Turquoise Grill "Where good food and hospitality greet you at your table" Homemade dough baked fresh daily from our brick oven Avg. Prices (excl. tax, tip, & drinks):  Breakfast 2.99-9.99  Lunch 7.99-9.99  Dinner 9.99-19.90   Brunch 9.99   Updt 10/12/2008 Hours: See Profile   3701 Kirby Dr Houston TX 77098 713.526.3800 Profile Description: Turquoise Grill offers fresh Turkish-Mediterranean appetizers ss, Tabbouleh, Eggplant Salad,Stuffed Grape leaves...) and entrees like Gyros(Doner and Alexander Kebabs ,Shish Kebabs(Lamb Shish kebab is very popular),Sultan Kebab,Lamb Chops, Vegetarian or Meat Stews from brick oven.Our Shepherd's bread is made with natural in house dough and contains no lard, milk, oil or eggs.)BRICK OVEN pizza's are the best in town.Dinner is Full-Linen service.We also offer sandwiches,burgers omelets,Daily   Add Review PROFILE   Website  Menu MY REVIEW: We really enjoyed the food and service at Turquoise. Cozy and reasonably priced for the quality and freshness. I went there based on a tip from a Turkish friend and glad I did. My date complimented the choice three times after dinner. NAME: Fadi SUBMITTED: 9/25/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 09/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Very friendly service. I was seated on a nice corner and a very friendly-smiled server greeted me enthusiastically. I ordered a nice hot appetizer, which is Cigars, and it was wonderful. The main course I had was "Grilled Lamb Chops" and I can say it was the best lamb chops I have ever had. Their brick oven shepherd bread is also excellent. NAME: Johannes SUBMITTED: 8/3/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 07/08 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: The Turquoise Grill is truly Houston's undiscovered treasure. Put aside that I love Turkish food, this place is one of the best Turkish restaurants in the US and even gives Istanbul good competition. The appetizers are fantastic-whatever Jim does with the Babaganouch is truly unique and fabulous. The entrees are varied-interesting and delicious. The lamb chops and special Turkish dishes are memorable; the best! It is so rare these days to find a family who takes such great pride in a family run restaurant, the result being fabulous food, great services, and some of the warmest friendliest people you would ever hope to meet. We brought our group from our downtown hotel where we were at a conference to the Turqoise Grill twice last week, and everyone is still raving about it. I personally will be there everytime I am in Houston, and look forward to it. If you want an evening to remember, forget the steak and barbecue places in Houston (and there are lots of great ones) for the moment-go to the Turquoise Grill!!!! NAME: Nathan SUBMITTED: 8/3/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: July 30th, 2008 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: I can’t say enough wonderful things about Turquoise Grill. The ambience is at once casual and intimate, and the wait staff courteous but dignified. It is a very cozy, friendly restaurant with a few tables for outside dining. Don’t be surprised to see Jim’s regulars sitting around drinking coffee and watching a soccer game while at the same time another table will be occupied with friends playing mahjong. Turquoise is a casual-dining sort of kebab and lots more house– very unpretentiously. Turquoise is a true gem in the neighborhood. Also, be prepared once you become a regular (and you will) that when you walk in Jim, his Dad and Mom are all there to greet you and introduce you to other regular customers. It special attention will make you will remember what it felt like to go to your Mom’s for food and family time. The most pleasant culinary surprise in my five months in Houston. The food is absolutely scrumptious and relatively inexpensive! I've never had anything bad from here and the portions are very generous. It's just a great place to have great Turkish food. All their food is fresh. I would suggest you try any of their daily specials (made by Jim and his Mom) it might be roasted eggplant stuffed with tomatoes, green peppers or something else, but whatever the daily special is - it is always fresh and delicious. Order any of the kebab dishes and expect to receive the freshest Shepherd Bread around and all the extras to go with it. Turquoise Grill brings the phrase "breaking bread" into reality. There's just something about doing so with friends that I can't get enough of. And if you don’t have a friend at lunch - go and Jim and his family will break bread with you. Turquoise Grill isn't about "your entree" "my entree"; it's about sharing and trying new daily specials. If you want a dessert try the rice pudding, Jim bakes it in his brick oven so it has a wonderful crust on top. If you have plans of meeting friends for lunch or