I've been here a number of times already, and usually have ordered the kafta Kevin and one or another of the mezze, all of which have been delicious, freshly prepared and worthy of mention. For a la carte food and and atmosphere is give this place five stars. Today I had the buffet, somewhat of a disappointment but better than many. (Most rate two stars and so I usually avoid them, especially since quantity isn't my thing.) service, as seems often to be true here, was a little spotty--shall we say inattentive buy pleasant enough once I could get the attention of my waiter. Overall, I think this place deserved better than the 3.5 stars it gets--especially when I look around and compare this to the alternatives in Alpharetta.
(4)
Chetna P.
Love this place. Have cone here a gazillion tines for lunch. They are very friendly. It's a family owned place and cater to my veggie needs and any dieter restrictions I have. Sat nights there is hookah and belly dancing. Fun date night or GNO place.
(5)
Indie G.
I have been there so many times , never disappointed ! Very nice people with positive attitude I love their Roka salad with salmon and humus chicken wrap . Very tasty ...
(5)
I Am The K.
****DO NOT GO****. Rice pilaf: white rice and frozen (itty bitty) peas & carrots. Lamb: no taste & dry. The greek yogurt sauce did give it a little flavor. Tavuk Sote (Chicken) had no flavor. Purchased the deal on groupon therefore an 18% tip was added to the bill even though it was only 2 of us. I didn't care about that because I use to be a waitress. But the waiter never offered the complimentary pita bread, I read it on yelp and had seen others with it at their table. It wasn't busy at all (Saturday evening). Our waiter was slow. The other waiter seemed to be better. I wouldn't recommend this place and will never go back.
(1)
Ben S.
Perfect setting, helpful wait staff, and wonderful flavors in their food. We sat outside which is usually a smoking area but we beat the lunch rush so no smokers. Such a beautiful outside seating area. I think I could live there. Our waiter was very helpful and brought out two sizes of booster seats to get one that was just the right height. He helped me when I asked him how to pronounce the dish that I ordered. I will definitely be back.
(5)
Antoien J.
Had a great experience at cafe efendi The food was awesome and the hookah was really good
(5)
Lauren C.
HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE! Food was average! Not authentic or even a good representation! The rice pilaf was steamed white rice with frozen veggies and no seasonings also expensive prices for such small portions!!! The manager was RUDE! Myself and my coworkers went for lunch as a first time really excited --- the server was very nice but everything was downhill from there..they are certainly not in business to retain customers .... With Tzaitkis and Papoulis right down the road they should definitely step up their game!
(1)
Theja R.
Fun atmosphere, great people and wonderful food! Like dining with family! The doner kebab is outstanding as is the kafta. Hummus is a must try! High quality food at a reasonable price.
(5)
B D.
Outdoor seating in be middle of two parking lots but they still manage to make it an excellent ambience. Tried the moussaka and it was the best I ever had. Can't wait to go back and try more!
(5)
Jessica B.
I took a group here and the place was a colossal disaster. Past visits were fun but they cannot handle a group. The food was delivered haphazardly with some in our group being served 45 - 60 minutes after others were done eating. Chicken entrees were extremely dry. Drinks were not delivered so we had to go to bar and request. WORST of all is that when I addressed the issues with "management:" there was no improvement. I spoke to the manager a second time and he argued with me. No apology, no improvement, and nothing done to make things right. It took an hour to get our checks. Only after further insistence by someone else in our party did they finally take a small portion of the bill off. TERRIBLE service. Plus it was hot inside..the AC must not have been working. It made my daughter with asthma sick and she had to go home. We live locally and will not return.
(1)
Mariajose D.
I have heard about this place and I was dying to go so we went with my husband , the experience was terrible the waitress could never explain us the menu since was first time in, when he got order he forgot to ask our drinks and after waiting for so long I saw everyone eating pita, that he never offer I asked for and he said "ohh yeah I'll bring it to you"" then the food was really tasty, good flavor but very poor quantity, the plate was 29$ and had nothing but a lot of rice lettuce and cole slaw, never got my drink refilled, we will never go back and I'll tell someone who wants to go, don't throw your money there's better places
(1)
Nina S.
We stopped for a quick luck with my husband on a Saturday mid day and the place was empty...therefore we had all the attention of our waitress. We had a variety of meze and was all good. Tzatziki makes everything taste great and especially on my eggplant wrap(my choice for lunch), I simply loved this wrap and will go there again just for that! Thumbs up Cafe Efendi
(4)
Xan T.
We ordered vegetables, grilled chicken. The vegetables were ok but the chicken looked like bacon bits. We got the waitress. She remarked that she told the cook that the chicken was not grilled but served it anyway. Then we had a long discussion with the manager. She later offered to give salmon.
