Divan Turkish Kitchen

I took my wife on a surprise date to the Divan Turkish Kitchen a few weeks ago. The atmosphere was pretty good except for some screaming kids next to us (which isn’t the DTK’s fault). Our waitress was very knowledgeable of the menu and made some great drink and appetizer recommendations. My wife is a big fan of iskender and loved it. I tried the Turkish dumplings an it was ok, but I tried something new. Our desserts were outstanding too.
The DTK has a nice corner location and I’ll want to try it again during the summer as it was a tad chilly, but not uncomfortable.
No kid menu that i saw, but I wouldn’t dream of taking my kids to someplace like the DTK and try to order chicken tenders. That’s what Applebee’s is for.
Finally, bring cash so they don’t charge you for the credit card fees. The prices on the menu are already «reduced» by 10% for cash. It isn’t overly expensive there, so cash will help.

Divan has been on the list for a while. I am sorry it took me so long to get there.
Food was good, well presented, ample portions. The menu is a bit monotonous, lots of lamb, some chicken, not much seafood. And honestly, many of the dishes are variations on a theme. But the variations are… varied, and three or four dishes with the same base lamb product still were totally different.
Good, friendly, attentive service. Oh, and their booze is CHEAP! If I ever move back to that neighborhood, I definitely would consider this a good place for a drink and snack at their tiny little bar.
Nice atmosphere inside. My only critcism is the two large TVs. You gotta decide if you’re a sports bar or a restaurant, but you can’t be both. With a dining room as small as theirs, big TVs can be a distraction.
I’ll definitely be going back.

I didn’t think it was the best. I went w/​a buddy and got Hummus, Turkish Falafel, and Calamari as appetizers. I thought the hummus and falafel was very tasty and the calamari was good but it was rather bland, the squeeze of lemon on top was the only taste and it was a bit more chewy than one enjoys.
For dinner we split the Mixed-​grilled platter and it was tasty but it was a bunch of meat, wish they had something the couple the meatyness. Overall it was a decent meal but i have certainly had better turkish food, but this is a decent spot and if you are looking for that Turkish fix, go here.
Atmosphere is very date like and semi-​romantic. Service was fine, make sure you bring cash because if you need to use a card they will charge you 5−10% of the bill.

Let me just say, this may very well be the worst restaurant I have ever eaten at. About the only good thing I can say about it is that the appearance of the place looked nice. It had potential, but then it fell through.
So I decided to order their «signature dish.» It’s got to be good, right? I mean sh. if you are going to put that title on it, you better not f it up, right? It said lamb kabob, so naturally I was expecting there to be a stick involved even though the menu did mention that the meat was ground. What showed up was some weird version of gyro meat with a tiny piece of pita and some onions. And no, it wasn’t even ground. The meat may as well have been cat because it sure didn’t taste like lamb. It didn’t even taste like Gyro mystery meat, despite its appearance. The meat was completely dry, flavorless, chewy and overcooked. It was a solid F. We didn’t finish our food and ended up getting a second dinner.
So to top things off with our dining experience, the waitresses weren’t friendly, we had to move tables because the guys sitting at tables outside were smoking and it was coming into the restaurant. The waitresses treated their job like it was some big social event while they were sitting around the bar. They started having a meal towards the end of our meal and we had to flag them over to bring the bill. Naturally, they left their purses and bags on the bar stools at the bar.
Even the water tasted a little funky. You know when you are a kid and you go drink from the hose in the backyard and you suck up a little dirt in the process. Yeah, it was like that.
My GF didn’t even finish the grape leaves and some other vegetable stuff that she ordered. I do recall the words, «nasty» and «disgusting» emanating from her lips.
So, to top things off, if you pay with a credit card, they will tack on an extra 10% to the bill. I guess they want to make sure they keep this a cash business as much as possible because that way they can continue to fund terrorism with the under the table contributions, because clearly this place doesn’t actually have any cooks working in the kitchen.
Food Quality/​Taste = –1 Stars
Portion Size Given Price = 3 Stars
Price = 3 Stars
Service = 2 Stars
Experience with Staff = 2 Stars
Décor = 4 Stars
P. S. — This may be a good spot to eat at before a funeral because it won’t seem that bad after eating here.

