Istanbul Grill California and Catering

I definitely recommend this place, especially if you can make it to their lunch time deal. I recommend the steak plate? I think that was the name of the dish I got. I also go the chicken stew, which tasted like a coconut based curry. The rice was cooked perfectly. The steak was very tender and flavorful. I thought the stew was alright but enjoyed how the portion was decent. Their hummus is okay, seems to be lacking something. However, the labne is so delicious, you MUST get it. The perfect amount of savoriness and tang to complement the other flavors. I ate it with everything. The pita is the best I've ever had. The crisp on it was so good and the sauces they provide were good too. I thought that they were a little short staffed so they weren't checking in on the tables all the time. You order your food at the front and if you dine in, they give you a number to place on any non-reserved table. There was a lot of seating but again be cautious if the table is reserved or not. Overall, I would definitely come back! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Amazing food love it they see big portions great service prices are great for the quality and amount of food served like the fact that is open late

Reviewed on Yelp

Amazing food love it they see big portions great service prices are great for the quality and amount of food served like the fact that is open late

Reviewed on Yelp

Excellent food. Service. Dining room is basic but cozy. Staff is beyond kind and welcoming. Skewers are perfectly cooked.

Reviewed on Yelp

Excellent food. Service. Dining room is basic but cozy. Staff is beyond kind and welcoming. Skewers are perfectly cooked.

Reviewed on Yelp

The 1st few times we were here we both loved it, the owners, Turkish brothers fr Germany n my German husband hit it off but subsequent times they have grown so big n it's the same grill size. We ordered the rib eye kabob, it supposedly came w veggies n red cabbage that I love, well the red cabbage was missing, we didn't know till we got home n it was not worth it to go back to get it. As I mentioned above the grill size is the same but they have massive numbers of orders n my guess was they used the sane grill cooking many lamb orders before mine, I hate lamb so much n I have a strong sense of smell worse than that of a police dog, lol a 1% contamination I can detect n it ruined my meal. It happened almost every time now so I won't be going back here. Luna grill is Greek n they don't have as many lamb items, we came here after Costco shopping. I have a birthday coupon fr Mr Kebap, those guys have mostly beef on their menu unfortunately they are too far in Costa Mesa. Apparently Istanbul is doing so great they are expanding, they now have another shop across fr this one to take care of catering, good for them, I wish them well but I'm outta here, no lamb for me n the beef was sort of beefy too. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

The 1st few times we were here we both loved it, the owners, Turkish brothers fr Germany n my German husband hit it off but subsequent times they have grown so big n it's the same grill size. We ordered the rib eye kabob, it supposedly came w veggies n red cabbage that I love, well the red cabbage was missing, we didn't know till we got home n it was not worth it to go back to get it. As I mentioned above the grill size is the same but they have massive numbers of orders n my guess was they used the sane grill cooking many lamb orders before mine, I hate lamb so much n I have a strong sense of smell worse than that of a police dog, lol a 1% contamination I can detect n it ruined my meal. It happened almost every time now so I won't be going back here. Luna grill is Greek n they don't have as many lamb items, we came here after Costco shopping. I have a birthday coupon fr Mr Kebap, those guys have mostly beef on their menu unfortunately they are too far in Costa Mesa. Apparently Istanbul is doing so great they are expanding, they now have another shop across fr this one to take care of catering, good for them, I wish them well but I'm outta here, no lamb for me n the beef was sort of beefy too. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Iskender doner was delicious. I mean it was extremely juicy and fresh cut meat. Lentil soup had very traditional taste which was unexpected and yummy. I cant say the same thing on the cheese rolls because cheese tasted kinda gooey and sticky. Also table, plates and silverware were so dusty and table did not even have enough napkins to clean them. It was a burnt cable smell all over. Business owner consistently came and check on us if we like it or not which was also nice. Overall business needs some improvements but nice experience. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Iskender doner was delicious. I mean it was extremely juicy and fresh cut meat. Lentil soup had very traditional taste which was unexpected and yummy. I cant say the same thing on the cheese rolls because cheese tasted kinda gooey and sticky. Also table, plates and silverware were so dusty and table did not even have enough napkins to clean them. It was a burnt cable smell all over. Business owner consistently came and check on us if we like it or not which was also nice. Overall business needs some improvements but nice experience. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Super yummy food!!!! Felt like I was getting home from my grandmas kitchen. The only thing is that the rice felt way over cooked or maybe old.

Reviewed on Yelp

Super yummy food!!!! Felt like I was getting home from my grandmas kitchen. The only thing is that the rice felt way over cooked or maybe old.

