Really yummy food! Also, not too expensive! I really enjoyed the outdoor seating, lots of plants and nice lighting. Very quiet and the cashier was very friendly :) read more

First time in many years coming back since moving away. Was in the area and had a great lunch. Plate 23 beef lamb Doner not gyros. The owner would have a fit if he heard me say that. Thankfully the plates did not get any smaller. When he first opened the plates were a terrific value but then they became smaller and smaller. However the portion they give is enough to fill one up and is still a value. Shameful no more fresh baked bread. That was equal to the Doner. Together they are five stars but the loss off the bread drags the place down. I also noticed the salad does not have the pickled cabbage like before. Overall I am happy for the family and they are well. If you are in the area plate 23 is the best in the region. Give it a try. read more

Hands down the best Mediterranean style food in Sonoma County. It had been a few years since I had been here (my old work would order huge platters for corporate events and they were always a hit), but in Oct when my mom asked me what I'd like for a birthday dinner I thought of them. I'm so glad I did because I had forgotten how heavenly their mixed plate is. Their pita and hummus are hands down the best I've ever had. I'm honestly considering driving there from Santa Rosa now because I'm hungry thinking about that soft fluff pita bread. read more

Hidden Gem!! I took my Moroccan guests to the beach for the day. The place that I had planned to take them was closed and I needed to find a halal place for them, so I found this place on Yelp. My friends really enjoyed their meals. It wasn't just any place that was halal. It was delicious (zwina bzaf!). My friends had various wraps. I enjoyed the falafel plate. We all enjoyed an appetizer. We filled our tummies then took a lot of the food home. There was a nice selection of delicious sweets, so we took some to go. Yum! Employees were very nice. Friendly service from all. We chose to dine inside. The dining room is quaint with some cool Turkish decorations. There is also a cute patio and they allow dogs. Superfluous details: Only one bathroom, but it was very clean. Parking was very easy. I would seek out this place again on my way through town. read more

Came here for dinner while heading home from a long drive and came upon the gem. Such great flavors and food, we cannot wait to come back. We had the falafel, the Schwarma, and doner plate. The baklava is also a must. Thank you for a great dinner! read more

Real Doner - Turkish Near Me - Petaluma, California

What a crapy place and on top what a crapy owner... For the amount they charged $17 for the food was not enough a very small portion of rice and tons of greens with probably 10 Oz of pape thin sliced gyro meat. I politely asked the owner to reconsider the amount they charging for the food they are offering and she shut me up by saying thanks but no thanks. I have been to 100s of restaurants but have never seen such a insane owner who doesn't appreciate input rater tells you to leave the place... DO NOT COME HERE! So by the looks of it, lying out of your teeth is another trate of yours... I have never written a review let alone a bad one but I will make sure people know what you guys stand for.... Liers and dishonest business.... read more

I was impressed with this place, a cute little place on the outskirts of downtown Petaluma. They have a nice outdoor area that's surrounded by vegetation, so cozy and some what private. The interior is based on the open kitchen, which is awesome because you can watch food being prepped and the meat roasting. Staff is friendly. A bit pricey for a casual spot, be prepared to spend $15-20 a person, however totally worth it read more

Real Doner - The Combo wrap (lamb, beef, chicken) REALLY good!!! And the yogurt sauce is amazing - Turkish Near Me - Petaluma, California

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I've come here about 3 times since the beginning of May 2019 and I most likely may not be returning. I love ordering lamb so every time I've gotten food from there I order the lamb kabob. First time I ate inside the restaurant and the 2 other times I ordered pick-up. Today was #3. PROS: - good hummus - fresh veggies - cold beer - nice staff - accept credit cards - good location CONS: - menu is okay - have overcooked my lamb on every order regardless of me specifically asking to please not over cook it. I order it medium rare and it's always well done. - $18 for kabob after tax. That's too expensive - meet on kabobs are small and not that is an $18 order. Honestly the rest of the plate is cheap in expense so the meat price is ridiculous and over cooked - can use AMEX credit card unless you purchase $50. Seriously? I just paid $18 for tiny kabob and shredded lettuce - the pickled cabbage isn't pickly at all. Not a bit. read more

There was no salt in the chicken kabob plate. The baklava were tiny bites. Even the vegetables they serve are not fresh. This place needs improvement for the price they charge for food read more

