Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Trenton Kebab House - Trenton, NJ

If there is one thing other than deep dish pizza and Vienna Beef hot dogs that I miss about Chicago, it is the simple fact that you cannot find a good gyro (pronounced /ˈjiroʊ(z)/ or /ˈdʒɪəiroʊ(z)/,[1][2][3] from Greek: γύρος /ˈʝiros/ 'turn').
So far, the best that I have found comes from the Trenton Kebab House. Walked in today during the peak of lunch hour, and you could tell that all the State employees were walking around town for lunch. There were just a few open tables, and many people waiting for take out today, so that is a good thing.
I ordered my gyro, and watched it being freshly sliced off of the spit, with a nice brown char on it. I sat down with my gyro, fries, and Welch's Grape Juice, and was in gyro heaven. From the nice thinly sliced red onion, to the fresh, thinly sliced tomato, this was nice. As usual, I asked for sauce on the side, and dipped one of my french fries in it to get a little taste. If there is one thing that is lacking at Trenton Kebab house, it is their tzatziki sauce. They definitely need to work on their sauce, as it is thin, and just kind of boring. Regardless, it adds a nice element to the sandwich, but isn't nearly as flavorful as some of the good tzatziki back home.
The pita it was served on was nice, with a nice little grill to it to warm it up and give it some color, but the true winner here is the meat. Who knows for sure if they are using 100% lamb, or if they are using a lamb/beef mix, or some other hybrid. We may never really know for sure, but it truly is tasty. It;s cooked nicely, with a bit a browning to it to give it some good texture, but also that nice softness, and not too much grease. It is seasoned nicely, and just tastes good. It might not be as good as some of the best gyros in Chicago, but this is the next best thing I have found on the East Coast.
The fries were OK, but like I say often, they could have used another 2 minutes in the fryer. I like my fries golden, and I like them crunchy. These were actually a bit under done, with some toughness to them, and for being right out of the fryer, they could have been warmer in the middle. But hey, I wasn't there for the fries anyway.
All in all, another good gyro from the Trenton Kebab House, and I left once again with a full belly and gyro smelling hands. Nothing a little anti bacterial can't get rid of until I got home to wash them. Cheers! -F. Scott
TRENTON KEBAB HOUSE 226 East State Street Trenton, NJ 08608
Phone: (609)278-0037 E-mail: trentonkebabhouse@yahoo.com

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hi Scott & Zelda - I love the Kebab House. I remember reading your review, and Whamm my fries came out super cripsy. If your headed back I would suggest the Tahnini Sauce with a dash of hot sauce. It's great for the Kebab and to dip your fries. let me know if you find anything as good nearby. Trenton is a tough town for food.