Here’s something I didn’t expect: Spitz started as a döner kebab concept in downtown Salt Lake, but the West Valley City location quietly became the spot where I started bringing people who’d never had a proper döner in their lives. The flatbread they use isn’t pita from a bag — it’s made fresh, and it has this chew to it that changes everything about how the whole sandwich eats.
The first reason I keep going back is the döner itself. You pick your protein — chicken, beef-lamb blend, falafel — and they shave it off a vertical spit, then layer it into the flatbread with cabbage, tomato, feta, pickled onions, and whatever sauces you want. The garlic aioli is the move. It sounds like a lot of components, but it coheres in a way that feels intentional rather than thrown together. My order is the Döner with beef-lamb, garlic aioli, and a squeeze of harissa on the side. Under twelve dollars, and I’m full for the next four hours.
Second reason: the fries. They’re thin, crispy, and come dusted with this house seasoning that’s somewhere between za’atar and something I can’t fully identify but always want more of. You can get them loaded with lamb and tzatziki if you want to make it a whole project, and I’ve done that on more than one occasion when I wasn’t feeling the sandwich. It’s a good call.
The space at the West Valley location sits off 3500 South, and it’s quieter than the downtown original — easier to find parking, easier to get a table on a weekday lunch. The room is casual, counter-service, nothing fancy about it. They’ve got a few booths, good lighting that doesn’t make everyone look terrible, and a playlist that runs toward indie and electronic without being obnoxious about it. It’s the kind of place where you can actually have a conversation.
Third reason, and this one matters more than it sounds: the falafel option is genuinely good. A lot of places treat falafel as the sad default for vegetarians, but Spitz makes theirs with real texture — crispy outside, herb-forward inside, not the chalky dried-out version you’ve had at other spots. If you’re going with someone who doesn’t eat meat, you’re not doing them a disservice by suggesting this place.
I usually go for lunch on a weekday when the line is short. Weekend evenings get busier and the wait at the counter can stretch. Budget around ten to fifteen dollars per person, more if you add a loaded fry or one of their lemonade drinks. They do have alcohol on the menu — local beers, nothing elaborate — which isn’t always a given in this part of the valley.
Spitz isn’t trying to be anything other than what it is: a straightforward, well-executed Mediterranean street food spot with enough variety that I’ve never gotten bored of the menu. That’s harder to pull off than it looks.
