Alaturka — Restaurant in Stuttgart

A lover of food of all sorts and frequent dining out person: definitely deserves 2 stars. I first went to Alaturka 3 months ago when it was freezing outside and realized that there was pretty much zero street parking. Finally, when I found one I walked up to a long line all the way out the door. Not only was the line long, but it stayed that way for 30 minutes before I eventually gave up and went somewhere else before I starved to death on the sidewalk.

Again, we tried Alaturka with only a line that went up to the door instead of out the door. Well, again, for some weird reason the line doesn't move and we finally figured out that it was because they were freshly making the bread in the oven. Nice, that its so fresh, however, there are many other places that make it fresh and did not require such a wait. We also figured out that there are only 2 people in the front doing all the work: one person to put the order together and take the cash and the other one (the 'famous' guy in all the news articles and clippings) to cook. Of course, we can see that there isn't much room to work with...maybe.

We ended up waiting for an hour and a half and upon eating the doner kebabs, I found out what a tragic mistake we made: the food was really good but definitely NOT worth the wait. If people consider this the best in Stuttgart, I would say I might agree but there are many that are almost just as good with a significantly lower wait time than this place.

It seems that the owner may have decided that they rather keep this business model rather than maybe hiring another person for help or adding equipment/staff for better service. I am not one to critique someone on their business decisions but ultimately I will not be a repeat customer because of this.

Would have gotten a 3rd star, but too many cons...

As far as the döner here goes, it is not your typical German-Turkish döner; everything here is a lot more authentic Turkish, which could be a good or a bad thing depending on your preference. I like the more German style döner more, with simple toppings and a more fast-foody type taste, so that, combined with the prices, kept me from coming here more than once. A döner cost me around 6€ and while it wasn't bad, per say, it just wasn't what I'm crazy about. The price is certainly on the high end, even for Stuttgart, but you do get what you pay for: they have a lot more toppings, dressings and sauces here than your normal kebab stand, like peppers and roasted eggplant. Of course they are not just for döner, they have a huge variety of other Turkish dishes - their Sigara Börek are especially delicious!

The restaurant itself is on the small side with very limited seating, which can be inconvenient, and there is ALWAYS a line out the door during peak meal times, so keep that in mind. The staff was also on the colder side, which is normally not what I've experienced with non-German servers, and a bit of a let down since I have found Turks to be friendlier than Germans. Aside from those minor annoyances, I love the interior: it has such a warm, authentic, homely vibe that is unlike any other place I've eaten in Stuttgart. The walls are adorned with old pictures of what I assume are the owners' family, the seating is in the form of rustic type benches with comfy cushions, and Turkish accessories and memorabilia are scattered tastefully through the building. For me, the type of food is just not my cup of tea, but it is a nice place to come is you're searching for authentic...

This is absolutely the best Doner/Kebap in the world I've ever tried! It's real fresh meat (prepared daily by the owner from beef steaks, NOT some bought and made with unknown, minced ingredients they serve in so called "Donerbudas" for 2.50), freshly grilled vegetables, freshly baked bread and freshly fried sigara börek!

People complaining they have to wait in line for 15 minutes are simply spoiled. Don't listen to them, preparing good food takes some time but iot's worth the wait! Just give it a try.

The people serving the food including the owner who bakes bread are awesome and very nice to everyone! And their new place is more roomy. Alaturka is always packed full of people and for a reason. But be a little patient and you'll be rewarded with the freshest fast food in the...