Comparing Greek Restaurants in Houston

[danhole]

After going to the Greek Festival this weekend I am all about eating even more greek food! One of my favorite cuisines. First time I had it was 30 plus years ago in a place named Zorba's. I didn't know what I was eating but my date did and he did all the ordering, and I just gobbled it down. Since then I have had the dinner plate at the greek fest, first time over 6 years ago. I had to go to the website and write down the dishes they served so I knew what to look for when going to a restaurant. I have also gone to Niko's which I liked a lot. The only other is I had some spanakopita at the Ren Fest once, but that's it. Now I am curious about Biba's, but there is no menu online, and Yia Yia Mary's. I wanted to try this place in the Woodlands called Olive Oil when we stayed out there in August, but never got around to it, sigh. Any other places worth mentioning? Oh, I might add that I am NOT looking for gyros. I like the meat, but I don't care for the sauce much.

Edited November 24, 2008 by danhole (log)

[brucesw]

So tell us what you had! Me, I love the tzatziki (?) sauce, and almost everything I've ever had identified as Greek.

I remember Zorba and also Athens Bar and Grill on the Ship Channel, although for the dates, not the food.

There used to be a great little Greek bakery/sandwich shop out on San Felipe at Voss when I worked in that area -- many, many years ago. It was my favorite lunch spot. Spanakopita, moussaka, souvlaki, etc., etc. I remember it as better than Niko, Niko's.

I've been to Bibas Greek Pizza on Memorial, not very memorable. Have always meant to get to Bibas and Alexander the Great Greek but Niko, Niko's is too hard to pass up when I get a craving for Greek.

I would not recommend Roadster Grill in Bellaire; I went once when a Press or Chronicle review mentioned this hamburger joint had added Greek items to the menu and I thought it was mediocre and never went back.

Andros Deli on Fondren has only a few Greek items on the menu and I wouldn't recommend going out of your way for.

If you like Greek you ought to try some of our town's Turkish restaurants.

EDIT: Just happened to remember. What was that place around the corner from Niko Niko's that was run by the same people? Mama Eleni's or something? I went there a couple of times and remember it was good but don't remember what I had.

Is that even still there? Missouri street was probably the name of the street.

Edited November 24, 2008 by brucesw (log)

[danhole]

Do you mean what did I have at the Greek Fest? Well, I always have the Dinner plate. I have to because that is the only way you can get a portion of the pastitsio (meat and macaroni with bechamel sauce). It comes with meatballs called soutzoukaki, and I liked the flavor, but mine were ice cold, which was odd because everything else was steaming hot. The tiropita was so stuffed with cheese it was spilling out. The little dinner roll was way too hard to bite into, and the greek salad was okay but the best things were the olives and tomatoes! I liked the spanakopita, but it was very small. My husband doesn't like greek, so he had a souvlaki, which I tasted and liked a lot.

The last time we went was probably 6 or more years ago, and boy has it grown! And I'm not sure that is a good thing. It seems to me that the quality of the food was not as good as it used to be. More mass produced than homemade, but considering the crowd I guess there is no other way.

Some odd greek pastry demon got into me, and took over my body forcing me to buy a box of pastries to bring home. That was odd since I don't really have a sweet tooth. I wanted to try the loukoumades (hot honey puffs) but the line was so ridiculously long I gave up and got the variety box with baklava, kourambledes (butter cookies w/toasted almonds topped w/powdered sugar that seriously melt in your mouth as you get dusted in a mound of powdered sugar), and Finikia (sweet honey cookie w/various spice topped w/nuts that I haven't tried yet.) As if that wasn't bad enough then the koulourakia (twisted butter cookies for dunking) called to me so I had to have those as well. I finally snapped out of it!

Before we left I went ahead a got a couple more spanakopitas, and tiropitas to take home. I kick myself for not having at least one dolmade. And while I was at it I should have brought a souvlaki home, too. Oh well.

I haven't tried turkish, but if it's like greek I will give it a go.

Wasn't Zorba's a hoot! I remember the music and dancing. It was a wild night. Remember the food, music and place, but not my dates name! He was a drummer, if that counts!

[brucesw]

Thanks for the report. I haven't been in longer than that - used to live in the neighborhood and could walk to it back when there was plenty of parking (crowds much smaller). Probably the best Greek food in town, like the old Czech fest at the Fort Bend Fairgrounds had the best kolaches, etc.

Yes, have to have dolmades. I usually buy some everytime I'm at Phoenicia and have to have them when I go to Dimassi's.

[brucesw]

Here's the Ladies menu (no prices).

I'll have to go to try the chili.

[danhole]

Here's the Ladies menu (no prices).

I'll have to go to try the chili.

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Thanks Bruce. The only chili I saw was on top of scrambled eggs. Not sure that sounds very appealing, but I haven't tried it yet. Wonder if it is the same as at James Coney Island? I often get a large chili to go from there and bring it home. Nothing better (than my own) for cold weather.

[brucesw]

Here's the Ladies menu (no prices).

I'll have to go to try the chili.

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Thanks Bruce. The only chili I saw was on top of scrambled eggs. Not sure that sounds very appealing, but I haven't tried it yet. Wonder if it is the same as at James Coney Island? I often get a large chili to go from there and bring it home. Nothing better (than my own) for cold weather.

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Yeah, I'd much rather have it on eggs over easy, cut up, with runny yolks!

Allison recently wrote up the chili burger on Burger Friday - doesn't look like JCI's to me.

[Dana]

Alexander's is really nice, they used to have live music, etc. as well. I don't know if they still do, though. Yia Yia Mary's is more casual, although still pretty good.

[brucesw]

I tried One's a Meal for lunch (as noted by a poster responding to Allison Cook's recent review, they seem to be phasing out the 'Bibas' name - it's just One's a Meal Greek Village now).

Very nice space.

I wanted a sampler plate of all my Greek faves but the dinner sampler plate was $18.95, more than I like to spend for lunch and I guessed a lot of food. I went for the plate of 4 spanakopita which also netted a small, well chilled Greek salad. The pies were freshly baked, less phyllo pastry and more spinach than any I've ever had before and very good.

I guess I haven't been to a One's-a-Meal since they closed the place on Memorial across from Otto's or maybe the one next to the RO theater. And I don't recall they did Greek food then!

BTW, they do have chili and chili pie on the menu.