Best Donair in Halifax, NS?

[MrRamen]

I have family near Halifax and when ever i visit i either eat at King of Donair or Greco's. But i need to know what other peoples favorites are.

[burge]

Where is that place in Calgary the one on 8th st sw wasn't bad but there sauce wasn't the greatest

[existential_crisis]

So you've been to Big John's on 8 St. The only other place I can recommend trying is Below Deck Tavern on 8 Ave. This is more of a home-made, pub style donair, but I liked it. Get the pepperoni and cheese in it. Others insist a good donair is to be found at Jimmy's A&A but I've never been. I could have sworn there was a discussion on this on the Prairie Provinces board, but now I can't find it. Can't always trust Calgarians when they talk about donairs anyway ; )

[burge]

I am from the east so know my donair will try it wish there was a place will try them though I think i know where they are pizza delight has one like that called a super donair

[burge]

lebanese doniar or Turkish donair is the best greek donair is not that bad but need the real stuff

[CanadaGirl]

Donairs have neither pepperoni nor cheese. Sacrilege!!! :)

[existential_crisis]

Actually, cheese is pretty common. Blasphemy is when people put hot sauce or pickles on it. Lettuce is bad enough...

[CanadaGirl]

Beg to differ!! :). I have not seen donairs in Halifax where cheese was standard. Perhaps at one of the chains (eg Greco), but I don't buy donairs from them and so can't really say.

Lettuce?! that would be Sooooooooo wrong!

[existential_crisis]

I didn't say standard, I said common. Where do you get your donairs then? A quick menu search will reveal that cheese is an optional add-on at many donair restaurants in Halifax including King of Donair, Sicilian, Xtreme, Dimitris, Jessy's, Island Greek, Rush Hour, Uncle Bucks... just to name a few.

[CanadaGirl]

I like donairs from some of the places you've listed (KOD, Jessys, Sicilian), while I've not had many of the others an also like some spots not listed, such as Martha's.

Just because it can be added doesn't mean it's "right" in my mind! What can I say, I'm a purist :)

[existential_crisis]

I veer away from extreme purism, because if everyone felt that way, we wouldn't have donairs in the first place (they are a perversion of Turkish doners, after all).

I agree with you that a traditional donair is meat, sauce, tomato, onion, and Lebanese pita.

However, what are your thoughts on places that use a Greek pita instead of a Lebanese pita? What are your thoughts on places that use condensed milk instead of evaporated milk in the sauce, or places that whip the sauce? What about places that bake the meat as a loaf and forego the spit?

There will always be variation as people try to make the product better, or just more interesting. Uncle Buck's has a "Super Donair" with pepperoni and cheese.

To me, something is still within the brackets of authenticity if it can be found in more than a couple places around its city of origin. The fact that many restaurants offer cheese (or extra cheese, which implies that the original comes with cheese) demonstrates to me that cheese is an acceptable topping.

You could very well love cheese on your donairs, but you haven't tried it because you think that the original style is better. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't, but "authentic" doesn't always mean "better".

[CanadaGirl]

I like my donairs one way and one way only. I have tried them other ways (never said that I didn't), but they've never been "right". To me, the meat had to be cooked on a spit, the pita has to be Lebanese and the sauce needs to be evaporated milk. I wont judge or condemn someone for eating it differently, but it's not for me.

I am totally aware that a Halifax donair is authentic only as a Halifax donair and that it exists because someone decided to adapt an existing food. And, I'm not saying that foods should never be modified or that these modified or "less authentic" versions are necessarily inferior. I tried to indicate that this is a lot of personal through my use of "smileys" but I guess it didn't work. I hadn't even heard of Uncle Bucks until this thread, so I have no idea if I like their donairs. It says they are in Halifax/Dartmouth/Bedford, but i live in Bedford and have never seen it. Do tou know where it is? But, their website menu makes is pretty clear that a standard donair has neither cheese nor pepperoni. If it makes you happy, go for it. Heck, I'd even order it for you if we were dining together, but I don't consider it an improvement.

[HalifaxRetales]

Grilled pita
Meat from the spit ideally cut by hand
Onions
Tomatoes
And classic condensed milk sweet sauce

Anything else is blasphemous

[CanadaGirl]

:)

[existential_crisis]

lol for what it's worth I don't put cheese on my donairs, but it's certainly not blasphemous and I think I made a pretty good argument for that.

my goodness we east coasters are passionate about our donairs! If you only knew what a hard time I had living in Calgary with all those people telling me there was nothing special about a Halifax donair.

[burge]

It has to be the real donair meet I am living in Calgary and i have to take 3 back with me last time it was Alexanders cheese was an option The pizza place on Caledona road has good donairs in Dartmouth. iI's in the little strip mall.

