I’m very tempted to give a Greek Gyro place a try. This place has been a tradition in my city for decades.
Biggest concern is whether it’s spicy? My last scope procedure found irritation in my esophagus and I can’t handle spicy. Even with omeprazole, spicy foods give me very bad heartburn and usually comes back up.
Lamb, beef at less authentic places. Lamb is a dividing taste, but I like it. It’s a variation of kebab meat. Thick cut, not at all like deli meat. Meat is spiced, but hardly spicy at most places. Wikipedia tells me it’s often stuff like paprika, regular pepper, garlic powder.
The pita can be very thick or thinner. Drenched in tzatziki. I like the taste so I don’t consider it bland, but it’s not strong at all. The strongest part of it is dill. Yogurt-y? Other cultures have similar stuff you may have tried, like raita.
Just pronounce it the way it sounds and they’ll know what you mean. It’s a little spicy and has an herb-y yogurt based sauce and vegetables. Just get one and try it.
I love them.
It’s kind of an unique taste, I wouldn’t call it spicy.
I think the best thing you can do is try one. Give it a few bites. The first bite I took wasn’t so good but then the flavors melt together and well they are yummy.
I’ve had them with lamb but I’ve seen places sell a chicken version. Then it’s your typical lettuce, tomato, raw onion. The feta cheese adds a salty taste that really blends well with the sauce. I don’t like cucumbers or yogurt, but I love the sauce, it’s kind of cool and refreshing in contrast to the feta.
I think it’s the blend of all those ingredients that make them so tasty.
Try one, the worst that can happen is you don’t like it and you wasted a few bucks.
I’ve always heard the meat is a combo of ground beef and lamb, and that’s about what it tastes like to me. With lots of garlic. If garlic sets you off, stay away. Otherwise, you should be fine.
ETA: Ah, but noting the entry on the U.S, perhaps not so unusual. I guess I’m spoiled in that spit-roasted al pastor at least is readily available locally.
It varies from place to place, could be just lamb or just beef, or a combo. Combo seems to be the most popular; I’m fine with anything other than all-beef.
Or doner kebab. There are a lot of similarities in the cuisines of the eastern Mediterranean: “gyro” is the Greek name, “döner kebap” the Turkish name, and “shawarma” the Arabic name for the same kind of lamb sandwich.
Most of the places where I get them the lamb is sliced off a spit. The sub shop down the street uses something more like they use on a steak sub only thicker. It’s not as good as the real thing but it’s good enough.
I’ve never seen ground anything on a gyro.
There was a wonderful Onion article about Northern Cyprus that showed the Green Line going through the middle of a restaurant. On one side it said “Gyros” and the other said “Kebabs.” Now that I think about it, it might have been in the Onion atlas book, Our Dumb World.
