’Tis Dining Month, the tastiest time of year! This means we’re dishing up fun and fascinating food content throughout October. Dig in, Milwaukee!
OnMilwaukee's Molly Snyder is on a mission during Dining Month to find the best gyros in Milwaukee. Dare we say she’s “On The Lamb” this October?
Oakland Gyros
2867 N Oakland Ave., (414) 963-1393
oaklandgyros.com
It's been a delicious – and extremely filling – month of gyro eating and I'm closing it out with the Milwaukee-famous Oakland Gyros. The Greek diner has anchored the corner of Oakland and Locust for as long as I can remember.
More accurately, Oakland Gyros opened in 1985. A second location on Layton Avenue opened in the early 2000s. We went last week for the first time in a few years and found the experience better than we remembered.
The blinking neon sign is familiar and welcoming and the interior is clean and simple, with comfortable booths and, if you're lucky, a great view of the bustling East Side intersection.
The gyro indeed lives up to the hype – although it's not necessarily better than others we tried this month, it definitely holds its own. The shaved meat was medium thickness and flavorful. There was way too much of it for the one pita it comes with and next time we'll order a couple of extras.
The tzatziki sauce was one of our favorites so far: cool and creamy without being gelatinous. We also really appreciated the Feta cheese chunks and Greek olives on the side. However, the fries served with the Gyro were slightly flaccid and under salted.
Somewhere in my mind I may have dismissed Oakland Gyro as a late night, post-drinking spot of my youth. Sitting there on a rainy Sunday afternoon, however, reminded me it's so much more. Hearty Greek comfort food in a quintessential Milwaukee location.
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
