Amazing that after all these years, and with huge crowds every night, Greek Islands still maintains such a high level of food quality and service. We ordered the whole branzino with roast Greek potatoes, and it was every bit as good as the whole Greek-style fish we've been ordering since first coming here decades ago. The same with the horta (dandelion greens) which I recommend dressing with lemon juice, olive oil (there's a bottle on the table) and black pepper. Delicious. And there is no better taramasolata anywhere than here. Absolutely addictive. The kind they serve at other Greek places is just a pale imitation. Our waitress (I didn't catch her name, but she was from Russia) was an absolute delight. So friendly and efficient. I have one complaint. Egg-lemon soup is traditionally a dairy-free dish. But Greek Islands' version apparently contains milk or cream. I'm not 100% sure it does, but I have lactose intolerance and definitely suffered unpleasant aftereffects following dinner. I called the following morning and I was told that it does indeed contain milk or cream, but the guy I spoke to had a heavy accent so I'm still not sure. The point is, the menu should state clearly when a TRADITIONALLY DAIRY-FREE dish contains dairy for the benefit of people with lactose intolerance or -- much more seriously -- a dairy allergy. Not doing so is very, very irresponsible. That quibble aside, let me re-emphasize how impressive it is that this restaurant remains as good as it is after all these years. read more

Greek Islands Restaurant - Whole branzino, Greek style. - Greek Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Greek Islands is a family-owned spot with an authentic Greek neighborhood feel, thanks to its atmosphere, staff, and traditional dishes. I enjoyed the tzatziki, avgolemono, pastichio, and baklava. Everything was great, and it had been a while since I'd enjoyed such good Greek food. If you're exploring Chicago's Greektown, give it a try. I'll be back next time I'm in Chicago. read more

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During a work trip to Chicago, I decided to check out Greektown, and after reading the online reviews and getting recommendations from my hotel, I was told Greek Islands was one of the best spots for authentic Greek food. The moment I stepped inside, I felt like I had been transported to a small Greek taverna. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, and our server was incredibly friendly and welcoming. One of the highlights for me was being able to order and converse in Greek, it made the experience feel that much more authentic and special. Of course, I couldn't decide on just one dish, so I had to order a little bit of everything. Why not? The saganaki was absolutely delicious and is definitely a must-try. The avgolemono was decent and comforting, though it wasn't quite as memorable for me. The pastitsio was a bit of a mix. The flavor was delicious and packed with that classic Greek comfort-food goodness, but unfortunately, the béchamel was overcooked and had become too firm. Overall, between the friendly staff, welcoming atmosphere, and flavorful food, I had a very good experience at Greek Islands. There are still plenty of classic dishes I'd like to try, so I wouldn't hesitate to come back the next time I'm in Chicago. read more

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It's a lovely family owned restaurant and lots of authentic Greek food. It seem most staff were Greek too so that was nice. The food was good, but I felt the fried cheese was too salty, and the moussaka had too much breading on it. But the vegetables were good. The chicken on the skewers were very good and tender, and not too salty. The Filo dough dessert with lemon filling was good and I never tried it anywhere else. read more

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Greek Islands absolutely understood the assignment. Fried cheese, gyro, moussaka, soup, octopus and somehow not a single disappointing choice. Everything was delicious the service was great and the interior feels like you teleported to Greece. read more

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food: good authentic greek in chicago, the combination plate was great to try out some dishes i haven't had before like mousaka, the gyros were good which is always a solid baseline service: nice staff, very helpful ambiance: nice interior, a lot larger than i thought it would be read more

Greek Islands Restaurant - Flaming Saganaki Cheese - Greek Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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LOCATION: After getting off the train at Chicago Union Station, I walked a couple blocks west and found myself at the Greek Islands Restaurant...actually, I intended to come here. But, I did walk from the (gorgeous, by the way) train station. Very convenient! SERVICE: When I arrived, TGIR had just opened for lunch, so there were very few tables taken. It was a Saturday, but it filled up quickly. The service was fast, friendly, and accurate. FOOD: Dude, I've been eating here for at least 15 years. If the food here wasn't excellent, I wouldn't have been doing this. After all these years, Greek Islands Restaurant still rates five stars!!! read more

