Amidst the tragic losses of Humphrey's Tavern followed shortly after by Diabilitio's, Yiro Gyro's January grand opening may have been a bit overlooked. At this point, Saint Louis University's community has had time to reconcile those hits and it is now time to turn our sadness into excitement for this Mediterranean-inspired restaurant, just a few steps off campus. Here is why you should take your next meal at Yiro Gyro.
Location, Location, Location
Tucked away in the eclectic looking strip on the corner of Vandevender and Laclede, it accompanies some new SLU favorites, including Narwall's Crafted Urban Ice and Kaldi's Coffee. Needless to say it is a conveniently placed off-campus dining option for those of us who are limited to walking as our main form of transportation.
The Food
Upon entering Yiro Gyro, I was instantly greeted by their friendly staff, who (patiently) walked me through my options. What I learned is that you have two options when ordering: create your own or select a speciality item. On the create your own route, you get to choose a base (pita, basmati rice, lettuce, or fries), a meat (grilled chicken, yiro slices, falafel), any combination of veggies (chickpeas, cucumbers, tomatoes, spinach, sumac onion, red cabbage, and kalamata olives), and one or a combination of sauces (tzatziki, tahini, vinaigrette, Sriracha) to top it off. On the other hand, the speciality items ranging from a Classic Gyro to a Doner Kebab.
Personally, I chose to channel my inner creativity and create my own bowl, starting with a base a basmati rice and chicken, followed by piling essentially every vegetable they offer, and topping it off with their Tahini sauce. The sauce was more bitter than I was expecting. However, it balanced the sweetness of the vegetables, adding a level of complexity to the previously simple dish.
Overall, Yiro Gyro offers a wide variety of choices, allowing you to try something new each time and hardly get bored.
The Price
Not only can you consume delicious food at Yiro Gyro, you can get it at a very reasonable price. Everything on their menu is $9 or less, which is a great price for a dinner or lunch out on a student budget.
St. Louis has become an up and coming hub for local fast and casual food, ranging from modern Italian pasta at Porano Pasta to reinvented Asian-inspired cuisine at Lona's Lil Eats. It is awesome to see Yiro Gyro's Mediterranean-style food follow suit and set up its fourth shop in an area incredibly accessible for Saint Louis University students to enjoy.