Before visiting Zorba's Gyros, my sentiment on drive-through cuisine was this: If you want fast food, visit a drive-through. If you want fresh, thoughtfully prepared food, opt for a sit-down restaurant instead. Luckily, at Zorba's Gyros, you don't have to choose between the two.
After several appearances at the numerous local festivals and fairs, Sara Dymenstein and her husband Enrique opened Zorba's Gyros drive-through stand in October 2005. The stand was originally at Lake Otis Parkway and Tudor Road but has since relocated to Blueberry Road, just off of West Northern Lights Boulevard.
Other than the move, not much has changed -- including the reasonable prices. The focus is limited to a handful of menu items, including sausages, falafel, salad and, you guessed it, gyros. They offer popular staples like the Philly cheesesteak ($7) and the lamb gyro ($6), along with more creative concoctions like the Buffalo chicken gyro ($6) or the Zorba Philly cheesesteak ($7), which is topped with provolone cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and black olives. Each meal can be supplemented with a drink and a bag of chips for a buck more.
When I first drove up to Zorba's, I'm wondered how I ever missed the bright, blue-hued building, not to mention the line in front of it. Even for a lunch hour, the three-car line was impressive. Still, when I reached the front of the line, the chatty booth attendant was jovial, friendly and attentive as she took my order. I opted for the Western gyro ($7), an Americanized rendition of the traditional Greek gyro. I endured a 10-minute wait for my food to cook, but the food was worth it.
Warm, fluffy pita bread was stuffed with savory lamb, grilled onions, red peppers and slathered in melted Swiss cheese. The attention of my taste buds, however, was drawn to the topping of cool, homemade tzatziki sauce. This was where Zorba's left its gyro competitors in the dust. The sauce is made daily and tastes creamy in texture and fresh in flavor.
I also wanted to see how Zorba's stacked up in other culinary areas, so I ordered the Philly pepper cheesesteak sandwich ($7), which can be customized with either sweet peppers or jalapenos. I selected the latter and found just the spice I was looking for. The thin-sliced steak and grilled onions intermingled with gooey provolone cheese for a tantalizing combination. The steak was slightly dry and didn't hold enough flavor to stand on its own, but the overall blend of toppings offered spicy perfection. Each bite required an intermission for a drink to balance out the heat.
On my next visit, I wanted to give the falafel a try but was told it's only served on Fridays. Instead, I selected a chicken gyro ($6), served atop the fluffy pita bread with thinly sliced chicken, tomatoes and grilled onions. The dominant tzatziki sauce left little room for the chicken to distinguish itself from the lamb in the gyro I tried on my prior visit. The sauce, at once, was what set Zorba's gyros apart from competitors and also what made each gyro on the menu indistinguishably delicious from another.
I also ordered a reindeer sausage ($5), which was topped with grilled onions and served on either a traditional bun or pita bread. I ordered the pita version. It was definitely not a one-size-fits-all meal, and I was glad to have filled up on the gyro first. However, the authentic, reindeer sausage addition made all the difference in the flavor.
If you're like me and tend to wait all year for the delicious gyros served up at local fairs and festivals, you'll be ecstatic to find them offered year-round at Zorba's. And best of all, you don't have to get out of your car.
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By Randi Gause
Daily News contributor