Athens Restaurant
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(Eating experiences before or after crossing the international border between the State of New York and Canada - 1 of 2) There were a couple of reasons I came to eat here. The first is that a prolific Yelper initially domiciled in this area reviewed it as a place for bountiful food and I bookmarked it. The other reason was that I came through from the GTA in Canada during a window of opportunity with 40 something degree weather in between storms. Yet another reason is that the name Athens sounds so patrician in an area that definitely is not. For that matter, there is an area of Los Angeles named Athens, and it sits south of South Central and north of Compton and Gardena. I had a friend who grew up there because, back in the day, his parents bought in and then didn't leave while others were doing so. I would joke that he was an Athenian and that, nearby, there had to be a Parthenon. Athens in this area in or right outside Buffalo is on a wide road with what looks like a poorly zoned medley of houses, businesses, and car sales lots or similar. The restaurant itself has that dated look of when the area might have still been building up, but they've kept it clean both inside and out. It is surrounded by parking and its popularity during the lunch hour might make it harder to find a spot. Once inside, everything went as expected. They have breakfast and lunch items and platters. With a name like Athens, Greek options are definitely available. That's what I opted for - a platter that combines items I usually order and looks much like other platters I order at other Greek-American diners. That said, there was gyro meat, chicken, and pita, a Greek salad, and Greek potatoes, along with coffee. The food at Athens was far from fine dining and it seems like the meat these types of locales shave for gyros is often just good ... and not great. But that's okay, because it was a hearty platter that had a variety of items and it was priced fairly. Restaurant servers in Western New York are always folksy. Downstate (NYC and tri-state) folks are usually more colorful, but this works, too. The customers were also folksy, from what I could tell. Parked in between snow drifts were many traditional American cars and SUVs, and that corroborates the observation. Afterwards, they ask you if you want dessert. They are told to do that. You are invisibly shaking your head, as if wondering if you really heard that. This was already a "tilt steering wheel up" sort of meal. I said thank you and declined. I knew that, until everything settled, the initial part of driving out and driving along for a while might feel a little weighty and I was right. Nonetheless, I'm glad I tried Athens, had a filling lunch, and see why it's a good value and a diner that seems to thrive.
First of all that isn't redhot in the redhot bottle of hot sauce that I had to ask for. Secondly the first round of shrimp and scallops were extremely over cooked. I had to ask for another batch cooked over. Then they gave me less then I was supposed to get, I had to ask for the remaining portions. My toast mash potato abs side of gravy was not in the plate I had to ask for that. I asked for my bread to be toasted and waited like 25 minutes for that. I had to ask for a knife, for napkins. Let's just say this experience was not the best. The cocktail sauce is somehow jellied. The server brought out another that appeared to have been mixed up before she gave it to me. She then brought another when she brought the second round of shrimp and scallops it was also j
The food is always good. You can never go wrong with this place if you are in the area. The waitresses in this spot are very attentive. The times I came here has always been very quiet.
Stopped in for lunch with some co-workers, I had the biscuits and gravy with a side of home fries, and it was delicious. One friend got the ravioli with meatball special and another ordered a dinner from the menu of the chicken breast. They both loved their meals and ate the whole thing. What did fall short was another friend who ordered the chicken finger sub. It was mostly bread. The fingers were so small that she even tried to move them around to cover the roll with no success. She said it was good but would have been better if she had a bite of chicken with each bite (as it should be anywhere). I would go back just for those biscuits and gravy as that is a hard meal to find around here.
Took awhile for our waitress to get to us, she was counting her money. 3buck sodas. Food looked generally nice and clean with big portions but the spanakopita was obviously made last week. Bathrooms were super dirty. Not much hand washing going on. Cheerful service once we got it. Won't be a regular stop for us.
after our old breakfast place closed down, we have been looking for another place to have Sunday breakfast at. My SO found Athens on Yelp while driving around, so we decided to try it out. Even though the place was busy, we were seated down within 3 minutes. We were put in a corner, which we didnt mind. The only downside of that corner was that even though it was private, we were almost always forgotten. The food: This place has a variety of items, including POTATO PANCAKES!! My SO loves these, which gave this place 5 stars in my book. Their prices are average for the area. This review lost a star as the bacon was cooked in very old oil to where it was not palatable. I didnt complain about it as the server didnt stop by our table until from the time she delivered our food to when she came for the bill. The coffee was good, though I only had a cup as she never came back to ask us if we needed more while she took care of the other possible regulars. Overall, we do like this place. The bacon was a dissapointment, though we will be giving this place one more chance. After all, they have potato pancakes! They also have a Polish Kiebasa Breakfast (Polish sausage, two potato pancakes, two eggs, anda side of apple sauce) in which you can substitute the polish sausage for another protein. ,
Everything was great as usual and the waitress was great, nothing has really changed except the hours, the food is still delicious
Stopped in for a quick lunch. First time here. Sat at the counter, which was full up within 6 minutes of my sitting. Seems a good diner place to eat, American or Greek, before 11:30 a.m. or after 1 p.m. I got there about 11:25. All counter, all booth, and most able seating was full when I left by 12:10. I had the Classic Cheeseburger Platter, hold the bun and with a side of ranch. Burger was kind of lame, should have had lettuce, tomato, and pickle with. No tomato, and the greasy burger was laid on top of the already wilted piece of lettuce. Two paper thin slices of dill pickle accented the plate. But the crinkle cut fries were excellent, especially dipped in ranch dressing, and I enjoyed the cole slaw. Service was friendly -- and quick, considering the lunch crush. At the counter you can watch/read television or keep an eye on the cooks scurrying back and forth in the kitchen. You can also play Quick Draw if you've got the time and the inclination. So I'm not a fan of the burger, but Athens has a fairly extensive menu, and I'm sure I'll stop again sometime. I mean, what do you really know about a restaurant until you've had their meatloaf?