I’m really wavering between three and four stars for this place, but I’ve decided to go for three with hopes for an upgrade after my next visit. We were greeted and shown to a table for four even without a reservation on a Friday night. The restaurant was still relatively empty around 7, but quickly filled up within the hour.
Drinks are ridiculously cheap. As in $ 3 – 5, including top shelf. So needless to say, we ended up staying for three hours and drinking like we just turned 21.
The food is where this review reaches its three star ceiling. Apps were all nice, including falafel with creamy hummus (but no pita?), phyllo and feta cigars and a tzatziki-​like dill and yogurt sauce (again, no pita?). We did receive some really tasty bread with deliciously olive-​y olive oil.
I ordered a shrimp, mushroom and tomato casserole topped with mozzarella cheese. It was nice, and I’d probably order it again. Maybe with a side of rice or a vegetable or something if I was really hungry. I didn’t love the lamb dish to my left, but I’m not a big lamb-​eater. That said, I did enjoy the lamb dumplings, which were flavorful and very nicely prepared. The ground chicken kabob didn’t do much for me, either, but I’d consider giving it another shot.
A crème caramel dessert was lackluster and overly gelatin-​loaded, but the baklava was awesome.
My first impression was mixed but I’m definitely looking forward to giving Divan a second look, and I’d definitely encourage others to give it a shot as well.

Look, I like Divan a lot. It’s the best Turkish food I’ve had in Philadelphia.
Maybe that’s not saying too much, but it’s saying something.
So, maybe the service can be a little weird at times, and the sketchy credit card surcharges can be annoying, but what it all comes down to is the food. If you come here with an open mind and good company, you will have a pleasant and delicious experience.
The Turkish food here is legit, and the portions are pretty generous. The lunch special is a good deal, but dinner is tasty here too.

One of the most underrated restaurants in Philadelphia. After reading numerous reviews, it appears that opinion on this place is so varied is because some people are understanding of quirky service and some people think that if they aren’t treated like they’re at the 4 Seasons that it’s a 1-​star. The bottom line is this: you are going to get an excellent deal on this place. It is the only place within spitting distance of Center City where you can get a $ 3 martini, and the lunch special for $ 11.95 is a steal. My wife and I have eaten here numerous times, and while our service has varied from OK to Very Good, the food has never wavered, and the drink specials are the best in Philly, hands down. That’s not to say that the service is bad. Usually it is very good. The fact that the servers aren’t always fluent in English has always struck me more as cute than as a problem.
The servers are not as smooth as the ones in Center City. There is a bit of a language barrier. The menu is a touch confusing, I’ll admit. But I cannot overestimate how minor these things are in light of how terrific the food is and how incredible the prices are. If you are the kind of person who gets upset because they charge more for credit cards (despite the fact that they have an ATM on premises), or because the servers speak in broken English, or because their menu is mildly confusing, then this may not be the place for you. If you can look past a few minor quirks while drinking a $ 3 Mojito and TERRIFIC lamb dumplings, then you should absolutely give this place a shot.

now i know where to go when i want:
— fun specialty cocktails
— bangin hummus
— cute little lamb dumplings
— to get away from center city prices
— to sit outside on a nice evening in g-​ho

The food is absolutely wonderful. The Chicken Shish Kebab and Adana Kebab are very good. The doner kebab is good as well, but a little greasy. The only downside about the food here is that they do not have any beef options, only lamb, which is a shame because I think they’d make a killer beef kebab. I highly recommend the Shepard Salad with Feta, it’s amazing.
The drinks are cheap as well, and their specialty cocktails are great!

It took a few visits to really get into the groove of things, but now I’m sold. The food is tasty, the hummus and cucumber yogurt sauce are my personal favorites, and the drinks are cheap. It’s kind of a schlep, but definitely worth it if you don’t go at peak times. Just remember to pay in cash! There’s an ATM in the back, but they rape you on fees with it.
Also, they have a dumbwaiter. Pretty magical to watch your food appear from a little door in the wall! But maybe that’s just the 5 year old in me speaking.

