Spinner’s Turkish Kebab

Service: Amaaaazing! a nice family owned place. The owners are very friendly and at the end of our meal, they gave us complimentary corn on the cob :)
Food: My friend and I both ordered the beef kebob sandwich, priced reasonably at about $ 6.00/ sandwich. Combo plates will cost you about $ 10 – 11.00. The food was decent. I felt that the meat (which was a combo of lamb and beef) was a bit too salty for my taste and also a bit dry. The lamb taste realllly comes through, so if you enjoy lamb, you’ll love this sandwich. They did, however, serve a deliciousss spicy red tomato sauce, which made the sandwich taste much better, considering how dry it was.
Overall: I don’t know if I would recommend this place, but then again, I only tried one item off the menu.

Got the Alexanders kebab, kebab mixed plate, and doner kebab plate. Prices are kind of pricey and you can get single (which is a LOT of food) or double (I can’t even fathom this…) sized plates.
I was not impressed… the meat looks like mystery meat and there’s no garlic dip!!!
We got complimentary side dishes… but that wasn’t enough to pull me in. The cucumber dip was chopped to bits… i dunno how to explain it, but it gave a weird texture in my mouth. :(I did not like it and usually i LOVE cucumber dip. wtheezy.
Anyways…won’t be back. it’s not bad. but it’s just not what i expected after eating at other Turkish restaurants for ages.

I’m gonna keep it short and sweet.
I has scared in that fear of the unknown and snobby way when my hubby suggested we go here.
I stand CORRECTED! DELISH and YUMMY goodness abound! I had a beef and lamb patty in toasted flatbread. OMG… I gobbled that thing down like it was going outta style.
Oh-​if they offer their sauces say yes please and enjoy =)

I came here again last week and the head Chef Bulent now has some great new dishes.
They have a buffet every Sunday full of homestyle Turkish food such as rice, curried vegetables, soup (corbasi), chicken meat balls and other tasty dishes.
However, if you do come, make sure you get the Patlican Salatasi.
It is still the best Eggplant dish around-​roasted eggplant, yoghurt, garlic, herbs all served with warm hot pita bread.
If you are still unsure about Turkish food make sure you come here on the weekends to try their buffet, that way you can sample all the other dishes they have to offer!

Decided to try this place for lunch considering it was once «Plenty’s» an old burger joint that I use to frequent during my high school years.
I would have to say that I was slightly disappointed considering the fact that it’s gotten great reviews here! I ordered the chicken plate. Chicken was tender but ok. The rice was normal. Overall, I thought it was ok. Nothing great about the food. However, I did enjoy the complimentary sauces they serve with pita bread. My favorite by far was the spicy tomato dip.
If you’re up for something slightly different then come check out this place otherwise don’t waste your time. As far as for myself, one time was good enough and I will not be coming back.

I really wanted to like this place more than I did. Menu looked great, prices looked good, guy was real nice who was working.
Unfortunately it was just sort of average. Got the lamb kebob plate. Wasn’t bad, just wasnt great.
Don’t think I’ll be heading back since I am a big Thasos fan, and would even head to Chicken Maison before making the drive up Harbor.

There’s a reason people are willing to drive all the way to Vegas for Buffets!
Most of the ones in CA suck donkey balls. Oops, did I just say that? Yeah, I did.
This might just be a bit of a cruder entry than what you’re used to from me, but I have suffered great food injustices since my last review in April, and I’m back to warn you!!!
(Plus, I have new cookies!)
Anyway, I made the mistake of getting pulled into this establishment to try their buffet, and after just a few bites, I was THIS CLOSE to giving up food for good!
As someone else mentioned, they do serve supermarket pitas here. If I wanted to eat supermarket food, I’d go to Costco, ’cause it’d also be free and come with a sample of their huge tubs of gourmet hummus! ^_​^
As for the rest of their food, it’s not even worth mentioning – a big deal when I’m willing to write about supermarket pitas!
Perhaps since the last time some fellow Unilocalers were here, it has gone downhill.
Many places have, since the economy is still a bust for most of the food industry.
But then again, I’ve also noticed many reviews that seem FAKE… hmm…
*hands you a Recovery Cookie*

Hot Dang, Y’all…another perfect lunch.
Lamb kebab, rice, hummus, pita, salad… Delish as always. Empty restaurant as always.

