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Aybla Grill
Categories: Restaurants Greek Restaurants Food Stands Restaurants Mediterranean Greek, Food Stands, Mediterranean [Edit]
SW 10th Ave & SW Alder StPortland, OR 97205
Neighborhoods: Southwest Portland, Downtown
(503) 222-1531
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 10 am - 5 pm
Sat-Sun 11 am - 5 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
About This Business:
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner; Home and Business Delivery and Catering. The Pita Pit offers a great meal option that fills you up with fresh veggies,… read more »
87 reviews for Aybla Grill
Review Highlights
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"The super lamb gyro is the best thing to order." In 8 reviews -
"...was tender and juicy and the tzatziki sauce was delicious." In 6 reviews -
"Nice meat, good sauce, fresh veggies, and perfect pita." In 28 reviews
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87 reviews in English
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Review from Anna S.
4/20/2012
MMMMMMMM I HEART.
Everything's fresh, generously proportioned, and nice and garlicky. The Greek salad kicks ass, the gyros are great, and their hummus and baba ghanouj are my favorite in town.
Also? Very reasonably priced. AND you can get it delivered through Portland Pedal Power! Overall, Aybla is a great value. -
Review from Candy Y.
Portland, OR
1/30/2012
I was walking by the area, waiting for my car to get fixed and something smelled reallllly good. I walked towards it and it was Aybla Grill. The guy working there was really shy but really nice. I ordered the lamb gyro because he showed me the difference in size between the regular and the super... regular seemed sufficient.
It came out super fresh, soft, tender, flavorful, and juicy! T
he flavors oozed out and exploded all over my face), -
Review from Randy V.
Portland, OR
Updated - 1/24/2012
Stopped by today for a cup of lentil soup, something that is not on their regular menu. The rainy, cold, wet, lovely Northwest weather we all know and love some much was putting a chill in my bones. I thought this might be the cure. It was.
I like my lentil soup sparsely spiced and cooked to the consistency of thick pea soup with a few intact lentils swimming about. That's exactly how it was. I added a little fresh ground pepper when I got back to my office. It was only missing the dollop of sour cream or yogurt. Oh well. It still hit the spot.
The bottom line:
Service: ***.5
Food: ***.5
Price: ***
3.3 round to 3.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/3/2012
I've eaten at this cart several times and sampled several of their dished. Today I got Greek salad… Read more »
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Review from Lola D.
San Francisco, CA
4/19/2012
The lamb gyro at this food truck put all other gyros I've eaten in the past 31 years of my life to shame. Worth the trip over from Vancouver, WA where I was visiting a friend.
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Review from Tet W.
West Linn, OR
4/28/2012
I came to this place after reading reviews on Yelp. As a gyro fan I wanted to find a place where it dishes out quality gyros for cheap. Ayala Grill delivers on both. The super lamb gyro is fantastic. This two pound meat filled gyro is so big that the pita can't hold it's contents so ask for a plate and fork. This gyro has a lot more meat than veggies so if you're looking for an equal blend of veggies to meat, you're better going to Ozzie's or Karam. For $8, you won't find a better bargain anywhere. I love this food cart and will always be a frequent stop of mine.
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Review from Cynthia G.
Los Angeles, CA
12/30/2011 11 Check-ins Here
I was a bit skeptical when our Portland Foodie Tour stopped at this cart, but quickly became a believer after a bite of their tasty lamb gyro!
$6 will buy a gyro generously stuffed with moist and flavorful lamb along with all the fixings nestled inside a warm, soft pita bread.
Yummilicious!Listed in: Portlandia
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Review from Cody W.
3/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
Tasty, competitively priced, Mediterranean food cart @10th & Alder. While the portion was generous, my falafel was somewhat underdone.
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Review from Becky N.
Olympia, WA
3/18/2012
Had their falafel pita sandwich. The pita bread had a nice crispness on the edges with a warm and chewy center. Good amount of falafel to pita and veggies ratio. Falafel was flavorful. It could have used some tabbouleh in the mix, was a little heavy handed on the tahini, and not enough tzatziki sauce, but all in all this place serves a good falafel sandwich.
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Review from Kristen F.
Montgomeryville, PA
3/4/2012
The super falafel was just that, it was huge! It was delicious, but was rather difficult to eat. There also seems to be a problem where some vendors don't give enough pita to eat the amount of hummus they give. We got a huge container of hummus and 2 small cut up pieces of pita. Yummy, but they should be a bit more practical when serving street food.
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Review from John L.
9/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
Not sure what all the hype is about... maybe I ordered the wrong things. Tried it amongst all the many different food trucks because it was open during non-peak times and the reviews sounded good.
We ordered the veggie plate and the chicken gyro. The hummus was ok, the baba ghanoush was good but I prefer a little more garlic. The salad was good, but it's just salad. The falafels were very good.
I thought the chicken gyro was just average. I've had better. There was a lot of sauce which provided flavor but the chicken itself didn't have too much flavor. -
Review from Roy S.
Medford, OR
1/16/2012
Came there Saturday; was looking for Sawadee but it was gone, moved somewhere... And so Aybla loomed up in front of me, and I thought of baba ganouj. Then thought that it by itself wouldn't be enough food, so I ordered the Veggie Mezza Plate ($7.00) But it included pita and I'm allergic to wheat. The cook kindly substituted a bunch more baba ganouj for the pita bread and I got a good meal out of this, with lots of that tasty eggplant dish.
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Review from Neil W.
7/11/2011
Best Gyro in town, easily.
I don't know if I am missing the boat on what a good Gyro is, but in my humble opinion, this is the best gyro in town. Nice meat, good sauce, fresh veggies, and perfect pita. It's VERY juicy and you can get dripped on, so beware, but that's what makes it so good. -
Review from Angie J.
Everett, WA
9/14/2011
Portland & It's food truck rock! We're sad that we don't live locally. But during our visits, we head straight to this truck for some great Gyros. We continue to get great service and yummy food at a great price.
I agree that the Super Lab Gyro is the BEST! Tender met & very well seasoned. The sauce just ooooozes out , so make sure to leave wrapped in foil & have lots of napkins on hand. The pitas were delicious. We also really like the Baklava! Very nutty with lots of nutty goodness inside.
This Greek choice is as good as it gets. Am happy to recommend to anyone visiting or living in Portland!
An order of 1 Super Lamb Gyro & 1 regular with 2 Baklava choices runs around $18 - $20. Cash only ;-) -
Review from Lady G.
7/12/2011
Thank you, Portland, for the whole concept of cheaper meals to go for your hungry citizens (and visitors.)
I really enjoyed my quick lunch on the go from Aybla Grill Food Stand. I had a delightfully light and healthy Baba Ghanouj Donair.
My comrades had your Lamb Donairs. Super!! -
Review from Kyle T.
Portland, OR
3/24/2011
Probably the best gyro I've had in town. For years since I moved to Portland from Chicago I've skipped one of my favorite foods because seemingly every time I've ordered a gyro I've received the flavorless freezer burned gyro strips.
Not the case at Aybla. The lamb and pita bread are vibrantly seasoned to delicious perfection and the fresh homemade tzatziki is out of this world. Extra style points for using real fresh feta that actually comes in water and not that precrumbled garbage!!!
I highly recommend Aybla to anyone looking for a real authentic gyro. -
Review from Bob L.
Portland, OR
4/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
Aybla Grill
920 SW Alder
Portland, Oregon 97201
503.222.1531
http://www.ayblagrill.com
I've eaten Gyros in other places back east and some use a white sauce made from sour cream and cucumber, which gives a fresh summer blast of flavor.
The Super Gyro with lamb at Aybla Grill was both powerfully unique and traditional while artfully crafted with quality ingredients to stage a symphony of harmonious flavors.
This mobile commercial kitchen demonstrated the true signature of natural artisan chefs by their ability to instinctively craft an end product that strikes every positive cord of the human senses to create a food orgy of personal delight.
Being an old soul of many lifetimes and with a mind that seldom rests, I briefly spoke with the owner-chef and felt his honest heart passion for the joy of cooking.
Marrying superb quality and a sizable portion for a reasonable price has placed Aybla Grill on the top of my "A" List for Greek and Mediterranean food offerings.
These iconic businesses stand as fundamental building blocks for our survival as human beings within this overthrown nation. We must stand united within the world of human beings as brothers and sisters against the corporatist agenda that is intent on processing the total aggregate of the world into a commodity through the practices of systematic systemic genocide for negative eugenics.
On our future visits we look forward to trying the falafel salad and other food offering on the menu and recommend Aybla Grill as a business worthy of your frequent patronage.
Mozel a presto! -
Review from Anhers M.
Santa Ana, CA
12/7/2011
Are you freaking joking me? This place is straight up disgusting and not worth my time, money, and calories. I had the hummus and chicken gyro if that helps. BLAH
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Review from Dustin S.
Portland, OR
3/26/2011
Pretty sure this is the place in the pod on 43rd and Belmont... if not, you should go there.
The $7 Super Gyro and I have gotten to be real good friends. It's filled with tender lamb and the tzatziki sauce may be the best I've ever had.
I cannot stress just how good this gyro is. I kind want to make sweet love to it... but that might be awkward. -
Review from Dan C.
5/16/2011
The Super Lamb Gyro really is the best I have had in Portland. And I've had quite a few - some of the highest rated sit down places, other carts, Saturday market, etc.
What sets this one apart is the generous portions, reasonable price, and high quality and high flavor in ALL of the ingredients. The Lamb is very tender and flavorful, the sauce is excellent, the pita wrap just right, and the feta cheese and other ingredients are all top notch. Everything comes together for to make the Gyro a very full flavored wrap.
Other gyros sometimes have some great flavor, but may be overpowered by one ingredient to compensate for the others - for example, some Gyros I've had have great flavor, but all of that flavor is coming from the feta, or the sauce. Here, the flavors from everything come together in a very balanced way and make for a great, well rounded and full flavored meal.
The employee I talked with (the owner?) had spent 20 years on an island in Greece making Gyros. This is about as authentic and flavorful as you can find in Portland. While the Super Lamb Gyros are the highlight, the other items on the menu have never disappointed. Everything has been consistently high quality and nothing short of delicious.
I believe the 9th & Alder location is the main cart. They do have a couple other locations - one on Belmont at the excellent "Good Food Here" pod, and I believe another at the 5th & Stark pods. I can't speak to the quality at those two locations as I have only ever tried the 9th & Alder location, which seems to be the most popular. -
Review from Christina N.
Albany, OR
12/23/2011
Best gyro I've ever eaten! Great service and FANTASTIC food!
The lamb was cooked very well and tender. One of my favorite food carts of Portland, Oregon. -
Review from Jenni L.
1/27/2011
Mmmmm.
This is PERFECT
Holy crap, I'm so glad I got this.
This hits the spot.
About the only things I could muster up to say after experiencing the Lamb Gyro the other day. It even made waiting out in the cold brisk day a happy event. I added feta cheese for an extra .50 and bought a water and my bill came to a whopping 6.50. Win.
Win win win.
Win.
This place is amazing. I hope it never leaves. Really. -
Review from hannah k.
Portland, OR
11/22/2011
Hello Super Lamb Gyro! Get in my belly! Best gyro i've had in Portland! This gyro is filled with the most flavorful, succulent lamb, packed into a warm chewy pita w/ tomatoes, onion, lettuce, cilantro, real feta cheese and their bomb yogurt sauce. oh my gosh, i want to eat this right now!
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Review from Todd K.
Portland food pods kick ass. I brought a group of friends to the food pods at 10th and Adler to show them what they have been missing. While they ordered at other pods, I ordered a Greek Salad at Aybla Grill. It included romaine lettuce, tomato, onion, red pepper, Greek feta cheese, kalamata olives & homemade Dijon vinaigrette. With falafel it costs $7.00. With grilled chicken breast or lamb shawarma the price is $8.00. As expected from a Portland food pod, the ordering process is friendly and quick. The salad was pretty good. The dressing was okay but the falafel and its sauce definitely added something special to the salad.
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Review from Joey T.