Reviewed on Yelp

This is a fast casual Mediterranean kebab grill that will blow you away. You order at the counter and you sit down the inside is nice it's clean. It's nothing too fancy. My husband and I eat here probably once a week. I have never enjoyed a kebab as much as I enjoy it from this place, the rice is perfectly cooked moist and amazing. Every single time it comes with a cabbage on the side that I mixing with the rice that is slightly sour and absolute perfection. The vegetables are flavorful and delicious and never overcooked. The meat is absolutely outstanding the chicken shish kebab is white meat chicken, and it is always juicy and flavorful, and the steak is cooked to perfection. this is by far the best Mediterranean food. I've had my husband's Middle Eastern and he absolutely loves it. I cannot recommend this place enough. They also have lots of other things on the menu like hummus, and Lebnah and sweet rice pudding all delicious all are amazing. Make sure to get the roasted red tomatoes to put on top of your hummus. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I went here for a quick lunch and was pleased with my meal. The portions were pretty decent but the flavor was quite good. The filet kabobs are great! You can get extra flatbread to go with your meal. Overall I was content with this establishment for a quick lunch across the street from Costco More...

Reviewed on Yelp

This is a fast casual Mediterranean kebab grill that will blow you away. You order at the counter and you sit down the inside is nice it's clean. It's nothing too fancy. My husband and I eat here probably once a week. I have never enjoyed a kebab as much as I enjoy it from this place, the rice is perfectly cooked moist and amazing. Every single time it comes with a cabbage on the side that I mixing with the rice that is slightly sour and absolute perfection. The vegetables are flavorful and delicious and never overcooked. The meat is absolutely outstanding the chicken shish kebab is white meat chicken, and it is always juicy and flavorful, and the steak is cooked to perfection. this is by far the best Mediterranean food. I've had my husband's Middle Eastern and he absolutely loves it. I cannot recommend this place enough. They also have lots of other things on the menu like hummus, and Lebnah and sweet rice pudding all delicious all are amazing. Make sure to get the roasted red tomatoes to put on top of your hummus. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I went here for a quick lunch and was pleased with my meal. The portions were pretty decent but the flavor was quite good. The filet kabobs are great! You can get extra flatbread to go with your meal. Overall I was content with this establishment for a quick lunch across the street from Costco More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Like everyone else's review; this place is fantastic. The fact that they're open until 2 am is amazing for a night owl like me. The chicken shish kabab is my go to and the chicken comes out perfectly juicy every single time. Big fan of the spicy chili oil as well. Service has always been excellent and prompt. Istanbul Grill always has a nice and calm ambiance every time I go, with regional music always playing. Can't wait to go back again! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Like everyone else's review; this place is fantastic. The fact that they're open until 2 am is amazing for a night owl like me. The chicken shish kabab is my go to and the chicken comes out perfectly juicy every single time. Big fan of the spicy chili oil as well. Service has always been excellent and prompt. Istanbul Grill always has a nice and calm ambiance every time I go, with regional music always playing. Can't wait to go back again! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Wow, everything is so fresh and the flavors are on point! I am very impressed. Very good place that's open late and has tasty vegan options. The falafel and lentil soup is amazing! So glad I found this hidden gem. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Everything is perfect except they need liquor license. Food good, prepared quick, service good.

Reviewed on Yelp

Wow, everything is so fresh and the flavors are on point! I am very impressed. Very good place that's open late and has tasty vegan options. The falafel and lentil soup is amazing! So glad I found this hidden gem. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Everything is perfect except they need liquor license. Food good, prepared quick, service good.

Reviewed on Yelp

We stopped here for a late dinner after the Elyanna concert at The Observatory in Santa Ana. The food was terrific, it was a quiet place but open until 2:00am. We ordered the Mixed Grill which was the Chicken Shish, Döner, Chicken Adana and Adana Kebabs, served with rice pilaf and seasonal vegetables. Ask for extra sauces - the Sun Dried Tomato Sauce was excellent, the Yogurt Sauce was OK- could be much better if they added some fresh or even dried mint and fresh chopped or crushed garlic to the sauce. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

We stopped here for a late dinner after the Elyanna concert at The Observatory in Santa Ana. The food was terrific, it was a quiet place but open until 2:00am. We ordered the Mixed Grill which was the Chicken Shish, Döner, Chicken Adana and Adana Kebabs, served with rice pilaf and seasonal vegetables. Ask for extra sauces - the Sun Dried Tomato Sauce was excellent, the Yogurt Sauce was OK- could be much better if they added some fresh or even dried mint and fresh chopped or crushed garlic to the sauce. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Wow this place is so good! The family platter was absolutely delicious and everyone in my party loved it. It's a good amount of food for the cost, I think it could feed more than 4 people. I also highly recommend the hummus and pita bread. Would definitely recommend this place! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Wow this place is so good! The family platter was absolutely delicious and everyone in my party loved it. It's a good amount of food for the cost, I think it could feed more than 4 people. I also highly recommend the hummus and pita bread. Would definitely recommend this place! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Great place with freshly made mediterranean food. Friendly service and good prices. The place is clean and accommodating

Reviewed on Yelp

Great place with freshly made mediterranean food. Friendly service and good prices. The place is clean and accommodating

Reviewed on Yelp

I use to come here often for their lunch special before the pandemic. I recently had the opportunity to have it this week and everything is still delicious as I remembered. Portions remained large, rice is moist, and veggies are delicious. Veggies are mix of carrots, celery, squash, and green beans. Their pita bread is so buttery and is just the best thing with the hummus. The lunch order comes with a dessert which I believe is almond pudding! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Excellent food. Great service. Large portions. We had hummus and shared a mixed kebob platter. I also like the option of kids' plates if you're not as hungry Highly recommend!!!

