What is gyros?
Ask a Greek what tastes like summer, and many will say gyros. It is the food you buy at the counter late after the beach, eaten standing up with your fingers and shared with friends.
What does gyros mean?
Gyros comes from the Greek word γύρος (gýros), which means “turn” or “to rotate”. The name comes from the vertical, rotating spit that gyros is traditionally cooked on in Greece.
Where does gyros come from?
The gyros we know today came to Greece in the 1920s with Greek and Armenian refugees from Asia Minor. They brought the technique and opened small food shops, especially in Athens. The Greeks made the dish their own: pork and chicken replaced lamb, and tzatziki became the usual sauce. Pita gyros has been everyday and holiday food in Greece ever since.
How we make gyros at The Fat Greek
We do not slice the meat from a rotating spit. We marinate it from our Greek family’s recipes and flame-grill it so it is tender, juicy and crisp. The bread comes from a family bakery in Athens, and our dips and spreads are homemade. The result is a gyros that tastes like a Greek summer, made in an open kitchen where you can see it happen.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between gyros and souvlaki?
Souvlaki is small pieces of meat grilled on skewers. Gyros is thinner slices of meat, traditionally from a rotating spit. Both are often served in flatbread.
Is there a vegetarian or vegan gyros?
Yes. At The Fat Greek, The Wife is vegan with grilled vegetables, and The Husband is vegetarian with grilled halloumi.
Where can I get gyros in Carlsberg Byen?
At The Fat Greek, Tapperitorvet 1, next to Carlsberg Station.