Richland, WA
12/13/2010 1 photo
I went to Portland this weekend with a friend of mine. We'd just climbed off the train and were wandering around the downtown with our backpacks, killing time before we could check in to our hotel, hungrier than heck, and not finding any restaurants that sounded good. And then I remembered back to when my sister lived in Portland and she took me to a street lined with food carts. Aha! Food carts!
We walked up and down Alder and EVERYTHING sounded good. Finally we settled on getting gyros. And they were AWESOME. I had the super lamb gyro. It was HUGE. And the meat was cut into chunks, not sliced. And there was a LOT of it. And it was DELICIOUS!
It makes me wonder why the only food carts at home are all taco trucks? There should be gyro trucks!!! -
Review from Chris A.
They claim to have the best gyro in Portland. I would say the Greek stand at the Saturday market is still the best but this was a very close second. Excellent spices, generously filled with charred lamb and and a great sauce. The chicken looked good as well.
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Review from Kay C.
9/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
It's true, the lamb gyro is that good. Just get it!
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Review from Giggly c.
Portland, OR
10/1/2010
Is this a chain? At least this one is not downtown and closer to our place. Yummy falafal and gyros. want the try the green salad-like thing, don't know name.
Oups, don't know this location. thought it was the hawthone location... strange. will have to look into that later. -
Review from Kimberly V.
Portland, OR
7/3/2009
Ripped off from http://DateandDash.com, edited for content with the author's (meaning, my) permission --
Three steps to an amazing speed [eat].
Speed [eating] is a great way to meet new [foods]. You know that everyone is [broke] and [food cart workers] are actually [hopeful] to [feed] you. It sounds like a dream come true.
Aybla Grill was my gateway grub into the much-lauded 5th and Stark food cart pod. Just like in the volatile world of budding human relationships, some doubts lingered as I first stepped onto the shaded counter and considered the menu.
What if the first thing I ordered gave me a reason to camp out in a bathroom for the rest of the day?
What if I flubbed the ordering procedure, and the food cart worker lost patience with me, and I ended up crying on the sidewalk? I didn't need a re-enactment of prom.
What if I ate too much at the first cart and couldn't proceed to the other ones as planned? Would that make food cart-cation a failure? Would that make me a failure? Why am I so terrified of failing? Did it start with my parents?
Fortunately, http://DateandDash.com provides some helpful tips that can be applied to many spheres outside their manufactured, antithetical dating ritual.
1) Mind set is what matters
Speed eating means you get a taste of the goods, if not a full-blown breakdown of the flavors, texture, and overall quality, With food, sometimes a taste is all you need. I also brought chewable Pepto Bismal in my bag just in case. We go, food carts endure, and all that.
2) Don't be too serious
As Portlanders, we're always "Slow food" this and "Local produce" that, which can make food cart dining sort of a lesson in re-evaluation. But when you can walk a block and find a scattershot of food choices that require no more than eight bucks for a full meal and drink, that dining out paradigm shifts so quickly it rattles the windows harder than when the 20 passes by my house. Aybla has the special distinction of being the first cart you see when walking south from Burnside. It's hard not to want to try it, with all its promises of lamb meat and tzatziki.
3) Don't try to impress
Uh, OK. That's the food's job. And Aybla's did. The choices were a bit staggering, even if they didn't vary too much from your typical Meditteranean menu. Our interests had a lot of similarities - gyros, kabobs, gentle flavors crammed in pita pockets. Once I settled on a combo, the meat was moist and fit down my throat with forkfuls of rice and sauce. They gave pitas on the side, which is thoughtful. I definitely thought we clicked, and it was with some trepidation that I had to move onto my next speed [eat].Listed in: Cartographer Seeks Magical…
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Review from rick r.
4/11/2008 ROTD 10/13/2008
Best Gyro in Portland. Full flavored, the parsley is nice, the feta is good. But the lamb souvlaki is amazing. Wow. You get a mix of tender morsels and rich crispy chunks, the texture alone brings a lot more with it than any gyro I've seen.
That's all I've had there. I wanted to try the chicken today, but it threw them off that I ordered a lamb and a chicken, so they gave me two lambs. Life goes on. -
Review from Jennifer W.
