Ayfer Çağlı, a native of Istanbul, said she and her family moved to the Houston area two years ago so she could open a restaurant in a place that appreciates diverse cultural cuisines.

In December 2023, Çağlı opened Yucca Grill to offer authentic Turkish cuisine to the Spring community.

The backstory

Çağlı said the name of the restaurant was inspired by a dying yucca plant she spotted the first time she visited the building that would house her future restaurant.

The aspiring restaurant owner said she took the yucca plant as a sign to create a business in a place that could be revived. A year later, the yucca plant remains alive along with the restaurant.
Yucca Grill offers a family friendly high end dining experience. (Jovanna Aguilar/Community Impact)
Yucca Grill offers a family-friendly high-end dining experience. (Jovanna Aguilar/Community Impact)
At Yucca Grill, Relations Manager Mert Yentur said the restaurant merges Turkish and American dining traditions to offer a fine-dining experience where customers can also feel at home.


Çağlı said the restaurant's focus on offering authentic Turkish cuisine is meant to highlight the difference from Mediterranean cuisine with menu items originating from Turkey that were later adopted by other countries.
Adana Kebab ($18.45) is made with a mixture of beef and lamb mince, grilled tomatoes, peppers, sumac onions, purple cabbage, parsley and bulgur.(Courtesy Yucca Grill)
Adana kebab ($18.45) is made with a mixture of beef and lamb mince, grilled tomatoes, peppers, sumac onions, purple cabbage, parsley and bulgur. (Courtesy Yucca Grill)
Craving Turkish cuisine?

At Yucca Grill, customers can find dishes made with meats imported from Turkey, such as chicken and lamb, which are slowly cooked under low flames. The restaurant also offers vegetarian options.

Çağlı, who started cooking for her family at a young age in Turkey, said their style of cooking creates the unique flavors the restaurant offers. Each dish is made to order and is served fresh.
The yucca mixed grill which includes lamb chops, chicken kulbasti, lamb skewers, chicken adana, adana kebabs, vegetables and rice. (Courtesy Yucca Grill)
The yucca mixed grill includes lamb chops, chicken kulbasti, lamb skewers, chicken adana, adana kebabs, vegetables and rice. (Courtesy Yucca Grill)
“The main taste of Turkish cuisine is in how you cook. It's not what you added as a sauce or a spice, [because] if the main food is already tasty, you don't need to add much,” Çağlı said. “The way we cook is already delicious.”

Yucca Grill’s signature dishes include lamb chops, lamb shish and chicken kulbasti. Yentur said he recommends first-timers to try the yucca mixed grill, which includes lamb chops, chicken kulbasti, lamb skewers, chicken adana, adana kebabs, vegetables and rice.
  • 9222 Louetta Road, Ste. 100, Spring
  • Facebook: Yucca Grill