Greco Opens In Burlington! Enjoy Gyros, Loukoumades & More

"Gyro, pronounced “GAEE-ro” in English and “GHEE-ro” in Greek comes from the Greek word “gheereezo,” which means to turn. As mentioned above, it’s a stacked rotating pile of thinly sliced meat, either lamb, pork, beef, or some combination thereof, with latter-day renditions that include chicken and even fish. As the tightly packed stack roasts upright, the layers meld together and the grill person manning the gyro rotisserie cuts of paper-thin slices, which he or she fixes in a pita wrap with tomatoes, raw red onions, parsley or lettuce, Greek yogurt or tzatziki, and sometimes fried potatoes and a sprinkling of paprika or cayenne pepper."
--Chef Diane Kochilas in History of Gyro, an Ancient Greek Street Food 

Gyros and Loukoumades! I'm excited that Greco truly Greek has opened a new location at the Burlington Mall this week. Greco is a fast casual Greek restaurant, specializing in gyros and loukoumades, and its first location opened in early 2017 on Newbury Street in the Back Bay. I've been an ardent fan of Greco since that time, and additional locations have since opened in Downtown Boston, the Seaport, Hub Hall, and two in Washington, D.C.  

In 2022, Demetri Tsolakis and Stefanos Ougrinis launched Xenia Greek Hospitality, a new restaurant group with Brendan Pelley as their Culinary Director. Under the umbrella of this group are Greco truly Greek. Krasi Meze + Wine, Hecate, and Bar Vlaha. As their website states: "At Xenia Greek Hospitality, we are inspired by the ancient Greek concept which is built on guest-friendship. Today, we often forget how important not only the food being served is, but most importantly how it is being served. With a single visit to any of our concepts, you can experience the highest level of hospitality, with care and attention to all our guests, so you feel welcomed in our home." I've found this to be true, that hospitality is essential to their restaurant concepts, from the casual Greco to the more high end Bar Vlaha.   

The new Greco, which opened on Monday, has ample seating inside as well as an outside patio. It's a bright and spacious spot, with a modern feel. You order at the counter and then bring your food, when it's ready, to any table of your choice. On my visit on Wednesday, it was a fine day so there were people eating outside on the patio. 

As for Beverages, there are a number of bottled choices, from water to soda, and most are of Greek origin. For example, the Vikos/Bikos Cola, produced in Greece, is made with "natural mineral water" and sugar (not HFCS). It reminded me a bit of Mexican Cola, with a nice clean taste and doesn't seem as sweet as Coke or Pepsi. Greco also has 3 other beverages, including Frappe (Greek Iced Coffee), homemade Orange Blossom Lemonade and homemade Greek Mountain Iced Tea. The Lemonade is floral, with a light orange flavor enhancing the lemon taste. I very much enjoyed the Iced Tea. Although I generally prefer unsweetened iced tea, the Greek Mountain Iced Tea is sweetened with honey but the sweetness is very subtle and it possesses a delicious taste. I'd definitely order it again on my next visit.
 
The food menu has three main options: Pita ($12.50), Plate ($15.50), and Salad ($16.00). As everything is made to order, you customize your entree, choosing your own sauce and protein combination. The Plate also comes with one side, onions, tomato and pita bread while the Salad includes your salad choice (Horiatiki, Cretan or Greco Caesar) and is accompanied by pita bread. Sauces include Tzatziki, Spicy Feta, Honey Mustard, Lemon Chive Yogurt, Charred Eggplant, and Garlic Skordalia. My favorite sauce is their Spicy Feta. Proteins includes Pork Gyro, Chicken Gyro, Lamb Gyro, Beef Bifteki, Loukaniko Sausage, Halloumi Cheese, Veggie Fritter and Vegan Meatballs. 

They marinate all of their gyro meats for about 24 hours, using their own house-made marinades. After the meats have been properly marinated, they are then thinly sliced and carefully placed onto the rotisserie. The stacked meats look so enticing in the open kitchen.

