They sent a coupon for $15 off 2 dinner entrees so incentive to go back!!!
(5)
Tonya C.
We tried this place for the first time last night and were blown away by the quality of the food. We had grape leaves and crispy phyllo cheese rolls to start off, the ottoman dish (for two) with the bulgur pilaf, oriental rice, and a side dish of carrots and zucchini. We finished our meal with the orange creme brulee and the pineapple rice pudding. Everything we tried was perfectly prepared and presented. The service was top-notch. And the jazz pianist entertaining everyone added a lovely touch to the evening. We will absolutely be returning.
(5)
Gol Y.
The best Mediterraneanfood in town... The food is our of this world and the waitress is friendly. :)
(5)
Stephen S.
Ate here a few times. Eh. Just doesn't stand out. And service was not consitent and neither was the food. Don't see this place making it much longer.
(2)
Brian G.
I realize this review runs contrary to a lot of the reviews of this restaurant, but my girlfriend and I went here the other weekend and had bad service and bad food. I had the Doner, which wasn't bad, but she is way more experienced in Mediterranean food than I am. I think she had the Sis Tavuk and it was really dismal. Seemed like a good atmosphere, and I really liked the music playing inside. Might have just been an off night.
(2)
Claude S.
This was our second time dining at The Tulip and it was delightful. As it was New Years Eve celebration I gave the benefit of doubt to the resaurant as the amount of customers was extensive. Our party arrived in 2 parts, my group ordered drinks and appetizers and was served promptly, as our second group arrived the restaurant was quickly filling up and drink orders and additional appitizers were slower reaching the table. Intially when we chose The Tulip, they had advertised two seperate menus at a different fixed price, it appeared when we arrived they had combined the two menus into a single menu, my experience in the past during celebrations, restaurants will do this when they're not sure of the quanity of customers based on reservations. Another downfall of this logic is they also reduce staff in anticipation of a smaller crowd. Regardless, the food was incredible, I had ordered the Lobster Bisque which was a broth thinner version of the usual, Shrimp cocktail which consisted of 6 medium size shrimp, the Mediterranean Sea Bass which was a large complete sea bass grilled and spiced to perfection, I finished the meal with the creme brulee. It was near midnight as we all were served our desert and to most in our party didn't expect to be there that long. But I would've been somewhat amiss had the evening ended prior to New Years and were forced to find another location to complete the evening. Overall I experienced a wonderful time, once again.
(4)
Rachel F.
Ambiance/atmosphere? 6/5 (This was the first thing I noticed. I absolutely loved the exposed brick, the "lite-brite" light fixtures -- actually, they were glass/ceramic and they were beautiful -- and the art hanging on the walls. Rich tapestries and high ceilings completed the whole "Turkish industrial meets classy" decor. Also, had I not been a bit sick, I would've loved to park it in the chic little lounge area mid-dining room, smoke some hookah and sip some Turkish tea over more great conversation with Yelp friends. Next time!) Drink selection? 3.5/5 (Again, I didn't partake due to a nasty cold, but it looked as though their specialty cocktail list ranged from well-done to X-rated infused nonsense. Beers and wines seemed fine, albeit not terribly terribly impressive. My tea came in a magical little glass cup and just kept coming.) Apps? 5/5 (Heather C, I heart ya girl, but that feta yogurt mint app was super good. The hummus? To die for. I'm a big hummus eater, and that stuff was right on the money. Everyone else was raving about the eggplant puree. My take? Not so much. The grape leaves were nice... but they were better once I added hummus to them. #puthummusonerrything) Entree? 4.5/5 (It came time to order, and I panicked. I had three choices, and asked our server to make the choice for me. So Iskender it was. (see also: meat pile. Delicious, delicious meat pile.) Lamb and beef in savory tomato sauce over what seemed to be think chucks of bread with a side of butter/yogurt sauce. Yes. Get *this* thing if you're a carnivore.) Service? 5.5/5 (Impeccable, in my personal opinion. Our server was also our bartender and also seemed to be the manager, and he was way good with our big group. I asked him to split our checks preemptively and he did so. He was expert and courteous and approachable but hands off, too. The little things -- such as my tea being constantly refilled -- really made the service shine. I thought it quite fantastic, and very, very well done.) Overall? 4.75/5 (Yes, I should just give it a five already. And I probably will after my next visit, if this one was any indication as to what to expect.)
(4)
Sarah H.
Tulip has an interesting vibe. I've been here twice now and both times the food has been quite good, but there is nobody in the restaurant. I had a groupon, so we arrived on a weeknight and we sat at a small table across the dining room (even though there were plenty of larger open tables). Service was on par. We ordered one of the yogurt dips as a appetizer and were brought a huge mound of it, so we ended up taking more than half of it home. I ordered the tilapia with asparagus which was delicious and very hot. My compadre ordered one of the specialty lamb dishes which he said was excellent as well. All in all, everything was A-OK. Our bill would have came to about $70 (1 drink, 1 soda) with tip without the groupon, so the entrees are a little pricey ($19).
(3)
Tony K.
I feel all over the map with trying to review Tulip. The space I thought was a bit cold and uninviting. I was just a big open room. I like a bit more intimate instead of a large dining hall. Now don't get me wrong - the decor was quite nice.. but I just didn't enjoy the large open room. I loved the cold appetizer sampler. The yogurt was out of this world. I would put it on anything and everything, well, edible that is. (Enter - do not put it on your cat or dog. That would just be wasteful.) The service was good. I think we were served by the manager/bartender/host. He was kinda doing everything. Maybe they were short staffed? Not sure - but I just felt weird about it. Not sure why. I got the salmon dish. It was everything you'd expect in salmon. Maybe a little overdone for my liking - but the flavor was really nice. I especially liked the bulgur pilaf. That was quite the tasty treat. I think I would go back. Not sure. Next time I think I'd order a bunch of appetizers instead of getting an entree.
(3)
Kristen H.
This place is amazing. The ambience is very romantic and peaceful and reminds me of the Turkish culture. They even have a violinist come in and play beautiful music next to the fireplace. The service is very friendly, and I always love a restaurant where they bring us free bread and olive oil; reminds me of Europe! Some of the drinks were a little on the weak side, but still very tasty! I loved my dish; it was rolled chicken encrusted with apricot and pistacchio on top of rice pilaf. Not only was it delicious, the portion was just right. My boyfriend enjoyed his donor as well. Great date night, and wonderful food!
(5)
Lisa E.
I came here on a Wednesday night for dinner with a friend. The place was pretty empty but the food and wine menu looked good. This place was comfortable but classy. I liked the exposed brick, red hues, and fire place. This is a good spot for date night. I had the salmon which was served with spinach, carrots, and zucchini. The salmon was cooked perfectly. My friend ordered the lamb chops. The lamb was pretty delicious and I wish I would have ordered it myself. Definitely check it out.
(4)
Ellie B.
Tulip exceeded my expectations. The service was great and the food was delicious. The entree menu is very meat-centric so I stuck with their appetizers and salads, plenty of which are vegetarian. The best thing was the cheese rolls - even better if you dip them in the yogurt, feta, and mint spread. I also enjoyed the pomegranate salad. It was dressed just right; not too much and not too little. The bloody mary was good, too. Spicy and made with Absolut Peppar. I'd go back again, especially since my husband wants to try the "Meat Pile" (Iskender).
(4)
Laura R.
Good food. However, dining out is half about the food, and half about the experience for me. We enjoy live music, and when we realized what the hostess meant by "would you like a quiet table or a noisy one?" we took our request for quiet back. A better choice of words is in order here. The waiter was fine in taking our order and bringing drinks and appetizers. But things fell apart as we finished our entrees and then veered way off track. We dined early, so the restaurant was not yet busy. But we couldn't get the attention of our waiter as he and two other waiters chatted at the bar. Please leave me a flare gun if you will be so distracted and miss checking in with us. So, we sat with a table full of empty plates. This is a peeve of mine. I would like to relax without staring at dirty dishes. Heck even at home I clear the table so we don't feel like we're in a dirty kitchen. After 15 minutes, I flagged down someone and asked for our waiter. Even the water servers don't offer to clear dishes, but maybe they could help flag a table? Then it got worse. The waiter cleared the table. He left a mess of food and greasy smears on the table top and made no attempt to wipe down the table, so my sleeves wouldn't get greasy if I wanted to rest my arms on the table edge or tabletop. On the second trip to clear the table (yes, every square inch of our table was covered with dirty dishes) he dropped a pile of leftovers on the floor. No one came by to clean up the floor. When we got up to leave, food was kicked up to the hem of my coat hung from the back of my chair, and the slip and fall opportunity meant we had to carefully place foot fall to miss sliding on leftovers. In sum, we had three different people who could have helped improve the evening, but none did. Disappointed.
(2)
Chad C.
This might not be my favorite ethnic cuisine (my dining partner and I found everything a bit too meat-centric), but Tulip does Mediterranean food well. Being the thrifty bastards we are, we went there with a Restaurant.com coupon and had to spend $50 between the two of us. This was not an overly difficult task. The prices of the appetizers are cheap (many things were $5-$7) - but servings are not huge... so three apps was totally do-able. Cheese rolls, Turkish Empanadas, and Hummus. I liked the empanadas more than the cheese rolls... but both were good albeit a bit dry. Thank goodness for that hummus... what a perfect appetizer storm that was. For entrees, we got the Grilled Meat Patties and the Iskender. I tried the Meat Patties and thought they were okay, but I felt the Iskender was the star of the show. There's a reason it's on the top of the menu, people. The chopped pita bread soaks up the meat juices and tomato sauce and really brings it all together. Yogurt is served on the side and works well when sparingly used alongside the rest. While there was still a decent amount of meat served to me, the whole thing felt lighter than I expected. I would definitely get that entree again after I try a few other things. This place was quiet at prime-dinner-time on a Tuesday night, so go give them some business, eh?
(3)
Mike P.
DINE HERE BEFORE THE WHINY GROUPON USERS DESCEND UPON TULIP. ORDERED: Crispy Phyllo Cheese Rolls - $5.00, Beef Shish Kebab - $15.00 TASTED: They cheese rolls were savory, salty and cheap! One order is nicely shared between two diners. I'm going to attempt duplicating Tulip's cheese rolls at home. The Beef Shish Kebab consisted of three skewers, two containing tender chucks of sirloin and one of mushrooms, bell peppers, eggplant and onion. The beef was perfectly cooked and didn't need any salt or sauce. (To allow ketchup to touch this beef would be a crime.) SERVICE: Attentive to the point of distracting. Our waitress, bless her heart, was really focused on every detail of our meal. I am not a dehydrated camel and asking if if I'd like more water frequently only interrupts conversation. TIPS: Tulip is a great place to take unadventerous dining parters. Does beef shish kebab with frence fries seem familiar? Good ole' steak and potatoes at a Turkish restaurant. Sit outside on the patio while the weather allows. It's great people watching.
(4)
Lindsay L.
Wow, really impressed. This place has it all. From reasonably easy to find parking to an awesome interior ambiance, great service and a cool menu with great food. If you aren't sure what you're in the mood for, go here!
(5)
Debby O.
Bought an amazon local deal coupon for $15 to redeem for $30 at Tulip and went last Saturday for dinner. Showed up at 6:30 without a reservation (for 2) and were seated immediately. There is street parking or an adjacent parking lot (seemed pretty secure/safe) - which is priceless in the 3rd/5th ward area! The waitress seemed a little overwhelmed and it took quite a while for her to come to the table each time we ordered something. We got the red turkish wine after an honest opinion from the waitress (always appreciated). We liked but didn't love it. Switched to the pinot noir after, liked again but didn't love. We ordered the empanadas and hummus as appetizers. We weren't told bread and oil would be brought out, would have skipped the hummus if we knew. The empanadas were really good but you only receive 3 for the order and they're rather small. The hummus was pretty bland. I LOVE the hummus at casablanca on Brady and hold everything to their standard. This did not meet it. We ordered the doner and iron ring beef (not sure of exact name) for dinner. The doner came with a bland garlic yogurt sauce, tortilla shells, and a lot of meat. Very big portion, my boyfriend wasn't impressed but ate about half and was very full. I on the other hand LOVED my entree. It was garlic mashed potatoes with marinated beef and peppers. Wonderful presentation, well seasoned, a little touch of spice, delicious. Ate the whole plate, wasn't stuffed, shared a few bites with my bf after his underwhelming doner. For dessert we decided to try the rice pudding and creme brulee. The creme brulee had a strange texture and didn't taste great. We only ate about half. The rice pudding I would order again but wouldn't go out of my way to get. I would prefer it to be heated, the texture was also off. It seemed they had been pre-portioned and left to sit in a cooler? Not a fan of that. The decor was great, nice lighting, live music and I believe there was a fireplace. Liked the table spacing. Would go back but would be cautious about appetizers/deserts and would stay away from the stereotypically americanized things like doner. Would recommend :)
(4)
Joanna T.
Big time improvements at Tulip over our past visits! Atmosphere: A Beautiful Cream City brick walls, open and light, with just enough exotic touches to tell you it's a Turkish place. Apps:A+ This is where Tulip really shines. The chicken walnut spread is delish, like chicken salad but without the gross mayo part. Meatballs were also great - served in a tomato/bell pepper sauce. I think Tulip should play up the small plates part of their menu as it is extensive and really, really good. Wine: C Pretty slim pickin's here. Maybe 10 wines by the glass and nothing too exciting. But they do have Turkish beer which the Mister liked. Entrees: A I had the spicy meatball skewer - very tasty with enough red pepper to give a bit of heat. Hubs had a tilapia special with fresh veg. It was a TON of fish, I mean really an absolutely huge portion. Everything was fresh, well prepared and nicely plated. Service:A In my previous review I had service gripes. Not anymore - our server Tatiana was excellent. We never had to wait or want for anything. And the other tables appeared to getting equally attentive service too...way to go Tulip on fixing this area! Overall: We had a great meal here and it seems like they have really matured as an establishment. This would be a great place to go with some friends for a spread of snacks and drinks.
(5)
Justin K.
Hidden down in the Historic Third Ward is Tulip, a Turkish/Mediterranean restaurant that is deceivingly simple on the outside, but beautifully authentic on the inside. Ambiance: There is definitely more Turkish Mediterranean influence than the standard Italy/Greece Mediterranean influence which usually comes to mind. From the unique lamps, to the curtained off banquet room, to the leather couches & fireplace in the middle of the restaurant, Tulip provides a very intimate & relaxed atmosphere. I will agree with other reviewers that the huge flatscreen TV over the bar is completely unnecessary. Given the narrowness of the restaurant, the TV is noticeable from any angle of the restaurant, and can be slightly distracting. Service: I headed over to Tulip last night for dinner with a coworker (arrived right at 6:00). Being a Thursday night, the restaurant was almost completely empty for 6PM. We were greeted & shown to a table, water glasses filled almost immediately & left for a moment to peruse the menu. Our waiter was prompt & efficient with checking in, refilling glasses, and bringing food, but I did have one complaint & that was he was constantly interrupting our conversation. He wouldn't even wait for a sentence to end before just jumping in and asking about our food, if we were done, etc. It was kind of off-putting to me - for an upscale restaurant of this level, I would have expected differently. Food: Delicious! The appetizer (phyllo cheese rolls - a creamy feta) was fantastic, and the dessert (baklava) was without a doubt the best I have had in my life! My entree (lamb shanks) was a little on the bland side, while my coworker's dish (Iskender) was pretty good. Overall, I give the food high marks.
(4)
Maggi K.
Tulip has been one of our favorite restaurants for years. For the last several years, it seems that everything we have tried off the menu has been excellent - time and time again. Alas, last time we went, our experience was a little different. I ordered my standard - lamb shank stew - which has always left me licking my lips in satisfaction. Instead, I was left with a sensation of longing - and not the good kind. Rather than the savory, thick, full bodied stew that I've always enjoyed, I was served a lamb shank in a watery, thin broth. The favor was much subdued and the consistency was that of a broth, not a stew. Overall, the dish was a a miss - a far cry from the signature item I've enjoyed on almost every occasion here. My husband ordered his favorite - the iskendar. It was good, although not quite as good as it usually is; the garlic and smokiness were a bit subdued. In the past, our favorite starters have included the feta cheese sticks, the korma (meatballs), and the fried artichoke leaves (which are usually offered as a special.) The mint tea is also very good, but they do charge you by the glass for it. Lastly, if you want your bulgar or rice wrapped up, make sure you say so. They typically don't include it when they wrap up your leftovers, which can be a bit if a surprise when you go to have your leftovers. We'll be back in the next few weeks, and I'm really hoping that our experience will be back up to par.
(3)
Brian M.
Much has already been written about Tulip's interior - it's a gorgeous dining room, no question. Exposed brick, lounge area in the dining room, great light. The TV behind the bar for me is completely unneccessary. We opted to sit at the bar (they made a move to clear for us what looked like a pretty crappy table, such as exists in this dining room). The bar was otherwise empty, so we were rolling the dice on service; it was indeed painfully slow throughout. With the exception of two glass pours from Turkey (the red: too fruity and "big" to complement the food), the wine list is uninspired. (Copper Ridge: bottom-shelf grocery store brand.) I'd hoped for more. (And it was annoying to have to share the drink and food menus.) Oh well, cocktails next time. Yogurt spread was delicious, served with grilled flour shells (tortillas, really). "Walnut chicken spread" tasted of hardly anything at all. The lamb chop entree was delicious. Perfectly grilled lamb, perfrectly grilled asparagus. The garlic mashed potatoes were as advertised. The two apps and one entree (and an additional side of asparagus) were plenty for dinner for two, so, don't let the relatively high entree prices stop you. This kitchen's grill work (and the fact that my girlfriend had a decidedly better time than I did!) will get me to come back. Maybe next time, 4 stars! By all means, check Tulip out.
(3)
Da Vman V.
Not sure if our big group was a factor but the chicken was like warm. & dry.. Yogurt sauce would of helped a lot!
(2)
Scott C.
We tried this place out because we had a Groupon Coupon -- so far we've never had a bad pick with Groupon. It was a little hard to find but we're not overly familiar with Milwaukee. Once we found it, parking was simple and ample (we were there at 5, not sure what it would be like during the day). They were friendly. The decor was nice. The place was clean and the food was fantastic. We picked a platter (one of the more expensive items on the menu) because we wanted to get a broad taste of their food. It was excellent...a little short on the vegetables and heavy on the meat. This place is a little on the pricey side. I remember only seeing a few children but we'll definitely go back. I think that they probably need to find a better way of marketing themselves. They are definitely better than most Milwaukee restaurants, yet seem to be under the radar. It would be sad to lose such a good restaurant simply because no one knew that they were there.
(5)
Brian L.
Elegant, relaxed decor. Service was friendly, but a bit slow. Dishes were all tasty and portions were generous. Wine list was a bit limited, but available wines complemented food well.
(4)
Dennis M.
Stopped in here recently on a Friday night and had their $9.95 fish fry. Very good and different from the norm. The restaurant is beautiful and cozy with the fireplace and sofas in the center. Looking forward to coming back but there are so many places to try in this area.
(4)
Ali A.
Good atmosphere, good food, great service!
(5)
Damon R.
I am a lover of middle eastern and Mediterranean foods. The food here was great. The presentation was also great. The customer service was supar at its best. I didnt know that i had to make a reservation in order to get a table. This was the case. The eatery was not packed, however i still had to wait for a table to clear? I ordered the Chicken Kabos. The plate was generous and plentiful. The decor was exquisite and the exposed creme city brick added a touch of milwaukee. I didnt care for the service as much as i did care for the food. Im more inclined to goto casablanca because of the food and the option to smoke on a hookah if i like. Overall its a great place to go with a date or treating your mom to brunch.
(3)
Daniel M.
