Cultural exchanges between America and Germany have been rich, indeed. We gave them David Hasselhoff and McDonald’s. They have given us Kraftwerk and, just recently here in Portland, döner kebab. We got the better end of the deal.
If you haven’t been to Berlin lately, then you probably haven’t experienced döner kebab—currently the most popular fast food in Germany. Luckily, a small downtown mom-and-pop shop, with the no-nonsense name Döner Kebab and German Cuisine, has started serving the delicacy alongside a variety of German specialties. Consider it the autobahn of skewered meats.
Döner is much like gyros: essentially marinated meat cooked slowly on a vertical rotisserie. Thin slices are shaved from the rotating kebab and placed into either a wrap or an oval-shaped, ciabatta-like flatbread with shredded lettuce, tomato, onions, and yogurt sauce.
To be fair, döner originated in Turkey and was imported to Germany by immigrants sometime in the mid-1980s. So, it’s not precisely German. More an amalgamation of German and Turkish food traditions; let’s call it “Gerkish.”
Döner Kebab will likely suffer from its pesky umlaut—most commonly seen on posters for death metal bands and Ikea furniture boxes—as well as an odd location with little parking and too much bus traffic. Also, few people are familiar with döner. The refrain in the menu that reads, “similar to gyros meat, but better,” is an understatement at best.
The döner kebab sandwich is a marvel. Made here with turkey, the meat is salty, tender, and just fatty enough to be utterly satisfying. Paired with a spicy yogurt sauce, the juice of the meat slowly soaks into the fresh-made pocket bread with a rich and lightly spicy sop. This is perfect fast food: dynamic and packed with flavor. Add a side of fries (the common Berlin accompaniment) and you have a filling meal for less than nine bucks.
Döner can also be served in the traditional dish known as Iskender. It combines döner kebab with bread cubes, tomato sauce, and yogurt sauce. On the plate with an Anaheim pepper garnish it’s intimidating. In the mouth, it’s serious grub. The tomato sauce and yogurt offer a nice balance of base and acidity to the salty turkey, and when the Anaheim pepper is thrown into the mix, the flavor is elongated with green vegetable tones.
The German cuisine of Döner Kebab is just as adventurous. Take sauerbraten, for example. Having never tried the dish, the server warned me: “It’s an acquired taste.” Yep. But I enjoyed the incredibly tender marinated roast beef and the accompanying tangy sauce with its notes of raisin, apple, and perhaps a little cinnamon. The strange cumulous pile of dumpling was puzzling, though, tasting like nothing much. I was informed it was intended to help soak up the sauce, which didn’t necessarily help their cause. However, the red sauerkraut was adequate, hovering just inside the border of sweet.
Don’t be frightened by the mid ’90s furniture store interior or the constant barrage of light rock. These folks have brought to Portland one of the better German imports in recent memory. Here it comes, like a trans-Europe express, straight into your gullet.
YES!!!!!! I’ve been waiting for decent Doner in the US. Scharf bitte!!
It’s pronounced more like Durner, really, because ö is meant to sound like “oe” in German… in English this can only be mimicked by using an “r.”
I am a Portlander currently living in Germany and was actually just in Berlin a couple weeks ago. There are about three Döner stands there per block, and they are always open and always good.
Don’t let the meat scare you though, if you are not a serious carnivore! I always get the vegetarian variant, which is very popular in Germany as well.
Awesome, looking forward to checking this place out…
What are the hours?
from 11 am 8 pm but if you show up at 8 and the place is full of people you will still get served.
I’m a German living in portland and I absolutely DIED when I heard that there was a Doener in portland. It was my favorite food when I was kid, and is comparable to those I’ve had in germany.
Absolutely YUM!
In Vantuckey, we’ve had the mini-franchise Döner Haus for a few years. Not too bad, but the only thing to differentiate it from the many Kronos/Gyros franchises is some subtle change in spices on that hideous meat-go-round and some frightening German decor. Not a bad lunch experience, but they had a giant plasma screen tv blasting Fox News. That and all the old Prussian Empire flags made me feel like I was in some nightmarish Germanic Steampunk version of Orwell’s 1984.
It’s not Dew-ner…as above commentator explained…more like ‘Doo-ner’…you need to make the o a little slang. And true, it is of Turkish origin, most of them still being sold by Turkish not locals.
Oh yeah! I fell in love with Döners in SW Germany in 2005. I tried the Döner Haus chain up in East Vancouver, but it was a pale, worthless imitation.
I can’t wait to try the real thing again.
This place is great! Really authentic (been to Germany and have had numerous döner kebabs)! I spoke to the owner and he told me that all of the food is prepared in house, even the döner kebab meat! Which is a very lengthy process!
I went there with my girlfriend just last weekend and enjoyed a great meal, great German beer, and an amazing conversation with the owners.
I recommend anyone and everyone to try the meals and beverages Der Döner Kebab has to offer!
Prost! Und einen guten Appetit!
I’ve tried the doner kebab here, it’s a joke compared to the ones found in Europe. And what were they thinking using turkey meat?!?! Can it BE more bland? They should be using the proper meat which is Lamb. Also, I thought there was way too much meat (which was too salty) and not enough vegetables, but I guess they have to cater to the unrefined Portland trash that notoriously has low expectations when it comes to food. I was really disappointed to say the least.
The food here is incredible.
Shame on the people that complain about the food. After speaking with the owners (that are glad to talk with you) you will find that they brought this version of the sandwich from Germany, Augsburg to be exact. And in fact, most places in germany are using turkey, or at least some variation of.
And those “traditional” shops that use lamb, usually use only 60% lamb (and usually the portion that you wouldnt normally eat at a restaurant. in order to keep the cost down) and the rest a mixture of ground lamb and other ingrediants. They must also infuse fat and lard in with the meat in order to stop if from drying out. As well as baste the meat with fat constantly as to keep the meat moist.
Here in this portland version. You won’t find any of that. The owners explained to me that the meat moistens itself, as it is turkey meat. Every time I have been here, I have left with a full stomach and a smile. As close to an “original” as you can get.
we left germany in 2004 and my son has been asking me for doner kabab he tells everyone best food ever we live in ky. I can not gat it for him someone please help if i can only gat the sauce
A GOOD Mother.