Cafe Demir, Home Style Turkish Cuisine

Last Thursday night, a bunch of my friends came down to mourn the passing of my father-in-law at the funeral home at Lincoln, Southport and Wellington. We went to dinner at a restaurant just south of Wellington on Lincoln:

Cafe Demir
2964 N Lincoln
Chicago, IL 60657
773-755-6721
Tue-Sun 11AM-11PM

We were the only paying customers in past 8PM, but there were several carry-out orders during our stay. The restaurant was open to the street on a beautiful evening. It's pretty small, not much to speak of in decor, basically looks like a European cafe.

The appetizers at the table included red lentil soup, thick and fragrant, humus (a little thinner than most, very flavorful), and the bread on the table was more like a rustic bread than pita: thick, crunchy, dimpled, with lemon, herbs and oil in saucers for dipping. Tea was red in color and very soothing, served in small glasses.

They were out of a couple of the entrees, including the Manti (tortellini in yoghurt and red sauce) and Doner Kebap (labeled as turkish gyros).

I wasn't very hungry, and split the Turkish Meze Plate (feta, kashar cheese, olives, sucuk sausage (sort of a pepperoni) and homemade pastirma (like a pastrami with cumin, nice cured flavor) and the Adana Kebap. The latter was delicious: logs of ground lamb with a garlicky tomato sauce served on chunks of toasted bread, with fresh yoghurt on the side.

Others at the table had Tavuk Kebap (chicken), Tavuk Bacagih (broiled chicken drumsticks), chicken salad, Lamb Adana Kebap (same as above without the sauce). Ten of us ate (8 entrees) for a little over $150 with tip. They comp'ed us the tea and a rice pudding for our friend's daughter. The food was delicious, the service very good except a little slow getting the check taken care of (apparently they couldn't ring through a credit card for more than $100).

There's lots of other mediterranean/middle eastern/turkish in that area, but I'd go back to this place again.

I've always liked Demir - simple, well prepared, authentic Turkish cuisine (authentic to my taste, though I've never been to Turkey, I lived in and amongst Berlin's immense Turkish population for a long time. An ex-girlfriend of mine, from Istanbul, also favored Demir to the other Turkish eateries in town). The only problem is that the inside part of the restaurant is kind of dreary and cramped. The outdoor garden is the second best reason to go there, so better get a meal in while you can.

Da Rebbe

I eat there often and am usually happy with the food, quick service and friendly owner (I think his name is Yasar). I especially like the ezme, (roasted red peppers chopped with walnuts, garlic, spices and olive oil) and Doner (the lamb, not the chicken). My wife is a fan of their lentil soup (I long for the version served at the now closed Cafe Phoenicia on Halsted). Their bread is terrific and they sometimes have specials that stand out. Once I had a braised lamb shank at Demir that I still think about wistfully....

I've been to all the Turkish restaurants in Chicago and know a bit about Turkish food, having received many cooking lessons from my authentic Turkish mother in law. Demir is the restaurant we consistently return to. It is the cheapest Turkish restaurant in town, and we believe the best. Their ezme is very good, as is their doner, lentil soup, and just about everything they have. I wish their adana kebab was a bit spicier (I like spicy food), but I usually order ezme with it and make it spicier to my taste. When you get the bread fresh out of the oven, it is the BEST. For a fun experience, try going on the weekends for brunch except during the summer and around the year end. Have your brunch and watch Turkish soccer on satellite TV at the same time. There is also a very nice patio during the summer. I have taken many friends there, and everyone likes it. The service is good and Yashar the owner is very friendly. I have never gone wrong with Demir, and I generally eat there at least twice a month.

I've been to Demir, and I thought it was good (and it's BYOB - a big plus in my book), but my fave Turkish place is Turkish Cuisine & Bakery 5605 N. Clark St., Chicago (also BYOB). Bigger menu there, as I recall.

Also good for Turkish is Topkapi 2544 W. Peterson St., Chicago, (773) 274-997