Turkish Market & Deli — Restaurant in Knoxville

I got the Sultans plater #3 and my family all got Doner kebab plater #1. The food was great to taste except 1 item on the Sultans plater that I did not like it was not listed when I looked up each name individually it was sweet and looked like rainbow apple sauce. The restaurant was a friendly environment, it was small with pictures of Turkey. We were welcomed in and the owners were ready to help. However I look places up before going so had an idea of what I wanted before arriving. So the 2 stars is for the foods taste as well as the friendliness of the staff. The missing stars are because I felt shorted on the meat with my plate and portion based off the pictures so that was a disappointing. The #1 is also a bit deceiving because there is actually a pile of rice under it so you are not getting all the meat (gyro) that is pictured. You also go get your drink from a cooler and you clean up your own table when finished setting the plates on the counter. However you pay after you eat so they can put a tipping scale on your receipt for the meal they simply put on the plate. The tipping scale is as if you went to a restaurant and were served food, drinks, and table cleared, but that is not the case. So again the food was good to taste but the portions are small and the tip is odd for the way it's set up. Don't let the pictures decive you. We do recommend with you knowing what I shared above. As you can see from my picture the meat is SMALL compared to the other items on the plate and...

I was in Knoxville for business, and as someone who is Turkish and grew up in Turkey, I wanted to try some Turkish food while I was in town. This place was the only Turkish restaurant I could find, so I decided to give it a try. I ordered döner with pilav (rice), but unfortunately, it was a huge disappointment. What I was served tasted exactly like the pre-packaged gyro meat you can find at Costco, Trader Joe’s, or other grocery stores. It might have even been frozen döner ordered online from a site like Moda though I doubt it, because even that would’ve tasted better. I noticed the döner machine behind the counter was spotless and unused, which should’ve been a red flag. I didn’t watch the preparation because I wasn’t expecting such poor quality. Right after I ordered, a woman came in and asked for the same dish. That’s when I heard the microwave beep and everything made sense. I’ve had Turkish food in many cities across the U.S. New Jersey (the best), Chicago (a close second), San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, Orlando, and Los Angeles. This was, by far, the worst Turkish food I’ve ever had. I had high hopes because of the glowing reviews, but I now realize most locals probably have no idea what authentic döner is, which is why they think this place is great. If there were any real competition in town, it would be clear how far off the mark this...

I was famished after the wifey and I made the drive to her friend's home in Knoxville. A quick search around the area led me to this eatery, a proper hole in the wall as I like it! Located in a very busy and crowded strip mall area, parking was scarce on a Saturday lunch hour. The owner/dad (assuming here) was the cook and not wearing a mask, while his daughter and son (assuming again) were, they were the order taker and packaging people. I ordered a plate of donner kebab, with an extra side of hummus. The portions were reasonable, the beef donner on a bed of rice was hot, tasty, and seasoned appropriately. The hummus and salad were without fault. I only had a little beef with the side of hummus (not pictured), it was on a bigger container and only included half a pita bread. For that much hummus I needed at LEAST a full circle of bread! The baklava was very sweet and indulgent; I downed 3 in a span of 1 hour without hesitation! Overall, a very satisfying meal at a reasonable price. They also had a small section with Turkish groceries and it warmed my heart to see Memhet Effendi coffee from Istanbul on the shelf....