This relic of a kebab house has the best doner I’ve had in a while, and it is a treat to take it to the copper tables in the back, from where you can see the cooks slicing up onions and tomatoes for the next round. It took me a minute to notice Colin Farrell and Bill Cosby on the wall next to me, as they seemed so down to earth enjoying their meal and agreeing to a photo.
The lamb in the window is a reminder of what the meatpacking district used to look like, and all in all Yatagan seems like one of those places that’s always open and always the same, nonplussed by its recent surge in popularity or its recent film debut in The Visitor. Also, fun fact: “Yatagan” is Turkish for “Turkish Sword.”
Yatagan Kebab House 104 MacDougal St. New York, NY 10012