George Papakosta’s Gyro Stand

Every since the day I started riding my bike to work, my lunch options have multiplied in ways unknown. Rather than being stuck in the Dupont/​West End vacuum of dining doom, I am able to whip through traffic to find the best of DC’s lunch scene. One of my best friends lives in the Land Of Cart Food, and so, this lunch makes a great reason to catch up. By Land Of Cart Food, I mean three of the best places to get food from a cart are all located near each other: (1) the infamous, and my favorite, Bulgogi Cart, (2) the also infamous, and my second favorite, the Burrito Cart which has of late had lines almost worthy of the Greek Deli, and (3) the new kid on the block, the Gyro Cart.
Today, we debated betwen the Bulgogi Cart and the Gyro Cart, but since I had never been to the Gyro Cart, that’s where we decided to go. George is a pleasant if laconic man whose menu is limited and simple. But his service is quick and efficient and modest. You can get a gyro or chicken souvlaka wrapped up in a surprisingly good thick pita, and piled with lettuce, tomato, and tzaziki. I decided to get the chicken souvlaka, although my friend tells me the gyro is better. The chicken was well flavored, but a bit dry. The portion was small, and didn’t quite fill me up like the Burrito Cart of Bulgogi Cart would have, but I also didn’t have the gross «I just ate half my weight in bulgogi» feeling either.
There was something missing from this cart experience that I can’t really quantify. I’ll always opt for good cart food over a major chain lunch place or sandwich joint, but this place is missing the «wow» factor you get at some of the other gems in the area. Maybe its because you can get good gyros at both Port of Piraeus and the Greek Deli, or maybe its the feeling that you just wanted a little more.
But for $ 5 for chips (and George stocks a good selection of everything from various Utz flavors to Doritos to Cheetos) and a gyro or chicken souvlaka, you can’t go wrong here. And at 12:30 pm, when you’re starving, there’s not really a line here either. As I was eating in the park near McPhereson Square and gazing over at the line across the street for the Burrito Cart, I reminded myself that just being able to mix it up a bit was worth it.

The City Council may have reversed its moratorium on sidewalk venders back in 2006 but we still suffer from the absence of a vibrant street food scene in the District. Despite our city’s international flair, we painfully lag behind New York City’s street vendor culture and California’s taco truck fleet. Shiny metal carts do exist but half-​smokes and 4-​for-​$ 10 t-​shirts simply do not satisfy our hunger for tasty, inexpensive food — fast. Let’s face it … there is no culinary diversity among the streets of DC. I’ve heard legends of a Korean cart near 14^th and L Street but this cart continues to elude me. Yet, when all hope is lost, will a newly-​found Gyro cart be sign of changing times?
There was no name on this cart so I christened it with the owner’s name, which was visible on the health license displayed. Assuming that I was speaking to George Papakostas himself, he’s been selling gyros and chicken souvlakis for the past month on the northeast corner of 15^th & M St NW (1201 15^th St). His gyro is more of a welcomed change than it is a stellar discovery. The meat is flavorful, the pita is thick, and vegetables are crisp. It’s an ordinary gyro but, perhaps, simplicity is just part of the charm. Prices are very reasonable and hard to beat — $ 5 (tax included) for sandwich and chips. The cart appears clean and he promises to be at this street corner from 8 AM to 3 PM you can expect him on this street corner Monday through Friday, rain or shine. For light lunch or an afternoon snack, George Papakostas offers one of the best meal deals around block. With the increasing cost of ingredients and soaring rent prices, I hope that new restaurateurs will also discover that street vending can be a lucrative venue.