I last wrote about Spinner’s about this time last year and at the time, I didn’t do much justice to their food presentation. Which really is a shame on me, because the way they set things up when you dine in is much closer to a restaurant than most places with a walk-​up counter. To be fair, this was because we lived so close that we often wanted to eat at home and so would get everything to-​go. We did take the family in to eat a few times, though, and I remembered to bring my camera with me when I did. So here are the pictures I promised to put up, way back when.
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Apologies for the partially eaten appetizer photo — some hungry tablemates got to the dish before I could whip the camera out in time! :-D More often times than not, when you sit down to eat, the kitchen sends out free sample appetizers for you to pick at. I’m a huge fan of their baba ghanoush (eggplant dip) in the foreground there — which is saying a lot since I usually hate eggplant in my food. I forgot what that finely-​chopped spicy tomato dip is called (I think it has nuts in it), but it was really good as well, though a bit too hot for me to have more than a few dips.
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The boy’s sister got this big ol’ doner roll-​up.
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This was my lamb doner plate, which comes over rice with pita. It always comes with a side of their wonderful hummus and some acili ezme (that salsa-​like salad which is perfectly refreshing on summer days). If you’re down to have some of the best lamb doner in the area, seriously, come to this place. They were just telling us earlier this year that — despite already being known for having great lamb — they had started driving out directly to the suppliers themselves on a regular basis to pick out their meats, since they were tired of third parties having a say in what they should use. These guys are hard core about their lamb.
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A shish kebab plate that the boy’s mother ordered.
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A lonely piece of complimentary dessert, saved for a photo op before it was devoured like the rest of its siblings. It was some sort of coconut-​coated chewy thing with nuts and I feel bad for not knowing the names of all these things but I can’t seem to find their online menu anymore. Although they do change things up so often that they’ve likely replaced it with new stuff by now anyways. There isn’t a dessert in there that I wouldn’t take home, though. Mrrr.
Full blog entry with pictures here:

Ugh.
— Expensive. Dry meat. Crappy stale supermarket pita. Hairs (yes, in the plural).
+ … Free tea?

They messed up our to go order and the cook seemed really annoyed when I pointed it out. I wish he would’ve just apologized instead of letting out a really long sigh.
The kebab plate I got was good and was loaded with a ton of meat. I thought the meat was seasoned well and not too salty like other kebabs I’ve tried. I liked the hummus and salsa looking side a lot too but I could have used more of the pita bread. The guy who I assume was the owner was really nice and got us tea while we waited for our order.
Even with the order mix up there’s a good chance I’ll come back the next time I have a kebab craving (although that is pretty rare) since the food was pretty good.

These guys are really focused on what they are doing and this place is worth a trip.
The best example I can give was one of the specials which was meat ravioli in a yogurt sauce. Both the ravioli and the sauce were very good. But, to gild the lily, they added a spice butter sauce on top that pushed it over the edge.
We had chicken kabob, lamb kabob, shwarma and keffe. All were beautifully spiced. Not overly spiced but perfectly spiced to complement the meat. I added the tomato-​based sauce and the yogurt sauce to the meats which gave it a delicious blend of flavors.
Everything is made to order. The service is very attentive. Décor is very plain — tables and chairs.

Köfte. Köfte is the Turkish gift of ultimate super taste delight enterprise edition. Köfte will melt your face with rapturous flavornoids of awesome. Rubbing yourself down with a köfte patty will make you more attractive, reverse your receding hairline, and correct any ED issues you may have had… I guarentee this*.
Köfte is a ground meat patty (typically lamb, beef, or both) seasoned with mint, parsley, and 5,132 other secret seasonings and spices delivered by the Gods of Taste.
The Köfte Plate is served with rice, a light diced vegetable salad, hummus, and some warm sliced pita. The portion size is perfect leaving you wholly satisfied but with just enough room for some baklava and a cup of tea (Çay). The çay is slightly sweet and has some strange gut settling properties — which you may or may not need depending upon your stomach’s feeble attempt to tame the herculean meat menace.
However, I was somewhat disappointed by the döner. Cold, slightly gamey, and lacking the flavor cakes. It just doesn’t even come close to the köfte.
My mouth is watering right now. I can smell the köfte… I swear. If this place wasn’t such a bitch to get to from where I work, I’d be there at least once a week.