dinner tonight and do not want to spend tons of money on a lot of very fattening food, please try Turquoise Grill which is not only affordable and healthy and always very tasty. NAME: DAH SUBMITTED: 7/10/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 7/08 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: WONDERFUL PLACE!! I love the food here. I've tried different things each time and i'm never disappointed. My most recent dish is the Lamb Chops. TO DIE FOR. I hate the gamey taste of lamb at most places, but here, the lamb is wonderful. The meat is so tender and tasty. Great service and very friendly. Like others mentioned, don't come here if you're in a rush. but i feel that the staff is so great the if you tell them you're on a schedule, they can accommodate. I liked it so much i had a little dinner party there a few fridays ago. It was a party of 12 and everyone loved their food and the service was even better than the food = ) PLEASE give this place a try. you won't regret it. NAME: Love to Eat SUBMITTED: 6/19/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 6/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: My boyfriend is from Germany and always raves about turkish food- so i surprised him one day by taking him to turquoise. I had never had turkish food before so this was an adventure for me in terms of tasting new things. The complimentary bread was hot and fresh- we had the "sultan's cigars" for an appetizer- which were piping hot- and really delicious. we both had the doener kebab- (lamb/beef cut from a day of cooking on a skewer) with rice and small salad.... everything was fantastic! needless to say, my first experience with turkish cuisine has me hooked. We have been back several times already and each time the owner personally has visited our table- and let us sample the baklava. absolutely wonderful service- exceptional food- and reasonably priced. definitely one of my favorite places in houston. NAME: tideturns SUBMITTED: 2/29/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 02/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: My girlfriend and I tried Turquoise Grill based on the reviews on this site. We were both quite pleased! We visited on a Tuesday night, and the restaurant was very quiet - we were the only diners there! The owner did everything he could to make us feel at home, including offering to let our little girl make a pizza with him. (I hope that next time, she'll get over her shyness and accept!) We wanted a relaxing, slow-paced evening out, and that's exactly what we got. (If you're looking for speed, you might try elsewhere.) The food was excellent - we all happily tried things from each others' plates while going back for more of the fresh-baked bread regularly. The prices were also quite reasonable. We look forward to going back soon. NAME: Tim Thraeryn SUBMITTED: 1/16/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 01/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: There is a restaurant in San Antonio that serves classic Tex-Mex breakfast and lunch but in the evenings, the white tablecloths come out. Very cool. And worth mentioning in the context of Turquoise Grill that does the same. In the evenings you get the white tablecloths and a a very nice feeling of comfort here, reminiscent of the tavernas in Turkey and Cyprus. On the most recent visit, we shared a lahmajun, actually four mini-lahma's and they were delicious, in my opinion the best in town. It brought back memories of great street food in Istanbul, Trabzon and Erzerum. The 600 degree oven turned out hot fresh bread that I find superior to any other Turkish restaurant in Houston. Can we have seconds, please? My wife and I shared an entree, in this case, kebabs that were wrapped in a flat bread (lavash)similar to a flour tortilla in appearance but more flavorful. Even sharing, we needed to take some home We had a lot of fun talking with Jim. He really is the chief cook and bottle washer here, and in a good sense. He handled the kitchen duties, and still had time to visit with us and the other diners that evening. He let us sample a Turkish white wine, brought a little extra salad since we were sharing one entree, and let us sample some Turkish style sundried tomatoes in oil and some hot pepper paste, Turkish style. We're looking forward to trying more dishes from the menu. This place is a gem and is now on my list of the top 10 places I would take out-of-town visitors to when they come to Houston. NAME: Jay Francis SUBMITTED: 1/9/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: January 2008 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: BRAVO! We dined at this charming spot on Christmas Eve thanks to your reviews (and the fact that they were open). The service was top notch and our dinners were fantastic!!! Such a rare gem now days. This one is a keeper