| rev:text
| - Okay, so it's only been a few weeks since they opened, but I had heard about them through an associate, and he said they were clearly better than their local competition.
I ate there yesterday and I think I'll go back at some point, but I'm still not convinced on a few points.
11:30am, two guys working. One taking orders and doubling as grill assistant. The other was, I'm assuming, the owner, who was on the grill.
I only ordered a Chicken Souvlaki Pita and the appetizer Hummus and Pita, so I qualify my review by saying I do need to try more of a sampling of their menu. When I do, I'll update my review.
Order taker was friendly and efficient, and greeted me with a smile. He took my simple order and I told him it was "to go". He acknowledged.
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PROS: Hummus was chunky, not smooth, which is how I prefer it. I like chunky hummus, but that's just my preference. I'm going to guess it was made in-house. I could taste the tahini (sesame paste) and I'm pleased with that. Hummus without tahini is hardly hummus at all, and is just sad.
Pita triangles were adequate in number for the size of the appetizer (I didn't run out) and they were soft and tasted freshly warmed.
Olive oil on top and two kalamata olives completed the presentation.
Chicken Souvlaki Pita had some of the best tasting Greek chicken I've ever had. Grilled to perfection, with large, juicy, well-seasoned (marinated) chunks of breast meat. Very good flavor!
Tzatziki was plentiful.
Lettuce, tomatoes, etc., were fresh and tasted fine.
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CONS: Waited a long time for my 'to go' order. That is not a big deal, especially if they are cooking the food hot and fresh, which was the case. Grill person apologized for the long wait.
While I was waiting, the order guy brought out the hummus appetizer I ordered and put it down in front of me on a plate. When I politely reminded him it was a "to go" order, he said something about "I thought you wanted the hummus here, and the chicken pita for take-out." No. When I ordered, I said I wanted it "to go". Hmmmmm.
So he took it back and gave it to me in a 'to go' container, resting on a paper sandwich wrap, when my sandwich was ready.
Order taker also handles food when he's not taking an order. 99% of the time, he washes his hands before handling the food. Not 100%, but I have to give it to him... he's almost there, and I appreciate that greatly!
Hummus was just okay, flavor-wise. I tasted the tahini, which is good, but it was pretty bland after that. Maybe that's their style, but a little roasted garlic, lemon juice, a dash of cayenne and a kicked up olive oil would make it better. That's just my opinion.
Pita is adequate, but wasn't anything I couldn't get from a supermarket. I think an olive oil brush and some more time on the hot grill would help a lot. Give me slightly charred, toasty pita bread that is still soft in the middle and you've got me.
The Chicken Souvlaki Pita had great-tasting chicken (as I mentioned), but my last bite had a huge, honkin' piece of GRISTLE in it. It ruined the sandwich for me.
(I'm a home cook, and I've trimmed thousands of chicken breasts. When you've trimmed your first 50, you pretty much know where 99.99% of the gristle is. Seriously. I'm assuming they prep and trim their own chicken in the restaurant, so there's really no excuse for that. It's a deal killer for me.)
The tzatziki was plentiful, but runny, not thick. It was hard to call it flavorful when it was so thin. I'm guessing if it was thicker, the flavor of the cucumber, garlic and olive oil would come through better and give it a creamier, more luscious feel. They're very, very close, in my opinion.
PRICE: I think their prices are on the high end, comparatively.
My Chicken Souvlaki Pita was $6.25 with no 'sides' ("make it a combo for only $2.95 more", for a total of $9.20), and the appetizer Hummus & Pita runs $4.50. My bill was $10.75, before tax. Not ridiculous for fresh, hot food, but more than other places I like.
Under their "Dinners" menu, you will find plates starting at $11.95 and topping out at $13.50. THEN, below the heading "Dinners" you read, "add crumbled feta for $1.50". What? A Greek dinner costing between $11.50 and $13.50 has an up-charge of $1.50 for crumbled feta? Seriously?
Like I said, I will most-likely try them again, and try a wider range of options on their menu. I think I'll give them a bit more time to trim off the rough edges (and the gristle, hopefully!) before I visit a second time.
"A" for effort.
"C-" for execution.
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