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Bosphorus
Categories: Restaurants Mediterranean Restaurants Turkish Restaurants Middle Eastern Mediterranean, Turkish, Middle Eastern
1512 Locust StWalnut Creek, CA 94596
(925) 944-5484
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:30 am - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 11:30 am - 10 pm
Sun 11:30 am - 8 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
86 reviews for Bosphorus
Review Highlights
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"The cold appetizer was a fun combination of very authentic..." In 5 reviews -
"I am a sucker for Bursa Iskender." In 2 reviews -
"I agree that the cold appetizer meze platter is excellent." In 2 reviews
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86 reviews in English
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Review from Zeynep A.
Woodland, CA
3/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
Finally a decent , nicely decorated ( no carpets on the walls for once , thank you!!!) Turkish restaurant with a nice menu. My husband and I try to sample all the Turkish restaurants in the Bay Area. So far this is the only one I would go for a long dinner and have a drink or two.
We had the lentil soup as starters, really tasty. I had the lamb shish kebab wrap and hubby had Adana kebab wrap. Nicely grilled meat with grilled pieces of pepper and onions. We then shared a kunefe as dessert that was really nice done as well.
They have a nice selection of wines even decent Turkish ones. And they even carry Turkish raki ( national alcoholic drink) .
The wraps are big and filling, my only complaint is the side salad and fries can be a little big bigger portion wise. but that's no biggie frankly.
They said they will soon have doner ( a.k.a gyros/shawarma) . Cant wait to try that. -
Review from Ken R.
Walnut Creek, CA
5/11/2012
This place has inherited its look & feel from the previous tenants (a Thai restaurant?...I think) and to my eye its trying to be hip and failing. The large mural in the back with the cheesy "DO NOT TOUCH" signs on them needs to be redone...but whatevers. If the food is good, I could care less if the owner has touching issues with his artwork.
I honestly cannot remember what I ordered but it was this ground chicken thing and rice. It was very tasty and I ate every bite of it. For desert we got this weird cheese thing. Like fried cheese that had this very sweet honey sauce on it. Don't know if I'd have it again, but it was interesting. Not bad, just not what I'm used to and that's a good thing.
Our service was notable. Friendly, explained everything we asked about...very good. -
Review from Megan L.
PROS
+ Plush seating, cozy decor/ambience
+ Good place for a business lunch
CONS
- Portions for plates/specials are small!
- Pretty dang expensive
- Server was a bit cold, not too friendly
Came here on a Wednesday around noon for lunch with a girl friend. I've had my share of kebabs all across the Bay and came here looking forward to a Turkish spin on some of my favorite dishes. I had the KOFTE house special and my friend had the LAMB SHISH KEBAB WRAP. I thought it was really quite incongruous that my friend's $9 wrap was almost a foot long and seemed generously stuffed enough, whereas my $15 kofte plate left me hungry after I finished my meal. The kofte plate came with a 7 or 8 inch-long beef/lamb kebab, some rice pilaf, and a bit of grilled tomato. That was it. No yogurt, nothing else. The one redeeming thing was that when we asked for a bit of yogurt to help moisten the kebab, we were given a small ramekin free of charge. I've had kofte kebabs at other places, and for $15, I would have gotten a lot more food. Many other places would automatically give you some sort of yogurt or dipping sauce on the side. I think what you're paying for is the decor and the pricey downtown-WC neighborhood.
Small additional annoyance - we had yelp check-in offers for a free glass of house wine, but were told that only one per table would could be redeemed. Perhaps the check-in offer should state this clearly. -
Review from H. L.
San Francisco, CA
5/24/2012
The food was wonderful & the service was great! My boyfriend is Turkish and our dishes got his stamp of approval, from appetizers to desserts, and everything in between! The veggie dishes tasted fresh and flavorful and the meats were perfectly seasoned and prepared.. The kadayif is a must to finish your meal with. We are from San Francisco and will certainly make the long drive to go back there again!
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Review from Jim L.
Walnut Creek, CA
5/16/2012
Went for the first time tonight, and all was great: food, service, and our waiter, Pricing is very reasonable. Turkish coffee was the best.
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Review from Rachel F.