Reviewed on Yelp

I use to come here often for their lunch special before the pandemic. I recently had the opportunity to have it this week and everything is still delicious as I remembered. Portions remained large, rice is moist, and veggies are delicious. Veggies are mix of carrots, celery, squash, and green beans. Their pita bread is so buttery and is just the best thing with the hummus. The lunch order comes with a dessert which I believe is almond pudding! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Excellent food. Great service. Large portions. We had hummus and shared a mixed kebob platter. I also like the option of kids' plates if you're not as hungry Highly recommend!!!

Reviewed on Yelp

Great food and clean restaurant. Turkish coffee and kabob were so delicious. We enjoyed it very much .

Reviewed on Yelp

Great food and clean restaurant. Turkish coffee and kabob were so delicious. We enjoyed it very much .

Reviewed on Yelp

This is some of the most delicious Mediterranean food I've ever had. Quality is incredible and the service was amazing! Can't wait to go back

Reviewed on Yelp

This is some of the most delicious Mediterranean food I've ever had. Quality is incredible and the service was amazing! Can't wait to go back

Reviewed on Yelp

Great food great service love that it's open till late. Delicious taste. Recommend this place quiete and great ambiance pretty clean.

Reviewed on Yelp

Great food great service love that it's open till late. Delicious taste. Recommend this place quiete and great ambiance pretty clean.

Reviewed on Yelp

Dad and I had a blast at this restaurant! The Turkish food was insanely delicious, bursting with flavors. The food and service were both awesome, making it a fantastic time. Highly recommend the Chicken Kebab and Doner Kebab Combo, and don't skip the Baklava! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Dad and I had a blast at this restaurant! The Turkish food was insanely delicious, bursting with flavors. The food and service were both awesome, making it a fantastic time. Highly recommend the Chicken Kebab and Doner Kebab Combo, and don't skip the Baklava! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Frankly I went in expecting the food to taste like Persian but looks can be deceiving. The Turkish seasoning is bland and the meats very dry. Unlike Persian kabobs, you don't get grilled veggies but stir-fry instead (and no tomato). Worst of all, the white rice is all mushy like porridge (not basmati or jasmine). At least the bread and Coke were good LOL and so was the Turkish decor. Funny the restaurant next to Istanbul Grill is a Mexican Grill. LOL More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Frankly I went in expecting the food to taste like Persian but looks can be deceiving. The Turkish seasoning is bland and the meats very dry. Unlike Persian kabobs, you don't get grilled veggies but stir-fry instead (and no tomato). Worst of all, the white rice is all mushy like porridge (not basmati or jasmine). At least the bread and Coke were good LOL and so was the Turkish decor. Funny the restaurant next to Istanbul Grill is a Mexican Grill. LOL More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Very disappointing experience. Ordered lentil soup and kabob combo plate. Lentil soup was bland and flavorless-totally mediocre. Chicken had weird flavor and was rubbery and tough. Lamb was a little better but not much. The plate comes with rice, vegetables, and cabbage which are hard to mess up. All told, there are much better Mediterranean restaurants in southern Cali and I would not go back to this place. I'm a little baffled at all of the good ratings for Istanbul Grill (unless these people have never had really GOOD Mediterranean food) but this was not my experience. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Very disappointing experience. Ordered lentil soup and kabob combo plate. Lentil soup was bland and flavorless-totally mediocre. Chicken had weird flavor and was rubbery and tough. Lamb was a little better but not much. The plate comes with rice, vegetables, and cabbage which are hard to mess up. All told, there are much better Mediterranean restaurants in southern Cali and I would not go back to this place. I'm a little baffled at all of the good ratings for Istanbul Grill (unless these people have never had really GOOD Mediterranean food) but this was not my experience. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

This place was phenomenal. We came here for a group lunch with my coworkers and they had a great lunch deal. The portions, taste, and price were all on point. This place is a casual joint and our large group fit easily. You order at the front and then the waitress escorts you to a table and brings out your food when it is ready. As a group, we shared labne, baba ganoush, hummus, cheese rolls, dolmas, and more. The pita bread was warm and to die for! They also had some sundried tomato and garlic sauces. For the main dish, i ordered the gyro plate with baba ganoush and hummus. The hummus and baba ganoush were super tasty. The gyro meat was delicious, and even the rice was super moist and flavorful. A lot of us took food to go as well. The lunch special comes with dessert included in the price and they do not allow you to choose this. The dessert of the day was almond pudding, and I was skeptical but it was honestly delicious! We ended our meal with turkish coffee and baklava in addition. I can't wait to return here! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I am still at my table polishing off my rice pudding. This review couldn't wait. The only unfortunate thing is that I am moving tomorrow and won't be able to come back. High quality food, great portions friendly staff. We got the hummus appetizer, the platter for 2 and rice pudding... Absolutely delicious More...

Reviewed on Yelp