DÖNA in Essen

We ordered vegan dishes—which the shop explicitly advertises. The vegan doner meat was completely unseasoned and barely edible.

We were really disappointed given that the store claims to be “vegan”. Both the tofu and the kebab meat substitute were really bland and apparently not seasoned at all. The rest was also mediocre. Fries were forgotten on the plate and then brought afterwards without further comment when asked. The service was nice, but unfortunately the quality of the dishes without meat was really not good and they were quite expensive.

I ordered a vegan doner kebab there and was able to watch it being made. The flatbread was first placed on the contact grill, then a handful of unidentifiable pieces were thrown onto the grill, followed by a whole handful of seasoning, then steamed with water, and then seared. What this has to do with doner kebab remains a mystery. The flatbread was now only a few millimeters thick and nicely crispy. The unidentifiable pieces, which were more the size of strips of meat, and a bit of salad were packed inside. An incredibly rich sauce completed the meal. The taste, smell, and feel in the mouth were almost limiting. So I could only eat half of this snack before I had to throw away the rest.

I really don't understand the bad reviews. We were served very nicely and the food came after less than 10 minutes. As you can see in the picture, the kebab is made with love and that's exactly how it tastes. One of the best kebabs I've had so far (coming from Munich). Don't be fooled by the bad reviews and try it. Absolute recommendation, keep it up👍🏼👍🏼

To explain: Certain points are of course subjective. But some points here, in my opinion, should be viewed objectively. Things like burnt "meat" or salad that has brown spots, etc. Please don't criticize employees personally, but rather structurally. I was there on a Sunday afternoon. The shop itself was empty. A Lieferando driver was waiting for an order while I ordered a "vegan kebab". Apparently a new employee was also trained. More on that later. I waited about 20 minutes and the Lieferando order was processed first. But I had the impression that I had been forgotten (Have you already ordered?) As a result, I got a very expensive kebab bag that was almost "inedible". The bread is good, but the rest was absolutely lacking: - "Meat substitute" was not crispy, but burned in places. - Said meat substitute was uneven and way too thick. cut. We're talking about pieces that are sometimes as thick as a thumb. As a result, the inside often feels “raw” and has a rubbery mouthfeel. - Salad consisted of a few pieces of tomato and some "rosso", which has also seen better days. Already slightly brown on the edge and definitely not fresh. - The kebab was drowned in sauce, which was shockingly tasteless. - I then paid almost €10 for it. The kebab was simply very poor in terms of craftsmanship, if we ignore the bread. The "meat" was not well cut and was burnt. The salad was not fresh and the ingredients specified were missing (green lettuce, onions, cucumbers, red cabbage). There was way too much sauce put on the kebab. This is supposed to be vegan garlic sauce, but it doesn't taste like anything. I decided not to ask for my money back because a new employee was "trained". The “training” is an absolute disgrace. Good and sensible questions from the employee to the “boss” were rudely rejected by the boss. The MA definitely had the good idea of ​​putting a normal amount of sauce on the kebab. But he was forced to put “more sauce” on the kebab. The boss was also totally unfriendly towards the MA. What was “positive” was that the store seemed clean and the MA in question was friendly towards me. But as I said, the food was pretty rude and almost inedible. I ended up throwing a lot of the kebab into the bin. The fish clearly stinks here and you have to make an effort to ruin a shop in this location.

The food is good, but the taste is something chef specific. They have a standard Döner menu, no customization on that. The menu has good items but the specific combinations are not the best to my taste. Overall worth a visit.

The employees must be trained more because they have no experience.

I do not recommend it, you should pay more attention

That was so bad, I’ll never come back again 👍

He used to be good so when the boss was there everything goes great but as soon as he leaves these employees work with disgusting conditions I get vegan kebabs and köfte Döna the employee with bard without gloves makes these balls I say hey please do it with gloves on but he says to me it's clean then clean your hands after I say so keep going I say I want you to prepare it with gloves on he used to be still dressed now he doesn't care acts like he doesn't understand because I'm standing there for 20 minutes until it's my turn I come from the catering industry myself, I look at the hands that are preparing my food and I see what he's touching, he's wiping leftover food on the floor with his hands, then moving from one thing to another, he's touching a lot of different tools and then the koffta makes balls. I'm not an inspector, but next time I'll take a photo of the employee and his hands. If he doesn't use gloves again in the evening from 6 p.m. until the end of the workday. Info to the boss, please put up the hygiene regulations and say that they should use gloves. The store is actually good if the service of those who prepare the food would be better. The conditions are very nice. . The taste and quality of the food was much better when the boss was still there and watching

Very tasty and good selection of vegan dishes. Friendly staff

Very below average kebab, just a standard rotisserie. Food was cold, service was friendly. Just under €18 for a kebab plate with a drink is tough. We were very disappointed and sad. Very sad.

