With the recent downtown opening of Glory Bound Gyro Company, the Tuscaloosa gyro craze is growing even larger.

The gyro, pronounced “yur-oh,” is the Greek version of fast food. It is a type of sandwich made of grilled pita bread stuffed with various rotisserie-style meats – pork, chicken, beef or lamb – as well as lettuce, onions, tomatoes and a yogurt-based tzatziki sauce. The tzatziki sauce is made with plain Greek yogurt, dill weed, diced cucumbers and a small portion of vinegar.

The type of pita bread used to hold all of this usually varies – the bread could be a wrap or in a pocket-style flatbread. I personally like to add feta cheese, diced bell peppers and a dab of spicy mustard.

A warm gyro is a healthy, filling and delicious choice for a sit-down or on-the-go meal. Gyros can be prepared very quickly, so you may have seen them before being sold by street vendors in large cities.

Now that your taste buds are listening and craving the savory flavor of a gyro, let’s explore the best places to find them in Tuscaloosa.

Gyros are sold at a number of places around town with the most notable being Zoë’s Kitchen, Taziki’s Café, Hooligan’s American and Mediterranean Restaurant and Glory Bound Gyro Company.

Taziki’s Mediterranean Café opened in Midtown Village in 2011. A very clean and healthy place to eat, Taziki’s has a broader range of gyro options than Zoe’s. They offer a Beef Gyro, Chicken Caesar Gyro, Greek Salad Gyro, Lamb Gyro and Turkey Gyro. Taziki’s also offers a vegetarian option for those wishing to forgo the meat. For all you health freaks, if you go to their website, tazikiscafe.com, they show you the dietary information for each item they serve.

While it may not be the healthiest choice, Hooligan’s offers an authentic, traditional Mediterranean gyro in the homiest atmosphere of all the Greek-style restaurants. Although Hooligan’s location on University Boulevard is always crowded, the service is fast and friendly. Served in a wrap form, their gyros are always loaded. I usually add feta cheese to mine. Bundle.com, a website that rates companies based on customer reviews, claims Hooligan’s as the best Mediterranean restaurant in Tuscaloosa.

I recently found my new favorite gyro at Glory Bound Gyro Company located downtown on University Boulevard. After two southern guys traveled around Greece, they decided to come home to open a restaurant that combined funky southern style and traditional Greek flare to present an innovative, delicious gyro menu. With pepper jack cheese, BBQ sauce, meat and feta cheese, the Pepper Jack Gyro thrilled my taste buds. You can view the restaurant’s story and their extensive menu at gloryboundgyroco.com.