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Hungry for: gyros

Brianne Sanchez

Where to cure your tzatziki sauce craving
December 16, 2008

2 comments | Add Your Own

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(Credit: Arturo Fernandez)

The gyro. Whether you pronounce it yee-row, gee-row, gye-row or guy-row, lovers of this Greek sandwich can agree on just calling it delicious. Unfortunately, not all gyros (the correct pronunciation is yee-row, people) are created equal. What makes one great? Mouth-watering meat slow-cooked on a rotating spit, a warm pita — flexibility is key here — with just the right amount of well-balanced tzatziki sauce and a fresh and ample tomato and onion garnish.

Hungry yet? Review your favorite gyro spot on Metromix.

Love Gazali's? Review it now!

Gazali's

1205 25th St. - Des Moines

515-309-9167

The Gazali's gyro rallied my taste buds. The hunks of meat were cooked so that they didn't taste too greasy, and the sandwich was garnished with a thicker sauce (which could use some tweaking) but also onions, slices of juicy tomato and romaine lettuce. This gyro comes served all wrapped up like a burrito, and you can enjoy it in the small but bustling Dogtown storefront where the decor nods to Greek roots, but is contemporary and bright. Gyros come in multiple incarnations here — spicy, as a salad, and as a quesadilla.

Olympic Flame Restaurant

514 E. Grand Ave. - Des Moines

515-243-4361

It took awhile for my gyro to arrive, but when it did it was piled high with thick chunks of lamb. I needed to pick a few pieces off so I wouldn't have to unhinge my jaw before taking a bite. The tomato was pathetic, but there was an ample topping of onion, and enough sauce for me to really need my napkin. The restaurant could have used another server and quicker attention to cleaning off tables, but it was filled with business people on a sunny lunch hour.

Ted's Coney Island Restaurant

3020 Ingersoll Ave. - Des Moines

515-243-8947

The presentation isn't much - it's just a tiny ruffled paper plate - but the homemade sauce, crunchy chopped onions and tomato slices made this gyro taste fresh, despite its greasiness. The tzatziki sauce was light without being too runny, and I even detected tiny chunks of cucumber that sealed the deliciousness. The lamb was thin-sliced, more like a French dip sandwich. This gyro was runner-up in tastiness.

Yanni's Grill & Vineyard

410 S. Ankeny Blvd. - Ankeny

515-965-7802

This is a date-appropriate gyro because you won't have to worry about gloppy sauce dripping from your mouth. The sandwich comes with your choice of a house salad, onion rings or fries. Opt for the greasy side; our gyro arrived topped with a heaping portion of salad mix. This isn't the traditional topping I was hoping for, and there wasn't much sauce, so it just tasted dry. The meat was thin-sliced and the pita was warm and had a dusting of tasty herbs on it. This was the spiciest gyro I tried.

Saraj

3811 Douglas Ave. - Des Moines

515-255-1133

This cozy Bosnian restaurant opened in August of 2008. The owners are friendly and willing to explain dishes to customers new to Bosnian food. They also serve gyros and Kosher food and bake fresh breads in-house.

Mr. Filet Steakhouse

510 Seventh St. - Des Moines

515-244-4600

Mr. Filet Steakhouse has been around since 1967, but there's a good chance you don't know where it is. The low-key restaurant hidden beneath a parking garage in downtown Des Moines is perfect for a quick steak lunch, and they serve a mean, dirt-cheap breakfast. Mr. Filet is a no-frills kind of place. They know hungry downtown workers are more interested in a good, cheap meal than dining room atmosphere. The place has an old-school feel to it, from the red brick walls behind the counter to the talkative wait staff and cooks.

Adonis Mediterranean Bistro

5525 Mills Civic Parkway - West Des Moines

515-564-7335

Gazali\'s Restaurant owner Mario Gazali and his counsin Tony Rehayel want to show Des Moines there\'s more to Mediterranean food than just gyros and flafel. Their new restaurant, Adonis Mediterranean Bistro, should do the trick.

Pita Pit

113 Iowa Ave. - Iowa City

319-351-7482

The motto at Pita Pit is "fresh thinking, healthy eating." Stop in for a delicious and nutritious pita. They serve up a number of different pitas, with a variety of meat or vegetarian options to choose from.

Aladdin Restaurant

2419 Second St. - Coralville

319-337-4101

Aladdin is a small, informal lunch or light dinner restaurant located in a strip mall close to the Coral Ridge Mall. Gyros and kabobs are popular items, but Middle Eastern food from all over the region is available.

Found the greatest gryo in all the land? Go ahead and review it right here on Metromix. Know of a great place to get gyros that we missed? Leave 'em in the comments and we'll add it to our roundup.

What other people are saying...

2 comments | Add Your Own

Aardvark from Merle Hay - December 21, 2008 at 12:31 AM

were at Adonis... that place is amazing... great food and service.. definitely worth the trip.

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aroger from Beaverdale - December 17, 2008 at 7:01 PM

Had Saraj's gyro yesterday and it was amazing. First off, its large but not huge. Had to eat a third of it before I could handle it with the pita. ...

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