I opted for the Lamb Gyro, with Spicy Feta, which is served on a warm pita with tomatoes, onions and fries. The warm pita is thick enough so it doesn't tear apart, but not too thick to be overly chewy. It's a fine vehicle for the tender and flavorful lamb, crisp fries, spicy and creamy feta, and more. The ample-sized Gyro was as delicious as any I've had at the other Greco locations. And it's definitely one of the best Gyros that I've had at any casual Greek restaurant. 

The Menu also offers Souvlaki Skewers ($6.50 each), including marinated and grilled chicken or pork. You can order a skewer on its own, or as part of a Single Skewer ($16.50) or Double Skewer ($20.50) Plate. The Plate comes with horiatiki salad, Greco fries, tzatziki, and pita bread. There's plenty of nice charred meat on each skewer, and the meat is tender and flavorful. The chicken skewer was my personal preference of the two, but the pork was tasty as well. 

There are also three options under Feasts, large platters meant to be shared with family and friends. The Lamb Chops ($24.50) include four lamb chops, horiatiki salad, Greco fries, tzatziki, and pita bread. The Souvlaki Platter ($42) has three chicken and three pork skewers, with horiatiki salad, Greco fries, tzatziki, and pita bread. And the Mixed Grill ($45) has pork and chicken gyro, two lamb chops, bifteki, loukaniko, Greco fries, spicy whipped feta, tzatziki, and pita bread. 

As for Sides, you have eight options, including Greco Fries ($5.50, with feta & oregano), Avgolemono (egg-lemon soup, $4.50), Zucchini Chips ($5.50), Bean Salad ($3.50), Greek Slaw ($3.50), Lemon Rice Pilaf ($4.00), Halloumi ($6.00), and Pita & Dip ($4.50). The Greco Fries are excellent, with nice, crispy fries, enhanced by the creamy and salty feta. Even though I generally am not a fan of zucchini, their Zucchini Chips,  thinly sliced and fried, are excellent.  

The Halloumi cheese, served with a side of hot honey, has been fried, and has a crisp exterior and a firm interior, like the texture of cheese curds. The salty cheese pairs well with the sweetness of the honey, and the slight heat of the honey. I can see how the Halloumi would make a tasty Gyro too.

"The French have their beignets, Americans have doughnuts, but Greeks have loukoumades, round dough fritters drizzled with Greek honey and sprinkled with cinnamon."
--Chef Diane Kochilas

For a sweet treat after lunch or dinner, or whenever you have a craving for dessert, you can order their Loukoumades ($8), basically Greek donut holes. You have three options, including the Classic (Greek honey, walnuts and cinnamon), Yaya’s (hazelnut praline, oreo cookies, powdered sugar), and Tasos (tahini caramel, sea salt, toasted sesame). 

The Classic Loukoumades begin with a light donut hole, with a crisp exterior and a light, fluffy interior, and then are topped with a sweet and compelling mix of Greek honey, walnuts, and cinnamon. It's easy to devour one after another until you find the box is empty. The walnuts add a nice crunch to the donuts and the cinnamon is a nice addition to the sweet honey. 

The Tasos have that same donut hole, crispy outside and light & fluffy inside, with sweetness from the tahini caramel complemented by sea salt. The toasted sesame adds a nuttiness to the taste, as well as some crunchy texture. 

Greco offers reasonably priced, delicious and quality fast-casual food. There are plenty of tasty options for those who enjoy meat, to those who only want something vegetarian. It's a great addition to Burlington. Service was excellent, and even though the restaurant has only been open for a few days, everything seems to be working well. This location is as good as any of their other locations, and I'm so pleased that it's so close to my home. I'm in Burlington on a regular basis, and Greco will become one of my regular lunch spots. I strongly encourage all of my readers to check out the new Greco location. 

Now I can only hope that Xenia Greek Hospitality, in the near future, will open another Greek restaurant in Burlington, something more on the lines of Krasi Meze + Wine or Bar Vlaha.