Where Gyro Meat Is Born

Published on Thursday, September 9, 2010, by James Norton / Edit Post

The food blog for Washington City Paper reports on a new Greek joint in Bethesda called Yamas Mediterranean Grill and inadvertently points out a widely known but rarely contemplated fact about the gyros we eat coast to coast: They're mostly frozen and from Chicago. The story's opener:

"Chances are, if you bought a gyro lately, you bit into compressed meat processed in some cold, mechanized Chicago plant and then trucked frozen to your friendly Greek sandwich shop just around the corner." In contrast, Yamas makes its own gyro rotisserie two or three times daily.

The owners "hired Turkish chef Mediha Keler and taught her the Greek way of producing gyro meat: Keler marinates freshly sliced beef and lamb overnight in lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh herbs and spices and then painstakingly builds the gyro towers for each day’s service."

Man, does that sound terrific. It should be a clarion call to the next gyro place to open anywhere in this country that wants to make a local splash.

Image source: Flickr member @joefoodie under Creative Commons

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  • These are not real gyros any more than Taco Bell are real tacos. You will not find this frozen processed mystery meat cone junk in Greece.

  • I eat souvlaki; which is pieces of lamb and beef; marinated in fresh grated onion,lemon juice, olive oil and herbs. Spear the meat on a stick and grill. Serve on a fresh baked naan or pita, tomato, kefaoltiri cheese and some goat milk yogurt...wait! Y'all must be city rats? Taco bell for some real Mexican food?

  • The gyros in the above picture is a grecian delight gyros which can be found at skippys gyros in roselle, illinois. the best!

  • Best Chicago gyro I've had: the Parthenon on Halsted. Incidentally, Bill and Chris Liakuros, the owners, invented the gyro, although I understand that something similar existed in Greece, Turkey, etc. before that.

  • Best Chicago gyro I've had: Mangi's on Lincoln Ave and Grace. Not sure if they still do this, but they used to shave the meat fresh, and then put it on the grill for a moment to crisp up the outside a bit more.

    Man, now I want a gyro.

  • Stay away from those gyro cones passed off as "meat", they are highly proccessed. You'll never see that in Greece. The places that layer it themselves (or at least a 3rd party) is what you want.

  • Seasoned marinated meat is part of the factory production process too. Anyone who would take the time to hand stack and compress the vertical spit of freshly marinated and seasones meats gets my support!!!!

  • It's the rotisserie/spit that is integral in browning the meat, then thinly sliced into the pita sandwhich, I don't see how marinating thin slices overnight would help, I hate those places that slice early, keep the slices near the grill and then steam them on the grill. I want fresh off the rotisserie and nicely browned thank you. I'm sure there are variables in the production of the meat for...+READ

    It's the rotisserie/spit that is integral in browning the meat, then thinly sliced into the pita sandwhich, I don't see how marinating thin slices overnight would help, I hate those places that slice early, keep the slices near the grill and then steam them on the grill. I want fresh off the rotisserie and nicely browned thank you. I'm sure there are variables in the production of the meat for the spit, but the fresh prep is vital.-COLLAPSE

  • OMG this gyro looks delicious! Although, I personally enjoy Döner Kebabs much much more! But they're so expensive in the States.

  • OMG, Greeks and Turks working together! Only in America.

  • Now that I'm working in Bethesda, I can't wait to try this place!!!!

  • read this last year:
    http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/15/dining/15gyro.html?pagewanted=all