Akdeniz’s Gyro “Burrito” is Pretty Freakin’ Tasty (If You Don’t Forget the Sauce)

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Back when I was on my quest for a real deal Greek gyro (not a Middle Eastern shawarma sandwich, or a chopped up gyro from a cart), a number of commenters mentioned Akdeniz.  Sure it’s Turkish, and not Greek, and the place is a sit down restaurant- but their gyro sandwich is under $10 (one of the few things on the menu that is) and came highly recommended.  Well I finally got around to trying the thing, which is only available during the day, and although it wasn’t what I initially was asking for, it is definitely a tasty sandwich.

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I got it to go (so I didn’t have to pay tip, etc.. you know the drill), and opened the thing to find something more like a gyro burrito than a sandwich.  It is $7.50 and comes wrapped in a Turkish style of bread that is more similar to a tortilla than pita bread.

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First bite in was mostly lettuce (very disappointing)

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But after a few bites I hit pay dirt.  The gyro meat is a much higher quality than what you would get from a cart, or even one of the cheaper Middle Eastern places, which shouldn’t be a surprise.  Akdeniz is kind of a nice, sit down, Turkish restaurant.  The flavors were more like shawarma than a Greek gyro, but overall the “burrito” was a little dry.  It needed something…

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And that’s when I realized I forgot the sauce!

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Much, much better. The sauces took it from being mediocre to delicious! For some reason they do the sauces on the side here, and in my bag I had totally missed them: a white yogurt based sauce, and a vinegary hot sauce- which improved the gyro sandwich tenfold.  The fatty meat gets balanced out by the crisp lettuce and tomato, while the hot sauce gets cooled off by the creamy yogurt.  Delicious!  It took me long enough to take the suggestion, but I’m glad I did.  (Keep them coming!)

THE +

  • Gyro meat is much higher quality than you find at most places in Midtown
  • The two sauces are excellent, and balance each other out really nicely
  • If eating a “gyro burrito” sounds good to you, this is probably your sandwich

THE –

  • $7.50 is a lot for a gyro sandwich (although admittedly Akdeniz is a nice Turkish restaurant)
  • If you are looking for a Greek style gyro this is not it
  • There’s a lot of lettuce and tomato in the thing (which may or may not be a good thing)

Akdeniz, 19 W 46th St (btw. 5+6th), 212-575-2307

19 Comments

  • The meat looks very Bereket”ish”! I want me somenow!

  • Got violently ill from their food once. Stay away. EVIILLLLLLL….

  • I’ve gotten delivery from them probably 20 times and Akdeniz is excellent and pretty reasonable for dinner…but can be tough to find a Midtown Lunch there (under $10).

  • I order from these guys often, and I like their grilled chicken as well as their falafel (for a change). Stick with the meze here, you can make a meal of the apps…..

  • My list of sandwiches that I need to try just got one longer. Sounds good!

  • Agreed — Akdeniz is solid. Had a sit down work lunch there and was pretty full by the end!!

    Schotty — not sure your one fit of intestinal distress should put anyone off.

  • You need to have the gyro/kebab wraps at Zeytinz. They are amazing.

  • Their fried liver is one of my weaknesses. That and kryptonite.

  • The best part is the way the counter guy tries to shame you into tipping by giving you your check in a leather billfold. I always resist and get a pretty good stinkeye from the staff.

  • Ahh, my favorite restaurant is lurking in that picture just a few doors down. Ipanema is my favorite of all the brasil row restaurants.

  • the ground beef and lamb “sandwich” is good as well, will have to try the gyro meat version. i love that they give you the sauces on the side – the bread doesn’t get all gummy and gross while you transport it back to the office.

  • one of the options that’s available but not mentioned anywhere – you can ask for them to add grilled jalapenos to your sandwich. adds a great kick for spice-monkeys

  • First of all, when I used to hitch-hike through Greece a few years ago, gyro was called by its Turkish name doner. Second, doner/gyro varies by city and region all through Turkey and Greece in spices, filler etc. Third, doner/gyro is ground lamb (sometimes beef) and is best when cooked with a real wood fire (there is a hole in the wall just outside Istanbul’s covered bazar that I especially recommend). Fourth, shawarma, which is Arabic, uses whole pieces of lamb or chicken, often marinated in spices, and so more to my taste. Fifth, Zeytinz has a great chicken shawarma sandwich every weekday, except for Wed (or Thursday) when they have lamb/beef doner. I only have five fingers on my right hand, and I have yet to learn to count fingers on my left hand, so I have to stop.

  • Syah Qazi –

    6th – wait, we’re already asleep from the first five. Thanks for recommending a nameless hole in the wall that we should all try next time we’re all outside Istanbul’s covered bazaar. Awesome recommendation. As one good turn deserves another, I know a great bar on the planet Tatooine you should check out the next time you’re hitch-hiking through the galaxy. Great conch fritters. It’s right across the street from the Imperial checkpoint. Douchebagsayswhat?

  • FrankieTony alias Douchebagsayswhat

    Practice reading long sentences and doing mental arithmetic. You may ward off senility for the next six months, or maybe not.

  • I often order from Akdeniz when I stay late at the office, and I really enjoy it. Another dish of theirs that fits into the midtown lunch mold, and which I think is better than their sandwiches, is their surprisingly filling red lentil soup. It comes with a delicious hunk or two of fresh baked Turkish bread that can almost make me forgive them for what they did to the Armenians.

    Also, who is this Syah Qazi guy? And why would I want to engage in “mental arithmatic” to read his uninteresting rambling? Wouldn’t it just be easier for him to be semi-articulate?

  • if its turkish, shouldn’t the concoction be called a döner?

  • obviously that earlier post by syah was too long to bother reading . . . .

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    FrankieTony, hilarious. :)

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