"The King of the Meats" - Kaburgacı Yaşar Usta

The man behind the world's longest Adana Kebab is Yaşar Usta. From a small stand in downtown Adana, Kaburgacı Yaşar Usta has risen to kebab fame.

We walked into a large room with wide-open windows full of people. The smell of spices and sizzling slices of meat lingered in the air. White clouds of heat emerged from the grills as the kebabs and peppers were charred over hot coals for all to see. We had come to Kaburgacı Yaşar Usta for one of Adana’s most famous dishes: Adana Kebab.

Yaşar Usta has worked twenty years to create the mouth-watering kebab and various meat choices that many from near and far come to eat. It was not always this way. His first years as a restaurant owner were filled with struggle. Some days would pass without selling a thing. But perseverance through what seemed like a hopeless time proved to pay off.

He now owns a successful kebab restaurant: a bustling restaurant busy with customers and servers who not only serve food but make sure every need of the customer is satisfied, including taking photos for you and your group.

We had sat down, met the very kind owner, ordered our food and now it was time to eat. So much meat. The dish we ordered was no joke. It came with various meats served on freshly cooked pita with sauces, salads, and toppings. I took a bite of tender, juicy grilled chicken with roasted pepper all being hugged by a warm pita. While the tomato sauce oozed out of the pita and down my hand the flavors in my mouth were anything but boring. It was delicious. Then I moved on to the famous Adana Kebab. As I ate the kebab the soft meat pulled apart and the spices danced in my mouth. That night we ate chicken, kebab, liver, lamb, and beef with smokey flavors as they were just off the grill. If you love meat then eating here is a great choice.

The passion for the food comes from the owner himself. Early in the morning he gets up to get all the ingredients from local stores for the restaurant that day. Then he stays there until it closes. He talked about how he values doing the work himself and working hard for his business.

He works hard on making delicious meat not only for his restaurant but also for his family. At the recent wedding of his son, Yaşar Usta decided to celebrate the day with the world’s longest Adana Kebab. A 60-meter (196 ft.) long kebab to be exact.

Kaburgacı Yaşar Usta has fantastic food matched with great service and is definitely a spot you should stop at in Adana.