Charcoal Kebab Station is a brand new eatery located on Currie Street, close to the corner of King William Street. Their specialty are kebabs in it’s various forms. There is the more traditional charcoal kebabs that come on skewers, which are available in beef, lamb or chicken. Then there is the kebab, which consists of meat and vegetables wrapped in pita bread, which we know here in Adelaide as Yiros. With the Yiros, you have the option of lamb or chicken off the rotisserie, or you can simply have the charcoal skewered meat wrapped in pita bread.

The venue is unique as you need to climb up several steps to get to the main dining area. There is a small area at the front of the premises which is at ground level, and they’ve cleverly converted this space into the main kitchen area where the meats are charcoaled and the yiros meats are cooked. As it forms part of the frontage, customers are able to order their food for takeaway without entering into the store. This small area is also well ventilated and cordoned off from the dining area. This prevents the customers who choose to dine in from smelling like charcoaled meats.

For lunch, I had the Koobideh Kebab, which in this case was ground beef that is mixed with onions, egg, salt and pepper. The meat is marinated for at least several hours and then pressed along metal skewers and then charcoaled. The kebab was served piping hot, and the meat was tender and succulent. The beef had a distinct tartiness which comes from the sumac. For those who don’t know, sumac is a spice from a flower that is commonly used in Middle Eastern cuisine.

The dish came with a Salad Plate which was undressed. The vegetables were nice and crisp, and a perfect accompaniment to all that protein.

The staff were friendly and the service was good. The meal arrived within 10 minutes of ordering and the staff appeared enthusiastic. While I know it was only their second day of opening, a lot of their menu items were not available. The atmosphere was relaxed and their pricing can be reasonable depending on what you get. A Yiros will set you back $9, while their kebabs range from $10-$20 depending on the type and number of kebabs. The dish I had set me back $12 which was a fair price.

Verdict: An interesting addition to the Currie Street area. I think most people will come in here just to try it once.

WHERE: 22 Currie St, Adelaide