It’s sandwiched in a strip of eateries between McDonald’s and Pizza Hut on Mukilteo Speedway.
Fast-food Mediterranean fare at Gyro Stop.
But there’s nothing fast about choosing what to order. With a well-rounded menu, there are some tough decisions to be made.
The first: lamb, beef, chicken or veggie?
The second: plate or sandwich?
I went for the plate. I wanted it all.
I got it all with the chicken shawarma pita plate ($10.99), seasoned chicken breast with rice, hummus, Greek salad and pita bread.
The Mukilteo Gyro Stop opened about six months ago. It’s the third location, with other sites in Bothell and downtown Seattle.
The counter service has ingredients laid out Subway-style. Customer service has been courteous and efficient on every visit. This was my fourth time. My son, Ian, goes weekly.
There is a colorful Greek mural on the wall and tables for eat-in dining. So far, though, it has been our go-to place for to-go food. This is great fare for eating in front of the TV at home, easy to devour while kicked back on the sofa. The gyros are packaged so no utensils are needed.
The gyro meat is thinly sliced from a hanging mass of beef or lamb turning rotisserie style above the stove. The custom of slicing the meat this way spans centuries and for good reason: the result is lean, moist, tender meat.
Choose whole wheat or white pita bread. The pita bread texture is fluffy and chewy, the perfect canvas for grilled meats, vegetables, sauce and feta cheese. Sandwiches can be customized with diced cucumbers, tomatoes or onions.
“You can tell a great gyro by how much meat they put inside,” Ian said. “Some places are very stingy with the meat. Gyro Stop is full of meat, to the point where I have to take a break halfway through.”
He’s a gyro groupie.
“When I go there I want to try something new, but the gyro is so good I can’t help myself and order it every time,” he said.
If you’re more adventurous than Ian, try steak or chicken quesadilla gyros ($6.99).
My vegetarian daughter Megan likes to try different things. She has plenty of choices here: sandwiches, salads and falafel, seasoned ground garbanzo beans. “You won’t be disappointed by the falafel, made from scratch and fried when you order,” she said.
She said the falafel supreme ($7.49) is a worthy upgrade, with soft grilled eggplant and cauliflower. Another option is the baba ghanoush ($5.99), roasted eggplant blended with tahini. The Greek salad ($7.49) is a colorful mound of romaine lettuce, olives, onions, tomatoes, peperoncino and feta.
Sides includes dolmas, rice wrapped in tangy grape leaves ($4.99); Greek fries ($3.99); and lentil soup ($3.49).
Maybe you have the willpower to pass on the Greek fries. But don’t.
The seasoned fries, topped with feta cheese, are my favorite dish. My suggestion: Ask for extra feta.
An order of fries feeds two people. We always get two orders and wish we’d ordered a third. Leftovers heat up well, even in the microwave.
Some of the dishes are heavy on the garlic. The garlic sauce is addicting.
As an online reviewer put it: “My breath would kill a vampire right now.”
Andrea Brown at 425-339-3443; abrown@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @reporterbrown.
Gyro Stop
11811 Mukilteo Speedway, Mukilteo; 425-374-8137; www.gyrostoppita.com.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Alcohol: None.
Vegetarian: Multiple choices.
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