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Cafe Izmir
Categories: Restaurants Middle Eastern Restaurants Tapas Bars Restaurants Mediterranean Middle Eastern, Tapas Bars, Mediterranean [Edit]
3711 Greenville AveDallas, TX 75206
Neighborhood: Lower Greenville
(214) 826-7788
- Hours:
Mon, Sun 5:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Tue, Fri-Sat 5:30 pm - 11:30 pm
Wed-Thu 5:30 pm - 10:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Valet
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
110 reviews for Cafe Izmir
Review Highlights
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"Sangria and Turkish Coffee were both really good." In 14 reviews -
"...HUMMUS in town and their russian chicken salad is insane." In 5 reviews -
"Hummus, Babaganoush, Falafel, Saffron Rice, Lamb Roll." In 13 reviews
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110 reviews in English
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Review from Valerie G.
Dallas, TX
4/18/2012
A friend and I decided to go to Cafe Izmir since I had bought a Groupon for the restaurant. When we sat down, I mentioned that I had the Groupon but they told me it wasn't valid on Tuesdays since it's Tapas Night. (I'm pretty sure this wasn't mentioned in the ad.) Maybe I'll call next time before I try to use it.
But we were there and excited about trying the food so no big deal. We tried the hummus, babaganoush, chicken kabob, cabbage roll, falafel and grilled veggies. Everything was fantastic except the cabbage roll. It was pretty disappointing - there wasn't much taste to it all. I'd definitely recommend the babaganoush!!
Otherwise, we were very pleased with everything we ate. The tapas are good sized portions - much bigger than what I would consider tapas size. I'd definitely go again! -
Review from Stephen W.
Dallas, TX
4/7/2012
We have been here before so we were familiar with the food--tapas. Last night was exceptional though because of the service. It was just excellent. We ordered all of our favorites--hummus, babaganoush, beef kabob, chicken kabob, falafel, portabella mushroom, and pomegranate shrimp. Everything was excellent perfectly prepared. I would not change a thing. The pomegranate shrimp stole the day, wow, it is phenomenal.
What impressed me was our waiter, Sammy. When the wife ordered a glass of wine that she was not familiar with, he brought her a taste without her even asking. Nice touch. I wanted to order their Turkish (?) beer, Shock Top, but they were out. About half way through our meal and half way done with my Stella, Sammy said the Shock Top had arrived and he would swap out my Stella for the Shock Top, no charge. That was a very nice touch! Overall, the entire wait staff was friendly and really made us feel as if our business was appreciated. Great food, great service, what more can you want? We will definitely return. -
Review from Aaron N.
Dallas, TX
3/28/2012
We tried about $60 worth of Tapas plates (that's quite a few - that we ordered sorta piece-meal) They have this shrimp done in a pomegranate/wine/garlic....glaze?... which was awesome - I'm totally stealing that recipe... the roasted cerranos were good,... the saffron rice was good,... the veggie dolmades were alright (I'm not really a fan of the non-meat variety but my friend is),... The Fruit n Cheese tray - well, presentation is about the only thing they coulda screwed up and you shouldn't be working in a kitchen if you can't roast garlic (so we know the cooks there know how)... and aaahhh c'mon the pricing ain't all that bad.... well ..... I say that.... Tabouli - BLAND, Cabbage Roll - BLAND, The Pita - DID suck, The 'Persian Kabob' was really some sorta Kaftah - BLAND, Roasted Tomato Side - BLAND, I've HAD good Middle Eastern, I've HAD good greek, this ain't it.... BLAND, BLAND, BLAND... like it's made fer white europeans who're afraid of spicy things...I'm beginning to think I'm just gonna have to cook this stuff myself at home when I get a hankering.... That's just the food...
@ 6:30pm Monday the restuarant was 1/3 full and they were understaffed I guess... took forever to get seated, I got our menus, not our waiter,... sorta felt like they only had food-runners and busboys.... Okay - Yeah I'm a waiter and I know how it feels to BE a good waiter and have your service suffer because you're not only doing your job but the manager's job, the busser's job, the cooks' job and some of the other waiters' jobs with no reciprocation.... Then have yer customer treat you like you gave them lousy service intentionally or review you as a "ding-bat" :-) So while I'm willing to give this guy the benefit of the doubt because he Wasn't just standing around twiddling his thumbs BUT he wasn't there often enough and he when he was there he wasn't 'available' for questions. The management's staffing issues should never become the customers' service issues...
One other thing: 5 DOLLAR PARKING FOR A PAYING CUSTOMER?!!!!!! WTH?!!! If my friend hadn't been dead-set on going there after I suggested it then that alone would've been enough to send us to another restaurant.
I Noticed Most of Their Specials were Alcohol,.... maybe that's their main draw,... which makes sense, drunkards don't generally taste very well and as long as you keep the drinks comin they generally happy..... :-) -
Review from Sarah Z.
Dallas, TX
Updated - 5/26/2012
We've been here several times and I always love it. I can't get enough of their warm pita bread with awesome house-made hummus.
I also love the turkish salad and last night we just tried the grilled shrimp which we loved!
