The Gyro Stand

I love the gyro stand when I’m out on Welch or Main St — great food for a night out. I’m a vegetarian and I love they have delicious, flavorful, full options for me. The best is the spicy hummus one — damn, it’s freaking spicy! But delicious.
The people who work there are friendly. They could be a bit more careful with food safety/​gloves. Live fast, die hard. Etc.

Eww… the guy took another customer’s money with his gloved hand, then proceeded to make my gyro with the same gloved hand. What’s the point of wearing a glove if you’re going to touch everything including my food with your unsanitary gloves?!?
$ 4.50 for a small, dirty, and fake gyro is not worth the 6 minute wait in the cold. No thanks.

Disclaimer: I worked here for 3 years while I was in college. Now that that’s on the table, I’ll give you my honest-​to-​goodness review of the stand. I mean, I ate there before I started working there and continued to eat there during and after my employment. That’s gotta mean something, right?
To start, I’m a vegetarian. I read Matt E.‘s review about the meat coming from a box, and his ill-​feelings are understandable. Since I don’t eat meat, my Smiles & Gyros experience is quite different.
The ingredients are fresh and delicious, they’re open late for the drunks and bartenders, and they make an extra special effort to make sure when you order a veggie gyro, it stays away from anything meat-​related. While I don’t know the majority of the staff anymore, I can safely say that if they’re anything like the wonderful people I worked with a few years ago, they’re friendly and want to make sure you have an awesome gyro experience. So tip ‘em! :)

I believe the enthusiasm of these previous reviewers is driven by the sentimentality of past good times in college instead of an authentic hand-​held Hellenic delight.
This is a very shrewd business plan and it is located to provide very appreciated eats for the post-​bar shuffle back home. They’re open late and have reasonable prices.
That being said these are kit gyros. You know, the ones that come in rectangles that shrink like bacon? You’re not going to see someone cutting homemade shawarma meat off of a rotisserie here.
Solid satisfying value when everything else is closed? YES! 5-​stars? No way.

If you like gyros, it’s the best $ 4 you’ll spend. Go out on Welch but be sure to swing by on your way home. The chefs are usually pretty cool to talk to also.

YUMMMMY!!! :) I lOVE the Gyro cart!!!

I’m absolutely shocked! How is this place not already on Unilocal?This truly is an Ames institution. You don’t find the gyro stand, the gyro stand finds you.
I’ve had too many of these, sober and not-​so, to count. Everybody has a favorite: regular, chicken, veggie, habenero, grilled onions, extra stuff, cheeseburger… If you don’t like these, you’re either a no good hawkeye or you have birth defects… likely both.