(1)
Joe B.
While Cafe Efendi is still good, and the Iskender is still a dish worth driving for, I'm sorry to say that the quality of the food has gone down since the restaurant changed locations. The pita's not nearly as good as it used to be, the other dishes seem to have taken a turn for the less-awesome, there are no belly dancers anymore, and the service is not as good. I still go, just not as often as I used to. It's kind of sad, really.
(3)
Tim R.
I'm not sure who is saying the food is awesome, but in fact it's pretty bland. Yes the kabobs are reasonable but really nothing has much flavor. I think there are much better choices for this type of food and we have been there 3 different times thinking " the last time was just ok, this time it will be better". That has not happened. The food is very basic and completely lacks flavor. It's very mediocre at best and unlikely to return.
(3)
Amanda D.
Cafe Efendi was the first place my boyfriend ever took me to lunch. Awwww right. We'd come here often because at the time he lived in Alpharetta and I would come for the weekend from Chattanooga. When he moved, we pretty much stopped going. I always thought about it but most of the times we'd ever be back up in Alpharetta, it wasn't lunch time. So needless to say it was pretty awesome that Hal even remembered my boyfriend when we came for Angela's UYE last month! They changed locations but the food was definitely the same. I like coming for lunch much better than dinner but that's also because I'm obsessed with falafel and gyro wraps. I tended to always get falafel before and it's pretty tasty. The gyro is good too. The fries aren't really remarkable but ever since having doner kebabs in Belgium and Germany I need them with a gyro! On the plus side they work better for me than a lot of other spots with gyros, too many of them use those weird battered fries. They have a scale of spiciness for a hot sauce on your wrap and it's definitely on the weaker side, at least for my tastes. I want to come back more!
(4)
Needa M.
This would be my third trip. The food was as delicious as the first time I tried it. Everything on the menu is worth trying. The spices are perfect, the meat tender, salad is fresh.. I have nothing bad to say about this place. If you like Mediterranean food, you should definitely try this place. Also, it is a perfect place to take your date.
(5)
Jani B.
I'd never heard of this place until they moved into their new Alpharetta location. The very first takeout meal we ordered was awesome. It was a chicken kabob, and the rice had veggies in it, along with their usual side salads. After that, things started to slowly go downhill. They changed the rice recipe and now it's a plainer rice/noodle thing with no veggies. Ok, so not too big a deal. Then the presentation went downhill and became just a bunch of stuff thrown into a to-go box. It's not enough to stop us from eating there, the food is tasty enough, but all of the above put together is just enough to keep me from raving about the place. I give it a solid "Meh."
(3)
Angela M.
Somehow I'd been to the old Cafe Efendi and yet forgotten to write a review! Good think Scoutmob had a deal to get me to organize a lunch UYE! Cafe Efendi is now in the space that was originally opened as Durty Kelly's. They've painted the walls and removed some of the details, but there's still a lot of dark wood, and on a bright September afternoon, it definitely felt cool and dark as soon as you entered through the large wooden doors. Looking at the menu, Amanda D's +1 explained that their dinner menu was pretty different that the lunch, which consisted primarily of wraps with a few entrees thrown in. I was tempted by the Mussaka, but ended up with the falafel, spice level 3, and fries. All of us opted for one sandwich/wrap or another. The hummus starter shared by the table was good, though not particularly spectacular in my opinion. The pita points served with it were a little on the tough side. The food came out pretty quickly. My falafel wrap was what I would consider just barely spicy, so if you like spice, I suggest you kick it up a notch. The individual components were good and blended well, but I mainly tasted the sauce of the yogurt and the spice. The portion was the perfect size for me. The fries were nothing special, and I probably would just order the side salad in the future. The service was great. The waiter was quicky and witty, kept our beverages refilled, split the checks with no problems. As we neared the end of our meals, I noticed the woman at the table next to ours sat down with a plate full of food. I inferred that there is actually a buffet, though I saw no mention of it or heard nothing from our server. That might be worth checking out in the future.
So far so good gonna try them again the chicken gyro was real good so was the french fries service was good even though it was not crowded place was clean gonna try them again on another dish and hopefully upgrade them to four stars
Scoutmob has a deal for Cafe Efendi right now so I decided to check it out. I'm glad I did. The food was pretty good. It wouldn't say amazing, though. I ordered the meat platter for my husband and son to share. The meats and chicken were a bit overcooked but did have a nice flavor. We also ordered the meze platter which was really, really good. The server was very nice. He came by several times to make sure we were enjoying everything and made several recommendations. I'll be back again!
