There are those who will try and tell you that the kebab is dead. That government law and the rise of the almighty Halal Snack Pack may be seen to be sending the humble late-night delicacy packing. They’re wrong, of course. The kebab still reigns, and we’ve rounded up six of Sydney’s finest to prove it.
Of course, many of us have our favourite kebab spot, but these joints are a good place to start if you’re in need of a good kebab in Sydney.
Fully Tabooly
Greystanes
Even if it didn’t have the best name of any restaurant in city, if not the country, Fully Tabooly is well worth heading to Greystanes. The shish kebab, done over charcoal, is genuinely outstanding—both the chicken and the lamb. Great service, good meat, good bread, good tabouli… What more can you ask for?
King Kebab House
Campbelltown
Campbelltown’s King Kebab House has risen to fame in recent times as the spiritual home of the Halal Snack Pack. While they’ve made their name with HSPs, the kebabs behind the scenes are absolutely rock steady. Can’t go past a good doner, the beef, chicken, and lamb are all great—so if you’re cruising by just go a mixed, it’d be a shame to miss out.
Fatima’s
Surry Hills
Fatima’s is a classic kebab experience, serving the good people of Surry Hills for over 40 years now. Place is a bit of a dive, there’s bellydancing on Friday and Saturday nights, it’s down to earth, doesn’t take itself too seriously, and it’s open late. The meat is fresh, and comes in good big chunks, the toum (garlic sauce) is great, and they do a mean falafel as well.
Saray Turkish
Enmore
Saray Turkish Pizza & Kebabs, to give it its full and proper title, is a late night standby in the heart of Enmore Road. It’s just a top-notch local kebab joint. Good adana, plenty of shish to choose from, nice iskender as well. They do an absolutely awesome chilli sauce as well.
New Star Kebabs
Auburn
New Star Kebabs does Auburn proud. I love the shish here, cooked on massive iron skewers. I’ll normally go lamb over chicken, but push come to shove the chicken is the way to go here. Smoky, beautifully spiced, cooked to perfection over the coals. The bread is absolutely fantastic, nice and light with just a bit of crisp to it.
Watsup Brothers
Condell Park
Man, I just love the name of this place. Is it better than Full Tabooly? Maybe not, but it’s pretty damn good. It speaks to the vibe of the restaurant, always packed, always welcoming, always a good time. Whether you want shish, adana, iskender, or just about any other kind of kebab you can think of, they’ve got you covered here.
Image credit: German Parga