Martinez, CA
3/21/2012
Best Falafel with homemade Hummus I've had in a LONG time.
Had a Beyta for lunch, Yum!!! Very nice sized serving.
With Turkish Tea!
The service was very attentive.
They were pretty full with only a couple of empty tables.
Thanks for a very pleasurable lunch! -
Review from K V.
Concord, CA
4/25/2012
I think this place has a bad attitude. We wanted to try them tonight for dinner after walking by their location. We were excited to try a turkish restaurant on this side of the hills as they aren't the most common. After looking at the menu we noticed the only thing my more finicky dinner partner felt comfortable eating was a chicken wrap, an item listed only on their lunch menu. Instead of going in we decided to see if we could place an order to go, the chicken wrap being the only one of many items items we were going to order. The man who answered was abrasive and gruff flatly stating "no we don't serve wraps at dinner"..... "Even to-go?"...
"No."....
Wheres the politeness? At least pretend to go check with your manager- geez, at least fake a facade. Sorry, but you guys just lost our vote. It's not really much to ask for. Other restaurants do way more to keep guests happy. I mean, it is just sticking your dinner kabob in the flat bread already have and served 3 or 4 hours ago for lunch. I would think you'd want to make small accommodations like this to keep your clients happy. Now we're not trying your food tonight, and now we probably never will because we think your policies and staff seem kinda bitchy. I guess you guys are that greedy that you refuse to sell the lower priced items at dinner so you can more money, right? In my opinion that is lousy customer service- you should want to create loyalty by being considerate to your customers.
Tonight we're going to the Turquoise Grill in Lafayette instead- they are better priced, friendly, and family run. So long Bosphorus. -
Review from Bookashechka F.
Walnut Creek, CA
4/5/2012
My family is addicted to this restaurant :) We came to this restaurant shortly after its opening. The service was mediocre because there were not enough waiters and the waiters were the owners of the restaurant. But the food was outstanding! Even our picky daughter ate there! So, we decided to give Bosphorus another try because of the food and I'm so glad we did. By then, they had hired waiters and both the service and the food were great! This restaurant is our number one choice in Walnut Creek now!
tip: try their Turkish red wine, it's really good -
Review from Bob K.
3/5/2012
THE place to eat before a show at the Lesher center. Because I said so, and it's the only one I've tried yet.
What a fabulous menu - many options for me and The Wife, and we also saw items that would likely please at least 2 out of our 3 kids. We never got past the meze options to try the entrees, which sounded excellent. I really wanted to try the shrimp special or just about any of the entrees, but we ordered 4 meze and a salad, and only ate about 40% of the food we got. For the record, we had shepherd salad, sigara borek, garbanzo salad (EXTRA yummy!), hummus and falafel.
The drink menu was very appealing to The Wife, and she had a couple of Turkish shooters (Chambord and creme de something) which were served with pieces of Turkish delight. I had a glass of the Turkish Kavaklidere red wine (the only one on the menu) and liked it very much. We will definitely be back. Actually, it will be tempting to go back here every time we're in Walnut Creek, but we've got to try some other places as well.
Compliments to the staff - our waitress Alexandria, who claimed to have invented The Wife's drink, took great care of us. -
Review from Daniel H.
Concord, CA
2/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
Passed by this place several times before actually going in.
First entry, it was pretty quiet for lunch. That did guarantee us quick and attentive service. I ordered a Turkish coffee, which was delivered on a neat little tray that swung back and forth. Plus points for the delivery. The coffee was pretty tasty, though rather thick! That's how it was described so I am guessing that's the way it is.
I ordered the Moussaka. It was outstanding. A little more tomato-based than I was expecting, but it was delicious nonetheless. We also did the non-vegetarian appetizer combo, which was very tasty. I really wanted both, but I think that might have been way too much food, as well as a bit too expensive.
The food is pretty tasty, though very similar to the Greek and Mediterranean food in the area. Nonetheless, I recommend you stop by this place at least once to try it, if only for the friendly service and tasty food.
Definitely will go again! -
Review from PJ H.
