What is it: King of Donair, fondly known as “K.O.D.,” is a small takeout shop on Quinpool Road, where you can taste the original Halifax donair. Why go: In 2015, the mayor of Halifax brought this late-night takeout indulgence from cult status to mainstream fame when he declared the donair Halifax’s official food. The secret is in the sweet sauce, a Halifax-only recipe created in 1973.

Just 10 minutes drive west of Downtown Halifax, the West End is known for its no-frills culinary gems like King Of Donair and Phil’s Seafood along Quinpool Road, and its giant shopping malls. Halifax Shopping Centre is here, spanning both sides of Mumford Road, and there’s a flourishing retail district along Dutch Village Road. Though West End lacks mainstream attractions, Fairview Lawn Cemetery in the northern section of the district contains a poignant section dedicated to victims of the Titanic disaster – the cruise liner sank off Nova Scotia in 1912, and some 121 passengers were buried here.

A favourite of the late, great Anthony Bourdain, dropping into one of Halifax’s King of Donair locations to chow down on one of their famous donairs should be one of your first stops in downtown Halifax. The chain has been serving up their meaty wraps since 1973, and the combination of tomato, onion, meat and a special sauce has since elevated it to legend status in the area. In fact, the chain has experimented with pop-up shops in other areas of the country such as Calgary, where there were so many people rushing to get their hands on one that the lineup wrapped around the block for hours.

King of Donair (or KOD as the locals call it) is a classic place to get the Halifax version of an iconic Greek and Turkish street food snack. The Halifax donair was introduced by a Greek immigrant restaurant owner in the 1970s who tweaked the Southern European snack to suit local tastes. Spit roasted shaved beef, tomatoes, and onions are doused with Halifax’s signature tangy, sweet donair sauce – a concoction of sweetened condensed milk, vinegar, and garlic.

One of the best places to experience a Halifax donair is undoubtedly King of Donair on Quinpool Road, which claims to be the first donair shop in Canada and was once endorsed by the legendary Anthony Bourdain. Other notable spots include Johnny K’s Authentic Donairs and Tony’s Donair & Pizza. These establishments have kept the original Halifax donair tradition alive, earning accolades from locals and tourists alike.

Here are some suggestions: King Of Donair Johnny K’s Authentic Donairs Xtreme Pizza Meat Paste Egg Rolls This is one that’s always puzzled me when people come to visit from away, and they don’t get why the egg rolls are different. It turns out that this great way to have egg rolls is very much a Nova Scotian thing, and mainly Halifax. Most egg rolls have shredded cabbage and chopped meat, which are good too.

King of Donair // home to the official food of Halifax: the donair!. It’s similar to what we would know as a donor kebab, except with spiced beef instead of lamb, and the sauce is a little sweeter than you’d expect. Otherwise, it’s largely the same: meat cooked on a spit, shaved into a warmed pita, doused in a moreish garlic sauce, and garnished with onions & tomatoes etc.; it’s so delicious!.

You can’t travel to Halifax without devouring its official food, the donair. While King of Donair’s once viral 24/7 live stream of spinning meat has stopped, the love for this dish definitely has not. This spot is known as “Canada’s Original Donair since 1973,” so you know it’s been around that long for good reason.

King of Donair 1580 Grafton St t 902 422 0000, w kingofdonair.ca. The mini-chain that claims to have started the donair craze back in the 1970s still knocks out some of the best ($4.99–10.99), as well as donair pizza (from $9.99). Mon–Wed & Sun 10am–2am, Thurs–Sat 10am–4am.

The King of Donair is made for those of us who love pizza and a good kick of spiced meat. This spot is legendary for its donairs, and if you haven’t tried one yet, you’re seriously missing out. When you walk in, the aroma of sizzling meat and warm pita hits you.

This is an iconic dish of a spit-roasted shaved beef pita filled with tomatoes, onions, and their signature sauce. This was our first stop from the airport when we arrived for a late-night snack. Tony’s Donair is also a local favourite.

You can pick up a donair at plenty of places across the city, including Tony’s Famous Donairs & Pizza on Robie Street, Randy’s Pizza & Donair on Agricola Street, and King of Donair on Quinpool Road.

Last year, the Halifax street food favourite King of Donair announced that they opened a store in Edmonton. It now has three Alberta locations, as well as a location in Saskatoon, Sask.