Having passed this place on Rt 46 for some time now, I set out yesterday specifically to stop in and try their product. I had high hopes for one of the best gyros I've ever had with the title "Gyro King" looming overhead on signage.
In the end, it was okay. Best part is the price - $6.99 whether you get lamb or chicken. I wish they offered a beef version, or even better a lamb/beef collaboration. Many places have an upcharge from chicken to beef, so that was appealing.
It was nice to see a full sized pita was used, as I suspected a smaller version at such a price point. I wish they used lamb strips, as the diced pieces are so annoyingly small its tough to get lamb in each bite despite their generous serving spoon full of supply. They have a combo of lettuce, cucumber, tomato and onion in one serving dish, which is convenient for them and a time saver. There is, however, not enough onion in it so I asked or more red onion.
The sauce they use is based on tzatziki sauce I assume, but it didn't have that garlic or cucumber taste I'm looking for, and it was far too thin for purposes of squirting from a bottle. I did see small to-go ramekins of white sauce that looked thicker, so I wonder if true tzatziki sauce is available upon request and perhaps for an upcharge. Next time I will inquire.
My other observation is that the lamb was rather salty to the taste, and I hope this isn't purely to prolong the product from day to day. I don't know how much foot traffic this place takes on on a daily basis, being a specialty gyro/halal establishment. I would imagine it would be advantageous to owners to ensure their meat products are viable as long as possible, but I taste that decision.
The guys behind the counter were super accommodating and nice, and they did serve everything up quickly.
3 stars isn't bad. Here is what can easily make this a 5 star experience, in case the owners happen to read these reviews. It's so easy!
1 - offer meat strips, which is how 95% of other purveyers do. It's a superior product.
2 - red onion slices hold up to biting down better than diced to the point of not being able to see them
3 - just a tad less sodium on the meat. Not much, just a bit less.
4 - more thickness and boutiful flavor for your sauce. I'm specifically referring to cucumber and garlic here. I should stink for hours after consuming one of these!
Nothing I've mentioned has really suggested more ingredients so I would trust the price wouldn't be impacted if any or all of these are brought forwward, so hopefully you can keep this at the $7 price point.
That's it guys, so simple to address this and either way, I will be back for sure.
It was a fine product as is, but you can make it even better.
Sorry, no pictures...I inhaled it too quickly! read more
