Turkish in Dallas

Cafe Izmir

211 N Ervay St Downtown/Deep Ellum

469-998-0123

Turkish, Middle Eastern, Menu, Readers' Choice

2 events 3 articles

Ephesus Mediterranean Grill

10455 N. Central Expressway #118 North Dallas

972-803-3750

Turkish, Middle Eastern, Recommended, Slideshow

Ephesus is the kind of restaurant where the first impression is misleading. Its atmosphere is peculiar, and its appetizers can be shaky, but dig deeper to reveal a kitchen turning out delightful Turkish comfort foods. The best starter choice is a sample platter of meze, the small dishes and dips that introduce a traditional Middle Eastern meal: a huge platter of unusually thick, garlicky hummus; baba ghannoush (eggplant dip); a dip of diced feta cheese bound together by paprika; minty stuffed grape leaves; and pita bread still smoky from the oven.Keeping it simple is good advice for the main courses, too. That means kebabs, like iskender kebab, a genuine pile of beef-lamb mixture, carved off the rotisserie and served under a tomato-based sauce. Another dish just waiting for Americans to fall in love with it is beyti kebab. This one’s a regular beef kebab skewer wrapped in a tortilla-like flatbread and doused in both spicy tomato sauce and tzatziki.

1 article

Ephesus Mediterranean Grill

10455 N. Central Expressway North Dallas

Turkish, Mediterranean

Istanbul Grill

2704 Elm St. Fair Park

214-749-1102

Greek, Mediterranean, Seafood, Turkish, Vegetarian

23 events

Laili

920 S Harwood St. Ste 112 Downtown/Deep Ellum

214-484-3735

Afghan, Turkish, Middle Eastern, Recommended

Dallas Farmer's Market has a standout in Laili, a “Silk Road” fusion counter. Its chef-owners are two women from Afghanistan and Turkey, Afifa Nayeb and Nevin Kaya. The menu happily jumps between the two countries’ native cuisines, a roster of home-cooking dishes presented with integrity. Even surrounded by the Farmers Market’s array of stylish macarons and ice cream sandwiches, the desserts at Laili stand out as some of the neighborhood’s best.

Pera Turkish Kitchen

17479 Preston Rd. Richardson & Vicinity

972-267-4444

Turkish, Restaurants, Recommended, Best Of, Menu

No, not pita. It's pide. The rounds that come from this kitchen are a little thicker than traditional pita bread, and they don’t open into perfect pockets, but they are no less delicious. They come out by the basketful to be used as utensils for scooping up smooth hummus, savory yogurt and other salads, or simply to be enjoyed on their own with a little olive oil. Many of the dishes here have a Turkish twist, but you’ll recognize them all if you’re used to eating Middle Eastern food. Even if you don’t know your way around a dolma, the stuffed grape leaves are delicious. Try the kebabs fired over a coal grill, or the whole branzino in which the kitchen's simple techniques and honest cooking really shine.

9 articles

Pera Wine Bistro

2633 McKinney Ave. Uptown/Oak Lawn

214-484-7706

Turkish, Mediterranean, Best Of

Pera Kebab opened in the space formerly occupied by Sharaku, one of Dallas’ favorite izakayas. The Uptown restaurant is simple and brightly lit, with an open kitchen that let’s everyone watch the cooks assemble meals. There are two shawarma spits turning, one with lamb and one with beef, and when the restaurant is busy, the grill is loaded with meat kebabs. Turkish standards including hummus, tabouleh and babaganoush are all great, and it’s hard to go wrong with any of the sandwiches. For a quick lunch or a meal before a movie or show, Pera offers a great deal with most items hovering around $11. And the Uptown party-set will appreciate the weekend hours. The place is open till 4 a.m.

5 articles

Zaytinya

6655 Winning Dr. Frisco

972-324-3060

Turkish, Lebanese, Mediterranean, Critics' Pick, Menu

The first Dallas-area restaurant from celebrity chef José Andrés, Zaytinya serves creative, even eccentric riffs on Greek and Turkish cuisine. Some sections of the menu are producing big hits, like tender octopus “Santorini,” splendid salads or meats cooked over an open charcoal-fired hearth. But there are lingering issues with consistency, and the free basket of paper-thin pita with bitter, metallic olive oil makes a poor first impression. Zaytinya isn’t helped by comparison to the similar, better and more affordable Sachet, but then again, Sachet is a long way from Frisco.

1 article

Turkish in Dallas

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