On the West Side back in the day (circa the mid-aughts), the only place nearby for a mouthwatering gyro was the Hulen Mall food court. Don’t laugh. That trash ruled. And perhaps still does — I wouldn’t know now because I moved from Arlington Heights to The Wall, a.k.a. North Fort Worth, 20 years ago and my nearest malls are gyro-free Alliance and Presidio. Especially when hungover and the mere thought of booze makes you nauseous, Hulen Mall’s food-court cornucopia rocked socks. Anyway, while I’m admittedly no Westside historian, I don’t remember gyros on the West Side, and I don’t think they ever had a sturdy home there.
Now they do.
Open a little less than a year, Danny’s Greek Cafe is far from fancy, but the exterior is painted the same vibrant blue as the peninsular country’s flag, so there’s that. I’ll skip the ambiance (intimate, cute, homey) and the service (crack), because, like me, you’re here for the food, and Danny’s delivers (metaphorically and literally — call 682-250-4334).
Danny’s gyro ranks among the best in town, according to our resident gyro fiend. Photo by Abeeku Yankah
I haven’t had every gyro in town, but I’ve eaten a bunch. Of all of them, I can’t remember a better, heartier mélange of lamb/steak strips, zesty tzatziki sauce, and crisp veggies on super-soft pita than Danny’s. It’s so good, you might take the general concept of a gyro for granted. Don’t. Meat this tender, juicy, and flavorful isn’t always a given. And as cheap as it is, Danny’s traditional gyro demands repeated visits. Currently hungover and/or hungry-on-a-budget Westsiders, skip that Jack in the Box or Qdoba up the street. Danny’s is where it’s at.
The entire menu is short and sweet. The apps range from cheese sticks to a generous, delightful mezze plate (hummus, pita, dolma, feta, Kalamata olives, cucumber, tzatziki, and pepperoncini), and two soups, lentil and lobster bisque, accompany a variety of salads, including spicy salmon, Chicken Caesar, and gyro meat. There is a lamb chop plate ($22) plus two subs — meatball and Philly — and four dessert options (baklava, tiramisu, Italian cream cake, and cannoli). Along with assorted “pitas” (chicken, lamb, shrimp, and falafel gyros to go with the traditional), Danny’s offers rice bowls with the same proteins.
The lamb bowl, sadly, was only so-so. While tasty, the meat and yellow rice were dry, and the side salad betrayed a stingy hand with the dressing. The menu says the dish includes chickpeas, but I counted exactly five in my bowl. Not that I’m complaining overall, but I am, because this whole ordeal cost $16. For a little more moolah, I could have ordered two of Danny’s much more toothsome, much more satisfying traditional gyros at $9 a pop.
And while Danny’s hummus (creamy, not too garlicky and not drowning in olive oil) and stacked, fresh Greek salad with kickin’ dressing performed admirably, the lobster bisque insulted my taste buds, my eyes, and my soul. Though the menu advertises “chunks” of the crustacean, my cup arrived as a disappointingly chunk-free beverage of watery, neon-orange ketchup. Less than a mile down Camp Bowie, Lucille’s Stateside Bistro and their life-affirming lobster-bisque chef can sleep easily at night knowing Danny’s is no threat to the scandalously uncrowded lobster-bisque market.
Danny’s stacked Greek salad comes on fresh, and the dressing kicks. Photo by Abeeku Yankah
The fam and I are happy to add Danny’s to our short list of gyro stops. Byblos Mediterranean (1406 N Main St, Fort Worth, 817-625-9667), Moe’s Gyro (6600 North Fwy, Ste 108, Fort Worth, 817-349-8782), and Stop-N-Go (N Beach St, Saginaw, NRHx2) work wonderfully for us members of the Night’s Watch. When we find ourselves on or near the West Side, which is often — big fans of the nearby Cultural District here — Danny’s beckons.
The cafe sits at the super-weird Bermuda Triangle of Camp Bowie Boulevard, Horne Street, and Locke Avenue. I may have run two red lights turning into the ample parking lot coming from the east. I’m not sure. Ten different stoplights point in 30 different directions there — just look both ways before hitting that gas pedal! Formerly home to a 7-Eleven, then a Mr. Gatti’s Pizza, then something else, this spot has experienced a lot of turnover throughout the decades. The guy at the counter on our first visit told us he feels like Danny’s is here to stay. Business has been solid, he said, adding that his team has since opened a second location, this one in Forest Park, near TCU and, perhaps inconveniently, Greek House (2426 Forest Park Blvd, Fort Worth, 817-921-1473), home to some pretty dang good gyros themselves. Best of luck, Danny’s II.
Fort Worth center-city dwellers, Westsiders in particular, now have a place for a scrumptious, filling, healthier-than-a-greasy-burger option that does not involve battling mall foot traffic (lol). Opa indeed.
Danny’s Greek Cafe
Traditional gyro $9
Lamb rice bowl $16
Mezze plate $14
Lobster bisque (cup) $6
Greek salad (small) $5
Imagery of the peninsular nation adorns Danny’s walls. Photo by Abeeku YankahThe entire building is painted in the vibrant blue of the Greek flag. Photo by Abeeku Yankah
