Inside Spitz Mediterranean Street Food on North Killingsworth. (Samantha Bakall/Oregonlive)



By SAMANTHA BAKALL

The Oregonian | OregonLive

In March, Spitz Mediterranean Street Food, a Los Angeles-based chain centered on Turkish spit-roasted meats, opened its first Portland location.



The 110-seat, fast-casual space took over the former New American restaurant on North Killingsworth, with a menu of wraps, salads and crowd-pleaser drinks under blaring club jams.



The 10th outpost of this chain, which also has shops in Los Angeles, San Diego, Salt Lake City and Minneapolis, is a welcome addition to this stretch of North Portland that often feels in need of just one more restaurant.



First-time visitors should know Spitz is counter-service, which can be confusing to discover with the register near the back of the space.



We love the location next to The Old Gold, where you can stop for a whiskey before (or after) your meal at Spitz.

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Inside Spitz Mediterranean Street Food on North Killingsworth (Samantha Bakall/OregonLive)



The dish: The menu revolves around doner kebab, the Turkish vertical spit-roasted meats similar to schwarma or gyros.



At Spitz, a choice of beef and lamb, chicken, mixed meat or falafel can be combined into a half-dozen wraps and sandwiches. The "most popular," the street car doner, wraps your choice of meat (we went for the recommended beef and lamb) with garlic aioli, lavash chips, romaine, cabbage and tzatziki in a thin pita. The wrap is surprisingly good, the meat well-seasoned and every bite balanced and flavorful.



The street cart fries -- topped with feta, pepperoncini, olives and a drizzle of garlic aioli -- were extra crispy and addicting. Paired with a pint of beer, this is a great happy hour snack.



Elsewhere on the menu, the garden bowl with tahini and dill quinoa offers a nice balance to a meat-heavy meal, although not the most exciting. We opted for the crispy falafel, here well-fried and spiked with cinnamon and clove. The rest of the bowl, basically raw veggies and underdressed quinoa with a fat dollop of hummus, felt more like a party veggie tray than a salad.

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The street cart fries with feta, pepperoncini, olives and garlic aioli. (Samantha Bakall/OregonLive)



The takeaway: Find loud club bangerz, a solid beer list and good doner kebab at the first Portland location of this LA-based doner chain.



Sample menu: Street cart doner wrap ($9.25-$9.75), street cart fries ($8.50), garden bowl ($12), fried pita strips with hummus ($4-$6)

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The street cart doner with beef and lamb (Samantha Bakall/OregonLive)



Drinks: Cocktails that go down easy ($8-$10), red, white and pink sangrias ($7), cheladas ($7), beer on tap ($5-$6)



Go: For a quick dinner before a night at The Old Gold.

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The rose sangria at Spitz Mediterranean Street Food (Samantha Bakall/OregonLive)



Details: Lunch and dinner daily, 2103 N. Killingsworth St., 503-954-3601, spitzpdx.com

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