Are you craving something besides fast food or campus dining? If so, Yia Yia Nikki’s is a good place to start. Should you manage to get your hands on one of the campus survival guide books with the coupons, there is one that gives you 15 percent off your order which will allow you to try more of the menu. 

I have not had a lot of experience with Greek food over the years, so I wouldn’t call myself the expert on the subject. My food knowledge only goes so far as getting a gyro at Arby’s and the Southside dining version of the dish, both of which didn’t inspire confidence. Coming off these experiences, I set my expectations for Yia Yia Nikki’s high. 

Located on Grand Avenue, right across from Dairy Queen and Shin’s Asian Market, Yia Yia Nikki’s opened in January of this year where the old Banner Bank used to be. To order, you can use the drive-through, order for takeout or request delivery through ChowNow. The restaurant also has outdoor seating available nearby.

The restaurant has an extensive menu that caters to different tastes, such as non-meat options like salads and falafel. While all of it sounded delicious, and I wanted to taste all the menu had to offer, I decided to challenge my experience with Mediterranean food and order the gyro pita with a side of fries. Unfortunately, when I went they were out of baklava, a delicious Mediterranean dessert that I knew from experience was good.

My friends and I decided to skip the seating area and took our food home. One person got the gyro platter with shrimp while another got the falafel salad. Opening the styrofoam dishes was like opening presents on my birthday, and after admiring how the food looked, we dug in. 

It was delicious! Maybe it was the relief of not having to eat another peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but the food was really good. The gyro meat was warm and juicy while the pita didn’t fall apart with all of the toppings in it. 

The fact that my friends and I were absolutely silent besides the sounds of eating for a few minutes, speaks volumes about the quality of the food. 

The prices were on the average side, we got a decent amount of food for what we spent, but Yia Yia Nikki’s delivers on taste and experience. It was part of the fun to drive up to an old bank and use the drive-through with the sliding bank boxes and microphone system.  

While I was disappointed by the lack of baklava on my first visit, the taste and convenience of Yia Yia Nikki’s will have me coming back for more than just the dessert.