Columnist loves Greek gyro shop Loops.
BY Luke Eriksen, ’22.
The name Loops may sound familiar as it appeared on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” in 2018 and again earlier this year. While I’m no Guy Fieri, I am featuring Loups on Lou’s Reviews.
Loops is a greek gyro shop with influence from Chicago; Owners Andrew and Jimmy Constantinides are from Chicago. Loop’s sells everything from spicy gyro rolls, loaded Chicago hotdogs, smoked beef polish sausages, gyros and an Italian beef sandwich.
The name Loops is inspired by the subway in Chicago called “the Loop.” The interior design of the shop is decorated like a subway, including black-and-white-tiled walls and shiny silver tables.
While the menu isn’t enormous, everything on it is intriguing, making my decision strenuous. No matter what I ordered, I felt like I was going to miss out on another item. To make things simpler, I ordered the same items as Guy Fieri.
The food is prepared quickly; expect your food to be ready in 15 minutes or less.
I ordered the fan-favorite gyro: The Titan. The gyro meat is sliced off a skewer, topped with onions, lettuce, tomato and tzatziki sauce and served in a warm pita. The Greek spices create a mouthwatering flavor while the gyro meat is tender and juicy; Loops’ gyro meat is exceptional. The tzatziki is light; it’s the perfect sauce for this gyro. While the fresh onions, tomatoes and lettuce are typical toppings for gyros, they are unrivaled. I wouldn’t call myself a gyro expert, but The Titan is as delicious as I’ve ever had.
The gyro rolls consist of gyro meat rolled in cheese and then fried. The rolls have a spicy tzatziki sauce on the side as well. They remind me of an Asian vegetable roll but with different ingredients inside. The outside is crunchy, while the inside is warm and cheesy. The spicy tzatziki is also a brilliant dipping sauce for the rolls. You shouldn’t leave Loops without trying the gyro rolls.
The final item I tried was the meatball sub: three meatballs with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese placed inside a warm hoagie bun. The homemade meatballs are seasoned with Greek spices. The bun is toasted, and the parmesan and provolone cheese melts into the bun. A meatball sub seemed unusual on the menu for a place that sells Chicago-style hoagies and gyros, but the meatball sub at Loops is one of the feature items on the menu. If you don’t enjoy gyros, I highly recommend the meatball sub.
Loops is a must visit if you want a traditional greek gyro or are in the mood for an excellent hoagie sandwich. Guy Fieri, if you are out there reading this, I approve of your review of Loops. Loops is Lou Approved.