Isot Mediterranean Cuisine BYOB Reviews

It was good. It was real good and really quite reasonably priced. Our server asked if we had ever been there and then recommended more or less a tasting menu that allowed us to try multiple things. It is definitely a place to go back to.

Looking for lunch but fed up with endless fast food on lively South Street, we wandered a few blocks south on S 6th Street and discovered Isot. The place brought back a recent stay in Turkey. We had Spinach Feta Borek, Gavur Dagi Salad and Adana Kebab that came with two salads and a fantastic relish, and Turkish coffee. For under $40. Helpings were generous, quality top-notch, service excellent. No corkage fee.

Just came back from this diamond in the ruff. The food was excellent as well as the service. Reasonable pricing as well! Service was excellent as Brendan was so attentive to our party and we were also greeted by the Chef! You will not be disappointed! Make sure to make reservations!! Will defintely be back again soon. First time here and a memorable one! A++++ love supporting the small businesses and watching them thrive! Can't wait to come back! Byob

Just visited with my friends. We decided to try new foods and we glad to came at Isot. First of all, service was amazing. Our server, Yavus, is so friendly and had super hospitality. He also brought us small Mezi complementary. It was super tasty. I love saksuka. Our main course... I ordered Adana Kebab and it has really small side dishes. Love it. Chef also stopped by our table and he sent us Baklava. He was super nice. Definitely, we will come back soon... 5 +

I am from Turkey and I hadn’t have Turkish food in a very long time. I went there with a friend who hadn’t tried Turkish cuisine yet. We started with the The çiğ köfte, it was fresh and tasteful. The Adana kebab was also truly delicious. We talked with the chef and he really valued our opinions. His spices, tomato and pepper paste comes from Turkey and you can definitely taste the difference. I would say the restaurant reflects the Turkish taste beautifully. He also welcomed us with hospitality and offered a taste of mezes and the baklava. All were just amazingly delicious!!!

We shared a lot of excellent food. The meats were delicious & the salads were unique & also delicious. The service was outstanding. Dishes were explained in a very nice, clear way. Portions were large.

Having lived in Turkey for many years, I was very satisfied with everything I tried at Isot. The hospitality is top notch, and the food was delicious. Mantı, a Turkish ravioli dish, is one of my favorite foods, and was prepared perfectly. The Meze, or starters, were delicious, and Künefe is a special Turkish dessert you should not do without-- just order it early as it takes a while to prepare. Afiyet olsun!

The service here was absolutely fantastic. Extremely attentive without being overbearing. It could not have been a nicer dining experience. The food was top notch too. The hostess was very nice and greeted us with warm welcome. Highly recommend this restaurant to my friends and family.

We only went cause of the reviews on trip advisor and actually drive 1 hour for this place but sorry to say the food was terrible. Yes it's a BYOB. It's a small n simple place.hummus was ok.lamb was terrible and raw n chewy and manager was very rude and didn't care when we complained

Though people can go on about dining in Philadelphia and how great it is, I often find it limited. Too many years living in New York, I guess. I stumbled on to Isot several weeks ago and have been back three times taking friends and family. It is great and authentic. (I travel to Turkey at least once a year.) On simply ordering an entree you will be served several additional salad dishes, plus perhaps a bowel of soup (chilled cucumber last time). If more than one person is at the table, these sides, except the soup, are served family style. The entree itself is severed with grilled vegetables, a grilled tomato and a grilled pepper, plus bulgar wheat. A small feast for under $20. If I have anything negative to say, be warned that the back of the restaurant can get noisy as larger parties are seated there, so ask for a table in the front.

We dined here based on a recommendation from Yelp and we were not disappointed. Located a couple of blocks south of South St. in a cluster of restaurants, this new Turkish place should get noticed. It's small but you don't feel crowded . We started with the meze platter --small samplings of the restaurant's cold appetizers including hummus, suksuka, Russian salad (potato salad), a yogurt dip, accili ezme, and abuganoush served with warm pita. Very tasty! Our server was very enthusiastic about the many offerings on the menu but we both settled on kebabs. One chicken and one lamb. The kebabs were served with bulgur rice, a red onion and parsley salad, sautéed mixed vegetables, and roasted tomatoes . The presentation was lovely and colorful with a long green pepper topping off the platter. The kebabs were done perfectly and the sides were fresh and delicious. We saved room for dessert , and we recommend you do as well. We ordered baklava (their specialty) and a Turkish tea. The small pieces were just right and were very good! We will definitely return to Isot to try their many other Turkish delights!

This small Turkish themed restaurant is a genuine act. The food is excellent, varied and true to origin. The service is friendly and the prices reasonable. A well worth visit.

For a fantastic flavorful experience, start with the Mezze platter of hummus and dips with ample pita wedges. Our family of four continued with the Isot Mix for four, beginning with terrific crisp and crunchy salads, and highlighted by tasty grilled lamb and chicken kebab meats, vegetables, et al. Turkish tea, a pistachio baklava, and signature dessert to finish. A truly wonderful dining experience - we thoroughly enjoyed it!

Visited Isot on a Saturday evening. We were warmly greeted and seated on time for our reservation. Our group had two salads (Mediterranean and Gavur Dagi) and and a few hot appetizers, including the dumplings, the boreks and the ali nazik. The salads were fresh. The boreks lacked much in the way of fillings and flavor.The Coban Kavurma was a mixture of lamb and peppers and tomatoes. The lamb was overdone and a bit tough. The dish was plated over straw potatoes that werre not crisp as there was so much oil on the plate.The Kasap Kofte, essentially lamb patties, was served over bulgur rice . The latter was tasty, but the lamb patties were overcooked and dry. The sides of parsley/onion salad, some vegetables were okay but not particularly well seasoned. Again, there was a lot of oil on the plate. The pita served on the side was fresh and light. The branzini fish, which was kindly filleted for us, was grilled on both sides and was good, not exceptional. The baclava was quite dense,made with pistachios. The waitstaff was kind but not attentive. We had to ask more than once for more water, to have the wine chilled, to get extra napkins. Seating is close and the room is noisy, though the ceiling planks did help a bit to diffuse the noise. Chairs are not so comfortable-they are wood and wicker with no padding. Parking in the area is either on the street and hard to find or in a lot and very expensive. Dress is casual. The consensus of our group was that we are ready to try other Mediterranean restaurants.

Lunch order took 40 min 👎🏼 I asked waitress if they have isot pepper but she said they dont have , its like a joke especially when you name your restaurant Isot , I don't recommend this place , wasting time . Good luck to u isot !!

We came here for dinner with friends and family; and had unexpectedly good service and great food.. Entree portions can be shared...as is most of the food here which is perfect for sharing. The fish and mixed plate were the stars of the evening. Highly recommended! ! !

We happened to be searching for a place to have lunch on a Monday and many small places are closed. Isot was in view, looked interesting, advertised Mediterranean, and we walked in. The hostess/ waitress was so very helpful since the menu had many items we weren't familiar with. Turkish and middle eastern cuisine. We shared a sampler of delicious spreads from an eggplant dish to fresh hummus with soft, warm pita. Both of our luncheon entrees were fresh, plentiful and so very interesting with the herbs and spices used. Wonderful salad and wraps that are unusual and delightful.

Visited Isot for the first time last night. I nice, relaxed atmosphere. Great food at a very reasonable price. I particularly liked the hummus. The kabobs were done perfectly. We'll definetly be back.

Authentic Turkish food served with care and pride. The portions are generous and prices are reasonable. Mixed mezze plate provides a nice introduction to the meal for 4. Shish kebabs are tender and delicious.

If you are looking for quality food and exceptional service, look no further. I took my mother out for dinner on a Tuesday evening, and the restaurant was quite empty, which made me nervous. I was quickly reassured when the server came over and immediately offered us some delicious hors-d'oeuvres, courtesy of the kitchen. After that, we tried the tasting menu, which was terrific and definitely enough for lunch the next day.

We recently visited this restaurant with my family and was astonished with the ambience, price, and taste of the food. Customer service was great with our server attending to all of our needs. The mixed Kebabs were delicious and priced just right. The place may look small on the outside, but it is huge inside. We will surely visit this place again when we visit Philadelphia.

