When Dan and I were undergrads at U.Va., we discovered this diner that served the best gyros.  The price was right, gyros delicious, and it was frequented with a mostly senior citizen clientele that gave the place a charmingly grumpy atmosphere.

After we graduated and moved back to Northern Virginia, we reminisced about our diner, the yummy gyros, and that waitress that sometimes liked us and other times acted like we were a major inconvenience.  We missed those gyros, so we set out to find a replacement.  Nothing stood out until we moved into our home and began exploring our local area and stumbled upon Plaka Grill.

Plaka Grill makes the best gyros I’ve ever had.  And – get this – you can get them “plaka style” which means they stuff thin, crispy garlic fries into the gyros.

Oh, yes, they do.  And it’s every bit as delicious as that sounds.

We wish we could eat Plaka Grill several times a week.  But since that would start to become…unaffordable…I set out to try to make our own gyros.

I’m not real experimental in the kitchen.  My knowledge of how to cook things is somewhat limited.  So I was wondering if this recipe might be beyond my abilities.  But I decided to plug away and figured we could always order take out if things went awry.

I followed this recipe for chicken gyros I pinned to my baking and cooking Pinterestboard.  I marinated my chicken for a little longer than the recipe suggested, probably more like four hours instead of one hour.  Other than that, I followed the recipe, and we were so pleased with the results.  The chicken was tender, moist, and packed with flavor.  I considered wimping out and buying the tzatziki sauce, but I decided to give it a try, and I’m glad I did. It came together easily, and it was smooth, creamy, and lemony.

We served our chicken gyros on flat breads and topped them with chopped tomatoes. Sadly, I forgot the feta cheese, which I think would have added a yummy, salty bite, so we plan to remember the feta next time.

Have you ever made gyros? Did they turn out as delicious as your favorite take out?