King Gyros: Valparaiso, IN

When you think of comfort food, heavy casseroles or soups or pastas may come to mind. But sometimes it's the memories that give comfort. For me, one of my comfort foods is gyros. I have fond memories of sharing a gyros plate with my Dad and sisters when I was growing up.

My mom was a good cook, but there wasn't a huge amount of variety. There were maybe a dozen meals that she made regularly. We had things like pork roast, salmon patties, chicken and dumplings, ham and navy beans - and the ethnic dishes were limited to basic ground beef tacos on flour tortillas and spaghetti with a homemade meat sauce. We didn't go out to dinner - only on special occasions. We'd have pizza delivered once a week and get an occasional bucket of chicken from KFC.

I was probably 9 or 10 years old when a Greek-owned place opened around the corner. Andy's Hot Dogs in Riverdale offered hot dogs, Polish sausage, burgers, pizza puffs and lots of other stuff made on the grill or deep fried. They also had gyros. And I remember my Dad explaining what it was and telling us the correct way to pronounce it. I loved it. Dad would get a gyros plate with a couple extra pitas and it was enough for him and me and my two little sisters. I think mom ordered something else. Anyway, it was one of my early experiences of eating something not cooked at home. And I've been a fan since then, but in working on losing weight the last couple years, red meat and fries have become an occasional treat and it had been quite a while since I'd had a gyros. 

I made my way over to King Gyros in Valparaiso this week to try out some of their menu items and the one I couldn't wait to try was the gyros. It instantly took me back to those days of enjoying a gyros plate with Dad and my sisters and it was so good. We got a gyros plate that was loaded with meat made from the special recipe of Gus and Mike, the owners who got the place going way back in 1985 and are still active in running the business. The pita was warm. Their was a good helping of sliced onions, chunks of feta and tomato and the tzatziki was heavenly - they make it in-house and it's as good as it gets. It was a perfect specimen of that Greek sandwich that I fell in love with as a child. Just like the gyros plate I'd get when I was younger, it had generous portions that were enough for more than one meal. It's $13.65 and comes with two pita. I ended up taking much of it home with two extra pitas and some extra sauce and it turned into four meals. It also came with a generous serving of fries.

I also tried out a Big Baby Double Cheeseburger. It was a good flame-broiled burger that hit the spot. And living in world now of increasing food costs where it's common to spot a burger on a menu (a single, not a double) for $15, this is the best $5 burger you're going to find.

We also tried the rib tips that come with garlic bread and their house-made barbecue sauce. It's so popular that they offer it by the gallon or quart for purchase. The sauce was tangy and mild - a good go-to for lots of foods.

Lastly, we tried the Chicago-Style Hot Dog. I spent some of my time in college working at a hot dog stand cranking out Chicago-Style dogs and they definitely are spot on with this one. The menu also includes Italian beef and sausage, steak sandwiches, submarines, salads, ribs, chicken sandwiches, fried perch, fried shrimp and more. They also serve from-scratch lemon rice soup and will be adding another soup to the menu soon.

The business had two younger partners, Joe and Freddie who have come on board to assist the duo who have been in the business nearly 40 years. They're excited to carry on the traditions that have made King Gyros such a beloved spot. The crowd is constant (Joe said they really don't have a down time) and is diverse and there are a lot of regulars. I'll definitely be returning to try out some other items on the menu and grab some of their homemade tzatziki to keep in the fridge - and when a gyros craving hits again.

Lastly, we tried the Chicago-Style Hot Dog. I spent some of my time in college working at a hot dog stand cranking out Chicago-Style dogs and they definitely are spot on with this one. The menu also includes Italian beef and sausage, steak sandwiches, submarines, salads, ribs, chicken sandwiches, fried perch, fried shrimp and more. They also serve from-scratch lemon rice soup and will be adding another soup to the menu soon.

The business had two younger partners, Joe and Freddie who have come on board to assist the duo who have been in the business nearly 40 years. They're excited to carry on the traditions that have made King Gyros such a beloved spot. The crowd is constant (Joe said they really don't have a down time) and is diverse and there are a lot of regulars. I'll definitely be returning to try out some other items on the menu and grab some of their homemade tzatziki to keep in the fridge - and when a gyros craving hits again.

Oh, P.S. They also had someone in costume as the Grinch the afternoon I stopped by, which was a lot of fun. People were honking, pulling up for high-fives and getting out for selfies with the Grinch. Good times.

King Gyros

1610 Lincolnway

Valparaiso IN

219-464-2010

New partner Joe Kash.