Also the live music is wonderful. It's a great neighborhood spot!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/7/2011
I've eaten here twice and it's very good. Love their hummus with fresh, warm pita bread, I could eat… Read more »
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Review from Scott L.
1/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
**Warning - overlong, clunky review with Russian doll disphoria**
"Scoutmob" had a 50% off coupon on their phone application, where all I had to do was show the waiter, and he applied the discount. I mentioned it right away and he said, no problem, gave me menus, and asked if I had been before. No I hadn't. Is it in bad taste to use a phone application discount on a date?, I thought.
Everything was good = fresh and tasty. The waiter had a bit of that car salesman shtick, up selling us on the family dinner, which was $25 per person, which probably would have been a good deal, but we just weren't that hungry honestly.
Throughout the meal he also, excitedly, tried selling us the lambchops, the hummus,
dessert and coffee. Another waiter even up sold us on the pistroikas, which I thought were like lame mini burritos.
The grilled portabella mushroom was tasty, but $5.95 for one mushroom cap seemed a little absurd, and $5.95 for 3 ounces of chicken, the chicken kabob, also seemed a but ludicrous. Thank God I was paying half off I thought, and it's a good thing we weren't actually that hungry. But my date and I talked alot about Europe so the meal conjured up this kind of atmosphere for the better, and we had a romantic spot in a corner booth.
The bill was $40 which didn't seem very half off, until I figured out he added the gratuity without mentioning it. That seemed sneaky to me and actually made me mad.
So the two wines were $18 and the meal was $10, half off, and then the added gratuity was $9, which was calculated on the pre-discounted total.
This kind of crashed my buzz and was in bad taste to deal with on a date, but I didn't care about the etiquette.
It was a nice casual atmosphere with a clean simple European bistro tapas menu, but with also a brand of churlish service that made me feel like a "cash machine", a quote I'm stealing from a German friends experience in Thailand.
And $5 for valet parking on a Wednesday in Dallas is lame.
The warm eggplant dip was disappointingly not warm, as the menu stated.
I had to go get extra drinks after this to get my buzz back, so that cancelled out the Scoutmob discount.
No thank you this time Izmir.
Sometimes an experience is like a fractal of concentric Russian dolls, and the uneasiness of my still in the closet date was echoed in this awkward restaurant experience. But the calculations did add up.
I guess I'm still drunk.
Is serving ice cream with baklava traditional or even right? Either way those were some of the biggest and juiciest blueberries I ever saw. And no that's not a metaphor for anything else,.... I wish.
And $5 for valet parking on a Wednesday in Dallas is lame.
The warm eggplant dip was disappointingly not warm, as the menu stated.
I had to go get extra drinks after this to get my buzz back, so that cancelled out the Scoutmob discount.
No thank you this time Izmir.
Sometimes an experience is like a fractal of concentric Russian dolls, and the uneasiness of my still in the closet date was echoed in this awkward restaurant experience. But the calculations did add up.
I guess I'm still drunk.
Is serving ice cream with baklava traditional or even right? Either way those were some of the biggest and juiciest blueberries I ever saw. And no that's not a metaphor for anything else,.... I wish. -
Review from Teresa L.
1/29/2012 ROTD 3/25/2012
The hours at Cafe Izmir are whack. Please call ahead and ask them if they're open and WHEN THEY CLOSE, as the closing time is basically whenever they feel like it.
So third time's a charm, at least on my end! The place is small, the decor accented with cute white Christmas lights, and they really utilize every inch of space! We were sitting in what was the start of the parking lot, but our entire areas was encased in one of those plastic tent-things (more fancy than what I'm describing) that retain heat very well. Be warned: bring your hearing aids, your megaphone, your extra large ears; it gets loud, especially on Saturdays, when they have live-music.
Service was very warm and friendly, and the wait, even on a Saturday night was about 10 minutes for our party of 2.
From our little checklist of tapas, we started out with an order of hummus, and boy I do not want to know what makes it so creamy...nope, don't tell me. Ordered the lamb roll, pirokshi (think Chinese egg roll but bursting with spices!). For me, my ghrelin (look it up) was rolling but those two reasonably sized tapas filled me up. Definitely very satisfying, and I can't wait to come back with a DD! -
Review from Lauren H.
Richardson, TX
2/18/2012
Good drink specials; we got $10 off a pitcher of Sangria and that was bomb.
The good: piroshki, portobellos, baba ganouj, sangria
The bad: dolmas (4 for $5?)
The ugly: paying extra for small hard pieces of pita, dry under seasoned falafel, the prices for tiny portions.
I'll stay with Afrah in Richardson for my Mediterranean fix-you certainly don't have to valet there on a Thursday. -
Review from Ai Vy N.
Arlington, TX
2/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
The service was top notch, well, until we switched to a different table and the waiter forgot about us at the end(maybe cuz we were not in his "zone" anymore) so we ended up waiting about 15mins for our check, but i'm not taking any star off for that cuz he was.....cute :D
It was a lil different compares to other Mediterranean restaurants that I have been to. The orders were smaller and cheaper if you choose the Tapas, (i think that's wat it's called)they'll bring your dishes out in small plates and you can either eat them all by yourself or share with friends. The other option you have is family style. It's about $42. You get 1 big plate with samples of most stuff on the menu (not all). Me and my sister with no doubt would be able to finish that plate. But I ended up going with the Tapas option cuz i like to have the freedom of choosing wat i want and sample them that way instead of being overwhelm by all the food.
