A Little Bit of Hamburg in the Heart of Leesburg
You know it was inevitable. First, England adopted curry as their national dish, and now it seems Turkish Döner became as German as strudel. Turks, who arrived in Germany as a supplemental work force after World War II, are now 3 million strong with 3rd and 4th generations having been born in the country.
Those of you who visited Germany may have seen Döner Houses at every street corner serving the Turkish version (the original) of gyro sandwiches. You now have a Loudoun County version in the heart of Leesburg, behind the government building and across from Market Station.
First thing you notice with this establishment is the silver colored Döner Kiosk outside that sits in the middle of a German biergarten. You order your food and beer(s) inside the adjacent building that seats up to 8 with re-used airplane seats (yes, you may still end up in the middle seat), with the outside biergarten providing supplemental seating. There are numerous German and Turkish beer selections including Warsteiner and the Turkish Efes, which is a great lager. From the menu, we tried Döner Sandwich, Döner Box and the Schnitzel.
Döner Sandwich is packed with generous portions of rotisserie beef, lettuce, onions and is topped with a yogurt sauce called cacik (tzatziki). Cacik yogurt sauce is mixed with crushed cucumbers and garlic - so go easy if you’re going out among the public afterwards. Döner Box is definitely a great concept that marries Chinese “to go” boxes with Döner fare and French fries topped with cacik. We loved the taste of both of these dishes, and the bread used for the sandwich reminded us of Istanbul. We were told that Tuesday through Thursday you can have the same Döner dishes made with chicken, as a healthier alternative. Our kids literally gobbled up the schnitzel and French fries. Our 7 year old son actually asked for seconds of the schnitzel dish - quite the minor miracle. The menu also features currywurst, which includes slices of beef topped with warm curry ketchup and German bratwurst (the “Grand Daddy of the hotdog”). If you are in Leesburg shopping or just strolling, make the quick trek to Hamburg Döner for an experience you will not soon forget.
In our smaller world, who cares who cooks whose national dish, so long as they do a good job of it?
Doner Bistro (Formerly Hamburg Doner)
202 Harrison St, SE Leesburg, VA
Phone: 703.779.7880
www.doener-usa.com
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