If you are parking on site in their parking lot, it cost $5 but you can always parking in the neighborhood behind the church and walk a bit. Admission is $10 for adults, and free for children 10 and under. Guests may also receive free admission by bringing three canned goods per person. So although they are a cashless festival, some of the vendors in the market will take cash if you have some. It is pretty handicap friendly, they have a few handicap parking space here. The map really helps if it is your first time here and you will need to know where the restroom is at. The lines for more popular food like the souvlaki may look line but it moves pretty fast. read more

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It is my assessment that the current festival management has significant areas for improvement. Over the past three to four years, there has been a noticeable decline in food quality. Specifically, the suvlaki has become excessively fatty and gristly, suggesting a lack of attention to quality control in meat preparation. While fat can enhance flavor, an abundance of fat and gristle in a single serving is unacceptable. The gyros now resemble those found in lower-quality chain establishments, lacking both quality and distinct flavor. Furthermore, the tzatziki was devoid of any discernible dill flavor, and the loukoumades were overcooked to the point of being overly crispy, similar to bucees beaver nuggets. A fellow church member shares my concerns, indicating a perceived absence of the dedication and pride that previous festival organizing teams demonstrated. I hope they get their act together next year because after stopping by for the last 22 years and witnessing the decline the last 3 I am about to just mark it off my calendar for the foreseeable future. read more

We came Saturday at 3p- the last day- however, it's open until 10p. It's posted as $10 entry fee but we were charged $11.50/each. Which was fine, it's a fundraiser- just weird to post one price then go to check out on Eventbright and it's $3/more. While I'm glad they apparently had a profitable weekend- they were sold out of so much by 3p on Saturday, it was really disappointing. There were no more Greek pastries - at all. No white wines left. No Greek beer. Just sweet red wine and Budweiser products. And every food stand had "sold out" over many of the items we came for. The pork souvlaki was one item they had plenty of and it was excellent. We would love to have tried more- it was sold out. Couldn't even get a Greek Salad. The market did have some great vendors selling some beautiful and hand crafted items. Unfortunately, there was a lot of junk too. People buying bulk evil eye glass ornaments on Amazon and selling them at a 1000% mark-up. We may try again on Thursday or Friday next year but I do not recommend coming on Saturday. Seems they should reduce the entry fee if by Saturday afternoon you're down to pork skewers and crappy (non-Greek) pizzas. Opa. read more

This was my first time taking part in Houston Greek Fest but I have been to the original festival on Montrose. The festival is held at the Greek Church in the Energy Corridor and the entrance fee is only $3. Started things out by heading to the beverage area and I was happy to see they had Greek beer. The festival on Montrose only had Bud Light, Budweiser, etc. which was an outrage. It's a Greek festival come on! They also have margaritas spiked with a splash of uzo (Greek hard liquor) which is pretty hilarious. I didn't dare take the plunge. Then proceeded to stuff my face with gyros, tyropita (puff pastry with cheese), and loudamedes (I hope I spelled that right- hot donuts sprinkled with powdered sugar and honey). All the food was amazing and they have some seating under tents which help's with the Houston heat. They had some performers doing traditional Greek dances which was nothing spectacular but a cool cultural thing to see. Had to knock off one star because the souvlaki (beef on a stick) was $8 which is too expensive. I'm a big fan of souvlaki so I was hoping they had a better deal on that. I very well might be making this a yearly thing. read more

Parking $10 to park in a yard. Food This was bland, expensive (a Greek platter was $14) and totally underwhelming Activities All came at a price; had to buy tickets it was like $3 to ride a ride and we had 2 kids with us so the price of this festival was quickly adding up. Vendors Nothing looked interesting- walked through this area quickly Overall Would not return; would not recommend read more

If I can give a zero rating I would. Don't waste your time and money!!! I've been going to this festival close to 20 years now. They use to send you a postcard in the mail for free admission that has stopped. Last year they got rid of their frozen Ouzo margaritas and change the Souvlaki from beef to pork. Well here it is 2019 I've decided to go again OMG I was so disappointed. The Greek Dinner plate no longer exist now everything is à la cart. The Gyro is not lamb but seasoned beef and when I questioned what type of beef my question couldn't be answered. The salad for $8 is like a side salad and give you a little bit of a Greek dressing and called it a Greek salad I don't think so. Bottom line there is nothing authentic anymore. read more