We booked a last-​minute reservation on OpenTable a few weeks ago on a Saturday night, grabbed a bottle of wine, and were out the door.
Divan has a cozy atmosphere, and we received pretty good service. It was quick and everything was brought out correctly. I was a little confused that they were a BYOB yet still had alcoholic beverages available, but apparently they do both. Their drink prices are ridiculously low, so if you’re going and will just be having one drink, it makes more sense to order one — they charge a $ 10 corking fee for your own bottle of wine. You can order a glass for $ 3.75.
We tried a few of the appetizers and everyone had a different entrée. No one was disappointed. The food was good, hot, and delivered as promised.
I do agree with some of the reviewers on here that the credit card fee is a bit odd. Our waiter did warn us as we handed over the credit card that there would be a 10% fee charged. He directed us to the ATM to pay cash so we wouldn’t be charged. Definitely plan on paying in cash to save on that fee.

Cheap cheap cheap. Shady and just plain weird. I can’t put my finger on it but something is a little off. This is not a high class operation. So beware of strange protical. They change you more for everything as if they want you to pay in cash so there is no credit card fee. Weird. Cheap like I said. Maybe not a great place to go on an awkward first date. You won’t look ritzy.
That being said, go here with friends. I love it. Or even with a date later on down the line, say 7^th date. The food is very tasty. I like many things here. The first time I went I ordered the mixed grilled which really gave me a good idea of what the deal was at this restaurant and I liked what the deal was. I like the hummus, the olives, the chicken, lamb, beef, doner kabob whatever the hell it’s called it’s delicious. And the coffee is bitchin’ and the desserts are really great.
I like the food here very much. I’m giving it four stars which is higher than the average. I hope the average goes up because of my review. It would be a five star restaurant if they just understood the concept of ambience and making the clientele feel classy. Oh well four of five ain’t bad.

My food was good, I just wish I had some pita with it.
Stopped in here on a rainy Sunday evening for some tasty and healthy food. We were seated promptly and had a very attentive waitress who kept our water glasses full and was able to answer all of our questions.
We started with the hummus appetizer which I felt was a bit small and lacking in the dippable items (pita, bread, veggies) The hummus itself was very tasty.
My meal was the Hunkar Begendi which is the smoked pureed eggplant topped with chicken. It was very tasty and nicely spiced, but it was just as the menu said. I’m guessing this is the way it is supposed to be presented because they seem pretty traditional. I ended up stealing some pita from my dining partner because I just wanted something starchy to put it on.
The turkish coffee that we had was good, but my mind wasn’t blown. I drink espresso all the time so I opted for it without sugar. Midway through our meal, live music started behind us which was a nice change of pace.
This is a good little neighborhood place. I noticed they had really attractive drink prices but I wasn’t in the alcohol mood. We paid in cash because we figured it would just be easier.

Just read the comment from the owner on my review which I posted at the bottom of this update.
Ilker,
I read your menu very carefully even took a picture of it because of how insane it is.
I support many local businesses; Dimitri’s, Grace Tavern, Resurrection, Pub and Kitchen, Ants Pants to name just a few.
Just because you are in the neighborhood does not mean I have to give you a good review.
Your response is a prime example of why I will never recommend your restaurant to anyone or ever give you business. There is a thing called Customer Service.
And yes I am well aware of how restaurant and credit cards fees work — being that my 10+ years in the restaurant industry consisted primarily of setting menu prices and managing food costs. And now that I work in the marketing industry here is a little free advice:
Do not tell your customer you are charging them extra for paying for their meal. If your prices are so low — then why not add in 10% to your food costs. Would probably make a lot more people happy/​not feel they are getting ripped off.
There are MANY restaurants in Philly where food is cheaper and more flavorful than Divan — Dimitri’s is a prime example.
Owners response:
Dear Mark,
I guess you didn’t read the menu carefully.
Just the Visa/​Master card charge is around 4%. On top that charge, we pay, bank’s fee, merchants fee and credit card processing fee. Where do you think your flyer miles points come from? Do you know that 70%percents of banks’ income, come from Credit Card Charge fees?
In total we pay around 10 percent for accepting credit cards which becomes part of the food cost to restaurants. Not to mention, we don’t even have to accept credit cards.
WE NEVER USED TO CHARGE 10% TO OUR CREDIT CARD PAYERS BY SIMPLY ADDING 10 PERCENT ON TOP OF OUR FOOD COST. BUT BY DOING THAT, WE WERE NOT FARE TO CASH PAYERS. INSTEAD, WE REDUCED OUR PRICES AS MUCH AS WE CAN, SO THAT CASH PAYERS WON’T BE CHARGED EXTRA.
Do you remember your bill at Divan? Have you been other restaurant’s in Philly that was as inexpensive as Divan? You pay way more than you did at Divan when you go to other restaurants weather you pay by cash or credit card? Think about it.
By the way, thanks for your support to your local neighbourhood small business by giving us one star.

