Memo Shish Kebab

Memo Shish Kebab is a family-run Turkish restaurant whose story goes back three generations to a grandfather, Mehmet, known as Memo, who ran a small eatery in Urfa in southeastern Turkey using his own recipes. The family opened its first New York restaurant in Brooklyn in May 2000 with just three tables, expanded it twice into neighboring storefronts, and later brought the name to Manhattan with this flagship on West 23rd Street in Chelsea. The recipes have been handed down from father to son, everything served is halal, and the restaurant says its meats are marinated for 24 hours and cooked to order. It gives this busy crosstown corner an easy, generous place to sit down and eat well.

Featured by the YouTuber New York Turk in 2025, Memo is all about the grill. The Adana kebab, named for the southern Turkish city, is the order diners praise most, alongside chicken and lamb shish kebabs and gyro. Start with a spread of mezze, hummus and baba ghanoush among them, and scoop it all up with the house-made Turkish bread that guests consistently single out. Falafel and wraps make for a lighter lunch, and the desserts are a guest favorite, so leave room. It is a natural stop before or after a walk through the Flatiron and Chelsea stretch of 23rd Street, or a reliable dinner when you want something hearty and unfussy.