Perfect - nice décor and vibe. Servers friendly. Mix of dishes: Chicken kabob, lamb kabob, vegetarian plate and lamb chops. Salads for table were fresh and plentiful. This is a BYOB place. We will be back. Prices reasonable. Suggestion is to make reservations. We will be back and soon.

We returned to Isot after first visiting during the summer. This is a great place for sharing dishes from the hummus and borek to the kabobs and salads. We love that its BYOB and the very accommodating staff - more than willing to supply more pita bread.

Visited Isot recently with group of friends for a pre holiday meal. We had a great time, and will definitely go again. The food was delicious, correctly spiced, and the service was wonderful. Our server (I forget her name) was very cheerful, gave great advice about the food, and was delightful. We ordered and shared appetizers: mixed mezes (combination of 7 spreads with pita; my favorite was the spicy ezme), manti (light Turkish pasta dumplings with beef/lamb filling, in a creamy sauce with isot pepper; my husband loved these), and karides tava (shrimp sauteed in a buttery garlic sauce). For entrees, we chose the Adana Kabob, which came with bulgar, onion parsley salad, and Antep salad (delicious), the bronzini which was presented as a whole fish (delicious), lamb chops (delicious.) For dessert, we shared a kunefe, which was rich and sweet. Isot is cozy (maybe seats 60, with a loft area where we sat). Decorated with rustic ceramics, Mediterranean decor. It is a BYOB, which is a definite plus! It is situated in the Queen Village neighborhood south of South Street in Philadelphia, and parking on the street can be a challenge, but we were fortunate to find a spot on the street nearby. Will definitely return, as there were other menu items which intrigued us.

I had dinner there. Service and food were exceptional. Very nice area and causy atmosphere. Totally recommend this place for lovers of turkish cuisine!

What a find! Fresh ingredients many of them redolent with isot, a smoky paprika type spice from the restauranteur’s native Turkey. We enjoyed perfectly grilled lamb kabobs, Smokey sumptuous abagannoush , freshly make hummus with a hot oil, light and savory manti and a delicious lentil soup. Service was friendly. Decor and acoustics could use some help, but lent this place a homey family meal feel.

Our party of four had seven small plates, one seemingly better than the previous (raves: the calimari, pacanga borek, cig kofte and especially manti. The bill was absurdly low - thank you for the BYOB policy. I'll definitely return when in the area.

A delightful experience just off of South Street. The food is excellent, and the Turkish menu is extensive. Great find.

I called on a Saturday evening to see if we needed a reservation and they said absolutely and it appeared that getting us in a 8pm would be tough but they'd squeeze me in. Imagine my surprise when we get to Isot and there were at least 5 empty tables! Hmmmm..... that was a strange start. Then the waiter/host seats us at ... the table right by the ladies room. Not only is it by the ladies room.... but you can actually see into the bathroom every time the door opens. Really?! Either there shouldn't be a table there ... or only seat your guests there as a last resort. Anyway, we asked to move to a table in the middle of the dining area instead. Food is fine. I would say it's basic and good but nothing amazing. Nice that it's BYOB! Service was poor. I'm not sure if they were short-handed but they the staff could barely handle the situation. Tables were complaining about how long it was taking to get their food. One gentleman said he waited over 1/2 an hour for his entree.... and when it arrived it was cold. I think they need to work on their systems or hire a few more folks. That all said, prices are fair so if you are looking for basic middle eastern and you're not in a hurry this is a good value.

Terrible service from totally untrained servers (albeit very nice people)...terrible food - cold and tasteless for the most part. What more is there to say other than the fact that a year or so ago when we first went and it was new...it was excellent.

We had a quick lunch here prior to our flight home The service was great and food was wonderful We had the beef and the chicken kebeb We wished we had more time to enjoy our time there I would recommend this restaraunt

We have been both for brunch and for dinner. They have a good combination of flavors and a more traditional turkish menu. Have been with multiple sets of couples and everyone has been really happy with both the service and the meal through out. Small spaces with turkish decor on the walls/floors , not over done. Warm feeling to the space. Pleasant experience all around space, staff and food.