We ordered the chicken kabob, beef kabob, grilled shrimp, cabbage roll, rice, and of course hummus.And no, that wasnt everything on the menu if that's wat you guys r thinking!!!!!!
Ya'll probably heard enough about the hummus. But here it goes again. Get it! it's awesome! you wont regret it!
Chicken kabob and the grilled shrimp were so delicious. We ended up ordering another chicken kabob.
The beef kabob and cabbage roll were meh. Definitely not my favorite.
The rice was nothing special.
The atmosphere was nice until it got so packed.
Overall, i was pleased with my visit and will definitely come back there again. Cute waiter!!!! Don't forget about us again next timeeeeee!!!!!! -
Review from Catherine C.
Dallas, TX
2/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
This Mediterranean tapas institution on lower Greenville is perfect for groups or dates who enjoy sampling a variety of flavorful bites and don't mind sharing. Although they offer a "date night" hummus (sans garlic), the superb garlic version (as good as any I've tasted outside Israel) is too great for me to consider otherwise. The excellent eegra (spicy eggplant dip) has a kicky warm finish without setting your lips on fire. Vegetarian dolmas are also tasty. Service is incredible and the family-friendly service prompted me to order dessert -- homemade baklava -- which I could've just as easily skipped, especially given the nontraditional presentation with a scoop of ice cream on top. My only complaint is that even on a Monday when the patio and parking lot are deserted, it's $5 valet only.
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Review from Allison L.
Dallas, TX
10/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
Uhhhmm what is this place? How come I've never eaten here? And how come I want to live in their hummus?
This is almost perfection if there ever was such a thing. It's basically a middle eastern tapas restaurant OR you can get the date night that comes with more food than you can stuff into your body. On Friday, it just so happened that the date night option for $46 came with a bottle of wine for $50. No, not an additional $50 a total of $50, which means....said bottle was $4. FOUR! So obvy we got that.
Appetizer course was hummus, pita, Russian chicken salad AND tabbouleh. This hummus, was like butter. The pita, hot and fresh and the chicken salad I could eat everyday. The tabbouleh was OK, I'm not a huge fan of parsley, but MP loved it.
Main course: Roasted....asparagus, tomatoes, bell peppers, mushrooms, sweet potatoes and onions. Beef schwarma, chicken, a wrap of some kind (two of each of these meats) and I actually think there was more on that platter. This also comes with huge plate of rice and tzaziki sauce (cucumer salad). We didn't finish it *gasp*!
They also have the date night options for vegetarians! You don't eat meat...no problem! They sub the russian chicken salad for falafel, and the main course more veggies and yumminess!!
The only thing that really grinded my gears, was they were so quick to pick up any plate or bowl that even resembled a finished plate. Anyone who knows MP, knows he likes to almost lick his plate. I almost growled at the guy who tried to take the hummus plate when there was still plenty to scoop up with a piece of pita.
Servers are SO friendly, the service is outstanding (except for the quick picker uppers). I think prices are great and they are always running some sort of special!
Overall, we have found our new obsession.Listed in: Get your Veggie on, Ethnic Favs, Overeaters Annonymous, I'm a man. Man.
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Review from Skye M.
Dallas, TX
11/7/2011
Excellent sangria, hummus, lamb rolls, beef kebabs, Russian chicken salad, Turkish coffee, baklava, and other consistently good offerings.
Generous daily specials... particularly Tuesday night (customer appreciation night) and Sunday ($3 sangria). One of the only places in Dallas to offer reasonably priced tapas dining.
Live flamenco guitar and local art which is rotated out regularly. Good mix of music on DJ nights for eating and socializing.
Nice diverse crowd of different ages and persuasions. Not too young, too old, too douchey, or too pretentious. Good people watching on the enclosed porch. The twinkly lights are a fun ethereal touch.
If you are a valet-hater, I recommend parking nearby and walking to the restaurant.
A good chunk of Izmir's charm comes from the friendly vibe of the owners and family who work the business day after day. I want to adopt everyone and move in immediately. Feels like my second home. Izmir is doing it right. -
Review from Melissa R.
Dallas, TX
Updated - 1/22/2012
Have been there twice now ( I just relocated to Dallas and am trying to not go frequent the same places since there are soooo many options) and every time I go I love this place even more!! It was quite a wait for a Friday night around 8ish. Live guitar music and the place was PACKED! They have a date night special which includes a TON of food and a bottle of wine/pitcher of sangria for $50 and it is well worth it! Everything on the menu is good, well seasoned. I am not a fan of baba ganoush ( egg plant dish ) but I even like it at this place. I LOVE Persian food and this place does a GREAT job at capturing its authentic flavors. Cannot wait to go back!! The staff is AMAZING and sooo friendly, they make you feel like you just walked into you're grandma's house and she is ready to feed the glutton in you!
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Review from Tori T.