Saturday night, dinner time. PF Changs: 1 hour, 45 minutes to get a table without a reservation. (no lie) Tulip: Immediate seating. This shouldn't be true. Tonight I enjoyed the benefits of this grave injustice. We dined at the bar tonight for the first time, the wife and I. If you find yourself at the bar, just take a minute to look around like I did tonight. Look down and enjoy the gorgeous marble bar top with all of its swirling colors. Look up at the very authentic, definitely-not-UL-listed Turkish pendant light fixtures twinkling around the bar. Then look at the menu. The wine selection is good enough. It's not as bad as going to an Indian restaurant where you request sauvignon blanc and your server, confused, asks you to clarify if you want red or white wine. But it's not spectacular. It's good enough. The spicy pepper spead is good, but if you're going to get an appetizer, I would tell you to go another route. I liked the Turkish Empanadas (oxymoron?) - they were kinda like a mini pasty. I really want to try the phyllo cheese rolls next time. Entree: Iskender - A soft cubed bread soaked in something yellow and delicious, topped with a heap of meat reminiscent of gyro meat and a delicious tomato sauce, accompanied by a cool yogurt side. This could become addictive for me. Very interesting and just plain awesome. I was so happy with all things Turkish that when our bartender tried explaining a few desserts, I just said "I'll have the second one." Even now I don't know quite what it was, but it was really good. I will be back soon to satisfy my new cravings.
(4)
Jim C.
Watch out for this restaurant when making reservations for larger groups. They added 21% gratuity to the bill, for our group of 12 which is out of line. 18% is the standard and we might exceed it if the service was exceptional, which it was not. But the point is we don't want that incentive taken out of the equation. Nowhere in their menu or website do they state the gratuity you are going to get socked with. The food varies from good to average. The wine prices are also out of line. You can very quickly go from moderate to quite costly in no time. And if you are going to pay a premium for your dinner you can find a better meal elsewhere. Not a value for what it is.
(2)
Michael T.
Very unique dishes and friendly service. Kudos to the owner for adding some unique ethnic flavor to the city.
(4)
Ayla M.
Tulip is the first and only Turkish restaurant in Milwaukee and does a pretty good job at pioneering this cuisine in the area. The building has just been completed and everything from the tables to the bathroom are brand new and tasteful. The decoration and ambiance of the restaurant is contemporary and elegantly done. You will find plenty of parking just outside the building. Their menu covers most of the basic elements of Turkish food. You are able to find appetizers and entrees to satisfy even the pickiest eaters. I would recommend people who have never eaten Turkish food to ask the opinion of the chef. He is not shy about suggesting what is good that day. Tulip also has a really nice bar where you can order your food or simply have a "Turkish Raki" which is a traditional Turkish drink. I enjoyed the exceptional Turkish music which accompanied our dinner. For dessert while one may enjoy a classic - Baklava, I would strongly suggest another Turkish favorite, the pistachio rolls. Tulip serves lunch and dinner currently (They open at 11AM). The building is on the corner of Erie and Milwaukee st. of the fashionable 3rd Ward.
(5)
Warren D.
As my tastes in food lean more towards safe and comfortable than exotic, I had resisted trying Tulip in the past. While many countries are synonymous with food (Italy, France, etc.) Turkey doesn't have the same connection in my mind. However, after this visit, I'm glad I finally took the plunge (with the help of Groupon, of course)! Reservations can be made online--always a bonus--though they seem to write them down in a paper book. So if you change your reservation after you initially placed it (like I did), you may want to have that confirmation on your phone or printed out. It wasn't too busy so we were seated in a timely matter. The reservation wasn't worth any Open Table points anyway, so I wasn't too concerned. The person that sat us also waited on us and we also saw him behind the bar making drinks, waiting on other customers, and seating other tables. Despite all that, the service was pretty good, if a tad on the slow side (luckily my friend Jack wasn't with us--he tends to require placing his drink order within 3 minutes of sitting down like he's been parched for days). Since we weren't in any hurry, it wasn't an issue. Start with the phyllo cheese rolls if you like feta cheese at all, they are tasty and a good deal at only $5. Wish you could get comparable mozzarella sticks at other places for that little. For the main entree I had the Iskender, which is thinly-cut, marinated pieces of beef and lamb, served order chopped pita bread. All of that is cooked and then tossed with a savory tomato sauce. It's served with a side of yogurt, which is meant to complement the other flavors. While I didn't bother with the yogurt, I could see how some folks would like it. It was excellent! Steve had the Lamb Shank Stew and also enjoyed it, though it was a bit small for him (perhaps a good choice for someone with a smaller appetite). We finished that up with a traditional Turkish dessert, Kunefe. It's like shredded wheat, grilled with a sweet cheese inside, then soaked in a simple syrup and topped with a hint of pistachio. I had to restrain myself from licking the dish it was brought out in! And at $6, it too was a good value. Only issues were the occasionally slow service (but they brought out two baskets for fabulous fresh bread and me being such a bread whore, I loved it) and that refills on soft drinks were not free. Had I known ahead of time that my second Diet Coke was another $2, I would have just nursed the first one. So if you haven't tried Tulip yet, go! Go now!
(4)
Sirin D.
All the appetizers are fabulous!
(4)
Jeff W.
I like Tulip. Met a couple of out-of-towner business contacts there on a Monday night. I was concerned that they would recoil before even trying their delicious fare because it's different -- but that was just me worrying for naught. I like that the place is quiet, so we could talk. Had a house Cabernet that was very good. We had the phyllo cheese rolls and calamari -- both excellent. I had the boneless chicken breast - kayisili tavuk sarma - the bird breast flattened and filled with crushed pistachio and apricot. rolled and baked. One guest had lamb shank, the other had a beef item. Both beat me to the clean-plate club, while I savored my meal. They remarked more than once on how good their meals were, so I think they truly enjoyed them. I like the environment. I like the service. I like the food. Simple as that!
(5)
Cheryl L.
Woot woot! That was my first reaction after biting into the delicious appetizer that was the "Crispy Phyllo Cheese Rolls - Sigara Boregi," to be more in-language. After reading all the pseudo-negative reviews about Tulip, I wasn't expecting my taste buds to experience anything food-gasmic. BUT, the cheese rolls were hot, delicious, and CHEAP. I wasn't expecting anything that tasty for $5! (We ordered another plate of it later.) The atmosphere is great. Beautiful decor, as other Yelpers have pointed out. Romantic, quiet, relaxing. What's great is if you go on a weeknight, like Wednesday. Not many people dining = better customer service and higher quality food, in my opinion. It certainly was true from the moment the significant other and I were seated to the moment we were served our very first bite. Then came the entrees. The "Iskender" at the top of the menu was uber delicious. I haven't had alot of Mediterranean food in my life, but if this is what it's all about, sign me up for second servings. The combination of lamb and beef roast on top of soft pita with sides of yogurt, topped with an aromatic tomato/butter sauce was ah-maze-ing. Boyfriend had the Lamb Fore Shank Stew - Incik Kebab. Also scrumptious and tasty. I was expecting it to be similar-tasting to my lamb roast, but it wasn't - same food-gasmic meat, totally different savor. Delicious and reasonable at $18. Filling and satisfying to the stomach. I read other people's reviews about Tulip portions being small. Not so. Wake up and look at how much we're eating as Americans. Food portions in this country are wildly out of proportion. Tulip (like other classy restaurants) tends more to the quality of the dish more than the quantity - and that's the way it should be! If one can learn to savor the dish instead of devour it, one's stomach and taste buds should follow with a very light-hearted "I'm full - thank you." That's what happened at Tulip. By the time we had licked the last of our sauces and veggies, we were feeling full and happy. Perhaps this is the way the Mediterraneans do it!
(4)
Claire Z.
Absolutely amazing! Top of my list of my favorite restaurants in Milwaukee. I enjoyed the iron roasted beef and my husband enjoyed the spicy meatball skewer. Both were phenomenal!!!! The experience was fantastic, the atmosphere was relaxed, and our service couldn't have been better. Please enjoy this amazing restaurant in the third ward, you truly won't be disappointed! Oh and try the Kunefe if you get the chance--it's a great Turkish dessert!
(5)
Mike F.
We enjoyed the food, but the parking was not easy until after 5:30 at night because they are allowed to use the parking lot for the dialysis center next door. the portions were very small but the taste was wonderful.
(4)
Julianne K.
It has been a while since I've eaten here but the experience I had was bad enough where I don't plan on returning. The service was very poor. My fiance and I sat outside on what seemed to be a busier evening, certainly not packed, but steady. It took forever to get menus, put in drink orders and finally even order food. I ordered the chicken shish kebab and it was horrible. They used very poor quality chicken that made it inedible. The chicken was extremely fatty and in some places, it looked undercooked. My fiancee had the doner and it was very dry; mediocre at best. Being of Arab descent and growing up eating shish kebab at restaurants, in the middle east and my family's food, this was extremely disappointing. I would not recommend this and only hope that this restaurant improves.
(1)
Christina R.
I had wanted to go to Tulip for such a long time, but was hesitant and then ultimately decided to go there when I bought their Groupon. When my friend and I arrived we sat at the bar for a glass of wine. (I had the Merlot and really liked it) The bartender was extremely helpful and friendly. I also really enjoyed the entire atmosphere of Tulip. It was one of the first things about the place that really struck me. It's actually a pretty big place even though you can't tell that from the outside. It would be unique, fun place to host a private dinner party. We were seated and had a very attentive waiter, except he was a little pushy. It seemed like he kept trying to get us to order more food and drinks. We did ask for his suggestions of best items on the menu, but that didn't mean we wanted to order all of them... Anyway, we ended up ordering the grilled platter, which is a combination of all their meats with two kinds of rices, bread, and a few grilled veggies, per the waiters request. It says on the menu that it serves 2, but it truly could serve 3 if not 4 less hungry people. And the price of this amount of food is spectacular, $38. The waiter did warn us it would take slightly longer to get our food if we ordered this. He said 15 minutes, but it was more like 20. It was fine. When the food arrived we were so pleased with the choice we had made. The meats looks and smelled amazing. I was the biggest fan of the lamb and the plain rice on the platter. There was another slightly more flavorful rice, but it had a very distinct mint flavor that was just okay for me. I did ask the waiter for a side of yogurt sauce, which he never ended up bringing. But I really didn't need it. I also really enjoyed the grilled meat patty and the spicy meatball skewer. The chicken was good too, not saying anything bad, but everyone is used to eating chicken all the time. If this is ordered by 2 you can most definitely have leftovers to take home. In my opinion if this is split between 3 people it's a really great value for only $38. I can't wait to visit Tulip again!
(5)
Leah M.
Arrived right after they opened on a Monday night to use a living social promotion. I ordered the fried artichoke with shaved asiago, $5 while I waited for my sister to meet me there. The complementary bread was warm and fresh - right out of the oven and dripping oil delicious. As our entree I got us the platter for two, Ottoman Grilled Platter $38. Truely wonderful - enough food to bring home left overs for my husband. We will return again.
(4)
Jeff C.
In late July, I picked up an Amazon Local deal $25 for $12. In the last week or so, the Amazon system reminded me to use the certificate before it expired. In the end, we would have been better off letting it expire...that way we would have been out only $12 instead of $33. We had no preconceived notions of this restaurant beforehand so walking into the dining room gave us a good feeling. It's very well appointed with a nice fireplace. Grade: A+ on atmosphere. Service was good (not great). The waitress was attentive and personable. The Amazon certificates require that you present them to the server before ordering. I always suspect that this will change the level of service but this didn't seem to be the case. Grade: A- on service The menu was well written and we found a couple dishes that sounded nice: I ordered the Vegetable Stuffed Eggplant (Imam Bayildi) and my wife had the Boneless Chicken Breast (Kayisili Tavuk Sarma). As a starter, we ordered the Squash Soup. The server brought the soup along with bread and a very small cup of oil for dipping. The cup was so small...it was really not even enough for one person. Pretty disappointing there...Grade: D The soup looked appetizing with a few pumpkin or squash seeds sprinkled on top. My wife took a spoonful and said, "Well, I'm done with that." I then tried it as well. I was really surprised to find that it was largely flavorless....not even worth eating. Again...disappointing...Grade: D The meals arrived in a timely manner and the on-plate presentation looked good. I thought, "This will make up for the soup." Unfortunately, my eggplant dish turned out to a be a pile of flavorless oil. Absolutely not a single hint of spice. My wife's chicken dish was also nothing to write home about. Within a few bites, we looked at each other and said..."No need to come back here...the food is completely tasteless." Extra disappointing...Grade: D- At the end of the day...the menu is inventive and well written....the just need to hire a chef that can actually cook the meals with something other than ladles of oil. One more thing that I just realized. I specifically recall the menu stating even prices for all of the dishes (mine was supposed to be $15 and my wife's was listed at $17) and that is confirmed by their menu online. However, we were charged higher prices...$15.84 and $17.95 respectively. Is this "rounding up" practice legal? If I would have noticed this mischarging before now, I would have demanded that they adjust the bill to reflect menu pricing and not a penny more. I understand that even pricing is the "in" thing at nicer restaurants but when a restaurant states that a steak is $20 or $25...that's what they charge. Springing prices like $20.95 or $25.84 after the fact is scandalous. OK one last thing. I spoke with my wife's brother on Saturday about our experience at Tulip. Completely unprovoked, he cringed. He mentioned that he and his wife also went to Tulip maybe in August or September. His feedback was verbatim...nice ambiance but terrible & overpriced food. Wouldn't ever go back.
(2)
Eric M.
Tulip is well worth a visit. An excellent date spot or just a place to get a nice dinner with friends. I hear they have live music some nights, so I would look into that. I went during Festa Italiana on a Saturday, so the place was pretty empty, but I hear this is a popular place having just moved here. I got the Iskender which was a delicious combination of lamb, chunky pita bread, tomato sauce, and a nice heap of thick yogurt. Had some meat empanadas to start which were also quite tasty. If you like Ouzo or Sambucca, I suggest ending your meal with a Rocky.... a creamy licorice liqueur. Otherwise, I had to pass on dessert because the portions were so generous. If you like dining out, check this place out. How often does one get a chance to eat Turkish?
(4)
Lauren D.
Beautiful decor and good service. Calamari was hot and crispy, as were the phyllo cheese sticks. Meat platter to share was flavorfull and tender, but everything was a bit pricey for what we got.
(3)
Ling C.
I got the groupon for tulip and hoping for the best. I went to turkey twice this year and I was craving Turkish food. We had the Turkish empanadas to start and they tasted pretty close to what I had in kusadasi, turkey. They were a little greasier than the real thing but taste was pretty spot on to the authentic thing. We then had the kofta and the doner. Both were excellent and tasted like what I had throughout all of turkey. So good!!! The yogurt was amazing and complemented the dishes very well. We had Turkish tea at the end of the meal and that was the only thing that I didn't care for. Real Turkish tea is strong and slightly bitter but maybe they changed it to suit Wisconsinite taste buds. All in all, it made me reminisce on my wonderful trip to turkey. FYI- tulips originated from turkey and the ottoman king gave the tulip to holland as a gift.
(4)
Kevin R.
This restaurant is very nice inside and slightly off the main area in the Historic Third Ward. Value was good - for instance, my lunch included a large wrap, salad and soup for only $10. Service was good too. Now on to the food... Generally it was good, although I had two things that prevented this place from getting four stars: 1. They used too much oregano on several dishes. For instance, their lentil soup was severed with about a teaspoon of dried oregano on top. The soup had a good flavor, but the oregano was overpowering. 2. My salad was overdressed. I had the pomegranate dressing, and it had a good flavor, but it was too overdressed. All in all, a decent place with the potential to move up to 4 stars.
(3)
Maika M.
Mediocre food for too much. Husband and I had calamari for appetizers, not impressed. I had the lamb chops ($23). My husband had lamb meat with pita ($18). I've had lamb before and this meat did not taste like lamb. Tasted more like plain old beef with not much flavor. Disappointed.
(2)
Johanna L.
Tulip was great. I had a gift certificate from restaurants.com for $25 off of an order over $50, which made our dinner end up being about $13 each for a very nice experience. Food - I had the stuffed grape leaves, doner with the bulguer pilaf, while one of my friends had salmon and the other had the lentil soup and Crispy Phyllo Cheese Rolls (Sigara Boregi) as a meal. Our salads were excellent and huge, and very fresh! Everything was great, except I wasn't too keen on the sweet interpretation of the grape leaves. I have had some that were more savory, which I preferred. Accomplished wine list as well. Service - Our waitress was really nice. She was very accomodating and professional and even offered to move us inside when there was a bee that kept coming after one of my friends. She was also always prompt, constantly refilled our water glasses, and was very conscious of our needs for extra bread plates etc. Atmosphere - Due to our bee trouble, we were able to experience the best of both worlds: indoor and outdoor. We were there on a Wednesday, so it was pretty quiet, but there were some other folks eating. The interior remained well-lit until around 8 or 8:30, when they dimmed the lights. Very romantic! The patio is cute as well, though you have to expect that the views in the Third Ward will be less than captivating.
(4)
Suzanne M.
We've been here several times, and it's always a hit! Love! I wish I lived in one of the nearby condos so we could walk here. The food is always a pleasurable experience and I diligently try not to miss their special Easter brunch! The people there are very friendly and family oriented. The decor is rich and gorgeous and the whole place just exudes a mediterranean vibe.
(4)
Kevin B.
We ate at Tulip yesterday using the Downtown Dining menu. Thought the place was rather nice, interesting mosiaic lighting by the long bar. Tulip offers music on Saturday nights - this week was an older duo on violin and guitar that started off their set with an Israeli folksong Bashana. The $20 dinner menu had a couple of choices for appetizers, entrees and dessert. We shared the stuffed grape leave, hummus and phyllo wrapped cheese. We had the Iskender (lamb/beef), stuffed eggplant and pasta bolonese. Eveyrone went for the baklava. The food seemed be an ok deal for the $20 but might be a bit pricey otherwise (if these were the regularly-sized entrees i.e. Iskender is $18 on the dinner menu). Service was efficient but subdued. It was Saturday night but the place was nowhere near full (not even half) in the main diing room. It wasn't clear to me if they started serving lunch or we just doing it for Downtown Dining week (their website says they don't serve lunch). I might go back again to try the lamb chops which we saw on a neighboring table and wasn't part of the DD special menu
(4)
Basam A.
Location is nice and the appetizers were good, but the dinner is bad. What kind of 'Turkish' place uses greek gyro meat and mexican tortilla bread? My wife ordered chicken skewers and they were freaking raw! Don't waste your time and money.
(2)
David B.
Why is this place not packed at lunch?! I had lunch here with a friend recently and we were the only people in the dining room for nearly two hours. Definitely a tragedy, given the quality of the food. A gem in the Third Ward, Tulip offers excellent Turkish food that honors authentic preparation and avoids being overly influenced by the midwestern penchant for adding cream and fat to everything. The lentil soup is gorgeous, offering flavor and texture without resorting to a cream based broth. The red pepper spread is remarkable - almost a meal in itself. Add a bit of the table olive oil to the top and you'll remember it for months to come. Since my party was the only party in the entire dining room, I can't comment much on the service. It was attentive but we may have simply been a pleasant diversion. Tulip is slightly tucked away in the Third Ward, but well worth the extra effort to find it and enjoy its delights.
(4)
H C.
I have to give Tulip a 3 star only because I don't think Turkish food is my thing. Despite my review, I would recommend everyone give it a try! The Manager/Bartender/Server (Yes, all the same guy) was very friendly, taking his time to explain the menu and offer suggestions. The Hummus appetizer was Delicious. And, much like Rachel F. I will put Hummus on anything and eat it for every meal if I could. The Eggplant spread was pretty good as well. The yogurt/mint spread. I just couldn't do it! Way to think and too much mint for my liking! But, everyone else at my table enjoyed it. I split entrees with Cindi W. I ordered the ravioli and she had the stuffed boneless chicken breast. The ravioli weren't what you would typically think of a Ravioli. They were little tiny dough pouches with a meat filling and a yogurt/dill sauce. Not bad, but the dill was pretty overwhelming for me. The stuffed chicken breast was covered in a tomato sauce and stuffed with pistachio's. It had an extremely floral taste, that I couldn't get past. Didn't care for it at all. Like I said, I would recommend everyone try Tulip for themselves. I think the choice of/and amount of herbs used in the cooking just isn't for me.
(3)
Kristen L.
