Since the dawn of time, if you wanted to sink your teeth into a truly exceptional gyro, you had to drive to Lakewood. East-siders have Demetrios Atheneos to thank for whittling that travel time down to nearly nil. In January, the chef opened Zina Greek Street Food in University Heights, which is now home to the best gyro this side of the Cuyahoga.
Located a few doors down from Chicken Ranch, his fast-casual fried chicken joint, Zina is similarly efficient, with counter-driven service and a few tables for dining or waiting. Those gyros are built atop plate-size homemade pitas that are sturdy enough to stand up to the mountain of fillings. The classic gyro ($13) is a two-fisted twist of shaved lamb meat, tomatoes, red onions and seasoned French fries. Yes, fries belong on a gyro. But wisely, the kitchen adds them sparingly so they don’t hijack the entire experience. Sauces are served on the side. The refreshing tzatziki is the natural choice, but Zina offers customers a roster of eight from which to choose.
In addition to the gyros – available in lamb or chicken – Zina packs pitas with falafel or souvlaki. The pork souvlaki ($13) features loads of grilled pork cubes alongside the customary tomatoes, red onions and fries. The meat was on the dry side, but a heavy dose of “vampire garlic sauce” did plenty to improve the situation.
Zina also offers a few salads, sides such as hummus, rice or slaw, and a daily selection of “chalkboard specials.” Recently those included fish and chips, shrimp and chips and a moussaka made with lamb and beef ragu. Diners can also “build their own bowl” by combining any of the proteins, salads/sides and sauces. The spanakopita ($8) is appropriately flaky, crispy and savory – filled with spinach and feta – but it was served straight of the fridge.
For dessert, the homemade baklava ($7) is the hands-down winner, a sticky million-layered treat with phyllo, nuts and honey. The loukoumades ($8), or Greek donut holes, arrived more dense and chewy than airy and crisp. They are drizzled with honey sauce and sprinkled with chopped nuts and cinnamon sugar.
Zina Greek Street Food
13898 Cedar Rd., University Hts.
216-973-3334
zinagreekstreetfood.com
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This article appears in Mar 8-21, 2023.
