Hello Guests, 'Forget Viagra, Buy a Gyro!'

April 23rd, 2007
By: Steve G

Now I know what you're thinking, "What's with that headline?" As perplexed as you might be, we thought the same thing when we strolled into Santorini in Kirkland, and saw a chalkboard sign attesting to the rejuvenated effects of the Greek Cuisine. "Forget Viagra, Buy a Gyro!" We can't disclaim or affirm this statement, we only came for the food.

Santorini is a restaurant that serves traditional Greek food that doesn't deviate from norm. Gyros, Souvlaki, Bakalava, and lots of Feta Cheese are all present, but that's where the ordinary stops and the extraordinary begins. Something truly differentiates this place from other Greek places we've been to. The ingredients, no-nonsense attitude, and the humorous (informative?) sign by the door, all combined to make this a stand-out place for Greek food.

When we say no-nonsense, we mean it: No debit or credit cards are accepted, it's cash only but trust me--it's worth the extra effort to have cash on hand.

The Gyro Platter is a filling meal that comes with slices of seasoned lamb meat or beef, lots of pita bread, a side of tzatziki sauce, and one of the most addictive salads ever. Mixed with black olives, fresh feta cheese and crisp lettuce, this Greek salad can convert the most die-hard carnivore into a salad fan instantaneously. I'm not a big salad fan per se, but I found myself compelled to finish the entire Greek salad before setting my sights on the meat.

The Soulvaki Chicken consists of one long skewer holding big chunks of chicken. The chicken seemed a little dry, but still tasted fantastic when combined with the rice. If you're wondering if one skewer is enough to fill you up, this dish came with enough extra fixings such as the addictive Greek salad and lots of pita bread to leave you thoroughly satisfied.

The Greek Fries are one of the most interesting sides on the menu. Topped with Feta cheese and garlic, it makes a great companion to any platter meal, gyro, or souvlaki sandwich. While the extra ingredients may appear to be simply tacked on to the fries, it actually adds a lot of the flavor making it one of many reasons to stop by.

The platters and meals run about $10, which might seem a lot for a lunch. Trust us, the $10 that you spend will leave you walking (or waddling) out the door feeling very satisfied. As for the sign, I still don't know if eating a Gyro is better than popping a Viagra. Even if I did, I'm not putting it in this article.

If you like Santorini Greek Grill, we suggest: