Turkish₺₺₺allebenMon-Sat 10:00-20:30; closed Sun
Küşlemeci Mehmet Usta grills nothing but lamb tenderloin on Kemal Köker Caddesi in Gaziantep, and the founder's son now works the charcoal himself.
Signature: Küşleme, Yayık ayranı
Order: Küşleme with a glass of churned yayık ayran to cut the fat.
Tip: Portions are small because the cut is small. Order two if you have walked the bazaar all morning.
Turkish₺₺sehitkamilDaily 11:00-21:00
Üçler Kebap Lahmacun works a wood oven on Zübeyde Hanım Bulvarı in Gaziantep, turning out the thin isot-spiked lahmacun the city argues about.
Signature: Antep usulü lahmacun, Küşleme, Kuzu şiş
Order: Antep-style lahmacun, thinner and hotter than the Urfa version.
Tip: Order lahmacun by the piece and eat it rolled around parsley and a squeeze of lemon.
Turkish₺₺sahinbeyMon-Sat 06:00-20:00; closed Sun
Ali Usta Kebap ve Baklava opens at 06:00 near Karatarla in Gaziantep and works a kebab grill and a baklava counter out of the same narrow doorway.
Signature: Ali Nazik, Küşleme, Baklava
Order: Ali Nazik, smoked aubergine under garlic yoghurt and lamb.
Tip: Closed Sundays. Early lunch is quieter than the 13:00 rush from the surrounding workshops.
Anatolian₺₺allebenDaily 08:00-22:00
Evirgeç Mantı Evi cooks the home food of Gaziantep on Atatürk Bulvarı, from hand-pinched mantı to yuvalama and pirpirim, with vegetarian plates too.
Signature: Antep mantısı, Yuvalama, İçli köfte
Order: Antep mantı under garlic yoghurt and paprika butter.
Tip: Ask what the daily pot holds before ordering. The menu is longer than the kitchen actually cooks.
Turkish₺₺allebenDaily 05:30-02:00; Sat and Sun until 03:00
Sakıp Usta serves beyran and paça on Kemal Köker Caddesi in Gaziantep from 05:30 until the small hours, which covers both the dawn bowl and the late one.
Signature: Beyran, Antep paça, Katmer
Order: Beyran at midnight, when the second pot comes up.
Tip: The kitchen runs from 05:30 to 02:00, so this is the one beyran counter that suits either end of the day.
New American₺₺₺yeditepeMon-Sat 10:00-22:30; Sun 09:30-22:00
Boğazköy cooks an international menu near Gaziantep University, which is where the city goes when it wants a night off from kebab and baklava.
Signature: Beef brisket, Boğazköy Harman
Order: The slow-cooked beef brisket, which is the kitchen's own signature dish.
Tip: Reviewers rate weekdays over Sundays. Book a garden table in summer, the room fills with students.