8687 Irvine Center Drive
Irvine, CA 92618
As the holiday season drifts from memory and the world returns to whatever normal is, I look for foods I may have neglected in the last part of the year. I usually crave Italian and Mexican restaurants near my home to counteract the bland traditional foods we eat during the holidays. With the hustle and bustle of this part of the year, I quickly grab meals to decompress from the stress that comes with extra hours at work, shopping for gifts and family commitments. The new year means more diversity in the foods I eat, which has brought me to The Kebab Shop in Irvine.
I have to admit that I just recently learned about The Kebab Shop. Yes, I need to catch up on the times. This San Dego based chain has been winning praise and awards for a while now. The Kebab Shop started in 2008 when Wally Sadat, his brother-in-law, and other family members bought a Mediterranean restaurant with little to no food industry experience. However, they were passionate about their doner kebabs and wanted to make them approachable to the people of San Diego.
Mission accomplished. They have since expanded to 31 storefronts, with locations in San Diego, Los Angeles County, Northern California, Austin, Texas, and four spots in Orange County, with another one planned for Seal Beach very soon. I have now visited this Irvine location twice, and even though it's 15 minutes from our place, I can see The Kebab Shop becoming a regular stop for us for a quick dinner.
Their menu is simple to navigate. They offer their kebabs in plates, wraps, or boxes. You pick your base and sides and go from there. They have carved chicken doner, carved beef-lamb doner, grilled chicken, grilled beef meatballs, and falafel to choose from. Sides include saffron rice, fries, hummus, and a trio of salads. Entrees hover right around the very affordable $14 mark. Let's see what we partook in on our two visits to The Kebab Shop.
Loaded fries are my jam, so I knew I'd be getting these Doner Fries ($12.50). These fast food style fries are topped with pickled red onion, garlic yogurt sauce, crumbled feta cheese, and your choice of doner meat. With a suggestion from the guy at the counter, I went with the carved chicken. These were strangely addictive, even though I'm not the biggest fan of feta, and I sometimes find chicken to be a bit bland. That is not the case at The Kebab Shop. The chicken was moist and seasoned well, while the feta and pickled onions added a bit of tang to each bite. The fries did get a bit limp near the end of this, but that's to be expected with loaded fries.
Not the most picturesque plating job, but I was pleased with this Carved Lamb-Beef Doner Plate ($15.50). The doner meat was shaved off the vertical spit and joined in the to-go container with my choice of two sides: falafel and hummus. The mixture of lamb and beef was nicely done. An excellent texture to it, and it was boosted flavorwise by adding the sauces that The Kebab Shop is famous for. My favorite was the Cilantro Jalapeno which possessed just a hint of spiciness. The Garlic Yogurt was on point flavorwise, but it would have been my favorite of the three if it was thicker. I was also a fan of the Fire Chili, which added just a tiny kick of spice. The hummus and pita tasted freshly made. I was not really into the falafel. They were too hard and bland. I'd probably swap them out for the saffron rice on my next visit.
Katie's selection was this Carved Chicken Wrap ($14.00 with the dollar upcharge for saffron rice and feta cheese). This wrap was filled with greens, tomato, cucumber, and garlic yogurt sauce. The size of this wrap really took us both by surprise. Unfortunately, it was very long and it was hard to get a good shot of the whole thing with my camera. Even though she was a little overwhelmed with the size of this wrap, Katie enjoyed the mixture of the chicken, rice, and garlic yogurt sauce. She'd definitely get this again.
On my second visit to The Kebab Shop, I got the Doner Fries ($12.50) with the carved lamb-beef instead of the chicken. This version was even better than the one from before. The beef and lamb stood out more than the chicken, and I used more of their sauces to achieve even greater satisfaction. The fries got a little soggy near the end, but that might be due to my 15-minute drive back home, taking my pictures, and finally getting down to eating. Again, I found these even more addictive than my previous version.
I had planned on having this Grilled Chicken Doner Plate ($15.75) for dinner, but I ate half of it for lunch and let Katie have the other half for dinner. We both enjoyed the chicken, which was grilled expertly and went well with the saffron rice and spicy hummus. The hummus had an excellent texture to it and really provided more spiciness than I was expecting. Nicely done.
The Kebab Shop really hit the spot after our hectic holiday season. I see this place becoming one of our usual spots when we are in the area and want a quick bite. Their food was freshly made and tasted great, and I enjoyed all the customization you could opt for. The Doner Fries are a must-get; for most people, they would be enough to fill you up. On my second visit, I used their website to order my food for pickup, and it was a seamless transaction. My food was waiting for me when I arrived, and I could feel the heat coming off the bag as I quickly made my way home to partake in it. I'm glad the holidays are over so I can get out and try more places that I have been putting off trying during the busy holiday season.
Out of five gray wolves (because the kebab originated in Tukey, and the national animal of that country is the gray wolf), five being best to zero being worst, The Kebab Shop gets 3 gray wolves.
For more information about The Kebab Shop, head to their website by clicking here: https://thekebabshop.com/
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