A kebab after a long day is a Basildon tradition older than the town's roundabouts, and it deserves better than a guess. We've collected the kebab shops and Turkish grill restaurants around Basildon, Pitsea, Wickford and Billericay (SS11 to SS16, plus CM11 and CM12), all still open, and ranked them by Google rating, with review count breaking ties. Anything that isn't really a kebab place has been left out, and nobody paid to be here. No invented quotes, just numbers and banter.
Basildon Turkish Grill
Highest-rated in the guide
430 Whitmore Way, Basildon SS14 2HB
Get directionsBasildon Turkish Grill, on Whitmore Way, tops the kebab table with 4.7 stars from 239 Google reviews. The scrape gave us no topic mentions, so we won't invent a favourite dish, but a rating like that on a takeaway is not easy to come by. Nobody in Basildon is short of a kebab shop, and this is the one they rated highest.
Phone 01268 293309.
Menad
7 High St, Billericay CM12 9BE
Get directionsMenad, at 7 High Street in Billericay, has 4.6 stars from 326 Google reviews. Friendly chef is mentioned in 5, moussaka main in 4, and chicken shish, lamb chops and freshly cooked food in 3 or 4 each. Open noon to 11 pm on Tuesdays. A Turkish restaurant that gets called friendly a lot, and you can't ask more.
Phone 01277 651177.
Opening hours (from Google): Tuesday 12–11 pm; Wednesday 12–11 pm; Thursday 12–11 pm; Friday 12 pm–12 am; Saturday 12 pm–12 am; Sunday 12 pm–12 am; Monday 12–11 pm.
Basildon Chef
102 Rectory Rd, Pitsea, Basildon SS13 2AH
Get directionsBasildon Chef, on Rectory Road in Pitsea, has 4.6 stars from 274 Google reviews. Chicken doner is mentioned in 11, lamb shish in 9, donner meat in 7 and online ordering in 4. Tuesday hours run 12:30 to 11 pm. A name that sets the bar high, and a Pitsea kebab shop that seems to meet it.
Phone 01268 558759.
Opening hours (from Google): Tuesday 12:30–11 pm; Wednesday 12:30–11 pm; Thursday 12:30–11 pm; Friday 12:30 pm–12 am; Saturday 12:30 pm–12 am; Sunday 1–10:30 pm; Monday 12:30–11 pm.
Super Kebab
Napier Cl, Basildon SS14 1JA
Get directionsSuper Kebab, on Napier Close in Basildon, has 4.6 stars from 60 Google reviews. Friendly staff get 23 mentions, which for a shop of this size is impressive, with chips in 4 and large portions, chicken kebab and chatty staff in 3 each. Open 5 to 11 pm on Tuesdays. A name that claims a lot and the reviewers back it up.
Phone 07748 526428.
Opening hours (from Google): Tuesday 5–11 pm; Wednesday 5–11 pm; Thursday 5–11 pm; Friday 5–11 pm; Saturday 5–11 pm; Sunday 5–11 pm; Monday Closed.
Buzz Kitchen Basildon
Festival Way, Basildon SS14 3WB
Get directionsBuzz Kitchen Basildon, on Festival Way, has 4.5 stars from 975 Google reviews. Cocktails get 38 mentions, live music 27, live singer 14, and lamb chops 10 and mixed grill 13. It's open noon to 10 pm every day. This is a Turkish restaurant with a show, and the reviewers are having a great time.
Phone 01268 522554.
Opening hours (from Google): Tuesday 12–10 pm; Wednesday 12–10 pm; Thursday 12–10 pm; Friday 12–10 pm; Saturday 12–10 pm; Sunday 12–10 pm; Monday 12–10 pm.
Essex BBQ
69 The Gore, Basildon SS14 2DD
Get directionsEssex BBQ, at The Gore in Basildon, has 4.5 stars from 178 Google reviews. Doner is mentioned in 10, lamb shish in 7, chicken shish in 6 and chilli sauce in 5, and it opens noon to 11 pm daily. A shop that seems to get the classics right and the sauce as well. The name is a proud one.
Phone 01268 263591.
Opening hours (from Google): Tuesday 12–11 pm; Wednesday 12–11 pm; Thursday 12–11 pm; Friday 12–11 pm; Saturday 12–11 pm; Sunday 12–11 pm; Monday 12–11 pm.
