu.

Good Turkish food with great staff. Been here twice so far. Had a chicken plate, Manti (Turkish ravioli with yogurt), lamb kabobs, yogurt with cucumbers, mint tea, and baklava. The food was tasty and we will be back.

My father-​in-​law took the entire family here on a Sunday. I was pleasantly surprised when i stepped in. You can tell they renovated the place. It looks really nice and posh (yet super cozy). We ordered a bunch of different food and everyone enjoyed it all. I would def. recommend this place. The owners seem really nice. Also, everyone enjoyed the tea as well. I got the chicken plate– which was really good. It did seem a bit dry. But after putting some sauce on the plate it was perfect. If you are in Sac or passing by– do check this place out!

Tried this today for lunch with some friends & everything was excellent! I had the Manti — kind of like Turkish ravioli in a yoghurt sauce. It was very fresh and filling. My friends had the Sigara Boregi and Adana Kebab, both were equally good. The service was personable and efficient and prices are very reasonable. I’m not aware of any Midtown/​East Sac places serving authentic Turkish food (Gonul’s/Vanilla Bean/​Trio — or whatever future incarnation of «Gonul’s» will be is an interesting fusion, but not too reminiscent of what I had in Turkey). One of my friends at today’s lunch is from Turkey and commented that this is much closer to the real thing than Trio.
Highly recommended!

Couldn’t decide what to get … so I got the appetizer combo. Being a devout carnivore I was skeptical but OH MYYYY! De lish! Hummus and baba ganush were delightful! Bread I’d fresh and warm and awesome! The tabbouleh was so yummy! I got it to go as I was pressed for time but I will return for a sit down! I hear from a co worker that the lamb is fantastic!

What a disappointment. I’ll give it another go, but here are a few issues. 1. The Adana kebab, on the menu said it is served with pilaf, which is rice, I got bulgur which is not rice but in fact wheat. Please be advised some people are allergic to gluten which is found in wheat.
2. The salad had a very strange sweet taste to it. The traditional way is lemon juice and olive oil only. Unfortunately, this sweet topping was all over the plate and it got infused with all the bulgur and kebab. 3. They were out of a few dishes. And finally the most important 4. Please do not have the service staff tell customers that everything is made from scratch when your dolma clearly are from a can.
I’ll try it one more time, but really I’d pass on the dolmas here.