I’m a Greek and Mediterranean food enthusiast, so I won’t lie that I was a tad skeptical about Dhimiters when my boyfriend suggested it for lunch at Oakwood Mall. They claim to have the “best gyros in Chippewa Valley,” yet their mall location and food truck had me questioning the gourmet quality. Fortunately, they didn’t disappoint. What I came to love about Dhimiters are features that are both so simple yet so lacking in countless other restaurants out there today. Want high quality food, great service, and large portions? Dhimiters knocks gyros, cucumber sauce, and backlava right out of the park.

 Like I said, I definitely judged a book by its cover prematurely. Dhimiters has an expansive menu with gyros, falafel, salads, fries, baklava, and more. The best part? Their quality holds up incredibly. The gyro I had was fresh, flavorful, and (as I came to learn later) sourced locally. It’s no wonder it tastes like its straight from my own kitchen. Their veggies are handpicked every morning. Their gyro with cucumber sauce (my new favorite) is made in house. This is something I’ll go back for time and time again, which is how I know I’ve found a new favorite spot.

 Sure, there are still a few friendly restaurants out there (Chick-Fil-A I’m looking at you), but for the most part there’s a lot of miserable teenagers working counters these days. The food service industry doesn’t always have staff who go out of your way to help you or make you feel like you’re having an awesome dining experience. Thankfully, Dhimiters staff was all smiles from the beginning and actually recommended the food that I purchased. They weren’t anything short of pleasant, and I got my food quickly and with great presentation.

 This is America. We love our large portions, and we don’t care who knows it. I barely got through even a portion of my gyro before my boyfriend was finished with his gyro with gyro sauce (also delicious). Then, he bought us their house-made baklava for dessert. Of course, I couldn’t turn this down, so I took half of my gyro home for dinner just so I could have a taste. This is truly a problem I wish I had at every restaurant. The baklava was flaky and hit the spot just right.

 While I may have gone to Dhimiters a skeptic, I left a true believer. This will now be a permanent stop every single time I go to the mall. As a self-proclaimed “foodie,” I spend a lot of time researching spots to go in the area, and sometimes I don’t think foodies focus on local spots. Dhimiters is somewhere that’s accessible to everyone but their food is made with real ingredients. They give you a great bang for your buck, and they do it with a smile. That’s something I want in all of my dining experience.