Istanbul Sofra

Reviews 8

RO

Ronak Mody

This place is simply amazing. Everything from the hospitality (our waitress name was Maya), the food, the fact that it is BYOB, and possibly one of the nicest restaurant owners Ive ever met (Adnan aka Hilton). We had a group of 7 on a Saturday night, and although the restaurant seemed absolutely packed, they were able to seat us within 15-20 minutes, and all of our food/drinks were received in a very reasonable amount of time. The best dishes amongst the group were the hummus, the chicken kofte, the adana kebab, and the branzino. One tip - if you order the falafel appetizer, ask for the white yogurt sauce to supplement it. After our meal, Adnan came over and asked if we wanted dessert, but were stuffed and politely declined. However, he insisted and gave us 2 orders of baklava on the house, because he just wanted us to try it. Ive had many baklavas so far, however, these were one of the best. The flakiness, the juice, the flavors - all amazing. After dessert, Maya gave us these small wet-towelettes which were also the best towelettes any of us have ever seen. We looked at the package, and even the towelettes are from Istanbul! To top it all off, Adnan then gave all of us a free "I <3 Istanbul" t-shirt and said, "Many of our customers come back in the summer wearing these t-shirts!" These werent your cheap, crappy cotton Gildan shirts. The fabric of these shirts were really soft and a t-shirt we would definitely wear. Expect us to be back, Hilton. Thank you for a great evening.

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GR

Greg Gaskins

My fiance and I had been searching for a place to do our rehearsal dinner for our wedding for months with no luck. At the suggestion of our church, we decided to research Istanbul Sofra. From the minute we met Hilton, he made it his mission to help us create the rehearsal dinner experience of our dreams. The majority of our communication was by email since we do not live in Pittsburgh. Hilton was very responsive. He was also very flexible and allowed us to change some things to accommodate our party and budget. The day before the dinner, we went to drop off the deposit and see the venue for the first time, during which time he invited me to taste the food since I had not previously dined there. He even had the chef make cookies for me to take to my husband. The night of the rehearsal dinner the atmosphere was good, the food was amazing, and our entire party had a wonderful time. Hilton stayed the entire dinner to ensure that everything went smoothly. To top it all off he gave my fiancé and I a beautiful mosaic lamp as a wedding gift. Thank you to Hilton for helping us put together such a wonderful event. I would highly recommend Istanbul Sofra for your next event!

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MA

Maham Khan

I was visiting Pittsburg for a day and wanted to make it count. Before traveling to the city I had looked up restaurants that served good Kebabs, and had seen that Istanbul Sofra came highly recommended. A party of two, we ordered the Lamb mixed grill. The food was served pretty quick. The chops and lamb cubes were not particularly soft and difficult to chew. The fact that a butter knife is provided doesnt help in breaking the food down. The flavors were good, but the best out of the mixed platter was probably just the kebabs. For dessert we ordered kunafa and Turkish coffee. The coffee was spot on, but the kunafa was drenched in syrup. This was a weekday so it wasnt particularly busy so service was nothing exceptional. I guess its safe to say that between the decent meal and Turkish decorations haphazardly spewing all over the walls, the whole experience left me wanting more and leaving not fully satisfied.

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DA

Dani Shust

Incredible food here! We come here nearly every time we visit Pittsburgh. Plus, its got a great atmosphere, and the staff is really friendly. A few of the times weve been here, the owner has personally come over to our table as well as to the others to make sure everything was to our satisfaction and just to chat with us about Turkey and our travels and whatnot. I dont recall his name, but hes incredibly friendly and great at what he does. Everything on the menu is delicious, but Id recommend getting a bunch of appetizers and stuff to share (tapas style). Oh, and the baklava here is by far the best Ive ever had (I came here once with some people who had travelled all throughout the Mediterranean and had tried their fair share of baklava; they still said this was the best)! One time when I came, they were even so kind as to give our group some for free. It only makes sense that this place is always full.

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AM

Amos Levy

We went on Monday evening, so maybe the C-team was in the kitchen, but our meal was mediocre. We started with their signature Istanbul Sofra salad. This chop salad was much sweeter than either my preference or my wifes preference. The lettuce was a bit wilted, and there was very little of the fresh mint that we were looking forward to. We also had feta-cheese filled filo dough "cigarettes" for an appetizer. These were like fancy cheese sticks. Tasty, but nothing special. Its hard to miss with fried dough and cheese. For the main course, we split the Lamb Mixed Grill. It came with an unseasoned salad and shredded cabbage. The rice was bland and similar in texture to the "Uncle Bens" rice that you get at the supermarket. The lamb assortment was decent, but mostly dry, over-salted, and unremarkably seasoned. We quickly depleted our little cup of yogurt sauce that it came with, and wished there was more.

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SI

Sinan Sinharoy

Having grown up eating home cooked food made by a Turkish mother, I can attest to the fact that Istanbul Sofras food is authentic and delicious. The staff is friendly and efficient, making diners feel cozy and right at home. You cant leave this restaurant without a smile on your face. Make sure you try the cigarette borek - its lightly fried, crispy outside gives way to a warm, cheesy filling - the perfect comfort food for a chilly Pittsburgh winter. The entrees are great, but save room for the desserts. Kinefe and revani are traditional Turkish desserts that are unlike anything else. And of course, nothing beats a hot cup of strong Turkish coffee after a meal. Istanbul Sofra represents Turkish cuisine, culture, and hospitality at its finest. I cant wait to go back.

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RA

Ray Miles

Went here for dinner and the atmosphere was really nice. The selection on the menu was pretty extensive. Prices were a little on the higher side, but it was kind of what I expected for a restaurant in Regent Square. My meal was delicious, but I did find some paper in my chicken (probably a wrapper from the chicken breast). I brought it to the friendly staffs attention and they promised to take care of it. The manager immediately came over, admitted the mistake, told me they were making a fresh plate of food, and made it explicitly clear that I would not be charged for it. They even gave us baklava dessert on the house, which was really phenomenal. Normally for a mistake like that I would give a lower rating, but the way they handled it was really exceptional.

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HE

Heather Henry

Delicious and different! We went for our wedding anniversary dinner and Im so glad we did. We love Mediterranean food, but many of the Turkish dishes were new to us. The Eggplant Spread appetizer was different than the usual Baba Ghanoush, and the Karniyarik (eggplant stuffed with lamb) entree was melt-in-your-mouth good! I loved my Chicken Kofte and the desserts, Revani and Kunefe were sweet and special too. Our server was very helpful describing the unfamiliar portions of the menu, and she even gave us shot glass-sized samples of the special beverages, Ayran (yogurt-based) and Salgam (pickled juice). They were so good we ordered a glass of each. A memorable evening - well certainly take the trip across town and return some other night!

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