If you've enjoyed going to The Original Greek Festival that's held in the fall over by the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, then you'll definitely enjoy going to The Greek Fest that's being held at St Basil's Greek Orthodox Church located on Eldridge. Yes, it's OTL for you ITLers so once you get over that, just go. I really wanted to give the festival 3.5 stars but there's no half star, so keep that in mind. I couldn't bring myself to downgrade it to 3 stars because I think this festival is WAY better than the Original Greek one. It's smaller, but better. I was there yesterday - yeah, remember all the bad weather earlier in the day? Luckily, the weather cleared up so it was a great night but I think that kept the crowds away for opening night. Because crowd attendance wasn't high, I can't make much of a comment on parking. I'm sure it'll be more of a hassle this weekend. There's no parking information on the website so you're on your own. Entrance to the festival is $3 or free for kids 12 and under. The set up is quite nice. The main part of the festival is located in the courtyard of the church. There is a nicely raised stage to the center left for the dance performances and plenty of tables and seating to the right so that everyone can eat and enjoy the shows. This setup is so MUCH better than the Original Greek Festival, where I still have no idea where the dancing occurs. Yesterday's crowd was sparse, but enthusiastic it so I can easily see the weekend crowd clapping their hands, yelling OPA and really getting into the spirit of the festival. Because of the height of the raised stage, I think everyone will be able to see the performances. The groups are fun to watch and definitely get the crowd going. Kudos to all the dancers. Be sure to give them a big hand. One thing this festival has that the original one doesn't is a small carnival area great for the kids. There's a mini ferris wheel, a rock wall, a spinning ride a la the Disney teacup ride and a few others I can't remember right now. You'll need to get tickets for the rides but I have no idea how much they cost. The drink tent is set up on the immediate right as you walk into the festival. It looks like there's only one drink tent so you might wait a while if there's a crowd. You have your choice of frappes, sports drinks, sodas, bottled water, beer, wine (by the glass or by the bottle) and OPA! Ritas. If you like licorice, you might like the OPA! Rita since they put a shot of ouzo in it. Prices are on par with what you'd expect at a festival, but the Opa! Rita is pricey at $7, especially if you discover that you don't like ouzo. If meat's what you're looking for, then the head to the left as you walk in. The souvlaki tent is the first one you'll come across but I question the location of this tent because there was so much smoke blowing towards the stage and seating area. Further back are the gyros, pizzas and dinner plates (your choice of pastichio or lamb, complemented by (depending on your choice) spanakopita, tiropita, keftedes, dolmades, rice and bread. You can also get single servings of spanakopita, tiropita, keftedes and dolmades. Pricewise, I thought the souvlaki was WAY overpriced, at $7 a skewer (and nothing else). Your best bet is to get the gyro ($7) or the dinner plate ($12). Still pricey (hey, it's a festival), but you'll be more satisfied. I don't recall how much the pizzas were. If sweets are your thing, then head straight across the courtyard to the tent closest to the church to get your fill of baklava, loukamades (greek honey balls), finikia, ktaifi and kourambiethes - sugar heaven! Dessert was definintely my favorite part. The loukamades are a great deal at $3 for a personal serving, $5 for a double serving and $10 for a family size. The personal serving is generous enough to split with a friend, especially if you want to try the other sweets. If you want the baklava, finikia, etc, these'll run you $2 a pop or $6 for a box of four. I wasn't impressed with the nonfood vendors but if you want some jewelry, art, books and whatnots, then check them out. There are also tours of the church, cooking demonstrations, and an eating contest so there should be something for everyone. From the website: Proceeds from Houston's Greek Fest benefit the parish and help support its growth within the community. read more

Having patronized the Annunciation Greek Festival for years, I often wondered what this upstart Greek Fest on the west side was all about. My modest Greek heritage was excited when some friends and a beautiful weekend suggested we make the drive. We walked up and paid the paltry $3 entrance fee, got the lay of the land, and almost immediately got in the souvlaki line. St. Basil the Great Greek Orthodox Church is a beautiful complex, with a sanctuary, chapel, and bell tower newly constructed in recent years in the style of traditional Orthodox churches in Greece, while nodding to their Houston home with Spanish tile roofs and native stone. The central courtyard, or very nearly a plaza, makes an ideal venue for the festival, spacious enough for the crowds and a view of the main stage while still offering smaller nooks for various food and gift stalls that radiate off the central space in a way that means you never have to walk too far. That first souvlaki skewer really set the tone for the afternoon. Beef cubes pulled fresh off the grill, then liberally brushed with juices and drippings before being wrapped up in half a pita and covered in foil. The pita soaked up those delicious drippings, and the meat was perfectly grilled with a slight char at the edges but tender with the slightest pink in the middle. It may be treasonous, but I dare say this souvlaki was better than the Original Greek Fest in the 'Trose. Next we got in line for a couple of dinner plates, one of lamb and one of pastitsio - both of which came with plenty of extras like spanakopita and tiropita, Greek salad, dolmades, and rice. The lamb was sliced thin from a roast, again, juicy and tender, while the pastitsio - basically a Greek lasagna - was incredible, with layers of pasta, ground meat, and a thick, creamy layer of Bechamel, all seasoned in the Greek style with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon. The flaky phyllo pastry stuffed with spinach or cheese (spanako and tiro, respectively) were excellent, as were the grape leaves stuffed with seasoned beef (dolmades). Our group shared these dinner plates as the gyro eating competition got underway. Every year, Niko Niko's owner Dimitri Fetokakis sponsors the Major League Eating officially sanctioned World Gyro Eating Championship on the Sunday of the festival. The likes of competitive eating heavy hitters Joey "Jaws" Chestnut and Patrick "Deep Dish" Bertoletti show up for this thing, as well as a number of local contenders seeing if they can cut the mustard. Or in this case, the tzatziki. On this day, however, it was Chestnut who emerged victorious, with 21.5 gyros in 10 minutes. Just think about that, I'll wait. It was something to behold. The event inspired us to get gyros of our own, which were delicious, but led to the only curious drawback of the day. We saw what looked to be a septuagenarian assembly line behind the gyro counter, and we discovered that the elderly parishioners were separating the slices of frozen gyro meat. I understand the volume the Greek fest was putting out, but perhaps this activity should be performed elsewhere, or simply hidden from view. After the gyros, we made our way over to the shaded seating area with long tables full of happy patrons eating, drinking their Mythos lager or Greek wine, and watching the goings-on, which by now included the traditional Greek dancers on the main stage. Nearby were the sweets booths, and it just wouldn't be a complete Greek Fest experience without some desserts. There was of course the sweet and sticky baklava that everyone expects, but there were also loukoumades (puff cake donuts soaked in honey syrup), amygthalotas (Greek almond cookies), and kourambides (crescent-shaped almond cookie dusted in powdered sugar). It was a completely indulgent spread, but thoroughly decadent and delicious. In the end, I'm glad I made it out to the "other" Greek Fest on the west side of town, and I put it right up there with the original one familiar to many. I'm looking forward to returning next year. Opa! read more