This place? I loved it. I loved the ambiance, the food, the fact that it's really warm inside. I ordered the chicken doner plate and hummus and while the chicken was amazing I was blown away by the salad. It the best salad I've had in a long time. The purple cabbage?! So good with the meat! The servings are pretty massive. Like I have enough for breakfast lunch and dinner. read more

We got the lamb and beef donner wrap and kofte kebab wrap. These were so good. Honestly the bests wraps I may have had. They had the perfect amount of meat to veggies , sauce and outside wrapper. Super delicious can't wait to go again. read more

Love this restaurant. I am trilled that Petaluma has a Mediterranean restaurant. Nice clean low key interior. I felt like I was in Turkey! I had the lamb and beef wrap and it was huge. Also tried the baklava and Revani and I could tell it was made with love. The Cigarette Borek, Cheese appetizers, were decadent. A lot of food for a great price. Service was excellent. The Owner was very interesting and informative of his Turkish heritage. I felt like I was a guest in someone's home. My new favorite restaurant in town. read more

Real Doner - Turkish Near Me - Petaluma, California

I have always heard great things about this spot so I decided to order something to go and it was so delicious! Extremely fresh and huge portions. I got the chicken Doner plate (salad, pita, chicken, with some dips) and a side of falafel with hummus for about $21... a must. They do have a $20 card minimum, so keep that in mind. I haven't had much tahini in my life, so I am inexperienced when I say that theirs was slightly too bitter for me. Not sure if that's how it is supposed to taste. It didn't take away from the meal since it was on the side. The sauce I really enjoyed was some Greek yogurt spiced dip; it came with the meal. I look forward to trying something new next time. And bathing in the Greek sauce. read more

Real Doner - Chicken Doner plate with pita and a side of falafel and hummus. $21 ish total. - Turkish Near Me - Petaluma, California

My husband and I were in the area and came across The real Doner, we were highly impressed, the food was AMAZING!!! The owners are very friendly, made us feel at home.. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE REAL DONER TO EVERYONE!!! We LOVE IT. Can't wait to come back for more yummy Turkish food read more

The main memory of my experience here was having my order thwarted, repeatedly. We arrived toward the end of the day, and the story was that they are a small place that cooks stuff fresh each day and if they're out, they're out. I can respect that, but it was somewhat frustrating to have my top couple of choices vetoed and ending up on the same selection as several others at the table. Service was friendly, perhaps partially thanks to being in the company of a Turkish friend who spoke the language and charmed the proprietor. Even then, though, it often felt like we were waiting too long for attention in an otherwise-empty restaurant. The food ended up being...well, mediocre. Kinda dry and tasteless. I'm generally a fan of Kofta, but this time it felt mostly like hamburger on white rice. read more

Solid food here! My favorite thing about this place is the Falafel. They are really crunchy and come on top of the hummus with a side of tahini to dip them in the crunch is perfect! We generally get a wrap or a Doner plate. This time we went with the chicken Doner plate. It's enough food to split between two people with an appetizer to go with it for lunch. The pickled onion and sauces that come with it are great. Sometimes the chicken is a little dry but again the sauces make up for that. read more

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It tastes like shawerma but they call it doner...whatever the lamb & beef dish is called, it's downright scrumptious. * Lamb & beef doner platter ($10.95): the meat was freshly carved off the vertical spit into small pieces, seasoned just right and served with fabulous homemade fluffy flatbread (looks like the Afghan kind), rice pilaf, with a crunchy fresh salad of fresh tomato, carrots, red cabbage, lettuce, and feta, in a tangy dressing, enhanced with pickled onions, parsley, sumac and an addictive garlicky yogurt sauce - colorful, pretty and wonderful. The menu has Turkish doner (chicken or lamb & beef) or kebabs (adana, kofte, iskender) in wraps or plates, falafel, lahmacun, homemade pastries, homemade desserts, appetizers, yogurt drinks and daily specials (the special of the day was lamb chops). The setting is very casual, with Turkish music, an open kitchen, pastry counter, travel guides to Turkey, tapestries on the wall and the evil eye. Next time I'm getting the Iskender doner kebab - doner, homemade bread cubes, tomato sauce, yogurt sauce, butter - yum. read more

