Black Forest Kitchen (at Forage Kitchen)

Very good Döner Kebab! Very, very close to my Döner at home in Germany - pretty much authentic German Döner. The bread is super crisp, the meat is very fresh, and, most importantly, the sauce is perfect (that's the key for a great Döner). I'll for sure come back.

Great Doner and great beer! The Don and burrito were delicious and paired well with the German beers on tap

Erin T

Great food and beer, but the staff are exceptional! The vegan option with the mushrooms is excellent. Meat eaters and vegetarians alike will love this spot. Portions are huge! They also have wine if beer isn't your drink if choice. Will definitely be back!

L L

Just a review of the vegan döner'ish. Like others have said, it's amazing. Deliciously seasoned oyster mushrooms, piled high with crunchy veggies, and covered with creamy sauce, all on perfectly toasted bread - it's messy, it's extra, and it's totally worth it. Also, super cute outdoor space.

Art Starczewski

Absolutely the best German Dőner Kebab in the Bay Area! So good, on par with what I had in Berlin. Nice selection of German beers. Lovely outdoor patio to enjoy your goods!

T- Sco

A TASTE OF BERLIN!! Must try!! They get the meat flavor just right, and filled with veggies. We visited Berlin a few years ago and couldn’t stop thinking about the Doner Kebab, and finally can enjoy it here!

Kate Ruston

This place is awesome! The loaded fries and sandwiches are so good. The team is super friendly. The beer is excellent. & they have a cozy outdoor seating area with games! Will be back.

Karthik Sekar

It’s rare that I get excited about a non-vegan spot, but Black Forest Kitchen is genuinely amazing. 🌿✨ What stood out is that they actually crafted a fantastic vegan option instead of just taking some tasteless, poorly cooked veggie burger and saying “hold the cheese/egg/sauce.” The plant-based döner-ish is next-level—savory mushrooms, great flavor, that turmeric spice mix… all of it 👌. Plus, the vibe is awesome—such a beautiful space with a great German aesthetic. Perfect place to just hang out.

Jensen Novak

Super yummy food, good ambiance and tasty German beer. If I were to find anything wrong with this place, I would say the prices are on the higher end. But the product tastes high quality and everything is expensive now days. I would go back.

Setu Upadhya

The plant based donor was SOOO TASTY!! And they'll even cut it in half if you like. Nice seating area too with fun board games. I'll be back! Thanks for having a vegan option.

Madison Hale

My first döner! Super delicious - perfect combination of meat and veggies. Messy, but worth it 😅 Hubby got the Dönerito - it looked much easier to eat! They have a nice selection of beers and a sweet little outdoor space to eat.

Markus Gnirck

Very good Döner Kebab! Very, very close to my Döner at home in Germany - pretty much authentic German Döner. The bread is super crisp, the meat is very fresh, and, most importantly, the sauce is perfect (that's the key for a great Döner). I'll for sure come back.

Taylor Surh

Great Doner and great beer! The Don and burrito were delicious and paired well with the German beers on tap

Ryan Hensleigh

Vegan/vegetarian doner was excellent. Oysters mushrooms have a curry-like seasoning and veggies were fresh. It's big, bring an appetite

Delicious, absolutely delicious Donner. They have a nice beer selection too it looks like. Also the portions are very generous for the price. The area around is rough looking but we got pickup and it was fine.

Last night the staff member had let us know that he was working solo. He took the orders, cooked, checked in with us and brought us the drinks & food. He was funny, relaxed and kept everything going smoothly! Prop to him! We've all been there before working solo. He definitely needs the recognition! ❤️ The fries were good and the vibes were great!

Haven’t been able to get anything close to a proper Doner since my last trip to Europe so discovering this gem in Oakland was a pleasant surprise. The flavors of my meal were just….chefs kiss. The meat was tender, the lettuce fresh and crunchy and the sauces were the bomb. The portion size was decent so make sure to bring an appetite. Great selection of beers, vegetarian options and the service was great. Will definitely be back!!

Nadia Kamar

Fantastic and authentic doner kabob. The fries with the garlic sauce are required reading. Strange to say but my favorite aspect was all the wonderful dill they put into their sauces.

Freeman Fox

Pretty authentic, certainly delicious; very attentive and friendly service; a good place to practice your German (at least when I was there). I don't think they had many traditional dishes, mostly variations on döner kebab, but maybe that's because we were there for lunch.

Juan P

Delicious, absolutely delicious Donner. They have a nice beer selection too it looks like. Also the portions are very generous for the price. The area around is rough looking but we got pickup and it was fine.

Cynthia K

Haven’t been able to get anything close to a proper Doner since my last trip to Europe so discovering this gem in Oakland was a pleasant surprise. The flavors of my meal were just….chefs kiss. The meat was tender, the lettuce fresh and crunchy and the sauces were the bomb. The portion size was decent so make sure to bring an appetite. Great selection of beers, vegetarian options and the service was great. Will definitely be back!!

Nice little spot for lunch and a drink. They have a nice patio that's nice and sunny. The food flavours are good though on the spicy side. Need to come back and try their vegan doner since it was sold out! So if you want the vegan dish you should try to go earlier!

