Bringing you all the authentic flavors of Greece
What is a Gyro?
The famous Gyro (pronounced YEE-ro), which in Greek means to spin or turn, is an ancient Greek street food. Yes, the Greeks invented fast food. LOL.
How popular are Gyros in Greece you ask? Well, it is hard to go anywhere in Greece without bumping into a “Gyradiko” (a restaurant that sells Gyros); they are everywhere. It is common to see locals and tourists alike eating their Gyros fruitlessly attempting to keep the Tzatziki off their clothes.
So, what exactly is a Gyro? A Gyro is seasoned meat stacked on a large vertical rotisserie. Traditionally the meat on the gyro is pork or lamb, the two most prevalent meats in Greece. Beef and chicken are also common meats on a Gyro. The meat can be seasoned with Greek oregano, garlic, and loaded with aromatics such as cinnamon, cumin, and paprika. As the rotisserie turns, the juices baste the stacked meat with the seasonings as it slowly cooks. Thin slices are carved off by the Gyro Master, and wrapped in Greek pita with tomatoes, red onions, fries and Tzatziki or Greek Yogurt.
In the mid 1900's Greek Americans put their own spin on things by creating a processed meat version of the Gyro stack. This is popular in many fast-food gyro places. There are also frozen Gyro strips that restaurants that do not have a Gyro stack can use. These are often used in Pizza places or as specials in cafeterias. We at the Fat Greek create our own Gyro stack that is "Stacked with Love". We start with locally-sourced ingredients seasoned with our special spices. The fresh meats are trimmed, seasoned and hand stacked on our skewers then slow cooked to perfection.
Our goal is to carry on the tradition of Greek hospitality which is to treat every guest like family. The Greek word "Philoxenia" literally means the act of befriending a stranger. In ancient times under the rules of hospitality, men were expected to host visitors, providing them with food, a bath, friendship, gifts, the promise of safety for the night, and safe escort to their next travel destination. In modern times, Greece is a mecca for tourism and is well known for their warmth, generosity, and joy in sharing the essence of being Greek. Continuing this tradition, all our guests at the Fat Greek are treated as family, greeted with a friendly smile, fed to their satisfaction and welcome to bring a friend along on their next visit.