Family opens Rimmels in University Place serving authentic German street food
The original German Döner and the kids meal is photographed at Rimmels Original German Döner in Orem on Monday, Sept. 26, 2017. Sammy Jo Hester, Daily Herald
Bratwurst and Currywurst are photographed at Rimmels Original German Döner in Orem on Monday, Sept. 26, 2017. Sammy Jo Hester, Daily Herald
German Döner is photographed at Rimmels Original German Döner in Orem on Monday, Sept. 26, 2017. Sammy Jo Hester, Daily Herald
Bratwurst and Currywurst are photographed at Rimmels Original German Döner in Orem on Monday, Sept. 26, 2017. Sammy Jo Hester, Daily Herald
German Döner is photographed at Rimmels Original German Döner in Orem on Monday, Sept. 26, 2017. Sammy Jo Hester, Daily Herald
Food is the gateway to a culture, and Utah County is fortunate to have many cultures from across the world represented by local restaurateurs.
It helps that we have a well-traveled population.
Travels-wise, I’ve yet to make it to the most popular destinations in Europe, like Great Britain, France, Italy and Germany.
So, when we found a new restaurant opened up in Orem’s University Place mall featuring authentic German food, it offered a brand new experience for me.
However, for those familiar with German food, I’ve seen quite a bit of chatter online surrounding the opening of Rimmels Original German Döner.
If you’re like me, you might be unfamiliar with the word “döner,” but that can be quickly rectified. The family members who own the restaurant and just relocated to Utah from Germany were patient enough to give me a rundown on Rimmels’ menu.
It turns out if you’ve tried kebab in other countries, a Greek gyro or perhaps visited Middle Eastern restaurants and eaten some delicious schwarma, you’ll find German döner falls in the same food family, and applies its own culture’s popular take.
Rimmels serves some delicious döner kebab. Operations have been going for less than a month at this point, and it adds to the growing international options at University Place’s food court. In fact, a couple of the area’s newest food operations have opened shop in malls this year and have been some of our favorites, redefining what it means to eat at a food court.
Rimmels’ menu is fairly succinct, focusing on a few key options, which is why I believe the döner tastes as delicious as it does. The delivery of the döner is available in a few different options: original, wrap, box and upsized versions (or cute, small ones for kids).
For the base, you can choose between flatbread, a tortilla or fries, after which you select your meat. Rimmels’ beef and lamb mixture is approximately 7 or 8 percent lamb, allowing the meat to be more moist, according to the owners as I filed through the order line. Chicken and veggie meatballs are also available as protein options. After you select your base and meat, there are a variety of fresh toppings and vegetables to fill your flatbread or tortilla — toppings like green and red cabbage, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions or jalapeños. It’s complete once you top it off with a sauce. We tried the Tzatziki (which I am familiar with from Middle Eastern dishes, as well as the Paprika and enjoyed them both. Beyond those two sauces there is also a yogurt-based sauce, Scharfe (that is more traditional) and Ranch.
Rimmels also serves Bratwurst, Currywurst and Döner Salad or Veggie Meatball Salad. While I don’t particularly have the taste for bratwurst (like some who might be averse to roasted brussel sprouts), the imported German mustard that you can order with the bratwurst was tasty and worth the extra 50 cents. The bread roll, or Brötchen, was definitely substantial enough to hold the bratwurst, though perhaps it could have been a little less dense.
The Currywurst was possibly the most unique dish of the whole meal and menu. Diced bratwurst was topped with a sauce including curry powder, served warm, which I can see some diners finding appealing on these upcoming chilly Utah days.
The Pommes, also known as fries, have a slightly different texture about them, though I couldn’t quite pin it. I imagine when combined with the meat in the Döner Box, it would be an American dream and quite a bit more elevated than chili fries.
With its solid döner kebab offerings, I’m excited to welcome another culture and its offerings to Utah County.
Rimmels
Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Price: $1-$11.99
Info: https://www.facebook.com/Eat.Rimmels/