Very nice location, lovingly and comfortably designed. Doner kebab a little fancier! Very child-friendly and very, very tasty food, varied offerings. We were very satisfied.

Very tasty food there, very nice staff. class.

It's been a long time since I've enjoyed such a delicious and fresh kebab plate. Very large portion with very crispy meat. The employees also seemed to get along well. I would love to come back. I don't understand some of the criticism here.

Tipitop! ⚜️ Food excellent. Service very warm. Absolute recommendation! Döna - everything else is kebab 🌮

Cutlery not clean, ordered two dishes. The first was completely finished, the second was not yet finished. The first dish (One and Only Döner) was simply left standing so that it got cold and then served at some point (after forever fiddling with the cell phone). The second dish didn't come and when we asked, they said that the chef couldn't find the sauce. Only after a complaint was the first dish remade and then served together with the second dish. All in all, it seemed as if private conversations and cell phones were more important than customers.

One of the worst kebab stalls ever. Waited 30 minutes for a kebab with fries and got a pile of kebab porridge. No salad, just a completely loveless sauce on top and everything, really everything, completely soggy…. Never ever!!!!

Good, nice service, but no beer, please change

Never before have we experienced such great service - everyone is incredibly nice, friendly and loving. The food was great and was ready at the table after just a few minutes

+ friendly & fast employees + chic, cozy restaurant (especially for a quick snack) + vegan kebab + large menu with many kebab variations + fresh ingredients + good value for money + clean toilet - Unfortunately the food was lukewarm

⭐☆☆☆☆ I used to be a big fan of this shop, especially because of the delicious vegan kebab. Unfortunately, over the last few months I have been disappointed to see that hygiene has deteriorated significantly. Employees often work without gloves. During the last visit, a bearded employee who has been working there for about 10 months refused to wear gloves when I asked. Instead, he claimed his hands were clean because he sprayed them with a blue liquid that was apparently intended for surfaces. This liquid smelled like toilet cleaner, and the taste of it was also noticeable in the kebab - absolutely unpleasant! This discussion about gloves with the same employee over and over again. I'll give the store another chance in a few weeks. However, if I see people working without gloves again and continuing to use this blue liquid, I will not improve my rating. I ask employees to wear gloves and not touch the flatbread with hands that have been sprayed with this liquid. Thank you! I would be willing to give 5 stars if my 2 wishes would be fulfilled in the future Wear gloves when preparing and don't use blue spray liquid before preparing, thank you very much that changes the taste.

In Essen, to be honest, it's a very, very, very cool shop

Great design of the shop. Seems more like a stylish restaurant than a kebab shop. The food simply tastes good, no matter what you order, everything is fresh, good portions, good quality of meat. Nice staff.

Everything was great, only the argument between the employees was a bit strange¿¿

The Dürum I ate was very tasty. Also, my friend who I was eating there with thought the waitress was cute. Ambience only gets 4 stars because two employees had an argument there, but that was resolved immediately and so it wasn't a big deal.

I have been a regular customer at Döna for a long time and have always been thrilled - both by the food and the beautiful, elegant ambience of the restaurant. Unfortunately, there were some issues during my last visit with my family that I would like to address constructively. Communication with the waitress was difficult. The drink menu said elderflower as a flavor, but according to the waitress it wasn't available - so why is it offered? My sister ordered the Turkish lentil soup (Mercimek Çorbası) as a starter and the “Vegeiler One & Only” as the main course, but only got the soup after the main course. My father wanted to order veal, but at 5:45 p.m. he was told it was out. However, as we were leaving the restaurant we saw a veal skewer - it was very irritating. In addition, the salad was partly brown, which should have been noticed when serving, and the waiting time for the food was unusually long. I had great expectations that evening because I introduced Döna to my family. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to convince them 100%, which left me very disappointed. Another wish of mine would be to include vegan desserts in the offering. This would round off the already great concept and bring additional joy to many guests. Despite these points, I appreciate Döna very much and hope that the usual quality and service will return soon. I remain a loyal guest and look forward to my next visit.