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Cigarette burek & falafel plate. Both red & white Turkish wine. Quite delicious and everyone was very nice!!! I'll be here at least once a week from now on read more

Real Doner - Cigarette burek - Turkish Near Me - Petaluma, California

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Get the meatballs! I absolutely love them. Menu s simple but great, wines are awesome and fun to sit outside after taking a stroll in a town is priceless. read more

Oh Yumness.... I really like this place. I've been to Turkey, and it's really hard to find anything like it over here, but Real Doner is pretty darn close. I've been here a bunch of times, but just revisited recently and I was pleasantly re-delighted. It's not much to look at, adorned with the watchful magic eye everywhere, but pretty bare inside, basic tables and chairs. They now have a little mini market inside as well with an interesting selection of french and Turkish specialties. When talking with the hostess, I mentioned that I was gluten free. She then talked with Chef Sedat about what gluten was, and hearing the commotion, the owner, Ozkan came out from the back. They chatted a bit in Turkish, and came to the conclusion that they indeed have gluten free rice, but the Tabuleh and the Falafels were not going to be good for me. I was delighted that we were on the same page, and ordered the chicken kebab platter, and my dining partner dad ordered the mixed grill type platter. They had a French red wine, so we ordered that too. The portions are HUGEMONGUS. Literally spilling over the plate. I'm not complaining! Mine was a huge portion of gluten free rice, ample huge chicken pieces on the skewer, a fresh crisp salad with some various veggies, and a kickass spicy yogurt dipit. My dad's serving portion was also more than full, and we both happily dug in. Once we hit a wall with our stomach contents, I asked for a to-go box. The owner came over, and gave me a box, which I filled and set back on our table. The owner then came over, and took my box! Astounded, I remarked to my dad that apparently tall blondes can't take leftovers for lunch at work tomorrow, and why didn't he take my dad's box instead (sadface)! The owner then returned with my box and told us to have a great day. Relieved to have my leftovers back I stood up, and grabbed my box, which was COMPLETELY REFILLED. The owner took my box and filled it up with more salad, more rice, and more goodies. Superb! I was so pleased :) Leftovers, reheated, still as good as fresh! Definitely making this one of my rotating favorites again! read more

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I like this place, but won't be going there anytime soon. It has been brought to attention that no employees are wearing masks as they prepare the food, saying it's too hot and masks don't make a difference anyway. Really? They would rather take a chance at getting people sick, because they are hot? We all are hot! CDC has guidelines set in place that other restaurants follow, why can't they? Nope! read more

This is a super cute family owned restaurant. The service was great. The owner was really nice and checked in on us several times. I ordered the chicken shish kabob plate which was very juicy. My mom and aunt got the chicken doner wrap which they loved (pretty big portion). It is a small place, but very cozy. The only thing that was just okay way the grape leaves. read more

Great food! Service, everyone is always in good mood!!! I would highly recommend! Great variety of dishes, appetizer plates are very taste!!!! Will keep coming back! read more

This was our first time here at this little hole in the wall place. The service was good and the workers were very pleasant and accommodating. The food was outstanding! I had the lamb kabobs which comes with a vegetable salad, exquisite rice, a bowl of warmed sliced pita bites and a sour cream based tasty sauce for dipping both meat and pitas. We also ordered the lamb and beef Donor combo plate (#23). Succulent thinly sliced beef and lamb, with vegetable salad and the rice! To top it off, Baklava which was delectable! Try this place, you will like it. read more

there are few places here in Petaluma for really good home style ethnically diverse food that is counter culture to the atypical new age American yuppie, and "authentic Mexican cuisine!" fortunately what you find here is a a gem for robust and delicate blend of flavorings. We ordered a lil bit of everything, from lamb & chicken kabobs, falafel, appetizer combo filled with hummus, bubba and tons of other yummy goodness's. plus not to forget Thea lil cigarette things of filo dough filled with feta cheese! Service was excellent and the Effes lager was fresh. piping hot Turkish coffee was as good as always. I will definitely be a returning customer. thank you! a very satisfied customer. read more