and for sure our new in-town fav eatery! NAME: Autumn W. SUBMITTED: 1/4/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 12/07 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: This was our first time at the Turquoise Grill. We second all the positive comments the other reviewers have made. The owner greeted us as soon as we entered and the service we received was exceptional. The food is by FAR the best mediterranean fare in Houston. By far. We had the lamb and beef gyros plate with vermicelli-jasmine rice and mixed salad. The fresh from the oven sheperd's bread is addictive. The portions are so large that my husband had to help me finish my plate. We were treated to complimentary baklava. The freshest baklava I have ever tasted. Amazing. This restaurant is a gem of a find and we plan on returning many, many times. NAME: Leonor Muller and Jose Muniz SUBMITTED: 9/29/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 09/29/07 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: We finally took the long drive to experience the Turquoise grill. We are from Europe and are very familiar with the TURKISH FOOD and we have many turkish friends etc. We entered the restaurant and were greeted very friendly by the owners son and we sat down and ordered Ayran which is a yogurt drink. Would recommend this to everyone very tasty and healthy. For dinner we ordered Lahmacun (a pizza with ground meat spread) it was sooooo good just like in Turkey.Then we had Iskender kepap which is made from HOME MADE BREAD and doner meat topped with tomatoe sauce, jogurt and butter. THAT WAS AWESOME the flavors are so intense and tasteful. We also had MANTI which is a homemade smaller version a ravioli filled with ground beef topped with jogurt sauce etc.this dish was made from the grandmother and was very good. Manti takes a long time to prepare and should be tried and enjoyed. We would recommend this restaurant to everyone to try the AUTHENTIC AND AWESOME TURKISH FOOD and the great hopsitality and friendliness of the turkish family.We will definately return again very soon. NAME: SO-CAL SUBMITTED: 9/8/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 08/07/07 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: My wife and I decided to try Turquoise Grill today after having had it recommended by a Turkish friend of ours. Having never tried Turkish cuisine before, we were a little unsure of what the experience would hold but the owner greeted us at the door, shook my hand, and sat us himself. He then explained a little of Turkish cooking to us, so that we would know what we might like to try. We started with hummus and Sultan's Cigars. The hummus was nice and creamy with great flavor and the Shepherd's bread you eat it with was some of the freshest bread we've had in a restaraunt. The Sultan's Cigars were a little greasy, but tasty none the less. I ordered the Lahmajun and my wife ordered the Vegetable Guvec. Both dishes were excellent. The Lahmajun is a sort of Turkish pizza, but it has a very unique flavor. My wife said the Guvec was great and the rice they served with it was fluffy and tasty. Overall the dining experience was fantastic. The staff (in our case the owner) is friendly and attentive, the parking is covered, so that helps with the Houston summer, and the food was superb. We will definitely return! NAME: J&J SUBMITTED: 7/14/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 07/14/2007 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: My family and I ate at the Turquoise grill the other day and overall it was a good experience. Everyone at the table, except my mother, ordered the Alexander the Great dinner which was excellent. It is a very unique dish that combines meat, bread, yogurt, and a tomatoe sauce in a wonderful combination of flavors. We also ordered an appetizer plate that had tabulli, hummus, eggplant, and grapeleaves. The hummus was exceptional, especially on the bread. The tabulli and eggplant were also pretty good. I didn't care for the grapeleaves, but my sister and father loved them. The bread that came with our meal was absolutely amazing. It was fresh baked and terrific when dipped in the olive oil and spices it's served with. We came at an akward time between lunch and dinner so the service was a little slow and our table was not fully set up. We had to ask for plates, silverware, and napkins even after our drinks and appetizers came. The restuarant also didn't have a couple of the drinks we wanted even though they were on the menu. My mother ordered tenderloin kabob and it was highly disappointing. The meat was bland and about 75% nof the meat was grizzle. Our experience would probably have been a begative one if the owner, Jim, had not walked in. He was very friendly and came over to out table and chatted with us. He immediately apologized and took mom's plate away and