Empire Turkish Grill- Pricey but Delicious

Restaurant: Empire Turkish Grill
12448 Memorial Drive, Houston, Texas 77024
Buffet or a-la-carte: a-la-carte
Date of visit: 5/31/14

Photo Credit: http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/03/b5/fa/94/empire-turkish-grill.jpg

Background: 

Salam/hey guys! Today I will be reviewing another Turkish restaurant that is in the Houston area. This one is Empire Turkish Grill. Empire Turkish Grill has been in business long before I moved to Houston from Saudi Arabia. Restaurant critics, including the Houston Chronicle's Alison Cook, have praised this restaurant for being excellent in quality and taste. Another interesting fact is that this is the first Turkish restaurant that I am reviewing that is not in the Interstate 610 Loop! The time came while I had family over from Dallas. My uncle was really interested in trying Turkish food, since the majority of restaurants there are mainly Indian/Pakistani. Since this was the closest Turkish restaurant to my house, I decided to take him here. After driving in the horrible weather, I arrived at the restaurant.

Let The Experience Begin!

The restaurant from the outside looks like many buildings in Memorial: large and swanky. The inside was a lot like a fine dining restaurant. There was actually a wine cellar, and a waiting area when the dining area is full. Everything was properly laid. We both got a table then got the menu. After going through the menu, we were ready to order.

Let's Eat!

We both ordered the $10.95 lunch specials. I got the filet mignon kebab with the lentil soup, while my uncle got the chicken kebab with shepard's salad and the lentil soup. All the kebabs came with vegetables and rice. I do not know how much the meal was as my uncle paid for it. The waiting time was 3 minutes and 24 seconds for the appetizers and 8 minutes for the entrees.

Regular Menu: http://www.empiretrgrill.com/menu.htm; Lunch special: http://www.empiretrgrill.com/LunchSpecials.pdf; Desserts: http://www.empiretrgrill.com/DessertMenu.pdf

Empire specials: http://www.empiretrgrill.com/EmpireSpecials.pdf

The menu is pricey! No kebab entrees are under $10! And there are no sandwiches offered in the restaurant. Heck, the mix grill is $26.95! I am thankful that they do the lunch specials, even on the weekend. Also, I like the idea of the meat combinations.

Turkish Bread

Lentil Soup

My uncle's chicken kebab

My filet mignon kebab

The Verdict:

So how did my uncle's first Turkish cuisine experience go? It went very well. He really liked the lentil soup, salad, and the chicken kebab. I really liked everything I had too. The filet mignon was cooked perfectly. The vegetables and rice were also very tasty. The food was washed down with a few glasses of water. Overall, two thumbs up.

The service was good too. The waitress we had was very helpful and very friendly. She confirmed that all the meat was halal to my uncle, since he was skeptical of it as the restaurant serves alcohol.

Conclusion:

Empire Turkish Grill is a great place to eat some authentic Turkish food. It may be expensive, but thankfully they have the nice affordable lunch special. No wonder all the food critics have nothing but praise for the restaurant. This place is ideal for anyone who wants to go for a special occasion. I would definitely come back if I crave for some Turkish food.

Grading: 

Service: 9/10

Food: 9/10

Waiting Time: 10/10
Overall: 28/30 = 93.3% (A)
Pricing: $$$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
Empire Turkish Grill
12448 Memorial Drive, Houston, Texas 77024
Phone: (713) 827-7475
Website: http://www.empiretrgrill.com/
Facebook: No
Timings: Mon-Thu: 11 AM - 9:30 PM; Fri" 11 AM - 10 PM; Sat: 12 PM - 10 PM; Sun: 12 PM - 9 PM
Caters: Yes



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Cheers!
Zain Mohammed