Greek Islands Restaurant - Although it could be argued, this is what a real Greek salad looks like...Horiatiki. - Greek Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Felt like I was back in Greece!! Had lunch as part of a tour of Chicago Greek Town. Servers were ready for us and couldn't have been more accommodating. Our menu included appetizers, salad, sides, 4 entrees desserts and drinks. Had this experience in Greece and was just as amazed at the quality and wonderful homemade deliciousness. Could not pass up any of the tremendous quantity! Lots of Greek decor to set the mood. read more

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Went with my parents. We've been coming to Greek town restaurants and the Greek islands for many years. Over the recent years I've seen restaurants struggle and lose their edge with food and or service. This is NOT the case here. The food and service were 10/10. FANFRIKENSTASTIC! Food was top notch. Quality, portions and preparation. The lamb was lean yet moist and super flavorful. Do not miss the lamb. The moussaka was delicate yet substantial and packed with flavor. We also had beets with skordalia and avgolemono soup...all fantastic. We had galaktoboureko for desert and it was the best I've had that I can remember. 10/10. Service was warm, personal, professional and just impeccable. The people who sat us were warm and kind. Our waiter and wait staff were just stellar. They made you feel more than welcone10/10 Ambiance was very clean and very Mediterranean. Seating was comfortable. White linen service. We sat close to the fireplace to keep mom and dad warm. This place deserves your attention and a visit. I'll be back... read more

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A very cool, authentic Greek dining experience! It's always fun to be a tourist in your own city and if you go to Greektown, stopping by Greek Islands Restaurant is a MUST. Outstanding service and a solid variety on the menu. Huge portions for a decent price. read more

Greek Islands Restaurant - Greek Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This place has a more family vibe and not as fancy, so it was nice to go here casually and get some good Greek food. The cold hummus sampler was great to try some different flavors, and the standout was the grilled octopus. So delicious! The gyro plate was good but it felt like it was missing something, and the spanikopita was also tasty but not crispy. read more

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Came here for my dad's birthday and I hate to say it but this meal is one I honestly didn't really like. Most of our dishes either lacked in flavor or were WAY too salty. The only decent things were the salad and the spanakopita. The atmosphere was our favorite either, I felt like I was in a cafeteria and eating cafeteria food. It was very loud and hot. I will say that the service was kind and attentive, and there is valet parking, which was a plus. read more

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While I do prefer some other spots, this is a Greektown must. I have been there many times and their food is authentic and quality, and the ambiance is unique and makes for an excellent place for people to experience Greek food! read more

Beautiful environment, excellent service and amazing food. I started with the flaming cheese aka ; Saganaki. Then a cup of the Fakyes; Red lentil soup. The main; Pastichio, Greek meat lasagna. All just as good as when I was a child and now maybe even better , with such great company. The restaurant was full, lively and enjoyable. Located on the Honarary Ted G. Spyropoulos Way , also know as; Adams. South side of street. West side of Halsted. Free Valet parking or pay to park app available for street parking. Beautiful area, with many coffee shops, places to shop and more. Great experience. Fill out the comment card, as I believe those are always helpful. read more

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Amazing! I forgot to take pictures of the meals because we were so hungry, but we ordered a variety of dishes, including appetizers and full meals, to share and enjoy every flavor. The food was truly delicious. Service was quick and friendly, and since our group mostly spoke Spanish, the staff was able to assist us comfortably. The place is super cute! I recommend you give it a visit. read more

Greek Islands Restaurant - Hummus - Greek Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Spectacular!! Soooo full... Cold Tuesday night and a great crowd! Compliments to Juan for the expert recommendations and the service...everything was perfect! Had the pastichio as an app (that was the first "mistake") and the pork riblets (2nd) as my entree. I was stuffed after the pasticho!! My date had the levraki and Horta and loved it all. Good times on a great old school Greek place! read more