Berkeley, CA
1/14/2012
No hesitation on this 5 star review. Bosphorus earned every last star. The cold meze appetizer that we ordered for the table contained an array of dishes with which i had previously been familiar and which wouldn't have excited me all that much at a lesser restaurant. But at Bosphorus they were all SO GOOD! My favorite part of the meze was the esme (the reddish stuff in the middle), and I don't even like tomatoes. I ordered the lamb Kavurma entree and it did not disappoint. Tender, juicy, and served with delicious rice pilaf. I thought for sure it would be the best dish on the table. Then I tried a bite of the moussaka. I liked it even better. Then I tried a bite of the bursa Iskender. Even better. Finally I had a bite of the Beyti. Even better. The atmosphere was nice too, with beautiful pictures of Istanbul and a program about Turkey on the TV.
Taste: 5/5 So many stellar options.
Value: 5/5 you really won't end up paying much here. Most of these fantastic dishes are between $12 and $18
Service: 4.5/5 I had no problem at all with the service here, they did a great job. (I like to reserve the 5 star service rating for those that go way above and beyond expectations)
Bosphorus is now tied with Kazan (in McLean, VA) at the top of my list of favorite Turkish restaurants in America. Thumbs way up. -
Review from Jerome B.
Walnut Creek, CA
3/25/2012
My wife and I tried this when it was fairly new. I would say that it was bland at best, and really not all that great. Better to go to Pomegranate (IMHO). They might have changed since then - I am just now getting caught up on some past YELP reviews. We haven't been able to bring ourselves back here though since that first visit.
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Review from Eric B.
1/7/2012
Gayle and I had a very pleasant meal here last night. I also continue to be impressed on how many excellent Middle East food options there are in Downtown Walnut Creek.
I met Gayle at Eleve where her employer was just finishing up a farewell party for one of here closest work friends (and the person who married us). My Wife was in tears, so we decided to take a walk and maybe get something to eat. Later on, we also had tickets for the ARF Comedy Night at the Lesher Center. That turned out to be good for a multitude of laughs thanks to Dana Carvey, George Lopez, Brian Copeland, Mark Pitta, and others.
We walked by Bosphorus and it was something about the open windows, the cool Istanbul (not Constantinople) pictures along one wall, and the TV screen streaming images of Turkey (including Whirling Dervishes) that drew us in. The friendly, prompt, and helpful service kept us there as we totally relished our meal. I enjoyed the Adana (a mix of spicy minced lamb and beef served with bulgur pilaf and grilled vegetables) while Gayle equally savored the Lamb Kebobs. I ordered an amazingly good Turkish Stout to wash it all down, while Gayle was impressed with a Turkish white wine that went very well with the Lamb.
It was also nice to sit at the window and watch both the Restaurant (which was busy on this early Friday evening) and the Street. We got a chance to relax and talk about a lot of stuff, as many things seem to come flooding back the first week after the Holidays are over. A twirling dainty demitasse of thick, fragrant Turkish coffee sealed the deal for our dinner here, and I'm sure that we'll be back for another Ottoman adventure. -
Review from Julia L.
Los Angeles, CA
We did our annual trip to NorCal during the last week of December to close out 2011. Decided to meet some friends for dinner and apparently Boy Toy had some input on the dinner locale decision making. Something about a choice between Turkish or Thai? Turkish it is!
Started off with a Cold Combo Appetizer (hummus, taboule, babaganoush, chickpea salad, etc) & a Hot Combo Appetizer (falafel, kofte, feta filled egg roll, etc). Apologizes for the "etc" but I am not that familiar with Turkish cuisine & I forgot to take a pix of the menu. Either way, splitting those 2 appetizers between 7 people with warm fresh bread was a good starter (w/ a side of dark Turkish Efse beer for me). We literally wiped the plates clean. One of the waiters clearing the plates before the entrees arrived jokingly said his dishwasher would be really happy with these plates.