Pitsea Kebab & Grill
14 Station Ln, Pitsea, Basildon SS13 3BG
Get directionsPitsea Kebab & Grill, on Station Lane, has 4.5 stars from 137 Google reviews. A good salad selection is mentioned in 8 reviews, fresh salad in 3, friendly staff in 11 and portion size in 5, so it's a kebab with actual vegetables. Tuesday hours are 4 to 11 pm. Pitsea's well covered.
Phone 01268 555556.
Opening hours (from Google): Tuesday 4–11 pm; Wednesday 4–11 pm; Thursday 4–11 pm; Friday 3 pm–12 am; Saturday 3 pm–12 am; Sunday 4–11 pm; Monday 4–11 pm.
Basildon Kebab van
Nether Mayne, Basildon SS16 5NN
Get directionsBasildon Kebab van has 4.5 stars from 84 Google reviews, and reviewers describe it as a kebab van in 4. Tasty food comes up in 5, generous portions in 4, polite staff in 4 and chicken kebab in 3. It opens 5 pm to midnight on Tuesdays. Late-night, van-style and warmly reviewed.
Phone 07377 297920.
Opening hours (from Google): Tuesday 5 pm–12 am; Wednesday 5 pm–12 am; Thursday 5 pm–12 am; Friday 5 pm–2:30 am; Saturday 5 pm–2:30 am; Sunday 5 pm–12 am; Monday 5 pm–12 am.
WATERMILL KEBABS BURGERS & WRAPS
Felmores, Northlands Park, Basildon SS13 1SD
Get directionsWATERMILL KEBABS BURGERS & WRAPS, at Felmores in Northlands Park, has 4.5 stars from 51 Google reviews. Kebabs get 13 mentions, friendly staff 10, kebab van 6 and burgers 4, with a wait time in 3. Open 5 to 11 pm Tuesday. A lot packed into a name, and a lot of happy reviewers packed into a small number.
Phone 01268 111111.
Opening hours (from Google): Tuesday 5–11 pm; Wednesday 5–11 pm; Thursday 5–11 pm; Friday 5 pm–12 am; Saturday 5 pm–12 am; Sunday 5–11 pm; Monday 5–11 pm.
The Best Kebab Basildon
Crompton Cl, Basildon SS14 3AY
Get directionsThe Best Kebab Basildon, on Crompton Close, has 4.4 stars from 108 Google reviews. Friendly staff get 27 mentions, portions 10, and wraps, doner, freshness and salad a few each. Open 5 to 11 pm on Tuesdays. It's a bold name to put on a shop, and reviewers seem happy to let it stand.
Phone 07776 103405.
Opening hours (from Google): Tuesday 5–11 pm; Wednesday 5–11 pm; Thursday 5–11 pm; Friday 5 pm–1 am; Saturday 5 pm–1 am; Sunday 5–11 pm; Monday Closed.
Deniz Restaurant
59 Southernhay, Basildon SS14 1EU
Get directionsDeniz Restaurant, on Southernhay in Basildon, has 4.3 stars from 770 Google reviews. Grill food is mentioned in 8, kids food in 6, chicken shish in 5, and lamb shish kebab, lamb doner and calamari in 3 apiece. A sit-down Turkish restaurant with plenty of reviews behind it, and a place for the whole family.
Phone 01268 916523.
Mangal Express
1 Radford Way, Billericay CM12 0AA
Get directionsMangal Express, on Radford Way in Billericay, has 4.3 stars from 128 Google reviews. It's open 4 to 10 pm on Tuesdays, and the scrape didn't give us dishes, but the rating is a solid one. A Billericay kebab shop that rounds out the top twelve, and a name that promises speed.
Phone 01277 625577.
Opening hours (from Google): Tuesday 4–10 pm; Wednesday 4–10 pm; Thursday 4–10 pm; Friday 4–10 pm; Saturday 4–10 pm; Sunday 4–10 pm; Monday 4–10 pm.
That's the twelve. Ratings and review counts are Google's and were right when we checked, but they do move, so if a place is a whisker behind the one above, give it a go. Between them you'll find vans, grills, sit-down Turkish restaurants and at least one live singer. If you own one of these and want a detail changed, use the contact page and we'll sort it.