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Dining Review: 2 takeout spots spice things up

Döner Burger in Burbank offers döner burgers and sandwiches.

Döner Burger in Burbank offers döner burgers and sandwiches.

(Roger Wilson / Staff Photographer)
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Burbank may only have a few high-end dining places — Commonwealth and Morton’s come to mind — but in terms of street-side takeout places, Burbank is killing it. Take for instance World Empanadas, the Pit BBQ, Pupuseria del Valle, Acai Jungle, TAP Buns & Bowls and Casita Taco, some of the tastiest food around. Now we can add two more to the list: Döner Burger and Lord of the Wingz.

Set in the same strip mall at the corner of Alameda Avenue and Glenoaks Boulevard, Döner Burger and Lord of the Wingz offer meaty comfort food for the masses.

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My kids went on exchange programs to a town in Germany a few years back and since then they’ve been asking for döner sandwiches, a popular item there. I kept trying to give them shawarma wraps like you can find around town, and while tasty, they apparently weren’t quite the same as German döners. According to my son, Döner Burger’s döners are close to authentic. I would add addictive.

The eponymous döner burger is not their best menu item. I suspect it’s a bit of a gimmick to get people through the door. While it may be someone else’s idea of heaven, the shaved beef on top of the ground beef patty seem to fight one another.

The real star is their classic döner sandwich on a soft bun the size of an Alpine mountain climber’s hand. We found the chicken version to be tastiest since it highlights the char-y goodness of the flame over which the shawarma spit rotates. The chunks of chicken are mixed with a decadent mayonnaise sauce, lettuce, tomato and onions. The wrap version of the döner was not quite as magical as the sandwich, though easier to transport and eat.

There are only a couple places in town to get a bandari sandwich made with spiced German sausage and pickle so I tried it. I was underwhelmed, but then I get good German summer sausage from my German mother-in-law all the time.

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Lord of the Wingz in Burbank serves free-range, hormone-free, vegetarian-fed chicken for their specialty wings.

Lord of the Wingz in Burbank serves free-range, hormone-free, vegetarian-fed chicken for their specialty wings.

(Roger Wilson / Staff Photographer)

If you’re not into bread but you still like high-calorie comfort food, check out the restaurant a few steps away with the best name I’ve heard all year — Lord of the Wingz. This family-owned operation boasts free-range, hormone-free, vegetarian-fed chicken for their specialty wings. Not sure how much that means when you’re frying the little buggers and tossing them in gut-burning sauce but they are undeniably juicy and crispy.

We ordered a slew of different flavors for a picnic recently and they were well-liked by all. There was difficulty determining the nuances between the sauces and some were so hot the flavor was completely masked. Of the fifteen flavors offered, the favorites tended to be Mango Habanero, Spicy BBQ and Garlic Parmesan. We didn’t even try the “only-if-you-sign-a-waiver” Suicide sauce, but I’m guessing those seeking Scoville scale-busting heat won’t be disappointed.

The hand-cut fries with sriracha aioli at Lord of the Wingz are pretty amazing. Or get them with jalapenos, applewood smoked bacon and Cheez Wiz. Gollum would approve.

Why not pair your sandwich from Döner Burger with fries from Lord of the Wingz? They’re practically next door. You can’t do something like that at a fancy sit-down restaurant. Nor can you easily get out the door for less than 10 bucks. Here’s to strip-mall takeout places with good food.

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What: Döner Burger and Lord of the Wingz

Where: 321 E. Alameda, Units P and H, Burbank

Contact: (818) 859-7388 and (818) 845-7019

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LISA DUPUY welcomes comments at LDupuy@aol.com.

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