W – Der Imbiss, also known as McDonald’s Upside Down, is another food institution on Berlin’s Kastanienallee serving some very tasty and unique food which you shouldn’t miss. They are right now celebrating their 10 year anniversary and during this last decade the food and vibe produced by the place have been consistently great.
The McDonald’s reference comes from the flipped logo of the burger giant in the window and symbolizes the restaurant concept and their general attitude to food, this place is all about having a quick, fresh and healthy meal.
The food served here is truly unique, I would probably describe the cuisine as Indian-Mexican with a Hawaiian twist. As crazy as that may sound, you will realize how true it is once your read the menu. The signature dishes are naan “pizzas” which you have to imagine as a naan with different toppings, for example artichokes, olive tapenade etc. The naans are baked in a truly authentic Tandoori oven and with the fresh and flavorful toppings they taste absolutely amazing, hands down. To this day I haven’t found out if this is a Hawaaian creation or just one by the big, burly owner of Der Imbiss. Whoever came up with the idea though deserves some kind of price.
The naan pizzas are far from the only highlight on the menu, you also have to try the classic combo which is the lentil curry soup with a ghee or dirty naan. This meal will only cost you a couple of euros and you will end up both happy and full, guaranteed. In a city that has a strange lack of decent Indian restaurant this lentil soup is actually one of the best curries you can get. And if that is not enough, you can also get a seriously good burrito and some excellent quesadillas which will only be outcompeted by true Mexican street food joints like the Maria Bonita. To all these dishes you get served a wide range of sauces/dips like Guacamole, Chipotle, Artichoke Mash, Tapenade etc. and this adds a nice extra touch to the dishes. Big part of my love to Der Imbiss is due to the fact that they serve bloody tasty, healthy, easy and considerably cheap food. Especially the “easy” part is important, it’s one of those places you can just drop by on a Tuesday night or a Thursday afternoon for a quick bite and feel absolutely great.
Luckily enough nowadays you can actually sit more than two people inside, that wasn’t really the case during the first years, but they rennovated and rebuilt the place a couple of years ago and now you can fit about 15 people inside in a very cosy fashion (it’s damn tight). In the summer you can fit the same amount of people outside where you will have to keep your senses very alert to be able to identify your name when they call it out from the kitchen over the famous speaker which some time back in the 70s. Definitely part of the experience though. Because what this place also boils down to is the experience. On a good day the owner himself will be standing in the kitchen in his Hawaii shirt and straw hat, shaking his belly to some Hawaiian tunes and spreading a great vibe. You don’t want to miss that.
BEST DISH – the lentil curry soup with a dirty naan…hm or the artichoke naan..gosh please just try it all.
GOOD TO KNOW – it’s self service, you order and tip at the bar and for that you also get an awesome hit on small gong.