Boy toy proceeded to try something new called the BURSA ISKENDER which was deliciously flavorful, juicy with lamb/beef I believe in a red tomato based sauce that was all over some cubed bread pieces. It had a side of yogurt. I wish I'd gotten this plate but I let him eat the majority of it.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
I wanted to order a safe dish as I had no idea if the Bursa Iskender would be amaze-balls or barely edible...sorry but none of us had ever been here & last year, the restaurant Vesna/Vesu/? fell flat on it's face (apparently it's shut down now & called something else). So I ordered the BOSPHORUS COMBO KEBAB plate (beef, lamb, chicken) with a side of bulgur pilaf, green salad & this giamongous green pepper that was so spicy, it gave me pause...made my lips tingle...and then I polished it off! The kebabs were tasty but a little more cooked/dry than I like my meat. The bulgur was tasty & made me feel like I was being more healthy than having regular rice.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
We ended the meal with BAKLAVA that was yummy pistachio goodness of flaky yet honey juicy crust.
Service was friendly, attentive & informative. If Boy Toy & I ever end up moving up to NorCal, this will be one the restaurants I'd like to become a regular at. -
Review from Brandi W.
Walnut Creek, CA
1/9/2012 1 photo
Walnut Creek has never stunned me with its ethnic cuisine, but this place was EXCELLENT!
My mother and I stopped by for lunch today. She ordered the Kofte Wrap (hand-formed mix of seasoned ground lamb and beef, romaine, and tomatoes) with a side salad.
I ordered the Bosphorus Falafel Wrap (falafel, hummus, eggplant, tomatoes), but I passed on the tahini. I ordered it with fries, but the waitress brought me salad instead. I didn't want to say anything, but my mom piped up that she had made a mistake. The waitress brought us fries anyway. What a sweet lady.
The falafel tasted wonderful, really hot and fresh. I was so hungry, I was probably stuffing my face at a breakneck speed. It was just that good!
The food was delicious, filling, and reasonably priced.
The service is fast and friendly.
I can't wait to try their veggie kabob plate. Someone a few tables away ordered that, and it looked AMAZING. -
Review from Elliott L.
Walnut Creek, CA
3/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
A superb family run business. Everything done here is done with love and caring. The best Turkish restaurant in the east bay - bar none. They use the freshest, best quality produce. Their meat and fish quality is absolutely top grade. A great value - no doubt there will be lines.
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Review from Arlene H.
Hercules, CA
3/24/2012
It is hard to imagine that new restaraunts in Walnut Creek are doing so well in this bad economy. My friend and I dined here a month ago and the we were amazed that this place was so good. I was a little hesitant in trying since neither of us had ever tried Turkish food before. The service was a little on the slow side which may due in part that they are still a fairly new restaraunt and it was also on a Friday night. The food and service were both very good. We will go back in the near future for some really good lentil soup and creamy hummus. Yummy!!
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Review from Jen L.
Lafayette, CA
1/8/2012
I wish yelp allowed us to use half-stars. This place deserves 2 1/2. I didn't hate it, I was just underwhelmed.
We ate here for the first time recently after reading all the hype here on yelp. The wait staff was very pleasant and friendly, service was prompt, and I learned a good deal about Turkey from the documentary playing throughout the meal, but the food just wasn't thrilling. Perhaps our expectations were unrealistically elevated after reading all the positive reviews, but it just didn't do it for us. Overall we found the food to be rather bland. It's too bad, too ... I really wanted to have a new favorite local spot.
The staff was very nice, though. I applaud them for that. -
Review from Jacqueline C.
Oakland, CA
3.5 stars
I would stay 3 stars for what I had and 4 stars for what my husband had, but since I had to eat what I ordered, 3 stars it is!
Stumbled in here for lunch after working up an appetite from taking 45 minutes to find parking for Broadway Plaza Christmas shopping . First let me say that I am no expert in Turkish cuisine. My husband is far more familiar.
The ambiance was trendy and the service was friendly.
I ordered a kebab wrap -- I believe the kofte or lamb kebab. It was alright, but it wasn't particularly noteworthy or different than the wraps I've gotten at Middle Eastern delis. My husband, on the other hand, ordered the Bursa Iskender (listed under "House Specialties" on the menu), which was so good, a mix of ground lamb and beef, with tomato sauce and yogurt, over toasted bread. I really wish I had ordered that one. Maybe next time . . . -
Review from Christopher W.
Danville, CA
1/2/2012
Pleasantly surprised by Bosphorus! Organized a holiday dinner here with some friends after having walked by the location a couple times while in Downtown Walnut Creek. Came on the Friday before New Year's Eve--it was packed! The whole lower level was full of people. Our group of 7 was fortunately seated in the small upstairs dining area. More quiet and allowed us to chat without it being too loud.