Greek Islands Restaurant - Dinner for 2 - Greek Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I came here for one thing and one thing only: the flaming saganaki. IT WAS SO GOOD. The lemon really makes it top notch. I think the waiters were confused as to why I was only ordering one item, but I had too many food places to try. The free bread and olive oil were lovely. They use some high quality olive oil and you can tell. Service was FAST. They don't mess around. It was clean and cute inside. I'd love to return for a full meal. read more

Been here before and sat outside and loved it! This time we were seated inside and it was a very strange experience. My bf and I came in on a Friday night and were seated right next to a large birthday party of around 30 ppl. They were making speeches/had a saxophone player. We felt like we couldn't talk or we would be interrupting. I don't think we had a specific waitress, took a bit to get a hold of someone. The hummus and pita was my favorite! Very good, the pita was warm! The calamari was okay. We got the lamb for dinner, I didn't love it. The whole vibe was really odd. I wouldn't recommend for a small group. read more

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Been here a few times and it always hits the spot. The family style meal is so fun with friends and definitely worth it for the price. You get so much food and time to just eat slowly and catch up. read more

Greek Islands Restaurant - Greek Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food was about $20-$30 and it was great! The service was good, every time my water got low their was a waiter there to fill it back up. It was a loud, bustling atmosphere so if you are looking for someplace quiet I would try someplace else. Overall, I really enjoyed my dinner here and highly recommend it!!! read more

The ambiance was warm and friendly. We had the fried cheese for the appetizer and some humus and a Greek salad. For my meal I had the dolmades they were delicious! Everyone enjoyed what they ordered. read more

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First let me say that my friend group has been a fan of this place for years! We literally get together every time we are all in Chicago and never fail to hit Greek Islands. This past weekend we all went on a Saturday night and it was the first time ever we have been extremely dissapointed. The lamb riblets were full of gristle, the portion was smaller than normal, the spanikopita was wet and soggy ( a sin) , the spaghetti with chicken dry as a bone, the saganaki was good as always. Water glasses, side plates, dirty and had to be changed. Service was grumpy, bill was wrong, deserts: large portions and utterly tasteless. Please for the love of God fix this!!!! We will be so sad to see this restaurant go down. The food is the reason to come. It was a complete failure. Please please please correct this. This place is beloved by us. read more

So here's the thing, I came here as a child about 22 years ago. It was my best friends birthday. We were maybe 10 years old. Her dad gave me my first piece of lamb ever and my life was changed. I've waited 22 years to come back to this restaurant and it was exactly how I remember as a child. The food is still amazing. The lamb is just as good as I remember. It's clean, the decor felt familiar. The service is great. 10/10 recommend read more

This place is gorgeous and the staff is so kind. The atmosphere is very lively and can get loud sometimes with the amount of people around. The food itself was a bit mid from what I was expecting. The gyros were normal gyros but nothing too striking. The other dishes lacked a bit of oomf in their flavor as well. They have a wide menu though, so I'd be curious to come back and try it again read more

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Absolutely love this place. Just another amazing meal and night at Greek Islands. The saganaki and the Braised Lamb are second to none. The Gyro appetizer is amazing. And the Roditis is the icing on the cake. read more

Greek Islands Restaurant - Kokkinisto (Braised Lamb) - Greek Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Stopped in for lunch with a few co workers. I had the spanakopita with potatoes and it was very good Service was very good Price was as expected. Always an enjoyable time popping in here for lunch read more

Greek Islands Restaurant - Spanakopita and potatoes very tasty - Greek Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Called in a takeout order recently, and I really appreciated the efficiency here - when I came to pick it up, the hostess opened the bag and went through every item with me. I love this - I've had too many times at other restaurants where I got home to realize that an item was missing. The food was, as usual, excellent - they're pros at what they do here, and the Greek food is delicious. I much prefer to dine in here over grabbing takeout, but some times, you need to just grab and go. Thanks for a great meal at home, Greek Islands. read more

Was so fortunate to see Greek Islands open during the snowstorm last week. My gf was really looking forward to having Greek food for her birthday. Great reception and ambiance upon entering and we were quickly seated. Long menu with many tough decisions but Yanni helped me out. I ended up ordering the lamb krasato. Food was out in no time. The lamb was so tender it legit fell off the bone. The remote wine sauce was very stewey and paired perfect with the rice. Yanni was the man bc I had asked to surprise her for her birthday and he brought out baklava for her which was a kind gesture. She really appreciated it! Family vibes inside def worth a stop in if you're looking for Greek food! read more

Greek Islands Restaurant - Lamb Krasato - Greek Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Service was great! We had Arturo and he was lovely. We came in around 8:30PM and they were getting ready to close at 9PM, so we had to put in our orders quick. That was fine, we didn't feel extremely rushed. It was just surprising that they closed so early. My family and I used to love going to Greektown, but many of the local staples have since closed down. Our favorite used to be Rodity's and nothing will compare to it, but on our last visit to Greek Islands, this may be the closest we come to it. Food was fresh, portion sizes were great. I ordered a lamb chop, my brother got the pork chops which looked divine. Super juicy and flavorful. My mom got the braised lamb, our typical go to meal at a Greek restaurant. She said the sauce was a bit sweet for her liking, but still enjoyed it. This is a great family place. You eat comfortably and have a hearty meal. There's something on the menu for everyone. It's a super popular place for company parties and get togethers. I hope that it always stays busy because Greektown can't exist without these traditional Greek staples. read more

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Friend and I had lunch here for old times sake. Food was ok or mediocre. Avgolemono soup was gummy. Braised lamb shanks in in tomato sauce came with 5 to ten minutes of having been ordered, not a great sign. Friends chicken regonato was only mildly flavored We chose split a baklava for dessert and THAT was excellent: large, filled with coarsely chopped nuts and not too sweet. read more

I went here with a large group. The wait time was not bad because we had a reservation. The space that we were sat was somewhat small and felt cramped because a lot of people were passing through, but it wasn't too bad. Fortunately for us, we had a person of Greek heritage dining with us, so she was able to order appetizers for the table and make suggestions for entrees. The flaming cheese was really cute too see, and it was amazing. I had the lasagna. The portion size was huge. It was kind of sweet. It had too interesting of a flavor profile for me, but my colleague loved it. read more

Greek Islands Restaurant - Greek Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I love Greek food, but haven't had much since I became vegetarian. I love this place (the Parthenon was my favorite restaurant RIP). This place is still an old school Greek town restaurant. Service is good, they have great bread, they refill your water so fast, house wine is good, food is solid. And it's so pretty inside the restaurant. We had: Bread-great Tziki-great Flaming saganaki- good. Not the best, but good and so fun to have it flaming table side. Salad-good Artichokes- very good. I used to love lamb with artichokes so I was so excited to find a vegetable version. Rice pilaf- my son ate it all, so I didn't get any. But I was glad he loved it. Spinach with rice-very good Baklava-great Galakabouriko- great Chocolate cake- so so. I told my son chocolate cake isn't a Greek dessert but he still wanted it. It was good enough. He did agree the galabouriko was great. My inlaws got 3 different kinds of lamb and 2 of them were big hits. Even my son said they were good. Kid and baby friendly. They have high chairs and a koala changing pad in the family bathroom. They were nice and good with kids. Also it's interesting looking inside so good for walking around while waiting for food. I didn't even ask if they had a kids menu. My picky eater liked the tziki, the rice pilaf, the lamb, and the desserts. read more

Met up with long time friends who treated us to this restaurant. Restaurant has valet parking, which was great because it was a busy night. The smell of Greek food filled the restaurant in a good way. Fish broiled perfectly!! Fresh, moist. Seasoned well. Even though the restaurant was busy, our food was served promptly!! Will definitely go back!! read more