We visited Tulip for a Friday evening dinner on a trip into the city to see Tom Jones live in concert (yes, the 69-year-old Welsh crooner/cheesy Vegas heartthrob). It was such a calm and pleasant meal, which was a good thing, given how crazed the septuagenarian panty-throwing concertgoers were. We needed all our energy. Here are the highlights of our trip to Tulip: - Gorgeous stained-glass, gourd lamps hanging over the bar (you have to see these for yourself) - Our server who had the cutest accent, a great sense of humor, and good menu recommendations (her name was Tatiana) - Cold appetizer sampler (your choice of 4), especially the eggplant dip (by far the best I've had) and the stuffed grape leaves (I'd never before eaten one I liked) - Pomegranate salad (too-too tasty) - Lentil soup (subtle flavor, super delicious) - Stuffed eggplant entree (melt in your mouth)
(4)
Pete B.
Went for my wife's birthday on a Friday night. Four of us had a bottle of wine at the bar, then went to the table. Our server was prompt and knowledgable. We had a couple of apps, the hummus and a phyllo wrapped feta dish. Both were fantastic. I had the lamb chops and my wife had the ravioli, and both dishes were amazing. Our friends also enjoyed their meals as well. The manager made several trips to our table to do everything from ask us how we were doing to filling our water glasses. Very impressed with the entire experience.
(5)
Matthew B.
Be advised - address is wrong - did not work in the GPS. Its really at the corner of Milwaukee and Erie streets. no lit sign so its hard to locate at night. parking was plentiful however. overall Rating: 6.5 0f 10 pretty good food, urban chic environment, and interesting menu make it worth a try. Service could be better. Atmosphere/other: 7 out of 10 Nice atmosphere - more of the 3rd ward urban chic. Service a bit off - not sure if it was a ditsy waitress or whether she was distracted by serving the owners family which was seated next to us. Tried the chef tasting line on her - she didn't get it - oh well... I like the couches and fireplace in center of room - cocktails there would be a nice treat. Nice jazz trio playing. Food varied as noted below, but in general was tasty. A little pricey, but fairly standard for that neighborhood. I was disappointed that many of the menu items and wines we liked were not available that evening - not sure why - waitress claimed "transition". What we had: 6.5 of 10 The food was good quality but - some better than other. The cold appetizer mix - choose four - was pretty good. We got the phyllo cheese rolls, stuffed grape leaves, eggplant puree, and spicy red pepper spread. It was plenty for two. Paired with the Boutari Greek wine ($38) it was very tasty. I have to say that the red lentil soup was fantastic. On to the entrees. We got the lamb shank and boneless chicken breast rolled with apricot and pistachio. The chicken was nicely done - unique flavor combination and tasty if a bit lacking on presentation. The lamb was good - but uninspired. It lacked the complexity or boldness in taste that i expect in an ethnic restaurant. Isn't that why we go to ethnic restaurants? To get something you don't get at home? some unique combination of flavors? this was well prepared , but simply under represented form a flavor standpoint. Paired the dinner with a very nice and inexpensive malbec from Chile. Portions were good - we weren't hungry at the end. Finished with good Turkish coffee (sludge and all) and an interesting version of Ouzo - different name - but similar taste served Mediterranean style (ice/water to cloud it).
(3)
Steve G.
What an outstanding place. The ambiance is superb -- really cool atmosphere and decor. There was live music, complete with one of the entertainers coming by and asking if we had any song requests. The staff, from the minute we walked in, was friendly, engaging and genuine. The food was excellent, from appetizers to entrees. I can't say as I've been to a Turkish restaurant before - I definitely can say I'll be back.
(4)
Denise L.
This place is good! Being Turkish, I can tell you its fairly authentic. Get the iskendar kebab with an Efes beer. I've had the Chicken Shish kebab, too, which was also good. The eggplant puree is terrific! Nice atmosphere-very spacious.
(4)
Bobby C.
Tulip has fantastic food and an awesome atmosphere. I suggest ordering the Raki with your dinner.
(4)
Michele H.
Great place to eat vegetarian with lots of vegetable options. I would consider returning in the future. I had the veggie stuffed eggplant entree which was very tasty. The Turkish red wine and baklavas were also good. The lentil soup was bland and I didn't care for the rice pudding, but this is the first time I've had rice pudding, so that might just be me :).
(3)
Julie M.
You can make better Turkish food on your own at home.
(2)
Karen S.
The only reason I will give this restaurant one star is bc the waitress was soooo sweet. She was the only one there to deal with the 4 tables in the whole restaurant. ( one was a table of 10 people though). Overall the food was lousy. Very mediocre stuffed grape leaves. They had no seasoning and little flavor. My husband liked his chicken soup which was actually the sauce from my lamb shanks thinned down. My lamb shank was good, but for $18 all I got was the lamb shank, a lttle sauce and a couple carrots. It was supposed to have potatoes and when I asked the waitress about it she said "oh, they make things different here all the time and I guess tonight they didn't put potatoes in it!!!!" Unbelievable. I told her that it said it should have potatoes so I would like some potatoes. She brought me some "fries". Then my son ordered some lamb/beef patties that came on completely uncooked, no exaggeration, egglant! The patties themselves were about 2 inches in diameter and there were 3 of them. Even if the eggplant had been cooked this was a ripoff for the price. It was supposed to come with bulgar, but I guess the chef didn't feel like bulgar so it came with rice. My husband also had a salad which he said was mediocre. We will NEVER go back to this place and it is a shame cause it is in a nice location and is a pretty atmosphere. Maybe someone else could take it over who knows how to cook and run a restaurant.
(1)
Kamran D.
Pretty decent place. The wines by the glass were nice. The calamari appetizer was particulary memorable--extremely and unusually tender and flavorful. If only everything were that good. My main course, the Iskender, was quite nice but really over salted. That lowers the rating from a solid four to three stars (5 stars are tough to earn in my book).
(3)
Wisco V.
I don't know why everyone isn't eating here every day. It's delicious! AND it's different than the standard sandwiches and fries of the Third Ward. I almost went back the next day, I loved it so much! I've also heard terrific things about their lunch specials! Can't wait to return!!!
(5)
Virginia L.
I have been to Tulip several times and the food never fails to amaze me. The food and atmosphere are terrific! A great BIG bar welcomes you. if you are looking for a unique dining experience, try Tulip.
(4)
Tony F.
Very nice place - second time here and it continues to be very good food, service and atmosphere. I had the spicy pepper spread which was great and had the pollack with polenta. this was very good. A great place for both cozy evening with a date or with a group of people. We will return!
(4)
Becky P.
Tulip provides a beautiful atmosphere and outstanding food! I sampled each of my friends dinners and everything was incredibly delicious. However the only complaint I had was the music at the bar was a bit too loud and interfered with dinner conversation.
(4)
Dave S.
Our entrees at Tulip were solidly OK. Presentation was fine, ingredients were of high quality, but the flavors were somewhat lacking. The mediocrity of the entrees, however, was counterbalanced by the incredible appetizer and salads we had. Service was attentive, atmosphere superb. If the entrees were as good as everything else, this would have been a five star review.
(4)
Krystle M.
My boyfriend and I decided to eat at Tulip to celebrate Valentines day. Since he works in the service industry, he was working on Valentines day...so we went out the following day. I ordered the baked tilapia with almond and asparagus. My boyfriend ordered the ravioli after finding out that they were out of what he had wanted. Not a big deal. We ate here once before and it was really good, so we expected the same. The tilapia dish arrived in a pool of oil and butter with 4 pieces of asparagus, soggy almonds, mushy cabbage on top, and chewy frozen corn (clearly thawed and heated several times before being served to me). $20 for this entree! My boyfriends ravioli was a flavorless choice. He took a bite and couldn't continue, and I tried it as well. Absolutely terrible! It was a bizarre blend of seasoning and ravioli in a pool of cheap cooking oil. Our server was wonderful, and seeing that he could not even try to enjoy his meal made me convince him to say something about the food. He felt terrible doing so, because like I said...he's in the service industry. The waitress apologized and went to get her manager regarding his food (I decided not to complain about my dinner because it was sort of semi-edible). The manager came at us like a charging bull and was instantly very confrontational. The restaurant was staring at us because of how personal he was taking this. We told him that the food was too seasoned and yet flavorless and that there was too much oil. He said that the oil was just butter (although I have never seen orange butter before! ) and accused my boyfriend of complaining that the food was too spicy - which was not the case at all. All in all, the manager ended up backing him into a corner and bringing him out a "less spicy" ravioli. He took the ravioli into the kitchen and put it into a to go box and returned it to us within a minute - unchanged. I got my dinner wrapped up and brought it to work the following day...when I found that the tilapia still had most of it's bones! Our appetites were gone when we didn't even eat...and we left Tulip with hopes of a good dinner together. We did not intend to get a free meal, but when the food is that terrible...it should have been comped. The server did not suffer because of the outcome of the food, she did a wonderful job. A++ service to her, though she should look for a job at a better restaurant.
(1)
Kyle A.
Our group of 6 went here for a birthday gathering on a Friday night. We had no problem getting a reservation at the last minute. As soon as we sat down, we had a very helpful server who came and took drink orders and gave us great recommendations on appetizers. Food - For appetizers, we had the customary grape leaves, the tasty phyllo cheese rolls, chicken zucchini, and the stuffed bulgur shells. All were very good and each member of our party found a different favorite out of the spread. Everyone agreed the stuffed bulgur shells were really, really good. I would almost get two orders and have this as my entree. At the recommendation of our server I had the Iskender - marinated lamb and beef roast, sliced thin and piled atop chopped pita bread. covered with savory tomato sauce and drizzled with butter. yogurt on the side. This dish was incredible. I can still taste it now. I will definitely be going back to get it again. The only con is that it wasn't very busy and the seating area is so spacious that you feel very far away from others. We had the whole front section to ourselves. Space is nice but it is nice to have the bustle and buzz of a popular restaurant. I would suggest they close off the front section when they aren't busy. Definitely a place to go back to. Reasonable prices, tasty food, good service. We will bring our friends. Thanks for a great birthday dinner.
(4)
Dave S.
Say what you want but I like it. Used several groupons here and never disappointed. Turkish wines were good as is the coffee. Yum
(4)
Jessica O.
Oh Tulip. Welcome to my favorites list. This is the place to go if you have a family member who refuses to try any sort of foreign food. I will be bringing my entire family in as soon as possible. The food is simple, well-cooked, delicious, and completely non-threatening to a food nerd in training. I ordered the Iskender - because Yelp told me to - as did our extremely friendly, helpful waitress. And it was awesome. The lamb and beef were shaved thin, piled on top of tomato sauce soaked bread, with the most delicious, creamy greek yogurt on the side. The flavor combination was awesome. I added a few bites of the mild roasted chili here and there, and it complemented the dish beautifully. My companions ordered the chicken shish kabob and the salmon. Both pieces of meat were among the best cooked that I've had in Milwaukee. The chicken was lightly charred, but super juicy inside, and the salmon had a nice sear and tender middle. The atmosphere was also top notch. Classy, but friendly, with live musicians performing soft, non-distracting dinner music. The ambiance was relaxed and welcoming. Will definitely be returning.
(5)
Jen Y.
One of my favorite places... beautiful place. Love the live music and the gourd lights! The spreads I dream about... yogurt spread, red pepper spread and hummus on lavosh. Stuffed grape leaves, and the breaded artichoke special. I usually don't get past the small plates! But when I do I go salad. I like the Mediterraian salad. My husband on the other hand loves the meat platter (with the selection of skewered meats). He can't choose a favorite so he likes to go with meat eating friends and share the platter! One of the best desserts I've ever had is right here.... motzerella baked in a metal dish with shredded wheat and honey. Yes, sounds strange but try it!!! One of the best things I've ever eaten. Check out their deals on restaurant.com and they often have groupons to get more for your money since there's so much good to try here!
(5)
David B.
To my surprise, Tulip was intimate, cozy and warm inside with pleasant helpful staff. Parking was easy and plentiful for dinner. The menu was a bit more pricey than I expected from the Groupon ad that got us there or the price rating here, but the total experience was worth it! Bring a pocket flashlight or cell phone light... several tables, including ours, needed one to read the menu. :-) We ordered the fried artichoke appetizer, which seemed a bit dry for the mediterranean food that I know and love. However the onion soup, iron roased beef and grilled salmon were all outstanding. When they add on a gluten-free menu and address the slightly slow kitchen, i'm happy to go five-stars all the way! If you are in no hurry and looking for a place to take a special someone, Tulip will set you up for a great date night - for sure!
(4)
El V.
My wife and I picked this restaurant based on the reviews and also because there was a Groupon that was available. We arrived and the place was empty; there was another couple there but the rest of the "customers" were friends or family of the staff. The place is beautifully arranged and looks like an excellent place for a date. Our waitress was wonderful, smiling and attentive. We selected Hummas as an appetizer and to be honest it was the the worst I've ever had. It came with soft tortillas cut in triangles! (Whaaaa???) My wife ordered Eggplant Lamb Wrap and I ordered the Döner. You are allowed one side selection limited to one of three rice dishes. The Döner came out decoratively covered again with soft tortilla cut in triangles. (They must be trying to get rid of these). The lamb was salty, dry and the entree lacked any flavor. I tried to salvage my meal by adding seasoned olive oil which came with the complimentary bread. The Eggplant Lamb Wrap was thoroughly enjoyed by my wife who spoke of how wonderfully the eggplant blended with the lamb combined tomato infusion. I have been to Turkey many times but the dishes that I've enjoyed have been better in the States. That being said, I was disappointed with my meal but the service, ambience and my wife's entree prevented a total loss. Hey management, get rid of the soft tortilla...we don't even do that in Texas.
(3)
Joel B.
I stumbled upon this place one evening when I went for a walk out in the Third Ward. During the day the restaurant is dark, but at night, the beautiful Turkish stained glass lamp shade/chandeliers glow warm and colorful. I decided to try it out one Saturday evening for dinner. The place had a few people, but finding a table was not a problem. The food was great and waitstaff excellent. The manager even speaks a little Deutsch! I had the chicken kababs (kind of cliche, I know) and they were mighty tasty! The ambiance is warm and romantic, so good for couples. The only thing I could have done without was the older couple playing the guitar and violin. They were just ok, but more distracting than anything. The older gentleman was a little creeps. That aside, I give it a "highly recommend" on the rating scale. Reasonably priced to. Go check them out.
(4)
George F.
Great food and service. Love the option in the third ward area, we don't have enough places like this. Affordable, quality, authentic and healthy.
(5)
Alice S.
Ok, first off, my mom is Turkish, so I am pretty picky. This place does a decent job. Don't order fish entrees, just as a rule. Special favorites include the Manti (they call it ravioli) and the iskender. Service ranges from mediocre to good. Beautiful spot. Definitely recommend.
(4)
Mon M.
Despite the unacceptable wait time for a server, I'll still give it a positive review because the food was excellent. My friend and I got seated right away on the patio on a Monday afternoon during Downtown Dining week. The restaurant was not very busy at all. Now, we were on our lunch breaks so having to wait about 15 minutes so the host/owner (?) could greet/serve us was not cool. We both ordered the lentil soup, falafel wrap & baclava. They were all simply delectable. We had to wait a long time for the bill, but I guess the experience was worth it. I just won't go again when I'm on a time crunch.
(4)
Kelsey S.
Pros: -Currently participating in Downtown Dining Week with $10 lunch and $20 dinner specials (well, really, $21.12 for some reason, but we didn't care enough to ask why). -Caesar salad = simple but delicious. Perfect balance of romaine, cheese, croutons, dressing, and tomatoes. Nom. -Hubs had the Iskender and said it was delicious. A bajillion Foursquare and numerous Yelp suggestions to try it can't be wrong. -I had the Chicken Shish Kebab, and it was fantastic. Great ratio of meat-to-veggies-to-rice. Perfect portion size. -Great location and nicely designed space. -Easy to make reservations (we reserved through Yelp!). -Parking can be tricky in the Third Ward, but it's on the edge of the neighborhood so it was easy to snag a spot on the street outside -- even during a festival. Cons: -Had run out of creme brulee for the night. Sad day. Husband's allergic to walnuts, so the baklava was out of the question, which left rice pudding and chocolate ice cream. He said the rice pudding was okay but would've preferred it warm. Chocolate ice cream was nothing to get excited about -- it was too frozen to carve into it for a long time and had a unique flavor (almost like it had a smoky taste..?). -Miscommunication with the waitress. Husband ordered a Diet Coke, which was interpreted as Captain & Coke. When he said, "No, just Diet Coke," he still ended up with Captain & Diet. At that rate, he just decided to keep it. Not a huge deal but wasn't planning to drink with dinner. Overall, the food and atmosphere greatly outweighed any of the cons. Downtown Dining Week is a great opportunity to check out places not previously visited, and we're glad we took a chance on Tulip.
(4)
Devin O.
We popped into Tulip on a Thursday evening - wow were we impressed! The ambiance is beautiful. Jeweled gourds and other Turkish artistry surround you. The food was splendid! First, we received complimentary and fresh bread with a side of herbed olive oil. In case you don't know, Mediterranean and Turkish foods generally have very complex and developed flavors. We very much enjoyed the olive oil! We ordered the chicken zucchini and humus with prosciutto to start. The humus was great and flavorful. The chicken zucchini was also great, although it was only 3 small slices. Nonetheless, it was a good deal for the $$ in my opinion. The mediterranean salad was also delicious. Simple, yet packed with tons of different flavors. Finally, we ordered the eggplant wrapped lamb. Consistent with everything else we ordered, the entree was a treat. Overall, we very much enjoyed our quick and flavor-filled stop at Tulip :)
(5)
Rachel G.
Visited here with a friend for downtown dining week's lunch special and sat outside on the patio--we both had the falafel wrap (warning: does not make for very good left overs), me the red lentil soup (delicious), her the chicken Cesar (she loved the dressing--"not too much not too little"), and for dessert we shared our baklava (oh my gosh, kinda started to melt in the sun...no words!) and her semolina pudding with vanilla ice cream. Quieter on that end of the ward, perhaps because it was a Saturday. Pleasant experience, would go back for soup and baklava, and would like to try out something from the full menu! For $16 after tip and tax, I'd say it was a good pick!
(3)
Corvin F.
When you think about going out to a nice restaurant to be with good friends and family the Tulip may have bloomed a while ago. On a recent visit I was $75 poorer and even more disappointed than I thought possible. Music was lovely, initially we thought the place still continued with the tradition of good food and service. Wonky is more like it. Our server didn't have a clue about the menu, really should not have been serving without a mentor shadowing her. Horrible service, never even returning to the table to ask about food, drinks, coffee, we were on our own, and would have enjoyed it more IF the food had met our anticipation. Kabobs were charred, dry and appeared 'left-overs' from the night before. Sultan's Delight may have inspired royals years ago, however today a drive thru restaurant would be more appropriate. Dessert was ordered and arrived 25 minutes later, did I mention we were the first people in the restaurant when it opened? 1) Our food orders were just awful. 2) Our Service was embarrassing 3) Will we return and rave about the Tulip.......Really? Once a go-to place for our group, now a discounted Buy-one-Get-one that thinks being successful means how many tables are turned in an evening vs. actually providing good service, great food and a reason to return. With so many restaurants competing for business I would think the basics would work, certainly not in this case. If you are in the business OWN IT, live up to it. All we are asking is delivery what you say and we'll be happy to come back, until then, it's back to basics in order to earn our business. Avoid until changes are made.
(1)
Gregg F.
My wife and I went tonight for dinner. This place is incredible. Don't be afraid of the words "Turkish" or "Mediterranean". Think perhaps really fancy and delicious Greek... We started with the cheese stuffed phyllo (fila) which was awesome!! Ambiance - 5 stars!! We had a violin and a guitar player playing absolutely fabulous music all dinner. We felt like we were transported to a an Island in the Mediterranean. Drink list of specialty martinis is top notch at great prices! For dinner we shared the combination plattter which consisted of: Lamb chops, steak and chicken ka-bobs, a spicy meatball ka-bob, and some meat patties served with a Tzatziki like sauce on the side with two kinds of rice. For desert we had baklava and Turkish tea which was to die for. We are definitely returning to this little gem!!
(5)
Carrie G.
Wish I could give zero stars. This was my third, and LAST time here. The food and drinks were good, great even. But I can't support a restaurant with shady practices, which is what I've found here continually. It is not about the money. It's about how they use groupons, downtown dining, restaurant.com and the like to lure diners to their restaurant and then change the rules after you start playing the game. See my previous reviews for other issues, but most recently it was a groupon. Those that use groupons know enough to read the fine print. And on the Tulip groupon there was no fine print. But AFTER our group ordered a round of the $5 martinis that our server suggested he returned to tell us that those same drinks would NOW be $9 because we had a groupon. WHAT?!?! They were $5 five minutes ago and now that we've been served they are $9. That's one serious unadvertised bait and switch. Considering the fact that this restaurant is huge, and there have not been more than three tables in use on any given visit, it appears that Milwaukee diners may have just had enough of their scheming, I know I have.
(1)
Becky S.
I had been wanting to try Tulip for a while now and I just didn't love it. The service was really lacking when I was there. I had to ask twice for a water refill. Apparently they are really strick & stringy with their coupons and deals and we saw evidence of that. A friend had a Groupon but if we wanted to use it all of our $5 special drinks "had to" go back up to their full $9-$10 price. At that point it wasn't even worth it to use the Groupon, which we didn't. It was very shady and uncool. The food- A lot of the apps looked good but none of the dinner entrees totally drew me in. As others have said, they're also more on the pricy range for what they are- $15 to $23 per meal. I ended up going with the Doner. It was decent but a bit greasy and seemed kinda like a glorified gyro plate. The bulgar pilaf as a side was surprisingly good and tasted like Spanish rice. The apps we shared-calamari and crispy phyllo cheese rolls- were both quite tasty. Maybe ordering apps only is the route to go here. Overall, I was disappointed by Tulip. The food is decent, but their pricing, business practices, and service are a let down.
(3)
Kelly B.
I definitely need to move my review down on this place. I have always had friendly enough service here, however always leave with a sour feeling. My most recent time was with a party of four. Our food came out in a timely manner, and everything was fine. Started with the calamari and phyllo rolls. (One star is for those still), I love these phyllo rolls - however they're tiny, come 5 in an order and are 5 dollars. Steep for how small they are. The calamari comes topped with a bunch of julienned and fried zucchini, which was good but wait... I didn't order tempura veggies. Definitely seemed like they tried to make the dish seem bigger by adding it as a filler. I ordered the Iskender which was one of the weirdest dishes. The meat was fine if not a little dry. It was drenched in a tomato sauce that was awesome, but the "bread" was chunks of sourdough hidden underneath the meat/sauce mixture... by the time I'd found them they were completely disintegrated. Seemed like this dish needed some bread to eat like a gyro or something, odd just eating meat strips. The chicken dish was good, but very sweet. I really liked my cocktail the French Martini (my other star is for that drink) which was grey goose, chambord, pineapple juice and a top of champagne foam. It was a great balance of booze and sweetness. HOWEVER the five dollar cocktail deal quickly became almost ten dollar cocktails as soon as the groupon was on the table. Even without any small print or mention of deal combinations, our server refused to honor both. There's that sour feeling. Every time I have come here it's empty, and I'm starting to see why. The food is fine, but not a single entree is under $15. There are so many exclusions to what you can order with what and what deals work with other deals that it ends up being a very expensive and upsetting dining experience. Too many other awesome places around for me to return.
(2)
Irina R.
Good food and fantastic service. I haven't yet ordered an eggplant dish I didn't like; and this was no exception. Kebabs were a good way to finish the meal. The restaurant is usually closed on Sundays but they open up for private events.
(4)
Barbara S.
Tulip never disappoints us! We enjoyed an early dinner yesterday (Monday) and everything was perfect. Our server, Brandon, was fast and attentive, coming back often to check on our meal. The food was outstanding - Roasted Artichoke Appetizer was spot on - as always!! Perfectly grilled Salmon, crunchy veggies and that 'to die for' Bulgar Rice Pilaf. Chicken Shish-ka-Bob was moist and tender, veggies had a little char with the right amount of crispness and again, that yummy Bulgar Rice Pilaf! We had to pass on the decadent Kunefe for dessert...just a tad too full. Perhaps we should start with Dessert next time. All in all, a beautiful evening in a warm, cozy, romantic Restaurant! Well done to all!
(5)
Gabrielle B.
The food here is delicious! I love the flavors and the atmosphere. It's a funky semi-trendy space in the 3rd Ward. It's a little difficult to locate at first, but you will be glad you found it once you've eaten there. If you're into tea, make sure you end the meal with a small glass. It's strong and yummy!
(5)
Heather H.
Ate a (late) lunch at Tulip earlier this week. Really enjoyed the food and the atmosphere and was surprised it wasn't busier (like other reviewers). The lentil soup was very good as was my spicy meatball wrap.
(4)
Aubrey G.
Right after they first opened and prior to my "Yelping," we were taken here for dinner by some friends. Though I don't recall the exact particulars of the meal, I do remember being impressed with both the food and the service. Yesterday, we attended a private wedding reception at Tulip (Sunday, 9/17/2012). [Tulip, the restaurant, is apparently closed on Sunday's for private events]. The memory of our very positive past experience at Tulip was repeated yesterday. The service was efficient and friendly. Though there were only several choices on the menu for the reception, what we had **was very good, especially considering the large group of people (more than 135 I believe) that they served all at the same time. **Chicken/Steak/Vegetable Shish Kabobs with Bulgarian Rice Pilaf. I would go out of my way to get this meal again and will, during regular business hours. The interior of the location is very interesting and unique; brick walls with large plate glass windows that let natural light in, tapestry's on the wall, picture framed ceramic tile art pieces and a built-in fireplace. I think this is/was a great choice for this event. My only criticism is that, especially with the large crowd and the addition of music playing, the acoustics of the location make for a very LOUD noise level. I recommend Tulip as a location that should be considered for special events like the one I attended. I hope to soon followup on this review after we have dinner here, again, when the restaurant is open during normal business hours.
(4)
Danielle R.
My boyfriend made reservations for my birthday. We arrived early and were seated no problem. I got over the fact that we were sat right by the bathroom even though there were better tables available. Got water glasses filled and 20 minutes later still no one offered to take a drink order or even stopped by to recognize we were there. We decided to leave and mentioned to the bar tender that we were leaving because no had been by to take our order and he just looked around. No apology, didn't even try to get someone over to us. The place wasn't even packed. Only half the tables were filled. Sad cause the food looked good but won't be back to try it. Nice ambiance but very disappointed in the complete lack of service.
(2)
Steve S.
Four of us enjoyed our dinner on a Thursday night surrounded by Groupon people (according to server). This place did not offer the Panda-preferred blend of tender bamboo shoots and wild tubers. :'( Instead, we had 2 orders of Crispy Phyllo Feta Cheese Rolls ($5 ea.); Soup of the Day ($6); Mediterranean Salads ($6 ea.); Iron Roasted Beef ($16); Mediterranean Pasta ($15), Turkish Dark Beer ($6); and Turkish white wine ($9). Restaurant.com provided an assist (somewhat).
(4)
Julia M.
Caveat: This review is based on a visit more than a year ago. But it sticks out as a so-so experience for someone who's usually pretty happy just to go out for food. -Arrived around 6. The place is dead empty. The decor is beautiful and sexy. -My friend and I are being served by a smarmy waiter who drips with fake compliments. We are beautiful ladies! he says, batting his eyelashes without a hint of sincerity. We're sort of embarrassed. -We order a delicious appetizer of stewed eggplant and vegetables to share. It's $6 and about two bites. -No matter! I'm looking forward to manti, lamb dumplings. I've had the homemade version before--they're delicious and terribly time consuming to make, so I'm exciting about trying Tulip's. The manti arrive...and they're totally bland and tasteless. Maybe they weren't salted, maybe it's the wrong cut of meat, but there's no flavor to these little balls of dough. -Our waiter disappears for nearly 45 minutes after dessert. I guess we aren't beautiful enough to get the check. To be fair, my friend liked her shish kebab, and dessert was good. But this place struck me as overpriced and unsatisfying. Maybe I need to go back, but I won't initiate a visit.
(2)
Sarah P.
So Tulip is quite nice although the skyscraper ceilings take away the coziness. The decorating is gorgeous and the cream city brick quite a contrast with the modern vibe going on here. We were seated against a wall on the far side of the room, so I was able to take in the entire layout. It just feels so..... warehousey?? Just feels very open and spacious, I guess.. We ordered the combination platter for two, and were presented with a huge plate of different meats, bread, lettuce, and rice. It was quite good. I want to come back and get the lamb chops next time, they were amazing. I also liked their meatballs. The cucumber sauce they served with the meat was excellent. I also should have gotten the Turkish coffee... Next time.
(4)
Robyn W.
The Friday night fish fry was delicious. The weird thing about the ambiance was that there was one belly dancer there. It was really awkward because she's half naked and trying to get your attention while you're eating and talking. It just makes for an uncomfortable experience.
(3)
Sadie T.
Overall a disappointing experience. I will say, the decor, furniture, fixtures, overall ambiance (including a fire place and couches) were really top notch. I would describe as romantic, fun, comfortable, beautiful. However, even the cutest atmosphere can't make up for uncomfortable service, lack of vegetarian options, and a terrible restaurant faux pas (see hummus below). Looking beyond this really pretty interior, there was a restaurant experience. Our waiter told us he was from Greece. His accent was thick and we had a hard time understanding what he was saying, and he talked very quietly. This didn't really influence the rating. However, he kept calling us "beautiful people". Maybe I am just a major Wisconsinite, but this made me feel uncomfortable - like he was pandering. I tip based on overall service, not the compliments a server pays me. I'm from the midwest. You don't tell someone from the midwest that they are beautiful unless you know them (or are trying to get to know them). Behind the bar, they had "Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives" playing on the TV for all 2 hours we were there. Now, I like DDD more than most people (and I'm a vegetarian). But when you are sitting in a restaurant thinking "wow, I wish I was eating THAT (*points at TV*) instead of THIS (*looks down at plate*)" there is a major problem. My three dining companions all ordered meat entrees. As there was one single vegetarian entree (eggplant, which I generally like but wasn't in the mood), I ordered 3 small appetizers, hummus, yogurt dip, and crispy phyllo cheese rolls. About 10 minutes after ordering, we were given some bread and a tiny portion of oil. This bread came at the same time as our friend's salad. When the waiter brought our food, he placed in front of me two pretty little dishes full of hummus and yogurt dip. He started to walk away. I said, excuse me, doesn't this dip come with bread or pita or veggies? He said, he "could bring me pita for $1 surcharge". I replied, "am I seriously expected to eat hummus and yogurt dip with a spoon?" He said it doesn't come with anything. Nothing. Seriously? You serve dip without anything to dip? Why do you think it is called "dip"? This was a major problem. It is beyond obvious to say that dip should come with veggies and some bread, without a surcharge. Who orders dip and eats it with a spoon?! Are people seriously eating just dip? The hummus, after I got the pita that I insisted should be free, was good. The yogurt dip was okay, but needed to go with some sort of spicy accompaniment. I dipped the crispy phyllo rolls, but I was not impressed with the taste or texture. They just tasted like pepper without any spice, and seemed a bit cold. Boyfriend got the lamb shank. He said it was "okay" - not a lot of meat on that bone, lots of carrots though, and no potatoes as advertized. Overall, I felt like this visit was a flop. With only one vegetarian option (that was not at all unique and to me shows a lack of thoughtfulness of behalf of the menu) I won't be returning. So, tips for an owner who cares: serve dippers with your dip. Turn the damn TV off. Put another vegetarian option on the menu. I happen to know for a fact that there are a lot of really inventive things you can do with Turkish staples and spices. Tell your servers to focus on good service rather than compliments. A compliment is fine, but it doesn't make up for mediocre service.
(2)
Keaunis G.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I came here to have a couple of drinks with my friends. My experience turned out to be very pleasant and I am pleased with everything! The atmosphere was very lively, there was music, the lighting was just right, and the amount of space was cozy. I did go during a time that they were very busy so there was a long wait to be seated and then there was a wait to place our order. I ordered a Pomegranite Martini and the Almond Pomegranate Salad - Nar Salatasi and I requested to have chicken added. The salad was a pretty good size and it was filling. The martini was delicious! I am definitely going to come back to this restaurant to try some of their signature dishes.
(5)
Tanvi K.
I wish I could give no stars at all.. I don't know where to start.. We waited for 10 mins for a table even when there was seating available! When we placed the order, the waitress did not inform that there is extra charge for the pita when we order the Baba ganoush appetizer . And the biggest joke .. They called a (Mexican) flour tortilla as pita bread!! So frustrating! The chicken zucchini appetizer was horrible - didn't taste fresh at all. The chicken shish kabab was bad too.. Looked super seasoned but was totally bland and tasteless. Please do not waste your time and money ! Totally NOT worth it.
(1)
Bruce K.
After hearing on Talk that there were businesses that REALLY needed our support, I headed down to Tulip to give Turkish food a try. It was good, though not great. Service was good and the food was good. Efes Light and Dark in bottles - it's a Turkish beer. I had the "Cerkes Tavugu" to start. A pureed chicken and walnut spread that tasted a bit like pulled chicken. It spooned nicely onto the fresh pita bread slices. For main, I opted for the "plate of meat" which they call "Iskender." It's a bit like the gyro meat you would get at a Greek place (we also call them donner kebabs) in a tomato sauce. On the side, a large pile of yogurt. Together, a goodness. Love the decor but for me, it's all about the food. And the food was A-OK.
(3)
Akshay B.
Probably worth zero stars. The food is bland and really felt old... No taste whatsoever. Portion sizes are terrible... Very small portions for the price. The only thing good was the music. Bad chicken kababs... Dry and tasteless. In addition, we were charged a dollar extra for lavash (tasted like tortilla) without even informing us. Avoid this restaurant at any cost.
(1)
Jake P.
The food was bland, and unfortunately they do not serve one of their main dishes every day.
(1)
Caryn W.
Awesome food, quick service and very friendly & genuine staff! Definitely will be returning !
(5)
Kelly N.
I visited Tulip for Downtown Dining week 2014 and had an awesome experience. The dining room is big and colorful, and we were seated right away. We ordered the hummus and the shak shuka, which is a mix of vegetables that you eat with tortilla bread. Both were delicious, although somewhat hard to eat because the tortillas were so pliable. For our entrees, I ordered the Izmir Kofte, which is small meatballs in a tomato sauce, served with potatoes and white rice. The meatballs were perfectly done and the tomato sauce was delicious. The only problem with the dish was that the white rice didn't add anything, and I would have liked more vegetables. My hubby had the Tas Kebabi, and it was also delicious. It was like a Turkish beef stew served on mashed potatoes, and it was so good he barely let me have a bite. For dessert, I had the baklava, which was perfect and not too sweet. Hubby had the almond pudding, which was also very good. Service was attentive but not annoying, and our server was genuinely pleased that we enjoyed the food. Overall, a great experience and somewhere we will stop again.
(4)
Lauren M.
Seeing all the four and five star love for Tulip makes me feel like a big jerk for giving it two stars, but here's the deal: 1) Came here for lunch during Downtown Dining Week. The place was empty, but my group got a little 'tude from the hostess for wanting to slide a table over outside. (Again, maybe three other tables of 3 people). 2) We came for lunch. During the week. We sat for 2 hours. 3) Because we sat for 2 hours, there was a weird film on most of our food. 4) Again, this was during Downtown Dining Week - the menu is fixed. It should not have taken 2 hours. 5) When our hummus (finally) came, it had a bizarre film on top of it. And our table was given approximately 12 thin slices of tortilla to share, although we each had a bowl of hummus. Bizarre. 6) About an hour later, lunch came. Lunch was tasty. The fries were great (seriously... really good fries)... but then our waitress disappeared. 7) We had to ask for our check about 1.75 hours into this weekday lunch... finally got it and paid... and THEN they brought out our desserts. 8) The dessert - an almond pudding - although light and airy had that weird film on it. What is going with the film, people?!?! In conclusion - I wanted to love Tulip. I really truly did... but slow lunch service and the bizarre-o film on my food did me in. Sorry, Tulip.
(2)
Emily S.
I wanted to like this place a lot more than I actually ended up liking it. I love Turkish food, and I was excited when I finally got to try this place, since I had never been here before. We called about 15 minutes ahead of time to reserve a table, since we were experiencing long wait times at other restaurants in the area. The host told us that "there might be a bit of a wait" when we arrive, which wasn't an issue. However, when we did arrive about 10 minutes after I called, there were probably about 10 open tables and we were seated immediately. I thought that was a little strange. The ambiance of the place was wonderful; very romantic atmosphere and great lighting. The live music was great, because it was truly background music - not too loud, not in your face. That aside, we waited probably about 10 minutes after we were seated until our server came by to introduce herself and check in on us, fill water glasses, etc. When she came over, she just asked us if we were ready to order. We ordered the hummus and two entrees. I don't eat meat, and there were very few entrees on the menu that were either vegetarian or easily customizable as such, so I ordered the Mediterranean pasta and substituted vegetables for the shrimp. The hummus came out with very thin and floppy lavosh bread. The hummus was good, but having very floppy (not toasted) lavosh bread made it difficult to eat. Maybe a better option would be to toast the bread and have it crispy alongside the hummus with fresh vegetables. Otherwise, it was really difficult and messy to eat. Most of the hummus went untouched because of that. My entree was indeed full of veggies, but there was no flavor to the sauce. I have literally never salted my food in a restaurant before. This was actually my first time having to season my own food in a restaurant. It was so bland! Bland cream sauce with vegetables and pasta is not what I am paying $15/entree for. Then I got up to use the restroom, and was sorely disappointed with the level of overall cleanliness there. The surfaces appeared to be clean, as did the stalls, themselves...but the air vent in the ceiling was completely caked in (maybe mold) dust. It was really gross. This is a major item that needs attention ASAP because it is probably pumping dirty air into the bathroom. It needs a good wipedown. Finally, we wanted our check and to leave, but the waitress was nowhere to be seen. She wasn't very attentive the entire experience, and just finding her to pay our bill after we had finished our food took another 10 minutes, even though the place wasn't even full. I probably won't return, and that's a shame, because it's a great idea to have a nicer Turkish restaurant in the area. This one isn't quite there yet. If they put as much effort into their quality of food, cleanliness and attentiveness as they do their ambiance and decor, then I imagine that their business would improve.
(2)
Michele M.
My husband and I had an early dinner before seeing a show at the Rep. The interior is beautiful and cozy. And the service was excellent. The food was quite good. We loved the zucchini and chicken appetizer as well as the pomegranate salad. The almond pudding dessert was also delicious. We enjoyed our main courses of kofte and beef kebab, but I don't think those are the best things on the menu. When we go back we might try something else.
(4)
Rick R.
Tulip is another restaurant that I really enjoy but have not visited in a few years. The fact that they are still open after several years is a really good sign. A dining certificate brought me back (those things work). If you haven't tried Turkish cuisine, you should and this is where you should go. I've visited several times and have tried many items on the menu. The Iskender is one of the signature dishes. Marinated lamb and beef is sliced thin and served on a bed of pita bread then covered in a flavorful tomato sauce and drizzled in butter. When I had the dish, I thought they used too much butter. Other than that, good stuff. On another visit I had the Chicken breast stuffed with pistachio and apricot, definitely one of my favorite items here. The spicy meatball skewer is also a winner! On my most recent visit I started with the Turkish Empanadas (Cig Borek), pastries stuffed with seasoned ground beef and herbs. The shells were crispy and not too greasy. The meat filling was incredibly flavorful. My entree was the slow cooked lamb wrapped in eggplant slices. The flavors were again amazing and I ordered the Bulgur Pilaf as my side dish. It's described as cracked wheat with diced onion and green pepper. What I saw and tasted resembled Puerto Rican style rice, orange in color and full of spices and great flavor. I highly recommend this over the White Rice or french fries. My server, Jessica, was very attentive and helped me make my dining selections. Her advice was spot on, although I'm sure anything she selected for me would have been great. I've never had a bad meal at Tulip. If you haven't been, go. If you haven't been in a while, go back.
(5)
L M.
I LOVE Tulip, and I go all the time. However, I order the same things each time, so I can't vouch for everything. Entrees: Iskender kabob; Sultan's Delight; Manti. For dessert, kunefe. Appetizers are a free for all. I'm a fan of Turkish eggplant of any kind. I love traveling to Turkey just for eating. This place is legit.
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Specialities
Delivery : No Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Attire : Casual Ambience : Classy Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Dee S.
They sent a coupon for $15 off 2 dinner entrees so incentive to go back!!!
(5)Tonya C.
We tried this place for the first time last night and were blown away by the quality of the food. We had grape leaves and crispy phyllo cheese rolls to start off, the ottoman dish (for two) with the bulgur pilaf, oriental rice, and a side dish of carrots and zucchini. We finished our meal with the orange creme brulee and the pineapple rice pudding. Everything we tried was perfectly prepared and presented. The service was top-notch. And the jazz pianist entertaining everyone added a lovely touch to the evening. We will absolutely be returning.
(5)Gol Y.
The best Mediterraneanfood in town... The food is our of this world and the waitress is friendly. :)
(5)Stephen S.
Ate here a few times. Eh. Just doesn't stand out. And service was not consitent and neither was the food. Don't see this place making it much longer.
(2)Brian G.
I realize this review runs contrary to a lot of the reviews of this restaurant, but my girlfriend and I went here the other weekend and had bad service and bad food. I had the Doner, which wasn't bad, but she is way more experienced in Mediterranean food than I am. I think she had the Sis Tavuk and it was really dismal. Seemed like a good atmosphere, and I really liked the music playing inside. Might have just been an off night.
(2)Claude S.
This was our second time dining at The Tulip and it was delightful. As it was New Years Eve celebration I gave the benefit of doubt to the resaurant as the amount of customers was extensive. Our party arrived in 2 parts, my group ordered drinks and appetizers and was served promptly, as our second group arrived the restaurant was quickly filling up and drink orders and additional appitizers were slower reaching the table. Intially when we chose The Tulip, they had advertised two seperate menus at a different fixed price, it appeared when we arrived they had combined the two menus into a single menu, my experience in the past during celebrations, restaurants will do this when they're not sure of the quanity of customers based on reservations. Another downfall of this logic is they also reduce staff in anticipation of a smaller crowd. Regardless, the food was incredible, I had ordered the Lobster Bisque which was a broth thinner version of the usual, Shrimp cocktail which consisted of 6 medium size shrimp, the Mediterranean Sea Bass which was a large complete sea bass grilled and spiced to perfection, I finished the meal with the creme brulee. It was near midnight as we all were served our desert and to most in our party didn't expect to be there that long. But I would've been somewhat amiss had the evening ended prior to New Years and were forced to find another location to complete the evening. Overall I experienced a wonderful time, once again.
(4)Rachel F.
Ambiance/atmosphere? 6/5 (This was the first thing I noticed. I absolutely loved the exposed brick, the "lite-brite" light fixtures -- actually, they were glass/ceramic and they were beautiful -- and the art hanging on the walls. Rich tapestries and high ceilings completed the whole "Turkish industrial meets classy" decor. Also, had I not been a bit sick, I would've loved to park it in the chic little lounge area mid-dining room, smoke some hookah and sip some Turkish tea over more great conversation with Yelp friends. Next time!) Drink selection? 3.5/5 (Again, I didn't partake due to a nasty cold, but it looked as though their specialty cocktail list ranged from well-done to X-rated infused nonsense. Beers and wines seemed fine, albeit not terribly terribly impressive. My tea came in a magical little glass cup and just kept coming.) Apps? 5/5 (Heather C, I heart ya girl, but that feta yogurt mint app was super good. The hummus? To die for. I'm a big hummus eater, and that stuff was right on the money. Everyone else was raving about the eggplant puree. My take? Not so much. The grape leaves were nice... but they were better once I added hummus to them. #puthummusonerrything) Entree? 4.5/5 (It came time to order, and I panicked. I had three choices, and asked our server to make the choice for me. So Iskender it was. (see also: meat pile. Delicious, delicious meat pile.) Lamb and beef in savory tomato sauce over what seemed to be think chucks of bread with a side of butter/yogurt sauce. Yes. Get *this* thing if you're a carnivore.) Service? 5.5/5 (Impeccable, in my personal opinion. Our server was also our bartender and also seemed to be the manager, and he was way good with our big group. I asked him to split our checks preemptively and he did so. He was expert and courteous and approachable but hands off, too. The little things -- such as my tea being constantly refilled -- really made the service shine. I thought it quite fantastic, and very, very well done.) Overall? 4.75/5 (Yes, I should just give it a five already. And I probably will after my next visit, if this one was any indication as to what to expect.)
(4)Sarah H.
Tulip has an interesting vibe. I've been here twice now and both times the food has been quite good, but there is nobody in the restaurant. I had a groupon, so we arrived on a weeknight and we sat at a small table across the dining room (even though there were plenty of larger open tables). Service was on par. We ordered one of the yogurt dips as a appetizer and were brought a huge mound of it, so we ended up taking more than half of it home. I ordered the tilapia with asparagus which was delicious and very hot. My compadre ordered one of the specialty lamb dishes which he said was excellent as well. All in all, everything was A-OK. Our bill would have came to about $70 (1 drink, 1 soda) with tip without the groupon, so the entrees are a little pricey ($19).
(3)Tony K.
I feel all over the map with trying to review Tulip. The space I thought was a bit cold and uninviting. I was just a big open room. I like a bit more intimate instead of a large dining hall. Now don't get me wrong - the decor was quite nice.. but I just didn't enjoy the large open room. I loved the cold appetizer sampler. The yogurt was out of this world. I would put it on anything and everything, well, edible that is. (Enter - do not put it on your cat or dog. That would just be wasteful.) The service was good. I think we were served by the manager/bartender/host. He was kinda doing everything. Maybe they were short staffed? Not sure - but I just felt weird about it. Not sure why. I got the salmon dish. It was everything you'd expect in salmon. Maybe a little overdone for my liking - but the flavor was really nice. I especially liked the bulgur pilaf. That was quite the tasty treat. I think I would go back. Not sure. Next time I think I'd order a bunch of appetizers instead of getting an entree.
(3)Kristen H.
This place is amazing. The ambience is very romantic and peaceful and reminds me of the Turkish culture. They even have a violinist come in and play beautiful music next to the fireplace. The service is very friendly, and I always love a restaurant where they bring us free bread and olive oil; reminds me of Europe! Some of the drinks were a little on the weak side, but still very tasty! I loved my dish; it was rolled chicken encrusted with apricot and pistacchio on top of rice pilaf. Not only was it delicious, the portion was just right. My boyfriend enjoyed his donor as well. Great date night, and wonderful food!
(5)Lisa E.
I came here on a Wednesday night for dinner with a friend. The place was pretty empty but the food and wine menu looked good. This place was comfortable but classy. I liked the exposed brick, red hues, and fire place. This is a good spot for date night. I had the salmon which was served with spinach, carrots, and zucchini. The salmon was cooked perfectly. My friend ordered the lamb chops. The lamb was pretty delicious and I wish I would have ordered it myself. Definitely check it out.
(4)Ellie B.
Tulip exceeded my expectations. The service was great and the food was delicious. The entree menu is very meat-centric so I stuck with their appetizers and salads, plenty of which are vegetarian. The best thing was the cheese rolls - even better if you dip them in the yogurt, feta, and mint spread. I also enjoyed the pomegranate salad. It was dressed just right; not too much and not too little. The bloody mary was good, too. Spicy and made with Absolut Peppar. I'd go back again, especially since my husband wants to try the "Meat Pile" (Iskender).
(4)Laura R.
Good food. However, dining out is half about the food, and half about the experience for me. We enjoy live music, and when we realized what the hostess meant by "would you like a quiet table or a noisy one?" we took our request for quiet back. A better choice of words is in order here. The waiter was fine in taking our order and bringing drinks and appetizers. But things fell apart as we finished our entrees and then veered way off track. We dined early, so the restaurant was not yet busy. But we couldn't get the attention of our waiter as he and two other waiters chatted at the bar. Please leave me a flare gun if you will be so distracted and miss checking in with us. So, we sat with a table full of empty plates. This is a peeve of mine. I would like to relax without staring at dirty dishes. Heck even at home I clear the table so we don't feel like we're in a dirty kitchen. After 15 minutes, I flagged down someone and asked for our waiter. Even the water servers don't offer to clear dishes, but maybe they could help flag a table? Then it got worse. The waiter cleared the table. He left a mess of food and greasy smears on the table top and made no attempt to wipe down the table, so my sleeves wouldn't get greasy if I wanted to rest my arms on the table edge or tabletop. On the second trip to clear the table (yes, every square inch of our table was covered with dirty dishes) he dropped a pile of leftovers on the floor. No one came by to clean up the floor. When we got up to leave, food was kicked up to the hem of my coat hung from the back of my chair, and the slip and fall opportunity meant we had to carefully place foot fall to miss sliding on leftovers. In sum, we had three different people who could have helped improve the evening, but none did. Disappointed.
(2)Chad C.
This might not be my favorite ethnic cuisine (my dining partner and I found everything a bit too meat-centric), but Tulip does Mediterranean food well. Being the thrifty bastards we are, we went there with a Restaurant.com coupon and had to spend $50 between the two of us. This was not an overly difficult task. The prices of the appetizers are cheap (many things were $5-$7) - but servings are not huge... so three apps was totally do-able. Cheese rolls, Turkish Empanadas, and Hummus. I liked the empanadas more than the cheese rolls... but both were good albeit a bit dry. Thank goodness for that hummus... what a perfect appetizer storm that was. For entrees, we got the Grilled Meat Patties and the Iskender. I tried the Meat Patties and thought they were okay, but I felt the Iskender was the star of the show. There's a reason it's on the top of the menu, people. The chopped pita bread soaks up the meat juices and tomato sauce and really brings it all together. Yogurt is served on the side and works well when sparingly used alongside the rest. While there was still a decent amount of meat served to me, the whole thing felt lighter than I expected. I would definitely get that entree again after I try a few other things. This place was quiet at prime-dinner-time on a Tuesday night, so go give them some business, eh?
(3)Mike P.
DINE HERE BEFORE THE WHINY GROUPON USERS DESCEND UPON TULIP. ORDERED: Crispy Phyllo Cheese Rolls - $5.00, Beef Shish Kebab - $15.00 TASTED: They cheese rolls were savory, salty and cheap! One order is nicely shared between two diners. I'm going to attempt duplicating Tulip's cheese rolls at home. The Beef Shish Kebab consisted of three skewers, two containing tender chucks of sirloin and one of mushrooms, bell peppers, eggplant and onion. The beef was perfectly cooked and didn't need any salt or sauce. (To allow ketchup to touch this beef would be a crime.) SERVICE: Attentive to the point of distracting. Our waitress, bless her heart, was really focused on every detail of our meal. I am not a dehydrated camel and asking if if I'd like more water frequently only interrupts conversation. TIPS: Tulip is a great place to take unadventerous dining parters. Does beef shish kebab with frence fries seem familiar? Good ole' steak and potatoes at a Turkish restaurant. Sit outside on the patio while the weather allows. It's great people watching.
(4)Lindsay L.
Wow, really impressed. This place has it all. From reasonably easy to find parking to an awesome interior ambiance, great service and a cool menu with great food. If you aren't sure what you're in the mood for, go here!
(5)Debby O.
Bought an amazon local deal coupon for $15 to redeem for $30 at Tulip and went last Saturday for dinner. Showed up at 6:30 without a reservation (for 2) and were seated immediately. There is street parking or an adjacent parking lot (seemed pretty secure/safe) - which is priceless in the 3rd/5th ward area! The waitress seemed a little overwhelmed and it took quite a while for her to come to the table each time we ordered something. We got the red turkish wine after an honest opinion from the waitress (always appreciated). We liked but didn't love it. Switched to the pinot noir after, liked again but didn't love. We ordered the empanadas and hummus as appetizers. We weren't told bread and oil would be brought out, would have skipped the hummus if we knew. The empanadas were really good but you only receive 3 for the order and they're rather small. The hummus was pretty bland. I LOVE the hummus at casablanca on Brady and hold everything to their standard. This did not meet it. We ordered the doner and iron ring beef (not sure of exact name) for dinner. The doner came with a bland garlic yogurt sauce, tortilla shells, and a lot of meat. Very big portion, my boyfriend wasn't impressed but ate about half and was very full. I on the other hand LOVED my entree. It was garlic mashed potatoes with marinated beef and peppers. Wonderful presentation, well seasoned, a little touch of spice, delicious. Ate the whole plate, wasn't stuffed, shared a few bites with my bf after his underwhelming doner. For dessert we decided to try the rice pudding and creme brulee. The creme brulee had a strange texture and didn't taste great. We only ate about half. The rice pudding I would order again but wouldn't go out of my way to get. I would prefer it to be heated, the texture was also off. It seemed they had been pre-portioned and left to sit in a cooler? Not a fan of that. The decor was great, nice lighting, live music and I believe there was a fireplace. Liked the table spacing. Would go back but would be cautious about appetizers/deserts and would stay away from the stereotypically americanized things like doner. Would recommend :)
(4)Joanna T.
Big time improvements at Tulip over our past visits! Atmosphere: A Beautiful Cream City brick walls, open and light, with just enough exotic touches to tell you it's a Turkish place. Apps:A+ This is where Tulip really shines. The chicken walnut spread is delish, like chicken salad but without the gross mayo part. Meatballs were also great - served in a tomato/bell pepper sauce. I think Tulip should play up the small plates part of their menu as it is extensive and really, really good. Wine: C Pretty slim pickin's here. Maybe 10 wines by the glass and nothing too exciting. But they do have Turkish beer which the Mister liked. Entrees: A I had the spicy meatball skewer - very tasty with enough red pepper to give a bit of heat. Hubs had a tilapia special with fresh veg. It was a TON of fish, I mean really an absolutely huge portion. Everything was fresh, well prepared and nicely plated. Service:A In my previous review I had service gripes. Not anymore - our server Tatiana was excellent. We never had to wait or want for anything. And the other tables appeared to getting equally attentive service too...way to go Tulip on fixing this area! Overall: We had a great meal here and it seems like they have really matured as an establishment. This would be a great place to go with some friends for a spread of snacks and drinks.
(5)Justin K.
Hidden down in the Historic Third Ward is Tulip, a Turkish/Mediterranean restaurant that is deceivingly simple on the outside, but beautifully authentic on the inside. Ambiance: There is definitely more Turkish Mediterranean influence than the standard Italy/Greece Mediterranean influence which usually comes to mind. From the unique lamps, to the curtained off banquet room, to the leather couches & fireplace in the middle of the restaurant, Tulip provides a very intimate & relaxed atmosphere. I will agree with other reviewers that the huge flatscreen TV over the bar is completely unnecessary. Given the narrowness of the restaurant, the TV is noticeable from any angle of the restaurant, and can be slightly distracting. Service: I headed over to Tulip last night for dinner with a coworker (arrived right at 6:00). Being a Thursday night, the restaurant was almost completely empty for 6PM. We were greeted & shown to a table, water glasses filled almost immediately & left for a moment to peruse the menu. Our waiter was prompt & efficient with checking in, refilling glasses, and bringing food, but I did have one complaint & that was he was constantly interrupting our conversation. He wouldn't even wait for a sentence to end before just jumping in and asking about our food, if we were done, etc. It was kind of off-putting to me - for an upscale restaurant of this level, I would have expected differently. Food: Delicious! The appetizer (phyllo cheese rolls - a creamy feta) was fantastic, and the dessert (baklava) was without a doubt the best I have had in my life! My entree (lamb shanks) was a little on the bland side, while my coworker's dish (Iskender) was pretty good. Overall, I give the food high marks.
(4)Maggi K.
Tulip has been one of our favorite restaurants for years. For the last several years, it seems that everything we have tried off the menu has been excellent - time and time again. Alas, last time we went, our experience was a little different. I ordered my standard - lamb shank stew - which has always left me licking my lips in satisfaction. Instead, I was left with a sensation of longing - and not the good kind. Rather than the savory, thick, full bodied stew that I've always enjoyed, I was served a lamb shank in a watery, thin broth. The favor was much subdued and the consistency was that of a broth, not a stew. Overall, the dish was a a miss - a far cry from the signature item I've enjoyed on almost every occasion here. My husband ordered his favorite - the iskendar. It was good, although not quite as good as it usually is; the garlic and smokiness were a bit subdued. In the past, our favorite starters have included the feta cheese sticks, the korma (meatballs), and the fried artichoke leaves (which are usually offered as a special.) The mint tea is also very good, but they do charge you by the glass for it. Lastly, if you want your bulgar or rice wrapped up, make sure you say so. They typically don't include it when they wrap up your leftovers, which can be a bit if a surprise when you go to have your leftovers. We'll be back in the next few weeks, and I'm really hoping that our experience will be back up to par.
(3)Brian M.
Much has already been written about Tulip's interior - it's a gorgeous dining room, no question. Exposed brick, lounge area in the dining room, great light. The TV behind the bar for me is completely unneccessary. We opted to sit at the bar (they made a move to clear for us what looked like a pretty crappy table, such as exists in this dining room). The bar was otherwise empty, so we were rolling the dice on service; it was indeed painfully slow throughout. With the exception of two glass pours from Turkey (the red: too fruity and "big" to complement the food), the wine list is uninspired. (Copper Ridge: bottom-shelf grocery store brand.) I'd hoped for more. (And it was annoying to have to share the drink and food menus.) Oh well, cocktails next time. Yogurt spread was delicious, served with grilled flour shells (tortillas, really). "Walnut chicken spread" tasted of hardly anything at all. The lamb chop entree was delicious. Perfectly grilled lamb, perfrectly grilled asparagus. The garlic mashed potatoes were as advertised. The two apps and one entree (and an additional side of asparagus) were plenty for dinner for two, so, don't let the relatively high entree prices stop you. This kitchen's grill work (and the fact that my girlfriend had a decidedly better time than I did!) will get me to come back. Maybe next time, 4 stars! By all means, check Tulip out.
(3)Da Vman V.
Not sure if our big group was a factor but the chicken was like warm. & dry.. Yogurt sauce would of helped a lot!
(2)Scott C.
We tried this place out because we had a Groupon Coupon -- so far we've never had a bad pick with Groupon. It was a little hard to find but we're not overly familiar with Milwaukee. Once we found it, parking was simple and ample (we were there at 5, not sure what it would be like during the day). They were friendly. The decor was nice. The place was clean and the food was fantastic. We picked a platter (one of the more expensive items on the menu) because we wanted to get a broad taste of their food. It was excellent...a little short on the vegetables and heavy on the meat. This place is a little on the pricey side. I remember only seeing a few children but we'll definitely go back. I think that they probably need to find a better way of marketing themselves. They are definitely better than most Milwaukee restaurants, yet seem to be under the radar. It would be sad to lose such a good restaurant simply because no one knew that they were there.
(5)Brian L.
Elegant, relaxed decor. Service was friendly, but a bit slow. Dishes were all tasty and portions were generous. Wine list was a bit limited, but available wines complemented food well.
(4)Dennis M.
Stopped in here recently on a Friday night and had their $9.95 fish fry. Very good and different from the norm. The restaurant is beautiful and cozy with the fireplace and sofas in the center. Looking forward to coming back but there are so many places to try in this area.
(4)Ali A.
Good atmosphere, good food, great service!
(5)Damon R.
I am a lover of middle eastern and Mediterranean foods. The food here was great. The presentation was also great. The customer service was supar at its best. I didnt know that i had to make a reservation in order to get a table. This was the case. The eatery was not packed, however i still had to wait for a table to clear? I ordered the Chicken Kabos. The plate was generous and plentiful. The decor was exquisite and the exposed creme city brick added a touch of milwaukee. I didnt care for the service as much as i did care for the food. Im more inclined to goto casablanca because of the food and the option to smoke on a hookah if i like. Overall its a great place to go with a date or treating your mom to brunch.
(3)Daniel M.
