the best döner in berlin

ok, i haven't had enough döner to declare which is the best one, but this one was pretty delicious. my fiancé and i were out last night for a church event, and heading home, we passed a kebab spot with a line out the door. we had been rushing home because my bladder was about to explode, so we kept walking and agreed to come back and try it sometime. we took two more steps, then i realized, since we're here, why don't we try it? i can hold it a little longer. 

so we did. we waited in line—which surely would have been shorter if they had more than one vegetable frier and more than one vertically spinning meat contraption. the place is nondescript, looking like they've either just moved in or have been operating on bare bones for several decades. seems like a mix of both, as my fiancé tells me they used to have just a food truck on the other side of the street, and the storefront location is relatively new. 

the menu shows exactly two options, other than the drinks listed on the side, and a mysterious third option which has been unceremoniously covered with a swath of tin foil. the two options are straightforward: a veggie kebab (which is what they're known for, apparently), and the same thing but with meat: a chicken döner. you can order it with "everything" or specify whatever you want left out, especially of the sauces and final touches of greens and onions and such. i didn't expect many customers would request modifications, but we heard quite a few while we waited in the cramped space inside—there's no seating room, just a narrow rectangle of space to place your order, and of course the whole sidewalk when the space indoors fills up. 

we had already had dinner that night but were hungry after lifting hard at the gym. we ordered one chicken döner to share and headed to the subway, eating it on our way. the thing was massive, and it was a challenge to fit the whole thing in your mouth because it stretched so wide across. it tasted incredible. we traded off every few bites, and after each of my turns, i couldn't help but stop to say how delicious it was. 

we had eaten maybe a third of the way through the döner before we made it onto our subway car. we didn't want to drip it everywhere, so for our entire ride home we simply held it, tauntingly, not taking a single bite. the warmth and aroma wafted upwards. i couldn't tell what was harder: holding my bladder (you remember, i still had to pee) or holding myself back from the döner. 

finally we arrived at our stop and exited the train, immediately resuming our alternating bites. then soon enough we were home, and my bladder was blissfully emptied. i'd been struggling to eat enough the past few days, and after eating the döner i felt so satisfyingly full and content. 

today rolled around, as did the topic of what to eat for dinner. i hadn't thought about it, but a little voice in my head said the döner wouldn't be a bad idea...but logically it seemed like a long shot. it was kind of far away, and we just had it yesterday. to my delight, my fiancé said, "i wouldn't mind having that döner again..." and before we knew it, we were back on the subway, headed right to it. 

this time, the line was out the door when we arrived. we were maybe third or fourth from the door, and as we wait, the line swelled to perhaps a dozen behind us. the indoor waiting area was cramped full of perhaps another dozen. i'm not sure how long we waited, but as we did, my fiancé—after noticing the awning outside was repurposed from a coffee shop, with "COFFEE" still visible on the inside border—pondered the power of private equity and how they really could improve efficiency and queue times here so easily with just a few changes...

but honestly, the line felt like all part of the plan, with no intention to change it. as we waited, several people stopped to take a gander at what could possibly garner such dedicated queuers. i looked up their website, which was as sparse as their interior, yet one of the few items included was that they "often have a long wait." it's simply part of the experience! sure, waiting in line is tedious and annoying, but it also feels good to care enough about something to endure the sacrifice.

and man, did it pay off. this time we got one chicken döner each, and wanting to avoid the same subway-temptation-trap as yesterday, i suggested we walk down to the next subway stop as we eat. i only had forgotten how cold it was today, so my fingers stung with cold as i gripped the giant döner, bobbing my head around like a chicken to find the optimal bite positions. 

it was one of those moments i'll always remember: stride by stride with my beloved, eating the best döner in berlin, tromping all over the city because we get to do whatever we want whenever we want, and because we're more in love than anyone has ever been in the history of the world.