Döner Shack

I’m a curious cat. I like to try everything at least once and I always win at those truth or dare games, although I’d avoid playing those creepy games with random… Oh nvm.
Whatever you decide… Do not read the updated review from 7÷12÷15. Unless you’re a glutton for punishment or into chocolate and the like. No worries… written by a friend, so no harm done, but damn I had to think twice before coming to this place. Yea, but you know me. I still had to try. Heck, just risk a visit to the ER if need be…
DÖNER SHACK!
Ok, back to the review. Where the heck can you find decent Mediterranean or Middle Eastern food in Honolulu? Um like where? Like maybe a handful of places & some not legitimate, like Chinese in the kitchen or something, but no harm if it tastes good, right? There’s a few Greek places I know of with the owners actually Greek, I think. My usual Mediterranean spot is Da Spot with Jamaican music overhead. Confused? Me too. So…
I head down here because I’m a Roman Catholic boy that just survived fasting for like a month, ok I lied, like a under a week, but I tried for the sake of lent & Jesus, who btw is the coolest guy out there, who ironically was a Jew, but sure brought us Christians to the manger… So I’m starving and want something good. Maybe a religious experience, but all that matters now is that it tastes good. So…
I enter this place on a somewhat less traveled alleyway. Has a funny name, Döner Shack, like the first time I heard it was no way am I donating any… So… I enter and am somewhat disappointed with the lack of ambiance. Yet, at least the menu is straight forward. Like maybe a choice of 5 different items. I decide to go big boy and order a Döner rice plate, which includes Hawaiian drinks, and American potato chips… Awesome. I order the lamb & chicken combo with that secret sauce they place on it. It’s on a bed of rice & yes the tossed salad is somewhere in there. So…
After maybe 45 seconds my plate is ready, dang Chinese must be in that kitchen, but hey, as long as it tastes good, right? Heavy in weight I carry it to a spot in downtown Honolulu. I open my container and know right away I’ll gain a pound, not English pound either, I mean Hawaiian pound! I dig in. Mmm. Tasty. Like I’m in the Mediterranean or something, but really a pigeon is staring at me as I eat my meal. I liked my choice of lamb & chicken & that secret sauce really hit the spot! Oh baby! Whatever it is. So…
DÖNER SHACK!
Yup, I’d recommend this place if you’re jonesing for legit Mediterranean food or Middle Eastern, whatevs. It tasted good. And fortunately I didn’t have a three-​day bathroom experience like my friend did. Geez. I’ll return. *winks*

finally got the chance to get the chicken plate 7.50 $ and lamb/​beef plate 7.50 $.they come with salad and rice .
it was a lot of food for that price and it was delicious.
finally they are open on saturday for lunch.

My absolute favorite hole in the wall. Kebab and schwarma is fresh and tasty. They offer salad, sandwich and wraps, simple yet perfect. My only complaint is they only accept cash.

Yummy yummy yum. Mediterranean for lunch.
This place is busy, but long lines usually mean good food. This place did not disappoint. Numerous options for getting you mediterranean food fix. I opted for a rice plate with chicken shawarma. The sauce was delicious and the portion was HUGE — enough for dinner. The prices aren’t bad either.
Want to avoid the line — they take call in orders. Noted for next time. I’ll be ordering the Downtown Doner which is tortilla, meat, hummus, cheese & veggies.

Loved the food. Cheapest outing I’ve had so far. Love Mediterranean food. It’s my favorite. I’m addicted to bread. Other reviews were negative about the bread, mine was perfect. I loved my Döner sandwich.

This is a great place to get some good Mediterranean food for cheap but it’s not a real Doner Kebap place if you’re used to the awesomeness in Germany. I would stay away from the Chicken (bland) and get the lamb simply because it’s way more delicious, and a better use of your stomach acids. I will be back… But I’m still holding out for a true Doner Kebap to show up in Hawaii :)

This place rocks! From the wraps to the sandwiches and the rice plates the choice is yours. lamb and chicken combo is always delicious. hot sauce gives it that punch. Take-​out or dine in. fast service

Update
I have been back to the Döner Shack a few times since my last incident (read previous review) so it is only fair that I update my review. I have had no issues since then. The flavor is just right. Price is right. Come by and check this place out.

These sandwiches are authentic to the Turkish/​Mediterranean kebabs that I once bought in Europe. They have excellent lamb and bread for Hawaii standards. They provide fresh veggies and various options. It is quite complex to order, though, because the menu is written on a board in chalk. The ventilation is poor as well. It gets smoky and busy at lunch hour. Reasonably priced.
The taste is probably the best kebab style sandwich in Hawaii. This guy started the place and works there daily. He knows what he is doing but he has a long way to go. For one, there are no fries. I never heard of a kebab place without fries.
Great opportunity for growth here. Must try.

Not bad… 3.5 stars. this place is a hole in the wall, serving up reasonable tasty treats. Went with my friend who is a middle eastern foodie. She was craving chicken schwarma. I’ve never had… I normally stick to lamb and gyros. She wanted to try this place… and I was happy to accompany her on her adventure for food she was homesick for.
The address on Unilocal is wrong. Address is 1139 Bethel St. Now that that’s out of the way… we found it… yay! As we entered, it smelled delicious, but the tiny place was so hot! Definitely taking it to go. We both ordered the Doner rice plate — $ 7.50. Choice of meat, rice, veggies, yogurt garlic sauce, hot sauce, etc. She got her plate with chicken schwarma, romaine only, & yogurt garlic sauce. For $ 2 add-​on, she got a pita and super tiny container of hummus (which was fine for her as she just wanted to sample it). I got my plate with mix meat (chicken and lamb), all the veggies, & yogurt and hot sauce.
She did not care for it. She found the chicken to be really pale (she was used to her chicken being darker from carmelization, cooking longer, & more spices). I didn’t care for the chicken either… but the lamb was tasty & delish! I really liked the salad. It was like the Greek food I’m used to… just with a twist. The yogurt sauce is more garlicky & thinner than tzatziki.
Would I go again, maybe… if I’m in the area.

I feel like I’m in the minority of people who aren’t blown away by this place, sorry.
I lived in Arizona for about 15 years and there’s a large middle eastern community there and I had the real thing!
I used to eat this kind of food all of the time, I missed it and I had high hopes of satisfying that craving. No luck!
The meat was a bit salty and the sandwich was made with a stale bun.
I recommend the rice plate or the wrap.
If you’re used to the real thing then you won’t be impressed by this place. If you’ve never experienced real middle eastern food then you’ll probably enjoy a break from the typical local plate lunch.
The best thing about this place was the smell of the meat when you first walk in. Sorry but I don’t think that I’ll be back anytime soon.

I’ve been craving halal food lately, and this was one of the only places in hawaii that popped up for that search. I spent 2 years living in philly and went to nyc often and LOVE the halal food that you can get from the carts. Hoping this place tasted like them, I visited them for lunch today.
I got the mixed doner plate (with just lamb), and an extra side of the yogurt sauce. In total, it came out to $ 7.75.
When I got to my office I dug in! The portions were pretty generous, and the pieces of lamb looked good. The lamb was actually really soft, flavorful and tender, and the rice was nice and fluffy. The yogurt sauce (which tastes really garlicky) and the hot sauce was pretty good, but the salad tasted wilted.
In all, I enjoyed my lunch, and when I’m craving halal food, I’ll go here. However, it still doesn’t compare to the halal food in nyc and philly haha
Oh yea, and CASH ONLY

Mixed doner w/​rice. $ 7.5 of deliciousness. Had the sandwich before but definitely a much bigger fan of the rice.
They poured yogurt sauce over the mixed meat and rice like it was gravy. Soo good. I know l I’m gonna have cravings for this. Will be back soon.

I first tried a döner while visiting my friend in Germany. Similar to a Greek gyro (lamb, beef, chicken. or mixed, yogurt sauce, feta, and Greek olives) this «gyro» is wrapped in a tortilla instead of pita bread but still so delish.
The first time I came here, it was crazy busy around noon but luckily got a table for two in their small eating area. It’s a little stuffy from lack of air conditioning, body heat and heat from the kitchen but tolerable. I ordered the «downtown döner» in 10″ and was shocked at just how big it was. Stuffed with lamb, feta, hummus, lettuce, veggies, and yogurt sauce, wrapped in a warm tortilla was so big and wide, I practically had to eat it off the table! Instead of picking it up and bringing it to my hungry face, I dove in. MOUTH first! I couldn’t finish it, and decided it was too difficult to take home, reheat only certain parts of it, attempt to wrap it back up and eat it for another meal, so I tossed the rest.
This time, I came around 11. No crowd, all the tables were open and coincidentally my friend who had originally introduced me to döner sandwich in Germany was with me. I ordered the $ 5 «shack salad» which came with lettuce, onions, feta, Greek olives, drizzle of yogurt sauce and side of vinaigrette dressing. I added lamb for $ 2.50, 1 pita for $ 1.25 and a small container of hot sauce at no charge. It was sooo mouthwatering delicious, I can’t stop thinking about it! The vinaigrette dressing didn’t do anything for me so I was happy it was on the side. Next time I’m going to ask for more yogurt and hot sauce instead.
My friend had the «döner sandwich» with chicken. It came with lettuce, onions, and yogurt sauce. She said it was good but didn’t care too much for the bread. It seemed a little tough when she was eating it and according to her, was «too much bread» for the portion. I didn’t care, I was too busy enjoying my salad to even make conversation :)
Can’t wait ’til the next time!

Love this place! Love to order the lamb/​chicken salad here. If you love to eat healthy, you will def love it here as well! They only take cash. The only downfall but, it’s no biggie! Doners shack is where it’s at!

RAW CHICKEN!!! 2^nd time.
I tried to ask you for a second to discuss this privately. You want to blow me off about it. I’m never coming back. I’ve made so many referrals to this place. It’s delicious food but you’re reckless with your food handling, cross contamination and you’re rude. I’m done! If I get sick. I’m calling FDA.

Where can you get a quality meal for just $ 8?! Doner Shack has great meat and combination (beef/​lamb and chicken) salad! The meat is tasty and the dressing and hot sauce are awesome! Bring a friend to dive around the block while you grab the food because there’s no parking.

good and cheap! got the mixed lamb/​chicken doner sandwich, the bread is kind of like pita. comes with yogurt sauce, i asked them to add hot sauce and feta and it was amazing! the guys that work here are really nice. small menu but we also got the downtown doner that comes in a tortilla and it was really good.
cash only. street parking along nuuanu or bethel

The lamb is halal! You can take it or leave it (as the owner briskly told us upon being asked lol). Small joint with limited seating inside. I had the downtown doner wrap and it was delicious! A 12 inch tortilla with thin slivers of soft lamb, salad, hummus, feta and sauce. Warm and crispy… very satisfying. Red sauce on the side was a great spicy compliment. Husband had the lamb over rice and a salad. The rice was blah. Will be returning to pick up food again during our trip!

This place is the bomb! Hole in the wall place but great food at good price! They give you good portions too! The chicken rice plate is delicious and comes with rice and salad. It’s big enough for 2 people. I will definitely be back!

Great food, portions are massive for a reasonable price. Order the chicken rice plate ($ 7.50)

I don’t eat out often, so I did a Unilocal search for a good place to eat for lunch downtown. I saw the reviews of Doner Shack and thought I’d give it a whirl. Glad I did, too. Good food (have enough for lunch tomorrow, too), and good prices. I’ll be back!

