German Doner Kebab — Restaurant in New York

4.5 stars. It’s finally open! German Doner Kebab’s second US location (and the first in NYC) opened today in Astoria. This chain is known for their doner kebabs and have locations worldwide. This was my first time trying German Doner Kebab or doner kebabs in general. First impression of this fast casual restaurant was really good. For their first day, it was packed with people but the interior still felt quite spacious with lots of seating. I waited a good twenty minutes for my food but didn’t mind too much. All of the staff were bustling to get orders out quickly and the manager was even on the floor chatting with guests as they waited.

As for the food, you can choose from a wrap, sandwich or burger and you choose the meats, heat level and sauce. They only serve halal meat so no pork, but you can choose chicken, beef or mixed of both. I ended up getting a Doner Box with Fries ($10.99) and a Boss Box ($18.49).

The Doner Box comes with meat (I got mixed meat) and fries in a cute little box. The Boss Box comes with a main (I got the Original Kebab), sides (I got the Doner Spring Rolls), fries (I opted for plain) and a soft drink. The food was nicely packaged with slots for everything including your drink, so it was really easy to take on the go and the food traveled well.

For the Kebab, they use special doner kebab bread which is thin and has a waffle like texture. And the meat is cooked rotisserie-style, where the outer layers are sliced off. Before putting the meats inside the bread, they put two kinds of sauce (a creamy garlicky sauce and a tomato-based sauce). I really liked that the meat was cut very thinly but it does get cool and dry faster. Not sure if these are great for leftovers and I’m guessing it’s best to eat these while it’s still fresh. Otherwise, the food was yummy and very filling.

Welcome to the neighborhood GDK! I think you’ll...

If I were to choose a restaurant to get food from with my eyes closed, 'German Doner Kebab' will be one of those restaurants.

Tried them for the first time a few days ago and was struggling to pick an item from their huge menu. Front of house was handled by Joanna that morning, and man she did such an amazing job! One of the most cheerful staff I've ever encountered at a restaurant, especially in NYC, and if I'm returning to any location of German Doner Kebab, then all credit goes to Joanna. She needs to be promoted ASAP.

Joanna suggested I get the Doner Panini (as I said I was looking for an option that wouldn't be too heavy but would still be fulfilling). I got the Doner Panini with Chicken, Flaming Fries with yogurt sauce (recommended by Joanna, again Kudos!) Chocolate Waffle Bread and a bottle of juice.

The Doner Panini has undoubtedly become my favorite. I was tired of the same Chicken over Rice at all halal locations, and this item was an incredible refresher for me. The Flaming Fries tasted great, the yogurt sauce was a brilliant addition (will be back to try the other sauces). Also, I'd suggest eating the Chocolate Waffle Bread while its warm, as that's when you get the best taste.

I'd recommend dining there as the atmosphere is very cozy.

Some pictures were not very good as I was traveling and eating! But man the taste, you need to TRY...

I can honestly say that the food was delicious, but the sad part was the experience that I had. First, I place my order and the girl at the counter seemed to know what my order was and I also specified about 3 times that I didn’t want tomatoes in my order. On top of that since it was my first time, I asked for suggestions but it seemed that she did not understand what I was asking and tryed to anwser with a : which one do you want? So I decided to just try the meal that drew my attention and waited. I started getting a bit worried after wait almost 40 minutes for my order with a not so busy spot and mind you an ordered only a combo (2 things). I later started seeing that other people’s orders were coming out before mine and then I noticed lack of comunication with the counter girl, expeditor, and kitchen. I ended up receiving my order after 3 other people got their order and the worst part about it was that I got tomatoes in my food when I said NO tomatoes. I wistnessed other customers very upset but this place has a lot of potential and it’s just minor things they have to fix. A good/experienced manager would definetly resolve this. I will be back for the...