insisted on bringing out lamb chops for her free of charge. She said the lamb chops were fantastic. Jim also brought us free baklava which, i must admit, was the best baklava I've ever had. If you go, I highly reccomend it. So although service was a little slow and my mom's original meal was bad, Turquoise grill is overall a good, friendly restuarant that strives to please their custumers. NAME: KAG SUBMITTED: 3/19/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 3/07 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: The fried fish special is excellent and breaded to perfection. I work in the same building so it is convenient. I am always greeted promptly and my order gets in and is ready in minutes. While I never have the time to sit down and eat, I enjoy the meals very much. The fresh shepherds bread from the brick oven is second to none. And on a cold day, there is no beating the Lentil Soup. I have tried almost everything on the menu there and the Turquoise salad is a generous portion and a tasty treat when topped with fresh Feta cheese. I would recommend it for either a quick bite, or a relaxed sit down dinner. They also do catering as I have found out today, so definitely keep them in mind for a corporate event or your next special anniversary or wedding. NAME: E.B. SUBMITTED: 3/2/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 3/07 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: This is my first visit to the Turquoise Grill and I'm sure that it's nt gonna b the last. Everything was great from the prices, the service and the food. The owners are the ones serving the food in a very friendly envirnment. Try it you will like it. NAME: Ayman SUBMITTED: 11/10/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 11/2006 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: I like Turkish cuisine. Kebab's are somehow invented for me. What delightful things they are. And Jim does it very well. He enjoys cooking and serving, and sharing his nice warm feelings with you. Not that pricy don't worry, just right for everyone. The only thing would be improved is the speed of service which would be fine for those who take it slow. He offers bonuses without a cost. Certainly, he knows how to please the customers. NAME: Jeff SUBMITTED: 10/28/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: October 2006 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: Wow, what a great place! We frequent places that serve Mediterranean cuisine, and Jim has certainly added a creative touch to traditional Mediterranean food. Everything we ordered was delicious and came in a generous size for the price. The Alexander the Great was something I've never had anywhere else before and something definitely worth trying. The service was excellent. Jim explained each and every creation to us and also shared the secret of where he gets the fresh vegetables he uses in his dishes. The baklava is one of the best I've ever had. The pistachio and honey flavors come through very well with each flake of the pastry coming apart individually in your mouth...hard to describe, but very good! NAME: LV SUBMITTED: 9/24/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 9/06 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: I selected this place based on its location to a Leisure Learning class I was taking that afternoon. I found this restaurant on b4ueat and saw all the good reviews. In terms of ambiance at lunch, the place is nothing special, but my friend and I both thought the food was excellent. We each had the Turquoise Trio Delight, selecting the Albacore Tuna, the Cilantro Lemon Chicken and the Grilled Eggplant. Scrumptious! We ate every bite. My only caution to those who go is to not go here if you are in a hurry as it seems there is only one person (probably the owner) doing it all. We went on Saturday and although we were only one of 2-3 tables, it took a long time for everything, even to get our silverware. But don't let that discourage you - just be prepared to relax and enjoy. You can check out their website in advance and know what you want to order when you go in. I will definitely go back again and tell my friends. NAME: LLITL025 SUBMITTED: 8/1/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: July 2006 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: I've been eating Jim's (owner) food for 2+ years now and I am amazed at the variety and quality of every item on his menu. Everything is made fresh to order...... nothing is "whipped out of a can" or preserved, thats why the prices are a little higher than fast food, because you pay for the quality of food. I also am quite pleased with how the employees show good customer service skills, especially Jim, who knows everybody in the Baylor Building. NAME: Kenny SUBMITTED: 7/30/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 7-29-06 