Two-Minute Review: Chicago Gyros and Deli

North Glenstone Avenue to the rescue!

Deadline day. Paycheck two weeks away. Stomach sounds like a Caterpillar making its way through an auto assembly plant. I need a fast, cheap, filling meal. North Glenstone Avenue to the rescue!

It’s true, Chicago Gyros and Deli (2000 N. Glenstone Ave., 417-799-1166) is not in the most convenient-to-reach section of town, but its location does make it a real impress-your-friends type place. Just don’t plan on eating in—there is no dining room. It’s either drive through or get your gyro at Riad.

And that would be a faux pas. Riad’s lunches are tasty and cheap, but Chicago Gyros’s fare is far more substantial. The soft pitas are filled with hefty blocks—not shavings—of lamb meat, a huge slathering of sour cream, tomato slices and onions. It’s all wrapped in paper and then in foil, with the cream oozing out of the ends. It’s not an eat for people who don’t like sticky fingers. The price is right, too: a gyro, chips and drink combo is just $6.10 before tax. Don’t like Greek stuff? The “Deli” portion of the title means there are sandwiches, burgers and hot dogs on the menu as well.

This review is a hearty recommendation: As my food-savvy dining companion bluntly put it, this is the best gyro we’ve had in Springfield.