Great food and stellar hospitality. They treat you like family. The Doner (Gyro) meat is made in house. My favorite is Adana kebab. Love this place. Updated 9/25/2014 Love this place - one of the best qualities of Efendi is the consistency! The dishes have the same flavor filled taste! Love this place.
(5)
Rock T.
Great Turkish restaurant! I had their delicious 'Adana sis kabab' . (be warned , it's SPICY!) Looking forward to going back and trying some other dishes.
(4)
Simone L.
We arrived for dinner around 9pm on Saturday night - there were children sitting on the floor in the entrance that the hostess had to move. (Also hookahs around?) The music kept switching from techno, Arabian, and Greek. We ordered hummus (which was very good) and mussels for an appetizer. Our server informed us they would take a long time and would come out with the entree. Why would you put something that takes a long time as an appetizer?? When it did come out the mussels were cold and the server spilled the sauce inches from my lap. When told that the mussels were cold they took them and returned them basically reheated - and chewy! The grilled chicken kabobs were good but nothing amazing. The staff looked like they had NO idea what was going on. Our server was at first very unhelpful, but then when he realized what a disaster our meal was started asking us if he should do something about it. (Um yes?). He kept taking things off the table prematurely - then got mad at me when I asked for the other half of my meal back. The table behind us was also audibly and visually upset when the server dismissed their requests by saying that they were not "officially open". Despite a blinking OPEN sign on the front of the building. They did themselves a HUGE disservice by opening when not fully prepared. Also BYOB.
(2)
Chuck R.
One of our 2 absolute favorite restaurants in Alpharetta. The doner kabob is perfect: they only serve it fresh which means the don't always have it. More of our faves: the efendi salad, karni yarek, adana sis kabob, and the sigara borek. Do yourself a favor and have the baklava, and on special occasions try out a hooka.
(5)
Yuri Y.
Bought Groupon and went to Efendi for Valentines day. Appears family owned and to be very nice people. My wife and younger son got their meal and we waited 20 minutes after for our meal to arrive. Some other table had been given our meal. My meal was a meat platter and was very bland. So much food and salad was stuffed onto one plate making it impossible to avoid messing the table. Apertizers were tasty. Bread was fresh. Sadly this was the best part of the evening for us. Service was very slow. We had no dinnerware. The romantic "live" music was pleasant. Point is, if you going to run a family restaurant its not fair to rely on relatives, if of course they were. Hire somebody that can run front of house and an experienced wait staff. Will I go back? Probably not........I'll check back on other feedback before I go back.
(2)
Cheryl S.
I've been here for dinner and for lunch. I have to admit I enjoyed lunch more than dinner. They have a pretty traditional "lunch" menu with a lot of the turkish favorites. But you can get any wrap as a sandwich only for $6 or $ 7 and upgrade to a combo for only $ 2 which gives you the choice of fries, garden salad or soup & a soft drink. The food is soooo fresh and tasty. Even the salad is not the old boring "house salad!" It has more greens and the house dressing is delicious. I enjoyed the garden salad with salmon and Falafel. The food is tasty and a good bang for the buck. For dinner I had Manti and tasted the Tavuk Sis Kebab (Chicken) which was oK. I will be returning with friends.
(5)
Anthony R.
Had a meeting there, the staff was friendly, the food delicious and the owner welcoming and gracious. Cafe Efendi is great for a weekend dinner with friends or a lunch meeting. Anthony.
(5)
Josh A.
Let me start by saying that my knowledge of "Mediterranean" is limited to Gyro, so I am far from an expert on the cuisine. That being said, a review must be written, and I am just the fella to do it. Ordered the Doner wrap (gyro) with fries, spicy level 2. When the food arrived I asked for Ranch dressing (I like to dip fries in ranch and sometimes my gyro) and was appalled when the bar tender nicely told me they did not have any. How can Ranch Dressing not be considered Mediterranean?? /sarcasm. Anyways, I dig into the food and my first impressions were "meh". The Gyro tasted dry and the whole thing lacked flavor. I took another bite and boom, flavor explosion. The gyro was tender and I got a bite with some of the chili sauce they use for the heat and it was great. I was happy that I did not stop at the first impression. The fries were no bueno, as they were just the standard frozen thick fries with no seasoning so I will probably get a different side next time. Apparently, they have a small buffet on Fridays that I may have to check out as well. The wait staff were all very nice and helpful and I am excited about a return trip.
(3)
Priya K.
The food is OK. But, the restaurant came out with a C for health inspection rating!
(2)
Sai P.
Its a neat small mediterranean grill on main st alpharetta. The appetizers are great, food is also good.
(4)
Jeffy C.