They’re not pretending to be fancy and super authentic with their simple and straightforward menu: Doner meat in a wrap; in a wrap with more stuff; on rice; or on a salad, with add-​ons available. It’s affordable, it’s easy, and it’s tasty.
The doner meat is lamb, chicken, or mixed lamb and chicken, but I prefer the lamb because it’s soft and very well-​seasoned. It’s similar to Kan Zaman’s kebab but sliced thinner and a lot cheaper.
For a quick and easy to eat handheld lunch, the Downtown Doner is the way to go (meat, hummus, veggies, feta, sauce). So yeah, they’re using flour tortillas rather than pita, but I actually enjoy it with the tortilla because the the wraps aren’t as heavy as other gyros. The small Downtown Doner on a 10″ tortilla is only $ 6.75, quite filling, and makes for a satisfying lunch.
My usual at Doner Shack is definitely the Shack Salad (meat, veggies, feta, olives, sauce). It’s a no-​frills salad with meat drizzled with yogurt sauce on a bed of romaine lettuce. Skip the vinaigrette salad dressing that comes with the salad and drizzle their special hot sauce over.
As others have mentioned, service is friendly but not always the speediest. Cash only!

Love the beef-​lamb meat, it is seasoned perfectly. It is even more delicious when topped with their savory yogurt sauce. My favorites so far are the beef-​lamb either as a rice plate or a salad. Somehow I only ventured to eat here 3 weeks ago, but have been back at least once a week since then. With their great food at reasonable prices, I’ll be eating here regularly!

Oh my goodness!!!
This little hole in the wall place is amazing!!! My boyfriend brought me here. He used to go to school near this place. Idk what took him so long to bring me here.
Ok. I got the wrap. Loaded with veggies and lamb goodness. Everything about it was good. Seeing the size of this wrap, I was thinking I was in a food competition. THIS THING WAS HUGE!!! I accepted the challenge. Got through ¾ of it when I had to throw in the towel.
Now for being here my first time my boyfriend got the sandwich. I had to try it, of course. Basically the same thing I got but this bread is fantastic!!!
Getting the sandwich for sure next time.

Nice little hole-​in-​th-​wall lunch spot. I usually get the doner wrap with lamb, mini-​size which to me is plenty! And is only $ 6. Loaded up with lamb, veggies and some sauce it hits the spot. It’s simple and I like that!
The guys here are super nice and you don’t have to wait too long for your order. Place your order, cash only, and chill outside where there is a bit of a breeze.

Ordered a wrap with a mix of meats: chicken, lamb, and beef. It was as big as my head! After the first few bites I had to hold it in my right hand and feed my mouth with my left. It was too large and messy to bite into after the first few bites. Filled with fresh hot meat, crisp fresh greens, light sauce, and diced tomatoes and cucumbers, slivers of onion. They asked if I’d like some spicy sauce on the side. That spicy sauce made the meal for me!
Chew with caution, I discovered one chicken bone an inch and a half in length. I just placed it on a napkin and kept on munching.

Not exactly what I would call a doner. They use tortilla instead of pita bread. Portions look a bit small and they don’t accept credit cards.
Ambiance is fast food casual.
Service is friendly.

I was in the mood for Mediterranean food. The rain was coming down outside, and I needed to hurry up. Thankfully, I had this place bookmarked on Unilocal.Its easy to bypass this eatery if your not looking for it or paying attention. It’s located on fort street and bethel.

I walked in and noticed the place was very small with a few tables. It looked shabby, and the menu was written on black board up on the wall in the front. I knew I was in for a treat since my fellow Unilocalers have been raving about the food.

One of the two guys that was on duty took my order. He was very polite, and I told him that I would like the donor rice plate with chicken as my meat. My meal was literally ready in minutes. I couldn’t wait to eat it as he dressed a little hot sauce on top.

Well let’s just say it was really good. I wished there was some of that wonderful white yogurt sauce. If there was, I didn’t taste or see it. The rice was flavorful, chicken tender with great spices, and the salad was awesome. That hot sauce was pretty darn tasty and to my likening.;)
It is definitely a hole in the wall food joint that makes magic inside. Prices are extremely reasonable, food is fresh, and service is friendly. I’ll be back to try their donor downtown wrap!
CASH ONLY