Possibly the most miserable kebab in the world. The employee hardly put in any meat at all.

The food is ok but expensive and you can forget friendliness here

Super nice restaurant, the portions are very large and have a good price-performance ratio. Good location and very easy to reach, lots of parking options.

Unfortunately the food is disgusting. And the prices are outrageously high. A pure disappointment

Delicious food (Iskender plate), nice and fast service. The ambience is good, it is clean, the staff is friendly. In short: highly recommended, try it out!

Had cartilage in the kebab. NEVER AGAIN❗️

Never before have I experienced so many different and incredibly delicious vegetarian and vegan versions of the cult dish at a kebab restaurant anywhere in the world! Absolute favorite kebab 🥙👑

30min waiting time for a(!) simple dish! Only 1 other table occupied, the rest of the shop is empty. It doesn't work at all.

Unfortunately, my kebab, which cost almost €10, did not live up to my expectations. The meat was extremely dry and the overall package tasted anything but fresh. In addition to the kebab, I also purchased a 0.2 Fritzlimo for €3.20, which in my opinion is a completely exorbitant price. Nevertheless, it can be noted that I was served by friendly and competent staff.

I come from Frankfurt and don't know a single kebab that comes close to this quality. Bomb!

Price performance ratio is okay. A kebab costs a little more money, but it was of very good quality. We ordered the vegan version and it was one of the best we've ever eaten.

Very nice shop. One of the most beautiful I've ever been to. My vegetarian kebab could have used more anger.

Unfortunately my regular snack bar, Greek, in Rellinghausen was closed, so I made an exception for more than twelve years and bought kebab. 15 € for a kebab plate that is 1 million km away from the kebab that I know from the seventies and eighties, everything is chopped up and very, very airy. Which means little mass was great and the mayonnaise was not given in separate bowls on the plate so you save a total of fries once and never again and no more kebabs in the future. Cevapi and gyros taste 100,000 times better.

Everything was very good, regardless of whether it was the service, the atmosphere or the food itself. The staff was extremely friendly, the atmosphere was pleasant and the food was beautifully prepared and tasted very good. The portions were absolutely reasonable for the price. I have found my favorite Döna.

We waited more than one hour... For a kebab... It was expensive, there was no fries with the kebab, additional fries were 4,50 euros, they refused to give us free water and the water was... 7 euros !! After one hour they came to told us that one of the meal we ordered was out of stock. So, after all, we asked for a little discount, regarding the service conditions and they refused. Bad experience, totally unprofessional.

The food was quite good, the meat was definitely good. The ambience is okay, nothing extraordinary and nothing bad either However, we had to wait almost 1 hour for food and the orders were mixed up. The staff was nice

A lot at a good price, but I'm subtracting a star because we had to wait a long time. They have huge salads which I recommend!

The food is good quality, but the organizational problems outweigh the problems. As a group of 7, we waited over 50 minutes for food. The order was only prepared when we asked, so it's obvious that we were forgotten. The last dish came after an hour and 10 minutes. Meanwhile we were able to watch all the other tables being served. When paying, the cashier was unable to use the EC Cash device to give the customer a copy of the receipt. In summary, the food was quite good, but the mood afterwards was in the basement.

On-site service at the table! Waited almost an hour for food 7 Dish! Here food was mixed up or the wrong ones were brought to eat One meal came 20 minutes apart from the others The food tasted good, the fries were only lukewarm and the meat was great All in all only three stars If you see the price performance level!

We were totally positively surprised when we were there spontaneously today. Several vegan variants and all of them were very tasty 😋 will definitely come back

Worst and slowest place in Essen. We waited over 1 h for the food. Other visitors left before getting the food.

DÖNA is our favorite doner kebab restaurant in Essen! Here you get top quality kebab meat and a nice ambience. Plus the Döna of the month, such as the WiesnDöna now at Oktoberfest. DÖNA is not a run-of-the-mill kebab shop, but here you get something really good for your money. My favorite is the Cilli Milli plate, as you can see in the photo.

I recently visited DÖNA, but unfortunately my visit didn't quite meet my expectations. The food arrived cold and unfortunately I wasn't impressed with the taste. I also felt the price was a bit too high in relation to the quality. Another problem was that the waiter didn't know exactly what types of meat he was offering, which caused confusion. What was particularly disappointing was the rude treatment at the end of the visit, when my “bye” wasn’t even politely returned. However, I would like to highlight the location positively - the store is beautifully designed, warm and visually very appealing. Unfortunately, overall it seemed more like “more appearance than reality”. There is definitely potential, especially if the service and quality of the food improve.

