Marathon Deli in College Park, MD

Update (7/22/10): Marathon Deli typically closes for a couple of weeks each summer so the owners can take a vacation. This year it will be closed 7/23/10 - 8/2/10.

After buying some accessories for my new camera, I wound up at Marathon Deli in College Park, MD next to the University of Maryland campus, one of my favorite spots for gyros.


Then afterwards I took a quick walk around the campus to test out my camera and the sling-style bag I bought to carry it. I was pretty happy with the results all around.

About Marathon Deli
Marathon Deli has been in business for around 25 years, and the original owners were crusty old Greek guys who had a sign under the Gyro Value Meal that said, "Pronounced Yee-Row." A Greek friend introduced me to the place, and though it was my first exposure to gyros it's been my touchstone for this dish ever since.

The gyros at Marathon Deli are a mix of lamb and beef cooked on an auto-doner, a rotating spit from which the seasoned meat is trimmed and then placed into griddled pita bread. What's always made Marathon's version so great is the simple yet tasty combination of onions, tomatoes, feta cheese, tsatsiki sauce, and spices that they top them with.


For some reason, the thin, crisp fries -- hot out of the fryer and sprinkled liberally with Greek seasoning -- also taste better than any I've had elsewhere.

At about $8-$9 for the Gyro Value Meal, it's a typical college eatery -- good, fast, and cheap.

I've also had the Kronoburger there too, where the gyro meat on the pita is topped instead with grilled mushrooms, onions, and melted provolone cheese. But I keep coming back to the gyros every time.

Marathon Deli
4429 Lehigh Road
College Park, MD 20740
(301) 927-6717
Mon-Sat: 10am - 9pm; Closed Sunday

Pictures Around UMD
Here are some of the test shots I took around the University of Maryland campus with my new Canon EOS 5D Mark II, a high-end digital SLR, which I was carrying in a Lowepro SlingShot 200 AW.

In some cases different settings led to dramatic differences in the results, though I have a circular polarizer on order that should make it easier to get good results with outdoor shots.




What a dramatic difference selecting a different autofocus/metering point made in these pictures of the church:




As well as for the sign at the Rossborough Inn: