Very good food I would definitely recommend coming here in San Diego there food was very sweet and savory perfect and the juice was amazing very fresh read more

I've been wanting to give this place a try for quite some time, and I was excited to see that they recently added some vegan options to the menu so I could finally check it out. I ordered the Falafel Wrap and the Lentil Soup, both vegan even though they are not clearly marked as such on the menu. They were both delicious and very well seasoned, not too much and not too little. We came early on a Friday, right before 5 pm, and there were plenty of tables available. The food arrived very quickly, the service was great, and the place was very clean with a calm atmosphere and soft background music. My soup came with a piece of bread, so I asked the server to confirm whether the bread was also vegan. She was kind enough to bring me the ingredients list so I could check for myself, and yes, it was vegan. I still recommend confirming each time in case the ingredients ever change. My husband, who is not vegan, also really enjoyed his food. I definitely recommend this place to vegans, and I will absolutely be coming back many more times. read more

See all

Honestly, this place was a huge letdown. The food we got looked nothing like the pictures on Google or the menu. The photos make everything look amazing, but what showed up at our table was completely different. We felt misled. The food wasn't that good either, especially for the price. If you're expecting what you see in the pictures, you're probably gonna be disappointed. They really need to use real photos of the food they actually serve. Definitely not coming back. read more

Istanbul Doner Kebab - Turkish Near Me - San Diego, California

As a renowned kebab connoisseur (ok just a huge kebab fan), I was looking forward to check out this place. My friends and I stopped by Monday night to check the restaurant out. It was not a busy night and maybe 4 tables were occupied including our four people table. We placed an order right as we got in at 7pm, including three drinks and four main dishes. Regretfully, it took a whole HOUR to receive our meals AND DRINKS. Why drinks were not brought up to us in between when the order was placed and meals served, is beyond me. And when food arrived, one of the items was wrong. My partner ordered chicken dish but got beef. We flagged this to our server (who was nowhere near to be found) and she seemed indifferent. After waiting for an hour for our food, we decided that we will just accept the what order this beef dish is because it was already 8pm and idea of having food at 9pm did not seem fun. Also it is worth mentioning that we ordered smoothies for our drinks. Server never asked us if there was any dietary restrictions and nowhere on the menu it was noted that fruit smoothies contain milk. Terrible times when you are lactose intolerant. Overall very poor experience. read more

It's really lovely to come to a place like this, especially after visiting Turkey The menu here is authentic and very fresh. For one person, you can order an entree & have enough for lunch or dinner the next day. The ambiance including the hanging lights along with the tea cups make you feel like you are in a cultural moment and experience. Great local San Diego restaurant bringing authentic Turkish cuisine. Friendly service as well read more

I was craving for a falafel wrap and after a quick Yelp search we found this spot in downtown. They had plenty of tables so we didn't have to wait. The ambiance was on point and welcoming. While I was craving for falafel wrap, they had the traditional veggie Mediterranean pizza called Peinirli. I wanted to try both the dishes so ordered both. The wrap came out first. The portion size was good. It was very flavorful and packed with veggies. Next the pizza came out. It looked so interesting and we couldn't wait to dig in. The pizza was well cooked, packed with veggies and the it was delicious. The crush was yummy too! The flavor was authentic and we loved the concept overall! If you are looking for traditional food, this is the place to try! read more

See all

Ahmad gave A1 friendly service, very clean and cute restaurant in the middle of the city. Food was top tier absolutely will return

We ordered chicken kebab and were given beef instead. I called right away, and the owner/manager tried to gaslight me by insisting it was chicken. I took two bites and immediately knew it was beef. I don't eat red meat, and it left me with an upset stomach for a week. I requested a refund, but they refused. The salad was soggy and old, completely inedible. The hummus was fine, but it's pretty hard to mess up hummus. The restaurant was completely empty on a Thursday at 7pm. It makes me wonder if they were short on ingredients and assumed we wouldn't notice or care that the "chicken" was actually beef. Beware if you have food allergies or sensitivities. I've reported them to SD food info, the Epidemiology Liaison, and the SD Environmental Health, Food & Housing Division. Update: It's been over 16days and still no mold. Whatever it is it's not chicken. They will gaslight you if you call to correct the order. Beware before eating here. Especially if you are pregnant with food sensitivities. read more

See all

We've been here twice and the food was delicious both times! We've tried the doner wrap and the iskender doner kebab and thought the meat and bread were both so flavorful and the yogurt complimented it well. Service is nice and also speedy and the restaurant is large and clean with plenty of seating. Highly recommend! read more

