Trieste Café

My wonderful co-workers and I were on a quarterly retreat to the office. My good friend was in from Chicago and this was his favorite place to go to in Minneapolis for a meal. Off we go.Score! I have not been to Trieste in 11 years and I gave it a four, for some reason, (I was a rougher critic in my younger days) probably because it was a hot summer day and they have no air-conditioning. I am not kidding, it is like a sauna in there. AC please?We took the 5 block walk from Target HQ and my feet were barking from a foot condition, but I was destined for some Trieste. It was like shooting BBs in my sole, but I was getting schwarma!I arrived at the holy land of Greek schwarma in downtown Minneapolis. I ordered the #5 with extra garlic dip. This garlic dip is not normal, it is obviously handmade and has such an awesome bite, you taste it from your belches three hours later. Heaven. Mixed with the sliced red onion and lovely tomato and kalamata olives, OMG. The food bowl is plentiful, and the pita bread is cut perfectly, like a crafty artesian. The line is out the door, but WAIT, it is worth it. Your mouth is watering as you wait.Everything is fresh and the owner cuts the cucumbers right in front of you, the only thing cooler would be if there was a spit of lamb spinning in front of you. Seriously, it is the best.The gyro meat was tender and flavorful and the whole meal is a lot of food, but because it is so fresh, it does not weigh you down. The dollop of hummus is great and the tzatziki is super refreshing. The garlic dip is a MUST, do not skip!This place is a downtown Minneapolis gem.

I ordered the #7 Chicken Lunch Box today for lunch and it was delicious and filling! The portion sizes for the lunch box were more than I could eat, so it helped when justifying the higher price tag of $15. The garlic dip was out of this world, and I love that I was able to mix & match the different ingredients with the pita to create unique combinations and flavors.We ordered over the phone and my co-worker picked it up in person, so I can't comment on the friendliness of the staff or the atmosphere of the restaurant. Overall, I will be back to try other menu items!

Stopped by today for lunch as I was craving some Gyros. Got there around 12:15 PM and the line was out the door. Took me 20 mins to get throiugh the line and another 5 to order and get my food. This is a small place with limited seating but fairly clean. Most of the orders are togo orders. The menu is fairly straight forward. Gyros, chicken and falafel. Either sandwich or plate. They also have some hoagies but I didn't see anyone order any.I ordered a gyro sandwich with a side salad (Mediterranean pasta salad) and a drink. The gyro meat was good. The sandwich itself could have been a little better prepared with equal distribution of the veggies and sauce, but easily fixable. The pasta salad was simple and fresh. Both could have used a little bit more flavor.Overall, it hit the spot for me and satisfied my craving.

The food was delicious and well priced. Service was quick and friendly with a simple ambiance.

I ordered trieste Gyro Plate for take out. The portion was big to have leftovers for lunch the next day but it was expensive! With all the fees that were added for delivery, the total came to $22. Honestly, I didn't like the food enough to feel it justified the price. The gyro meat and rice were pretty dry. I liked how they added tsaziki sauce to the side and included a fresh small salad but I probably wouldn't order here again.

This place has the most amazing beef gyros! Fresher than fresh produce, incredible sauce, thinly shaved meat, and enormous size. I am confident everything else in their menu is amazing too but I always get the gyro since I never know how long it will be until I can indulge again. Literal Mom and Pop owners, so nice, and their food is so good. Come try it out, you will not be disappointed!

Back for lunch again!I tried the chicken kebab this time and it came with rice, a Greek salad, and some pita bread. I found the chicken kebabs to be well flavored, but it was a bit overcooked/dry. I could taste an earthy taste (cumin?) and paprika?. Pretty flavorful! And salted just right. If it was tender and juicy too.... It would be WHOA.!The Greek salad was awesome again. The feta was just phenomenal with the dressing they use too.... I'm almost developing a craving for it. There was also an accompanying white spead/sauce in a plastic ramekin. It was amazing.!!!!!! Sour, savory, TANGy (horse-radish / wasabi-ish). It went well with the pita bread, which was also good. Pretty standard, but well-cooked and fluffy.My only real complaint was that the lettuce itself was not cut through and through. The leaf was still in one piece (connected through the stem) but still easy enough to break apart to take bites.Friendly, nice, and good service again, too!

Love this place! Always come when I'm close by. Plate is freshly prepared and salad freshly chopped. Very efficient stop for lunch downtown.

Decent place for a quick, no fuss lunch option. Food was okay and employees were super friendly.The location is good.

I have no words. I ordered the chicken kabob and my heart sang. My soul lifted. My spirit soared. This is the freshest most delicious meal I've had in MN. California quality. At first I though 1 kabob was stingy but the chicken chunks were massive! So many pita wedges! The rice was incredibly tasty. The salad was perfectly dressed and the olives were pitted. My heart. I will be ordering from here regularly!