More about the return of Bereket to the Lower East Side

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Yesterday we had the scoop about the opening of Ankara Turkish Restaurant on Houston and Orchard ... from the owner of longtime LES favorite Bereket Turkish Kebab House.

After 19 years in service, Bereket was forced to close in June 2014 to make way for the new luxury condo via Ben Shaoul on the block. The property housed a single row of storefronts, including Bereket, Ray's Pizza and Lobster Joint — all demolished. (As Shaoul told the Times back in 2017, the small businesses that closed were "part of evolution ... You call it gentrification, I call it 'cleaning it up.'") 

EVG contributor Stacie Joy returned to the quick-serve restaurant, which debuted last week...

... and met with Ramazan Turgut, who owned Bereket and now Ankara Turkish Restaurant, which has two outposts in Brooklyn...

... and manager Aydın Günaydın...

Ramazan said that he always wanted to return to this neighborhood and that it wasn't his choice to leave. In the interim, he opened the two restaurants in Brooklyn under the Ankara name. When Bereket closed, he said he didn’t want to open a Brooklyn restaurant with the same name because it was special, and the name belonged to this area. 

He signed a lease when this space at 183 Houston St. (the former Dr Smood) became available directly across the street from the previous outpost. 

Since there are two other Ankara Turkish Restaurants, he decided to keep the name for continuity. Still, he wants people to know it's still Bereket (hence the "Bereket is Back" banners on the storefront). 

The menu items remain unchanged — including the famed vegetarian red lentil soup...

... and the variety of gyros (the chicken gyro option is new)...

There are also a variety of Turkish beverages (no alcohol!) ...

Ramazan said several former customers have come in and confessed how much they missed Bereket. One customer even started crying, which prompted tears from the staff too. 

During this soft-opening mode, the hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, with plans to expand to 4 a.m. soon.

On Houston, Bereket returns in the form of Ankara Turkish Restaurant

Top photo from Thursday by EVG; other photos yesterday by Stacie Joy

3/28: Updated here.

Ankara Turkish Restaurant debuted last week on the southwest corner of Houston and Orchard. 

This is the first Manhattan outpost for the quick-serve restaurant with two Brooklyn locations. Their menu shows a variety of gyros and skewers combos... and sides like baba ganoush and grape leaves. 

In an exciting development, over the weekend, a "Bereket Is Back" banner arrived in the window (thanks for the tip, Seth!) ...

As you may recall, Bereket Turkish Kebab House anchored the opposite corner of Orchard and Houston for 19 years until its closure in June 2014 to make way for Ben Shaoul's gold-dusted condoplex at 196 Orchard St.  

The loss of the 24/7 Bereket with its legendary red lentil soup was tough. There were rumors Bereket would relocate nearby, but it never actually did.

Until now?!

Workers confirmed that the owner of Ankara was also the owner of Bereket. Unfortunately, we just missed him at the restaurant yesterday. So more on this later. 3/28: We talked with owner Ramazan Turgut here.

Ankara is currently open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. 

Making way for Ben Shaoul's new retail-residential complex on East Houston

The demolition of the one-level row (except for Katz's!) of storefronts along East Houston between Ludlow and Orchard started back in early May, as BoweryBoogie first noted.

We were walking by the other day and checked in on the progress…





And EVG favorite Bereket remains in ruins…



As previously reported, workers are clearing all this out to make way for Ben Shaoul's 10-story residential building that will include an Equinox gym.

And it will look something like this…

Bereket has closed

Several EVG readers passed along the news that Bereket closed for good early this morning after 19 years on East Houston and Orchard.

Jeremiah Moss first reported the impending closure yesterday.

EVG reader Bill Imprint stopped by around 1 a.m., and the quick-serve Turkish restaurant had already run out of falafels and doner kebab sandwiches with several hours to go.

As BoweryBoogie reported back in March, developer Ben Shaoul is apparently buying up the properties occupied by 196-198 Orchard and 187 East Houston for God knows what.

BB pointed out that Katz's is not part of the Shaoul land grab.



Jeremiah noted that Bereket hopes to reopen nearby on Allen Street.

Ben Shaoul linked to another possible LES development; bye bye Bereket?

Ben Shaoul is reportedly close to buying that L-shaped parcel of single-level businesses on East Houston at Orchard Street.

BoweryBoogie had the scoop yesterday that Shaoul, the East Village-LES Developer-Landlord of the Year seven years running, was in (or close) to contract for 196-198 Orchard and 187 East Houston.

While the deal EXCLUDES Katz's, the rest of the businesses, including Bereket, Empanada Mama and Ray's Pizza, will need to vacate in the coming months. None of the restaurants that Gothamist's Christopher Robbins contacted were aware of the upcoming deal. "The man who answered the phone at Bereket said he believed the restaurant had another year on its lease."

News of Bereket possibly closing was particularly upsetting to EVG reader Danny:

"Their lentil soup is essentially a panacea for all the ailments that might plague a body, mind or spirit. (Of course, it must be eaten with hot sauce and with lemon.) And at $5, it's quite possibly the most bang for a buck to be had in all of Manhattan. Plus, all the guys that work there are incredibly warm and friendly. I'll be really sad to see it go. I only hope it'll move (not far away) and not close up shop for good."

+1

As for what might be coming next, BoweryBoogie points out that developers are permitted to build up to 12 stories (or 120 feet) with inclusionary housing.

Per a BB tipster:

"It's hard to imagine a single block is being subjected to such a massive unwanted upheaval (with absolutely no benefit to the residents)."