Service was great and food was delicious! We started off with one hot plate and one cold plate appetizers. The waitress did a pretty good job of explaining everything on them, although she did pause when she got to the egg-roll-like feta cheese appetizer lol. We were all joking that she wanted to say "the egg-roll is...", but stopped herself when she realized she was waiting on a table of Asians. Laughs aside, she was attentive and efficient.
I particularly enjoyed the bread that came with the appetizer platters. I ordered the Adana entree, ground beef/lamb formed into a meat log lol. Everything was tasty, but watch out for the spicy pepper they lay down on some of the dishes. It made me sweat! The portion sizes in general are all generous and have just the right amount of spices.
Definitely plan to be back. -
Review from Glenn M.
Walnut Creek, CA
2/19/2012
This review is based solely on the service -- we never got a chance to sample the food. The place was packed, so we agreed to be seated at the bar for dinner. After ten minutes of being studiously ignored by the entire wait staff as well as the proprietor (not even a perfunctory "We'll be right with you"), we walked out. The proprietor followed us out onto the sidewalk and demanded to know what the problem was. We told him we didn't enjoy being ignored, and his response (honestly) was that he was was glad we had left, and we were not allowed back! All I could do was laugh. Based on the other reviews, it seems that their food is decent, if the rude and/or apathetic waitstaff does not affect your dining experience. Good luck!
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Review from Andrew K.
3/18/2012
Thought this place was really cute and cozy, and yummy! LOVED the moussaka (the potoatoes in it rocked), the red lentil soup, the CREAMY hummus, and even the hot tea. The skewer was a "3" - only reason not a 5. Just a little dry. But, other than that, all rocked.
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Review from Corey B.
Danville, CA
11/21/2011
Went there for lunch today with my boss and a coworker and we are so glad. I'd say we walked by a couple months ago and thought there's a new place, we need to try it out. The owners are super friendly and gave us excellent service. We started off with some appetizers; cold and hot. The hummus, ezme, tabouleh etc. so fresh and tested amazing. Hot was also a winner with kofte, falafel and borek. I ordered the lamb kebob, which was outstanding. It came with a salad and instead of rice, it's a wheat grain that tasted amazing but the texture was different, but in a good way! Their delivery and presentation is great.
We had Turkish coffee, made the authentic way topped off with baklava and kadayif (a shredded filo dough type square).
I am going to return many more times! They did an excellent job decorating and remodeling the place. It's elegant and would be a great place to bring a date! -
Review from Justin L.
2/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
If you're looking for more upscale Middle Eastern cuisine in the WC, this is definitely a good option. Everything we tried was well-prepared. Service was friendly. Atmosphere was chill. Only gripe is that cocktails were 12 bucks a pop. Besides racking up pretty quickly on the bill, the drinks are good but definitely not $12/drink good.
Listed in: East Bay Express
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Review from Jennifer C.
San Francisco, CA
12/30/2011 1 photo
THE BREAD! Fresh, warm, pretty certain it's made in-house - just amazing. Just say "yes" and keep it coming.
I ordered the adana, and it was just a great meal. Filling without being too heavy, and the rice and roasted pepper (?) were so good. The meat was good too, but I thoroughly enjoyed the other accompaniments more. -
Review from Farrah F.
12/28/2011
I'm going to start this off with a whole lot of disclaimers.
We came here for dinner and the food was absolutely amazing. We ordered the cold combo appetizer, the beef & lamb beyti, and the falafel side. I definitely realize that for a group of 5, what we ordered wasn't much (in our defense, we'd eaten a ginormous lunch only a couple hours before). However, I really don't think that gave our server license to be so rude to us.
He was really friendly and attentive in the beginning, but I guess when he realized that we weren't going to be ordering more, we started getting rather snippy looks, and when we asked for more bread (because the amount of bread that comes with the combo appetizer is very clearly not anywhere enough, unless you like to eat sauce with some bread, as opposed to bread with some sauce), he gave us a look of utter hatred. (For the record, we would gladly have paid for more bread.)