The Iskender Kabob was massive and fantastically delicious! Our waitress was great and the decor is really fun. The best mediterranean food I've ever had. This place is a keeper, You MUST try the KUNUFE for dessert! It's brilliant! Never had it so good. I highly recommend. I can't wait to come back. The grand opening of the new location is in a few weeks, I'm sure it'll be just as scrumptious, especially when they get their liquor licence.
(5)
Genenot I.
What an awful experience! My entree was fine, not so for my wife. The waiter came back a few minutes after taking her order and told her they didn't have what she ordered. She inquired if the lamb was tender. OH YES! said the waiter. WRONG. She couldn't cut it with a steak knife. The cheif/Manager came out and told her I do not marinate my meat..I would not serve it to my family that way! So, the finally offered to sub and she asked for the ground lamb.They took her whole plate, even tho she had other items to eat, and sat there w/o food for apx 20 minutes. The ground lamb was WAY over-cooked and tough. When the bill came, SURPRISE! They charged us for BOTH the entree they took back and the 2nd, overcooked one. After calling it to their attention they took the 1st one off. BAD service, BAD food, BAD experience..we will NOT be back. Too many good choices just up the road on Winward Pky.
(1)
Dena D.
Efendi has REOPENED!! It's about a mile north of downtown Alpharetta square. Location info: 488 North Main St, Alpharetta 30009-- PHONE 770-360-8014
(4)
Chris C.
go to Jerusalem bakery down old milton instead of this place. falafel was not good, ingredients were just generic lettuce and tomatoes, not fresh wrap.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Bike Parking : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Paid Has TV : No Caters : Yes
Reginald W.
I've been here a number of times already, and usually have ordered the kafta Kevin and one or another of the mezze, all of which have been delicious, freshly prepared and worthy of mention. For a la carte food and and atmosphere is give this place five stars. Today I had the buffet, somewhat of a disappointment but better than many. (Most rate two stars and so I usually avoid them, especially since quantity isn't my thing.) service, as seems often to be true here, was a little spotty--shall we say inattentive buy pleasant enough once I could get the attention of my waiter. Overall, I think this place deserved better than the 3.5 stars it gets--especially when I look around and compare this to the alternatives in Alpharetta.
(4)Chetna P.
Love this place. Have cone here a gazillion tines for lunch. They are very friendly. It's a family owned place and cater to my veggie needs and any dieter restrictions I have. Sat nights there is hookah and belly dancing. Fun date night or GNO place.
(5)Indie G.
I have been there so many times , never disappointed ! Very nice people with positive attitude I love their Roka salad with salmon and humus chicken wrap . Very tasty ...
(5)I Am The K.
****DO NOT GO****. Rice pilaf: white rice and frozen (itty bitty) peas & carrots. Lamb: no taste & dry. The greek yogurt sauce did give it a little flavor. Tavuk Sote (Chicken) had no flavor. Purchased the deal on groupon therefore an 18% tip was added to the bill even though it was only 2 of us. I didn't care about that because I use to be a waitress. But the waiter never offered the complimentary pita bread, I read it on yelp and had seen others with it at their table. It wasn't busy at all (Saturday evening). Our waiter was slow. The other waiter seemed to be better. I wouldn't recommend this place and will never go back.
(1)Ben S.
Perfect setting, helpful wait staff, and wonderful flavors in their food. We sat outside which is usually a smoking area but we beat the lunch rush so no smokers. Such a beautiful outside seating area. I think I could live there. Our waiter was very helpful and brought out two sizes of booster seats to get one that was just the right height. He helped me when I asked him how to pronounce the dish that I ordered. I will definitely be back.
(5)Antoien J.
Had a great experience at cafe efendi The food was awesome and the hookah was really good
(5)Lauren C.
HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE! Food was average! Not authentic or even a good representation! The rice pilaf was steamed white rice with frozen veggies and no seasonings also expensive prices for such small portions!!! The manager was RUDE! Myself and my coworkers went for lunch as a first time really excited --- the server was very nice but everything was downhill from there..they are certainly not in business to retain customers .... With Tzaitkis and Papoulis right down the road they should definitely step up their game!
(1)Theja R.
Fun atmosphere, great people and wonderful food! Like dining with family! The doner kebab is outstanding as is the kafta. Hummus is a must try! High quality food at a reasonable price.
(5)B D.
Outdoor seating in be middle of two parking lots but they still manage to make it an excellent ambience. Tried the moussaka and it was the best I ever had. Can't wait to go back and try more!
(5)Jessica B.
