Each and every time we come here, Georgia the owner makes us feel like family…read more We love the ambience, we love all the staff, and of course we love the food!!! We went last week and will be going again next week!! 10/10

I'm Greek. And I adored the matriarch and chef Georgia. And I'm reluctant to criticize a family…read morebusiness. But I'm a foodie. And eating out now is so expensive that the meal better be worth it.   Sadly, I'm not going back to the Athenian Owl. (Even though Georgia promised to set me up with a nice Greek man.) My biggest complaints were the TINY servings for mostly overpriced dishes (especially the Souvlaki and the grilled Octopus), and the comically bad service .... Especially maddening is that a steady Greek Chorus of customers have lodged similar complaints on Google and Yelp -- all seemingly to no avail. Georgia's son George, the otherwise friendly owner, responds to each critical review with only a sarcastic "Have a Blessed Day!"  The Athenian Owl offers a big variety of home-style, traditional Greek dishes. The family launched it about a decade ago -- after opening and running for years, then selling -- the still-popular Athens Cafe. I hosted a luncheon for four. I prepared a tasting menu of shared platters (see orange menu photo), and went to the restaurant days ahead to go over it with Georgia. I prepaid $292, no drinks, tax included. I left a $50 cash tip at the table (frankly, that was kind).   Greeks are huge on hospitality, and take pride in being generous hosts. And they eat big. Even an ordinary Greek meal feels like Thanksgiving, with loosened belts and emergency naps ....  So, when skimpy platters landed on the table, I was taken aback -- and upset. Days later, I'm still upset .... I've eaten hundreds of Greek meals (was even fed Greek baby food! lol), and I have Never, EVER, seen such skimpy servings! It was like that old TV ad: Where's the beef?   BEST: -- Hummus dip w/ pita -- Saganaki flambé: fried Kefalograviera cheese. Alas, instead of a dramatic fiery show, the waitress lit only a small flame that quickly extinguished. Still tasty, but disappointing. -- Spanakopita: Spinach & Feta w/ phyllo crust. Get the entree pie, not the appetizers' triangles. But $20/slice is too high -- Grilled Vegetable Souvlaki -- Sautéed Mushrooms w/Capers: not on the menu, but it's the Riganato dish, minus the lemon sauce -- Baklava: phyllo pastry of chopped nuts & syrup -- Galaktoboureko: custard pie w/phyllo crust & syrup JUST OK: -- Pastichio: Greek lasagna. Too little ground beef. And I couldn't detect any cheese or sauce. It was mostly just noodle, ridiculous at $21/portion. The bechamel rescued it for me, but my guests barely touched it. -- Dolmades: stuffed grape leaves. So-so, saved by the lemon sauce topping. Dolmades at the Whole Foods' buffet are tastier -- and they come from a can! -- Elliniki salad: good tomatoes and vinaigrette. Tasteless Feta chunks. Overrun w/ onion. HARD PASS: -- Souvlaki: each Kebob chunk was TINY. And the serving sizes were also galling. I ordered 3 skewers of chicken ($30) and 2 of lamb ($24), and we barely got half the meat that's typically served at other Greek venues -- at like twice the price! .... I was so irked that I called Georgia over. C'mon, chicken is cheap. I've had bigger and better for 10 bucks at street food trucks.  -- Grilled Octopus: a Greek specialty, and traditionally a signature dish. I complained to Georgia again: Not only was the serving not the customary entire tentacle, but it was also the world's thinnest. What, was this the last octopus in the ocean? At $24: another rip-off. -- Avgolemono: supposed to be thick and creamy soup, with a lemony egg broth. It was thin, as if watered-down. Almost no chicken or rice. -- Lemon Roasted Potatoes: lemon? undercooked  -- Orzo "Rice": the waitress delivered this pasta side after the meal was over. Literally a "leftover," so I took it home. Blah.  Speaking of the waitress: Other reviewers here have often cited woeful service. Our waitress was nice and well-meaning, but .... She forgot the Orzo. Ditto the Tzatziki yogurt dip and pita w/ the Souvlaki. She screwed up the Saganaki flambé. She delivered the meals in the wrong sequence. She even had to be reminded twice to bring the bread basket .... What's nuts: She didn't have to write down a single dish -- it was all pre-ordered! And, she had only a few other tables. Luckily, Georgia often checked-up and pitched-in. I bumped-up a Star here for her.

Being Greek I am absolutely picky when it comes to Greek places and Athens Cafe is officially my…read morefavorite in our city! The atmosphere is welcoming and warm with live music at times. Our server was very efficient and proactive, we didn't have to ask for a thing!! We started with the dolmathes (grape leaves), they were incredible and perfectly cooked. Grape leaves are tricky bc if you don't boil them enough they are rigid and break but if you over boil then they crumble and are too soft. These, incredible! The lemon sauce was absolutely divine, a strong lemon taste but so so good!! I chose the chicken souvlaki, which were grilled to perfect without any charr. The rice was tasty and reminded me of my Yiayia's and the Greek green beans were packed with flavor. My friends chose the gyro, gyro salad, pastitso, and mousakka. Everyone loved their dishes!! We were too stuffed for dessert and too excited to take pictures, haha! I'll definitely be back to try something else on this delicious menu!!

