Smoky grilled meat, colorful veggies, and tangy yogurt sauces — what more can one ask for? Gyros have always been a staple going-out food that my family has settled on, and it is often easy to find a plethora of gyro food trucks in New York. But there is no need to travel to New York anymore to get the best gyros when one shop just opened up in Newport, Jersey City: Efi’s Gyro! Located at 30 Park Lane, Efi’s Gyro is near Newport Park, which is quite the walk from campus, although on a good weekend, it’s worth checking out with your friends. Efi’s prides itself on delivering the best Greek food in NJ, and I can attest to that, at least for Jersey City.
They have so many gyro options, including plant based ones, and have their decadently crispy fries inside the gyros. The first gyro we got was the classic Efi’s Gyro with shaved chicken wrapped in handmade pita, Efi’s sauce, tomato, onion, lettuce, and a couple of fries. It is good if you love spicier food, with the sauce bringing that spicy kick. The chicken in every gyro is perfectly juicy and tender while carrying a smoky grilled flavor. Not to mention, they load up on the chicken; every gyro they serve is overfilled and stuffed to the fullest, yet neatly packaged and easy to not make a mess out of.
For the regular Chicken Gyro, the tzatziki sauce, which is a Greek yogurt sauce, was absolutely perfect and paired so well with the rest of the vegetables and ingredients. This gyro was almost identical to the Efi’s Gyro, except if you aren’t a spice fan and want something more mellow, this would be perfect for you. The yogurt sauce brings a refreshing tang that cuts through the richness of the gyro if you don’t opt for the spicy sauce. My favorite gyro that I’ve tried from them is the authentic chicken souvlaki gyro. The tangy authentic yellow sauce in this gyro is perfectly creamy, sweet, and slightly nutty. The chicken souvlaki is very tender, but still has that kebab-like texture. The veggies create a nice balance from the heaviness of the chicken and give it a fresh taste.
I am a huge fan of Mediterranean fries since they are always so perfectly seasoned. These fries were seasoned with oregano, paprika, and lemon, and the texture was ultimate heaven. They had a thick, crunchy golden exterior with a soft, pillowy inside that created the best contrast. They really give a lot of fries in one box, which are extremely addictive, and you have to try them with the tzatziki sauce! If you are a cheese lover, I recommend getting the fries with feta on top.
One thing I recommend about Efi’s is getting one gyro for two people to share because it is so filling. Also, always get the add-on sauces; they offer four dips for the pitas, which are a variety of classic Mediterranean options like tzatziki, red pepper hummus, eggplant, and spicy feta, each served with warm handmade pita. Although I never got to try their dessert menu, Efi’s desserts are just as tempting as their gyros, with classics like baklava and lemon tart, plus unique ones like baklava cheesecake, orange pie, and profiterole jars. They’re the perfect mix of well-loved and authentic, and I might try the baklava cheesecake next time I go. Aside from the desserts and gyros, they also offer salads, platters, bowls, and souvlaki, which are skewers served with different Greek sides. Honestly, nothing beats an Efi’s gyro.
