Istanbul Shish Kabobs

Very good food at reasonable prices. We had the dinner for two. The salad, the kabobs and meats were tender and tasty. The Turkish coffee was great. The space has a retro diner vibe. Locals will remember it as the old Huddle House. I can see this being a good choice for carry out and catering for a party. I would give 5 Stars if there were desserts. Please add some Turkish sweets!

Beef shawarma was really good. Prices are great and was really impressed with the service. The waitress gave us some samples first and let us try all the sauces. 3 thumbs up. Will definitely come back.

The food is delicious, but don’t come if you’re in a rush. They forgot our french fries so we had our dinner in courses of sandwiches, then one order of fries, then the second order.
I got the falafel sandwich and it was really tasty. It was crunchy and the veggies were crisp. The fries weren’t anything special, precut and frozen. Hubs was impressed with the lamb sandwich.

It still has that huddle house feel but the food is great. Falafel sandwich, baba ganoush, and salad were all fantastic. Also the Turkish coffee is outstanding. They could use some more veggie or seafood options but I hope this place survives.

First off, it’s located in the old Huddle house so the décor is pretty much… Huddle house. If you’re looking for a fancy night out, this is not the place. It’s a diner.
The food was amazing and quite honestly, much better than all the other downtown fancier haunts that have a more comfortable setting. The kebabs were moist and fresh. Everything is cooked on charcoal and grilled perfectly. The hummus was delicious as was the salad we had. The pricing was fantastic; you can have a kebab sandwich which is a very ample serving for around $ 8. Definitely try the garlic sauce.
The service was very friendly and the place was clean. I just personally don’t like the diner setting so from now on I will be getting take-​outs. Couldnt be easier, being just off highway 17 at the base of the RaveneI bridge. I highly recommend the food.

I was looking forward to eating here. I was not expecting anything fancy, but thought that perhaps there could have been some touches that would make it look less like the old Huddle House and more like a Turkish restaurant. I ordered the Hummus Shawarma which was okay, but it was served with no bread. The meat had hard pieces of gristle in it and was lukewarm. Another person ordered the Beef Kabob sandwich which looked tasty enough. Our tea was not refilled. The staff were friendly but not particularly interested in how we were doing, and we were the only people dining in there so it wasn’t busy. I think this restaurant could be excellent with some extra touches. Add some warm bread. Refill the drinks. Make the menu more inviting. Put something into the interior to make it more like a Turkish dining experience. I realize that they just opened. But I am not going to go back until I see some evidence that it is better.

Went for lunch today with another couple. We all ordered the dinners that come with two sides and pita or rice. Service was very poor although everyone was very nice. It seems that one waitress was serving the entire place along with the chef who was trying to fill in to help. We ordered tea which came in a tiny glass cup. The kofta was dry and tasteless with the smallest drizzle of runny tzatziki unlike any I’ve tasted. No resemblance to Greek tzatziki. The lamb kebob suffered from the same lack of flavor and moistness. My husband felt it was neither marinated or seasoned at all.
I will say that the hummus was good. The salad was also fine but served without dressing and when asked was given an empty bottle and had to wait while some was made. The dressing is served in a squirt bottle and we were told to shake it up. To do that you’d have to put your finger on it. Not hygienic. The chef did accommodate us and grilled some peppers and onions.
Was this a bad day? Finally when most diners were gone, help arrived but too late. That could be excused but not tasteless entrees. Very disappointing!

Our visit was a very pleasant experience, with very friendly service and plenty of tasty menu items. Don’t hesitate to ask for information about any of the dishes; the staff was happy to answer.
We started with the pickle plate (pickles, olives, eggplant, and a few other things), as well as hummus and tabouli, and a round of Turkish tea – which, it turns out, tastes exactly like hot Southern sweet tea. It was actually quite good and it made me wonder why Southerners hadn’t gotten around to doing the same, at least in the cold winter months!
Next we had the papa (aka «baba») ganoush, kofta, garlic sauce, Turkish chicken kabobs, and Lamb kabobs. Then we finished off with a cup of rich, thick Turkish coffee.
NOTE: If you see a jar of marinated «chicken hearts» on the counter, try not to freak out and be sure to ask for a couple. They are actually super delicious pickled eggplants, stuffed with minced walnuts and (I think) raisins. Whatever, they were delicious. My girlfriend doesn’t like eggplant, or walnuts, or raisins, and she loved them!
While it would be great for there to be nicer décor, I realize it would take some considerable remodeling. Our only real complaint is that it seemed that the grill could have used more frequent wipe downs. I don’t mean that our food was dirty, just that it was nearing the end of the night and the meat flavors seemed a bit muddled.
We will definitely be returning for more soon.

This is a truly amazing restaurant. Recently opened but glad it did. I live in West Ashley and I’m glad I came over the bridge and experienced this special little place. All of the food is incredibly fresh and they have the best baba ganoush and hummus I have ever had. Get the lamb kabob dinner and skip the rice — you’ll want the pita bread to dip in the delicious sides. Say hi to the owner Eddie, he will take care of you like family. I can’t wait to come back!

This the best (only?) authentic kebab restaurant in the Charleston area. Almost hidden (see map) it is quite a little jewel of a discovery. Unlike other restaurants where much of the food price goes to pay for the décor, here your money buys you great food, clean, tasty, high-​quality ingredients. For instance the various meats (and I’ve tried them all) taste light and fresh — nicely seasoned, if anything a little too light (I need a little more salt /​spice on my stuff). Their French fries are fried in pure olive oil (try to find another restaurant that does this in the area — you will not), etc., etc. The Turkish kebab is amazing. So is their hot tea to drink with or after a meal. And they use real charcoal (again, try to find another restaurant at this price range that does it — you will not). Finally, the people are friendly and kind. You will feel as if you walked into a side street restaurant somewhere in Istanbul. What a lovely experience. I’m hooked — will come back again and again.

Saw the signage as they were opening and couldn’t wait. Finally made it here after a move at a nearby theater. Yes, it is an old Huddle House, but it was clean and bright. Wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our meal. She had the beef kabob with papa ganoush and greek salad, I had the mixed (lamb and beef) kofta/​köfte with hummus and greek salad. We also ordered a pita. The sides came out first, salad was good. Papa ganoush was outstanding, my wife loves egg plant, and I am not normally a fan, but it was very good. I’ve never had kofta before but found it very flavorful. The prices were reasonable, so we will definitely be back.

I’ve been waiting for this restaurant to open for couple of month. I luv middle eastern cuisine.
Today, my friend and I finally made it there for lunch. I have mixed feelings, mostly disappointment.
There is total absence of atmosphere, it’s Huddle House all over. They scrubbed the formica clean, so well that there are discolored spots. Same stools at the bar and same old vinil booths. They did add a charcoal grill in place of one of the old flat top grills. When they put few skewers on, place filled up with smoke.
Here are few lines about the food. It was pretty good. Chicken shishkebab is surprisingly juicy, beef kafta has nice spice. Pita is huge, totally flat, cold, tasteless. I ordered lamb shishkebab sandwich, it was wrapped so tight it was a fat cigar. No way, is there shishkebab pieces in there. I unwrapped it, and I was right, couldn’t find much meat. Not $ 9 worth of it for sure. They charge $ 3.99 for any sauce or side. We’re not going back.
For my money, next time I want middle eastern food, I’m driving a block up to Ali Baba’s.

The Kofta sandwich was amazing, their authentic way of preparation brought out some very good flavors.

Fantastic. Everything is fresh and affordable. The service was great. You must try the stuffed egg plant, beef kofta and Turkish coffee. We will be back.

Cross over the bridge in to Mount Pleasant. you would not be disappointed friendly staff excellent food come and see these guys The food is fresh and tasty I would definitely be back.

I was excited to see the signage for Istanbul Shish Kabobs from Johnnie Dodds. Charleston definitely has a shortage of affordable authentic ethnic restaurants. This is a great addition in that category! The service is friendly, the prices are very affordable, and as the location was previously a Huddle House, the vibe is relaxed and casual. I was torn between the Kofta and the Kabobs, as both were broiling over the charcoal grill in full display near my booth. Shawarma spits were also turning, which was tempting! I ended up getting the Kofta Dinner. All dinners are served with 2 sides along with rice or pita. I opted for hummus and taziki (their spelling!). Everything was delicious, and I can’t wait to come back and try the falafel sandwich. My only regret is that they didn’t offer a falafel app or side, nor do they have dessert. I would have definitely ordered if available!

Probably the most flavorful köfte around by far. I often go to Mediterranean restaurants in search of good Turkish food and I am in general disappointed with most, but I am impressed with this place!
I really enjoyed my meal, but I was a bit surprised by the menu as it seemed more Mediterranean/​middle eastern in influence with Turkish food as well. I had the Turkish Köfte which I believe was an adana kebab. It was delicious and I will definitely be back for more. I ordered a side of tatziki which would be the Greek version of the Turkish dish cacık. It was very fresh and delicious and much more like cacık than I expected by name.
The meat was very fresh and the staff was friendly. It’s been open for two days so I’m not going to be harsh on them! All in all its delicious and very flavorful. The setup is of corse an old huddle house which you can tell, but I like the booths that open into the kitchen because I feel like it’s easier for staff to refill my drinks. It was clean, the staff was friendly, and the food was good. I will be back and probably try one of everything on the menu over time!

Best beef kabob and kufta kabob we ever had. Tendor and delicious. Staff is friendly and prices are cheap for that type of food. Charcoal grilled dishes for $ 12 only.