Sam's Gyros and seafood 34th — Restaurant in Saint Petersburg

Finally! A Legit Chicago-Style Gyro in St. Pete

As a foodie who transplanted from Chicago, I’ve been on a long, difficult search for a legit gyro in St. Petersburg. After countless disappointments around Tampa Bay, I’m thrilled to say I have finally found one.

Sam's Gyros and Seafood just opened their third location in St. Pete, on US 19 N. I'll admit, I was hesitant at first. I've been let down before. But I make it a point to support local businesses, so I stopped by.

I started with the classic: a gyro with extra tzatziki on the side. After a short, normal wait, I was handed a bundle of warmth. When I got home, one bite took me right back to Chicago's Greek town. The size of the gyro exceeded all my expectations; the pita bread was overflowing with a generous amount of lamb. The lettuce, tomatoes, and red onions were all extremely fresh and crispy, and the tzatziki tasted authentically homemade.

Most importantly, the flavor was the real deal. This is easily the best gyro I’ve found in the entire Tampa Bay area. Rating: 9/10.

I’ve now begun my journey through the rest of their menu. Today, I ordered the Shawarma sandwich, and I was not disappointed. You know you're getting a solid sandwich when it's still perfectly warm when it hits your hands. The portion was filling, and it had a great spice level—flavorful without being overwhelming. They also place fries across the top, which was a nice touch. The distribution of shawarma, onions, and seasoning was right on point.

This one also gets a Rating: 9/10.

If you are a fellow Floridian with high-expectation taste buds, I highly recommend Sam's Gyros and Seafood on US 19. I'll keep you posted as I try their...

I have been here 5 times so far. I have enjoyed the awesome service. I have had Ismail at the drive thu each time (maybe he lives there 😁) and he is the most pleasant and genuine person I have ever seen working the drive thru. I feel that he genuinely cares ( he remembered me from my first visit!! (Well I also visited twice the same day 😁). I have had the shrimp each time I have gone there (except for today as I decided to get some of their yummy looking desert cake slices ...Oregon cake and chocolate cake) and the shrimp is large, plump, juicy on the inside and crispy on the out. It has a nice seasoning on the outside and for the price it's hard to beat! As soon as I get tired of the shrimp im going to try the gyro or cheeses teak next...then the wings. The menu looks good and varied with cake, shakes, ice cream smoothies and the like for those which a sweet tooth. I even stopped by for just the dessert to take home. Ismail is great and friendly. They are all friendly thay I have met. If they can maintain their standard nd prices I will be stopping in often. The drive thru line is a little slower than most but it's because they cook to order so it's fresh! DEFINITELY worth the wait! It's refreshing to get piping hot food! Try them out. I bet you will be as impressed as I have been. ENJOY! oh and I am a real customer and not a bot or the owner...

I don’t know what kind of sorcery their posters are using, but the food I got was NOT what was advertised. Charged $13 for what I can only describe as a crime against rice and shrimp-kind. I opened the container at home and nearly threw up instantly from the smell alone. The rice tasted like it had been sitting in a damp basement for a week, and the “meat” (if you can even call it that) was so questionable I started reconsidering my life choices.

And let’s talk about the “shrimp” situation—because apparently 4 tiny, sad, overcooked pieces is considered a “portion” here. I’ve seen more shrimp in a cup of ramen. I would’ve had more emotional support from a bag of chips.

If they had at least given a decent amount of food, maybe I’d have had a shred of empathy. But paying $13 to feel like I got scammed and poisoned at the same time? No thanks. I wouldn’t wish this meal on my...