Rick Steves Swears By This $5 Street Food When Traveling Europe

You don't need to break your budget to enjoy delicious eats while galavanting through Europe. Writer Rick Steves shares some of the smartest budget food tips for hungry travelers looking to plan meals without excessive spending. In addition to recommending visitors to skip the tourist traps and find traditional local food, Steves encourages sightseers to add stops for kebabs to their Europe itineraries. 

"Of all the international options in Europe, the ubiquitous kebab stand is my favorite," he wrote on Europe's Cheap Eats. "Kiosks selling Turkish-style döner kebab (rotisserie meat wrapped in pita bread), falafel (fried chickpea patties), and other Middle Eastern dishes are popular in many places, including Germany, Florence, and Paris." 

You'll also find stands selling kebabs in countries like Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, and across the U.K., where Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) diaspora populations prosper. Evolved from the Persian term for fried meat, most regional kebab variations involve marinating (often with yogurt, spices, and herbs), skewering, and grilling chicken, lamb, or beef. From the classic döner kebab to the more recently trendy Gemüse kebab — which is made with lots of veggies and sometimes falafel – Steves encourages travelers to try a variety. Serving two people for $5, doing so shouldn't take up too much of your travel budget either. But, he does point out that you'll find more options of higher quality while visiting northern European countries than you will in the south of Europe. 

For example, in an Instagram post about eating and traveling throughout Germany, Steves said that, in addition to döner kebabs and Gemüse kebabs, you can also find variations like "döner teller (on a plate instead of in bread) and döner dürüm (in a thin flatbread wrap, also called dürüm kebab or yufka)." Germany is Europe's kebab capital, and is home to more than 16,000 kebab shops selling virtually every variation possible. "Just as Americans drop by a taco truck for a quick bite, Germans find a kebab stand," wrote Steves in the post's caption. It's followed by the U.K. (where kebabs are often enjoyed as a late-night street food), France, and the Netherlands, where you'll find a lot of healthier variations. 

Your kebab shop experience will differ depending both on the country you're visiting and the shop itself. Those who have followed Steves' advice tend to agree, noting that countries like Spain and Italy have many other fast food options that take precedence among locals. But, one traveler on Steves' community board recalled finding a kebab shop in Vienna, Austria that exceeded their expectations: "As they brought me my doner and fries, I could taste that it was quality ingredients prepared with care." If you're unsure whether a kebab business is reliable, look at the patrons supporting the eatery. Steves indicates that if there's a long line wrapping around a kebab stand, it is a solid sign that the food served there is of consistent quality. 

"The best stands have a busy energy," he wrote for Travel Agent Central. In addition to scoring a filling meal without having to stretch your wallet wide, Steves also recommends trying ayran, a yogurt-based beverage that complements a variety of global kebab styles.