Inevitable Essen for English teachers: Mustapha’s Gemüse Kebap

‘tiny’ queue at Mustapha’s, although I still waited over 20 minutes

Widely regarded as Berlin’s best kebab (and therefore a strong contender for world champion), Mustapha’s Gemüse Kebap is also by far the most popular. Frequent visitors to Kreuzberg’s Mehringdamm district will inevitably notice the day-and-night queue of hungry punters, with waiting times of an hour or more common.

Mustapha’s popularity comes down to the simple combination of great kebabs, friendly service and very reasonable prices. This unpretentious kebabie has also stayed true to its roots and apart from a snazzy website, avoids the t-shirts, mugs, bumper stickers and other tacky souvenirs that are common amongst successful eating houses – vital for scoring points with Berlin’s vast hipster community.

Sticking to what they do best, the menu is deliberately limited – giving you a choice between chicken, vegetable or dürüm kebab as well as chips and salad. The chicken döner is undeniably excellent, boasting delicious, freshly cut chicken, cooked carrots, potato and other veg, fresh salad and spicy, garlic or yoghurt sauce, all inside a warm, crispy pitta bread and topped off with feta cheese.

Tasty kebab!

The size is certainly sufficient for the average appetite and easy on the wallet. A chicken döner is available for a recently hiked price of €3.20 (used to be €2.90) and whilst this represents the higher end of Berlin’s kebab market, it compares favourably with other lunchtime options – many bakeries charge a similar amount for a filled baguette that will leave you half as satisfied.

With no shortage of customers, the queue is the main problem with a meal here. The continuing success of Mustapha’s has led to many copycat operations springing up around the city such as NUR Gemüse Kebap in Hermannstraße and Food Point in the Moabit are of the city, providing much the same product without the ridiculous waiting times. Whilst tourists, occasional kebabers and those with time on their hands will be happy to tackle Mustapha’s queue, those on any kind of schedule will want to seek their Turkish snack elsewhere.

Taste 5/5 Convenience 1/5 Value 4/5

Mustafa’s Gemüse Kebap
Mehringdamm 32
10961 Berlin