Started off with dolmades and saganaki (flaming cheese) the saganaki normally comes with pita…read morepoints but here it doesn't. We asked for additional bread. Service wasn't bad. Sometimes they needed a little coordination I had famous gyro platter which was really good. Anna had the chicken skewers with a salad. Overall pretty good with a couple gotchas but will be back

Excellent food! We…read morewere visiting the town and looked for a highly rated unique cuisine and found this place. The place is nice inside, welcoming and selling some cool things alongside the food items. We both had a platter, one with falafels and the other with the marinaded chicken. They played had incredible salad and a red cabbage salad. Both were excellent! The bread was sold and warm and very fresh too. Then there was some white rice included and it was delicious too! It was jasmine rice and very tasty. We will have more items in future visits. Also, the platters came with a cup of their lentil soup, which for us was slightly different as it must have been made with tomatoes. Stop here and give them a try. You will love it!

I can't even begin to explain how much I loveeeeeeeeee Bodrum. I lived in Sicily and was overseas…read morefor a few years when I was in the Navy, and Bodrum's incredibly fresh food brings me right back there with each and every bite. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu here. My usual go-to will be to start with the Shepherd Salad and one of the Shish Kabob or Gyro platters which comes with your choice of shish or gyro meat, rice, salad, and some kind of carrot or cabbage drizzled with an olive oil mix dressing. Just delicious and hits the spot every time. I've eaten at Bodrum a handful of times, but have ordered for delivery probably a bit more and everything is just as good as if you are sitting right there in the restaurant. However, I do love eating in because the ambiance of the restaurant is wonderful with the owners not leaving out one detail to make diners feel right at home. We are so lucky to have such a wide swatch of Mediterranean restaurants throughout Jacksonville. Bodrum is right there at the top.

I had no clue this place existed!! And now I am Obsessed!!!…read more I created my own - Nutella and PB. Wow just wow. They were made fresh and they were spectacular. So yummy. The employee was lovely. Kind, helpful and friendly. Located at Jax Beach.

My daughter and her husband wanted donuts at 8:00 at night. We couldn't find many open donut…read moreshops; and my husband said we couldn't get "ordinary" donuts from a grocery store, so we found Lukumades by searching on our phones. It was a little bit of a drive away, near the beach, and there was absolutely no parking on a Friday night. My husband dropped me off and circled while I placed a few to go orders. It was a cute little shop with donuts, shakes, and ice cream. The donuts are not traditional donuts; more like deep fried donut holes that are covered with all kinds of yummy toppings. They're also served nice and hot and in 10 packs. They had lots of cool donut flavors like: Dark Delight, Maple Bacon, , White Tella, and Love U Matcha, The prices range from $8.75 to $9.50 per box. They all sounded yummy; but we decided on Twix Fix, drizzled with caramel, melted chocolate, and cookies, and Lotus Crunch, which was topped with melted Biscoff cookies. Our order was ready in about 5 minutes and the bag of donuts was nice and warm. We ate them when we got back home. They were more chewy and heavier than regular donut holes, but rich and delicious. You could really only eat a few; so a box of 10 is a decent sized dessert for 2 people to share. Lukumades is definitely a very unique donut experience and worth supporting because they're not a huge chain. You'll be glad you tried them....and its worth the drive.

So I've eaten here many times enough to say it deserves a 5 Star and more rating…read more They're not the closest restaurant to me but given the chance, I try to come here as much as possible. The goal is to try every item on their menu. It's Mediterranean (Turkish) cuisine folks, which I call "guilt free, healthy eats". What to try you may ask. If you are striving for that "Olive Garden Salad + Bread combo"... let me suggest Kofta's version which is the Coban Salad and Puffy Bread. They're not offered as an all you can eat combo, but it should keep you filled between the two. - Coban Salad (5/5): A must try, soooo delicious. Fresh ingredients. The dressing, I could drink them in shot glasses. - Puffy Bread (5/5): It's made to order. Comes out nice and hot and puffy. Plenty to share with others. - From the Grill menu. Kofta Plate, Chicken Shish, Adana Plate are all good choices (5/5) - Sandwiches/Wraps: Their Doner Wrap was just okay to me (4/5) Service (5/5): no complaints here Pricing (5/5): Best value when you eat during Lunch. But Dinner items are not too pricey. Lastly, Buffets are also offered...on Sundays I believe. I haven't tried it yet but it definitely gives me a great reason to come back to Kofta.

Found this restaurant on Yelp and arrived around 1:30 on a Wednesday. The restaurant was completely…read moreempty so we were a little hesitant at first. Inside, the waitress (who I believe is the wife of the owner of the restaurant?) kindly greeted us and seated us immediately. The menu was extensive, plus they sometimes have off menu specials like fish. We ordered the adana lamb and adana chicken, as well as the mixed appetizer plate and calamari. It was way too much food for two of us, but it was all delicious. The meat was a little bit salty, but it was balanced out by the rice and other vegetables on the plate. The mixed appetizers were delicious. I don't think I would order the calamari again. Overall, great Turkish cuisine, owned by Turkish couple who moved to the United States a few years ago.