[burge]

lots of places in Halifax add cheese as a option and it is amazingly good kind of like a donair pizza Try it you will like it

[CanadaGirl]

I have tried it. Don't like it :)

[chilibeanpaste]

When donairs first hit the streets in Halifax they had parsley on them. What ever happened to the parsley? When I have fresh parsley about I add it to the very infrequent donair. Really ups it a notch or two.

Had to have been at Tony's wayyyyyy back there?????

[HalifaxRetales]

I also wish the meat was lamb
the meat in Doners in the UK is tastier but not he same with out the sweet sauce

[chilibeanpaste]

Surpisingly I thought they were the pits in Berlin last year.

[existential_crisis]

There is a place in Calgary formally run by Newfies and they still put parsley on their donairs. I was wondering about that... I didn't think it was authentic!

[existential_crisis]

Yes! Let's revitalise this thread! Bash Toulany's is no longer in existence. KOD at Pizza Corner is gone. Chicken donairs DO exist in Calgary, but such a thing is blasphemous in my opinion.

So... moving on....

If I was to do a Halifax donair quest right now, I would incorporate:
Tony's Pizza
KOD
Venus Pizza
Island Greek
Alexandria's

Questions? Comments? Additions?

[burge]

I know I miss Toualany's was awesome too bad there are no real places to get donair in Calgary

[existential_crisis]

as far as Calgary goes, there is one place I like. Below Deck Tavern on Stephan Ave has a pub-style homemade donair that I quite like. But that's another story...

[burge]

i had one on 8th stmeet was good but the sauce sucked

[HalifaxRetales]

Venus is rebranded/rebranding to Mezza Kitchen but they have best IMO

[burge]

Well I am a donair eater have them in Dartmouth So the real opinion is Roberts in Dartmouth Toulany's I used to buy all the time at Sobeys to take home it was good too. Dino's is good on the westphal road there is a good donair place in the little strip mall Alexanders and my step mom says pizza town. My opnion Greco is not the real donair meat.

[maclock]

troutpoint and antennaman are on the money: Tony's is good food.

-----
Tony's Donair & Pizza
2390 Robie St, Halifax, NS B3K, CA

[antennaman]

Tony's Donair & Pizza....2390 Robie Street.

Excellent quality, fast service, reasonable prices. A small window counter for eating 'in' if you like.

Good stuff!!!

[yumreport]

True donair critics will agree with troutpoint - the very best can ONLY be savoured at the Island Greek Donair (now in Halifax, N.S.) A recipe that has been closely guarded for over 35 years and since been perfected by Terry. For a change try their Donair Pizza!! talk about sloppy drooly good!! If you haven't tried Island Greek Donair then it's hard to have an opinion.

[SpoilMe]

My vote is for Arena Pizza (downtown Dartmouth...if you take ferry, it's a two min walk). They make mean donairs, both meat and sauce are delish. Meat is flavourful and spicy, offset by chewy pita and the goodness of appropriately sweetened sauce. Mmm.

[mussel man]

It's funny, whenever I find a new favorite donair I can never remember where it came from.

I'll stick with King of Donair on Quinpool Road, they were the first.

[Calipoutine]

is there such a thing as a chicken donair?

[parleek]

I've never heard of such a thing around these parts, however ...

King of Donair (and probably some of the places listed in this thread other than Greco) would likely have chicken schwarma on the menu. The sauce used on the schwarma is not at all sweet like in a donair, but you could maybe ask them to make you a pita with the schwarma chicken and the donair sauce. Perhaps you would be uncovering a new delicacy.

[moira27]

A place called Uncle Buck's which has a few locations in Halifax Dartmouth (local Pizza chain) has what they call a zesty chicken pita. I think it is exactly what you are looking for. Grilled chicken wrapped in a fresh pita, onion, tomato and sweet donair sauce. They sell 1/4 lb and 1/2 lb options. The chicken is spiced and sliced in strips before they stuff it in the pita. So basically a white meat donair.

[harrymusgrave]

After I land at Halifax Airport, rent a car, but before the drive to Sydney to visit my family, I first drive into metro Halifax (which is the wrong way by 30 miles if your destination is Sydney) to get a donair at Bash Toulany's on Duffus Street. I also pick up a donair meat loaf and sauce there. I consider his the best, but it's more than ten years since I lived in Southend Halifax so things may have changed. KOD still tastes good, I used to also eat Venus and Tony's and they were fine also. I never liked Greco as much...

[coffeecup]

I agree ...Bash Toulanys is the best donair in the city .... if im halifax i always go there .... and its always great ...mmmmmmmmm. i have got to get there soon .

[troutpoint]

NOt sure if it's still there, but it was Tony's on the Common....