I've wanted to try the Istanbul grill for quite some time since it had so many great reviews. Unfortunately, I was duped by the common misperception by Pittsburghers that large portions means the same thing as high quality. I ordered a lamb pita to eat out on the plaza with a Jazz band playing. Atmosphere = A+. They were out of salad. Seriously? You can't send someone downstairs to the indoor location to get more? At least they comped a drink, fine. The pita comes overstuffed with meat. A very hearty portion fir $8. The guy serving it ia quite pleasant so I sit down and bite into it with anticipation of the flavors I read about in the reviews. That's when it becomes a disappointment. It wasn't bad per se. I'd actually eat it again if I were with people who wanted to eat there. But it wasn't actually good either. Specifically, the meat was cut way too thick. And then after I asked for light onions and light hot sauce, he simply drenched it in (what I assume is) yogurt sauce without asking. Way to much, yech.
I'm not expecting world class cuisine at a stand in Steel Plaza, but this is on par with an exceeding average gyro you can get all over the place. There are at least a dozen places in the city that are much better for this type of food - though this may be as good as it gets downtown.
If you want a very large portion of decent food for a reasonable price, this is your restaurant. If you want above average, great tasting food, don't bother with this place.