Doner Empire

OK, I didn’t eat here, but I planned to. The pictures of the Mediterranean food and the great reviews drew me put the location in Google Maps and walk the street with my phone like the tourist that I am. Low and behold, I arrive at a hot dog stand. WHAT? The teenager running the stand looked truly thrilled to be there (sarcasm) and there was no sign of the delicious sandwiches I had seen photos of. Whoever owns this, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? You had consistent 4 and 5 star reviews for your Turkish food, so you remove it and sell grocery store hot dogs? I don’t understand. So disappointed.

Nope. This place is obviously going out of business, they’ve taken their sign down and all they serve are grilled cheese, hot dogs and a falafel wrap. Phooey. Really wanted the ones in the Unilocal pictures…

Do not eat here. The original doner like in all the past pictures isn’t even made there anymore

How does a place named doner empire not have doner? Got a falafel wrap and it was pre cooked falafel in a flour tortilla for a burrito. Maybe it was different in a past life based on others reviews but it doesn’t deserve the high rating it has now.

UPDATE: Oh no! They ruined the Doner Empire! Why would they mess with success!!! They took the delicious wonderful Doner stuffed meat sandwich off the menu! What is left??? A glorified hot dog stand, that’s what! To add insult to injury the service was poor, the attendant was more interested in his phone than his customers and frankly rude. Perhaps he too is upset about the menu changes.
OLD REVIEW: Delish! I just have one thing to add from my previous review. This is the BEST place in all of Sedona to eat! I was there this week and made the mistake of eating a couple of other places, where I am embarrassed to say I spent more and the food wasn’t even as close to being as good. Next visit??? It’s the Doner for every meal!

I was sooo disappointed. They no longer serve kebab. Even though they kept the name, they are now a hot dog stand :(

At first, I was like $ 9 for street felafel? Then I got it in the pocket bread, with everything on it, and I questioned no longer.
My girlfriend said it was better than doner in Germany. So damn good.

Their chicken and Beef sandwiches are amazing. It comes with sides of hummus, salad and falafel! Pretty decent Turkish food stand in the middle of Sedona. No dine in though but food is worth eating!

Best Doener I had so far in the U.S. It’s a bit on the pricey side but it’s worth it. Ask for the original or the Vortex with all the fixings.

My fellow Unilocal buddy told me about Doner and when I saw «German /​Turkish sidewalk food» I was almost certain this is what Christel L was telling me about. Ok fix me up a beef pocket bread with pickled red cabbage, sumac onions, tomatoes, lettuce, corn and Tzatziki sauce. It was ok I can see how this is popular for side walk dining in Europe. It’s a quick grab and go sandwich to hold you over. The pocket bread is what stood out for me. I’d luv to order just that and snack on that on my way to a hike. I found they had good humor as their handwritten sign said « Unilocal says we’re the best sandwich in town.» lol ! Clever I like that. 4 stars for the bread 2 – 3 for the rest. It was average, pricey and I didn’t even notice the Tzatziki. Good to try once to satisfy a German /​Turkish curiosity in Sedona.

I have experienced better in Spain, Andalucía. Over there in Spain the meat is out of this world delicious. Over here it taste like, «Store-​Bought» meat and they are skimpy on the meat if you come after a rush like I did. Not worth the price. The veggies were bland. The sauce was alright at best.
I was terribly hungry when I tried this and was satisfied. I was just hoping for the flavor I onced experienced in España and was let down.
Would I try again? Not if I had to pay.

Was recommended this place by a local friend as a great place to grab a quick bite. I was very impressed. I haven’t had a doner since in Europe and was surprised to see one in Sedona. After we ordered they were both made fresh so it took a couple minutes but definitely worth the wait. I had the chicken doner with the bread choice available. I got most of the toppings available to get a taste of everything.
Loved it so much and the man working was so nice. He gave the elderly couple in front of us their food for free and told them to enjoy their vacation in Sedona. The only downside is it is a little pricey. Although for uptown Sedona it was a cheaper option and easy to eat on the go. Would definitely go again.