Nope. Nope. Nope.
Divan drives me crazy. I have been a few times and the food is good, but the customer service is devastating. Also, I’m not clear if they are byo or not because they keep changing there status AND there is a corking fee. The charge 10% more if you pat by credit card. I’m not even sure that’s legal.
The deal breaker, however, came a few weeks ago when I went on a Saturday night for dinner with my boyfriend. We walked in around 8:20 and the restaurant was pretty empty. I took cash out of there atm (see credit card penalties above) and my boyfriend came to inform me we couldn’t be seated with out reservations. I turn to the host who confirmed the bad news. Reader, I tell you: 1. the place was empty. There were 3 tables occupied. 2. It was 8:20. This isn’t Europe… most American’s don’t eat that late. Who did they think was coming in at 8:30 and later? 3. There was 1 reserved sign on a table of 6. As far as I could tell, there were about 9 empty tables. I was absolutely disgusted and will not be returning.
For delicious Turkish with customer service, try S&H Kabob house. It’s delicious and open until 3 am on weekends. Win/​win.

Just had a rather strange unique experience at Divan Turkish Kitchen. My boyfriend is a fan of Turkish food and I was only glad to find different restaurants around so we can try them all.
I found Divan from Unilocal and they all have a TV ad featured on some local channel which is impressive for a small neighborhood restaurant. In reality, the restaurant is located in an area of the city that I seldom travel. Indeed, this might be the first time I’ve ever been to the corner of 22^nd and Carpenter.
I’ve taken the effort of making reservations for a Friday night, but at 7:00pm the restaurant is more than half empty. The person on the phone wasn’t perfectly fluent and it makes the conversation a bit difficult. Other than getting my name wrong, the table reserved for me was in a bit of a tight spot which will ensure a night of bumps and ass cheeks from passing patrons. The layout of tables are tight and a bit uncomfortable, from the Unilocal album, I saw that it used to be better designed. Maybe they figured the reorganization could cramp a few more seats in and comfort was sacrificed. Good thing I asked to be seated one table over which was a world better.
The boyfriend and I shared a plate of Patlican Ezmeci which is a cold appetizer featuring mashed eggplants and tahini and a plate of Mucver or zucchini pancakes. To make the experience sounding stranger, the mashed eggplants was a mix between a baba ganoush and tahini with an aftertaste that I can only describe as Wasabi. With the mushy texture, I was convinced that this will fit perfectly in a maki and fool regular eaters. The Mucver comes with a huge dollop of lemon, dill yogurt cream on top and the pancakes were in fact mushy instead of crispy which again reminded me of some kind of poach fish dish. Maybe I was craving for fish, hope it wasn’t because of any unclean surface. No, I don’t think it was.
For entrée, we shared the delightful Karisik Izgara which is their house mixed grill which features a lamb adana (ground lamb patty), lamb shish (lamb cubes), chicken shish (chicken cubes), Kofte (shaved lamb) and a doner kebab (charbroiled ground lamb). Just one plate and you get to try everything. My favorite is the lamb shish, the doner kebab came in a very close second, the chicken shish is also very delicious. Seriously, they were all great. The platter also came with tartar sauce, rice and vegetable. I love their flavored rice with slivered almonds.
Two appetizers and that mixed grill platter were the perfect amount of food for the two of us but secretly I would want my own entrée next time I come here. I love their Turkish apple ice tea and the boyfriend enjoyed his Efe’s beers. For the two of us, we only paid $ 45 including tips in total, I don’t think $ 45 will be enough for one of my Zahav visit. Even though it’s a bit far and out of the way, in a seemingly questionable neighborhood, I would still make the effort.