Real Doner - mom Turkish coffee! - Turkish Near Me - Petaluma, California

Total agreement with Chris F. - Petaluma- with the value judgement.. I was shocked that 2 salads and a kebab plate cost over $30. Now the food quality is okay. Clean flavors, fresh ingredients and competent cooking. But the dining room and patio seriously needs an artistic woman's touch to make this place more visually appealing. Yeah that and lose the crappy stereo that blares KZST radio at high volume inside and to the patio. This is one seriously ugly looking & sounding restaurant. The One stall, outdoor toilet was out of pooper paper on my visit. The owner steered me right for the food selections, told me what was good. And I don't think he was steering me to the high priced items out of greed. Conclusion: , If you are Turkish food curious and NOT fussy about eatery ambiance, come on down. But if you desire some class in your dining room, skip the real doner. The place can be a real downer. read more

This is our favorite place! The food is delicious. The chicken Doner wraps are always outstanding and imo a good value. Happy to see the owner is back and in good health read more

The food at this place was genuinely fresh and delicious. We had the cigarette boreal and the falafel plate. Cigarette boreal were true to its hype. They were a creamy, blue cheese, soft delicacy dish so easy to eat a few so quickly. This was over very fast. As for falafel plate, very crispy falafel bites with good amount of hummus and veggies on the side, overall a tingy flavour to the whole dish. I have had falafels and such food from a lot of places but this place serves the best that I had so far. Sad that this is 80 miles far from my place and I was visiting Petaluma that day. Extra points for waiting service. All waiters and crew were cool and accommodating on a Saturday evening. A place not to be missed and something which may make another Petaluma visit worthwhile read more

I must say I was impressed with this place, but then again, I wasn't exactly expecting to be disappointed. I had the falafel wrap and the ingredients were fresh and delicious, but what struck me most was the wrap itself - the bread was fresh and floury and toasted just right. The hummus appetizer was good and again, the bread served with it was awesome. I also tried the Ayran but it was admittedly too salty for my taste. Next time, I'm pretty stoked on trying the spanakopita (one of my all-time favourite pastry snacks). My only lament is that I can only eat maybe 1/3 of the items on the menu since I'm vegetarian, so I can't rate this place on their meat selections. I also wouldn't recommend that vegans seeking a Turkish experience dine here because there are so few options that don't contain animal products. What I think is the biggest sell isn't anything on the menu, but the people who own the business and work here. They are some of the friendliest, most genuine and accommodating restaurant owners I have encountered; whether this is indicative of Turkish culture or this family just happens to be unique, I'm not sure, but you will definitely feel welcomed here. read more

After the Butter & Egg Festival we headed to Real Doner since I've read good things about it. It's a Turkish/Mediterranean place. We ordered a bunch of stuff: lamb & beef doner $6.50 - I thought it was just ok. Some meat, red pickled cabbage, wrapped in a long lavash. Lamb shish kebab $7.50 - hubby got it and was disappointed. He said there was no meat, then saw just a little bit and dry. He was angry about it actually. baba ganouj $4.95 - just creamy, but not very smoky eggplant that I'm used to from other places. Didn't even look like eggplant. Some homemade bread given on the side. kazandibi - $3.95 - a white, creamy custard dessert. It was ok. Credit cards taken. Bathroom outside on the Left of the front door, separate door. read more

After scoping out the Yelp photos, I opted for the #28: Adana Kebab plate. I'm a big fan of Middle Eastern rice because they usually add raisins, noodle-y bits, and other goodies; accordingly, Real Doner's rice had vegetable pieces including corn and I'm guessing a decent addition of butter which never hurts. I thought I would not finish the two long strips of lamb meat that came on top of the rice, but I couldn't stop slicing away at the juicy patties and before I knew it I had cleaned my plate. It helped that I could dip everything from veggies to bread in the tangy yogurt sauce accompaniment. Our table of eight also shared the appetizer combo which was a tad disappointing in that it came on a rather small plate so one literally only get a spoonful of each type of appetizer, but I suppose it's good if one is less familiar with the cuisine and is not sure if one will like everything. I was at first skeptical of the purple cabbage and yogurt mix but the funky bright goop turned out to be the perfect cool and refreshing complement to my highly seasoned lamb meat. Needless to say, I sampled everything before me and was satiated for 6-plus hours. The only downside is the relatively pricey-ness, especially for lunch, as the plates are ~$14 and the more simple wraps are still ~$10. I surmise that there is not that much Turkish food competition in the Petaluma area so Real Doner can afford to jack up the prices, but I would feel better about dining here if each entree item were $3 cheaper. read more