Istanbul Doner Kebab - Turkish Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

I had dinner and breakfast at this restaurant. From the service and the test of the meal was great. I recommend anyone who are willing to have dinner and breakfast come to this restaurant they carry a great meal experience. read more

Istanbul Doner Kebab - Turkish Near Me - San Diego, California

Not bad at all. Menu was all halal. Clean restaurant. We went on a sunday afternoon at 6pm. Had no problem getting seated. My husband had the doner sandwich, and I had the adana kebab two piece chicken and mixed meat. It was a good large serving. Thought the food was good for the price. Our waitress was attentive and the place is chill vibes. If you like turkish food, it is a great option. read more

Istanbul Doner Kebab - Adana mixed meat and chicken kabob plate - Turkish Near Me - San Diego, California

if you are here just for the food, then it's pretty good. in terms of service and atmosphere I would say it's not the best. the AC did not work in 80 degree weather , and the service just wasn't there. there was only one server working, and she was nice but definitely overworked. I would recommend choosing someplace else. read more

See all

Istanbul Doner Kebab - Beautiful Place, Good Service, but Food Was Too Spicy for Us We recently visited Istanbul Doner Kebab and had mixed feelings about our experience. We ordered the chicken wraps, lamb chops, and beef pide. Unfortunately, everything was very spicy--much more than we expected. I could barely eat a little, and my kids only took one bite. We really wish the staff had told us about the spice level beforehand or that it was indicated somewhere on the menu. Because of this, we ended up having to find another place to eat afterward. On the positive side, the restaurant itself is cozy, clean, and beautifully decorated. The service was friendly and attentive, and the Turkish tea and coffee were amazing--rich, flavorful, and definitely the highlight of our visit. Mango smoothie was delicious as well. Overall, it's a lovely spot with great service, but the spice level of the dishes didn't work for us. If you enjoy very bold, spicy flavors, this might be perfect for you--but for milder palates, it can be overwhelming. read more

Istanbul Doner Kebab - Turkish Near Me - San Diego, California

Dropped by for lunch since it was close to our hotel in the Gaslamp District. The interior is clean and modern. The menu was a bit confusing for someone not super familiar with the cuisine so it would've been helpful to have photos. I ordered the special beef döner, which came with a salad. The meat was flavorful and I liked the veggies inside the sandwich. We also got a falafel plate which was fine but probably could have used a sauce. The main downside was the service. It felt really cold and unwelcoming. No greetings or welcomes, just someone standing silently at our table waiting for us to order. read more

Food was delicious and price is about the right. Desserts were super yummy! Turkish Coffee was very strong flavor and tasty. You don't need a sugar since coffee itself has very good flavor already. read more

See all

The service was pretty bad. We weren't properly greeted at the door, the server just held up her fingers and pointed in the direction of tables. She showed up quickly but was slow with drinks, removing plates to make room on the table, and disappeared frequently. The food was great. I was surprised and we almost left due to service and questioning whether the food would be good or more of a tourist trap. The restaurant was dark and the e lights seemed to flicker, it had a few flies pestering us, but overall seemed clean. Would recommend but be patient and expect a slower service but good food. read more

Istanbul Doner Kebab - Lamb chops - Turkish Near Me - San Diego, California

Very nice place, very close to gaslamp district. Looked very clean. I ordered döner kebab, it was cooked very well, although it was a little salty for my taste. Service was good. Overall positive experience. I don't know about parking because I walked, downtown San Diego is always trouble for parking. read more

See all

Came here for a pre-concert dinner. Right across the street from the HOB venue. Had a doner sandwich meal as I watched the entry line shorten through the high top window. Though there weren't many people in, I imagine this place gets busy later in the evenings when people filter out of the shows or wind down their night out. 3.5 read more

Istanbul Doner Kebab - Turkish Near Me - San Diego, California

Very good food, pleasant atmosphere, friendly service as well. For its location, the prices are reasonable too.

