Seek Out This Halal Eatery in a West Houston Convenience Store

Sometimes, the best quick, fresh and well-priced meals can come from unexpected places — especially in Houston. Sometimes, there are unexpected mom-and-pop gems inside of convenience stores, gas stations and grocery stores. Such is the case for Oh Mmm Gyros, nestled in a corner of the recently opened J Mart convenience store at 3801 Jeanetta. Owner Shazia Hussain invited Houston Food Finder to check out the offerings.

Oh Mmm Gyros serves build-your-own rice bowls and wraps, akin to what one would find at gyro carts. In addition to traditional bowls built with gyro meat or chicken atop a bed of rice, there are several less common and fusion dishes, all using fresh, halal ingredients and sauces. 

The rice platters at Oh Mmm Gyros are filling and highly customizable. Photo by Ryan Baker.

The signature dishes at Oh Mmm Gyros are the rice platters, which offer a choice of chicken, beef gyro or a combination of the two on top of a base of well-seasoned rice and a full array of toppings: pickles, tomatoes, olives, jalapeños, cucumbers, corn, onions and housemade peppercorn white and hot sauces. The chicken is marinated 24 hours and has a mild flavor that mixes well with the rice. In place of the more common, thin and often flimsy shavings, the gyro beef is cut into thick, substantial bites — an enjoyable texture in every bite. The bowls are filling and with such a large variety of toppings, are well worth the $8 to $9 price range.  If the rice bowl is not what you are looking for, the shop also carries all of these options wrapped in a thick, soft pita wrap.

With the great choices, vegetarians are in luck. Oh Mmm Gyros serves falafel and poppin’ potato, a lightly fried potato mixture resembling a croquette stuffed with paneer cheese and mashed peas .

For an added meatless option at Oh Mmm Gyros, guests can choose crispy paneer- and pea-stuffed fried potatoes. Photo by Ryan Baker.

The $5 OMGyro fries show off the kitchen’s fusion skills. Crisp French fries are topped with gyro meat, feta cheese, and both the house mild and white sauces, which play well with the peppery and acidic flavors of mounds of crushed Hot Cheetos. Also on the fusion side of the menu, guests can enjoy their gyros in quesadilla fashion, with grilled onions and melted cheese packed into a hot tortilla.

The counter at Oh Mmm Gyros lights up the store with hot pink. Photo by Ryan Baker.

Speaking of those red and white sauces: even larger chains have trouble balancing the amount of heat that the red sauce packs, making it a game of balancing the hot sauce with the soothing white sauce before turning the bowl into a soggy mess. Signs that read, “The Sauce Boss” aim to help guests gauge how much of the housemade sauces to use and when. The traditional red pepper sauce carries a sharp tang and a ton of heat, but it’s not as overwhelming as at other gyro places. An alternative for those who enjoy food on the milder side is the signature pink sauce, which is vibrant in both color and flavor.  Peppercorn and mayonnaise flavors are front and center in the heat-taming white sauce.

The host of Oh Mmm Gyros, J Mart, is a well-rounded stop with plenty of snacks, drinks and general items for customers to grab while their food is being prepared. One thing that stands out in both J Mart and Oh Mmm Gyros is the cleanliness of both: each is immaculate.

Oh Mmm Gyros’ hours of operation are from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, and J Mart is also open seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

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