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You enter off the street into the patio and then into the restaurant. We were greeted right away and told to sit anywhere. Water and menu's showed up. It was 11:10 AM on a Tuesday and I think we were the first customers of the day. We both ordered iced tea and the $25 combination plate because we both wanted to try many different flavors. I have never had such bland tasteless food ever in a Kabob restaurant. I though for sure it would be as delicious as the Kabob place in Marin off of Francisco Blvd. in San Rafael. Boy was I wrong. I must have salted my food at least 5 times. With one exception, [the tiny burger patty], all the food tasted like it had been over-cooked yesterday and then re-heated when we ordered it. Both the chicken and beef kabobs were dry, well done and with out any flavor or juice. The 'doner' was close to jerky except with out any flavor. The salad dressing is not olive oil and lemon juice, in case you always expect that kind of dressing. This tastes like Thousand Island mixed with yogurt. The meat was so dry I poured the dressing on top to give it a little moisture. When you are done eating you walk up to the cashier to pay your bill. It was like $50.00 for the two of us and we left a cash tip on the table. A few customers were starting to arrive so it seems that a lot of people like this place. We decided to visit because of all the good reviews and we did read the 2 star review as well, which it turns out was the one that most accurately describes our experience here. My mouth watered the whole way over here thinking about the food, what a disappointment. read more

Very tasty , fresh, clean, friendly thanks you very much . Great place, great food and great people

We tried the chicken wrap and the falafel wrap. Both were too bland for us. There was not much of flavor as we have experienced in many other Mediterranean restaurants. Service was fast but the food definitely lacks quality and flavor. read more

Casual location, reasonable prices and BIG flavor. Want to know what to start with? The half hummus, half eggplant salad dish. Oh my... I used the last piece of bread to make sure there wasn't a molecule left of it that I had missed on that plate or I would have felt like I had missed out. Our entree was a mixture of lamb and beef shaved over a bed of rice and vegetables. The dipping sauce put the flavors of the meat over the top. If you are staying at the Metro hotel, this restaurant is one block over. Check it out! read more

I know it's crazy right now with the Covid-19 and all but just ordered two #16 which is the lamb and beef doner wraps and I asked for 2 extra yogurt sauce and he charged me $28. It says on the menu for one Doner wrap is $8.95? How the hell was it $28 for 2 orders? Also he charges the yogurt sauce for $1. Won't be coming back to this place. Horrible advertising!! Wanted to support local restaurants but this one is not one of them! Spend your money else where! read more

I've been there 2 times even i live in the south bay! Im the only vegeterian between my friends so here is the best option when you're closby! I never pass it :) Friendly owner and fresh+delicious turkish dishes that i've missed! I order apt.combo plate plus baklava(for sure) and tea and never regret it! Thank you guys! See you soon.. read more

First off, the food here is very good and the prices are reasonable however the service is terrible. We were in last night and it took us sitting there for 20 minutes before our order was taken. After dinner, we ordered 3 orders of the baklava. The were all serviced on one plate rather then 3. Furthermore, we had to eat our dessert amongst our dirty diner dishes as nobody came by to clean the table. Finally, waiting to pay we were told to pay at the register. They take your order at the table (eventually) and then you pay at the register. We will go back but if the service doesn't improve we will find someplace else read more

I really need to start typing out my reviews right after eating at an establishment..I've been visiting this place with my Honey for about a year now and its a place we go away very happy and pleasantly FULL! They bake bread on site and have the most delicious hummus I have ever had in a restaurant. One of us usually orders something new and the other picks off the plate..I have never been disappointed! My favorite by far is the lamb/beef platter, it comes with a salad and pilaf. The Olive Oil dressing is soooooo tasty! The owner and staff are always friendly which makes for a great all around experience. A quick tip: Select your drink in the fridge section before you order your meal. read more

Real Doner - Adana kebab.. The bread is soo delicious! - Turkish Near Me - Petaluma, California

Ummm.... Idk I was excited to try Turkish food for the first time. The hype made me a believer. Disappointed. Bland food. Everything is basically precooked ready to slap on the plate which is fine but for $14, I dont want half my plate as salad. I prefer the the rice and meat that I ordered. The sauce is not hummus is some concoction of mayo, sour cream n spices. I'm gonna assume this isnt how real Turkish food really is. read more