Last year, on a burger trip to İzmir, I stopped in Susurluk and filmed a quick comparison of the town’s famous toast makers. My favorite is in the video (in Turkish).
The short answer
What sets Susurluk toast apart is the cheese: mihaliç, also called kelle peyniri, in a slightly less salty version. On the road to İzmir I tried the three toast makers in central Susurluk: Yasa, Düzdağ and Yörsan. My pick is Düzdağ. I shot the video in 2019; all three are open as of November 2026.
Places · 3
Checked November 2026
| In the video | Place | Map |
|---|---|---|
| 00:09 | Yasa | Open in Maps → |
| 02:48 | Düzdağ Kıraathanesi | Open in Maps → |
| 04:52 | Yörsan | Open in Maps → |
Hours and details change; check before you go.
Yasa
Right on the main road. I asked for my toast made with butter. They get their cheese from Altınöz, a producer in Savaştepe; I also bought their lor, a fresh whey cheese I love. There’s a butcher, a grill and a shop too, which makes it a good stop on the drive south from Istanbul.
Düzdağ
Once a tiny kıraathane, a traditional teahouse, it has become something of a local legend, helped along by social media; it may be the most visited toast maker in Susurluk. Here the toast is made with margarine, with no butter option. The cheese is less salty than Yasa’s, so I had them spread pepper paste on top to balance it. They now bring cheese from their own dairy; the portion is the biggest of the three and comes with tomato and pickles. This is my favorite.
Yörsan
In its own roadside complex; margarine here too, with no alternative. The bread is a bit ordinary and the cheese a touch saltier than the others. Not bad, and like Yasa it also serves home-style stews and döner.
The mixed toast, and one tip
The mixed version usually has sucuk from the Balıkesir area, with pepper paste spread on top. It’s simple: the bread is pressed, cheese goes in (sucuk first if you’re having it), fat is spread on both sides and it’s pressed a little more. My tip: when you make toast at home, swap kaşar for kelle peyniri.
Keep reading and listening
- Cheese on our podcast YBYK (in Turkish): episode 25, with Berrin Onur Bal and Neşe Aksoy Biber
- Melting burger cheese sauce
- Istanbul’s old city: a food and shopping guide