Saturday night, dinner time. PF Changs: 1 hour, 45 minutes to get a table without a reservation. (no lie) Tulip: Immediate seating. This shouldn't be true. Tonight I enjoyed the benefits of this grave injustice. We dined at the bar tonight for the first time, the wife and I. If you find yourself at the bar, just take a minute to look around like I did tonight. Look down and enjoy the gorgeous marble bar top with all of its swirling colors. Look up at the very authentic, definitely-not-UL-listed Turkish pendant light fixtures twinkling around the bar. Then look at the menu. The wine selection is good enough. It's not as bad as going to an Indian restaurant where you request sauvignon blanc and your server, confused, asks you to clarify if you want red or white wine. But it's not spectacular. It's good enough. The spicy pepper spead is good, but if you're going to get an appetizer, I would tell you to go another route. I liked the Turkish Empanadas (oxymoron?) - they were kinda like a mini pasty. I really want to try the phyllo cheese rolls next time. Entree: Iskender - A soft cubed bread soaked in something yellow and delicious, topped with a heap of meat reminiscent of gyro meat and a delicious tomato sauce, accompanied by a cool yogurt side. This could become addictive for me. Very interesting and just plain awesome. I was so happy with all things Turkish that when our bartender tried explaining a few desserts, I just said "I'll have the second one." Even now I don't know quite what it was, but it was really good. I will be back soon to satisfy my new cravings.
(4)Jim C.
Watch out for this restaurant when making reservations for larger groups. They added 21% gratuity to the bill, for our group of 12 which is out of line. 18% is the standard and we might exceed it if the service was exceptional, which it was not. But the point is we don't want that incentive taken out of the equation. Nowhere in their menu or website do they state the gratuity you are going to get socked with. The food varies from good to average. The wine prices are also out of line. You can very quickly go from moderate to quite costly in no time. And if you are going to pay a premium for your dinner you can find a better meal elsewhere. Not a value for what it is.
(2)Michael T.
Very unique dishes and friendly service. Kudos to the owner for adding some unique ethnic flavor to the city.
(4)Ayla M.
Tulip is the first and only Turkish restaurant in Milwaukee and does a pretty good job at pioneering this cuisine in the area. The building has just been completed and everything from the tables to the bathroom are brand new and tasteful. The decoration and ambiance of the restaurant is contemporary and elegantly done. You will find plenty of parking just outside the building. Their menu covers most of the basic elements of Turkish food. You are able to find appetizers and entrees to satisfy even the pickiest eaters. I would recommend people who have never eaten Turkish food to ask the opinion of the chef. He is not shy about suggesting what is good that day. Tulip also has a really nice bar where you can order your food or simply have a "Turkish Raki" which is a traditional Turkish drink. I enjoyed the exceptional Turkish music which accompanied our dinner. For dessert while one may enjoy a classic - Baklava, I would strongly suggest another Turkish favorite, the pistachio rolls. Tulip serves lunch and dinner currently (They open at 11AM). The building is on the corner of Erie and Milwaukee st. of the fashionable 3rd Ward.
(5)Warren D.
As my tastes in food lean more towards safe and comfortable than exotic, I had resisted trying Tulip in the past. While many countries are synonymous with food (Italy, France, etc.) Turkey doesn't have the same connection in my mind. However, after this visit, I'm glad I finally took the plunge (with the help of Groupon, of course)! Reservations can be made online--always a bonus--though they seem to write them down in a paper book. So if you change your reservation after you initially placed it (like I did), you may want to have that confirmation on your phone or printed out. It wasn't too busy so we were seated in a timely matter. The reservation wasn't worth any Open Table points anyway, so I wasn't too concerned. The person that sat us also waited on us and we also saw him behind the bar making drinks, waiting on other customers, and seating other tables. Despite all that, the service was pretty good, if a tad on the slow side (luckily my friend Jack wasn't with us--he tends to require placing his drink order within 3 minutes of sitting down like he's been parched for days). Since we weren't in any hurry, it wasn't an issue. Start with the phyllo cheese rolls if you like feta cheese at all, they are tasty and a good deal at only $5. Wish you could get comparable mozzarella sticks at other places for that little. For the main entree I had the Iskender, which is thinly-cut, marinated pieces of beef and lamb, served order chopped pita bread. All of that is cooked and then tossed with a savory tomato sauce. It's served with a side of yogurt, which is meant to complement the other flavors. While I didn't bother with the yogurt, I could see how some folks would like it. It was excellent! Steve had the Lamb Shank Stew and also enjoyed it, though it was a bit small for him (perhaps a good choice for someone with a smaller appetite). We finished that up with a traditional Turkish dessert, Kunefe. It's like shredded wheat, grilled with a sweet cheese inside, then soaked in a simple syrup and topped with a hint of pistachio. I had to restrain myself from licking the dish it was brought out in! And at $6, it too was a good value. Only issues were the occasionally slow service (but they brought out two baskets for fabulous fresh bread and me being such a bread whore, I loved it) and that refills on soft drinks were not free. Had I known ahead of time that my second Diet Coke was another $2, I would have just nursed the first one. So if you haven't tried Tulip yet, go! Go now!
(4)Sirin D.
All the appetizers are fabulous!
(4)Jeff W.
I like Tulip. Met a couple of out-of-towner business contacts there on a Monday night. I was concerned that they would recoil before even trying their delicious fare because it's different -- but that was just me worrying for naught. I like that the place is quiet, so we could talk. Had a house Cabernet that was very good. We had the phyllo cheese rolls and calamari -- both excellent. I had the boneless chicken breast - kayisili tavuk sarma - the bird breast flattened and filled with crushed pistachio and apricot. rolled and baked. One guest had lamb shank, the other had a beef item. Both beat me to the clean-plate club, while I savored my meal. They remarked more than once on how good their meals were, so I think they truly enjoyed them. I like the environment. I like the service. I like the food. Simple as that!
(5)Cheryl L.
Woot woot! That was my first reaction after biting into the delicious appetizer that was the "Crispy Phyllo Cheese Rolls - Sigara Boregi," to be more in-language. After reading all the pseudo-negative reviews about Tulip, I wasn't expecting my taste buds to experience anything food-gasmic. BUT, the cheese rolls were hot, delicious, and CHEAP. I wasn't expecting anything that tasty for $5! (We ordered another plate of it later.) The atmosphere is great. Beautiful decor, as other Yelpers have pointed out. Romantic, quiet, relaxing. What's great is if you go on a weeknight, like Wednesday. Not many people dining = better customer service and higher quality food, in my opinion. It certainly was true from the moment the significant other and I were seated to the moment we were served our very first bite. Then came the entrees. The "Iskender" at the top of the menu was uber delicious. I haven't had alot of Mediterranean food in my life, but if this is what it's all about, sign me up for second servings. The combination of lamb and beef roast on top of soft pita with sides of yogurt, topped with an aromatic tomato/butter sauce was ah-maze-ing. Boyfriend had the Lamb Fore Shank Stew - Incik Kebab. Also scrumptious and tasty. I was expecting it to be similar-tasting to my lamb roast, but it wasn't - same food-gasmic meat, totally different savor. Delicious and reasonable at $18. Filling and satisfying to the stomach. I read other people's reviews about Tulip portions being small. Not so. Wake up and look at how much we're eating as Americans. Food portions in this country are wildly out of proportion. Tulip (like other classy restaurants) tends more to the quality of the dish more than the quantity - and that's the way it should be! If one can learn to savor the dish instead of devour it, one's stomach and taste buds should follow with a very light-hearted "I'm full - thank you." That's what happened at Tulip. By the time we had licked the last of our sauces and veggies, we were feeling full and happy. Perhaps this is the way the Mediterraneans do it!
(4)Claire Z.
Absolutely amazing! Top of my list of my favorite restaurants in Milwaukee. I enjoyed the iron roasted beef and my husband enjoyed the spicy meatball skewer. Both were phenomenal!!!! The experience was fantastic, the atmosphere was relaxed, and our service couldn't have been better. Please enjoy this amazing restaurant in the third ward, you truly won't be disappointed! Oh and try the Kunefe if you get the chance--it's a great Turkish dessert!
(5)Mike F.
We enjoyed the food, but the parking was not easy until after 5:30 at night because they are allowed to use the parking lot for the dialysis center next door. the portions were very small but the taste was wonderful.
(4)Julianne K.
It has been a while since I've eaten here but the experience I had was bad enough where I don't plan on returning. The service was very poor. My fiance and I sat outside on what seemed to be a busier evening, certainly not packed, but steady. It took forever to get menus, put in drink orders and finally even order food. I ordered the chicken shish kebab and it was horrible. They used very poor quality chicken that made it inedible. The chicken was extremely fatty and in some places, it looked undercooked. My fiancee had the doner and it was very dry; mediocre at best. Being of Arab descent and growing up eating shish kebab at restaurants, in the middle east and my family's food, this was extremely disappointing. I would not recommend this and only hope that this restaurant improves.
(1)Christina R.
I had wanted to go to Tulip for such a long time, but was hesitant and then ultimately decided to go there when I bought their Groupon. When my friend and I arrived we sat at the bar for a glass of wine. (I had the Merlot and really liked it) The bartender was extremely helpful and friendly. I also really enjoyed the entire atmosphere of Tulip. It was one of the first things about the place that really struck me. It's actually a pretty big place even though you can't tell that from the outside. It would be unique, fun place to host a private dinner party. We were seated and had a very attentive waiter, except he was a little pushy. It seemed like he kept trying to get us to order more food and drinks. We did ask for his suggestions of best items on the menu, but that didn't mean we wanted to order all of them... Anyway, we ended up ordering the grilled platter, which is a combination of all their meats with two kinds of rices, bread, and a few grilled veggies, per the waiters request. It says on the menu that it serves 2, but it truly could serve 3 if not 4 less hungry people. And the price of this amount of food is spectacular, $38. The waiter did warn us it would take slightly longer to get our food if we ordered this. He said 15 minutes, but it was more like 20. It was fine. When the food arrived we were so pleased with the choice we had made. The meats looks and smelled amazing. I was the biggest fan of the lamb and the plain rice on the platter. There was another slightly more flavorful rice, but it had a very distinct mint flavor that was just okay for me. I did ask the waiter for a side of yogurt sauce, which he never ended up bringing. But I really didn't need it. I also really enjoyed the grilled meat patty and the spicy meatball skewer. The chicken was good too, not saying anything bad, but everyone is used to eating chicken all the time. If this is ordered by 2 you can most definitely have leftovers to take home. In my opinion if this is split between 3 people it's a really great value for only $38. I can't wait to visit Tulip again!
(5)Leah M.
Arrived right after they opened on a Monday night to use a living social promotion. I ordered the fried artichoke with shaved asiago, $5 while I waited for my sister to meet me there. The complementary bread was warm and fresh - right out of the oven and dripping oil delicious. As our entree I got us the platter for two, Ottoman Grilled Platter $38. Truely wonderful - enough food to bring home left overs for my husband. We will return again.
(4)Jeff C.
In late July, I picked up an Amazon Local deal $25 for $12. In the last week or so, the Amazon system reminded me to use the certificate before it expired. In the end, we would have been better off letting it expire...that way we would have been out only $12 instead of $33. We had no preconceived notions of this restaurant beforehand so walking into the dining room gave us a good feeling. It's very well appointed with a nice fireplace. Grade: A+ on atmosphere. Service was good (not great). The waitress was attentive and personable. The Amazon certificates require that you present them to the server before ordering. I always suspect that this will change the level of service but this didn't seem to be the case. Grade: A- on service The menu was well written and we found a couple dishes that sounded nice: I ordered the Vegetable Stuffed Eggplant (Imam Bayildi) and my wife had the Boneless Chicken Breast (Kayisili Tavuk Sarma). As a starter, we ordered the Squash Soup. The server brought the soup along with bread and a very small cup of oil for dipping. The cup was so small...it was really not even enough for one person. Pretty disappointing there...Grade: D The soup looked appetizing with a few pumpkin or squash seeds sprinkled on top. My wife took a spoonful and said, "Well, I'm done with that." I then tried it as well. I was really surprised to find that it was largely flavorless....not even worth eating. Again...disappointing...Grade: D The meals arrived in a timely manner and the on-plate presentation looked good. I thought, "This will make up for the soup." Unfortunately, my eggplant dish turned out to a be a pile of flavorless oil. Absolutely not a single hint of spice. My wife's chicken dish was also nothing to write home about. Within a few bites, we looked at each other and said..."No need to come back here...the food is completely tasteless." Extra disappointing...Grade: D- At the end of the day...the menu is inventive and well written....the just need to hire a chef that can actually cook the meals with something other than ladles of oil. One more thing that I just realized. I specifically recall the menu stating even prices for all of the dishes (mine was supposed to be $15 and my wife's was listed at $17) and that is confirmed by their menu online. However, we were charged higher prices...$15.84 and $17.95 respectively. Is this "rounding up" practice legal? If I would have noticed this mischarging before now, I would have demanded that they adjust the bill to reflect menu pricing and not a penny more. I understand that even pricing is the "in" thing at nicer restaurants but when a restaurant states that a steak is $20 or $25...that's what they charge. Springing prices like $20.95 or $25.84 after the fact is scandalous. OK one last thing. I spoke with my wife's brother on Saturday about our experience at Tulip. Completely unprovoked, he cringed. He mentioned that he and his wife also went to Tulip maybe in August or September. His feedback was verbatim...nice ambiance but terrible & overpriced food. Wouldn't ever go back.
(2)Eric M.
Tulip is well worth a visit. An excellent date spot or just a place to get a nice dinner with friends. I hear they have live music some nights, so I would look into that. I went during Festa Italiana on a Saturday, so the place was pretty empty, but I hear this is a popular place having just moved here. I got the Iskender which was a delicious combination of lamb, chunky pita bread, tomato sauce, and a nice heap of thick yogurt. Had some meat empanadas to start which were also quite tasty. If you like Ouzo or Sambucca, I suggest ending your meal with a Rocky.... a creamy licorice liqueur. Otherwise, I had to pass on dessert because the portions were so generous. If you like dining out, check this place out. How often does one get a chance to eat Turkish?
(4)Lauren D.
Beautiful decor and good service. Calamari was hot and crispy, as were the phyllo cheese sticks. Meat platter to share was flavorfull and tender, but everything was a bit pricey for what we got.
(3)Ling C.
I got the groupon for tulip and hoping for the best. I went to turkey twice this year and I was craving Turkish food. We had the Turkish empanadas to start and they tasted pretty close to what I had in kusadasi, turkey. They were a little greasier than the real thing but taste was pretty spot on to the authentic thing. We then had the kofta and the doner. Both were excellent and tasted like what I had throughout all of turkey. So good!!! The yogurt was amazing and complemented the dishes very well. We had Turkish tea at the end of the meal and that was the only thing that I didn't care for. Real Turkish tea is strong and slightly bitter but maybe they changed it to suit Wisconsinite taste buds. All in all, it made me reminisce on my wonderful trip to turkey. FYI- tulips originated from turkey and the ottoman king gave the tulip to holland as a gift.
(4)Kevin R.
This restaurant is very nice inside and slightly off the main area in the Historic Third Ward. Value was good - for instance, my lunch included a large wrap, salad and soup for only $10. Service was good too. Now on to the food... Generally it was good, although I had two things that prevented this place from getting four stars: 1. They used too much oregano on several dishes. For instance, their lentil soup was severed with about a teaspoon of dried oregano on top. The soup had a good flavor, but the oregano was overpowering. 2. My salad was overdressed. I had the pomegranate dressing, and it had a good flavor, but it was too overdressed. All in all, a decent place with the potential to move up to 4 stars.
(3)Maika M.
Mediocre food for too much. Husband and I had calamari for appetizers, not impressed. I had the lamb chops ($23). My husband had lamb meat with pita ($18). I've had lamb before and this meat did not taste like lamb. Tasted more like plain old beef with not much flavor. Disappointed.
(2)Johanna L.
Tulip was great. I had a gift certificate from restaurants.com for $25 off of an order over $50, which made our dinner end up being about $13 each for a very nice experience. Food - I had the stuffed grape leaves, doner with the bulguer pilaf, while one of my friends had salmon and the other had the lentil soup and Crispy Phyllo Cheese Rolls (Sigara Boregi) as a meal. Our salads were excellent and huge, and very fresh! Everything was great, except I wasn't too keen on the sweet interpretation of the grape leaves. I have had some that were more savory, which I preferred. Accomplished wine list as well. Service - Our waitress was really nice. She was very accomodating and professional and even offered to move us inside when there was a bee that kept coming after one of my friends. She was also always prompt, constantly refilled our water glasses, and was very conscious of our needs for extra bread plates etc. Atmosphere - Due to our bee trouble, we were able to experience the best of both worlds: indoor and outdoor. We were there on a Wednesday, so it was pretty quiet, but there were some other folks eating. The interior remained well-lit until around 8 or 8:30, when they dimmed the lights. Very romantic! The patio is cute as well, though you have to expect that the views in the Third Ward will be less than captivating.
(4)Suzanne M.
We've been here several times, and it's always a hit! Love! I wish I lived in one of the nearby condos so we could walk here. The food is always a pleasurable experience and I diligently try not to miss their special Easter brunch! The people there are very friendly and family oriented. The decor is rich and gorgeous and the whole place just exudes a mediterranean vibe.
(4)Kevin B.
We ate at Tulip yesterday using the Downtown Dining menu. Thought the place was rather nice, interesting mosiaic lighting by the long bar. Tulip offers music on Saturday nights - this week was an older duo on violin and guitar that started off their set with an Israeli folksong Bashana. The $20 dinner menu had a couple of choices for appetizers, entrees and dessert. We shared the stuffed grape leave, hummus and phyllo wrapped cheese. We had the Iskender (lamb/beef), stuffed eggplant and pasta bolonese. Eveyrone went for the baklava. The food seemed be an ok deal for the $20 but might be a bit pricey otherwise (if these were the regularly-sized entrees i.e. Iskender is $18 on the dinner menu). Service was efficient but subdued. It was Saturday night but the place was nowhere near full (not even half) in the main diing room. It wasn't clear to me if they started serving lunch or we just doing it for Downtown Dining week (their website says they don't serve lunch). I might go back again to try the lamb chops which we saw on a neighboring table and wasn't part of the DD special menu
(4)Basam A.
Location is nice and the appetizers were good, but the dinner is bad. What kind of 'Turkish' place uses greek gyro meat and mexican tortilla bread? My wife ordered chicken skewers and they were freaking raw! Don't waste your time and money.
(2)David B.
Why is this place not packed at lunch?! I had lunch here with a friend recently and we were the only people in the dining room for nearly two hours. Definitely a tragedy, given the quality of the food. A gem in the Third Ward, Tulip offers excellent Turkish food that honors authentic preparation and avoids being overly influenced by the midwestern penchant for adding cream and fat to everything. The lentil soup is gorgeous, offering flavor and texture without resorting to a cream based broth. The red pepper spread is remarkable - almost a meal in itself. Add a bit of the table olive oil to the top and you'll remember it for months to come. Since my party was the only party in the entire dining room, I can't comment much on the service. It was attentive but we may have simply been a pleasant diversion. Tulip is slightly tucked away in the Third Ward, but well worth the extra effort to find it and enjoy its delights.
(4)H C.
I have to give Tulip a 3 star only because I don't think Turkish food is my thing. Despite my review, I would recommend everyone give it a try! The Manager/Bartender/Server (Yes, all the same guy) was very friendly, taking his time to explain the menu and offer suggestions. The Hummus appetizer was Delicious. And, much like Rachel F. I will put Hummus on anything and eat it for every meal if I could. The Eggplant spread was pretty good as well. The yogurt/mint spread. I just couldn't do it! Way to think and too much mint for my liking! But, everyone else at my table enjoyed it. I split entrees with Cindi W. I ordered the ravioli and she had the stuffed boneless chicken breast. The ravioli weren't what you would typically think of a Ravioli. They were little tiny dough pouches with a meat filling and a yogurt/dill sauce. Not bad, but the dill was pretty overwhelming for me. The stuffed chicken breast was covered in a tomato sauce and stuffed with pistachio's. It had an extremely floral taste, that I couldn't get past. Didn't care for it at all. Like I said, I would recommend everyone try Tulip for themselves. I think the choice of/and amount of herbs used in the cooking just isn't for me.
(3)Kristen L.
