#24: Hamburg Döner at the Mighty Midget Kitchen

Date Visited: 30 August 2008

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 3 - Me, Wendy, & Alicia

Experience: Hamburg Döner is located inside Leesburg's historic Mighty Midget Kitchen. More specifically, the food is cooked in the old Mighty Midget, but orders are taken and drinks served in an adjacent end of the building shared with MacDowell Custom Kitchens. Hamburg Döner first opened in 2006 at Virginia Village Shopping Center in Leesburg operating out of a food truck, and finally moved into the Mighty Midget Kitchen in March 2008.

The German feel of the place becomes evident as soon as you arrive. Hamburg Döner's unique specialty is the Döner, a Turkish dish which in the 1970s was transformed into a flatbread sandwich, usually with chicken or beef, when Turkish immigrants arrived in Berlin. "It's the most popular food in Germany," co-owner Nicole Marschall says. "The first thing people miss when they move out of Germany is the Döner." "It's the food of our generation," says the other co-owner Timo Winkel. To help explain what a Döner is, I've copied a picture from their menu.

Besides the Döner, they also serve Felafel, Currywurst, Bratwurst, Schnitzel, and Pommes (french fries!), and salads. Check out the online menu to see pictures and more descriptions - and see if it doesn't leave your mouth watering! They also have a large selection of German beers, both on tap and by the bottle.

For this visit, Wendy and I both got the Döner, and we shared an order of Pommes (excellent spices!). It was all fresh, healthy, and delicious, just as advertised. Alicia was with us, but not feeling very adventurous, and only ate a few fries. I didn't have a beer this time, but will surely sample one in the future.

A Little History:

The Mighty Midget Kitchen has been in Leesburg since 1946, and was originally located at the "Y" intersection where Market Street splits into two: Loudoun Street to the left, and Market Street to the right. That's where it was when we moved here in 1987. In those days everything was done in the tiny metal building, and they had hamburgers, hot dogs, and chili. The building was actually made from an old World War II airplane. Unfortunately, they were not able to stay in business and closed a few years later. Long-time Leesburg residents seem to have a high degree of nostalgia for the place.

The Mighty Midget Kitchen was narrowly saved from being scrapped and bought by the Town of Leesburg. In 1996, Gordon MacDowell signed a 20-year lease with the town for $10 a year on the condition that he fully restore it and keep it operating on his property on Harrison Street, right across the street from Tuscarora Mill. He ran it for several years, but eventually could not balance running his regular business and it too. So in 2001, the Mighty Midget Kitchen got a new tenant, Brian DeVaux, who served BBQ. Apparently there was some trouble with the arrangement, and MacDowell asked DeVaux to vacate in December 2007. The town tried to help DeVaux relocate, but it didn't work out. The old web site (http://mightymidgetkitchen.com/) is still up, and refers you to their new location at the Paeonian Grocery & Gourmet.

Despite the recent controversy around the venerable Might Midget Kitchen, we are extremely happy with Hamburg Döner and will surely be visiting again soon.

Location: 202 A Harrison St. SE, Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web sites: http://hamburg-doener.com/ or http://doener-usa.com/

Total bill: $23.83 + $5.00 tip = $28.83