Very tasty food, top service and nice atmosphere.

The food quality is quite good and tasty. suggestion!!

The location: nice, the service: nice, the side dishes: very fresh and tasty, the main ingredient: meat: cheap. All in all . High price for a lot of ChiChi

I can't recommend it. Very unfriendly staff. The food doesn't taste good.

Really delicious, especially the offers for vegans, never eaten such a delicious veggie kebab, prices totally OK, nice decor, tipitoppi!

Very nice. Delicious food and nice staff. Waitress with apron and pigtails was particularly nice. Always happy again 😊

Doesn't taste good and is too expensive Waiting time: +30 minutes

The biggest mistake is entering a restaurant based on the pictures and menu But unfortunately the experience will not be repeated

With a clear conscience, I can recommend this restaurant to everyone. The kebab creations are unusual and the plate dishes are very tasty. The store is always clean.

Super delicious food, lots of vegan options. The employees were all very nice and accommodating, the food came quickly and tasted delicious. We like to come back again and again.

This was our second time there and we probably won't come back again. The plates have 5% meat content, otherwise only salad and fries, and the food is cold. Unfortunately, the vegan kebab chunks are hard and absolutely tasteless. In addition, it doesn't exactly speak well for the store if the employees help themselves to the fries from the container, where the customers' fresh fries are then tipped on and handed out to them. It's a real shame because the idea of ​​the dishes really had potential. But implementation is 0

Little meat, vegan complete disaster, with meat completely ok

Very nice service and nice restaurant. The food was also very good.

Really delicious kebabs I ate basic kebab + chicken. Two people ate one. It was plentiful and delicious. The staff was very friendly and nice.

Today we ordered a big final meal for our course before the vacation. I had a Döna salad. Plus a lemon olive oil dressing. It was really incredibly delicious. The ratio of meat to salad was perfect and the dressing wasn't too overpowering. My colleagues also rave about the Döna. (I love this pun) It's a little more expensive, yes. but very very good!

Vegan döner is just soggy soy strips with very litte flavor.

Very good. The service was very good. A blonde young man.

Sorry but the store is pure garbage. Was there for the first time and was completely disappointed. Doner kebab not tasty and overpriced. It tasted bad, had a stomach ache afterwards… And I had to wait over 30 minutes for that!!??? Waiting so long for a kebab is really disgusting. No thanks

This salad created an explosion of flavors in my mouth. I had a really hard time stopping for a few seconds to take the photo quickly. Thank you, I haven't eaten such a delicious salad in a long time🫰🏻🫰🏻 The salad is called: Meat Chicken Salad or something like that.

The perfect place for a delicious kebab. Food: excellent taste with fresh ingredients, large portion, the bread was to die for. Shop: comfortably furnished and super comfortable seating. Catering: particularly friendly customer service.

It's 28° and I'm eating a kebab with pomegranate. I can still tell my grandchildren about it

Cartilage in poultry. After complaining they just said I was sorry.

Best halloumi salad 🥗 I was in a hurry, it's a pity that I didn't have the opportunity to enjoy this place more. Tasty, vegan options (and also meat options). Quality products. I had a very rich salad, with the halloumi grilled in the moment. Was truly delicious! You can choose your sauce. The lemon and oil fits perfectly. Great location in a street full of restaurants. Quick service. €15 w/ salad + water.

Huge doner and tasty! Very friendly staff

Everything great. It tasted very good. Recommended

So if you don't try it, it's your own fault. I can only say one thing. We got 2 iskender kebabs with my husband earlier, a highlight that's simply bomb, you have to eat something like that...! In any case, we'll be back...! We ate the food at home so I can't say anything about the service but I give it 5 stars 👍

The Sucuk Doner (Doner of the Month) was A1

Great food, great location. Order in small batches as the single piece is filling [enough for 2 for meager eaters like me]

Best quality, really delicious. Only recommended. Top

Found the food bland and not tasty. Then it's better to have a falafel bag at a normal kebab shop than the vegan alternative at Döna. It was worth a try but I don't recommend it.

The vegan kebab tastes good, but the "meat" is not very well seasoned/marinated. But this is made up for by the delicious sauces, the crispy bread and the fresh salad. Prices are rather high (döner kebab €8.90 or more and small fries with ketchup over €5).