I took a group here and the place was a colossal disaster. Past visits were fun but they cannot handle a group. The food was delivered haphazardly with some in our group being served 45 - 60 minutes after others were done eating. Chicken entrees were extremely dry. Drinks were not delivered so we had to go to bar and request. WORST of all is that when I addressed the issues with "management:" there was no improvement. I spoke to the manager a second time and he argued with me. No apology, no improvement, and nothing done to make things right. It took an hour to get our checks. Only after further insistence by someone else in our party did they finally take a small portion of the bill off. TERRIBLE service. Plus it was hot inside..the AC must not have been working. It made my daughter with asthma sick and she had to go home. We live locally and will not return.
(1)Mariajose D.
I have heard about this place and I was dying to go so we went with my husband , the experience was terrible the waitress could never explain us the menu since was first time in, when he got order he forgot to ask our drinks and after waiting for so long I saw everyone eating pita, that he never offer I asked for and he said "ohh yeah I'll bring it to you"" then the food was really tasty, good flavor but very poor quantity, the plate was 29$ and had nothing but a lot of rice lettuce and cole slaw, never got my drink refilled, we will never go back and I'll tell someone who wants to go, don't throw your money there's better places
(1)Nina S.
We stopped for a quick luck with my husband on a Saturday mid day and the place was empty...therefore we had all the attention of our waitress. We had a variety of meze and was all good. Tzatziki makes everything taste great and especially on my eggplant wrap(my choice for lunch), I simply loved this wrap and will go there again just for that! Thumbs up Cafe Efendi
(4)Xan T.
We ordered vegetables, grilled chicken. The vegetables were ok but the chicken looked like bacon bits. We got the waitress. She remarked that she told the cook that the chicken was not grilled but served it anyway. Then we had a long discussion with the manager. She later offered to give salmon.
(1)Joe B.
While Cafe Efendi is still good, and the Iskender is still a dish worth driving for, I'm sorry to say that the quality of the food has gone down since the restaurant changed locations. The pita's not nearly as good as it used to be, the other dishes seem to have taken a turn for the less-awesome, there are no belly dancers anymore, and the service is not as good. I still go, just not as often as I used to. It's kind of sad, really.
(3)Tim R.
I'm not sure who is saying the food is awesome, but in fact it's pretty bland. Yes the kabobs are reasonable but really nothing has much flavor. I think there are much better choices for this type of food and we have been there 3 different times thinking " the last time was just ok, this time it will be better". That has not happened. The food is very basic and completely lacks flavor. It's very mediocre at best and unlikely to return.
(3)Amanda D.
Cafe Efendi was the first place my boyfriend ever took me to lunch. Awwww right. We'd come here often because at the time he lived in Alpharetta and I would come for the weekend from Chattanooga. When he moved, we pretty much stopped going. I always thought about it but most of the times we'd ever be back up in Alpharetta, it wasn't lunch time. So needless to say it was pretty awesome that Hal even remembered my boyfriend when we came for Angela's UYE last month! They changed locations but the food was definitely the same. I like coming for lunch much better than dinner but that's also because I'm obsessed with falafel and gyro wraps. I tended to always get falafel before and it's pretty tasty. The gyro is good too. The fries aren't really remarkable but ever since having doner kebabs in Belgium and Germany I need them with a gyro! On the plus side they work better for me than a lot of other spots with gyros, too many of them use those weird battered fries. They have a scale of spiciness for a hot sauce on your wrap and it's definitely on the weaker side, at least for my tastes. I want to come back more!
(4)Needa M.
This would be my third trip. The food was as delicious as the first time I tried it. Everything on the menu is worth trying. The spices are perfect, the meat tender, salad is fresh.. I have nothing bad to say about this place. If you like Mediterranean food, you should definitely try this place. Also, it is a perfect place to take your date.
(5)Jani B.
I'd never heard of this place until they moved into their new Alpharetta location. The very first takeout meal we ordered was awesome. It was a chicken kabob, and the rice had veggies in it, along with their usual side salads. After that, things started to slowly go downhill. They changed the rice recipe and now it's a plainer rice/noodle thing with no veggies. Ok, so not too big a deal. Then the presentation went downhill and became just a bunch of stuff thrown into a to-go box. It's not enough to stop us from eating there, the food is tasty enough, but all of the above put together is just enough to keep me from raving about the place. I give it a solid "Meh."
(3)Angela M.
