Good doner/gyros in MSP

[French Canadian]

On a trip to Germany, my son got hooked on Turkish doner. Is there anywhere in the MSP area that has good doner (or gyros, the Greek version)? Someone I know recommended Christos; is it worth a try?

[claremort]

gardens of salonika in northeast

[mplsmike]

Caspian bistro near the U has good doner and gyros. Kabobi in Eden Prairie also makes a good gyro (for cheap too)

[French Canadian]

Thanks for the recommendations. He goes to school at the U and we live in Eden Prairie, so those are both good options. The Istanbul Cafe sounds promising too. I have a friend who likes it there, I just didn't realize they have doner.

[AnneInMpls]

Doner is actually rather different from gyros - at least, what I've eaten in Turkey and Germany has been. Doner consists of thinly sliced meat (lamb and/or beef), which is layered with fat when it's assembled (before cooking). Gyros is usually ground and shaped.

Turkish restaurants are rare in MSP, and I'm not sure if any of them have "real" doner. But tell your son to try Istanbul Bistro in Wayzata and the Black Sea in St. Paul, then report back to us!

Anne

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Istanbul Bistro
15718 Wayzata Blvd, Wayzata, MN 55391

Black Sea Restaurant
737 Snelling Ave N, Saint Paul, MN 55104

[martinstp]

I agree with Anne that the gyros, even at Shish or Black Sea, are not really like the ubiquitous German doner--the bread, the meat, and the sauce are all very different. Both restaurants do serve nice gyro sandwiches, though, and are worth visiting on their own merits.

A better substitute might be a lamb or beef kebab sandwich. You will get the pleasing chewiness of the meat (missing in the pressed gyro) with a similar flavor profile (lemon, oregano, garlic).

[Uisge]

I had dinner at Black Sea last night. I can't speak to authenticity, but I ordered the doner and enjoyed it. Looked like slices of gyro meat. It was very tender and quite flavorful, expecially the more crispy bits. Yum. Thanks for the recommendation.

[St Paul Susie]

For a nice gyro I'd highly recommend Shish on Grand ave (west of the intersection of Grand and Snelling)

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Shish A Mediterranean Grill [DUPLICATE]
1668 Grand Ave, St Paul, MN