Turkey Central, Al Nasr

Overview

Turkey Central is a family-run Turkish grill on Al Mirqab Al Jadeed Street in Al Nasr, and one of Doha’s longest-running cheap eats. Since 1988 it has been feeding the city shawarma, mixed grills, pide and mezze with fresh bread, and ask almost any long-term resident about the best shawarma in town and its name will come up.

It’s loud, busy and unpretentious, with fast service and a menu built around charcoal-grilled meat. Time Out Doha highly commended it in its 2025 awards for the city’s best budget restaurants and included it in its list of famous decades-old restaurants in Qatar, noting that “shawarmas are still flying out the door”.

Come here for a quick, filling lunch or dinner, a late shawarma, or a mixed grill to share with friends. It suits budget travellers, families and anyone who wants to eat where the city eats. If you want a quiet, lingering meal, it’s probably not the place; if you want flavour for very little money, it is.

The story behind Turkey Central

The restaurant was founded in 1988 by Bedi Kizilkaya, who came to Qatar from Antakya in the Hatay province of southern Turkey with his wife and infant son. In a 2016 profile by Doha News, his son Hakan, who manages the restaurant, described it as a true family business, with his father’s brothers, their children and his own brother involved, and many staff coming from the family’s home town.

Hatay is known in Turkey for its food, and Antakya has been recognised by UNESCO as a Creative City of Gastronomy. Its cooking sits at a crossroads of Turkish and Levantine traditions: kebabs and grilled meats alongside hummus, spiced salads and dishes you would also recognise in Syria and Lebanon. That mix explains why Turkey Central’s menu feels at home in an Arab city.

According to the family, the grilled meats use a secret marinade, and the founder always insisted on good-quality meat at affordable prices. The restaurant has moved a short distance along the same street over the years, but it has stayed in Al Nasr, and Time Out now describes it as a Doha classic that has stood the test of time.

A Doha shawarma institution

Shawarma is one of the foods that unites Doha. Workers grab one on a lunch break, families order trays for gatherings, students stop by late at night. The Turkish döner and Levantine shawarma traditions both involve meat stacked on a vertical spit and shaved off as it roasts, and in the Gulf they have merged into a quick, cheap wrap that everyone eats.

Turkey Central became one of the reference points for that food. It is the kind of place people compare new shawarma shops to, and many residents who arrived as children now bring their own kids. That longevity, in a city where restaurants open and close quickly, is itself a recommendation.

It also shows how regional cooking has become “local” in Qatar. Alongside Qatari machboos and Yemeni mandi, Turkish grills and Levantine mezze are part of everyday eating for Qataris and residents alike.

What to order

Prices are low by Doha standards. Time Out’s 2025 awards write-up quoted a mixed grill or kebab at around QR25 and a chicken shawarma at QR5; check the current menu.

1. Chicken shawarma

   The dish that made its name. Thin slices of marinated chicken in bread with garlic sauce and pickles. Order a couple, because they go quickly.

2. Mixed grill

   Chicken and meat kebabs and kofta from the charcoal grill, served with bread, salad and grilled vegetables. It’s the classic choice for sharing and a good way to taste the family marinade.

3. Pide and Turkish pies

   Boat-shaped Turkish flatbreads baked with toppings such as minced meat or cheese. Time Out mentions freshly baked pide and pies, which are great for a quick meal or to take away.

4. Mezze

   Hummus, baba ghanoush and tabbouleh round out a meal and are cheap enough to order several. They also make the restaurant a reasonable choice for vegetarians.

5. Fresh bread

   Freshly baked Turkish bread comes with meals, and it’s part of the reason the grills taste so good. Use it to wrap pieces of kebab with salad and onions.

How to get there

Turkey Central is on Al Mirqab Al Jadeed Street in Al Nasr, a busy residential and commercial district in central Doha, west of Bin Mahmoud and close to Al Sadd.

• By car: About 10 minutes from Souq Waqif or West Bay outside rush hour. Street parking is available but tight at peak meal times.
• By metro: The nearest Gold Line stations are in the Al Sadd and Bin Mahmoud areas. Expect a walk of 10 to 20 minutes, which is fine in winter; in summer, take a short taxi ride from the station.
• By taxi or ride-hailing: Drivers usually know the restaurant, or search for it by name in your app.

Best time to visit

Time Out lists it as open daily from 11am to 1am, which makes it useful for a late meal. Check current hours before going, especially during Ramadan, when schedules shift around iftar and suhoor.

Lunchtime and evenings from about 8pm are the busiest, especially at weekends. Come mid-afternoon or earlier in the evening for a quicker table. The restaurant is indoors, so season matters less, though winter evenings make walking there more pleasant.

Tips for your visit

• Order a mix. A couple of shawarmas, a mixed grill and two mezze plates feeds a small group cheaply.
• Expect a buzz. The restaurant is almost always busy, so it can be noisy and service is quick rather than leisurely.
• Take away if it’s full. Shawarma and pide travel well; many regulars eat in the car or at home.
• Park legally. Streets in Al Nasr are busy at night, and double-parking can earn a fine.
• Vegetarians have options. Mezze, salads and cheese pide make a decent meal.
• Bring your appetite, not your wallet. This is one of the cheapest sit-down meals you’ll have in central Doha.

Combine it with nearby places

• Beirut Restaurant: For a hummus breakfast another day, Doha’s Lebanese institution is a short drive away in Bin Mahmoud. See our Beirut Restaurant guide.
• Msheireb Downtown Doha: A few minutes’ drive east, with the Msheireb Museums and pleasant pedestrian streets.
• Souq Waqif: Around 10 minutes by car, for an evening walk and dessert or tea. For local food there, try Bandar Aden or Shay Al Shoomoos.
• Doha Corniche: A short drive north for a walk along the bay after dinner.

Frequently asked questions

Last checked October 2026. Hours, fees and access can change, so confirm with the official source before you go.