Chicago's Gyros and Dogs

I had my first Gyro in a mall in Paducah Kentucky. It was a lackluster affair. We made the 30-minute drive from campus with a fraternity brother who happened to be from Greece. Finding a Gyro in our little west Kentucky college town was not a possibility in 1993.

According to Wikipedia a gyro (Greek: γύρος, gyros, literally ‘turn’) is a Greek dish made of meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie, traditionally pork, or chicken, and outside of Greece with beef, veal or lamb, and usually served wrapped in a flatbread such as pita, with tomato, onion, and tzatziki sauce.

There are a few variables to the Gyro and its success. First is the meat and the seasoning. A good Gyro is a mixture of lamb or veal and beef. Seasoned with marjoram, garlic, rosemary and black pepper it is roasted on a spit continuously. Carving off the crunchy outer layers and soft moist inner for each Gyro. Secondly is the tzatziki sauce. A yogurt and cucumber based sauce that can make or break a great Gyro. Olive oil, yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, and dill. A pinch of salt and a dash of lemon and you have the perfect light topping to the Gyro.

When I worked downtown the old Pug’s Hot Dog joint on Wayne was the place for a great Gyro. They moved to Indian Ripple Road out by the Greene and live now as Chicago’s Gyros and Dogs.  Dollar for dollar this is the best in town. Fresh pitas are hardy and light, it’s a big job to hold all the gyro meat they pile on. A combo comes in at $10.00 with fries and a drink. I love how there is a great mix of the crunchy bits and soft meat in the Gyro. Their tzatziki has a tang to it and I always get an extra for my fries.

ProTip: Order an extra pita, you can split your Gyro into two smaller ones for easier handling.

When I worked out near Wright State, my go-to was Gyro Palace on Airway. It was in the shopping center on the corner of Woodman and Airway/Colonel Glenn. You can now find them at 57 South Springboro Pike near the Dayton Mall. The Greek menu is deeper here and includes stuffed grape leaves, salads, and Moussaka. I’ve never strayed from the oversized Gyro here. The meat is seasoned heavier here and the flavors are bolder in every bite. The tzatziki is creamy and carries a bit more garlic and lemon. Perfect to balance the Gyro meat. I skip the fries and get the Greek salad with olives and feta. The prices here are the lowest on my list, a Gyro platter with two sides is under $7.00. Take your time, sit down and soak it all in. Save room for a piece of baklava.

Honestly, with these two spots in your rotation, you will never have a better Gyro in town. Unless you run into the Greek Street Food Truck. These guys have taken the Gyro to a whole nother level. Find these guys parked near you soon.

The traditional Gyro is tops, but they’ve gone the extra step. Try the Greek Street Gyro, tomato jam and pickled red onion join fresh parsley giving this signature Gyro an upscale feel and flavor. Don’t let the confines of a food truck fool you, they offer your other Greek food favorites as well. Fries, Spanakopita, salads, and stuffed grape leaves are also on the menu. The Lamb gyro will set you back $8.00 but you won’t regret a bit, no one else is carving lamb streetside for your Gyro. For something different, try the shrimp gyro.

A quick Google search brings up more than a dozen joints serving a classic Gyro. I omitted Arby’s and Subway from consideration. There is no shortage of Greek spots to get a good pita besides the ones mentioned here try Gyro Delight on Wilmington, or the Greek Isle Deli in Page Manor Shopping Center.

UPDATE:  The Gyro Room closed in Jan 2018
However, the new kid on the block is The Gyro Room on Brown near UD. Tucked in across the alley from Butter Cafe the Gyro Room is a nice spot for a quick Gyro. Sides are limited to a rice dish and no fries are available. This made me a little sad. The service was fast. Real fast. Which is nice. Unless you like the art of the making of the Gyro. The slicing of the meat off the rotisserie. The Gyro room had 3-4 pounds of meat already sliced and resting in a warming tray to make assembly more efficient. This is good for time, but not so good if you are wanting those crusty and crunchy edge pieces off the spit. They are generous with portions and I opted for the extra pita and split my gyro in two. The flavors didn’t impress me like the friendliness of the staff or the quickness of the service, but it’s still a great stop if you are near campus.

I’m always looking for a new spot north of town and south of town for a great Gyro. Tell us where you go to find yours. Chicken? Beef? Lamb? What’s your Gyro choice and where do you go to get it?