When my dear friend Adelchi Parisella introduced me to Greek food at Gyros Mediterranean back in the early ’80s, I thought to myself “now this is the food of the gods.” As curious as any cat, I naturally researched whether or not the Greek gods of Mount Olympus actually did eat gyros and patates. The only two “foods” I could recall the gods eating were ambrosia and nectar. Research revealed that while ambrosia and nectar were the gods main source of substance, the haughty mythological beings actually consumed other foods, none of which were gyros and patates.
Dionysius, the the god of wine and pleasure and Priapus (a minor rustic fertility God, who protected the male reproductive organs) were fond of figs. Dionysius is also associated with intoxicating and hallucinogenic wine which lured gods and mortals alike to an ecstatic frenzy No one particular god is associated with the lotus, but it must have been popular in that it was unanimously described as a narcotic, which brought about sleep and “forgetfulness.” The’ eleventh labor of Hercules was to steal apples from “the garden of the Hesperides,” The golden and gleaming apples were supposed to grant immortality to those who got to eat them. One myth speaks to pomegranates used by Hades, the god of the underworld, to force Persephone to spend half of her time with him.
The gods of Mount Olympus didn’t have the opportunity to partake of the gyro (the technique of vertical spit of stacked meat slices and slicing it off while cooking)–either the dish or preparation technique. Gyros didn’t actually arrive in Greece until the 1920s, being brought from Constantinople and Smyrna by refugees. Gyros were first first introduced to Americans in 1965 by George Apostolou in the Parkview Restaurant located in Chicago, Illinois. Perhaps if the Greek gods had had gyros, the petulant dieties might still be around.
While the gyro is an internationally beloved food, there are few places where the sandwich is as craved as it is in America. When it comes to the fast food industry, Business Wire reports that Arby’s sells 27 million gyros a year, sourcing its meat right off spit roast rotisseries. Kronos Foods (the world’s largest gyro manufacturer), reports that more than 300,000 gyros made by Kronos are consumed every day in the United States – which equals more than 100 million a year. The gyro has certainly gone mainstream.
Denizens of the Duke City have lovingly embraced the gyro, so much so that you don’t often hear diners ask for green chile. In 2024, scant months after the closure of Yanni’s Mediterranean and Zorba’s Fine Greek Dining, a new gyros option became available in Albuquerque with the launch of Gyro Shack on Eubank. A second location is under construction on San Mateo with aspiration for further growth across the Land of Enchantment. The Eubank location is housed in what used to be a Lotaburger.
According to the restaurant’s website, Gyro Shack was founded by the Zaharioudakis family in Boise, Idaho (increasingly a haven for wonderful ethnic restaurants). The website adds that “Gyro Shack has long been known as a fast, affordable option for delicious Greek food. With recipes based on those lovingly crafted by its founder, the brand continues to corner the market on expedient and uncommonly inventive gyro options that redefine quick-service Mediterranean cuisine.”
Perusing the restaurant’s website, you’ll quickly discern this is no ordinary gyros restaurant. The menu offers options ranging from traditional to unconventional. Every one of those options just makes sense, especially to those of us who embrace a “viva la difference” attitude with adventurous foods. Among the options which make sense are breakfast gyros. “Start the day right with our Greek interpretation of the happiest meal of the day” laden with such ingredients as egg, gyro meat, bacon, Tzatziki sauce, tomato, grilled onion, avocado, cheddar cheese & spicy sauce. Gyros are available in three sizes: original, deluxe and super, each size adorned with different toppings.
Like many popular sandwiches, the gyro follows a standard: combine bread, meat, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and a sauce. Where it differs is that the entire package is served not on conventional bread, but in a wrap of warm pita. Tzatziki, a Greek sauce made from dill and fresh yogurt is the only sauce conceivable. It pairs magically with the gyros meat. For my Kim, the original (Gyro meat, Tzatziki sauce, tomato and onion) will always be the way to go. It’s constructed with familiar ingredients and bears no surprises. She asked for the tomato to be omitted but otherwise this is the type of gyro you’ll find throughout the fruited plain. She did complain that the meat was a bit dry, perhaps overdone but an additional portion of tzatziki helped.
My choice was the Super (Gyro meat, bacon, Tzatziki sauce, hummus, lettuce, tomato, onion, pepperoncini, Kalamata olives, feta and spicy sauce), a super-sized sandwich with super-sized flavors. If “spicy” is intended to mean heavily spiced, the “spicy sauce” on the Super is indeed so. It’s not “spicy” the misnomer often used to describe piquant foods. In fact, rather than piquant, the sauce is rather tart. It pairs well with the garlicky gyro meat but is somewhat redundant with the pepperoncini. The bacon was a surprise. Though bacon normally improves everything it touches, the crispy porcine candy only seemed to add salt.
When we placed our order, our server told us about two daily specials: a green chile stew with gyros meat and burnt ends, also with gyros meat. I asked for a taste of the burnt ends and found them oversauced, but applauded the concept. Both my Kim and I ordered combos which include a medium fountain drink and your choice of: Tzatziki & Pita, Hummus & Pita, Greek Salad, Rice or
Fries. My choice was avgolemono, the Greek lemon chicken soup. It’s a hearty, comforting and silky soup that captured my affection years ago.
Gyros Shack is a welcome addition to Albuquerque’s burgeoning ethnic restaurant scene. We look forward to the day it expands to the city’s west side (or even better, Rio Rancho).
Gyros Shack
2100 Eubank Blvd., N.E.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
(505) 361- 1920
Website |
LATEST VISIT: 12 March 2024
# OF VISITS: 1
RATING: N/R
COST: $$
BEST BET: Avgolemono, The Super, The Original, French Fries
REVIEW #1382
Is the meat cooked on a skewer and then sliced off while you wait/watch? And then served with waaaaay too many raw onions and of course the dill yogurt lemon garlic sauce? If not, this is NOT a real gyro place. You were probably fed frozen gyro meat.