Sultan offers Mediterranean options that are not found anywhere else in McKinney, co-owner Chra Ismael said.

“You can find [kebabs] anywhere,” Ismael said. “But the flavor and the marinade, it’s really special here.”

The background

The restaurant serves a mix of Iraqi, Turkish and other Mediterranean cuisines, Ismael said, adding that she owns the restaurant with her husband, Zandi Salih.

“This is our first experience [owning] a business in the United States,” Ismael said, adding that she and her husband are from northern Iraq.


Ismael said both she and her husband have a background in software engineering but she has always wanted to open a restaurant.

“When we moved here, I told my husband that it was time to follow my dream,” she said.

Ismael left her information technology job and went on to open the restaurant in August 2023.

What’s on the menu?


Sultan serves lunch and dinner daily and offers breakfast on the weekend. One popular dish is the kebab sultani, which features beef tenderloins and is served with rice, grilled tomato and jalapeño.

Other popular dishes include makluba which features rice topped with chicken or beef, eggplant, potato and peppers served with a side salad and Iraqi quzi, a rice dish featuring lamb or beef shank. Ismael said the shank is started on the stove top but finished in the oven where it is covered with bread.

Other menu items include salads, soups, sandwiches, falafel and more.

What’s special about it?


Everything is made in house, Ismael said, adding that most of the recipes on the menu are her own.

To ensure the flavors are authentic, Ismael orders spices and herbs for the dishes from Iraq.