Yamas Mediterranean Street Food

Located at 624 West 4^th Street in downtown Winston-Salem, Yamas offers Mediterranean fare for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Outdoor seating, catering, and online ordering are available.

Courtesy of the Michael family (Mama Zoe Michael’s, Waldo’s Wings, CinCin Buger Bar), the Chipotlefication of Mediterranean has arrived in Winston-Salem. It is, thankfully, far more than just a gimmick, offering quality ingredients and bold flavors to complement the expected versatility.

Yamas’ approach is simple: start with a prefab favorite (such as a gyro or a falafel salad) or build a pita wrap, salad, grain bowl, or half salad/half grain bowl to your liking. Should you go the latter route, plenty of possibilities await. You can add up to three spreads (including a white chocolate babaganoush), a protein (there are both meat and vegetarian options), toppings (everything from feta to fries to marinated vegetables), and a sauce. Mild or spicy, vegan or meaty, it’s all fair game, and it’s all (unless you upgrade your protein to lamb for $3 more) only $8.99.

For my first time out, I went the half salad/half grain bowl route, starting with arugula and freekeh wheat and topped with hummus, babaganoush, tzaiki, gyro meat, tomato cucumber salad, feta, and toum garlic cream (!). The garlic cream was rather strong and something I might think twice about repeating, but everything else was delicious. The white chocolate babaganoush added a touch of sweetness while the fresh vegetables balanced the saltier spreads and protein. The portion was plentiful as well, and it was prepared promptly by patient counter staff who made ordering easy.

Though Yamas can get a bit loud when busy, it is absolutely worth braving a line (it will move quickly) and hunting for a table (or a spot at a long communal table). Tasty and flexible, the restaurant presents a winning concept that will hopefully endure