This place was pumping out business on a Saturday afternoon. When we arrived, there was somebody in…read moreline but nobody seated. I think maybe they do most of their service as takeout or delivery based on our experience. I got the chicken Gyro. It was large and tasty but nothing to rave about. I would definitely be down to go back and try more off their menu. Fries were delicious. Decent parking !

I've ate here a couple times. Gyros were pretty good. Today, I tried the Philly…read morecheesesteak...honestly the absolute WORST one I've EVER had my whole life. Bread was hard and burnt, they used lamb instead of beef, and the provolone cheese just made it that much more worse. I guess I learned a lesson not to go to a Mexican restaurant for Italian food lmao (just trying to make a point) Please Just take my word and do not trust getting anything from here besides a gyro.

Got the gyro with half chicken and half original!! OMG, best I've had in Jacksonville!!! Highly…read morerecommend. Service was fast, line was all the way to the door but we got taken care of quickly. Ambiance is cafe style

This place is simple and wonderful…read more All the food is fresh, the lamb is amazing, and the staff is friendly and patient. The portions are huge, so the average eater can get away with any of the small sized portions. Here's what we got: Gyro Salad - 5/5 (great portion, solid flavors) Rice Bowl - 2/5 (weird with gyros, son did not like it) Gyro Sandwich - 4/5 (daughter wanted red onion) Detox Salad - 2/5 (dry, little dressing, cost is extra for more) All said and done, other than myself, the family said they probably wouldn't be interested in coming here again. But I still think it's worth a shot, so try it and see!

I had a great experience at Tabouleh Cafe in Jacksonville, Florida. The restaurant was clean,…read morewelcoming, and the staff was very friendly. I ordered the chicken kebab and shish kebab with rice, and everything was delicious. The meat was tender, well seasoned, and full of flavor. The rice was perfectly cooked, and the grilled onions on top added an amazing taste to the dish. Fresh, authentic, and satisfying I'll definitely be coming back. Highly recommend!

A small local place. We have been saying for years we wanted to try it. We finally tried it and was…read morenot disappointed. When we were there it appeared that they mostly get to go orders, but they do have a seating area. You can call ahead or order at the register for to go orders. I did not find an online ordering option. We ordered several items including salad, hummus, kabobs, and meat pies. All of it was tasty but I enjoyed the meat pies the most.

I really can't believe I haven't reviewed this fast casual restaurant yet…read more We have been going here at least once a week since they opened. The food is great, fresh and the serving size is awesome. They have $15 specials with an appetizer which is a good value. My husband and my MIL almost always order the small salad with gyro meat. It is not the smaller side salad that I order. They have an even larger salad that can be shared. Meat is gyro, salmon, chicken and falafel

Susan and I visited The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill expecting a traditional sit down restaurant…read moreand instead discovered a counter service spot that completely won us over. From the moment we walked in, the space felt clean, bright, and welcoming, with a simple Mediterranean style that made it comfortable to dine in. There was a steady stream of customers coming and going, both dining in and picking up takeout, which immediately told us this place has built a loyal following. The food is where The Great Greek really shines. We started with the four dip combo, and honestly, that alone is worth the visit. The hummus was smooth, creamy, and full of flavor without being heavy. The tirokafteri had a bold kick that built just enough heat to keep things interesting. Paired with plenty of warm, soft pita, it is an easy dish to share and one we would happily order every time. For our main dishes, I ordered the gyro, which I often use as a benchmark when trying a Greek restaurant. The meat was flavorful, the pita was fresh, and the tzatziki sauce really stood out, tying everything together beautifully. The feta fries were another highlight and were hard to stop eating. Susan ordered the Atlantic salmon, and it ended up being the biggest surprise of the meal. It was cooked perfectly, well seasoned, and paired with sides that complemented the fish rather than overpowering it. Portion sizes are generous, pricing feels very fair for the quality and amount of food, and service was friendly and efficient throughout our visit. Even though this is a counter service restaurant, staff brought the food to the table and checked in to make sure everything was just right. We even left with leftovers and dessert to enjoy later, which is always a good sign. What we thought would be a quick meal turned into a really enjoyable dining experience. This is a restaurant we will absolutely be returning to and one we are happy to recommend to anyone looking for great Greek food done well.

I soon will be a resident of 5 Points and so happy Hovan Gourmet is within walking distance…read more Today I had the VEGETARIAN Hovan with delicious Tabbouleh. They have a great patio for dining and people watching.

Hovan Gourmet Mediterranean is a Five Points staple that never disappoints. Besides having some of…read morethe most enviable outdoor seating around, their service and the food is stellar. We did carry out on this day and unlike some other Five Points locations, it's easy to find parking, even on a Friday afternoon at peak dinner time. Everything they do is solid, their gyro, pita and falafel rank amongst the best in the area. They must do their pita fresh and on site. It's just amazing and perfectly accents what might be the best gyro around. If it's a nice day, you're in the Riverside area, and craving great Mediterranean food, Hovan is a must. If it's not a nice day, eat inside or carry out. I highly recommend you give them a try.