Doner G has the best Turkish food I've ever tasted. Period. End of story. Go there. Now. I mean it. I wouldn't write my 400th review on it if I didn't believe it, now would I?
In all honesty, this is actually the only Turkish food I've ever sampled. But, without having actually visited Turkey, this place must be authentic for several reasons. First of all, this place is manned almost entirely by a staff of Turkish natives (all of whom speak fluent Turkish). Secondly, every time I've eaten here (which is at least a dozen times), I've noticed that quite a few of the customers are of Turkish descent. If Turkish people are actually flocking to this place, it must be authentic, right? Thirdly, during my most recent visit, a Turkish television film crew was here interviewing the owner and manager. C'mon people! If Turkey is sending cameras here (for viewing back in Turkey), this place HAS to be the real deal.
Okay, enough of my ranting. Let's talk about the food - it's all good. I've sampled almost everything on the menu and I've enjoyed it all. As far as grilled meats go, the doner (marinated meat slow-cooked on a vertical broiler/spit, sliced off in thin pieces) is great, in both varieties (beef and chicken). The meat is made fresh, in-house, and on a daily basis. The result is tasty, flavorful, meaty goodness that needs to be sampled in order to do it justice. Personally, I also enjoy Greek gyros, but I'll take the Turkish doner over it any day. If you're in the mood for lamb, the adana kebab (ground lamb, marinated w/herbs and skewer mounted; much like the Persian koobideh) and the kofte (charbroiled lamb, parsley, onions, and herbs) are both quite tasty, too. The adana's a bit spicier than the kofte, so expect more flavor from this dish. The shish kebab (cubed, skewered lamb or chicken) is another grilled item you can't go wrong with. The lamb's not very gamey at all and the chicken is spiced just right. Most of the grilled meat is served with pita bread and/or rice pilaf and salad on the side.
The menu's got two items that are sort of doner off-shoots as well. One item that's quickly prepared and easy to eat is the durum. It's almost a Turkish version of the burrito - Lavash (a tortilla-like Turkish flat bread) filled with doner meat, tomatoes, pickles, and Turkish dressing. The other dish is the Iskender kebab plate (thinly cut doner meat, basted with melted butter and tomato sauce, served over pieces of pita bread w/yogurt on the side). This second dish I'd recommend for the more adventurous/open-minded diner.
Doner G also serves up Turkish beans, vegetarian and lamb stews, salads, soups, and a variety of side dishes (humus, fries, falafel, and dolmas). If you've got a sweet tooth, I recommend the baklava (imported), which comes in several varieties (walnut, pistachio, kemalpasa, kadayif...).
As far as I'm concerned, I've received nothing but the best service here. Both the owner (Yalcin) and manager (Kadir) have been excellent hosts. They are always courteous, greet you with a smile, and are more than willing to answer any of your questions. I'm neither Turkish nor Muslim, but I appreciate the fact that Doner G offers halal food (for those in search of it). Recently, they were open later for Ramadan and had a nice buffet spread set up for their customers. As an added bonus, they're also open to dietary requests. I've requested mixed meats (beef and chicken) on occasion and have often asked for a double order of salad instead of rice pilaf (low-carb alternative).
Yes, the format of the restaurant (as mentioned in other reviews) is more of a fast food set-up than a traditional sit-down eatery. You do have to place your order at the register (after glancing over the menu up on the wall above the grills) and the beverages are self-serve, but you'll find similar set-ups at many other places that aren't necessarily labeled as 'fast food' (e.g. Baja Fresh, Daphne's). Frankly, I prefer it this way. Since I usually stop in for lunch anyway, I depend on quicker service and turnaround during my short-enough-as-it-is lunch "break" of 45 minutes.
In my opinion, Doner G is a great place to eat. I highly recommend their food to anyone with an interest in Turkish food. Heck, anyone interested in food period should at least try the food here. I did and now I'm practically a shareholder in the company!
If you do manage to stop by, tell them that you read their reviews on Yelp (or at least this one?). You can even mention my name, but that won't get you much...or will it?
2139 E.Ball Rd
Anaheim,Ca,92806
www.donerg.com
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so delicious
octurks 3 years ago 4
Have been here, I lOVEE turkish food, it is so healthy.They have very well done tasty meat.
cucubird 3 years ago 3