Berkeley, CA
7/24/2009 6 photos
Lamb Gyros:
-normally priced
+thick pita
-too many cheese cubes
Rose Lemonade:
+super cheap
+rose aftertaste
I bought a can of Vineo soda here all the way back to California with me. -
Review from Kody L.
Portland, OR
5/16/2009
Walking with a gyro down to the waterfront on a sunny day = heaven.
They recommended the lamb gyro and I got the super gyro (I refrained from saying I super-sized it, but then I just wrote that), which basically adds a lot of feta. It was delicious, but at $7 I was over my ideal $5 spending target for food carts. They have a normal version for $5, but the feta was too tempting.
The sauce was addictive and the lamb was perfectly cooked. You definitely won't feel disappointed in ordering it. Also, it's worth noting it's one of the few carts on that block open on Saturdays.
They have a lot of options. Good solid Mediterranean cart!Listed in: I Heart Food Carts!, Food Carts - SW 5th and Stark
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Review from Liliana G.
Portland, OR
4/2/2009 1 Check-in Here
WARNING: this gyro is so good you will be thinking about when to get your next one for days afterward. don't say i didn't warn you.
wow! where to begin??
what i ordered: 1 super lamb gyro ($7), 1 order of tzatziki ($3.50)
what i got: 1 pita stuffed with big pieces of yummy gyro meat, feta, lettuce, tomatoes, and tzatziki, 1 to go container brimming with delish tzatziki (as good as my own) and a sliced , grilled piece of pita, all of which looked WAY better and bigger in person than on the display board.
it was all super yummy in my tummy and the tzatziki plate was so big i had most of it to take home for later.Listed in: Top PDX Restaurants
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Review from Kristen M.
Hillsboro, OR
8/23/2010
I've been WANTING to try this place for a while and finally had a chance to try their lovely fare of fantastic Greek food!
Channeling the flavor's of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, I was able to endure the lovely tzatziki sauce in their Super Kafta Grilled Lamb Gyro which was served in a pita bread with your usual fare of Greek veggies (lettuce, onion, tomato and parsley). I must say for $7 it was worth every penny! I must put a disclaimer that this handled food can be quite messy with the lovely savory sauces dripping down your hand.
Overall, I would definitely eat here again!Listed in: Foodcarts PDX
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Review from Jarrod S.
4/7/2010
This place is good. It took me a while to decide as there are only a bajillion food cart options right there.
It is not however the best greek cart in town so only 4 instead of 5 stars. I ordered the lamb Gyro, (I always order the lamb.)
The lamb slices are thicker than what I am used to but seasoned quite well. The sauce was spot on and the thing was in my hand within 2 minutes of ordering! The pita was a bit dry and crumbly and the rolling of the thing was a miss. you are supposed to roll them up nice and tight, not fold it over like a taco!
I'd go back.Listed in: Good carts
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Review from Doug R.
4/1/2008
I was gonna hit the samurai place, but there was a line, so I went up to Aybla.
Yum.
Let me repeat. YUM!
The gyro meat (which is usually a lamb/beef meatloaf, according to Alton Brown) was cubed and crispier than any gyro I've ever had, which I seriously dug. There was some kind of greenery on it, and lots of tzaziki (sp?). I don't recall a lot of other veggies, but that's A-ok with me. And I sprung the $.50 for feta. Why not?
I noticed the spit was empty and they had big slabs of the meat on the griddle. Thus the crispy yumness, I suppose.
And as I recall it was $5 (with the extra charge for feta). With a few Ma & Pa beef & bean burritos, a hell of a lunch.
The whole effort is really professional. The trailer is in good shape, there's a little porch thing so you can order out of the rain. The owner wears a chef's coat and the girl working the counter had a clean shirt with the company name on it. I personally like these little touches that disguise the fact that I'm eating out of something with a hitch that enables it to be towed away on a moment's notice.Listed in: Lunch in the Pearlish area
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Review from Matt M.
6/5/2010
This pod of carts is insane. It's easily my favorite. It's so damn hard to pick which one to eat at that I've fallen into "choose by line size" mode. I can eat Aybla, Brunchbox or La Jarochita and be perfectly and equally satisfied.