Somehow I'd been to the old Cafe Efendi and yet forgotten to write a review! Good think Scoutmob had a deal to get me to organize a lunch UYE! Cafe Efendi is now in the space that was originally opened as Durty Kelly's. They've painted the walls and removed some of the details, but there's still a lot of dark wood, and on a bright September afternoon, it definitely felt cool and dark as soon as you entered through the large wooden doors. Looking at the menu, Amanda D's +1 explained that their dinner menu was pretty different that the lunch, which consisted primarily of wraps with a few entrees thrown in. I was tempted by the Mussaka, but ended up with the falafel, spice level 3, and fries. All of us opted for one sandwich/wrap or another. The hummus starter shared by the table was good, though not particularly spectacular in my opinion. The pita points served with it were a little on the tough side. The food came out pretty quickly. My falafel wrap was what I would consider just barely spicy, so if you like spice, I suggest you kick it up a notch. The individual components were good and blended well, but I mainly tasted the sauce of the yogurt and the spice. The portion was the perfect size for me. The fries were nothing special, and I probably would just order the side salad in the future. The service was great. The waiter was quicky and witty, kept our beverages refilled, split the checks with no problems. As we neared the end of our meals, I noticed the woman at the table next to ours sat down with a plate full of food. I inferred that there is actually a buffet, though I saw no mention of it or heard nothing from our server. That might be worth checking out in the future.
(3)Jack M.
Don't know why I don't give it 5 stars, but I can give it 4.5 stars. I had Mantı as an appetizer and Iskender Kebab as my entrée. Both were outstanding! My only afterthought is that I wish I had ordered a small side salad. Then I would have taken some of the Iskender Kebab home. The baklava that I had for dessert was very good, sweet & moist. Oh yes, we were made to feel extremely welcome! I've only eaten here once, but can't wait to return.
(4)Ali F.
So far so good gonna try them again the chicken gyro was real good so was the french fries service was good even though it was not crowded place was clean gonna try them again on another dish and hopefully upgrade them to four stars
(3)Vaughan M.
I find it interesting that while most restaurants get their share of mixed reviews, Cafe Efendi seems to garner extremes - love it, or hate it! Given that, we first tried this place for lunch a couple of weeks ago, and liked it very much! Excellent, attentive service, a great menu, nice setting and, most important, excellent food! So last night we tried Cafe Efendi for dinner. Again, we were delighted! I'm not Turkish, so I can't say definitively, "this is real Turkish food", but we've recently been to Turkey, and over the years have eaten a lot of Turkish, Greek (yes, I know these are not the same food, but there are similarities) and the euphemistically called 'Mediterranean food'. (Think about that term for a moment - imagine 'American barbeque' then think of Texas bbq compared with Memphis bbq compared with Georgia, etc., and you see what a meaningless term 'American bbq' would be!) Anyway, THIS IS TURKISH FOOD! And it is delicious! The service is excellent - friendly, helpful, welcoming and attentive. No, to some reviewer's complaints, it's not super-fast. But if you want that, go to MacDonald's, not to a real restaurant where you are expected to savor your food and enjoy the evening! For appetizers, we had the Hummus, Antep Ezme (spicy chilli paste with tomato, onions & parsley and Midye (mussels sautéed in a spicy tomato sauce), accompanied by Turkish Reki - delicious liquor not unlike Ouzo or Absenthe. For main course, we had a Döner Garden Salad and Adana Şiş Kebab (ground lamb with spicy herbs, grilled on a skewer and served with rice pilaf and salad). It was all delicious! We ended the meal with Baklava and, of course, a thick hot cup of Turkish coffee. All reasonably priced and thoroughly enjoyable. The only negative - the live music was excellent - a very accomplished keyboard player on a Korg synthesizer playing authentic regional music - but the music was TOO LOUD! This led to the diners raising their voices to be heard - after all, they were there for the food and conversation, not for a musical concert - so the whole place was noisier than it should be. Message to the owners - please keep the music, but turn it down to a background volume!
(4)Nic K.
Scoutmob has a deal for Cafe Efendi right now so I decided to check it out. I'm glad I did. The food was pretty good. It wouldn't say amazing, though. I ordered the meat platter for my husband and son to share. The meats and chicken were a bit overcooked but did have a nice flavor. We also ordered the meze platter which was really, really good. The server was very nice. He came by several times to make sure we were enjoying everything and made several recommendations. I'll be back again!
(4)Ariel M.