I LOVE this place. My go to lunch spot. Every time I walk by this place it smells so good, so hard not to eat it.
TIP — CASH ONLY.
Why I love this place?
1) The sauces. The yogurt sauce is just so good. You’ll be asking them for more more more! I like things saucy so I definitely think they don’t put enough. The second sauce that you’ll just fall in love with is their hot sauce. I don’t know what’s in it but it definitely hits the spot. Very spicy but very good. For me, one is not enough
2) The meat. Gosh the meat is so good. Super tender and flavorful. Did I also say it smells good? I love watching them shave the meat and put it on the grill. On the grill, some piece gets crunchy and the mix of texture of soft and crunch is amazing and hits the spot.
3) I usually get a a rice place. It comes with salad and rice as well. For $ 7.50, you get a complete meal. They also give you A LOT of meat.
Improvements?
1) Like any establishments, there are things they can improve on. For instance, I find the rice inconsistent. Sometimes it will be hard, other times it will be soft and mushy. Sometimes the rice will be very yellow, other times, it will be a light yellow.
2) Portions. Sometimes there will be a lot of meat. Other times there will be much less. Not sure if this depends on how busy they are or if you show up during a busy time. I love it when I get a big portion of meat so I try to show up early before the lunch crowd.
3) They used to have a balsamic (i think) dressing. That was delicious and I loved it. However, they recently changed to an italian dressing that I feel is not special or amazing. It actually tastes like it came from a bottle.
Other tips:
1) The wait during peak lunch hour can be 20 – 30 minutes.
2) The establishment is small. They have about 6 tables that seat 2 people. If it is crowded, people wait outside for their food.
3) It’s stuffy inside and there isn’t great ventilation so sometimes waiting outside is a good idea.

I like this place. I really do but I have to keep it real Döner Shack. You need to ensure you cook that chicken thoroughly before you serve it to customers. You put me out of commission for three days. and three colleagues out for one.
I had Hershey squirts, mud butt, dookie boodie, butt nuggets, cheek chunks, rump lumps, colon cucumbers and butt baloney. I was basically sinking battle ships, blowing the butt trumpet, chocking a brownie out of my butt, dispensing some soft-​serve in Honolulu cause of you.
Real talk… I probably could have fertilized the island of Oahu; rolled some cigars and mailed them back to Cuba. I mean there was a point where I was peeing out of my butt. If poop were money I was making deposits at the bank every 15 minutes.
Please, please, please ensure you thoroughly use fresh ingredients and cook everything through. I know at times you are busy and feel rushed but when I come to your establishment I am not looking for a colon cleanse.
I will come back soon, I hope, if I could convince my anus.

REALLY A HOLE IN THE WALL PLACE .
it’s really small in here, and there is no ac .
the food is simple. bread + fresh salad + meat = delicious.
i tried the doner sandwich (6.75 $) and it was yummy !
will try the plate the next time.
cash only !

Meaty goodness!
This small restaurant really cranks out the food. I have been here during lunch a few times and there are always people in here. There are usually people waiting for their take out food, which is made to order.
I normally get take out as well, simply because the restaurant is really hot. I don’t think they have air conditioning inside, so even ordering makes me a little sweaty… but hey… food is an adventure… suck it up!
I have been here a few times, but I always end up getting the same thing… the Doner wrap. I usually get it with lamb and it is soooo tasty! It is a type of tortilla filled with ‘salad type fixins’ with lamb and sauce. I try not to compare it to mainland Greek/​Mediterranean food… like most ethnic food in the islands… it tastes quite different. But I will be back for more!

I hardly ever get downtown during lunch, but I finally got the chance to have lunch with Nicole K. in her neck of the woods. There are so many options for lunch downtown. Just waking down fort street mall, there are so many places I haven’t even heard of. I should really travel downtown more often.
Doner is a tiny establishment that gets pretty busy and hot during the lunch rush. I gotta give it to them though, for turning out the food quickly and keeping the line moving along.
I ordered the salad with beef/​lamb. For $ 7.50, it was a good deal – lots of meat and yummy sauces. It was definitely delicious and I will definitely be back. They have other offerings too. I found it a little weird that the wraps were all made with tortilla. I think it’d be more enticing if they were pita wraps, but I’ll have to come back and give it a try to be sure.