i'm a little embarrassed to say that i was an adult before i had my first gyro. i worked at the st. louis galleria at the one hour photo shop. the store i worked at is no longer there and, i'm sorry to say, it looks like the restaurant where i had my first gyro isn't either (according to the mall's website). i'm a little bummed out by that! it was a great little place called athens cafe. they had a fairly large menu for a food court restaurant but i really just remember they had baklava, greek salads and gyros. there was one girl that worked at there who, i think, had a crush on me because every time she made a gyro for me, it had way more meat that anyone else's. i was about 23 or so at this time & that's a lot of years spent without knowing the yumminess that is the gyro!  just for fun, click here for a little history of the gyro.

probably since i had my first (and every other one until recently) gyro at a greek restaurant, i always thought of gyros as strictly greek food. so, technically it's not my fault i didn't know that the gyro is prominent in a much larger geographic area than just greece... it's all those greek restaurants! so, when we went to a restaurant specializing in middle eastern cuisine, i didn't anticipate getting the best gyro ever. several people had recommended jerusalem cafe to us & we finally went there a couple months ago & then again last week.

jerusalem cafe has been in the historic westport area of kansas city since at least the mid-80's. it is a typical city neighborhood with mostly street parking so it can be tough to find a spot occasionally but we got super lucky both times we went there & a spot was open right in front. the interior of the restaurant is not huge but we didn't have a wait for a table. there is a small smoking section. the atmosphere is casual, friendly and inviting. the kitchen is open so you can see the cooks making your meal from fresh ingredients. they also have a store about a mile away from the restaurant where they have a buffet and small grocery store where i bought the same really cool falafel making tool that they use in the restaurant.  the décor of the café is unique.  the walls are mostly bare brick with framed awards & articles along with posters of jerusalem.  here’s a picture of the partially painted ceiling:

selection: the menu part of jerusalem cafe's website is not working which stinks because i can't remember everything they serve. both times we went, we had the greek salad, falafel, hummus with a ton of homemade pita bread and gyros sandwich. they also serve several different salads, gyros with different meats & ingredients, sandwiches and a bunch of vegetarian dishes. when you order a certain item, it doesn't just come with what you order. for example, the falafel comes with onions, tomatoes, lettuce and tahini sauce. even though the menu just says "gyro sandwich", it's more like a dinner or platter at most restaurants. it comes with salad & yummy jasmine rice. the drink selection is typical soft drinks but the iced tea was fresh and delicious.  i forgot my camera on the second trip and, for some reason, only took a couple on the first trip so i don't have much to look at.  i wish i did! the top picture is our to-go hummus.

taste: seriously, the best gyro i've ever had. the meat is perfectly tender & flavorful. the large pita is filled with a large portion of meat, lettuce, tomato, onion and wonderful cucumber yogurt sauce. the falafel is seasoned perfectly & shaped in (what i thought was) an unusual way. they look like tiny hockey pucks with an indentation in the center. i asked and learned that this was because of the cool tool they use to shape them & drop them in the hot oil. i'm not fanatical about hummus but jerusalem cafe's is so smooth, creamy & delicious. the flatbread they serve with the hummus comes to the table warm & fresh. i'm also not the biggest salad person but the side salad they serve is delicious. it has a greek dressing over fresh greens, red onions, feta and olives. everything we've had has been amazing. there's a pita sandwich with falafel and grilled veggies that i want to try next time.

service: we had the same waiter both times we've gone (and he said he's there every day but wednesday) and he is just awesome. on our second visit, he actually remembered us and what we’d ordered. i was shocked. he is super nice, very attentive and really informative. i had lots of questions and he either knew the answer or happily went back to the kitchen to ask. the food got to our table very quickly. i didn't time it but probably 5 minutes for the salad then about 10 minutes more for the appetizers (falafel & hummus) then 10 or so more for the entrees. our waiter checked on us several times and was great about refilling our drinks before they got to the bottom.

value: all the main dishes are around $7 and the appetizers are under $5. our total bill was under $25 before tip and we took over half of it home. when we asked for to-go boxes, our waiter brought us a small one full of hummus (plus we took what was left on our plate) and probably 10 pieces of flatbread wrapped in foil too. we got an incredible amount of food for a very reasonable price.

reheatability: we did have leftovers that ended up in the fridge but i didn't actually reheat anything. gyro meat ain't bad cold. the pita got a little chewy but was still tasty. i might actually reheat the meat next time if i have more left.

ranch: of course, no ranch at the mediterranean restaurant. although, it would probably be good on a gyro.

bathroom: (bear in mind here that the building is around 200 years old) using the bathroom at jerusalem cafe is an experience to say the least. you walk down a very steep staircase to a short, narrow hallway. the women's bathroom feels like an airplane bathroom if it was wooden and pink and had two stalls. it is beyond small & has a claustrophobically low ceiling. i'm not a bathroom snob and this one shortcoming will certainly not keep me from going to jerusalem cafe again but i will choose to potty elsewhere.

i can understand why jerusalem cafe has won so many awards (best hummus, best gyro and best value to name a few). i love when we find a place that has the total package: delicious & interesting food at a great value in a fun and casual atmosphere with super wait staff. the only downside is that we have to drive probably 20-30 minutes (depending on traffic) to get there. but it's worth the drive for the food & all the other cool places to go in westport and the nearby plaza.

grade: A+

 

If you're ever passing through the Columbia, Missouri, area and want some amazing Middle Eastern food, go to Casablanca.

I didn't name it; I just like to eat their food. The service is okay at best, but the food is phenomenal. The menu and portions sound like the place you're describing. Last time we went, I ate until I couldn't fit any more food in me. We weren't going to be able to bring leftovers home for logistical reasons, and it pained me to leave such good stuff uneaten.

Kirksville is just too small to support a variety of ethnic restaurants. We have several good Mexican places now, and your basic Chinese-American buffets. Il Spazio is pretty good for kinda-Italian food.

Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food, though-- just not an option. I have save up my spanakopita cravings for Very Special Occasions.