We visited Tulip for a Friday evening dinner on a trip into the city to see Tom Jones live in concert (yes, the 69-year-old Welsh crooner/cheesy Vegas heartthrob). It was such a calm and pleasant meal, which was a good thing, given how crazed the septuagenarian panty-throwing concertgoers were. We needed all our energy. Here are the highlights of our trip to Tulip: - Gorgeous stained-glass, gourd lamps hanging over the bar (you have to see these for yourself) - Our server who had the cutest accent, a great sense of humor, and good menu recommendations (her name was Tatiana) - Cold appetizer sampler (your choice of 4), especially the eggplant dip (by far the best I've had) and the stuffed grape leaves (I'd never before eaten one I liked) - Pomegranate salad (too-too tasty) - Lentil soup (subtle flavor, super delicious) - Stuffed eggplant entree (melt in your mouth)
(4)Pete B.
Went for my wife's birthday on a Friday night. Four of us had a bottle of wine at the bar, then went to the table. Our server was prompt and knowledgable. We had a couple of apps, the hummus and a phyllo wrapped feta dish. Both were fantastic. I had the lamb chops and my wife had the ravioli, and both dishes were amazing. Our friends also enjoyed their meals as well. The manager made several trips to our table to do everything from ask us how we were doing to filling our water glasses. Very impressed with the entire experience.
(5)Matthew B.
Be advised - address is wrong - did not work in the GPS. Its really at the corner of Milwaukee and Erie streets. no lit sign so its hard to locate at night. parking was plentiful however. overall Rating: 6.5 0f 10 pretty good food, urban chic environment, and interesting menu make it worth a try. Service could be better. Atmosphere/other: 7 out of 10 Nice atmosphere - more of the 3rd ward urban chic. Service a bit off - not sure if it was a ditsy waitress or whether she was distracted by serving the owners family which was seated next to us. Tried the chef tasting line on her - she didn't get it - oh well... I like the couches and fireplace in center of room - cocktails there would be a nice treat. Nice jazz trio playing. Food varied as noted below, but in general was tasty. A little pricey, but fairly standard for that neighborhood. I was disappointed that many of the menu items and wines we liked were not available that evening - not sure why - waitress claimed "transition". What we had: 6.5 of 10 The food was good quality but - some better than other. The cold appetizer mix - choose four - was pretty good. We got the phyllo cheese rolls, stuffed grape leaves, eggplant puree, and spicy red pepper spread. It was plenty for two. Paired with the Boutari Greek wine ($38) it was very tasty. I have to say that the red lentil soup was fantastic. On to the entrees. We got the lamb shank and boneless chicken breast rolled with apricot and pistachio. The chicken was nicely done - unique flavor combination and tasty if a bit lacking on presentation. The lamb was good - but uninspired. It lacked the complexity or boldness in taste that i expect in an ethnic restaurant. Isn't that why we go to ethnic restaurants? To get something you don't get at home? some unique combination of flavors? this was well prepared , but simply under represented form a flavor standpoint. Paired the dinner with a very nice and inexpensive malbec from Chile. Portions were good - we weren't hungry at the end. Finished with good Turkish coffee (sludge and all) and an interesting version of Ouzo - different name - but similar taste served Mediterranean style (ice/water to cloud it).
(3)Steve G.
What an outstanding place. The ambiance is superb -- really cool atmosphere and decor. There was live music, complete with one of the entertainers coming by and asking if we had any song requests. The staff, from the minute we walked in, was friendly, engaging and genuine. The food was excellent, from appetizers to entrees. I can't say as I've been to a Turkish restaurant before - I definitely can say I'll be back.
(4)Denise L.
This place is good! Being Turkish, I can tell you its fairly authentic. Get the iskendar kebab with an Efes beer. I've had the Chicken Shish kebab, too, which was also good. The eggplant puree is terrific! Nice atmosphere-very spacious.
(4)Bobby C.
Tulip has fantastic food and an awesome atmosphere. I suggest ordering the Raki with your dinner.
(4)Michele H.
Great place to eat vegetarian with lots of vegetable options. I would consider returning in the future. I had the veggie stuffed eggplant entree which was very tasty. The Turkish red wine and baklavas were also good. The lentil soup was bland and I didn't care for the rice pudding, but this is the first time I've had rice pudding, so that might just be me :).
(3)Julie M.
You can make better Turkish food on your own at home.
(2)Karen S.
The only reason I will give this restaurant one star is bc the waitress was soooo sweet. She was the only one there to deal with the 4 tables in the whole restaurant. ( one was a table of 10 people though). Overall the food was lousy. Very mediocre stuffed grape leaves. They had no seasoning and little flavor. My husband liked his chicken soup which was actually the sauce from my lamb shanks thinned down. My lamb shank was good, but for $18 all I got was the lamb shank, a lttle sauce and a couple carrots. It was supposed to have potatoes and when I asked the waitress about it she said "oh, they make things different here all the time and I guess tonight they didn't put potatoes in it!!!!" Unbelievable. I told her that it said it should have potatoes so I would like some potatoes. She brought me some "fries". Then my son ordered some lamb/beef patties that came on completely uncooked, no exaggeration, egglant! The patties themselves were about 2 inches in diameter and there were 3 of them. Even if the eggplant had been cooked this was a ripoff for the price. It was supposed to come with bulgar, but I guess the chef didn't feel like bulgar so it came with rice. My husband also had a salad which he said was mediocre. We will NEVER go back to this place and it is a shame cause it is in a nice location and is a pretty atmosphere. Maybe someone else could take it over who knows how to cook and run a restaurant.
(1)Kamran D.
Pretty decent place. The wines by the glass were nice. The calamari appetizer was particulary memorable--extremely and unusually tender and flavorful. If only everything were that good. My main course, the Iskender, was quite nice but really over salted. That lowers the rating from a solid four to three stars (5 stars are tough to earn in my book).
(3)Wisco V.
I don't know why everyone isn't eating here every day. It's delicious! AND it's different than the standard sandwiches and fries of the Third Ward. I almost went back the next day, I loved it so much! I've also heard terrific things about their lunch specials! Can't wait to return!!!
(5)Virginia L.
I have been to Tulip several times and the food never fails to amaze me. The food and atmosphere are terrific! A great BIG bar welcomes you. if you are looking for a unique dining experience, try Tulip.
(4)Tony F.
Very nice place - second time here and it continues to be very good food, service and atmosphere. I had the spicy pepper spread which was great and had the pollack with polenta. this was very good. A great place for both cozy evening with a date or with a group of people. We will return!
(4)Becky P.
Tulip provides a beautiful atmosphere and outstanding food! I sampled each of my friends dinners and everything was incredibly delicious. However the only complaint I had was the music at the bar was a bit too loud and interfered with dinner conversation.
(4)Dave S.
Our entrees at Tulip were solidly OK. Presentation was fine, ingredients were of high quality, but the flavors were somewhat lacking. The mediocrity of the entrees, however, was counterbalanced by the incredible appetizer and salads we had. Service was attentive, atmosphere superb. If the entrees were as good as everything else, this would have been a five star review.
(4)Krystle M.
My boyfriend and I decided to eat at Tulip to celebrate Valentines day. Since he works in the service industry, he was working on Valentines day...so we went out the following day. I ordered the baked tilapia with almond and asparagus. My boyfriend ordered the ravioli after finding out that they were out of what he had wanted. Not a big deal. We ate here once before and it was really good, so we expected the same. The tilapia dish arrived in a pool of oil and butter with 4 pieces of asparagus, soggy almonds, mushy cabbage on top, and chewy frozen corn (clearly thawed and heated several times before being served to me). $20 for this entree! My boyfriends ravioli was a flavorless choice. He took a bite and couldn't continue, and I tried it as well. Absolutely terrible! It was a bizarre blend of seasoning and ravioli in a pool of cheap cooking oil. Our server was wonderful, and seeing that he could not even try to enjoy his meal made me convince him to say something about the food. He felt terrible doing so, because like I said...he's in the service industry. The waitress apologized and went to get her manager regarding his food (I decided not to complain about my dinner because it was sort of semi-edible). The manager came at us like a charging bull and was instantly very confrontational. The restaurant was staring at us because of how personal he was taking this. We told him that the food was too seasoned and yet flavorless and that there was too much oil. He said that the oil was just butter (although I have never seen orange butter before! ) and accused my boyfriend of complaining that the food was too spicy - which was not the case at all. All in all, the manager ended up backing him into a corner and bringing him out a "less spicy" ravioli. He took the ravioli into the kitchen and put it into a to go box and returned it to us within a minute - unchanged. I got my dinner wrapped up and brought it to work the following day...when I found that the tilapia still had most of it's bones! Our appetites were gone when we didn't even eat...and we left Tulip with hopes of a good dinner together. We did not intend to get a free meal, but when the food is that terrible...it should have been comped. The server did not suffer because of the outcome of the food, she did a wonderful job. A++ service to her, though she should look for a job at a better restaurant.
(1)Kyle A.
Our group of 6 went here for a birthday gathering on a Friday night. We had no problem getting a reservation at the last minute. As soon as we sat down, we had a very helpful server who came and took drink orders and gave us great recommendations on appetizers. Food - For appetizers, we had the customary grape leaves, the tasty phyllo cheese rolls, chicken zucchini, and the stuffed bulgur shells. All were very good and each member of our party found a different favorite out of the spread. Everyone agreed the stuffed bulgur shells were really, really good. I would almost get two orders and have this as my entree. At the recommendation of our server I had the Iskender - marinated lamb and beef roast, sliced thin and piled atop chopped pita bread. covered with savory tomato sauce and drizzled with butter. yogurt on the side. This dish was incredible. I can still taste it now. I will definitely be going back to get it again. The only con is that it wasn't very busy and the seating area is so spacious that you feel very far away from others. We had the whole front section to ourselves. Space is nice but it is nice to have the bustle and buzz of a popular restaurant. I would suggest they close off the front section when they aren't busy. Definitely a place to go back to. Reasonable prices, tasty food, good service. We will bring our friends. Thanks for a great birthday dinner.
(4)Dave S.
Say what you want but I like it. Used several groupons here and never disappointed. Turkish wines were good as is the coffee. Yum
(4)Jessica O.
Oh Tulip. Welcome to my favorites list. This is the place to go if you have a family member who refuses to try any sort of foreign food. I will be bringing my entire family in as soon as possible. The food is simple, well-cooked, delicious, and completely non-threatening to a food nerd in training. I ordered the Iskender - because Yelp told me to - as did our extremely friendly, helpful waitress. And it was awesome. The lamb and beef were shaved thin, piled on top of tomato sauce soaked bread, with the most delicious, creamy greek yogurt on the side. The flavor combination was awesome. I added a few bites of the mild roasted chili here and there, and it complemented the dish beautifully. My companions ordered the chicken shish kabob and the salmon. Both pieces of meat were among the best cooked that I've had in Milwaukee. The chicken was lightly charred, but super juicy inside, and the salmon had a nice sear and tender middle. The atmosphere was also top notch. Classy, but friendly, with live musicians performing soft, non-distracting dinner music. The ambiance was relaxed and welcoming. Will definitely be returning.
(5)Jen Y.
One of my favorite places... beautiful place. Love the live music and the gourd lights! The spreads I dream about... yogurt spread, red pepper spread and hummus on lavosh. Stuffed grape leaves, and the breaded artichoke special. I usually don't get past the small plates! But when I do I go salad. I like the Mediterraian salad. My husband on the other hand loves the meat platter (with the selection of skewered meats). He can't choose a favorite so he likes to go with meat eating friends and share the platter! One of the best desserts I've ever had is right here.... motzerella baked in a metal dish with shredded wheat and honey. Yes, sounds strange but try it!!! One of the best things I've ever eaten. Check out their deals on restaurant.com and they often have groupons to get more for your money since there's so much good to try here!
(5)David B.
To my surprise, Tulip was intimate, cozy and warm inside with pleasant helpful staff. Parking was easy and plentiful for dinner. The menu was a bit more pricey than I expected from the Groupon ad that got us there or the price rating here, but the total experience was worth it! Bring a pocket flashlight or cell phone light... several tables, including ours, needed one to read the menu. :-) We ordered the fried artichoke appetizer, which seemed a bit dry for the mediterranean food that I know and love. However the onion soup, iron roased beef and grilled salmon were all outstanding. When they add on a gluten-free menu and address the slightly slow kitchen, i'm happy to go five-stars all the way! If you are in no hurry and looking for a place to take a special someone, Tulip will set you up for a great date night - for sure!
(4)El V.
My wife and I picked this restaurant based on the reviews and also because there was a Groupon that was available. We arrived and the place was empty; there was another couple there but the rest of the "customers" were friends or family of the staff. The place is beautifully arranged and looks like an excellent place for a date. Our waitress was wonderful, smiling and attentive. We selected Hummas as an appetizer and to be honest it was the the worst I've ever had. It came with soft tortillas cut in triangles! (Whaaaa???) My wife ordered Eggplant Lamb Wrap and I ordered the Döner. You are allowed one side selection limited to one of three rice dishes. The Döner came out decoratively covered again with soft tortilla cut in triangles. (They must be trying to get rid of these). The lamb was salty, dry and the entree lacked any flavor. I tried to salvage my meal by adding seasoned olive oil which came with the complimentary bread. The Eggplant Lamb Wrap was thoroughly enjoyed by my wife who spoke of how wonderfully the eggplant blended with the lamb combined tomato infusion. I have been to Turkey many times but the dishes that I've enjoyed have been better in the States. That being said, I was disappointed with my meal but the service, ambience and my wife's entree prevented a total loss. Hey management, get rid of the soft tortilla...we don't even do that in Texas.
(3)Joel B.
I stumbled upon this place one evening when I went for a walk out in the Third Ward. During the day the restaurant is dark, but at night, the beautiful Turkish stained glass lamp shade/chandeliers glow warm and colorful. I decided to try it out one Saturday evening for dinner. The place had a few people, but finding a table was not a problem. The food was great and waitstaff excellent. The manager even speaks a little Deutsch! I had the chicken kababs (kind of cliche, I know) and they were mighty tasty! The ambiance is warm and romantic, so good for couples. The only thing I could have done without was the older couple playing the guitar and violin. They were just ok, but more distracting than anything. The older gentleman was a little creeps. That aside, I give it a "highly recommend" on the rating scale. Reasonably priced to. Go check them out.
(4)George F.
Great food and service. Love the option in the third ward area, we don't have enough places like this. Affordable, quality, authentic and healthy.
(5)Alice S.
Ok, first off, my mom is Turkish, so I am pretty picky. This place does a decent job. Don't order fish entrees, just as a rule. Special favorites include the Manti (they call it ravioli) and the iskender. Service ranges from mediocre to good. Beautiful spot. Definitely recommend.
(4)Mon M.
Despite the unacceptable wait time for a server, I'll still give it a positive review because the food was excellent. My friend and I got seated right away on the patio on a Monday afternoon during Downtown Dining week. The restaurant was not very busy at all. Now, we were on our lunch breaks so having to wait about 15 minutes so the host/owner (?) could greet/serve us was not cool. We both ordered the lentil soup, falafel wrap & baclava. They were all simply delectable. We had to wait a long time for the bill, but I guess the experience was worth it. I just won't go again when I'm on a time crunch.
(4)Kelsey S.
Pros: -Currently participating in Downtown Dining Week with $10 lunch and $20 dinner specials (well, really, $21.12 for some reason, but we didn't care enough to ask why). -Caesar salad = simple but delicious. Perfect balance of romaine, cheese, croutons, dressing, and tomatoes. Nom. -Hubs had the Iskender and said it was delicious. A bajillion Foursquare and numerous Yelp suggestions to try it can't be wrong. -I had the Chicken Shish Kebab, and it was fantastic. Great ratio of meat-to-veggies-to-rice. Perfect portion size. -Great location and nicely designed space. -Easy to make reservations (we reserved through Yelp!). -Parking can be tricky in the Third Ward, but it's on the edge of the neighborhood so it was easy to snag a spot on the street outside -- even during a festival. Cons: -Had run out of creme brulee for the night. Sad day. Husband's allergic to walnuts, so the baklava was out of the question, which left rice pudding and chocolate ice cream. He said the rice pudding was okay but would've preferred it warm. Chocolate ice cream was nothing to get excited about -- it was too frozen to carve into it for a long time and had a unique flavor (almost like it had a smoky taste..?). -Miscommunication with the waitress. Husband ordered a Diet Coke, which was interpreted as Captain & Coke. When he said, "No, just Diet Coke," he still ended up with Captain & Diet. At that rate, he just decided to keep it. Not a huge deal but wasn't planning to drink with dinner. Overall, the food and atmosphere greatly outweighed any of the cons. Downtown Dining Week is a great opportunity to check out places not previously visited, and we're glad we took a chance on Tulip.
(4)Devin O.
We popped into Tulip on a Thursday evening - wow were we impressed! The ambiance is beautiful. Jeweled gourds and other Turkish artistry surround you. The food was splendid! First, we received complimentary and fresh bread with a side of herbed olive oil. In case you don't know, Mediterranean and Turkish foods generally have very complex and developed flavors. We very much enjoyed the olive oil! We ordered the chicken zucchini and humus with prosciutto to start. The humus was great and flavorful. The chicken zucchini was also great, although it was only 3 small slices. Nonetheless, it was a good deal for the $$ in my opinion. The mediterranean salad was also delicious. Simple, yet packed with tons of different flavors. Finally, we ordered the eggplant wrapped lamb. Consistent with everything else we ordered, the entree was a treat. Overall, we very much enjoyed our quick and flavor-filled stop at Tulip :)
(5)Rachel G.
Visited here with a friend for downtown dining week's lunch special and sat outside on the patio--we both had the falafel wrap (warning: does not make for very good left overs), me the red lentil soup (delicious), her the chicken Cesar (she loved the dressing--"not too much not too little"), and for dessert we shared our baklava (oh my gosh, kinda started to melt in the sun...no words!) and her semolina pudding with vanilla ice cream. Quieter on that end of the ward, perhaps because it was a Saturday. Pleasant experience, would go back for soup and baklava, and would like to try out something from the full menu! For $16 after tip and tax, I'd say it was a good pick!
(3)Corvin F.
When you think about going out to a nice restaurant to be with good friends and family the Tulip may have bloomed a while ago. On a recent visit I was $75 poorer and even more disappointed than I thought possible. Music was lovely, initially we thought the place still continued with the tradition of good food and service. Wonky is more like it. Our server didn't have a clue about the menu, really should not have been serving without a mentor shadowing her. Horrible service, never even returning to the table to ask about food, drinks, coffee, we were on our own, and would have enjoyed it more IF the food had met our anticipation. Kabobs were charred, dry and appeared 'left-overs' from the night before. Sultan's Delight may have inspired royals years ago, however today a drive thru restaurant would be more appropriate. Dessert was ordered and arrived 25 minutes later, did I mention we were the first people in the restaurant when it opened? 1) Our food orders were just awful. 2) Our Service was embarrassing 3) Will we return and rave about the Tulip.......Really? Once a go-to place for our group, now a discounted Buy-one-Get-one that thinks being successful means how many tables are turned in an evening vs. actually providing good service, great food and a reason to return. With so many restaurants competing for business I would think the basics would work, certainly not in this case. If you are in the business OWN IT, live up to it. All we are asking is delivery what you say and we'll be happy to come back, until then, it's back to basics in order to earn our business. Avoid until changes are made.
(1)Gregg F.
My wife and I went tonight for dinner. This place is incredible. Don't be afraid of the words "Turkish" or "Mediterranean". Think perhaps really fancy and delicious Greek... We started with the cheese stuffed phyllo (fila) which was awesome!! Ambiance - 5 stars!! We had a violin and a guitar player playing absolutely fabulous music all dinner. We felt like we were transported to a an Island in the Mediterranean. Drink list of specialty martinis is top notch at great prices! For dinner we shared the combination plattter which consisted of: Lamb chops, steak and chicken ka-bobs, a spicy meatball ka-bob, and some meat patties served with a Tzatziki like sauce on the side with two kinds of rice. For desert we had baklava and Turkish tea which was to die for. We are definitely returning to this little gem!!
(5)Carrie G.
