Parkside Gyros

I agree with Aaron that "it is what it is"... and it IS your neighborhood greasy spoon take out joint. I'll admit, the food is probably above average for the price and the portions are HUGE and MESSY. I dont think you can judge a joint like this based on the television noise (though it is rather noisy) or the seating or even the signage. If you're looking to go out to do dinner this obviously isn't the place. Order your food, wait a few minutes, and walk out the door, if you want to do anything other than that you've come to the wrong sort of place.

The customer service is subpar even for the type of place it is. A lot of kids just standing around... and when I was there they were polite enough to make some homophobic comments to one another. Probably not the best business practice in place as diverse as Rogers Park.

I'm sure anything you get there you can get better within a few blocks, and I'd recommend doing that over pushing your luck here.

Simply don't eat here!  The first time I came here a few weeks ago I wasn't impressed.  It was ok food and I liked that the fries were seasoned.  So, I decided to come back.  This time I came with my family.  I ordered the chopped steak dinner.  The owner (I believe) told me it was like a burger.  I said I know it is hamburger.  I mean I grew up in Iowa.  I know what chopped steak is.  So, we get our food and go home.  I get home and open up my dinner and the chopped steak is in a bun with cheese on it.  So, I got upset as it had cheese on it.  Maybe not a big deal to most but to someone allergic to it, cheese is a big deal.  So, I call and tell the owner I am bringing it back because I can't eat cheese and that I would like something else because it was also not 100% beef as he stated it was.  It didn't look like beef and it tasted like soy.  He started yelling at me and said bring it back and he will give me my money back and then hung up.  I get to the store and he starts talking to me like I'm an idiot and I should have known it had cheese on it since he said it was like a burger.  I pointed to his menu which had burgers listed and then cheese burgers.  He didn't say cheese burger he said burger.  He didn't like that I made that point.  When I asked if he could make me something else he said no because then I would complain about that.  He said that he would not make me anything anymore.  Wow, so because he messed up he is now kicking me out of his store.  I'm a business person and that is not how you run a business.

I have lived in Rogers Park for a year and passed Parkside Gyros on several occasions, I decided to check it out. I've been there twice and was disappointed both times. I thought this would be a Greek inspired Chicago fast food joint. I tried the hot dog and the namesake of the restaurant a gyro. I was disappointed with the food and the atmosphere of the restaurant. As far as the atmosphere is concerned my expectations were low before I walked in it is in a small strip mall next to a laundromat. They have the basic booths and a couple of tables, the menu looks like it was posted in the 1980s the signage is old looking. There is a television inside the restaurant that was blaring loud, I asked the what I assume was the owner why the t.v. was so loud he said it is there for the cooks to watch (in a very rude manner). I thought they should probably be cooking, not watching t.v., but it's not my restraint.

The food is sub-par, nothing tasted fresh, the hot dog, not good, the fries, not good, the gyro, just kind of o.k.The fountain beverage, flat! A flat fountain pop should be against the law!  I grew up in Chicago and love hot dogs, gyros, and italian beefs so it has to pretty bad for me not to like it.

There are so many places to get Chicago fast food in and around Rogers Park, don't waste your money here. For a superb gyro with a nice atmosphere and friendly service you can go about six blocks south on Clark to Sahara Kabob.