The service experience at this restaurant was unacceptable. The server was extremely rude, inattentive, and disrespectful. I was spoken to harshly even for asking a simple question. This kind of behavior is completely unprofessional. read more

Istanbul Doner Kebab - Harshly - Turkish Near Me - San Diego, California

Excellent food and large portions. Friendly staff and they let me work on my computer which was nice. read more

Istanbul Doner Kebab - Beef and Chicken Plate - Turkish Near Me - San Diego, California

Lunch for my father in law's 88th birthday. Our first time here, food was EXCELLENT!! Beef, salad, rice. Turkish coffee! Amazing service. Definitely recommend coming here to enjoy a meal (great ambiance!) or celebration! read more

Istanbul Doner Kebab has opened in the northeastern part of the Gaslamp Quarter where a longtime fast casual Italian eatery had operated. It inherited a very large corner suite with enough dining capacity for well over 50 customers. Part of the space was converted into a juice bar to the right of the entrance when you walked in. Unfortunately, only one customer was seated at the bar when I arrived so they need to advertise to drum up more business. The menu was posted on a pillar to the right of the service counter. I had to crane my neck up and down to scan all of the offerings. I initially wanted to order a dish containing a beef kabob. The manager (owner?) told me that shoulder cut was unavailable because the meat was already down to the last pieces on the rotisserie. He did not feel comfortable serving it to me. I appreciated the heads up which changed my decision. The Lamb Chop Kebab with rice became my entree. Six pieces of lamb on the bone were served with a large serving of basmati rice, onions, peppers, garlic, tomatoes, and olives. The lamb chops were cooked nicely. The ratio of rice to vegetables was skewed though. There was too much rice and not enough veggies. The salad was minimal. Some of the carbs could have been replaced with hummus and pita bread slices. That would have been an improvement instead of just rice. The price was fair, and the service was fine. Overall, I gave a 3.5 star rating for my dinner at Istanbul Doner Kebab. read more

See all

A true mom and pop place located in downtown San Diego gas lamp quarter! My girl and I stoped in for some fresh juice smoothies! The man working was so sweet and hooked us up! The service was great! Also the restaurant was just beautiful! I'm sad we didn't eat anything here! The whole place was a huge vibe! Our smoothies for a large was HUGE! Would come back immediately! Need a fresh juice -try this place!!!! read more

See all

I placed a to-go order and, unfortunately, had a very disappointing experience. One of my dishes (the mixed beef and chicken kebab) was not good, while the other (the pide) was fine. The mixed kebab had an overwhelming amount of garlic. If you're a garlic lover, you might enjoy it, but for me it felt like the ingredients weren't fresh and that extra garlic was added to cover it up. When I arrived to pick up my order, it seemed to be the staff's lunch break. Although they saw me, they ignored me and continued talking and laughing with each other, leaving me waiting without any acknowledgment. After several minutes, someone finally approached to ask what I needed, but by then the interaction already felt dismissive and unprofessional. I hope management takes this feedback seriously and works with the staff to improve customer service and ensure guests are treated with courtesy and respect. read more

Visiting San Diego for NeurIPS, I was excited to try some halal Turkish food, but this spot was disappointing. The food was meh, the service was slow, and the server wasn't friendly. I left underwhelmed. Decoration and ambience was nice. read more

Great place took my dad here for a birthday celebration didn't request it but they came out and brought us baklava and Turkish coffee delicious read more

My wife and I were looking for a peaceful dinner in the gas lamp district. We were walking because our hotel was iso close to numerous eating establishments. We had passed by numerous restaurants until finally we decided to try Doner Kebab. The initial greeting was pleasant and professional. They actually seemed grateful for us to stop and dine with them. Being retired military and travelers my wife and I are familiar with world wide cuisine. Wife ordered beef shish kebab skewer and I ordered the beef doner wrap combo and pistachio baklava. My wife and I both were extremely happy with our meals. The ambiance the food the staff were all incredible. highly suggest everyone try this restaurant. Stewart's from Oklahoma read more

I went here with my boyfriend who is from Turkey and he wasn't too impressed with their doner kebab. The place was empty when we went and it took a few minutes to get greeted and seated. Even when we were seated it took a while for our drinks to arrive and forgot to bring mine which was just water. The other people that came in were served quick and right away so I wasn't too pleased with that observation. The doner kebab was not too bad. The rice was cooked well but the other miscellaneous veggies didn't really mix with the dish (plain lettuce and some pickled beets). The baklava was pretty good and got my boyfriend's approval. I was just kind of rubbed the wrong way more for service. The food was alright but the dessert is great. read more

Istanbul Doner Kebab - Baklava - Turkish Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Truly enjoyed our dinner here. My husband and I shared that Iskinder kebab plate which was very large and plenty for the both of us. Pita sauted in butter, layered with a flavorful tomato based sauce and beef, big scoops of yogurt sauce on the side. Yummy! read more

The most delicious doner kebob I ever had. The service was excellent. Zenab was so polite and friendly. Highly recommend. read more

