Hummus Is Where the Heart Is
Taste of the Town: Gyro House
By Angie Helvey, Contributing Writer
Photos by Malaina Kinne
Food has the uncanny ability to transport us to other lands. Enjoying fresh hummus spread over soft pita bread or a crispy falafel can send your appetites straight to a picturesque beach in Lebanon or a busy street corner in Jordan. Gyro House is known for its authentic cuisine and tasty homemade desserts, guaranteed to take you on a flavor journey through the Mediterranean!
Owner Asem Samman has been in the food industry for the past 25 years and opened the first Gyro House 13 years ago in Beaverton. He loved the community in Sherwood, so he decided to open a new branch there over five years ago. Since then, Gyro House has gained a huge following in the area, treasured for its fantastic food and gracious team members who work hard to keep the atmosphere in the restaurant friendly and relaxing.
The menu at Gyro House features all the classic Mediterranean options with traditional flavors. Customer favorites include fresh, housemade hummus, lamb and chicken gyros, and kebabs. All meat is seasoned with special Mediterranean spices that will definitely please your palate! Portions are extremely generous, ingredients are fresh, and the recipes come straight from their native regions. “Our food is a representation of Lebanon and Jordan,” explains Asem. “I worked in many restaurants in both countries, so I brought that experience here.”
Other A Taste of Mexico City “>tempting menu items include fresh salads, crispy falafels, baba ghanouj, lamb and chicken shawarma plates, and plenty of tzatziki and tahini sauce. Gyro House fries are round-cut and can be topped with spicy garlic, feta, or delicious slices of lamb. Several vegetarian options are available, including a falafel gyro, veggie kebabs, and a vegetarian plate with spinach or cheese pie. A kid’s menu is available for the little ones, complete with a child-size gyro, and don’t forget to end the meal with a homemade dessert! “All our desserts are homemade from scratch, like our famous Baklava, which is my mother’s secret recipe,” says Asem. Baklava is a traditional dessert made of delicate layers of filo pastry filled with walnuts and pistachio, moistened with a light sugar syrup. They also do a mosabak jalebi, which is deep-fried sweet dough dipped in honey, and awama, mini doughnut balls covered in honey syrup.
Asem and his team are committed to maintaining a warm, family-friendly ambiance with a culturally authentic feel. The restaurant walls are adorned with pictures of Mediterranean culture. Some of the staff are family members, and the manager, Flor, has been with the company for many years.
Asem loves being part of the Sherwood community, and Gyro House has plenty of repeat patrons. “Most of our customers are regulars, but we also gain new customers through our good reviews and feedback, which truly makes us happy,” Asem says. “We love to interact with our customers because it’s important to us to get to know them and to make sure they are completely satisfied at all times.” Asem says that bringing his business to Sherwood has been a wonderful experience. “We feel at home in the Sherwood community. It’s a safe community, and it has brought my business to the next level.”
Visit Gyro House for an authentic Mediterranean meal with traditional flavors straight from Jordan and Lebanon, complete with homemade Baklava. It’s the perfect way to experience another country without ever having to leave your hometown.
http://thegyrohouse.com/Gyro House is located at 15996 SW Tualatin-Sherwood Rd, Sherwood, OR 97140. Please give them a call at 503-610-1515, or visit their website at thegyrohouse.com