We ended up at Athens on a whim. It was on the way home, easy to pull in, parking was plentiful, the restaurant looked cheery and bright as we approached, so we stopped in to give it a try. Athens is a Greek-American family diner restaurant. There are tables, booths, and counter seating. It's not a huge space, but not tiny either. Warm lighting and neutral tones makes if feel cozy and comfortable. Our service was great. We were greeted promptly, and when we asked for a booth, the waitress quickly cleared the only one free that someone just vacated. Throughout the course of the meal, our waitress was attentive and sweet. I had a burger platter, my hubbs a build-your-own omelet, and our son the swirl french toast. My burger platter came with a 1/4-lb. cheeseburger with toppings, crinkle-cut fries, and a generous portion of coleslaw, all for $8.99. And it was all pretty good! Solid diner food, prepared well. Much of the rest of the sandwich menu charged extra for fries or salad. The platters include it, and are definitely the best value. I love a good deal! Per the other food, my husband liked his omelet. He opted for gyro meat, peppers, and swiss. It came with toast and a good sized pile of home fries, all for about $10. Omelet prices vary depending on what filling you choose. The eggs and potatoes were all good, so not a bad deal. Our son's order was his usually 9-year-old-ripping-off-his-parents pick, haha. Two slices of swirl french toast was like eight bucks. I dislike how any diner typically overcharges for this sort of thing, but I can't blame them. They know parents ordering more modest choices will cave to whiny kids to up the overall bill. :-P Our son did enjoy the swirl french toast, it was coated in sugary icing, so what's not to like for a 9-year old. In the end we shared a rice pudding for dessert. When the waitress asked if I wanted any whip, I joked "I'll take a lotta' whip." She brought back just that. ;-) Not the best rice pudding I've every had, I though it was a bit soupy and I prefer it to be more firm. But the flavor was still good. And the whip was bountiful. I drank water, our son had a soda, my hubbs had a coffee, and the whole bill came to $35. Not a bad deal for these days. If our son would have eaten off the kids menu, or got the hot dog deal, (two Texas Hots and fries is just $5.99!), and we had skipped dessert (the pudding was $3.99), the bill would have been even better. But we splurged a bit, and even so, a decent tab. So we'll be back to Athens again sometime to enjoy the warm atmosphere, fair prices, and cheery service.
7 years ago
5 years ago
I see mixed reviews for Athens, which is curious to me since we always have a great experience here. Its one of those reliable Greek-American diners w a little of everything on the menu. This review covers a couple visits since this is one of our fav breakfast spots, kinda all we come for. Lately I been into the breakfast skillets, they are bomb. The Greek Gyro skillet is outstanding. The Philly cheesesteak skillet is a goodie too. And the standard breakfasts are always great. Another thing that stands out for us is the service. Servers are so pleasant and attentive here, all seem to be older more experienced servers that actually give a crap about and you and your meal. It's actually what pulls us back in even tho it's over 5 miles away and there are other good options closer. These small places with big menus usually don't crush it on every menu item, but the breakfast and service here is very solid. We love Athens. read more
4 years ago
Completely dissatisfied with this restaurant. I ordered steak and eggs (been ordering it since 2012 maybe) and I asked for the eggs in separate container, steak medium, and potatoes with onions. I also asked for all of my utensils and condiments. Wouldn't you believe that the steak came back as hard as my 2 year olds head and as black as the tires on my car. Potatoes crunchy, EWWWW, completely undercooked and oh yea, eggs in the same container. Yea I'm done read more
I came in after 11 and was pleased to see that they served breakfast late, perhaps even all day. I had the chicken souvlaki breakfast, and I will give it a hard-earned "thumbs up". The chicken souvlaki here is quite good. It's very juicy and has a thick, peppery flavor. Having good chicken souvlaki is the gold standard marking of a great Greek diner in my humble opinion. The home-fries left a little bit to be desired, as they weren't tremendously flavorful, but they were homemade, and that in and of itself is commendable. There is a small side parking lot but the closest spots are right in front. The problem is you can't park right in front without doing a considerable amount of sidewalk driving. As you can imagine, a diner such as this attracts old ladies with walkers like a dead body attracts flies. Be careful not to run over too many old ladies on the sidewalk when vying for a spot closest to the door. read more
4 years ago
