El Turco Turkish Food

"A charming cafe in Miami reminiscent of the Turkish Riviera, featuring a menu with lahmacun, shrimp casserole, and Kavurma-braised beef." - Ty Gaskins

"If you can't get a table at Mandolin (or just want something more casual) try El Turco, a Turkish restaurant in Upper Buena Vista. Though the food is pretty solid, this place is more about ambiance. Sitting outside is basically your only option, but it’s where you should be regardless. The best seats are in the little tiki hut next to a pretty spectacular banyan tree. There aren’t really any big misses on the menu, but definitely get one (or several) of the borek options. They don’t serve beer or wine, but you can buy a bottle from one of the cafes next door and they’ll give you a few glasses with no corkage fee." - ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo

"If you can't get a table at Mandolin (or just want something more casual) try El Turco, a Turkish restaurant in Upper Buena Vista. Though the food is pretty solid, this place is more about ambiance. Sitting outside is basically your only option, but it’s where you should be regardless. The best seats are in the little tiki hut next to a pretty spectacular banyan tree. There aren’t any big misses on the menu, but definitely get one (or several) of the borek options. They don’t serve beer or wine, but you can buy a bottle from one of the cafes next door and they’ll give you a few glasses with no corkage fee." - ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo

"This charming café, sheltered within a shopping enclave, hosts a loyal following at outdoor tables shaded by age-old oak trees. Inside, Chef Vural Aydoğan and team work out of a glass-walled kiosk, dressed up with blue-and-white tile as well as neatly lined cans and bottles.The menu is an enticing offering of breakfast fare, featuring organic eggs that support Turkish mezzes, manti and savory pastries like borek. Baked in-house, this burnished coil is stuffed with spinach, sprinkled with sesame seeds and garnished with cherry tomatoes. The izmir kofte arrives in a mini ceramic dish filled with beef meatballs baked in tomato sauce alongside batons of roasted potato. A single charred jalapeño adds the perfect bit of heat to each mouthful." - Michelin Inspector

"The only seating at this Turkish spot in Upper Buena Vista is outdoors. Your two choices are in a palapa or under the kitchen’s eave near a big banyan tree. Both have fans, and the palapa has a slightly better shade situation. But if you sit at a table by the banyan, you’ll have a view of the stage beneath it—where there’s an occasional bongo player and children scurry about like wild boar. If it’s one of those days where the humidity reaches 70%, cool down with a bowl of cacik—garlicky yogurt, shredded cucumbers, dill, and mint. " - ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo