Calgary Shawarma. I don't know his name, but my grandfather was sick and I was stuck at work (working on a phone line repair at the auto shop next door.) Dead of winter, miserable cold. Then my mom calls: Grandpa died. Shawarma guy overheard this, I'm sitting in my van crying. Knock on my window. Guy hands me a Shawarma. "Boss, you should come in to my shop, have some food, get warm. No charge." He sat and listened to my grandpa stories until I had it together and could go back to finish my job.

Seriously, total stranger, and he was there for me on one of my worst days, and I'll never forget.

Also: is still open after every other restaurant in town has closed for the night.

This man exists in every town in the UK, and is the only reason the entire country hasn't collapsed already.

This post is Euro-coded.

I tried a German Doner Kebab since they seem to be a chain cropping up everywhere here in the UK. Awful. Terrible. Skimps on the meat. Salad tastes stale. Bread is some weird waffle mix.

Never again will I betray my local doner/durum man, for this new weak euro-corpo-bullshit

My yyro and falafel guy has an amazing memory for people. He used to be a waiter in his uncle's Mediterranean restaurant before opening his own place after his uncle retired. People can come into his shop who ate at his uncle's place one time 15 years ago and he'll know their name, what they ordered, and if they liked it.

If you customize your order next time you order that item he'll be like "No onion on the Gyro and an extra pita with the hummus?" if you come in a year later.

And he's super, super friendly.

They don't have kebab places in the US (at least not nearly on the same level as they do in Europe). It's a national tragedy and is probably why things are going so poorly for us.

Omg. NYC is probably going to start to be completely over run by these guys when Zohran takes over! You probably won't even be able to get a hot dog or a pretzel. It will just be Doner every corner!

I’ve got a guy like this who does rice and three curries. When I came back from working outside of the city centre for a couple of years he automatically made a plate of my favourite combo and said “where’ve you been?”, and It’ll be the same when I’m next back in England.

One time I went in with a Sikh mate and apparently the proprietor was being shitty to someone for being the wrong kind of Indian, but at least he seems to be ok with colonisers like me.

Adds extra meat with no surcharge (without you asking for it) when you ask for one without salad. Actual King

Korma Sutra in KC.

It’s run by an older couple. You get your food and then the woman will come over to check on you, tell you that you’re too skinny and you need to eat more, then get naan and out in on your table (free).

The man likes to goof around. He puts a balloon on each ear then walks around making jokes and chatting people up.

I first went there 5 years ago. Someone texted me the other day asking if I’d been and relayed their recent experience which was exactly like mine from 5 years ago.

I love them. Plus they named their restaurant Korma Sutra which is funny. It’s like going to visit your auntie and uncle.

My favourite moment with Kebab boss man was watching him arguing with another customer about whether it's "Chips and cheese" or "cheesy chips", which culminated in boss man screaming "FUCK YOU, CHIPS AND CHEESE!".

Enjoy the interview with Hamid Ali, owner/operator of the Doner Kebab food truck on the No Dishes podcast.

From $100 in his pocket to a successful food truck business.

https://pca.st/episode/380835ef-2887-452f-b448-b6d82ef47a08

Wait how do you have a picture of my gyro guy?

Pita Golden Pocket in Toronto. I moved away ten years ago but went back when I was in town visiting recently. The guy remembered me, he even shook my hand. Then he made me a shawarma wrap that weighed over a pound. Fantastic!

I don't. Southeastern USA.

These guys are the best.

Hanwell Kebab

When you go in a place that hasn't been redecorated since the 80's, there's a mop bucket randomly in the middle of the floor, and "Wat I get you todaie, Bahddy?" You know you're going to eat good!

I live in the middle of nowhere in northern Ontario but I get to visit the big city of Toronto once in a while. In all those trips, about half the time, I end up meeting a nice Kebab guy. Those guys are great.

I had to look up doner meat and was pleasantly surprised.

I initially read it as Donner meat. (It's an American thing. You don't want to know)