Lyristis Family Brings Greek Fare to Shrewsbury

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SHREWSBURY– Tuesday was opening day for Greek Eats, a new eatery on Newman Springs Road. The restaurant was filled with sunlight, the spicy aroma of sizzling gyro and the chatter of customers.
George Lyristis and his two brothers and co-owners, Charlie and Taso, were greeting customers in the family-oriented eatery, furnished in modern fashion, with soft, hanging light bulbs, wooden tables, and metallic accents.
“We’re bringing something very original, and I hope to open at least five of these within the next few years,” Lyristis said.
George Lyristis knows something about the Two River restaurant scene as the owner of The Bistro at Red Bank on Broad Street, and Teak, the Asian restaurant on Monmouth Street. He recently sold Zoe Bistro in Little Silver.
“My other restaurants are sit-down dinner places, this is more of a fast, casual eatery. We wanted to bring a little bit of Greece to Red Bank, but a different version of Greece than what you’re normally used to around here,” said Lyristis.
The owner explained that he wanted to diverge from the stereotypical Greek diner/restaurants that most people associate with Greek fare. “I wanted to do it right,” he said. “I really wanted to showcase my version of an authentic gyro.”
Each gyro is made cooked to order, on an authentic rotisserie that cooks the meat in layers on cone-shaped rods. The beef and lamb meat combination, known as bifteki, contains no preservatives or MSG. Greek Eats also offers three vegetarian options to fill their gyros, including spicy feta cheese, Halloumi cheese, and Santorini hummus.

Greek Eats has opened at 89 Newman Springs Road in Shrewsbury. Photo: Madelynne KIslovsky
Greek Eats has opened at 89 Newman Springs Road in Shrewsbury. Photo: Madelynne KIslovsky

Lyristis toyed around with the sauce choices for menu items, offering a traditional Tzaziki sauce, along with several variations of it, including Sriracha and avocado Tzaziki. Greek Eats also has lighter, healthier sauce options for customers.
“Chipotle created something where you can walk down the line and build as you go, that obviously works very well for them, so I took that and ran with it with Greek ingredients,” explained Lyristis.
Unlike Chipotle, Greek Eats isn’t completely build-your-own. They also offer 10 signature items, including 7 sandwiches, which are called “sanmuches” a made-up Greek-English word invented by the Lyristis family. “Every Greek that walks in here gets it; we’re just having some fun with our ideas,” Lyristis said.
Every “sanmuch” is significantly named, like the “Yioti’s Way,” which is named for Lyristis’s father, and “Ataviros,” the highest mountain on Lyristis’s homeland, the island of Rhodes.
The branding and logo behind Greek Eats is an image of the Greek “evil eye”, known as the “Mati,” which is said to ward off evil spirits, Lyristis explained, showing the bracelet he always wears, bearing the dark blue bead with a lighter blue iris surrounding a black pupil. The distinctive logo and menu graphics were done by M Studios of Asbury Park.
The restaurant sits close to 30 people, and has a staff of 15-25.
For now, the hours at Greek Eats are 10:30 am. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Gyros are priced at $6.65 for a vegetarian gyro, served in a regular or whole wheat pita, and $7.25 for a gyro with meat. Gluten free options are available. Salads are priced at $7.48 and served on a bed of organic greens, and platters are available with two sides for $9.35. Sides include gluten free village fries, Greek potato salad, and more. It is located in the Metrovation retail shopping center anchored by a Platypus furnishings store.
Editor’s Note:
This story was updated Nov. 27 to say George Lyristis sold his restaurant Zoe to a new owner. He did not close it. Zoe Bistro is very much open, located at 115 Markham Place in Little Silver.