A new Turkish restaurant has debuted in San Antonio with all your skewers and more. Called Selda Mediterranean Kitchen, it's a family-owned concept from Dallas, opening its first location outside DFW in San Antonio, at 9955 W I-10 Frontage Rd. right off I-10.
Selda, which will host a soft-opening on August 9, comes from a team led by Mert Tezkol, a well-known and dynamic restaurateur in Dallas who also coaches soccer and served as president of the Turkish American Association of North Texas.
Mert and his wife Becky, partnered with acclaimed Dallas-based Turkish chef Habip Kargin, opened the first Selda in North Dallas in 2020, followed by a sibling in Dallas' Oak Cliff neighborhood which opened in 2023.
"We saw San Antonio as a great opportunity, and that is a great location," Mert says.
It's opening in a space that has history with the cuisine: most recently home to Sevin Mediterranean Kitchen, and previously occupied by Basil Mediterranean Kitchen. Selda won the space against a number of competitors.
"The owner wanted to retire and possibly move back to Turkey," Mert says. "A number of restaurateurs were interested, but he wouldn't let it go to just anyone — he wanted to continue to serve his customers in the best way possible. We brought our food for him to try, and he handed over the keys."
The San Antonio Selda will be similar to the Dallas locations, with a menu featuring authentic, capably-executed dishes such as flavorfully seasoned chicken and lamb skewers; Turkish style meatballs; and pide, Turkey's pizza-like flatbread — shaped like a football and filled with cheese and toppings. Selda does five options including one with meat and another with spinach and cheese.
Cigar Borek — cigar-shaped pastries stuffed with feta cheese — at Selda Mediterranean.Selda
There will be the middle-Eastern staples that people love, such as hummus, falafel, and baklava. But there will also be upscale novelties like stuffed dates with goat cheese, pastrami, spinach, and walnuts; and cigar borek, a vegetarian dish consisting of deep-fried flakey cigar-shaped pastries stuffed with feta cheese.
In addition, Selda San Antonio will offer an exclusive Turkish street food not available at the other two Selda locations, and also rare in Texas and the U.S.: Called Turkish yaprak döner, it's a gyro-style meat sandwich — but unlike classic döner, it's made with lamb only.
Selda will have a full bar, overseen by drink specialist Hasan Dikyol, with classic cocktails as well as Turkish twists including a Turkish coffee martini, their clever version of the popular espresso martini.
Decor includes a patterned ceiling and elegant wall sconces, plus furniture — including modern chairs and a tufted banquette that runs along the wall — rendered in ocean-blue suede.
To guarantee authenticity, Tezkol and Kargin have partnered with Turkish chefs Vedat Tayfun and Ceaser Demir, who not only have the skills, but will also be on-site to help oversee the operation.
"We can support each other — we're a team," Tezkol says.
