Yelp says this tiny west side gyro joint is one of America's top 100 restaurants

Indianapolis has a lot of big-name restaurants that get a ton of attention, places like Milktooth, Bluebeard and St. Elmo steakhouse, but it was a tiny west-side gyro joint that just got what may be the ultimate people’s choice award for best restaurants in America.

Yannis Golden Gyros doesn’t look like much, just a little white building trimmed in a red and blue, but the restaurant has received so many positive reviews since opening in fall 2018 that it earned a place on Yelp’s 2020 list of Top 100 places to eat in America.

Yelp created the list by examining 2019 restaurant ratings and counting reviews. Yelp conferred with its community managers, employees who help the site connect people with businesses, to finalize rankings.

Forty-eight of the 6658 W. Washington St. restaurant’s 50 Yelp reviews are five-star ratings. The other two are four-star scores.

“Jackpot!!!,” Cindy S. of Santa Clara, California, wrote on April 9.

“Absolutely a hidden gem. They get it right the 1st time and never an issue with quality or customer service,” Mark S. of Avon wrote on Oct. 19.

“The west side of Indy is under rated when it comes to restaurants. There are some hidden gems and Yannis Golden Gyros is one of them,” Rebecca L. of Indianapolis wrote on April 2.

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Yannis doesn’t just get high marks from Yelpers for its gyros, Greek salads and baklava. It has a near five-star rating from 239 Google reviews and five-star grades on Facebook and TripAdvisor. Fans also give high marks to the Yannis’ wings, burgers, fried fish plates, Chicago dogs and breaded tenderloin. The restaurant offers counter and drive-thru service.

Other Midwest restaurants that made the list are Asiana Thai & Sushi in Cinncinati; Yummy Pollo in Louisville; Scotty’s Café in Columbus, Ohio; Gotta B Crepes in Evanston, Illinois.; Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que in Kansas City, Kansas; and Healthy Substance and Nini’s Deli, both in Chicago.

“Sure, you’ll see your fancy-schmancy spots and white tablecloth restaurants, but it’s also chock full of hidden gems and off-the-beaten-path joints,” Yelp said of the top 100 list.

Follow IndyStar food writer Liz Biro on Twitter: @lizbiro, Instagram: @lizbiro, and on Facebook. Call her at 317-444-6264.