I love visiting this little Greek diner every time I go to get my car fixed, as my mechanic's across the street. It's always bumpin', it seems, mostly with older folks and their families. Because I usually roll solo to my mechanic's place, I grab a barstool-style seat in the back, facing the kitchen, right in front of the TV, which usually has something silly on (i.e. America's Funniest Home Videos or bad reality TV). Not because I enjoy watching kittens falling into hampers or hot-dog eating contests, but because the color commentary on the programs from the waitresses is actually way more entertaining than the shows. Ditto for the company I keep at the diner's "bar." Usually truckers or other lonely-old-man types, they're always good about passing the ketchup and making polite conversation. But they'll also leave me alone to read the paper, which is one of my favorite Athens rituals. Also, the prices here cannot be beat. You can get two eggs, homefries and toast for $2.99 on a weekday, and $3.99 on weekends. That makes my whole breakfast cheaper than a regular latte in downtown Buffalo, and I love Athens for it! read more
11 years ago
I have only came here for breakfast.. and its always great food and excellent service. I love that Im able to switch up my meals and still be satisfied with my meal. At This visit their menu was new to me, more meal options. It took me some time to decide what I wanted. (The whole menu) lol Food took about 10 minutes to come out. Portion sizes are very reasonable. Prizes aren't expensive. Food quality has always been satisfying. read more
I really loved this spot. We got seated quickly and our waitress was super friendly and even told us what NOT to get, which we appreciated. I got the "Big Breakfast" which was true to its name and a great price for the enormous portion. We also tried the souvlaki wrap and open version. Both were right on the mark. The lemon soup was exactly what we craved and so too was the French toast. If you're in Cheektowaga, this is a reliably good spot to grab a bite! Definitely recommend. One less star because the onions, which I got extra, on my home fries were raw. (Yuck.) read more
11 years ago
Amazing Baklava!!! It is perfect. Sweet without being too sweet, a nice cinnamon taste and the phyllo dough so flakey and crispy. This is literally the best pastry/ dessert that I've ever eaten. Now that I have had the Chicken Souvlaki dinner at Athens I can say it IS better than Alton's....the chicken was juicy, tender and flavorful. They didn't skimp on anything ( especially the feta which Alton's does!!) and the dill sauce is delish. I generally don't like Greek dressing because it's heavy on the oregano and I'm not a fan of salad dressings in general...however I did try a little of theirs and it was decent, more like a lighter taste ( which I dig)than most other strong Greek dressings. Again all of the women that work here are awesome and friendly. I really enjoy coming here and I can see why it is busy. read more
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Had food delivered through Grubhub. The food was delivered on time but the quality of food was not good at all. I ordered beef souvlaki dinner with a side of Greek fries and spanakopita. The Greek potatoes were just crinkle French fries with Greek dressing and feta. I ordered medium beef and it was dry and well done. The spanakopita was soggy...I spent almost $40 on food that was barely palatable. Won't be ordering from this place again. read more
8 years ago
My favorite place to get a fish dinner!! The haddock is so big and they give you large portions of the sides i barely finish all of my fish dinners because they're so big and filling. If you want a nice size fish dinner Athens is the place to go! read more
4 years ago
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VERY nice waitress- VERY long wait -waited over a half hour in between breakfast and lunch (11:15)- LOOKED delicious but was not- French toast actually bad- ate 2 bites- tasteless and too thick. Sausage ok- eggs underdone. My son got their speciality which is cheesecake fresh toast, but the topping was curdled- probably used cream cheese not at room temperature? Bathrooms dirty-ugh. read more
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Very test breakfast , reasonable prices, friendly service... they gave me option for onions in home fries , toast done perfectly . Place was clean ...and a tip for " bigger" people ...the booth tables where I sat are not bolted in so u can move table . read more
6 years ago
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12 years ago
Big fan of breakfast food! I grab food from here nearly every morning. Try the bacon and eggs with toast as a fan favorite but if you like to try new things they have an abundance of things on the menu (picture of it next time I go). Highly recommended if ur in the Cheektowaga area early to catch them while everything is fresh. read more
7 years ago
13 years ago
Its hard to screw up breakfast. But these guys pull it off in the best kinda way. The eggs were cooked just the way I asked. The toast was the best bread and the bacon was spot on, not overly salted like most bacon is. The decor was a little drab, early 90s redo, but the wait staff was very friendly. I will be going back. read more
8 years ago
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2801 Harlem Rd
Buffalo, NY 14225
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(716) 892-5019
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https://athensrestaurant.us
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Do they serve mimosas & Bloody Mary?
Hi, the last time I was there, they don't serve alcohol
