Yia Yia Nikki's — Restaurant in Pullman

This is the 2nd visit to Popo and Yia Yia Nikki's. The first visit, I only got smoothies with juice pop bubbles as I was on a mission to find juice pop bubbles in Pullman. So, I've now fulfilled the craving twice. I promised myself I'd get Greek food the next time I stopped by. Yia Yia Nikki's has been in Pullman for several years in a different location, but I hadn't tried it yet. We don't live in Pullman, so whenever we wanted Greek food, it's Mikey's Gyros for our go-to in Moscow. However, I can safely and loudly say we will be eating more Yia Yia Nikki's when in Pullman. They have just added a daily soup to the schedule. I came in with a migraine and super dark sunglasses, and the lovely gentleman gave me a large sample of soup to try while I pondered and ordered. He wanted something warm in my belly to help my headache. ❤️ It was delicious. I wanted to order some to-go, but they hadn't gotten to-go bowls in yet for their new soup, and I couldn'thang around to eat there. Next time! I ordered fried avocado, the new daily bread, a Gyros, and a Greek platter to go and brought everything home to Palouse for our family to share and try. (And 3 smoothies though only 1 smoothie made it home.) I pretty much never leave online reviews, but I'm so impressed with my experience tonight - here I am. I posted photos of the fried avocado and the bread. Both of which...

The one thing I used to find Pullman most lacking in, when compared to Seattle, was a quality gyro place. Used to be, in the Moscow-Pullman area you had two options for Greek/Mediterranean food, the expensive one in Moscow, the really expensive one in Pullman, and the hole-in-the-wall one in Moscow. This past year a new challenger entered the arena, based out of former coffee shop, which was itself formerly a bank. Ever since then, I've passed on the drive to Moscow every time because Yia Yia Nikki's is hands down the best gyro in the area. Not too expensive, not too dry, no overly fancy lettuce, just deliciously seasoned gyro meat on a fabulously tender pita topped with luscious tzatziki and a cheery blend of tomatoes, onions, and lettuce. The story is the same for the chicken shawarma, with a consistent dedication to masterful street cooking across the menu. Although a newcomer to the scene, I've eaten here more times than any of the more established Pullman restaurants. If WSU is still looking for a business to replace Pizza Pipeline in the CUB, I would wholeheartedly recommend this local business. They have some lovely outdoor seating, as well as a quirky drive through at the former bank teller window. If you're like me and have been longing for a gyro, get yourself down to Yia Yia Nikki's...

I ordered the gyro pita on a a Tuesday, which made it $8.00 instead of $9.50. I am not a gyro connoisseur, or a pita one for that matter. However, I really appreciated the texture of this pita. When warm, the pita was soft and tender with a great toothy thickness. The meat had a good savory flavor while not too overpowering. The veggies on top were crisp and fresh. They provided a nice contrast to the rich meat and pita. Alone, the gyro pita was a bit dry. The tzatziki provided the moisture and creamy freshness I was looking for.

After eating about half when warm, I placed the rest in the refrigerator. I was pleased to find that after 3 hours of chilling, the pita was not soggy and the veggies were still crisp. This meal was just about as good cold as it was warm. As a big leftover enthusiast, I give props to the cooks at Yia Yia Nikki.

Overall, this was a great meal for a great price. If you are looking for a lighter lunch or dinner, I highly recommend...