My wife & I loved the food here. We tried the chicken with hummus instead of the traditional bread. We felt it was a healthier option & it tasted great! They also have a variety of Turkish & European sodas that are very tasty!
Also, we sat not too far from the stand and watched a thunderstorm a hundred miles away. Pretty cool experience.

Great authentic Turkish kabobs just like I had in Germany. It was very good, but very pricey for street food… then again it seems everything is more expensive in touristy Sedona. Don’t expect an indoor restaurant… it is literally a little shack with a few tables out front. I believe the kabobs were around $ 10 a piece. If you add a bag of chips and a soda your looking at a total of $ 15 for a simple lunch or dinner. Tastes great though.

Amidst the plethora of crappy tourist traps that fraudulently pass themselves off as fine eateries and restaurants, there’s this tiny gem. A literal hole in the wall next to the Out of Africa Wildlife Park store, the beef and lamb doners and the baklava desserts are about the freshest and tastiest you’ll find anywhere west of the Mediterranean. What a refreshing surprise! Thanks Doner Empire :-)

I drove across the US just for the doner. No no. I actually had no idea this place existed until I was looking for some place delicious to eat one night. Unfortunately it was closed so I had to wait for the next day to find out whether this is a true doener or not.
The next morning… yes morning, I went and found out for myself. Well, first off they did have the ‘kabob’ which was ok, since we are in the US and maybe have different food safety laws.
So I got the original with the added «red sauce» or harissa and if you want pure authenticity, you will get it in the traditional pocket bread. The doener came with traditional toppings such as vegetables and pickled things. It was delicious and I am pretty sure this is the closest thing to the real life German/​Turkish doener you get in D-​Land.

Doner Empire was our first stop when we got to sedona. Very friendly one man food stand. He is super friendly and a great tour guide of what to do in sedona as told by a local.
Sandwiches were delicious and the crunch from that bread was amazing. The beef and lamb combo was very juicy and tender. The combo is genius so you get a little lamb flavor without any lamb gamyness or aftertaste, it’s all kosher too.
Unilocal says the business is open until 7, but he actually stays open later depending on foot traffic and if it’s still light out. The location is fun as there are a couple little tables to eat and watch the people go by, or you can eat while walking.

Damn… my first Doner experience.
Sedona doesnt really have great food. I love upscale, but I also LOVE street meat.
Delicious little spot. It is a bit pricey, BUT you are in tourist ville in Sedona. What do you expect?
The fire one was great. I loved it. The guy was supa nice as well. I would highly recommend stopping at this place for a casual meal.
There also is seating and umbrellas near to enjoy your Doner and a view. :)

I spent some time in many of the cities of Europe, where it seemed on every corner you’d find doner kebab spots. Sadly this is not the case here in the states.
And while it did not have the rotating meat on a spit like overseas (maybe due to some kind of health code law here), Doner Empire in Sedona was really so good, and reminded me of my Europe days!
The Sedoner Original in it’s warm, round pocket bread had tender Beef & lamb, red onions, tomatoes, pickled red cabbage & tzatziki sauce. Also I had a piece of their Baklava, which was made to perfection.
Along with a bottle of water, everything was $ 15. This is just a stand, so sit on the picnic tables next to Sacajawea and her baby. They won’t make a sound, nor watch you eat.
Also, get a few extra napkins. About a 3^rd of the way into it, as a show of appreciation for your patronage, the warm tzatziki starts to explode and run down the side of your hand and onto the table.

This was one of the more memorable places I enjoyed eating at while I was in Sedona. Nothing fancy here but a good quality and satisfying doner!
They have a couple different kinds of doners but I tried the original and it is a great choice if it’s your first time! Lamb was tender and toppings were plenty. The BF tried the vortex which was good as well. Kind of wished they opened later… this would have been our go to dinner spot!