I've been intending to go here since it first opened (since it's been called the west side Bunky's, which is a fav of mine), but didn't get a chance until just last week.
We had the olive tapenade with bread as an appetizer, which I really liked (although my dining companion was unimpressed - "it's just olives"). The bread was okay, but cold and a little hard. I had a $2 soda (really, $2 for a glass of soda and I don't even get offered a refill?) and my date chose from the sparse beer selection.
My soup came quickly, but was lukewarm. I was expecting greatness, but it was mediocre. I much prefer Bunky's lentil soup.
I had the chicken kebab and my date had the BBQ chicken calzone. Both were a disappointment. Maybe because I was comparing it to Bunky's chicken shawarma, which is perfect - thinly sliced, nicely seasoned, plenty of charred vegetables, yummy rice, fabulous hummus, and great yogurt sauce. Oliva's chicken was huge chunks, poorly seasoned, maybe 4 small pieces of onion and 1 of pepper, bland rice, no hummus, and way-too-dilly yogurt sauce.
I tried the calzone, which was okay, but we both agreed the calzones at Benvenuto's are better (and bigger) even though they aren't the greatest either.
I was ready for this to be my new "go-to" place on the west side. Guess not.