7/26/2011
Cafe Izmir is the perfect place for a Girl's Night- think small plates that can be shared (or not shared) around the table and delicious pitchers of Sangria! But the setting is romantic with dim lighting and deep red hues which makes it ideal for a date night with my handsome boyfriend, as well. And obviously, $2 tapas on Tuesdays is a home-run with the girls or the guys! Now, don't be mislead- not everything is $2 on Tuesdays but I believe every menu item is marked down a few bucks.
I love the small plates because it allows you to get a taste of many things which is a real treat for a fatty like me! My favorite thing is the uber-garlicky hummus. It's the best I've ever had. But don't fret, they also have a version without garlic- "Date Night Hummus". And that pita bread, oh my! So hot and fluffy!
Other faves include eegra (pick some up to go from their deli down the block- it is absolutely delish in spaghetti!) Saffron rice, baked sweet potatoes, Greek Salad, Piroshki, and Lamb Roll are all fantastic. In fact, I haven't had anything bad here.
On top of the yummy food, the service is fantastic. My usual pet peeve, valet parking, is in full force here so be prepared to come with some cash on ya unless you want to park in the neighborhoods and walk about 5 blocks! The prices are good for what you get, especially on that $2 tapas night! -
Review from Arika S.
10/23/2011
For me this place was just ok....with all of the options in Dallas, I am not sure that I'd go back here. We tried an assortment of small places.
Sangria and Turkish Coffee were both really good!
Things to try:
Hummus, Babaganoush, Falafel, Saffron Rice, Lamb Roll!!, Coconut shrimp, piroshki, eegra
Skip dessert..you will be glad you did... -
Review from Kyle A.
7/15/2011
Winner of the Golden Cockroach Award!
We went here years ago for Valentines Day, and while the food was pretty good, the service and cleanliness were atrocious.
We had reservations for 8:30, but were not seated until closer to 9:30. This in itself was was somewhat understandable, being Valentines Day, after all. However, the host's curt attitude, lack of apology, and the vibe that we were somehow inconveniencing him did rub us the wrong way. Also, while we can't prove it, we are deeply suspicious that several people without reservations were allowed to be seated before us.
When we were finally seated, we were placed in a small, cramped table at the bar. There was a pre fixe menu that evening that included hummus and grilled lamb chops, both of which were pretty good. All this time the waiter was barely present. We had already polished off one bottle of Champagne, so when we finally got his attention, we ordered another. Around the time the second bottle was opened, we saw it: a massive cockroach scurried up the wall!
Unfortunately by this point we had eaten our meal. We quickly paid our bill- no insect surcharge included. We haven't been back since. -
Review from Renee L.
Dallas, TX
7/10/2011
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this place!
I can't believe it has taken me so long to write a review. I moved to Dallas in 97' and have been eating here ever since (they opened in 96').
Last night my best friend and her husband were in town and I took them here. Before we arrived my friends' husband was skeptical asking me exactly what type of food it was because he didn't like hummus. I told him to trust me....at the end of the meal, he said Cafe Izmir was now in his Top 10 restaurant list! And, even if he doesn't like hummus....he liked this one!
Everything is sooo good. This is a family owned and run restaurant. I don't think I've ever been there when one of the brothers or the mother isn't there. They are so warm and welcoming and if they see you once they make you feel like you're part of their family.
You can tell the food is made from the heart and with love. Yes, it's true....the Hummus is THE BEST in Dallas, and its probably the best in the world! If you're going to a party, stop at their market a block down and pick some up with their pita bread and you'll be the hit of the party!
Last night we did the family-style meal. You can order either meat and/or veggie and you'll be set. Be sure to save room for the main course because once they start bringing out the starters...you won't want to stop eating all of the yummy goodness...just remember to pace yourself!
One Tuesday nights they do a tapas special and $14 bottles of wine or $15 pitchers of Sangria. It gets really busy so be sure to make a reservation.
In my opinion, Cafe Izmir is one of the best restaurants in Dallas (and I don't even have 10 on my list)! You won't go wrong eating here and like in my case, your friends will most likely add it to their Top 10 restaurants too!
It is best to make a reservation no matter what night you go. It's a small place and you'll want to be sure you get in!
Bon Appetit! -
Review from Stacey T.
6/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
We arrived on Saturday night around 8 and it was a full house. May be best to call ahead for reservations. Nonetheless, we were greeted promptly and invited to sit at the bar while waiting for our table. Although the wait was longer than we were quoted, we happily sipped Sangria while listening to some Spanish guitar.
The atmosphere/ambience is the winning part for me. Low lights, romantic music, yet unpretentious or formal. Moderately loud but still like an escape to another place and time. The food is good too, especially the lamb roll and baba ganoush. Everything is very reasonably priced as well.
Can't wait to go back. We did tapas but the family-style dinner sounds good too. Parking was a disaster so we went to a side street to get it done free :) Manager and staff very nice, inviting people. -
Review from Nadeem A.
5/18/2011
As part of our farewell to Dallas tour, we ate at as many bookmarked food stops as we could possibly stomach. So, we went to Cafe Izamir on a Tuesday night for the happy hour, and we ordered a boat load of food:
- Ziziki
- Hummus
- Pita
- Saffron Rice
- Falafel
- Beef kabob
- Chicken kabob
- Beef tenderloin
- Lamb roll
- Sweet Potatoes
- Creme Brulee
Everything was delicious, but the best was the beef kabob, chicken kabob, and beef tenderloin. We made a reservation for 7:30, arrived at 7:15, and were seated within 5 minutes. The place was super busy and the owner even remembered us from the Yelp Elite Event next door that was almost a year earlier!Listed in: Dallas Must Eats
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Review from Kevin S.
7/12/2011
Greetings again fellow foodie fans. I'm writing this particular review for one Shristi (hope I spelled it right), bartender at Izmir. No doubt the regulars know her or are getting to. I've been to Izmir several times and the service is typically pretty good, but on this Tuesday... yes Tuesday it was outstanding.
I wish there were halves... this would be a 4.5 review 5 for Shristi and a solid 4 for food. No offense Izmir, it is devine, delicious and excellently prepared. But I will always have a place in my heart for Cafe Ba Ba Reeba in Chicago/Lincoln Park. Different as they are Spanish and these are more Turk/Crete; but I digress.
Back to Shristi. Me and my buddy get there at 5:00 because on Tuesday this place is a nuthouse. $2 tapas and $14 pitchers of Sangria will do that ;). Being the relatively seasoned tapas eaters that we are; hummus and tabouleh right off the bat and a pitcher of Sangria to start things off. Right away, Shristi smiles and knows we're down for the goodness. Our sangria is right out and shortly behind it our appetizers. She kept a careful eye w/o being intrusive spotting like a hawk the right time for more pita; suggested delicious items on the menu and even repoured our glasses from the pitcher when she came by. Incredibly ebullient personality, knowledge and love of the food. I will *always* ask for her when I get back and I won't be surprised if she knows my name (I'm not going to count on it though ;) ).
Food... excellent as always! We had the dolmeh, flavorful, right tooth in the rice with a nice lime/lemon finish. Beef kebob was cooked perfectly and the sumac did it right (suggestion from Shristi). Its the brown stuff on the table for those that didn't know. We also got falafal. Ok... word to the wise here, get this earlier on... oh my lord... it was incredibly tasty but it was like it expanded in my stomach and sopped up all the sangria... woofda! Lamb wrap was very good too.
Now, after a delicious Turkish meal... coffee is in order. We already knew we were going to want it and apparently so did Shristi as she just said "coffee?" with a knowing look.
Best cup of coffee I've had in as long as I can remember since I left Austin, Tx and lost my Texspresso access... perfectly sweetened, not too hot and straight out delicious. Delicious I tell you!!
So, coffee down, I'm thinking Grappa / Uzo or something like it. Shristi says "port". We say, why thank you I think we will!
Wish I could recall the name of it but it was excellent and closed out the meal just right. Can't wait to get back there again.
Ask for Shristi y'all (that's Christy with a SH - heh how she explained it).
Oh and value? Pitcher of sangria, 6 tapas, 2 coffees, two ports... 60 bucks! That's VALUE!
K- -
Review from Molly W.
Dallas, TX
8/4/2011
We went here because we had a Groupon. Pretty decent meal for 35 dollars but not sure if it was worth the 20 more it would have cost. We got the dinner for two, which was quite a bit of food and too much in the end. This is a set menu so you just get what it comes with. We got:
Hummus, taboule, good pita, and chicken salad that we really liked.
Cucumber salad that was very vinegary, but I like vinegar.
A platter of grilled veggies, a couple falafel, a couple very measly dolmas, and the three meats. The meats should have been chicken, lamb, and beef, but they were out of lamb so we got pomegranate shrimp instead. I love shrimp, but the sauce on them was so strong that I could barely eat them. The rest of the platter was good, but there were some weird things about it. The veggies didn't all seem evenly grilled, and there wasn't an equal amount that you could share of some things. For instance, there was a little corn on the cob, maybe 1/4 of a normal size...not really able to share that. The basmati rice that it came with was good. I liked this platter, but I could see some people who don't care for veggies as much as I do to think that there should have been more of a balance.
The dinner did not come with a dessert. It would have been nice if the entree portion was a tiny bit smaller to accomodate some sort of dessert, like baklava. I think that would have finished it off very nicely.
Overall, a nice meal, but it would have been too much money for the quality had we not had a Groupon. Warning, if you go there you have to pay $5 for valet. You can park right across the street for free. -
Review from Eric C.
Santa Monica, CA
1/27/2012
1st time there last night...very good food, nice small portions so you can order a lot of different things. This aint a pig out joint...this place is all about finesse and quality. Service is good for middle east standards. Very friendly...young women dominated crowd, some families. Nice little bar to park at if waiting for a table. IPOD selection of music was great, very Euro trash, lounge techno, just groovy. You'll pay $5 to valet. Great date place. Tables and booths available but specify when reserving.
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Review from Terry F.
Plano, TX
6/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
I hate calling out other reviewers, but Justin B is WAY OFF! My wife and I visited Cafe Izmir for the first time last night and had a wonderful time.
When we arrived we were greeted by a very courteous valet attendant. We had called ahead and only had to wait a moment to be seated. The owner was kind enough to offer us a wonderful booth.
The food was outstanding! We started with the Hummus, Cheese Plate and the Eegra. All three were wonderful, but the Eegra was out of this world. We also ordered the grilled asparagus, Piroshki and the beef kabob. After we devoured the Piroshki we ordered a second serving.
Do yourself a favor, give Izmir a try! We intend to make this place a staple for date night. -
Review from Molly P.
12/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Very good service, food and wine. Not too expensive either. I will go back!
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Review from Galina L.
Richardson, TX
11/13/2011
My favorite Mediterranean restaurant in Dallas for two reasons - atmosphere and hummus. What I love about the atmosphere is that is down to earth and sophisticated at the same time, great for a romantic date, anniversary or a get together with friend. Wait unfortunately can be long. Overall menu is delicious, food is well prepared and flavors are truly lovely. But the hummus is something else, so silky, smooth and yummy. When I cook my own Mediterranean food we run down to Cafe Izmir to just buy their hummus to serve with dinner. Cannot recommend enough, if it is your first time you are in for nice treat.
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Review from Nick G.
Dallas, TX
12/27/2011
Great Mediterranean food, decent price (downright cheap on Tuesdays, and great looking crown. One of the better places to go out on a date on Greenville, definitely recommend it.
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Review from Ben D.
Dallas, TX
10/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Excellent food and service. Start with the hummus and pita, but be sure to save room for the baklava and Turkish coffee.
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Review from Guillermo M.
Mid-Cambridge, MA
Updated - 10/2/2011
We came back and again the tapas didn't disappoint as well as the drinks, specially the turkish coffee. However, again the desserts were just ok. If they got better quality desserts this place would go to the next level.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/17/2011
Great food, drinks and ambience. Nice place to spend a Friday or Saturday night. Good guitar live… Read more »
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Review from Loren A.
Dallas, TX
1/2/2012
Love, Love, Love this place! A wonderful family owned and operated restaurant with absolutely delicious food and an atmosphere not to be found anywhere else in Dallas. A classy family without being pretentious, which some of you understand is rare in these southern parts. A family that treats you like their own....we should all be taking notes on what it means to be a gracious host!
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Review from Shanna L.
Huge fan of Cafe Izmir. Especially for night out with the chicas. I also come with my dude sometimes, but he is very much a steak and potatoes kind of guy and gets really annoyed with "small plates" and "fru fru food" so I try to leave him at home when I can.
Great specials, almost every night they have something - Tues and Thurs are my favs. Half price wine is always good, it really just means buy one get one free, right?? I love their house wine, the Toro, with the little souvenir bull - we always try to order one bottle of wine per person so no one gets left out!
Food and service are top notch, and the atmosphere is really cool with all the local art that rotates in and out. They do art shows pretty frequently, so sign up for their email list and you will get a note when they are planning to show off new art and have sips and bites.
Also, if you are really lucky, they will send you next door for a hookah and a round on the house at Kismet. It's a great marketing ploy, since who leaves after a free hookah and one drink? Usually end up staying for a couple hours and they get that money back pretty quickly! :)
My favs:
Hummus (duh, if anyone says it's not the best, slap them with a pita)
quail legs (not quail eggs, so be sure to enunciate!) - it comes with honey champagne couscous, the stuff dreams are made of
holy roasted sweet potato omg 7,7,7,7,7 seven!!!!! (friends reference)
beef skewers
grilled veggies
droool.Listed in: Greenville Avenue
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Review from Vi T.
Grapevine, TX
9/13/2011
I usually hate tapas places because I always feel like my wallet got raped when I leave, and my stomach never gets full. This place was definitely impressive. The customer service was amazing, and is a big part of the reason I will probably come back pretty soon. I have always heard really good things about this place. We went there for a bachelor/bachelorette party and they were extremely accommodating. There is a bit of a wait because the place is always busy, but it's worth it. You can just kill time by hanging out at the bar and drink their awesome sangria!
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Review from sara n.
4/16/2011
Cafe Izmir is a great date place. Wait, let me clarify that. It's a great FIRST date place, where you're too nervous to even taste anything but you want to be surrounded by cool atmosphere and have really obsequious waiters at your beck and call. Because that's the only thing we found that Cafe Izmir has over Ali Baba and Kostas Cafe.
It's a very cool LOOKING place. The booths are tall and comfy, the lighting is romantic. The service is nearly overly friendly, but they manage to straddle the line well. What's missing is the awesome food.
They will tell you that the hummus is the best in Texas. They are wrong. Or, I don't like their hummus as much as I like, well, pretty much any other hummus I've ever had. (Cafe Istabul in 1996 still holds that title. It was so bad and they were so rude that I have never--and will never--go back. But I digress.)
The rest of the food:
The cheese plate had a fair amount of cheese, but they were all kind of the Mediterranean cheeses you can find at Albertson's. The lamb chops were tasty but needed lemon (I fished the lemon out of my water; it helped) and were overcooked a little. The ziziki and rice had no flavor at all. The cabbage rolls were fine, but somehow bland and spicy at the same time. The piroshki was well-cooked, but again, heat and no salt. The sangria tasted like kool-aid but will kick your ass.
After the Groupon $20 discount, the meal cost what a muuuuch more satisfying meal at Kostas would have cost. (Before the Groupon, it was just ridiculously overpriced.) So we were thrilled that we didn't have to pay full price.
Wasn't the worst, but wasn't even close to the best. We won't be back. -
Review from Sheeva G.
11/21/2011
Lovely place with awesome food. The hummus was so amazing and the joojeh kabob was phenomenal. everything was very good! I came here for my bfs cousins rehearsal dinner and it was a fabulous night filled with a lot of great food and hookah and dancing :)
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Review from H T.
Carrollton, TX
6/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've always liked this place. They have great happy hour on Tuesday nights!!!
This time, we went there on a Saturday night on a date night after watching Billy Elliot the musical.
After 15 minutes of being seated, the power went out. We sat there for the remaining hour with hardly any lights. Just imagine sitting in a closed-up room without any air circulation.
My biggest complaints during our experience were:
1 - when the waiter brought out our food, the food rolled off the table. Without apologizing, he walked away.
2 - there was no compensation offered for our experience.
Other than our horrid experience with the power outage, the food tasted great! -
Review from Scott M.
Dallas, TX
12/4/2011
I like everything I've ever eaten at Cafe Izmir, with no exceptions, in the 13+ years I've visited here. From the piroshki, lamb rolls, and chicken kabob to the felafel, grilled veggies, portabella mushroom, and sweet potato. 99% of the time our group goes for the family style dinner which covers a lot of these bases, and is easy to manage with a mixed group of vegetarians and omnivores. The hummus is my favorite in the city. Some folks find it too be a little bit too creamy/thin to be at the top of their list, but everyone seems to agree on its great garlicky flavor. There's a "date night" hummus on the menu that ditches the garlic, but if you're on a date with somebody who'd begrudge you garlic breath from this hummus then it's not the garlic you should be ditching.
I've found the service to be warm and engaged, with only extremely rare cases of inattention. -
Review from Sameer M.
9/19/2011 8 Check-ins Here
Pretty good Persian food. Very good hummus. The ground beef kebobs are a little dry. The tender beef is very good. The best thing is delivery. Gotta love delivery!
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Review from Tj F.
1/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
We came here on a Tuesday nite because they had Tapa Specials and lo and behold we were in for a surprise because the establishment was super packed and we had like a 30 minute wait but the host was so accommodating that we didn't mind the wait. When we finally got to our table we took out our frustration on the menu by ordering several items off the tapas special menu.
First thing was the Pita Bread then followed by some Hummus which was very well made, We also ordered some Russian Potato Salad which wasn't as seasoned as i would like it but nonetheless not bad.
We also ordered some Zizicki sauce which went well with our Lamb Kebabs and Lamb rolls that we ordered all together. We ordered a Buttery Saffron Rice which we ate with the Lamb Kebabs and Lamb rolls which were very nice i must say.
My Favorite item of the nite was the Portabello Mushrooms, They were super good and chewy and a large size i must say.
We also ordered Asparagus and then an order of Grilled Shrimp in a Pomegranate Sauce. The Sauce was very unique and made the shrimp extra tasty. We also had Chicken Kabobs which by this time we were super full and just being greedy .
The trick to this place is getting there early on a tuesday since all the locals know about it and the food is very good or expect to wait in line or at least the bar where you can order a cocktail to pass time.
Valet is $5 since parking is almost virtually impossible on this part of Greenville. -
Review from Katherine C.
Dallas, TX
10/10/2010 1 Check-in Here
Cafe Izmir is now one of my favorite restaurants in Dallas. I went here twice in one week - don't judge, it's that good.
I first went here on a Wednesday night and my friend and I were seated on the covered patio. The dim lighting and Christmas lights strung around the patio make Cafe Izmir a good place for a date, no joke. It took awhile, maybe five or so minutes, for us to get menus, so our waiter gave us complimentary hummus and pita. Beware, the hummus is delicious but garlic-y. No worries though, because there's a whole bottle of mouthwash in the bathroom OR you can order the date night hummus (which is sans garlic). Sangria is $3/glass on Wednesday nights so you can bet we each had one.
We had a $40 Groupon so we were just ordering away, thinking we wouldn't mind having leftovers to take home. But holy crap, the food was so amazing we pretty much devoured everything. My friend raved about their portabello mushrooms so we got 2 orders, and that was a wise idea. I don't know what they marinate these babies in but it is heavenly. My next favorite item was the falafel - you can just taste how freshly made they are, and it's got a subtle kick of spice. Their sweet potatoes are baked to perfection. We weren't too crazy about the grilled quail or piroshki, but we were too busy enjoying everything else to mind. We definitely didn't have any leftovers to take home.
Besides the initial wait for menus, the service was excellent throughout the night. When we got the bill, our waiter said the register wouldn't ring up the sangrias as $3/glass, so he just bought them for us!
So in return I came here two nights later with the bf to get their "Date Night" menu for $50. It includes 3 appetizers (pita, hummus, and tabouleh), 1 salad (Russian Chicken, basically like potato salad), 3 vegetables, 3 meats, and either a bottle of wine or a pitcher of sangria. There are default items that come with the date night menu but you can pretty much switch out anything you want. We were beyond stuffed and had basically another meal to take home, and had about a glass left of our pitcher of sangria. Date Night is WELL worth your money.
