A corner on Cambridge’s vibrant Mill Road is now home to new small restaurant Hungrill, who are serving up authentic Greek cuisine. Even the white building with its blue sign give off Mediterranean vibes!

Just when I thought we’d never get proper gyros in Cambridge, this gem quietly opened its doors a few weeks ago to a steady stream of customers.

Hungrill (at 88 Mill Road) is more of a takeaway place but there are a few nice tables and chairs inside. Service is friendly and helpful. They’re happy to answer any questions about the menu and make suggestions.

We had the wraps with a choice of gyros (pork, chicken or mix) and skewers (pork, chicken or lamb souvlaki) – all stuffed with fresh tomato, red onion (or iceberg), tzatziki (or mayo) and chips. A perfect hand held meal right there!

The pork and chicken were high quality and I had no concerns about the freshness of the gyros rotating on the “elephant leg” vertical rotisserie. Authentic gyros are slow cooked on this type of rotating rotisserie, then the meat shaved off the inverted cone. I could see and hear the succulent meat being shaved into thin slivers.

The souvlaki (marinated meat grilled on a skewer) was fresh and delicious too. Paulo enjoyed the chicken. There is a vegetarian and vegan option on the menu.

Other menu options include “Portions” – a serving of gyros, souvlaki, sausage etc with potatoes, salad and pitta.

I highly recommend Hungrill. I have to admit I’m discerning about Greek food. I grew up in a predominantly Greek area in Montréal, Canada, even picking up some vocabulary along the way (I won’t mention the swear words). Greek cuisine still is extremely popular in Montréal and Toronto. I’m not Greek but I can confidently say this is the real deal. I could tell that the Greek family and group of friends at the restaurant agreed.

One of the most important things to know about Greek cuisine is the difference between gyros and souvlaki, which is the way the meat is cooked. The hint is in the name… the word gyros means circle or turn. Many places take the meat that’s been grilled on a skewer/stick (which is souvlaki) then thinly slice those pieces, put them in a pitta and just call them gyros. Souvlaki is good too, but the taste is different as the meat for gyros is marinated with herbs and seasonings, which infuses the meat with aroma, then it slow cooks evenly on the vertical rotisserie with all the juices dripping away, giving the whole thing so much more flavour. I do have to say that in some parts of Greece the terms gyros and souvlaki can be used colloquially and mean different things – which adds to the confusion.

Top tips:

• Get a soft drink from Greece (the Loux carbonated orange is particularly good).

• Don’t miss out on the amazing siropiasta (baklava, touloumbaki, etc) trios, found in the chiller by the till. If you’re eating in, they’ll give you a knife so you can cut in each heavenly syrupy dessert in half to share. Or take the box to enjoy with a coffee at home.

Make Hungrill your next Mill Road foodie spot! If you want to get a table inside, go at off-peak times when it’s less busy.

Lunch at Hungrill is based on my experience at my own cost and I did not receive compensation for my review.

Unless otherwise noted, I am the legal copyright holder of the content and images on this blog. Please contact me for permission if you wish to use, reprint or publish any material.