Wish I could give zero stars. This was my third, and LAST time here. The food and drinks were good, great even. But I can't support a restaurant with shady practices, which is what I've found here continually. It is not about the money. It's about how they use groupons, downtown dining, restaurant.com and the like to lure diners to their restaurant and then change the rules after you start playing the game. See my previous reviews for other issues, but most recently it was a groupon. Those that use groupons know enough to read the fine print. And on the Tulip groupon there was no fine print. But AFTER our group ordered a round of the $5 martinis that our server suggested he returned to tell us that those same drinks would NOW be $9 because we had a groupon. WHAT?!?! They were $5 five minutes ago and now that we've been served they are $9. That's one serious unadvertised bait and switch. Considering the fact that this restaurant is huge, and there have not been more than three tables in use on any given visit, it appears that Milwaukee diners may have just had enough of their scheming, I know I have.
(1)Becky S.
I had been wanting to try Tulip for a while now and I just didn't love it. The service was really lacking when I was there. I had to ask twice for a water refill. Apparently they are really strick & stringy with their coupons and deals and we saw evidence of that. A friend had a Groupon but if we wanted to use it all of our $5 special drinks "had to" go back up to their full $9-$10 price. At that point it wasn't even worth it to use the Groupon, which we didn't. It was very shady and uncool. The food- A lot of the apps looked good but none of the dinner entrees totally drew me in. As others have said, they're also more on the pricy range for what they are- $15 to $23 per meal. I ended up going with the Doner. It was decent but a bit greasy and seemed kinda like a glorified gyro plate. The bulgar pilaf as a side was surprisingly good and tasted like Spanish rice. The apps we shared-calamari and crispy phyllo cheese rolls- were both quite tasty. Maybe ordering apps only is the route to go here. Overall, I was disappointed by Tulip. The food is decent, but their pricing, business practices, and service are a let down.
(3)Kelly B.
I definitely need to move my review down on this place. I have always had friendly enough service here, however always leave with a sour feeling. My most recent time was with a party of four. Our food came out in a timely manner, and everything was fine. Started with the calamari and phyllo rolls. (One star is for those still), I love these phyllo rolls - however they're tiny, come 5 in an order and are 5 dollars. Steep for how small they are. The calamari comes topped with a bunch of julienned and fried zucchini, which was good but wait... I didn't order tempura veggies. Definitely seemed like they tried to make the dish seem bigger by adding it as a filler. I ordered the Iskender which was one of the weirdest dishes. The meat was fine if not a little dry. It was drenched in a tomato sauce that was awesome, but the "bread" was chunks of sourdough hidden underneath the meat/sauce mixture... by the time I'd found them they were completely disintegrated. Seemed like this dish needed some bread to eat like a gyro or something, odd just eating meat strips. The chicken dish was good, but very sweet. I really liked my cocktail the French Martini (my other star is for that drink) which was grey goose, chambord, pineapple juice and a top of champagne foam. It was a great balance of booze and sweetness. HOWEVER the five dollar cocktail deal quickly became almost ten dollar cocktails as soon as the groupon was on the table. Even without any small print or mention of deal combinations, our server refused to honor both. There's that sour feeling. Every time I have come here it's empty, and I'm starting to see why. The food is fine, but not a single entree is under $15. There are so many exclusions to what you can order with what and what deals work with other deals that it ends up being a very expensive and upsetting dining experience. Too many other awesome places around for me to return.
(2)Irina R.
Good food and fantastic service. I haven't yet ordered an eggplant dish I didn't like; and this was no exception. Kebabs were a good way to finish the meal. The restaurant is usually closed on Sundays but they open up for private events.
(4)Barbara S.
Tulip never disappoints us! We enjoyed an early dinner yesterday (Monday) and everything was perfect. Our server, Brandon, was fast and attentive, coming back often to check on our meal. The food was outstanding - Roasted Artichoke Appetizer was spot on - as always!! Perfectly grilled Salmon, crunchy veggies and that 'to die for' Bulgar Rice Pilaf. Chicken Shish-ka-Bob was moist and tender, veggies had a little char with the right amount of crispness and again, that yummy Bulgar Rice Pilaf! We had to pass on the decadent Kunefe for dessert...just a tad too full. Perhaps we should start with Dessert next time. All in all, a beautiful evening in a warm, cozy, romantic Restaurant! Well done to all!
(5)Gabrielle B.
The food here is delicious! I love the flavors and the atmosphere. It's a funky semi-trendy space in the 3rd Ward. It's a little difficult to locate at first, but you will be glad you found it once you've eaten there. If you're into tea, make sure you end the meal with a small glass. It's strong and yummy!
(5)Heather H.
Ate a (late) lunch at Tulip earlier this week. Really enjoyed the food and the atmosphere and was surprised it wasn't busier (like other reviewers). The lentil soup was very good as was my spicy meatball wrap.
(4)Aubrey G.
Right after they first opened and prior to my "Yelping," we were taken here for dinner by some friends. Though I don't recall the exact particulars of the meal, I do remember being impressed with both the food and the service. Yesterday, we attended a private wedding reception at Tulip (Sunday, 9/17/2012). [Tulip, the restaurant, is apparently closed on Sunday's for private events]. The memory of our very positive past experience at Tulip was repeated yesterday. The service was efficient and friendly. Though there were only several choices on the menu for the reception, what we had **was very good, especially considering the large group of people (more than 135 I believe) that they served all at the same time. **Chicken/Steak/Vegetable Shish Kabobs with Bulgarian Rice Pilaf. I would go out of my way to get this meal again and will, during regular business hours. The interior of the location is very interesting and unique; brick walls with large plate glass windows that let natural light in, tapestry's on the wall, picture framed ceramic tile art pieces and a built-in fireplace. I think this is/was a great choice for this event. My only criticism is that, especially with the large crowd and the addition of music playing, the acoustics of the location make for a very LOUD noise level. I recommend Tulip as a location that should be considered for special events like the one I attended. I hope to soon followup on this review after we have dinner here, again, when the restaurant is open during normal business hours.
(4)Danielle R.
My boyfriend made reservations for my birthday. We arrived early and were seated no problem. I got over the fact that we were sat right by the bathroom even though there were better tables available. Got water glasses filled and 20 minutes later still no one offered to take a drink order or even stopped by to recognize we were there. We decided to leave and mentioned to the bar tender that we were leaving because no had been by to take our order and he just looked around. No apology, didn't even try to get someone over to us. The place wasn't even packed. Only half the tables were filled. Sad cause the food looked good but won't be back to try it. Nice ambiance but very disappointed in the complete lack of service.
(2)Steve S.
Four of us enjoyed our dinner on a Thursday night surrounded by Groupon people (according to server). This place did not offer the Panda-preferred blend of tender bamboo shoots and wild tubers. :'( Instead, we had 2 orders of Crispy Phyllo Feta Cheese Rolls ($5 ea.); Soup of the Day ($6); Mediterranean Salads ($6 ea.); Iron Roasted Beef ($16); Mediterranean Pasta ($15), Turkish Dark Beer ($6); and Turkish white wine ($9). Restaurant.com provided an assist (somewhat).
(4)Julia M.
Caveat: This review is based on a visit more than a year ago. But it sticks out as a so-so experience for someone who's usually pretty happy just to go out for food. -Arrived around 6. The place is dead empty. The decor is beautiful and sexy. -My friend and I are being served by a smarmy waiter who drips with fake compliments. We are beautiful ladies! he says, batting his eyelashes without a hint of sincerity. We're sort of embarrassed. -We order a delicious appetizer of stewed eggplant and vegetables to share. It's $6 and about two bites. -No matter! I'm looking forward to manti, lamb dumplings. I've had the homemade version before--they're delicious and terribly time consuming to make, so I'm exciting about trying Tulip's. The manti arrive...and they're totally bland and tasteless. Maybe they weren't salted, maybe it's the wrong cut of meat, but there's no flavor to these little balls of dough. -Our waiter disappears for nearly 45 minutes after dessert. I guess we aren't beautiful enough to get the check. To be fair, my friend liked her shish kebab, and dessert was good. But this place struck me as overpriced and unsatisfying. Maybe I need to go back, but I won't initiate a visit.
(2)Sarah P.
So Tulip is quite nice although the skyscraper ceilings take away the coziness. The decorating is gorgeous and the cream city brick quite a contrast with the modern vibe going on here. We were seated against a wall on the far side of the room, so I was able to take in the entire layout. It just feels so..... warehousey?? Just feels very open and spacious, I guess.. We ordered the combination platter for two, and were presented with a huge plate of different meats, bread, lettuce, and rice. It was quite good. I want to come back and get the lamb chops next time, they were amazing. I also liked their meatballs. The cucumber sauce they served with the meat was excellent. I also should have gotten the Turkish coffee... Next time.
(4)Robyn W.
The Friday night fish fry was delicious. The weird thing about the ambiance was that there was one belly dancer there. It was really awkward because she's half naked and trying to get your attention while you're eating and talking. It just makes for an uncomfortable experience.
(3)Sadie T.
Overall a disappointing experience. I will say, the decor, furniture, fixtures, overall ambiance (including a fire place and couches) were really top notch. I would describe as romantic, fun, comfortable, beautiful. However, even the cutest atmosphere can't make up for uncomfortable service, lack of vegetarian options, and a terrible restaurant faux pas (see hummus below). Looking beyond this really pretty interior, there was a restaurant experience. Our waiter told us he was from Greece. His accent was thick and we had a hard time understanding what he was saying, and he talked very quietly. This didn't really influence the rating. However, he kept calling us "beautiful people". Maybe I am just a major Wisconsinite, but this made me feel uncomfortable - like he was pandering. I tip based on overall service, not the compliments a server pays me. I'm from the midwest. You don't tell someone from the midwest that they are beautiful unless you know them (or are trying to get to know them). Behind the bar, they had "Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives" playing on the TV for all 2 hours we were there. Now, I like DDD more than most people (and I'm a vegetarian). But when you are sitting in a restaurant thinking "wow, I wish I was eating THAT (*points at TV*) instead of THIS (*looks down at plate*)" there is a major problem. My three dining companions all ordered meat entrees. As there was one single vegetarian entree (eggplant, which I generally like but wasn't in the mood), I ordered 3 small appetizers, hummus, yogurt dip, and crispy phyllo cheese rolls. About 10 minutes after ordering, we were given some bread and a tiny portion of oil. This bread came at the same time as our friend's salad. When the waiter brought our food, he placed in front of me two pretty little dishes full of hummus and yogurt dip. He started to walk away. I said, excuse me, doesn't this dip come with bread or pita or veggies? He said, he "could bring me pita for $1 surcharge". I replied, "am I seriously expected to eat hummus and yogurt dip with a spoon?" He said it doesn't come with anything. Nothing. Seriously? You serve dip without anything to dip? Why do you think it is called "dip"? This was a major problem. It is beyond obvious to say that dip should come with veggies and some bread, without a surcharge. Who orders dip and eats it with a spoon?! Are people seriously eating just dip? The hummus, after I got the pita that I insisted should be free, was good. The yogurt dip was okay, but needed to go with some sort of spicy accompaniment. I dipped the crispy phyllo rolls, but I was not impressed with the taste or texture. They just tasted like pepper without any spice, and seemed a bit cold. Boyfriend got the lamb shank. He said it was "okay" - not a lot of meat on that bone, lots of carrots though, and no potatoes as advertized. Overall, I felt like this visit was a flop. With only one vegetarian option (that was not at all unique and to me shows a lack of thoughtfulness of behalf of the menu) I won't be returning. So, tips for an owner who cares: serve dippers with your dip. Turn the damn TV off. Put another vegetarian option on the menu. I happen to know for a fact that there are a lot of really inventive things you can do with Turkish staples and spices. Tell your servers to focus on good service rather than compliments. A compliment is fine, but it doesn't make up for mediocre service.
(2)Keaunis G.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I came here to have a couple of drinks with my friends. My experience turned out to be very pleasant and I am pleased with everything! The atmosphere was very lively, there was music, the lighting was just right, and the amount of space was cozy. I did go during a time that they were very busy so there was a long wait to be seated and then there was a wait to place our order. I ordered a Pomegranite Martini and the Almond Pomegranate Salad - Nar Salatasi and I requested to have chicken added. The salad was a pretty good size and it was filling. The martini was delicious! I am definitely going to come back to this restaurant to try some of their signature dishes.
(5)Tanvi K.
I wish I could give no stars at all.. I don't know where to start.. We waited for 10 mins for a table even when there was seating available! When we placed the order, the waitress did not inform that there is extra charge for the pita when we order the Baba ganoush appetizer . And the biggest joke .. They called a (Mexican) flour tortilla as pita bread!! So frustrating! The chicken zucchini appetizer was horrible - didn't taste fresh at all. The chicken shish kabab was bad too.. Looked super seasoned but was totally bland and tasteless. Please do not waste your time and money ! Totally NOT worth it.
(1)Bruce K.
After hearing on Talk that there were businesses that REALLY needed our support, I headed down to Tulip to give Turkish food a try. It was good, though not great. Service was good and the food was good. Efes Light and Dark in bottles - it's a Turkish beer. I had the "Cerkes Tavugu" to start. A pureed chicken and walnut spread that tasted a bit like pulled chicken. It spooned nicely onto the fresh pita bread slices. For main, I opted for the "plate of meat" which they call "Iskender." It's a bit like the gyro meat you would get at a Greek place (we also call them donner kebabs) in a tomato sauce. On the side, a large pile of yogurt. Together, a goodness. Love the decor but for me, it's all about the food. And the food was A-OK.
(3)Akshay B.
Probably worth zero stars. The food is bland and really felt old... No taste whatsoever. Portion sizes are terrible... Very small portions for the price. The only thing good was the music. Bad chicken kababs... Dry and tasteless. In addition, we were charged a dollar extra for lavash (tasted like tortilla) without even informing us. Avoid this restaurant at any cost.
(1)Jake P.
The food was bland, and unfortunately they do not serve one of their main dishes every day.
(1)Caryn W.
Awesome food, quick service and very friendly & genuine staff! Definitely will be returning !
(5)Kelly N.
I visited Tulip for Downtown Dining week 2014 and had an awesome experience. The dining room is big and colorful, and we were seated right away. We ordered the hummus and the shak shuka, which is a mix of vegetables that you eat with tortilla bread. Both were delicious, although somewhat hard to eat because the tortillas were so pliable. For our entrees, I ordered the Izmir Kofte, which is small meatballs in a tomato sauce, served with potatoes and white rice. The meatballs were perfectly done and the tomato sauce was delicious. The only problem with the dish was that the white rice didn't add anything, and I would have liked more vegetables. My hubby had the Tas Kebabi, and it was also delicious. It was like a Turkish beef stew served on mashed potatoes, and it was so good he barely let me have a bite. For dessert, I had the baklava, which was perfect and not too sweet. Hubby had the almond pudding, which was also very good. Service was attentive but not annoying, and our server was genuinely pleased that we enjoyed the food. Overall, a great experience and somewhere we will stop again.
(4)Lauren M.
Seeing all the four and five star love for Tulip makes me feel like a big jerk for giving it two stars, but here's the deal: 1) Came here for lunch during Downtown Dining Week. The place was empty, but my group got a little 'tude from the hostess for wanting to slide a table over outside. (Again, maybe three other tables of 3 people). 2) We came for lunch. During the week. We sat for 2 hours. 3) Because we sat for 2 hours, there was a weird film on most of our food. 4) Again, this was during Downtown Dining Week - the menu is fixed. It should not have taken 2 hours. 5) When our hummus (finally) came, it had a bizarre film on top of it. And our table was given approximately 12 thin slices of tortilla to share, although we each had a bowl of hummus. Bizarre. 6) About an hour later, lunch came. Lunch was tasty. The fries were great (seriously... really good fries)... but then our waitress disappeared. 7) We had to ask for our check about 1.75 hours into this weekday lunch... finally got it and paid... and THEN they brought out our desserts. 8) The dessert - an almond pudding - although light and airy had that weird film on it. What is going with the film, people?!?! In conclusion - I wanted to love Tulip. I really truly did... but slow lunch service and the bizarre-o film on my food did me in. Sorry, Tulip.
(2)Emily S.
I wanted to like this place a lot more than I actually ended up liking it. I love Turkish food, and I was excited when I finally got to try this place, since I had never been here before. We called about 15 minutes ahead of time to reserve a table, since we were experiencing long wait times at other restaurants in the area. The host told us that "there might be a bit of a wait" when we arrive, which wasn't an issue. However, when we did arrive about 10 minutes after I called, there were probably about 10 open tables and we were seated immediately. I thought that was a little strange. The ambiance of the place was wonderful; very romantic atmosphere and great lighting. The live music was great, because it was truly background music - not too loud, not in your face. That aside, we waited probably about 10 minutes after we were seated until our server came by to introduce herself and check in on us, fill water glasses, etc. When she came over, she just asked us if we were ready to order. We ordered the hummus and two entrees. I don't eat meat, and there were very few entrees on the menu that were either vegetarian or easily customizable as such, so I ordered the Mediterranean pasta and substituted vegetables for the shrimp. The hummus came out with very thin and floppy lavosh bread. The hummus was good, but having very floppy (not toasted) lavosh bread made it difficult to eat. Maybe a better option would be to toast the bread and have it crispy alongside the hummus with fresh vegetables. Otherwise, it was really difficult and messy to eat. Most of the hummus went untouched because of that. My entree was indeed full of veggies, but there was no flavor to the sauce. I have literally never salted my food in a restaurant before. This was actually my first time having to season my own food in a restaurant. It was so bland! Bland cream sauce with vegetables and pasta is not what I am paying $15/entree for. Then I got up to use the restroom, and was sorely disappointed with the level of overall cleanliness there. The surfaces appeared to be clean, as did the stalls, themselves...but the air vent in the ceiling was completely caked in (maybe mold) dust. It was really gross. This is a major item that needs attention ASAP because it is probably pumping dirty air into the bathroom. It needs a good wipedown. Finally, we wanted our check and to leave, but the waitress was nowhere to be seen. She wasn't very attentive the entire experience, and just finding her to pay our bill after we had finished our food took another 10 minutes, even though the place wasn't even full. I probably won't return, and that's a shame, because it's a great idea to have a nicer Turkish restaurant in the area. This one isn't quite there yet. If they put as much effort into their quality of food, cleanliness and attentiveness as they do their ambiance and decor, then I imagine that their business would improve.
(2)Michele M.
My husband and I had an early dinner before seeing a show at the Rep. The interior is beautiful and cozy. And the service was excellent. The food was quite good. We loved the zucchini and chicken appetizer as well as the pomegranate salad. The almond pudding dessert was also delicious. We enjoyed our main courses of kofte and beef kebab, but I don't think those are the best things on the menu. When we go back we might try something else.
(4)Rick R.
Tulip is another restaurant that I really enjoy but have not visited in a few years. The fact that they are still open after several years is a really good sign. A dining certificate brought me back (those things work). If you haven't tried Turkish cuisine, you should and this is where you should go. I've visited several times and have tried many items on the menu. The Iskender is one of the signature dishes. Marinated lamb and beef is sliced thin and served on a bed of pita bread then covered in a flavorful tomato sauce and drizzled in butter. When I had the dish, I thought they used too much butter. Other than that, good stuff. On another visit I had the Chicken breast stuffed with pistachio and apricot, definitely one of my favorite items here. The spicy meatball skewer is also a winner! On my most recent visit I started with the Turkish Empanadas (Cig Borek), pastries stuffed with seasoned ground beef and herbs. The shells were crispy and not too greasy. The meat filling was incredibly flavorful. My entree was the slow cooked lamb wrapped in eggplant slices. The flavors were again amazing and I ordered the Bulgur Pilaf as my side dish. It's described as cracked wheat with diced onion and green pepper. What I saw and tasted resembled Puerto Rican style rice, orange in color and full of spices and great flavor. I highly recommend this over the White Rice or french fries. My server, Jessica, was very attentive and helped me make my dining selections. Her advice was spot on, although I'm sure anything she selected for me would have been great. I've never had a bad meal at Tulip. If you haven't been, go. If you haven't been in a while, go back.
(5)L M.
I LOVE Tulip, and I go all the time. However, I order the same things each time, so I can't vouch for everything. Entrees: Iskender kabob; Sultan's Delight; Manti. For dessert, kunefe. Appetizers are a free for all. I'm a fan of Turkish eggplant of any kind. I love traveling to Turkey just for eating. This place is legit.
(5)