Döner Kebab

OOPS! What happened? It’s been about 6 months since the last time I was in here, and back then, it was a solid 3+.
We were a german-​language class of 14 wanting to practice our newly honed skills. We were hoping to come in around 1:15. A member of our group called ahead. The owner said that with the lunch rush at that time, please don’t come until 2. Ok.
We start to trickle in around 130, figuring we could at least start with some beer. The place was vacant. the owner showed no interest in taking our orders and we sat for a long time. He finally wandered over around 2, and told us right off that if we wanted any «real» food, it would take a very long time to prepare. Ok then — most of us wanted the doener, and he said that would be fast. I mean, the meat is already cooked and ready to be slapped on the bread, right?
Oh, did I mention that the owner stank to high heaven? Not just your run-​of-​the-​mill hardworking man B.O. We’re talking 3 weeks of stinky unwashed folds and crevices. And he was rude.
The beer was slow to arrive. Maddeningly slow. And the beer orders weren’t even right. And the owner refused to speak to us in deutsch, telling us he really didn’t feel comfortable speaking his native tongue. The doeners took about an hour to come out. And by then, all our glasses had been sitting emtpy for a long time. The food was not what I had remembered somehow, or maybe the smell of the owner made the food taste off.
I won’t come back. The experience more than sucked. And it wasn’t a cheap sucky experience either.

If you have ever been to Germany, you have probably seen Doner Kebab places over there! Doner Kebab’s signature dish is the «doner kebab,» which was brought to Germany by Turkish immigrants.
This restaurant is located close to the Max train, just hop off at the Alder street stop and head North a few blocks.
The doner kebab at Portland’s Doner Kebab is really, really good, for a few reasons:
1. The meat is cooked and prepared in the traditional way and has a great blend of spices.
2. The potato roll it is served on is delicious and soft.
3. The onions, lettuce and tomato they use for garnish is super fresh.
The inside of the restaurant is really modern, which is a surprise because from the outside it doesn’t look that interesting. It’s also a LOT bigger than you would think. It would mean moving tables around, but you could easily have 8 – 12 people there for lunch or dinner.
The owner and the employees were all really nice, and the owner if from Germany so he is a lot of fun to chat with.
And, according to the friend I went with, «you must try their fries.»

The sign outside says «German food», and doner kebab certainly qualifies, despite its origins — it has become one of the most popular take-​out dishes in Germany. The words «doner kebab» literally mean «rotating meat», and you might be familiar with the concept from other cultures — being similar to a gyro, or shawarma.
I’d never noticed this little place at 515 SW 4^th in downtown Portland, largely because the sign, store front, really don’t leap out at you. And for some reason, I discovered, I am more likely to walk on the other side of the street in this neighborhood.
But «discover it», I did, yesterday, and was surprised, when I inquired, to find out they have been open over two years.
In addition to the rotating meat sandwiches and plates, you’ll find a wide variety of typical German sausages, including garlic, bier, brat, or weisswursts (the latter made from minced veal and bacon), as well as schnitzels, rouladen, and sauerbraten.
Doner Kebab has some vegetarian options, and salads as well. My first inclination was to go with wienerschnitzel on a bun, however they only offer the veal on a plate — if you want a schnitzel sandwich, chicken is your choice. I would have liked a little more flexibility from the kitchen to accommodate my request, but it was strictly «verbotten.»
So I went with the garlic sausage on a bun, akin to a polish sausage in texture and taste, and the bun is more like the traditional flat bread used for the gyro-​like sandwiches, but no complaint from me on that. It was stuffed full of a delicious kraut, with was generously flavored with bacon pieces, a nice surprise.
They’ll bring you a nice tray of mustards, 7 or 8 varieties, which I thought was a nice touch, and although I am usually not adventurous in this category, I really like the wasabi-​lime mustard. Their specialty mustards are furnished by Terrapin Ridge, a northern Illinois company. I hadn’t heard of this company before, unusual, having lived in that area. It’s a nice change to see these, in a town where usually ‘adventurous’ mustards are usually provided by local producer, Beaverton Foods. (which is a very good product, as well).
The restaurant touts their ‘home-​made’ fries, which were kind of unusual. They have a slight breading, and almost the texture of an extruded potato product, but with bits of potato skin which would lead you to believe they are cut potatoes. The result is a very light french fry, fried in, I believe, one of the ‘healthier’ oils, giving a tasty and not so oily experience.
Table condiments are completed by having salt and pepper grinders ringside.
This place reminds me of a typical casual food shop in Europe, and certainly that’s their goal — and they succeed, right down to the bathroom style and fixtures.
The help is perfunctorily courteous, the food hot and fresh, This is definitely a new lunch stop for me, as perhaps a new take-​out dinner choice (open til 8PM), and — for some reason, open 1A-​4A on weekends for the bar crowd.
Beverage choices range from Pepsi products to a dozen well-​known German beers, little emphasis on local craft brewing here, and that’s absolutely fine.
There are more than a couple places to get your schnitzel on in Portland these days, but these guys really do it right.
Menus and descriptions can be found online.

The doner kebabs are fantastic. I ordered something else once and it was good-​but-​not-​great, but the doner kebabs are the reason I keep coming back. The restaurant’s name is the same as their best dish, go figure.
The fries are a bit better than average, although some days are better than others. If you ask nicely, you can get the side of fries shoved inside your doner kebab sandwich so you can really pretend like you’re in Europe.
Very friendly, usually pretty fast service. When i worked downtown I came here at least monthly, but even now I still try to have lunch here occasionally.

How does this place get an average of 4 stars??? I am so sorry I tried it out last week.
Walked in since I was downtown and it had 4 stars and put in an order to go. The woman taking my order was very nice and did seem European. I ordered a Döner Plate with chicken and a chicken schnitzel with spätzle. Sat there and look at the décor, really odd. They must have just kept the lighting fixtures from the last tenants. Nothing matched and it just comes off sterile and weird but that’s not why I give them 2 stars.
30 minutes later I got my food and took off home. It was still hot when I got home so happy to see that. Then we looked at what it was and it looked like fast food. The spätzle was running and not fully cooked and didn’t seem homemade. Their website says fresh ingredients so not sure why the spätzle was mushy and the chicken schnitzel looked and tasted like it was a preformed premade patty… I will say the best part of both of our meals was the pita bread that came with the Döner Plate. The meat on the Döner Plate was dry and not appetizing. Everything else we ate but felt more like we were just eating to fulfill our basic need of food and if we had something else in the house would have eaten that instead.
I will not be going back. If you want a slow fast food tasting meal feel free to stop by. If not I would look for something else.

an almost-​parable:
the Doner Kebab meets Portland. sparks fly. Portland shows the Doner Kebab how to be delicious and fresh without causing nuclear bowel meltdown. Doner Kebab shows Portland what it is to feel and be human. everyone wins.
THE END. NO MORAL.
this is not the Doner Kebab I remember from my travels abroad (white people love to travel abroad and then talk about it later, nbd). is that a bad thing? yes and no. I was expecting and possibly hoping for that same, decadent, I’m-wandering-a-strange-city-looking-for-the-bathroom-and-dodging-pick-pockets-like-video-game-asteroids Doner experience when I stepped into Doner Kebab this evening. on that score, I was SOMEWHAT disappointed. but only somewhat.
Doner Kebab uses the same familiar Doner method to cook their meat. the key is that the meat is not OVERcooked. it is tender and savory, but because it is cooked «just right,» it lacks the crispy edges that I am used to. in the future, I may see if it is possible to request the meat a little more well done.
the pita was something spectacularly new for me. accustomed to flatter, almost overbaked pitas, I was unprepared for how awesome it is to have one of these sandwiches served in a soft, fluffy-​hot, fresh-​from-​the-​oven pita. the other ingredients, also, were fresher and crispier than I was used to. and the spicy yogurt adds some welcome kick to the meat, which seemed otherwise underseasoned. the result is a Doner that feels almost health-​conscious. like a 3^rd generation butcher who confesses to you in a moment of weakness that he has been a vegetarian lo these long, agonizing years.
fans of the Great American Gyro can check this place out for something a little different. fans of greasy, lunch counter Doners, as well. and everyone else should check this place out just because. their menu contains a whole lot more than just this sandwich, and I plan to give the other items my attention in the near future.
edit: OH! like traditional Doner places, they’re open late. some ridiculous morning hours. the gentleman at the register told me what they were, and I promptly forgot. if you can’t find them in some other review here, just call and ask. there is no better time for a kebab than in the wee hours after a night of self-​abusive drinking.

I’m from Chicago, and have been on the hunt for a true doner kebab since my return from studying abroad in France four years ago. As a student, doner kebabs were a staple of my existence, and there was even a joke among my friends about my obsession. I had memorized the locations of the kebab shops in the town I studied in and would strategically visit them, even to the point of developing personal relationships with the owners.
And so, during a recent trip to Portland, I fortuitously came across Doner Kebab and German Cuisine, which was everything I could have hoped for in a doner.
I had very high expectations for my doner kebab sandwich, and it did not disappoint. My kebab was served fresh — grilled and seasoned exactly as I remember the kebab shops of Europe (specifically, in the Savoy region of France). The fries were a bit interesting — they seemed to be battered; I liked ‘em.
I came in right as they «re-​opened» at 1am. I was initially the only customer at this time (I can only assume they do great business as the bars close), and so I had a great opportunity to meet the owner, who was very personable. A couple «to go» orders came in as I was enjoying my second dinner.
This is definitely a place I would visit over and over again if I lived in Portland. I wish I could find a true doner in Chicago that was as accessible as this place (great downtown location).
I give Doner Kebab 4 stars over all — I’m really not sure what it would take to get 5 stars out of me for any restaurant.

Tasty stuff! All four of us ordered the Shwarma Plate lunch special and were quite satisfied. The meat was turkey, which worked for all of us. The rice was fluffy. The cucumber sauce was creamy and fresh. Just a warning though: you get a choice of hot or mild cucumber sauce. They are both yummy, but the spicy is _​incredibly_​hot.

I decided to update my review because I’ve become a huge fan of this place; I’ve been going about once a week now, so it seemed unfair to me not to give it the full five stars.
First of all, I think that I like this restaurant so much because the owners take such good care of every single detail. Johann and Gertrude are attentive, friendly, wonderful hosts. I’ve become used to trusting their recommendations of food, beer and wine.
The first few times that I went to this place I stuck to the Döner Kebab (sandwich) with fries and half spicy/​half normal dressing. I was just hooked. However lately I’ve tried different things from their menu and I’ve found new favorites. The Döner Kebab and the Döner Kebab plate are still at the top, but the Iskender Kebab and Wiener Schnitzel are also delicious. I usually love lentils, and their lentil soup is good, but the bean soup is even better. I haven’t tried their desserts. If I could remember the names of any of the excellent beers that I’ve tried at this place, I would write them up. Just ask for a recommendation from ‘Boss’ (the owner).
The restaurant itself is spacious; they can rearrange the tables to accommodate large groups. The main restaurant area and the restrooms are always spotless. I also enjoy their musical selection (some Enigma today, Pink Floyd and The Beatles on other days).
The amount you spend in this place depends a lot on how much you eat and drink (obviously?). I’ve spent anywhere from 15USD (for shared Döner Kebab sandwich, fries and beer) to 40USD (for two cups of soup, two glasses of wine and a shared Wiener Schnitzel).
I would recommend anyone to give this place a try.

Portland demands fresh, original food offered at a reasonable price. Doner Kebab delivers on all of these. They make their own «fluffy» pita — just like in a German Turkish Kebab house. They make their own kebab meat, the fries are fresh cut, the soup and sausages are made in house. Fresh, original and priced right. A Doner Kebab for 5.99 will make a lunch or dinner and you can add the fresh cut fries for only a couple of bucks extra. The lentil soup is enormous and can be had with or without the house made sausage and is a meal on its own. House made sausages are available in four types and come with saur kraut and potato salad. My not always adventurous 15 year old ate these up with real enthusiasm.
Owner/​operators have put a lot of pride into the restaurant and its airy
and squeaky clean.
We really liked our dinner and will be back next time we are in town. I would have liked a local brew on tap or in bottle rather than the obscure German brands on offer (probably hard for a German owner to concede that Oregon brew is a better choice — but i would have preferred a Mirror Pond Pale ale to the Pils).
If you like the Lebanese food at Nicholas or Habibi German/​Turkish doner kebabs are a refreshing change with a similar heritage.

You know what’s impressive? When someone recognizes me from a year ago. Seriously? Damn.
I don’t know a whole lot about a Doner Kebab is supposed to taste. What I do know is that the one I had in Vancouver, BC was mind blowingly good and not 7 bucks, which is the general consensus of a Dober Kebab from people who have traveled around Europe. A Doner Kebab is what is missing from the Portland food cart scene.
So how is Doner Kebab? Cool space, and a decent beer selection. The fries are forgettable and I have to be wanting a Doner to want to go, but when the craving hits I’ll be there.

A great alternative to the food carts downtown! Let’s face it, you can’t exclusively eat at all the great carts everyday, especially when the weather’s foul. I always go for the spicy doner kebab, and I can agree with the other posters that it IS ADDICTIVE. Service is outstanding, and the fries are good, too.
I’d never had this turkish inspired German street food before, but now I’m hooked. When you want a doner kebab, you WANT one! Again, service from the owner/​proprietor is attentive but not obsessive, but you always know that your patronage is appreciated…

This little hole in the wall is a yummy change from our usual sandwich-​and-​pizza fare that we generally subsist upon.
My hubby loves schnitzel. And the fact that the meat is pounded by a German dude in the back room before it’s cooked makes it all the better.
Limited vegetarian options, but they work miracles with portabella mushrooms.
And, of course, the Döner Kebab. They subbed mushrooms for meat in my amazing sandwich — so accommodating! The french fries are fantastic, too — I never can get quite enough.
The waiter (owner?) is so attentive — he visits our table at least twice when we visit.
Overall, this place gets 4 stars because it’s good, solid food, but at dinner prices, it’s a place we can only make it once in a while.

Like many Americans who’ve traveled to Der Vaterland, have fallen in love with döner kebabs in Germany and have been on a quest to find a good, authentic döner place stateside. And Döner Kebab in Portland is a wonderful restaurant serving delicious plates of kebab delights. But as great as it is, it still ain’t no real German döner place.
Now, don’t think I’m hating; on the contrary, this restaurant is in fact too nice. It’s like the Cheesecake Factory when you’re looking for a Denny’s. It’s a little tucked away, but the Döner Kebab sign in front looks instantly recognizable to any döner connoisseur. And so I entered.
What struck me first was the amicable and friendly SERVICE. I don’t know if the place is family-​owned, but it sure seems like it. Lots of care and attention to detail. The server (perhaps who is also the owner?) was more than willing to describe the different options to my friend with me.
The food came out, and was good. But again, when I think döner, I think greasy, sloppy, spicy street food. What we were presented with was a nicely-​arranged plate with measured servings of lean meat and salad. It was good, and moderately priced ($ 7 – 10). Yet it all felt like they were simply trying too hard to be good. I’m sure that once the kebab roaster gets older and accumulates layers of burnt on grease and salt, the kebabs will come out better.
I’m rounding up the stars to four, because the service was incredibly courteous and helpful.

I really wish I went with my brother’s suggestion and tried the Doner Kebab Sandwich instead of getting anything else… but alas… I am stubborn like that.
So, I tried the Doner Kebab plate which I thought might be exactly the same as the sandwich… but served plate style (with more).
Anywho, here’s my input:
:FOOD:
Doner Kebab Plate, $ 7.99
— Served with sheared pieces of kebab meat (gyro meat style), a mediterranean style salad, yogurt sauce, and one piece of puffed bread. The kebab meat itself wasn’t as tender as I’ve come across at other kebab places (aka: Wally’s! in Emeryville, CA), though the flavor was nice and savory. The med. salad was very fresh, but they give you soooo little — consisted of crunchy cucumbers, tomatoes, and garnished with feta. The yogurt sauce was very pleasantly creamy, and the puffed bread was awesome — kinda like a really thick pita.
I’m sure I would have enjoyed it much more in sandwich form — it looked way more appealing and big.
Sausage Plate, $ 8ish
— The flavors of the garlic sausage and saukerat were so savory and amazing!!! I really was tempted to clear my friends dish… but uh… yea…the portions were small and well… manners. LOL. Anyway, the potatoes were nice and comforting, but not as tasty.
What I do really like is that they give you a great variety of sauces you can enjoy with your sausage! (See pics).
Lentil German Sausage Soup, $ 3.50ish
— Ahhhhhh!!! Probably the best lentil soup I’ve ever had! It was so cold out, and this dish definitely warmed us up instantly! The sausage bits were so tender and added to the intensely comforting flavor of the soup. Again… wanted to finish my friend’s soup.but.*slap wrists*! Control yourself!
My only complaint about the food is the presentation and portion size. It was a little too cafeteria like for me – each item was served in separate compartments on a plate (see pix). Kinda made me feel like I was eating child-​size portions…
:SERVICE:
Very polite and checked up on us frequently. I asked for more of the med. salad (since there was so little to start with), and the waiter gave me some more without charge =).
:AMBIANCE:
Small, modern-​esque, café-​like.
Bathroom is very clean, modern, and smells good. *thumbs up*
All in all, if I am ever in Portland again and at this restaurant, I’d like to (.listen to my brother’s suggestion.) try the Doner Kebab Sandwich and Lentil Sausage Soup again. Otherwise, I’d like to venture else where.
And now that I’m back in the Bay, I am quite content and more than satisfied with my kebabs and gyro meat from Wally’s!!!

Ah, Doner Kebab…
In my world, Doner is the stuff of legends. Something I can never find in this country, it changes slightly throughout Europe. Doner Kebab is like… a mythical unicorn sandwich. It’s like germany and turkey got together and said «let there be super torta!» and it was, and it was good.
I like this little Doner Kebab place. The owners are nice and incredibly attentive, although they occasionally hover over you like you’re on the wrong side of the Berlin wall. I recommend a kebab with spicy yogurt or the chicken sandwich, both are tasty and feel refreshingly unhealthy without being greasy.
No, this doner will not magically transport you to that scandalous semester abroad – it’s not a cup of international delights. Be easy about this place, Doner is a nice alternative to a standard burger and fries lunch.

Like Gyros. but better!
We walked by Doner Kebab and stopped in because A) We were hungry and B) We’ve never seen a doner kebab restaurant in Portland. I have put this place on my list of go-​to Mediterranean eats in town.
It seems like they’re overshadowed by the bigger place next door, but if you can walk past there and into Doner Kebab you’ll be in for a better experience. The kebab wrap comes with fries and their special spicy sauce, which is amazing in itself. I usually like to get it on the side and dip the entire wrap in it.
Aside from the good food the service was astounding and their European beer selection is truly unique.