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Super solid Greek restaurant in the heart of Greektown. The restaurant is HUGE and has beautiful decor/ambiance. It feels authentic while also having lots of interesting decor to look at. The staff and service were great, everyone was so friendly and our waitress was very on top of refilling waters, bringing out extras we asked for etc. The food was good, not the best Greek I've ever had but definitely solid and well-priced. The fried zucchini was incredible, my personal favorite dish of the evening. Saganaki was good and they light it tableside. I ordered the avgolemono soup, which was maybe a 6/10. It was a bit bland. The gyros plate was good too, however the gyros was definitely more lamb-y than I prefer which is why it wasn't my favorite. Fries were great. Overall a solid pick, especially for families. read more

Greek Islands Restaurant - Exterior - Greek Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

First visit to Greektown Restaurant. Love the free valet parking. Went for late lunch on a Wednesday and there was no wait. Greeted and seated immediately. Plenty of seating. Well lit. Fast quick service. Provided with bread and water for table. I ordered peach rum martini, meatballs and gyro. My meal was ok at best. The sauce on meatballs was a tad thick and the gyro meat fried a tad hard for my liking. Nice Tzatziki sauce. Not a complete wash;I would be willing to visit again and maybe try more of the authentic greek dishes. read more

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I don't write a lot of reviews, but this place is worth it. Greek Islands just feels easy from the moment you get there. Parking downtown can be a headache, so the valet was a big plus and made the whole night start off right. The service was really solid, friendly and attentive without being over the top. The food is the real highlight. Everything came out fresh, full of flavor, and just really well done. It's a comfortable, lively spot that works for just about any kind of night. I'll definitely be back. read more

Donna's pick last weekend was Greek Islands down by Fulton district. Big, busy place that we were lucky to get right into. Pays to eat early in Chicago. Started with the beets in garlic olive oil. Along with the dip there next to it, very refreshing start. That dip is not described on the menu, but it was excellent! I had pastichio, a baked casserole of pasta, beef and cheese with a bechamel sauce. Donna had a combo with pastchio and mousaka(eggplant with the same sauce). This was like Greek comfort food, and plenty of it. Food came very quickly and was reasonably priced. We have not been to Greece, so we don't know how authentic it was, but we were both satisfied. read more

Greek Islands Restaurant - Greek Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

First and foremost there is a consistency of both exceptional service and spectacular authentic traditional Greek food, in large, vibrant but somehow warm dining rooms, that will drive you back to Greek Island Restaurant on Halsted. From the traditional "Flaming Saganaki Cheese" composed of imported Greek cheese flambéed table-side, and Pan Fried Calamari made with tender squid that is lightly fried and served with a zesty homemade cocktail sauce, my favorites, to the yogurt-cucumber-garlic Tzatziki and Hummus -- Chick peas, tahini, Greek inspired spices served with pita -- the initial offerings are generously proportioned and delicious! Please don't leave without trying their Saganaki -- It is a creation by Greek Island that is now served globally; yes even in Greece! The entrees and specials are too numerous to describe but my favorites and top recommendations are: 1) Dolmades - Tender grape leaves stuffed with rice, ground meat and herbs served with an egg-lemon sauce; 2) Chicken Riganati - Baked Chicken with m extra virgin olive oil, herbs, and spices. Served with *rice and potatoes or briami (Greek Oven-Roasted Vegetables); and, 3) THE BEST Gyros you will ever have! Greek Island is a MUST! read more

My family and I wanted to try something different for dinner and stumbled upon Greek Islands. The inside of the restaurant was super cute and made us feel like we were in Greece. They're known for their fried cheese, which was so good! They added lemon to it and the firmer texture was perfect. We also got the combo with gyro and lamb and the sausage special with rice and potato. The food was good, but I felt like it wasn't a great portion for the price. Baklava is one of my favorite desserts, and I'm so glad they had it!! read more

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Went back after many years - what a treat. Good and efficient service. Saganaki, moussaka, spanakopita, Greek sausage and let's not forget, rice pudding. Recommend it all! read more