The lamb gyro is tits good. I'll back up the previous comment of the gyro being a bit loose. -
Review from Feuy S.
Aybla grill is my favorite food cart at 5th and Stark. I'm not a big fan of lamb, but their lamb gyro is off the hook! It is so tender and doesn't taste like lamb at all. What makes their gyro stand out is their tzatziki sauce, which is OH, SO GOOD. It's not too watery, nor is it too thick. It's just perfect.
Most (normal) people would prefer to include chocolate covered strawberries and champagne during their pre-sexy times. Not me. What do I prefer? Remember that scene in Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice In the Hood? Kind of like that. But minus the ghetto-ness, take out the red kool-aid, hot sauce and government cheese. Add a bottle of Aybla Grill's tzatziki sauce (or Mother's hollandaise sauce), include some romance and that's what I'm talking about! -
Review from Connie C.
10/22/2008 6 photos
I was wandering towards the food carts on a weekday around 5pm because unfortunately unlike the lucky bastards that work downtown, I can't stop by for lunch.
This was one of the few places still open. Besides, "The best gyros in town." Who can turn that down?
I ordered a lamb gyro w/ feta. It was pretty quick. It was normal-sized I'd say because it still fit in my purse (my food-hoarding vessel). The gyro was nicely seasoned but really consistently soft (I like some crispiness to it). The soft pita oozed of thick yogurt and the parsley gave the whole thing a tabbouleh-ish bite. There was not as much feta as I would've liked & it was all towards the end.
I'd go back, but I think I'll still be on the search for the best gyros in town. (See oozy pics.) -
Review from Cheryle R.
Lake Oswego, OR
1/16/2008
I'm one of those people you see standing in line at Abaya with drool running down my chin. In fact, that was me about 15 minutes ago.
I've visited this cart several times in the last few months, and everything I've ordered has been stellar - despite the fact that more often than not, they screw up my order. For instance, today I ordered a Veggie Mezza plate with feta cheese, and although they remembered to put the feta in this time, they also added a heaping pile of meat!
Now, I'm a carnivore, so this is no problem for me, but it would certainly be a hassle for my non-meat-eating friends.
But let's get back to the grubbin's, shall we? Today's "Veggie Mezza" consisted of:
-a big pile of meat. I'm not sure what kind of meat it is, but it's incredibly tender, tasty, and topped with a garlicky sauce. Finger-lickin-icious.
-three generously sized Falafel balls. I've long been a believer that Falafel is something that you can only f*ck up, but I'm mistaken. These are fresh and hot and don't taste like anything resembling a dirt clod. Probably the best I've tasted.
-hummus. Good flavor, smooth consistency - a solid performer.
-baba ganoush. I HATE eggplant, but can tolerate this if I don't think about what's in it. Right now I'm dipping my pita in it and wrapping it around a piece of the mystery meat. (Is it lamb? Beef? I have no idea!)
-two dolmathes. I'm not a huge fan of these overall, but Abaya's are tasty.
-pita bread. Mmmmmm! Warm, doughy, delicious and a perfect delivery device for hummus, baba ganoush, heck - even a dog turd would taste good wrapped in this deliciousness.
-a small salad, topped with a tangy dressing and feta cheese (you pay 50 cents extra for the feta, but worth it)
There. Abaya now has two reviews. Let's keep the love coming people!!!Listed in: I'm leaving my downtown job…
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Review from Melissa L.
Portland, OR
10/8/2010 1 Check-in Here
The lamb greek salad is divine!
I was hoping that the lamb would be kebab meat, but instead it was lamb gyro meat. It was a bit more fatty, but still delicious. The gyro meat was served in big chunks, too, instead of the usual thin strips.
The salad could really have used a few cherry tomatoes, but mine had red bell pepper instead. It was also a bit skimpy on the olives. Dressing was delicious though. Huge salad, healthy lunch, $7!!
I enjoyed this salad with my fellow Yelp Food Cart Flash Mobbers, and everyone (including some random passers-by) asked me where I got it from and eyed it approvingly.