Like gyro meat, only better! It says on the menu. Repeatedly. That’s really not helpful.
It’s hard to tell from the storefront, but this place is big. The space goes deep. Upon entry I saw a one of those signs that says Please Seat Yourself, but no one seemed really eager to come to a table. So i asked and was told that they would indeed come to me. Then I realize the lady I’d walked past when I came in was the waitress on a smoke break. Ah ha! That makes sense.
Okay, the food. As usual I have no idea and less give-​a-​crap about authenticity. I liked the meat, but I gotta say I prefer gyros for consistency and seasoning. Everything was fresh and I got it really quickly. And you can get the same on bread instead of pitas for the same price.
Ah. Price. The Catch. Seven bucks? Seriously? It was good but with every bite I kept thinking, is this seven dollars worth of meat (including labor)? I couldn’t even tell what kind of meat it was. Even after visiting the wikipedia article on doners, I’m pretty lost on how the process works. But I know I’d feel ripped off if I paid seven bucks for a sandwich this size (oh! Bunk, that’s right, I did feel ripped off).
Wait, fries are extra. Two dollars extra. For a small handful of undercooked shoestrings! Ouch.
If they’d have thrown in the fries or had a bigger sandwich I’d have felt okay, but I did not have $ 10.44 worth of food and drink at this place.

What brought me in was the sign proclaiming, «Like gyros but better!» I’m so tired of dried out gyro sandwiches, it’s like choking down socks. Plus I hate the Greek Cuisina, so I felt a little bit of smug satisfaction dining next door. And I had already made the 5^th to11th Karts circuit with nothing striking my fancy.
And I like German food (though I realize this is more Turkish), so I was curious and willing to give it a try.
I ordered the Kebab plate, Should’ve gotten the sandwich. Not because it wasn’t tasty, but it’s so much easier to eat when it comes assembled. The fresh homemade pita pockets are fluffy and delicious. Get the cucumber salad with feta cheese if you can. There’s just enough oompf that you could actually use it like a topping for the sandwich.
This might be weird, but i love that you can hear them frying up your french fries. And I know you’re thinking you can get that at McDonald’s — but you can’t. It’s that authentic zizzle+pop of greasy oil that screams authentic french fries. They were pretty tasty, too, all nice and browned.
To be honest, these guys would do better as a kart. Not that the food is lacking, it’s actually pretty good, but it’s very much Kart Food and the interior is simply too cute for a sandwich shop.

Döner Kebab is a new German food restaurant in downtown. A colleague and I went there today to check out this new place. It was their second day open. That being said, they have a lot of kinks to work out.
First the good — we were greeted to a quite clean place with some nicely decorated walls & squeaky clean tables. Aside from that…
The bad. Instead of listing this out, I’ll just write how our experience went. We walked in to the place and was asked to sit down. Fair enough. From there, a waiter came up to us and asked what we would like. We were a little perplexed — what would we like? We had no idea! So we asked for some menus… and they said there weren’t any menus but that they would have them in a couple of days.
That’s OK… so what were our options?
Two things.
A doner kebab sandwich or doner kebab meat, salad & fries.
We went for the second option.
While we waited for our food to arrive, we asked ourselves, «How much will this cost?» We had no idea. Typical lunch prices in downtown Portland run anywhere from a hearty $ 5 special at a cart to 6 — 7 at other smaller restaurants along third /​fourth avenue.
So our food arrived about 10 minutes later. It took awhile, but I’ll mark that up to being only the second day open. The fries were fairly cold. The salad that came with the meal was pretty standard fare. And then there was the kebab meat & some dipping sauce, which was OK.
We went up to pay and were a little taken aback when it was about $ 9 a plate.
To sum it up:
1) The atmosphere was quite nice. Nice ambiance and nice & cool in there too.
2) The service left a little to be desired. This could be due to only being open for a limited time thus far and not actually having menus.
3) The food was nothing special. It really wasn’t anything extraordinary. With more options, there might be something that would be a bit more tasty.
4) Service was slooow. People want to usually get moving during lunch @ downtown. This wasn’t an «order, grab & go» place — you have to (at least in the second day they were open) sit down and eat.
5) There is a possibility that the Döner Kebab restaurant could really flourish. Again, nice place, good area, lots of foot traffic. The food was not that great but, then again, with more menu options there might be something that could be really tasty.
I might go back in a couple of months…