Being from the same area, I know what a good Mediterranean and Turkish food means! This restaurant has the best food with the similarities to Turkish, Afghani even Persian restaurant in Philly and suburbs. We ordered Ali Nizak which was GREAT!!!! yogurt based with lamb and egg plant! The Meze plate was a good start too. I love Russian Salad which was the middle part of it. I also loved the yogurt dill one . I had Adana kabob which was the best I've ever had but spicy! I had Kofta which I am going to order next time. I also had a piece of Lamp chop which It wasn't any different from other places. The Dumpling Appetizer is also not a thing for me. The entree portion are not huge so make sure you have had good amount of appetizers. The owner chatted with us for a little bit which was nice. Our waitress also was kind and patient. I will DEF go back here with bunch of friends.

Clean modern interior with great rustic touches, they did a great job designing the interior of this small BYOB serving Turkish cuisine. The staff is charming and welcoming. Service is sincere, if a little haphazard. Appetizers were good, warm hummus with pita and an order of Russian salad (potato salad) were nice starts to the meal. The flavors of our dinner were distinctly one-note. A lamb dish was all oregano and sat in a pool of oil.The chicken was decent but needed to be trimmed more carefully and the two vegetable sides served with this entree were both weighed down by the same acidy dressing. When we return we may just concentrate on a meal made up of appetizers.

Charming BYO. Ate there the other evening after I read a mention of it in the Philadelphia Inquirer food section. Was not disappointed! Very fresh, authentic Turkish cuisine with great spices, flavors, contrasts. Had the mixed meze to get a good sampling as well as the Ali Kind (sautéed marinated lamb with gilled eggplant, yogurt garlic sauce). Also tried the Karides Tava (jumbo shrimp -- and they WERE jumbo) in a butter garlic sauce with red pepper. Absolutely delicious. Although I was really full, the platters going to the table next to me smelled wonderful. Am returning this week. Casual, cool atmosphere, knowledgeable, friendly, accommodating staff.

Me and my wife are from Turkey and we love to try different Turkish restaurants. This was our first time in Philadelphia and after an hour walking around Old City we found this place and decided to try it out. On the menu it says “Same taste in Turkey” which seemed very ambitious. So we said we’ll see! That statement was true to the t. Everything we ordered was literally has the same taste like it was prepared in Turkey. As a started we ordered the Mixed Meze Platter which has 6 meze samples and it’s a great way if you want to taste all the mezes. Everything on the plate was delicious! And I am not exaggerating! I haven’t tasted the same taste in NYC. We also ordered the Pacanga borek as an appetizer which was delicious too. As a main course we both had Manti, another very traditional and hard to make Turkish dish. It was literally the same taste in Turkey! It was a little bit spicy but you can always ask them to make it less spicy. As dessert we had Kunefe, a traditional Turkish dessert from Southern Turkey. It was amazing. Not too heavy, not too light, just right! And the prices are very affordable if you think about the quality and taste. I recommend this place to everyone if you want to taste very authentic Turkish food!

Very flavorful and extremely generous food portions, friendly staff, and a great atmosphere. We shall be back. It was delightful meeting the owner and chef tonight. Thank you for such a delicious meal. Carrie and Jonathan

Turkish Mediterranean food Warm atmosphere, Mediterranean tiled floors and warm colored walls, and servers with Turkish attire, and attentive service ( a little too attentive as we were 3 girlfriends trying to catch up), very good food with good explanations. There were lots of good tasty choices for vegetarians and meat eaters. Many people love the lamb dishes. We began with a large long rectangular wooden board of cold mere dips/ about 8 salads along with pita bread. We had the vegetable and chicken kabobs, and the spinach and feta burekas.—- and for dessert the authentic Turkish pistachio baklava That gets sent from Turkey. The food is wonderful Turkish food, served with complimentary Turkish drinks and appetizers. It’s BYOB, and we brought our own bottle of wine to share. Glad we found this place on Open Table. We will return. Very reasonable.