Small but very unpleasant experience. Sadly. I'm a huge fan of middle Eastern and Mediterranean food. But this one didn't sit well I my tummy. Didn't order much, just a side of fries since my friends and I were waiting outside for a show at the house of blues on a Friday night, since fries would take 5 minutes to have them ready it was the best option at the time to snack while we waiting outside in line. I hadn't eaten dinner but my other 2 friends had, so I was starving. I ate the most, one of my friends picked at the fries here and there, and my other friend declined as she didn't have an appetite form eating dinner right before we met up. We didn't finish the fries up because we got to the front of the line rather fast. Get home a good 3 hours later and my stomach is upside down. Couldn't sleep from upper abdominal pain. I ended up with food poisoning!!! Noooooo!!!. Horrible way to spend a Saturday, with all the icky symptoms. Half the day my stomach felt like it was on fire. My other friend who had picked here and there at the fries also had stomach pain along with other symptoms but not as bad as mine, my friend who didn't eat any fries was perfectly fine. So here we had the common denominator. Now were they good? Were they worth it? Hmmm I mean they were fries. Shoe string cut, no seasoning, but a very strong smell of oil, very greasy, kinda like some kind of canola oil or something and I think that's what it might've been. My friend noticed the strong taste of oil on the fries as well. I had to pick myself up Saturday afternoon because I had promised my neighbor's daughter I was taking her out and didn't want to disappoint her. But it was a very hot day and I tried my best to keep it together for her. The only reason for giving it two stars because the person at the counter was very kind and welcoming. Offered a seat to get comfortable at even though I was ordering take out. Sadly I can't say I'd be wanting to come back here from this awful experience. The last time I had food poisoning I was about 10 years old, forgot how awful it is read more

Like walking into a top end shop off Taksim Square, except the salad was fresher and the fries were crispier. And don't get me wrong, my beef doner kabab sandwich was great, but my wife's chicken adana wrap was freaking SUBLIME. Will definitely come back. read more

TLDR: Kind service, pretty good food, meets expectations. Pros: -Open late -Accommodating to requests -Pretty good kebabs Cons: -None really Food: I ordered a mixed kebab plate of koobideh and chicken, both of which were well prepared and tasty. Even though it was late and few customers, the skewers appeared fresh made so that's a plus. I took it to go, which it came on a huge platter of rice and a small side salad. The menu said it includes pita but I think they forgot it. I asked for a side of tzatziki and something spicy, which they had a creamy spicy sauce that had a nice kick. Unsure what it was though. The salad was rather small, would've loved half the rice with more veggies but no real complaints. Everything was delicious and the cashier was very nice. read more

This was my first time trying this place and the food was absolutely amazing. You could really tell they used quality ingredients in all of their dishes. Fatemah was our server and she was the absolute sweetest, very attentive and kind. Also great ambiance. Loved the Turkish music playing in there!! 10/10 would recommend! read more

Istanbul Doner Kebab - Turkish Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Never had Turkish food before visiting but I enjoyed my experience and the food was great! The portions are very generous. The service was responsive and our waiter was nice. The restaurant was also very clean. read more

Istanbul Doner Kebab - Beef doner sandwich combo - Turkish Near Me - San Diego, California

Terrible service and foods is not even Turkish food do not go and spend ur money + I hope they fire that girl who has split smile read more

Istanbul Doner Kebab - Turkish Near Me - San Diego, California

Oh. My. God. Didn't think I'd get the best Turkish food in Gaslamp but that is what happened. The staff took time to patiently explain their offering despite my ignorance of Turkish cuisine. Sorry for no pictures because I gobbled everything up too fast. My recommendation would be the chicken breast kebab that is grilled to perfection although the beef kobideh was not too shabby. Oh and they make their own bread unlike most kebab serve store-bought bread. As Arnold said, "I will be back" for more food. read more

Istanbul Doner Kebab - Menu - Turkish Near Me - San Diego, California

The food here is delicious, and I recommend everyone choose Istanbul Kebab. The place is very beautiful, the atmosphere is very warm, and you're in a family-friendly environment with Turkish music. read more

If you're intrigued by this place or overwhelmed by the menu, just get the special beef döner kebab and finish it with a coffee and the best baklava I've ever had. Going back home to Greek and generic Mediterranean versions of these foods will be hard. The in house made bread was just as good as the perfectly seasoned and flavorful meat. The coffee was perfectly matched by sweet but not too sweet baklava. The owner was humble and so nice. Please support this business if only for the fact that I'll know where I'm going first when I get in to town; Istanbul Döner Kebab. read more

Istanbul Doner Kebab - Special Beef Döner Kebab with salad. Doesn't look like much but tastes sooo good. The house made bread alone was worth it. - Turkish Near Me - San Diego, California