Everyday Eats: Döner Box from The Kebab Shop
Erin Jackson
The Kebab Shop doesn’t have a secret menu, per se, but the options for customization go well beyond what you can plainly see on the printed menu — something I wasn’t aware of until I used the online ordering system. I’m a longtime fan of the falafel shawarma, but the aggressive bite of the garlic yogurt sauce can sometimes linger too long (breathmints, or not), so I was looking for a less intense substution. That opened the floodgates, and the end result was this custom-built box of deliciousness that I strongly urge you to try as-is or tweak to your precise desire.
First, skip the traditional sandwich (or wrap) presentation in favor of the Döner Box — a Döner without the bread, served in a take-out container with fresh veggies and rice or fries. I built mine with saffron rice, chicken, veggies (tomato, cucumber, and salad mix), skipping out on the defacto onions and garlic yogurt sauce to make it more mellow. In place of the garlic sauce, I subbed dill sauce and added spicy hummus and feta. The total damage? Just $8.49 for a container practically exploding with my lunch (and dinner) for the day.
Everyday Eats: Döner Box from The Kebab Shop
Erin Jackson
I got lucky on my first try, because the melange of components ended up being exactly what I wanted: savory, multi-textured, and more balanced. There’s garlic and heat in the hummus, and the crumbly, salty feta brings a lot to the party. Meanwhile, the dill sauce is just as creamy as the garlic yogurt, but without the effects of being able to knock out a gaggle of vampires with one breath.
As far as customization goes, my effort was fairly conservative. Some of the other tweaks you can do include getting extra (or double) of any veggie component, adding extra meat, getting sauce on the side, or mixing in a handful of olives.
With six locations, including the recently opened Mission Valley and Rancho Bernardo outlets, there’s bound to be one closeby, but eats this good are also easily worth the drive.
