5 Top Gyros in St. Louis, Chosen by Our Critic

Cheryl Baehr

Many say that Mideast Market's gyro is the best in town.

While any restaurant can get a wholesale cone of beef and lamb, prop it on a rotisserie and shave it into pita, a truly extraordinary gyro ticks a few special boxes. Meat is plump, with caramelized edges and a juicy interior. Pita is warmed on a flattop and tzatziki is so thick and creamy you could eat it with a fork. These restaurants show true mastery of the form.

Olympia Kebob House & Taverna (1543 McCausland Avenue, 314-781-1299)

A fierce contender for top honors, this quintessential Greek spot is the embodiment of gyro perfection thanks to its thick, juicy meat that caramelizes around the edges, some of which break off into little beef-lamb crispies — wrapped in the town's thickest tzatziki, it becomes one of the most satisfying food bites you'll have.

Mideast Market (14375 Manchester Road, Ballwin; 636-230-7018)

Tucked away inside a west county international grocery store, this food counter is a vibrant hidden gem that serves a hot bar of South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine. It's an embarrassment of culinary riches, but the classic gyro — overstuffed with hunks of meat and dressed to order — is, for good reason, the biggest draw.

The Greek Kitchen (343 South Kirkwood Road, Suite 101, Kirkwood; 314-394-0996)

Co-owner Lisa Nicholas cut her teeth in the industry by helping run Olympia Kebob House & Taverna where, for decades under the tutelage of the restaurant's formidable matriarch, she perfected her gyro game. Now, in her own space, her version of the dish shows that the student has become equal to the master.

Vinnie's Italian Beef & Gyros (3208 Ivanhoe Avenue, 314-644-7007)

Another veteran of the famed Olympia, owner Matthew "Vinnie" Mulholland serves up some of the best Italian beef outside the Windy City alongside a truly excellent gyro, characterized by plump meat and outrageously garlicky tzatziki.

Soco's Gyros (5530 South Lindbergh Boulevard, 314-843-7600)

A south county institution for more than a decade, this unassuming spot has an entire section of the menu dedicated to different gyro varieties, but its perfect rendition of the classic style — filled with juicy meat, crispy lettuce, white onions and fresh tomatoes — is why its regulars are so vocal.