From start to finish, the experience was deeply disappointing and concerning. Firstly, the rice that accompanied our meal was severely overcooked, to the point of being almost inedible. However, the real issue was the chicken. It had a very old and nasty taste, which immediately raised red flags. Despite our initial visitis, we gave it a chance, but it was a decision we soon regretted. Shortly after leaving the restaurant, both my wife and I began experiencing severe stomach pain. Within a few hours, we were both vomiting. It was a horrible experience and made us seriously question the food safety practices at this establishment. Given this experience, I cannot recommend Döna to anyone. Food quality and safety are paramount, and this place failed miserably on both counts. Save yourself the trouble and dine elsewhere.

The kebab was delicious and unfortunately also more expensive. Where not? The service was good.

I was kicked out of this shop for no reason... I've eaten here a few times before, but something like this happened to me for the first time yesterday, May 20th, 2024... I spoke to the owner a few months ago about bulgur (rice) that was too tasty. He was nice and made me a new one and bought me a drink. And today he came in again, greeted me immediately and pointed out that a sink wall in the toilet had been demolished, for which he then thanked me and left the store until then everything was fine. But I never experienced what happened after that in my life. So... 15 minutes later the cellar lady comes and wants to collect without me asking her then another employee came and said boss said I should go now. I had been sitting for a long time, I explained to him why because I wanted to go to training straight away anyway and why does the boss say It's not personal to me, but he was here talking to me a few minutes ago...unintelligible... Where does it say how long you can stay in the restaurant, I didn't know there was a limit, if so you have to explain it in writing. I then paid my money and left the store disappointed and very sad because I couldn't understand the boss's reasoning... something like that doesn't work at all... I will not be entering this store again and I will not recommend it to anyone 🤦‍♂️🤨😔 The ambience is deceptive! Conclusion… Not recommended ! Are really disappointed! Never again.

Friendly service, unusual kebab combinations, lots of vegetarian options

Really cheeky to charge 14 euros for a kebab plate with 10 fries and some salad/meat! You get more for your money at other stores! I can therefore only recommend going somewhere else.

I ordered something to take away. The shop has a very nice atmosphere. The kebab is extremely tasty. With really fresh vegetables, the likes of which I've never had in a kebab and quite a lot. The meat is super juicy and has enough sauce until the end. Despite the long transport, the fries were still very tasty and perfect. ! Any time.

Very friendly staff and owner, furnishings are nice but drafty when the door is open and the narrow, elongated cut makes it more suitable for small groups of up to 4 people. Absolute recommendation from the bouncer Teller

Unfortunately the rating has dropped from 4 to 3 stars. Meat and bread really good..Unfortunately not salad.Old poorly chosen.It wouldn't be so goodexl Sakat Rucvola pp hidden under the other things Very nice young man in service unfortunately didn't keep the RAUSCH free after we ate..So not a professional But it can still come. Ambiance is excellent. Hopefully it will be like it was 2 years ago then there will be another star

Had a metal thread in the Dürüm, but got a fresh one straight away. Otherwise the taste was ok but not outstanding

Pretty fancy, but unfortunately I didn't like my kebab

Super tasty variety and doner kebabs with a difference if you want. Great modern atmosphere, super friendly staff. A visit is always worthwhile. We will come back

We ordered two kebabs and a small fries. Unfortunately a kebab came very cold and the fries came very late. After I spoke to the waitress about the cold kebab, she warmed it up for me. The kebab was only warm on the outside. In addition, the paper that was wrapped around the kebab stuck to the yufka. Very unfortunate...

Best kebab in Essen Lots of meat inside, good sauces and the salad is really something different. This is exactly how a kebab should taste, it's not cheap, but you get exactly what you need, juicy, lots of sauce and there's no shortage of cheese

I really like the store and so does my wife. We like to eat the Pommegrante here, a kebab either classic or as Yufka with pomegranate and other delicacies. Price is completely ok because the quality is right here. I will gladly come again ;)

The best “Döna Tella” I have ever eaten! Fresh ingredients and you notice the quality, so you're happy to pay a little more! Delivery via Uber Eats was also really easy and hassle-free. Any time!

Is not recommended. Meat was very dry and black. The waiter with the beard was very unfriendly.

We actually just wanted to go for some fries. We waited forever, it didn't taste good at all and was overpriced at €8 per fries and €3.50 per water!!! The sesame sauce was spoiled!

Not sure what it was, but it was incredible!

What good is the best concept or best ambience if the food doesn't taste good?