Zafarali Ahmed (Zaf)

Nice little spot for lunch and a drink. They have a nice patio that's nice and sunny. The food flavours are good though on the spicy side. Need to come back and try their vegan doner since it was sold out! So if you want the vegan dish you should try to go earlier!

Marek Möckel

As someone who comes from Berlin, the city of kebabs, this was a surprisingly good kebab. Nice atmosphere, friendly service, good meat. The only downside is the price; I think there's room for improvement there. And: wheat beer should be served in the appropriate glass 😀😀 but I won't defend German beer culture any further at this point. 😀 All in all, it was really good for Oakland.

Tried the Black Forest Kitchen last month for their donner kabobs and beer. I would be lying if I didn't say I was disappointed they didn't have black forest cake. 😆 The donner kabob was a fun, extra messy German version of a gyro wrap. But the pretzel we ordered was a bit of a disappointment. Not sure I'd go back, but if you're craving a German-style kabob, this spot may be for you.

Ok! This is neither a Berlin döner nor a proper döner! The jalapeño addition is definitely out of context for this type of Mediterranean food. The sauce is too spicy. We got the lamb and beef option — the meat was too dry. A good döner should have meat that’s a little fatty and juicy, first of all. Thanks for trying, but this isn’t the new Mustafa’s Gemuse Kebab of Oakland.

Duygu Naz

Ok! This is neither a Berlin döner nor a proper döner! The jalapeño addition is definitely out of context for this type of Mediterranean food. The sauce is too spicy. We got the lamb and beef option — the meat was too dry. A good döner should have meat that’s a little fatty and juicy, first of all. Thanks for trying, but this isn’t the new Mustafa’s Gemuse Kebab of Oakland.

Döner made by someone who has no idea what a döner is. If you're looking for authentic döner, this is NOT the place. It was more like a giant taco than anything you would get in Germany. The food was tasty, but almost entirely wrong, and not at all what I expected. The bread was right, but the döner was poorly constructed with completely wrong proportions. It was almost entirely meat and lettuce. Practically no feta - just a tiny little piece at the bottom. The sauce was good, but was sprinkled on the top of the lettuce only, so there was no sauce on 90% of the döner. Everything was layered like a taco - a ton of lettuce on top of a ton of meat. There was way too much stuffed into the bread, like they were trying to make it look huge without a thought given to how anyone would eat it. The food was tasty, so I gave it an extra star, but really disappointing, if you know what a döner is.

Jeff Stock

Döner made by someone who has no idea what a döner is. If you're looking for authentic döner, this is NOT the place. It was more like a giant taco than anything you would get in Germany. The food was tasty, but almost entirely wrong, and not at all what I expected. The bread was right, but the döner was poorly constructed with completely wrong proportions. It was almost entirely meat and lettuce. Practically no feta - just a tiny little piece at the bottom. The sauce was good, but was sprinkled on the top of the lettuce only, so there was no sauce on 90% of the döner. Everything was layered like a taco - a ton of lettuce on top of a ton of meat. There was way too much stuffed into the bread, like they were trying to make it look huge without a thought given to how anyone would eat it. The food was tasty, so I gave it an extra star, but really disappointing, if you know what a döner is.

I followed Black Forrest Kitchen's (BFK) Instagram since its popup days. I live over an hour away, so I was never able to get to a popup. I finally had a chance to come to their new-ish physical location to try their "Don." After standing at the counter waiting to place my order for at least 20 minutes, I left with nothing but frustration and disappointment. I can't speak to the taste and quality of the food, I can only speak to their service. Apparently, they had a busy day by the time I arrived around 3pm. A big group had put in a large order (it was only a few tables, but BFK made it seem like a whole sports team dropped in on them at once). Okay, so they got a rush before I arrived. That doesn't justify what happens next. I stand at the counter while the staff are working to put together a few "Don" wraps. They're churning out one every five minutes or so, surprisingly slow for German fast food. I wait at the counter watching the staff bounce around, but no one speaks to me. After about 15 minutes one of the employees tells me, "It won't make the food cook any faster if you stand their watching." At first, I thought he was joking and brushed it off. Five minutes later, the same employee turns to the cooks and says, "What's up with this guy just watching you guys cook the food?" His tone offensive and dismissive. That's when I spoke up, "Dude, I'm trying to place an order to get a doner sandwich!" Is anyone going to talk to me? I've been waiting 20 minutes." That's when one of the cooks came over to tell me I couldn't have a doner sandwich because they ran out of bread. After 20 minutes of waiting for someone to take my order, after being mocked for standing there watching (I was simply waiting for someone to take my order), I learn that they don't have any bread left to make me a sandwich. I left upset, disappointed, surprised, but mostly offended by the mocking employee who never asked me why I was standing there for 20+ minutes...WHY ELSE WOULD I BE STANDING AT THE ORDERING COUNTER, JERK? And for insult to injury, instead of talking to me at any point to take my order and/or inform me they are out of bread, they ignored me for over 20 minutes, and even mocked me to boot. This whole experience should have taken 10 seconds; it would look like this: BFK: Hello, can I take your order? FYI, we are out of bread, so we are only making wraps. Me: Oh bummer, I really wanted a traditional doner sandwich. Okay, I'll come back again soon, thanks. Instead, I'm going to find my doners elsewhere.