Oakland Gyros Offers Truly Greek Fare

Oakland Gyros. Photo by Cari Taylor-Carlson.

The first time I came to Oakland Gyros, I looked around to see what people were eating and all I saw were Gyros, large piles of thinly sliced meat topped with sliced tomatoes and sliced onions. That suggested the restaurant’s namesake dish would be something special and it was. The thin slices of meat included both lamb and beef, were served on top of warm pita, and came with a cup of Tzatzika sauce, the classic accompaniment, made with yogurt, preferable Greek, cucumber and garlic. When my companion tasted the sauce he said, “I know the Gyros will be good because the sauce is really good.”

“They make the Tzatziki sauce daily” said owner John Karampelas who stopped by our table as he made his way around the restaurant to chat with the customers. He is the original owner of the restaurant, lives upstairs, and was proud to tell us that Oakland Gyros has been on the corner of Oakland Avenue and Locust Street for 40 years.

This is a Greek restaurant with many Greek specialties on the menu such as my Moussaka and my companion’s Athenian Chicken. The Moussaka was a huge serving, rich from a thick layer of bechamel sauce combined with a meat sauce that hinted of thyme, clove, and cinnamon. It was like a Greek version of lasagna starting with the cinnamon-scented ground beef that was baked with sliced eggplant, sliced potatoes, and topped with the thick rich creamy layer of bechamel. It was served with a reddish-brown gravy that was tasty but unnecessary.

My companion’s Athenian Chicken, half of a good-sized bird, was exceptionally tender and juicy. A marinade of thyme and oregano plus some lemon had permeated the meat and raised a common chicken entree to something extraordinary. Like the Moussaka, it was served with the reddish-brown gravy and like the Moussaka, the gravy was tasty, but the flavorful chicken stood on its own.

All the entrees or “Platters” included a choice of Rice, Fries or a Greek Salad. The salad, dressed with a lemony vinaigrette, combined olives, tomatoes, sliced onions, cucumber, pepperoncini and feta, with head lettuce. It was tasty, fresh, and like every dish we enjoyed at Oakland Gyros, it was authentically Greek.

The Spinach Pie resembled a giant Spanakopita, a dish made up of many layers of filo dough, spinach, ricotta and feta. It is vegetarian, but not vegan, because it included butter and eggs. Like the Moussaka, it was a large portion and included a Greek Salad. It had to be healthy with all that spinach, and even if you are not a fan of that green vegetable, you will likely like the Spinach Pie.

The entrée that surprised us was the Chicken Shishkabob, because it was chunks of chicken along with a dipping sauce, and not what we had anticipated, grilled chicken on a skewer. That said, the meat was tender and tasty, and like the Athenian Chicken, it held the flavors of its marinade.

The Dessert menu was brief, Ice Cream or Baklava. The Baklava was classic, juicy from honey and crispy and rich from the buttery filo dough.

There are more Greek dishes on the menu including Dolmades, Lamb Shank, Steak Kabobs, Avgolemono Soup, and Greek Fries. If you are not in the mood for Greek cuisine, you can order a Hot Dog, A Brat, a Philly Cheesesteak, a Burger, a Cheeseburger or a Cod Fish Sandwich.

They also do a lot of takeout. It’s a no-frills atmosphere. When you come to eat in, you order at the counter and take a number to your table. The service is quick and efficient and everyone who works at Oakland Gyros is friendly. It is a happy place. There is a person who cleans the tables immediately after the customers leave and that same person will clear your table, bring more water if you wish, and makes sure the restaurant is immaculate.

This is a place I will return to again and again. I am ashamed to confess that it took me 30 years living in downtown Milwaukee to venture into Oakland Gyros. If you crave a good Moussaka or Spinach Pie, or some exceptionally tender chicken, come to the East Side and check out Oakland Gyros. I recommend it.

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• Location: 2867 N. Oakland Ave.
• Phone: 414-963-1393
• Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. Sun-Thu, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Fri-Sat
• Neighborhood: Riverside Park
• Website: https://oaklandgyros.com

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