Overall, the food was great, although pricey, and the ambience is definitely nice (as someone else said, it'd be a nice place for a date). I wish I could say the same for the service? He was nice at first, but the rudeness and hairy eyeballs throughout our dinner made it pretty awkward and uncomfortable. We left a pretty fat tip because we felt guilty for not ordering much food, but...feeling less terrible about it now due to the abrupt shift in quality of service. -
Review from Elizabeth L.
New York, NY
1/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
A big welcome to this new Turkish restaurant on Locust St. After seeing all the positive reviews for this place, I decided to take my family here for lunch. A solid, solid choice. I ordered the lamb shish kebab wrap: the lavash was crispy yet soft, the lamb tender and flavorful, and the salad's dressing and flavors not overly heavy but instead wonderfully complementary to the sandwich. My mother ordered the mussaka, which is a similar version of the Greek moussaka. Bosphorus prepares it with ground beef, eggplant, and potatoes. A rich and heavier dish that comes with a side of bulgur pilaf and salad. My mom, who is hard to please, really enjoyed it. The rice especially was popular - I'm not usually a fan of pilaf, but Bosphorus's is very well cooked, with subtle hints of spice and I think I imagined coconut.
Not too busy for a Saturday lunch - we were seated immediately. Service was warm if a tad slow. Nice music in the background, and paintings of Istanbul. -
Review from A F.
Oakland, CA
2/10/2012
BEST Baklava I have ever had. Coming from a person of Greek heritage who has eaten this all her life this is a high compliment!
We were waited on by one of the owner's of the restaurant and he treated us as if we were guests in his home, bringing us tastings of wine to help with our choice and explaining each dish to us. So gracious and genuine.
This place is the real deal. Authentic Turkish cuisine (the menu is not a mish-mash of many middle eastern countries), and absolutely delicious food.
I -
Review from Paul M.
Walnut Creek, CA
3/14/2012
Terrific place.
Remarkably interesting dinner menu.
Large (a little too large?) portions.
Good wine and beer options.
Attentive service.
Good prices. -
Review from Majid K.
Walnut Creek, CA
11/28/2011
The food is amazing! And having grown up with Middle Eastern food, I was more than impressed and would give the restaurant's ambiance & the food 5 stars.
I deducted a star because our waitress was a bit neglectful. She might have been overworked... who knows...
I will definitely come back and would change my rating to 5 stars if I get better service. -
Review from claytonian c.
Concord, CA
1/4/2012
Not bad. I want to inspire them to do better:
The Good:
- The food is decent and not overly priced.
- The chicken dishes stood out (kebab, wraps, etc.).
- Friendly people running the place
- Good location that's not super crowded and you can find parking
The Not-so-Good
- Food could be served hotter. It came out a little lukewarm. Folks, cook the food up hot hot hot on the plate, we like it that way.
- There is a bit of a dirty dishwater smell in there. Maybe just temporary. Maybe it is some of the herbs they use, dunno.
- Please, take the tags off the christmas decorations.
Will probably try it again, but there is lots of competition (Babaloos for example) that is better. -
Review from Dr. M.
Livermore, CA
4/30/2012
Excellent (and hard to find!) kibbeh and kunafe with cheese. Overall, a fine selection of nicely presented Turkish food at a convenient East Bay location with good lunch-through-dinner opening hours.
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Review from J.Hettinger I.
Danville, CA
2/8/2012
Stephanie ate at Bosphorus and absolutely loved the food and atmosphere! The Turkish cuisine was authentic and flavorful. She highly recommends the cold appetizer and lamb kebob with rice pilaf, AMAZING! Steph can't wait to go back and try more dishes off their large menu & all of us are eager to try it as well!
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Review from Sylvan B.
Walnut Creek, CA
9/16/2011
Ever since Ephessus closed, or became a pick-up place techno-bar catering to the plastic surgery and botox crowd -- or whatever the hell happened to it -- I've missed having a Turkish restaurant in the Creek. If you're like me, you have, too. People, I'm happy to tell you, our wait has ended!
Bosphorus is a lovely restaurant in a space that was formerly occupied by a Vietnamese restaurant that will be missed. My husband and I had a great meal here the night our friends were hosting a friends and family grand opening for their new place, ØL Beercafe & Bottle Shop (go check it out, I can't review it for obvious reasons).
