EVERETT — If how to pronounce gyro is Greek to you… don’t worry.
Say it phonetically as “gyro,” as in gyroscope, and someone will correct you, likely with a chuckle.
Gyro is one of those tricky food words, like pho, that’s easy to butcher.
The correct way to say the word for Mediterranean tacos is “yeer-oh.”
Now there’s another place to get your “yeer-oh” fix. The Gyro Shack, a small Idaho-based franchise that is edging west, opened a shop in May. The slogan is “Real Greek, real fast.”
The Gyro Shack is that blue-and-white octagon in a parking lot on Evergreen Way, in what formerly was Dutch Brothers.
It’s mainly a drive-thru eatery. The only dining area is a patio in front with two blue metal picnic tables and a view of an auto parts store.
One nice thing about being in a parking lot is that there is ample and convenient parking.
By the order window was a big board with photos of colorful menu items so we could see exactly what we were ordering. The food looked beautiful.
There was one thing missing from the menu board: fries.
No fries?
“We don’t have fries,” said the friendly and patient young woman who poked her head out of the order window.
Not even feta fries?
“No,” she said.
Do a lot of people ask for fries?
“All the time.”
So why don’t they have fries?
“Everything is made fresh. Everything is healthy here,” she said.
We moved on to the “gyro meat” listed on the menu board and what we could also see on the vertical rotisserie inside the shack.
“Gyro meat” doesn’t really explain much about the animal flesh consumed.
Was it lamb or beef or … something else?
She said it was 20 percent lamb and 80 percent beef.
The Deluxe gyro ($6.99) with the namesake meat, tzatziki sauce (a yogurt, dill and cucumber spread that serves as a creamy/herby mix to the spiced meat), feta cheese, tomato and onion hit our taste preferences. It had flavor, but nothing overwhelming, not even the chopped onion, each combining with the other to deliver a taste that was familiar but stood out. The blended meat was thin and tender.
The Deluxe combo ($9.69) added a couple of warm pita slices and an extra cup of tzatziki that gave us another fix of the yogurt-dill-cucumber dip, but it was probably more bread than we really needed. All the same, our tastebuds implored us to keep noshing, and we obliged.
The Ultimate gyro ($10.49) had gyro meat, chicken, bacon, tzatziki sauce, hummus, lettuce, tomato, grilled onion, pepperoncini, olives, peppers, feta cheese and spicy sauce.
Sauce choices are chili red and avocado green. We got both. The red is hot. The green had zing but wasn’t eye-watering.
The Ultimate lived up it to its name. It was a mountain of a meal. The chicken strips were thick and the bacon was long and crispy.
There was no room for dessert. We had to forego the baklava ($3.99).
Our food looked just like the pictures. At many eateries, this isn’t the case.
Other choices include: The Philly ($7.99) with gyro meat, tzatziki sauce, tomato, grilled Philly mix and cheddar cheese. The BLT ($6.39) has bacon, lettuce, tomato and choice of mayo, ranch dressing or tzatziki sauce. The Veggie has a veggie patty, hummus or tzatziki sauce, topped with lettuce, tomato and onion. These options would not technically be true to the company’s slogan as they are not “real Greek,” but it looked tantalizing all the same. It was delivered pretty fast.
There is a children’s meal for $4.99. A rewards program is offered to earn free food for frequent patrons.
The Gyro Shack is a nice addition to the Evergreen Way quick-fix food trough, just a few driveways from Popeye’s and across the way from Dairy Queen and a handful of other familiar signs where we can satisfy cravings for fries.
The eight-sided shack will figure into our sunny day dining plans regularly.
Next time we’ll order the baklava and eat dessert first.
If you go
The Gyro Shack, 6500 Evergreen Way, Everett; 425-610-3920; http://thegyroshack.com.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Vegetarian choices: Greek salad and veggie gyro.
Don’t miss: Ultimate gyro.
Gyro Shack’s Ultimate gyro is basically a meat-lover’s pita sandwich. It has gyro meat, an 80/20 percent beef/lamb mixture with bacon, chicken, tomato, onion, lettuce, feta and tzatziki sauce. (Ben Watanabe / The Herald)
Gyro Shack’s Deluxe gyro with gyro meat, an 80/20 percent beef/lamb mix of seasoned and spiced meats with tzatziki sauce, onions and feta cheese, with a combo addition of pita bread and more tzatziki sauce. (Ben Watanabe / The Herald)
