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We didn’t set outto make a legend.

We just kept the coals on. Adelaide did the rest.

The Yianni's Hellenic Yiros shopfront on Hindley Street, with the lunch crowd under the umbrellas

How it started

A spit, some coals and a lot of smoke.

There’s been a yiros shop on this corner for nearly fifty years. Yianni’s has carried the fire since 2002: Yianni took it on, stripped it back, and rebuilt it around one conviction — charcoal or nothing.

The menu is three meats — lamb, chicken, pork — because a fourth would be showing off. The spit turns over real charcoal, because gas is faster and worse. What we serve isn’t complicated, and that’s the entire point: simple food is far harder to hide behind.

  • Charcoal only
  • Carved to order
  • Est. 2002
  • Best Yiros Shop 2023
  • Renovated 2025

Milestones

Five decades, five moments.

  1. Nearly fifty years ago

    A yiros shop on this corner

    Before it was ours, it was already a yiros shop. Different name, same smoke drifting down Hindley Street.

  2. 2002

    Yianni takes the keys

    Stripped back, rebranded as Yianni's Hellenic Yiros, and rebuilt around one rule: charcoal or nothing.

  3. Nov 2023

    Best Yiros Shop

    delicious. 100 named us the best yiros shop. We said thank you, then went back to the spit.

  4. 2025

    The renovation

    Back to the walls: new counter, floor, spit and fryer, and wheelchair access. Same fire, same crew.

  5. Tonight

    The coals are lit

    You know where we are. Walk in — or order ahead — and it'll be carved while you watch.

The 2025 renovation

New everything. Same everything that matters.

We took the shop back to the walls and rebuilt it. Then we lit the same fire.

New

  • New counter2025
  • New floor2025
  • Wheelchair access 2025
  • New spit2025
  • New fryer2025

Same

  • Same staffUnchanged
  • Same fireUnchanged
  • Same recipeUnchanged
  • Same care in every yirosUnchanged

Why charcoal

Slower. Fussier. Better.

Charcoal needs tending all day: more raking, more cleaning, more patience than any gas burner. What you get back is a crackling edge and smoke through every layer.

The meat turns all day and comes off the spit only when you order it — shaved straight into warm pita. That is the whole method. We’ve never found a reason to change it.

See what comes off it
“An institution for a long time. Charcoal-roasted spit meat — best yiros in town. Highly recommend the pork and lamb, no lettuce, extra garlic sauce and onion.”

brianhissy · Tripadvisor · April 2022

The Yianni's medallion

There is one Yianni’s on Hindley Street.

It’s this one, at 270 Hindley Street — and there has never been a second. Similarly named shops around Adelaide are not branches of ours and aren’t connected to us. If the spit isn’t turning over charcoal, you’re in the wrong place.

Parea

pa-RE-a · noun

Greek for the people you share a table with. Ours are students at closing time, tradies at noon and families who drive across town for this.

Come hungry

The coals are already going.

270 Hindley Street. Walk in, or order ahead and skip the queue. Ela!