Here's what we had:
Bosphorus Salad
Babagonush
Lamb Kavurma
The salad and Babagonush were very good. The Lamb Kavurma...O-M-G!!! Honestly, it will be hard for me to try anything else on the menu because every time I go I will want that. It's that good.
Service was very good -- friendly, good timing. Prices were reasonable -- especially considering what I know about commercial rent in downtown Walnut Creek. Bosphorus will be part of our regular rotation. -
Review from Han C.
Dublin, CA
2/22/2012
Had a great visit. Food was excellent with very large portions, and both my wife and I felt that it was a great value. I'm a sucker for lamb, and the lamb osso bucco totally hit the spot. My wife ordered a chicken dish, which was great as well. A side benefit is that they feature Turkish wines (in addition to the usual suspects you see in Walnut Creek); we are always wanting to try new wines and varietals, so that was fun in and of itself.
Service was a little slow at first, but we were also there at 7pm on a Friday, and it was obvious the restaurant was slammed. The servers were very apologetic about the wait, which is really all I ask for. Once things lightened up, the servers were incredibly attentive.
We will definitely be back.
Disclaimer: I know a family member of one of the owners, but this review is unsolicited, and I received nothing in exchange (other than a call ahead to add me to the reservation list) -
Review from Jesper B.
Walnut Creek, CA
3/1/2012
Very nice surprise. We had passed it several times but for some reason never mad it there, I'm glad we did.
Both food and service was good. Will definitely go back in the very near future. -
Review from monica r.
Danville, CA
Great ambience, love the decor it would be a Nice place for a date...
The food:
Appetizer: hot combo was delicious everything on the plate we all loved.
We also ordered the chicken beyti and the kabob combo plate, all was also great.
And for dessert we had the walnut dessert, and cheese, which I forgot the names of, but they were soooooooooooooooo amazing I wanted to order seconds.
The service:
Also great the waiter was actually turkish, and he was very friendly, helpful, and patient with o ur decisions on what to order...
We will definitely be back. :) -
Review from Steven O.
Walnut Creek, CA
4/18/2012
We ate lunch here yesterday. They had a "Walnut Creek Restaurant Week" special menu. Since we are vegetarian, both of us ordered accordingly. I had the Turkish salad, the falafel wrap, and baklava. The salad was merely satisfactory and was served with one very small bread roll, shared between the two of us. The falafel sandwich was one of the best I have eaten in a long time, very moist and flavorful. It was served with a very boring yogurt sauce but a terrific tasting hot sauce. For dessert, the baklava was miniscule, but extraordinarily yummy. George, our server was very attentive and friendly, but the kitchen service was very slow in bringing up our order. The atmosphere is relaxing and tasteful, and the owner was pleasant. I would go back to give the regular menu a try and see if kitchen service can be faster.
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Review from Seyda K.
Pleasanton, CA
10/24/2011
Absolutely fabulous & authentic Turkish food at reasonable prices for the wonderful ambience that is like stepping into Istanbul. Beautiful decor & elegant feel with full bar, as well!! All the dishes are freshly prepared daily by the caring owners who have given great attention to all the details...The dolma, kizartma, lamb kebab ( like butter!!) & Adana kebab were all fantastic - just like you would eat at the home of a wonderful Turkish cook - or in a fine restaurant in Turkey. Make this your next meal out in downtown Walnut Creek - it is a really terrific addition to the dining out scene there!! Note: you can also book the lovely upstairs dining room for private events, celebrations, etc. Nicely accommodates up to approx 30 people - very private & nicely decorated as well.
Seyda K. -
Review from Buffy T.
Oakland, CA
1/31/2012
Ate dinner here before theater down the street. The cold appetizer combo plate was excellent, as was the bottle of Turkish red wine. However, the kebabs and beyti we had were average, and the manti was/were tough and chewy (and made with DRIED mint flakes on top - ick! it was like eating dust in yogurt). Sorry, but this place doesn't even come close to rocking my world like A La Turca in SF or even Zatis on Piedmont Ave. Go to Zatis for killer manti and better ambience.
