Adam B.
Yelp
I have been on a quest to find a gyro sandwich here in the states, as I had in the little shoppes of Greece. To say that my quest is a bit of a fool's errand is an understatement. Each time I pass by a shoppe with a spinning rotisserie of meat, I pop in ... sometimes after having already eaten a full meal ... just to ensure with a few bites, at least, that I did not pass by my eventual US gyro soulmate. Alas ... I still have not found a gyro that compares to Greece. But this place is as close as I've come!
I've had gyros in Los Angeles, Massachusetts, NYC, Long Island, Florida, etc. and on a scale of 1 to 10, my results have usually not moved past a 5. (1 being high school cafeteria ... 10 being Athens) I'd rate this spot a solid 7, maybe an 8. The shoppe has 3 meats ... pork (my go-to), chicken, and lamb/beef mix. The rotisserie are spinning and the meat looks favourful. I got a single gyro as for the New Year, I have vowed to take off the 'quarantine fifteen' I've put on since the lockdown thanks to takeout and washing my travel frustrations away in beer and whiskey.
These gyros come with french fries already in them. That's a plus ... many spots you have to beg for them to put a few fries on, or pay extra for a whole order of fries and do it yourself. The fries are fantastic. Stay with me on this thought ... when McDonalds fries are on point (which sadly is 10-20% of the time) they are fantastic and amazing. Crispy, salty, savoury. These fries are like 'on point' McDonalds fries, only thicker. Perfectly seasoned and crispy. You'll likely have to eat a few off the top before being able to close the gyro, which is a bonus.
The meat ... well, I came an hour before closing ... so I am sure earlier in the day it would be better than what I got. It was a little dry and rubbery. But ... the flavour was still good and when it's sliced off the actual rotisserie vs. kept in a bin pre-cut, it would be one step above. I think the biggest reason why Greek gyros are so much better is because the meat is fresh sliced off the rotisserie vs. the US. I blame Chipotle for instituting this habit.
The tsaziki sauce is the star of the show. I can't tell you how many gyros I've thrown out after one bite because the tsaziki sauce sucked. I've seen basically sour cream with chives, watery weird sugary paste, etc. at other places. Here it has the consistency and sourness of a good Greek yogurt mixed with spices and garlic that give the sandwich a great taste. The tomatoes are fresh. Next time I will ask for some diced cucumbers, which are a sort of non-standard item but my favourite gyro stand in Rhodes made them this way and it stuck.
The shoppe is basically a typical New England pizza shoppe. Sort of stuck in the 70's or 80's decorwise ... no seating ... but a friendly staff who you could tell appreciated the business during these crazy times. The staff was friendly and polite, even though I came in an hour before closing time and they were starting their close down routine, they still made me a heck of a gyro.
Being so close to Boston, I was surprised that it was fairly inexpensive. For $9 you get a fresh tasting authentic gyro. A big appetite might be left a bit hungry if not ordering a side or dessert. Woukd I pay 25% more for a 25% bigger gyro? Heck yeah!! But judging by some of the other reviews on here, it seems like there are a lot of small, in shape females eating here ... so I am sure a Chipotle-sized loaded gyro would not appeal to the masses.
I will certainly be back when in the area. A good Gyro is so hard to find ... if you've only had the typical weird reheated strips of meat that comes in one flavour, "gyro" at your local pizza shoppe, ypu haven't really had a gyro until you've had something like this. Great job in restoring my faith in gyro humanity here in the US!