As I gingerly cut through my helping of not 2, but 4 balls, I thought, what better way to enjoy these little chicks than by spreading them on pita, smearing hummus all over them and tenderly biting inch by inch. I caught a little hummus drip on my lip, but waste it I couldn’t — so creamy and delicious it was! The right balance and salty and spunky!
Too soon?
Ok, seriously, the falafels came served over a base of hummus with drizzled tahini. I’ve been forever fond of Maoz falafels, but these puppies make the aforementioned look like the McDonald’s of the Middle East. What I hoped would be an entrée felt more like an appetizer though. They forgot to bring me the promised pita bread with grilled vegetables and rice. Bastards. I’ll just have to dine in next time with a hidden machete. You know.

I just signed up for Unilocal.As Divan is one of my favourite local spots I couldn’t sign off without reviewing it. I enjoy the food so much… I actually just placed a delivery order. O.k. so here goes…
Divan is first and foremost inviting. You will be greeted by a smiling waiter (or the owner) the second you walk through the door. The place is very relaxing and nicely decorated with warm yellow and brick walls adorned with wine racks (even the white bathroom fixtures are lovingly hand painted). The hospitality doesn’t stop there as each table gets warm bread with oil and amazing spices.
The food is authenic, the portions are generous and the prices are right (you pay about 20% less if you use cash). Better yet, you can buy beer, wine or liquor on-​site or bring your own! This is a great place for dates or families.
Here are some of my favorite dishes:
— Shepard’s salad w/​feta (a small is more than enough for two people to share… but it is so good that I usually get a large and save the left-​overs for the next day)
— Doner Kebab Platter — a classic turkish dish (juicy marinated lamb shaved and served with rice, grilled tomato/​onions, a hot pepper, some amazing white yogurt sace and a flour tortilla wedge… I always ask for more tortillas)
— Chicken Shish– Kebab (quite possibly the juiciest grilled chicken pieces I have ever tasted)
— Chicken dumplings (mini chicken dumplings in a creamy white sauce… a heavier item so it is good to share).
— Baklava (honey dripped layers of delicious flakey pastry).
In the interest of full disclosure, on one of my many visits here my chicken was slightly undercooked. I pointed this out and it was taken back immediately with many apologies, a new meal as well as an additional credit on our bill. This situation couldn’t have been handled any better!
Hints:
* Bring cash (prices are 20% less) there is an ATM on site but it has a service fee
* Perfect happy hour spot (30% off drinks and certain other items 5−7pm)
* Food is 30% off the already low prices before 5pm
Happy eating!

I went here a few months ago. Its in the Graduate Hospital neighborhood and only about 2 blocks south you cross into Washington Ave into some sketchy place.
The service was good, the place was cozy on the inside, but Turkish food just isn’t my thing. It was nice to try once, plus they gave me a much needed magnet.

This is a great example of a restaurant where the head cook thinks their food is good when they serve it for their family, but it doesn’t have critical appeal. I wouldn’t go back here again.
I went here on 2-​January-​09 for dinner expecting some interesting food because I never ate at a Turkish restaurant but I am familiar with the style.
Throughout the meal, it looked and tasted like old people food; bland, overcooked and lamely presented. I didn’t taste any of the traditional «Turkish spices» they brag about on the menu. The falafel had no taste other than being fried. It tasted more like a hush puppy than falafel. However, the hummus was silky smooth and well flavored. The red lentil soup tasted like a watery lentil purée with no seasoning or spices. Just bland. The bread served with the appetizers was OK but nothing to rave about.
I had the Iskender platter and it was burned, the pita was stale and chewy and the sauce was bland. The Kayseri Manti was really good though. The flavors were bold and intense and well balanced between the lemon, mint and tomato. This dish is the reason why I gave this place 2 stars as opposed to 1. I really liked it.
I think this place is sorta trendy because it’s one of a few Turkish places in the city. Adventurous eaters like to try different cuisines and once another places does Turkish food better, I don’t think too many people will go to Divan.