Souvla

Photography by Kassie Borreson | kassie.info

Souvla, Hayes Valley, Lunch
March 13, 2016

P:
American Homestead Pork Shoulder Sandwich
Minted Greek Yogurt, Cherry Tomato, Pickled Red Onion, Cucumber, Feta Cheese

J:
Superior Farms Lamb Leg Salad
Harissa-Spiked Yogurt, Cucumber, Radish, Pickled Red Onion, Feta Cheese

P&J:
Greek Fries, Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, Parsley, Mizithra Cheese
Greek Iced Tea
Frozen Greek Yogurt, Baklava Crumbles, Syrup


Notes:
Here we are, in Hayes Valley for a late lunch, in the rain, and there are people everywhere.  Souvla was packed, but we were hungry, so we muscled our way into the crowd to take a seat.  After ordering, of course.

Souvla is a fast-casual Greek spot with a simple menu concept: spit-roasted proteins (pork, chicken, lamb) are offered in either sandwich (wrapped in pita bread) or salad (over chopped romaine lettuce and kale) form with a few sides to round out the menu.

Patrick opted for the pork shoulder sandwich.  It looked amazing, but was a little hard to eat; the pita bread was perhaps too-generously packed full of goodness.  Halfway through, pork fat dripped from the sandwich, pooled on the paper lining of the enameled metal tray below it and trickled down Patrick's hand.  The sound of this may or may not appeal to you, but I do not shy away from fats of any sort, and this was a little off-putting to me.  That said, the roasted pork was delicious, as were the soft pita and accompaniments.  Patrick, on the other hand, would have preferred a little more pork flavor, he felt the marinade(?) took over.

My lamb salad was delicious.  Coarsely chopped greens were coated with the fat and juices from the roasted lamb while tart Greek yogurt and tangy little crumbles of Feta cheese balanced the richness.  The meat was moist and flavorful, though not particularly "lamby".  Not a bad thing as far as I was concerned, but still, Patrick was looking for more of that "meat" flavor.

The Greek Fries were perfectly fine, but nothing more than plain ol' fries - the embellishments didn't stick around (literally) to add anything.  I might have preferred these more with a dipping sauce, but I somehow missed that as an option when we were ordering.  Next time we'll try the "Juicy Potatoes", bathed in rotisserie drippings.  (They looked delicious!)

Surprisingly, the frozen Greek yogurt was outstanding.  They have a soft serve machine hidden in plain sight at the front counter, quietly pumping out the most perfectly-not-too-sweet, rich and tangy frozen yogurt.  It was amazingly good and the perfect foil to such a rich lunch.  The baklava topping I didn't care for, however, it was cloying with entirely too much clove.  I left most of that behind for Patrick, he seemed to enjoy it.

We'd definitely like to go back and try more things on their menu.