Have you ever wondered where to go out for dinner, scrolling through Yelp in vain? Well, look no further than Academ-Eats. Alexandra Raskin ‘25 and William Landahl ‘26 will be checking out restaurants across the city, prioritizing local businesses ranging from longtime installments to the newest spots on the block. They’ll provide you with honest reviews, taking everything from the food to the environment and price into account. Enjoy!

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For the first installment of this series, we headed to Gyros Mediterranean, located at 106 Cornell Drive, right across from UNM. Gyros Mediterranean is a locally-run restaurant that was opened in 1978 by Panos Marmaras. They serve authentic Greek and Middle Eastern street food, along with other fare, like desserts and soups, every day of the week. We must confess: this wasn’t our first time at Gyros, but when we first went in mid-January, we knew that we had to go back. Being right behind Frontier, many people don’t notice it, and it tends to be less busy.
We went on Sunday, February 18 around 12:30 p.m. To our surprise, it was already bustling with customers only half an hour after opening. We ordered and paid at the counter and then sat down at a nearby table. After about a 20 minute wait, we received our orders: a mixed grill platter with lamb and pork souvlaki for Alex and the beef and lamb gyro pitas for William. We also bought a brownie to split between ourselves and two soft drinks. Here are our thoughts on different aspects of our visit.

Food:
Alex: ⭐4.5/5 ⭐
I certainly enjoyed my meal. The pita was soft, warm, and delicious, the vegetables in the salad were fresh and flavorful, and their tzatziki was quite possibly the best thing I have ever eaten. Their homemade baked potato chips are also addictive, a genius way to mop up leftover salad dressing or tzatziki and round out an amazing meal. My only gripe would be that the souvlaki was a little cold by the time I got it, but even so, it was delicious, well-seasoned, and tender.

William: ⭐5/5 ⭐
I have to agree with Alexandra and say that the food is amazing. The lamb in my gyros was perfectly seasoned and cooked. I also loved the tzatziki sauce – it added the perfect splash of brightness to lighten up an otherwise heavy meal, but it also avoided being overpowering. The potato chips were equally impressive – I’ve never been a fan of excessively salty and crunchy potato chips, and Gyros avoids both of these issues. My salad was also delicious, and it helped to add acidity. Last but not least was the brownie – it wasn’t Alex’s favorite, but I found it to be the ideal balance between fudgy and cakey. Also, they certainly didn’t skimp out on the size of their brownies – something I’m always happy to see. Already having a soft spot in my heart for Greek cuisine, I have to give the food 5/5 stars.

Price:
Beef and Lamb Gyro Pita Combo: $12.95
Mixed Grill Platter: $13.50
Brownie: $3.00
Soft Drinks: $5.90 for two
Total: $35.35

Alex and William – ⭐4/5 ⭐
We both thought the pricing was quite reasonable – it wasn’t overly expensive, and there were good portion sizes in relation to the price.

Service:
Alex – ⭐4.5/5 ⭐
The service was very good. The workers were attentive and polite, and even though the lunchtime rush had just started and it was very busy, the line at the counter to order was moving along quickly. We were offered refills on our drinks, and the whole process stayed quite organized and calm. My only complaint is that we waited about 20 minutes, but given the amount of orders coming into the kitchen in such a short amount of time, it was completely understandable.
William – ⭐5/5 ⭐
I don’t typically find service to be nearly as important as the food and prices when I evaluate a restaurant, but the waitstaff were incredibly kind, earning them a 5/5.

Atmosphere:
Alex – ⭐5/5 ⭐
The restaurant’s old-fashioned diner feeling created a perfect and inviting atmosphere. Fun Greek music was playing throughout the restaurant, which was also clean and easy to navigate. It earned a perfect score from me!
William – ⭐4/5 ⭐
In my opinion, the atmosphere wasn’t particularly noteworthy, but the restaurant is certainly clean and inviting, feeling more like a café. The only criticism I can think of is that the back of the restaurant was a little too dark, but I honestly didn’t mind too much.

Overall:
Alex – ⭐4.5/5 ⭐
Because of not only the food, but also the ambience and the service, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Gyros, and I’m very happy to see a local small business thriving on its own merits.
William – ⭐4.5/5 ⭐
I must reiterate just how amazing the food is. It’s well thought out, seasoned, and, well, delicious. The atmosphere was pretty welcoming, and the prices weren’t prohibitive. I cannot recommend this amazing restaurant enough, and I implore you to try it for yourself!