I did not have a dinner spot picked out as we returned from our latest adventure. We found ourselves hungry just before we went through Culpeper, VA. Chris did a Google search for a place to eat and found Albana’s Taverna. As we pulled into the strip mall we noticed a barbecue restaurant and decided that if Albana’s didn’t look good we could always eat there instead. As soon as I saw that Albana’s was a Greek restaurant, I was in, hoping they would have a gyro on the menu.
The small restaurant is beautifully decorated in a very Greek style. Murals adorned the ceiling and walls, there were party lights in the hallway and there was a video of Greece playing on the tv. Upon sitting down, our server brought a plate of pita bread with a bright, fresh, tasty dip. I scanned the menu and quickly found the gyro. It was nice to see that they include feta with the sandwich, as we very often have to order it as an extra. I always order extra tzatziki on the side as well.
While we waited for our food, we could see someone mopping in the kitchen. I didn’t think anything of it, but then she came out of the kitchen to mop the dining room. I started having second thoughts as to whether we should have picked another place to eat when she mopped around us. The conversation between her and a co-worker made it pretty obvious that it was her first day at work. I don’t know if mopping around customers is standard procedure or if she just didn’t know any better.
After our gyros arrived, I asked for mayonnaise for my fries. Our server brought the mayonnaise and then we never saw her again. I did not get my side of tzatziki but was unable to ask for it because she never came back.
The gyros were gorgeous. It was clear that the owner takes great pride in what she serves. We could hear her chopping the vegetables fresh for our meal. The lettuce was beautifully green and the tomatoes, diced into small pieces, had almost no seeds. Chris and I agreed that there was more meat on the sandwich than any gyro we have had in the past.
The best part was the careful placement of the tzatziki sauce. Instead of one plop of sauce on top of the sandwich (the reason I always ask for extra), there was a layer along the length of the sandwich, both over and under the meat, allowing for some in every bite. My gyro did seem to have more sauce than Chris’s, leading us to believe that they may have made the sandwich with the extra sauce instead of serving it on the side, which I am perfectly ok with.
The fries had a nice crispy, soft texture and were a nice accompaniment for the gyro. We are always on the search for the perfect gyro. The gyro at Albana’s Taverna ranks in the top three gyros that we have found, the other two being a cozy little spot we found in New Orleans and Papa Zuzu’s in Charleston, SC.
Cost for a soda and two gyros with a side of tzatziki $23.44.
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