Edit 07/25/2012 - changing 2 stars to 1 because last night THEY TRASHED MY NEIGHBORHOOD. When I went out to my car this morning they had put flyers under the wipers of every windshield in the parking lot. This is a gated community and is marked as soliciting not allowed, so they knew it was a no-no. If they have to resort to behavior like that to drum up business, they must be hurting worse than ever. Maybe improving the food would go a lot further than leaving bits of Xeroxed paper all over my (otherwise nice and clean) apartment complex. And yes, I did call and tell them I was displeased. - I enjoyed the Cafe a few times in their old Alpharetta location, and was excited at the idea of introducing my fiancé to Mediterranean cuisine as a treat on his birthday. As it fell on a Friday I made sure to make a reservation. I wish at the time I had been told they did not yet have a liquor license, but no matter. Just a detail, but it would have been nice to know. Well, no need for a reservation I found - when we arrived there were only a few other diners and the hostess seemed unaware (or really all that interested) we had a reservation. She asked if we had dined there before and I answered yes, but at the older location but Philip was a newbie. Her answer was a vague smile and "oh". Hmm. I would have expected at least a semi-interested comment but maybe she didn't know what to say. I was also a little surprised there was no music playing, as I remembered the cheerful atmosphere of the old place with fun music and dancers who came to the table. Not here, at least not on THAT Friday night. We ordered appetizers which arrived shortly enough, but to my surprise the Meze Sampler was bland and presented in a rather haphazard manner, just "stuff on a plate". The bread was unexceptional as well, nothing like I remembered it from my previous meals. We ate sparingly and I could tell Philip was thinking "so what has she been fussing about?" After that we were either forgotten or perhaps the waitstaff were just assuming someone else was responsible for our food. I had to flag down our waiter to ask that our order be taken. He was apologetic about the wait - nobody was ever impolite to us, I'd like to stress that - but that didn't seem to ensure that our order was expedited because it was *40 minutes* before our food arrived and that was only after it had been delivered to the table next to us first. Gordon Ramsay (okay, just because he said it don't discount it, haha) has said that when a diner sees his/her food put in front of another first, the diner feels like they're being given second-hand food, and that's exactly how we felt. The couple who received our food seemed a bit embarrassed, though it certainly wasn't their fault! Again, the waiter apologized and I appreciated that, but by this time I was hungry and wanted to forget the tasteless appetizer and tuck in to the mantu I had ordered. Philip got the Doner Kebab. Um... the mantu Not Good. The dough was gummy and had a really unpleasant mouth-feel to it and again - utterly bland. Bland? The last word you'd expect to use for Mediterranean cuisine! Philip told me later his kebab was "okay" and you could tell he was being polite. So after indifferent service, bland food and a huge wait, I simply asked for the bill. I was then subjected to the waiter trying to explain to me why everything took so long, why he had mixed up the tables ("the other lady ordered the same thing" - oh great, sorry I'm so interchangable with any other female...) and asked FOUR TIMES why I didn't eat more food, until I finally just said "PLEASE drop it and bring the check, okay?" I was uncomfortable and just wanted to pay for the dud-of-a-dinner and get out of there. I did tip the gentleman - as I said, he was apologetic even if a bit of a barnacle when it did NOT count - but my hopes of a spectacular birthday cuisine surprise for Philip went over with all the sparkle of stale ginger ale. Sixty bucks before gratuity and the best part, as I read another Yelper put it elsewhere, was leaving. The lack of customers at prime time on a Friday, the head-scratchingly indifferent service, the lack of ambience, the lackluster food... what happened, Cafe Efendi? You were once a spirited place! I appreciate your staff being polite, but I'd have appreciated hot, yummy food a lot more. It really pains me to rate this 2 stars, as I would have rated it 5 in the past.
(1)Anthony P.
Great food and stellar hospitality. They treat you like family. The Doner (Gyro) meat is made in house. My favorite is Adana kebab. Love this place. Updated 9/25/2014 Love this place - one of the best qualities of Efendi is the consistency! The dishes have the same flavor filled taste! Love this place.
(5)Rock T.
Great Turkish restaurant! I had their delicious 'Adana sis kabab' . (be warned , it's SPICY!) Looking forward to going back and trying some other dishes.
(4)Simone L.
We arrived for dinner around 9pm on Saturday night - there were children sitting on the floor in the entrance that the hostess had to move. (Also hookahs around?) The music kept switching from techno, Arabian, and Greek. We ordered hummus (which was very good) and mussels for an appetizer. Our server informed us they would take a long time and would come out with the entree. Why would you put something that takes a long time as an appetizer?? When it did come out the mussels were cold and the server spilled the sauce inches from my lap. When told that the mussels were cold they took them and returned them basically reheated - and chewy! The grilled chicken kabobs were good but nothing amazing. The staff looked like they had NO idea what was going on. Our server was at first very unhelpful, but then when he realized what a disaster our meal was started asking us if he should do something about it. (Um yes?). He kept taking things off the table prematurely - then got mad at me when I asked for the other half of my meal back. The table behind us was also audibly and visually upset when the server dismissed their requests by saying that they were not "officially open". Despite a blinking OPEN sign on the front of the building. They did themselves a HUGE disservice by opening when not fully prepared. Also BYOB.
(2)Chuck R.
One of our 2 absolute favorite restaurants in Alpharetta. The doner kabob is perfect: they only serve it fresh which means the don't always have it. More of our faves: the efendi salad, karni yarek, adana sis kabob, and the sigara borek. Do yourself a favor and have the baklava, and on special occasions try out a hooka.
(5)Yuri Y.
Bought Groupon and went to Efendi for Valentines day. Appears family owned and to be very nice people. My wife and younger son got their meal and we waited 20 minutes after for our meal to arrive. Some other table had been given our meal. My meal was a meat platter and was very bland. So much food and salad was stuffed onto one plate making it impossible to avoid messing the table. Apertizers were tasty. Bread was fresh. Sadly this was the best part of the evening for us. Service was very slow. We had no dinnerware. The romantic "live" music was pleasant. Point is, if you going to run a family restaurant its not fair to rely on relatives, if of course they were. Hire somebody that can run front of house and an experienced wait staff. Will I go back? Probably not........I'll check back on other feedback before I go back.
(2)Cheryl S.
I've been here for dinner and for lunch. I have to admit I enjoyed lunch more than dinner. They have a pretty traditional "lunch" menu with a lot of the turkish favorites. But you can get any wrap as a sandwich only for $6 or $ 7 and upgrade to a combo for only $ 2 which gives you the choice of fries, garden salad or soup & a soft drink. The food is soooo fresh and tasty. Even the salad is not the old boring "house salad!" It has more greens and the house dressing is delicious. I enjoyed the garden salad with salmon and Falafel. The food is tasty and a good bang for the buck. For dinner I had Manti and tasted the Tavuk Sis Kebab (Chicken) which was oK. I will be returning with friends.
(5)Anthony R.
Had a meeting there, the staff was friendly, the food delicious and the owner welcoming and gracious. Cafe Efendi is great for a weekend dinner with friends or a lunch meeting. Anthony.
(5)Josh A.
Let me start by saying that my knowledge of "Mediterranean" is limited to Gyro, so I am far from an expert on the cuisine. That being said, a review must be written, and I am just the fella to do it. Ordered the Doner wrap (gyro) with fries, spicy level 2. When the food arrived I asked for Ranch dressing (I like to dip fries in ranch and sometimes my gyro) and was appalled when the bar tender nicely told me they did not have any. How can Ranch Dressing not be considered Mediterranean?? /sarcasm. Anyways, I dig into the food and my first impressions were "meh". The Gyro tasted dry and the whole thing lacked flavor. I took another bite and boom, flavor explosion. The gyro was tender and I got a bite with some of the chili sauce they use for the heat and it was great. I was happy that I did not stop at the first impression. The fries were no bueno, as they were just the standard frozen thick fries with no seasoning so I will probably get a different side next time. Apparently, they have a small buffet on Fridays that I may have to check out as well. The wait staff were all very nice and helpful and I am excited about a return trip.
(3)Priya K.
The food is OK. But, the restaurant came out with a C for health inspection rating!
(2)Sai P.
Its a neat small mediterranean grill on main st alpharetta. The appetizers are great, food is also good.
(4)Jeffy C.
The Iskender Kabob was massive and fantastically delicious! Our waitress was great and the decor is really fun. The best mediterranean food I've ever had. This place is a keeper, You MUST try the KUNUFE for dessert! It's brilliant! Never had it so good. I highly recommend. I can't wait to come back. The grand opening of the new location is in a few weeks, I'm sure it'll be just as scrumptious, especially when they get their liquor licence.
(5)Genenot I.
What an awful experience! My entree was fine, not so for my wife. The waiter came back a few minutes after taking her order and told her they didn't have what she ordered. She inquired if the lamb was tender. OH YES! said the waiter. WRONG. She couldn't cut it with a steak knife. The cheif/Manager came out and told her I do not marinate my meat..I would not serve it to my family that way! So, the finally offered to sub and she asked for the ground lamb.They took her whole plate, even tho she had other items to eat, and sat there w/o food for apx 20 minutes. The ground lamb was WAY over-cooked and tough. When the bill came, SURPRISE! They charged us for BOTH the entree they took back and the 2nd, overcooked one. After calling it to their attention they took the 1st one off. BAD service, BAD food, BAD experience..we will NOT be back. Too many good choices just up the road on Winward Pky.
(1)Dena D.
Efendi has REOPENED!! It's about a mile north of downtown Alpharetta square. Location info: 488 North Main St, Alpharetta 30009-- PHONE 770-360-8014
(4)Chris C.
go to Jerusalem bakery down old milton instead of this place. falafel was not good, ingredients were just generic lettuce and tomatoes, not fresh wrap.
(2)