I can understand why this place got such rave reviews because it was seriously good! The place is run by real Turks and they have photos which allow those unfamiliar with the food to choose purely on what a dish looks like.
We got their version of the babaghanoush (eggplant dip) and their hummous to start. We then got the chicken Doner kebab and the lamb plate.
They give you this complimentary tomato-​based dip with some pita bread. The stuff is pretty tasty! I wasn’t a huge fan of their hummous but the eggplant dip was rather good as well. Ask them for some lemon wedges to squeeze over the dips and your meal as it enhances it tremendously.
I thought the lamb had great flavors and yes it is a little on the dry side, but that’s the way this stuff is because in this country, they are not allowed to serve it directly after shaving it off the spit. They have to cook it on the stove according to food regulation requirements. In other countries, they shave it off and put it on your plate or your pita so the meat remains moist.
The flavors are wonderful and service was friendly. Turkish tea is complimentary and you can help yourself to it.
Definitely a place I’d return to in the near future.

Great Turkish food… Only authentic place I’ve found in all of OC and most of LA.
Great people.

Spinner’s Turkish Kebab scored instant credibility when I saw a Turkish restaurant being run and staffed by Turks serving Turkish food being eaten by Turks. If their own people enjoy eating here it must either be authentic and/​or good food.
Spinner’s is in a strip mall just north of Edinger Ave on Harbor Blvd. The inside décor is plain with a large projection screen and a medium sized flat screen on the walls. There is one large counter set up to host a dinner buffet. Overall this place looked clean.
When I walked in, I was greeted by the owner who was drinking tea. He was very pleasant and explained the food and we had a nice conversation about Turks in Europe. They were very welcoming and even gave me a complimentary appetizer. They had a Turkish soccer game on and one of the other Turks was friendly and was discussing the game with me.
I had the Doner sandwich with the yogurt sauce. The meat was not overcooked to me and the flavors were very nice together. It did taste similar to a Turkish place in Europe. The yogurt sauce was very complimentary in the Doner sandwich. Very satisfying.
The price was slightly more than I wanted to pay but I was happy when I left.
Overall, this was a cozy, friendly Turkish place and good food. I will definitely be back to try other things on the menu.

Don’t think I am nearly as excited with my first experience at this restaurant as the reviews that brought me here are… though I would be willing to go back and try other things… the lamb, as all other reviewers have said had good flavor, however being honest, mine was kinda dry and was chewy rather than tender; the little veggie salad and the tomato sauce (not spicy) on the side were flavorful and helped with the dryness of the lamb. the rice was different than white rice, but was just ok… maybe it was just a bad night for the lamb… I’d definitely go back to try the felafel, maybe the lamb kabobs. and the eggplant.
Prices seemed to be reasonable

Came in for lunch after reading all the great reviews reminds me of Naan Kabob.
Spinner’s is a Halal Certified restaurant very clean, friendly, nice people & good service. I’m going to put this in the regular rotation of must haves because they offer good food at a great price.
I had the Donner kebab with lamb it came with salad, pita bread & rice pilaf hummus a great plate of nicely flavored food tried but couldn’t finish all of it.

YES! This place is as good as people are saying. I’m jumping on the Turkish Kabob Wagon … but instead of it having gravy wheels, we’ll give it hummus wheels! WOOT WOOT!
THE GOOD: This food is PACKED with flavor.
–Best Hummus, seriously, like, wow.
–The Lamb (got the doner kebab plate) was so flavorful. It was shaved –nice and thin and was marinated to perfection. Yum!
–The salad is more traditional turkish style (no lettuce … onions /​–tomatoes etc.) It’s really good!
–Service was awesome. I talked to the guy at the front about Unilocal (he asked me how I had heard about the place) and I felt like he genuinely appreciated my business.
–The hot sauce. If you like heat, get it.
–My plate (which will be both my dinner and lunch today) had a TON of lamb, rice, hummus and salad for about $ 9. NOT BAD!
THE BAD:
–I messed up and should have told them I wanted one of every sauce they have. Why didn’t I say I wanted garlic sauce? I suck.
–There wasn’t enough pita bread for my food. 2 small pieces and a LARGE plate.
–It was hot as hell in there.
–I walked in thinking I would have a solo meal, but there wasn’t a single person in there at about 1:30. There’s not any TV’s or any sort of entertainment, and I felt like it would be weird just to stare at the guys up front. So, I got it to go.
–No sign of alcohol.
So basically, the food here is bomb. Get it to go. I highly recommend this spot if you are in the mood for turkish food. Good stuff.

This is a new place, that replaced Naz Kabob (
). The owner kept the original menu but plans to make changes to make it a little Turkish.
The place (esp. the restroom) was clean. The pita/​lavash sandwiches cost between $ 4 to $ 5. The plates cost between $ 6 to $ 9.
I had a mixed Shwerma Sandwich while my friend had a Falafel Sandwich. The sandwiches were pretty standard (a little small though). I would give this place 3.5 stars.