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: I love it. The food is great and Jim is very personable and remembered my name after ~6 months of not being in there. I agree wholeheartedly with the reviews below with the exception of one. If you go, try Efe Pilsner for a good beer if you're so inclined. I've never eaten anything I even slightly disliked there. NAME: Mike M. SUBMITTED: 6/10/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 6/06 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: This is one of my 3 favorite restaurants. Everything here is delicious, and cooked to perfection. The owner, Jim, is kind-hearted man who takes his job very seriously. Its a beautiful little restaurant located off norfolk, on kirby. I guarantee you will love it if you try it. You wont be dissatisfied!! NAME: deborah SUBMITTED: 5/25/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 5/06 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: Working in the Upper Kirby district for years, I have eaten everywhere in the Kirby/59 area. This small restuarant is simply one of the best in Houston. From elegant culinary masterpieces to delicious hamburgers, every dish is perfect and prepared with pride. The owner, Jim, knew my name on my second visit and prepares his creations with pride and personal care. There is not a single menu item that is not unique and perfect. One of the "best kept secrets" in the area... this quaint eatery's time to shine is now. Visit. You will not be disappointed! NAME: CSTEXAS SUBMITTED: 5/19/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: Today FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: One of the best place for grilled turkish kebabs. This place was authentic because when I walked in half of the place was full of turkish people watching the turkish soccer team defeat their opponents. This half was more like an a la carte style. The other half of the establishment was the restaurant portion. The owner, Jim (originally from south turkey), was very friendly and even had his mother helping with the cooking. She did not speak much English, but I appreciated that she told me in Turkish to be careful because my coffee was hot (even though I don't speak a word of Turkish, I got the idea of what she was telling me). The location was tricky to find. Their website says, "the corner of kirby and richmond." But they really mean, the corner of Norfolk and Kirby, which is the street parallell to and south of richmond. This is in the Baylor family practice clinic building. The place offers free parking, which is necessary in that area. The only improvement that I recommend is that they also try cooking other turkish recipes, such as sautes that go over rice, but this place specializes in grilled food. I ended up splitting a adoner kebab platter with my partner. The platter included rice, salad and bread, and some grilled veggies. I also ordered cacuk (yogurt sauce), baklava and coffee--all very good. NAME: BUD SUBMITTED: 5/14/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 05/2006 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: The food was excellent and reasonably priced. The service...sincere but slow. Very slow. Do not arrive already famished as we did. Order an appetizer as the chef is also the wait staff. We ordered the a little bit of everything appetizer recommended by the chef/owner/waiter. It included fresh brick oven baked bread, hummus, eggplant, articokes, grape leaves and grilled peppers. Everything tasted light and fresh. Our entrees of meatballs kabobs were tender and flavorful. The rice was fluffy. The Turkish sausage in the calzone had a wonderful aroma that I could taste before even putting it in my mouth. This is a great place to go on a hot Houston day. You can actually hear what your dinner partners are saying, the pace is leisurely and even your car will have it made in the shade in the covered parking. We will definitely go back. NAME: Theresa SUBMITTED: 5/13/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 05/13/06 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: If you are looking for authentic Mediterranean food at reasonable prices with friendly service, than this is the spot for you! We recently went with our 3 year old son and the owner was so wonderful with him, asking our son to make a pizza with him. The look of pride on our son's face after making the pizza was priceless. The food was so flavorful! And the setting was relaxed and comfortable. We felt like we were back in Israel. For tasty food with a personal touch you can't beat Turquoise Grill! Did I mention the Baklava was AMAZING? It is! NAME: happymouth SUBMITTED: 4/3/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 3/31/06 FREQUENCY: Visited once ©Copyright 1991 - 2008 B4-U-EAT.COM. All rights reserved. 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