Tina C.
Yelp
As the #1 most-Yelped spot in the city, Mustafa's Gemüse Kebap topped our list of places to try. The hahnchen doner mit gemuse (chicken doner with vegetables) delivered! If a mouth-watering tumble of seasoned chicken and vegetables pillowed in buttery French-like bread sounds good to you, RUN, don't WALK to MGK!
AMBIENCE (3/5)
Look for MGK's food truck near the U-Bahn station on the west side of Mehringdamm in Kreuzberg. Having read the Yelp reviews about 1-2+ hour lines, I arrived ~11pm prepared to wait. Luckily, the 10-15 person line in front of me moved quickly. 15 minutes and €3.50 later, I had a hot, fresh kebab in hand!
There's no seating available, but you can hang out on the sidewalk and enjoy your sandwich.
FOOD (5/5)
Invented in the 19th-century Ottoman Empire, the vertical rotisserie revolutionized the cooking of meat. Similar to Greek gyros, Arab shawarma, and Mexican al pastor, doner kebab is a type of kebab, with meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie. Spiced meat stacked in an upside-down cone turns slowly on the rotisserie, next to a vertical cooking element. The outer layer is sliced into shavings as it cooks.
MGK concisely offers four main options:
- hahnchen doner mit gemuse (chicken doner with vegetables)
- gemusekebap (vegetarian doner kebab)
- durum (chicken with vegetables flatbread wrap)
- vegetarisch durum (vegetarian flatbread wrap)
The truck also offers:
- donerteller (doner plate, ie doner minus bread, with chicken on one side and veggies on the other)
- gemuseteller (vegetarian doner plate)
- salatschale (salad in a bowl)
- assorted beverages
I ordered the regular chicken doner with vegetables. The staff carved chicken off the rotisserie, piled on cooked veggies ranging from sliced potatoes to bell peppers, added MGK's secret sauce, sprinkled on feta cheese, and squeezed fresh lemon juice over this mountainous masterpiece of a quick meal. As is the norm, there are three sauces for selection: Kräuter (herb), Knoblauch (garlic), Scharf (spicy).
From the first flavor explosion to stuffing big bites that each included chicken, veggies, and buttery bread in my mouth, I thoroughly enjoyed my kebab.
SERVICE (4/5)
More efficient than I'd anticipated! I can see how waits could get long, though, so it might be smart to go during off-peak hours.
PRO TIP: The city's second most visited spot, Curry 36, is right next door! I'd recommend snagging a currywurst with fries to munch on while you wait in line for kebabs. Street food heaven!