Why Arby's Gyro Just Cant Compare To The Real Gyros In NYC

Feature Photo: Brent Hofacker / Shutterstock

When I first saw the ads for Arby’s Spicy Gyro sandwich recently I started to laugh. I’m actually a pretty big fan of Arby’s. I love their roast beef sandwiches and their special sauce that they put on their Beef and Cheddar. I’m a big fast-food guy which is probably why I’m a big guy. I’ve always been a huge fan of Arby’s and their roast beef sandwiches as well as many of their other items like their fabulous curly fries. Nonetheless, when I saw the ad for their new Spicy Gyro sandwich, I knew immediately that there’s just no way they could match what any New Yorker knows is a real gyro. I’m from the Bronx. I worked a lot in Queens for the past forty years, especially in the Astoria section.

If you know New York City, then you know that Astoria is one of the biggest Geek neighborhoods in the entire city. Of course, the city is a mix of all ethnicities which is wonderful and the way it’s pretty much always been. Yet, there are always certain neighborhoods that tilt more towards a certain ethnic background than others. In Astoria, it’s always been a lot more Greek than any other ethnicity.

While Astoria may be home to the best gyros one will ever taste, there are still many wonderful Greek restaurants in the other four boroughs that serve amazing gyros. All the great Greek restaurants in New York serve gyros the same way. They take a nice large piece of pita bread and warm it up. Throw in the beautiful lamb meat, fille he rest woyth fresh lettuce, tomatoes and onions. It’s accompanied by a cup of Greek yogurt that you spread on it. That’s it, boom bam you’re done! They wrap it in paper and then throw a piece of aluminum foil around it so that you can hold it in your hands and eat it. Some will use a knife and fork, but the old-school way is to open wide and bury your face into that wonderful sandwich.

Most of the restaurants will offer a chicken gyro alternative but for the most part, if you want a real Greek Gyro you got to get it with the lamb meat. There’s nothing more beautiful than just sitting there at the counter watching them carve that lamb meat off the spindle. Yeah, baby, that’s what I’m talking about.

I have explained this whole process and the beauty of an authentic New York City gyro in great detail so that you can compare what Arby’s is offering to the real deal. What Arby’s offers cannot compare in any way possible. If you had never had a New York gyro and maybe it’s not so much of a big deal. However, if you’re from New York City and you walk into Arby’s and order a gyro, you’re not going to be happy about it. Come to think of it most of us are not going to order that thing anyway unless we have to review it for a website.

Now don’t get me wrong, Arby’s spicy gyro sandwich does not taste that bad. As I said, I’m a big fan of Arby’s, I love their food. However, it’s not a gyro, I mean give me a break. There’s hardly any meat on it. I mean it’s not bad but it’s not the same real lamb gyro meat that you get at a Greek restaurant. And what’s the deal with this red sauce? I mean come on baby, you don’t put red sauce on a gyro. What are you doing Arbys? You’re breaking the law. It’s like putting American cheese on a slice of pizza, you just don’t do it.

Yes, I know the red sauce is supposed to be what defines it as a spicy Arby’s gyro sandwich, but in the end, it’s not really a gyro. It’s an interesting sandwich as an alternative to their burger sandwiches, the chicken sandwiches, and of course, their Beef and Cheddar’s which is what you should get every time you go to Arby’s. When everything is said and done, it’s not a real gyro. Get the Beef and Cheddar at Arby’s and visit 31st Avenue Gyro in Astoria Queens if you want the real thing.

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