Shawarma Shop ‘Gyroll’ Opens at Cross Street Market
Shawarma shop Gyroll opened Monday at Cross Street Market in Federal Hill. The stall is a concept by Jordanian cousins Bashar and Fares.
Gyroll takes over a space that has been HK A Seafood Joint, Southrn’ Spice, and Royal Farms Chicken since Cross Street Market reopened in 2019. It is located at the western end of the market and has a carryout window facing the southern side of Cross Street.
Bashar and Fares grew up in the restaurant business in Jordan and have opened restaurants in Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, and Germany. Bashar opened Charcoal Town Shawarma in 2017 in Washington, D.C. and later a second location, but closed the restaurants due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, Charcoal Town was featured in The Washington Post article, ‘5 casual restaurants that almost made the list of the D.C. area’s 25 best.’
Fares moved to the United States nine months ago to open a restaurant in Baltimore with Bashar.
Gyroll has two lava rock rotisseries that cook a skewer of marinated and seasoned chicken shawarma as well as a skewer of beef and lamb shawarma.
Gyroll offers falafel as a vegetarian option.
Customers can order either of the shawarmas or falafel and eat it as a bowl, salad, wrap, platter, cheesesteak, or loaded French fries. Toppings includes vegetables and home-made sauces such as tahini, garlic, amba, hot sauce, and Gyroll Sauce.
Gyroll also offers items such as fattoush, baba ghanoush, grape leaves, black bean stew, and okra strew.
Drinks include a yogurt drink, lemon mint juice, and sodas, juices, and water.
Gyroll is open 11am to 9pm daily. Bashar and Fares hope to open for late-night business from the carryout window in the near future.
Bashar and Fares hope the Cross Street Market location is just the first of many restaurants for them as they aspire to have five to six restaurants open by the end of 2024.
Gyroll will be “the best shawarma ever,” said Fares.
About the Author: Kevin Lynch
Founder and Publisher of SouthBmore.com, longtime resident of South Baltimore, and a graduate of Towson University. Diehard Ravens and O's fan, father of three, amateur pizza chef, skateboarder, and "bar food" foodie. Email me at Kevin@InceptMM.com and follow me on Twitter at @SoBoKevin.
