Kebab culture is awesome.

Sadly, it's not as prominent in the US. Our idea of late-night fast food consists of far more burgers, pizza, and Waffle House. But in Europe, kebabs and related food are all the rage.

I've tried most variants of meat, lettuce, tomato, sauce, bread, fries, and cheese offered in Europe and the Middle East. Some are better than others. The following are my personal kebab rankings.

10. Souvlaki
    Found in: Greece
    Souvlaki is similar to a gyro except the chunks of meat are thicker like something you'd be served on a stick. The advantages of souvlaki are the fries and tzatziki served in the pita.
    
    However, I'm not the biggest fan of the thicker meat, so it's at the bottom of my go-to list when hunting for food in Greece.
    

9. Doner kebab
   Found in: Everywhere
   The OG sandwich found across Europe was invented and popularized by Turkish immigrants in Germany. It includes thinly sliced meat, thick bread, and sauce and veggies of your choosing. It's the most common kebab offering, however, it's not my favorite because I don't love the thick bread.
   
   Nonetheless, it's hard not to tip my cap to the meal that started it all. In Europe at least.
   

8. Kebab/Gyro Platter
   Found in: Everywhere
   If you're looking for the best source of protein with fewer carbs, opt for the platter. You'll get 2-3x the meat, and all the other ingredients on the side, including fries, small pita bread, sauce, and veggies.
   
   The one downside of this meal is that it's usually more expensive than any other offerings–that meat costs money!
   

7. Gyro
   Found in: Greece, Cyprus, and the Balkans. The further from Greece, the worse they get.
   I unashamedly had this at least once a day in Greece. Like souvlaki, you get fries and tzatziki inside the pita. But you get the same thinly cut meat as a kebab. Deliciousness.
   
   If I had to critique the gyro, it's smaller than other options. But instead of critiquing, I just buy two!
   

6. Kebab–Turkish Pita
   Found in: the Netherlands and sprinkled throughout the rest of Europe
   The Turkish Pita has the advantage of having more flavor in the bread than the normal kebab. Plus, the bread is thinner, which I prefer. It's not as common as other offerings on this list, but given the chance, I'd choose it over a regular kebab every day of the week.
   

5. Gyro–Cyprus Pita
   Found in: Cyprus, Greece
   It's the exact same as a regular gyro, but bigger! Thus, you can get filled up on just one. I'm a big fan of the Cypriot gyro for that reason. I wish they were more accessible throughout Europe–a Greek restaurant outside Greece is unlikely to offer them. Even inside of Greece, it can be quite rare.
   
   However, head to Cyprus to enjoy their spin on traditional Greek food!
   

4. Shawarma/Durum
   Found in: Everywhere
   The name might change depending on the region, but this is my most common go-to kebab order because it's my top-rated, widely accessible option.
   
   Consisting of the same ingredients as a kebab, it's served in a very thin tortilla, rather than the thicker bread from some of the earlier options. That means they fit more meat in the wrap which is a win for my taste buds.
   
   I'm especially a fan of the shawarma in Eastern Europe–they offer massive servings in Prague and Poland.
   

3. Gyro–Arabic Pita
   Found in: Greece
   A gyro in an Arabic pita is almost identical to shawarma–it has the same quantities of meat, lettuce, and tomato wrapped in a thin tortilla. But it also has the fries and tzatziki that make me more biased to gyros than kebabs.
   
   Sadly, I've only ever found these in Greece, or I'd eat them daily like shawarma.
   

2. French Tacos
   Found in: France
   I'm genuinely puzzled why France has exported croissants and baguettes, but not French tacos. They are amazing. It has all the gyro ingredients in the thin tortilla that I love. But you can customize the sauce any way you'd like and they melt some cheese onto the tortilla before passing the creation to a panini press.
   
   The result? Cheesy, meaty goodness that never gets old. I go out of my way to get a French taco whenever I'm in France.
   

1. Kapsalon
   Found in: the Netherlands, sprinkled throughout the rest of Europe
   The first time I tried Kapsalon was after running a marathon PR, so it was bound to hit different.
   
   But there's nothing not to like about this dish. It's served in an aluminum container with all the typical gyro ingredients–meat, lettuce, tomato, fries, and sauce. However, there's no bread. Instead, the dish is covered in its container by a layer of melted cheese, keeping everything nice and warm until you dig in and demolish it.
   
   It's the ultimate late-night food, and my go-to whenever I'm lucky enough to stumble across it. I suggest you do the same.

What do you think? Any variants you would add or change? Let me know in the comments!