I usually do not give 5 start ratings, but Isot is close to it. After four visits, I would give it, if I could, a 4.5 or 4.75. It is a wonderful neighborhood place and serves as an oasis from the South Street tourist attractions. It is primarily a Turkish restaurant but they have dishes from the Mediterranean area. It is a BYOB. Ambiance: a long, narrow room in front that opens up in the back. It is well decorated with simple touches but shows that someone knows how to and cares. Service: whether you are chatting with Fatih, the manager, or the wonderful servers, you will be given a gracious welcome. The servers know the menu and food and give you the ingredients and the descriptions, they are patient, they are efficient, and they are very hospitable. Food: we have eaten Turkish food at various restaurants throughout the city, and the food here is delicious. We have had their cold starters- isot kofte/haydari; salads- watermelon feta salad, Mediterranean salad; warm starters- hot hummus with walnuts, manti(small dumplings with ground beef/lamb filling with yogurt and olive oil (red pepper/mint). We also tasted their calamari and dipping sauce. All of the starters are fresh, tasty and well prepared. The manti are one of my favorite dishes. We tried the shrimp umburger, which was good but the seafood casserole was really good. Lot of flavors hit your palate. We ordered the mixed plate on our last visit and it was sensational. Maybe a tad overpriced but it had grilled chicken, grilled beef kabob, lamb chops, kofte (small beef patties) with bulgur and red onion salad. Desserts: save some room for dessert. They have the best baklava in town, moist, sweet but not too sweet, nutty and very satisfying. They have other desserts as well, like pistachio rolls. The baklava was not delivered while we lunched but arrived as we were leaving. Fatih gave a complimentary baklava to each couple. Nice touch. If you have a problem or something is not just right, mention it. They do respond in a positive manner. Lunch only on Saturday and Sunday. Dinner starts at four every day.

We have ordered takeout several times. The grill meats are artfully seasoned, the sides are authentically flavorful, and the salad is a perfect accompaniment. Wanted to write this review while still savoring the flavors. So happy to have Isot in our neighborhood.

Dishes served up with dashes of Turkish ethnonationalism are not to everyone's tastes. There are better integrated Turkish dishes to be found elsewhere in Philadelphia.

We had dinner there on a Sat nite. We had the humus appetizer. I had chicken kebabs and my husband had chicken thighs. Turkish coffee and baklava for desert. Really fresh, clean tasting food. Well seasoned but not over done. The waiter also gave us a traditional drink with cinnamon, cardamon, lemon and more which he told us was to help with digestion. I will definitely come back to this small and quant restaurant off South street.

Tasty kebabs, pastrami, combination dishes. Prompt delivery, no errors in order. Definitely will order again (take out)

FANTASTIC food, friendly and professional waitresses, nice ambiance. Authentic Turkish. I have visited this place twice already this week,. They serve brunch on weekends, I can't wait to try it! My new favorite restaurant in Philly

Top notch food and service! Our server was professional and knowledgeable. Linen tablecloths. We started with the lightly breaded calamari to share- very nice. I had the shrimp and it was perfectly prepared and elegantly presented. We will be back soon.

Simple set up with very enthusiastic waitress. Delicious herb beverage. Excellent options and variety. A delight.

We could have had a lot more help ordering but the waitress really didn’t have a clue....and she was from Turkey. We couldn’t get a good read on spicey vs mild and in a broth or a real piece of meat. Once we finally figured things ourselves via Google, it wasn’t too bad. i probably wouldn’t go back but look for another Mediterranean restaurant.

Excellent quality food and service at this Turkish restaurant. Dietary requests for no salt food were honored. The ingredients were fresh and well prepared. Most portion sizes were large. If you plan to come on a Saturday evening I would recommend that you make a reservation. The restaurant is small and intimate.

Tried this Turkish restaurant for the first time but it won’t be the last. Friendly staff and great food. The mixed meze was super and plentiful for 4. The lamb soup was excellent and all the mains were great.

My favorite date night spot in the city - very chic atmosphere and delicious food that's perfect to share. Friendly staff and plenty of vegetarian and gluten free options if that's your thing! Last time I was there I had the mixed meze, ali nazik, mixed plate for 2, and the best baklava I've ever had for desert. I'm always recommending this place to my friends!