There's live music a few nights a week, and there were different artists the 2 nights we were there - both excellent guitarists & singers. You can valet park your car, or just park on the neighborhood streets a block down (but beware the parking signs). Unfortunately they're only open for dinner but to compensate they have daily specials, This will definitely be one of our new go-to restaurants.Listed in: Greenville/Knox Hendersohn…
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Review from Spencer B.
Dallas, TX
4/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
COCONUT SHRIMP, the cheese plate, and eegra are amazing!! Hummus is good too, mainly with the eegra.
The waiter was FANTASTIC! He was very attentive, and said he would gladly take back anything. We let him do some of our ordering even though we have been there multiple times and he introduced us to some great dishes. -
Review from Kathryn D.
Dallas, TX
7/20/2009
When the Izmir Market & Deli clawed its way to the top of the restaurant list on Dallas Yelp last week, I decided to meet one of my friends there and try it out. As a result of my horrible navigation skills/inability to focus, I ended up at Cafe Izmir instead of actually making it down to the deli. In this instance, my mistake ended in a tasty meal and a fantastic dining experience.
Contributions to this delicious dinner made by the following:
Uno- our server (Danny?): I enjoy chatty, friendly people, and this dude exuded niceness, but wasn't overbearing. As I waited for my friend to arrive, he checked to see if I needed anything a few times but didn't persist. He explained the tapas vs. family style orders and was really accommodating when we asked for meat dolmas instead of veggie ones (which we didn't get charged extra for, props for that).
Dos- the hummus: yes, it is as good as everyone has raved. Super creamy texture + perfect amount of garlic = mouthful of chickpea lovin'. My only qualm is that it is a bit on the thin side, but this isn't really a huge gripe. Definite A+ for this ish
Tres- that's "three" in Spanish
Cuatro- lamb wraps: not gonna lie, these babies rocked my life. The meat was juicy but not sopping with grease, the tortillas were fresh and tasty and the pico/onion mixture made it way too delicious to handle. Lamb isn't something I eat on a regular basis, mostly because I have visions of Shari Lewis haunting my dreams, but I have no regrets about scarfing down my wrap like there was no tomorrow.
Cinco- pitcher of sangria: $15 on Thursday evenings. How could we not hit that up? Some of the better sangria I've had in Dallas, and split between two people, it just kept getting more and more delicious.
Seis- pita bread: so hot and so fresh, for $2, we had enough to last our entire meal. If I was a weaker person, I would've eaten the whole basket with the dish of hummus as my whole dinner. Fortunately, I possess a superhuman amount of self restraint, so we avoided that situation entirely :D
Ok, now for the average to not-so-good elements of the meal:
-The falafel was very dry and simultaneously greasy? Not sure how this happens, but the flavor was ok. I'd choose something else over this next time fo sho.
-Meat dolmas= disappointing. Something about them just tasted off, and the filling had the appearance of a weird sausage riddled with rice. HOWEVER...
-the veggie dolmas which we didn't actually order, were actually pretty good, normally I'm not a huge fan of the meatless ones (heh), but these had good flavor and texture
Finally, one of my biggest turn-offs: valet parking hell. The lot in front of the Cafe is minuscule and the entrance sneaks up on you when you're cruising down Greenville. Then, if you turn in the street right past the building, you can't enter the lot from that direction.
If you don't valet, prepare for a hike, the streets are mostly no parking from 4 pm to 6 am. However, if you're a dumbass like me, you'll misread the posted signs as 4 pm- 6pm, and you'll park two feet from the giant NO PARKING sign. Fortunately, I was a lucky dumbass and avoided getting towed to sketchville, three blocks past creeptastic lane.
For $2 tapas on Tuesdays, glasses of sangria and heavenly hummus, I think I can overcome my aversion to valet parking. It's a nice dinner destination even if you don't eat no meat: it's ok. they make lamb. -
Review from Leigh F.
3/30/2009
Hmm..I would like to do something fun after work....but it's Tuesday, what is there to do on Tuesday?? Office buddy chimes in...Cafe Izmir has $2 tapas on Tuesday, ya know....
Life is now...good.
I've taken part of the Tuesday night tapas deal many times, and so many factors add up to make the occasions so splendidly fantabulous.....this place has just got it right.
The host is SO nice....talks to you like he's known you forever. POINT. The atmosphere is movin' and a shakin', but yet, you still feel very cozy and intimate in your big booth or table and just enjoy the surroundings....full of local art for sale, or just for admiring. POINT. They have a special on red wine, $14 a bottle on this night...AND a sangria by the pitcher special. POINT. And the food? Well, hands down the best Hummus in Dallas..and I've had a lot of hummus. The pita bread is warm and SO soft...and plentiful. POINT POINT POINT. I suggest the kabob tapas,grilled asparagus, Jasmine rice...well, just try everything..it's only $2!!
Now you can never say you dont have anything fun to do on Tuesday. If that's not enough, afterwords head over to Ozonna's for their Tuesday Improv show, Section 8....if that's not enough.....move to Vegas ;)Listed in: Yummy in my Tummy