Houston Greek Fest - Festivals Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Attended the Houston Greek Fest for the first time today and I'm glad to say it was a good first experience overall. If you are a fan of Niko Niko's food and Greek food in general, you must come here, if only for the food itself. As for entertainment, the annual Gyro Eating Contest is held here. This year's line-up included the renowned competitive eating "athlete" Joey Chestnut, among other high-ranked "athletes" and a couple of average joes trying their best to hang with the big boys. Seeing adults of varying shapes and sizes try to scarf down as many gyro's as fast as humanly possible was definitely an entertaining sight, albeit somewhat disgusting. Other than the eating contest, there's not much in the way of entertainment except for a group of performers that perform traditional Greek dances and a couple of carnival rides for the kiddos. Unfortunately, I couldn't bring myself to give this festival a five-star rating. Although I didn't buy any water, I take issue with the fact that Niko Niko's, or whomever is responsible for pricing the water, decided to charge $5 for a 16.9 oz water bottle. Now you might be calling me cheap or whatever, but I see it as a matter of principle. I understand it's a business, but it's just not right to take advantage of people this way, especially considering how much money the festival likely generates through food sales alone, not to mention admission and other various expenses. Other than that, the Houston Greek Fest is definitely an event worth checking out for its great food. read more

We went to the Houston Greek Fest for our first time yesterday 5/12/2016. Since it was the first day of the festival, entrance was free! While the entrance fee is normally only $3, I was pretty excited about getting to use my money on more food instead :) The set up is pretty good. The food is mainly grouped together, with the savory foods all in a tent at the front of the festival, and the desserts at the back. I thought that the savory food was a little close to the entrance, which could cause some log jams. There are booths selling flower crowns, packaged Greek food, artwork, etc. There is also a play section for kids with inflatables. The stage is centrally located so you can get a good view from just about anywhere, from what I can tell. The experience overall was fun. After entering, we grabbed some food. Prices ($12 for a dinner plate) seemed on par with what I was expecting for a festival. My husband got the pastichio (Greek lasagna) dinner and I got the lamb dinner. Each came with Greek salad, tiropita (cheese pastry), spanakopita (spinach and cheese pastry), dolmathes (rice stuffed grape leaves), and a dinner roll. My lamb dinner came with rice and the pastichio came with a meatball. While my husband and I were not impressed with the lamb (it was dry and probably overcooked) or the rice (not a lot of flavor), the pastries and salad were great! I wanted to order a big ole box of tiropita and spanakopita after eating mine. My husband also really enjoyed his pastichio and meatball. We also purchased bottled water which only cost $2. I thought this was fair pricing. After purchasing food, we sat down to eat and watch the dancers on stage. Unfortunately it began to rain heavily! There are several tents about the grounds, as well as covered walkways, so we took shelter and watched the stage out of the rain. There are lots of booths set up with Greek crafts or artwork to buy. After a while we ended up going to the dessert area which is back against the church building. We bought a box of assorted pastries to take home and an order of loukamades (balls of fried dough soaked in honey and sprinkled with powder sugar). The loukamades were good, but not the best I've ever had. They were not as soft as I like them and the honey was mainly coating the outside-- they're better when they've soaked up the honey like a sponge. Mmmm. I think despite the rain the food was good, the entertainment was fun, and the prices were comparable. read more

Very small and not many or almost no activities for adults. Mostly they have 3-4 rides for children and rock climbing. The program had dancing which was nice but it was very hot that day and not enough coverage on long tables.. There were unique vendors and parking wasn't hard if you got there early. The food was amazing!! The pita breads were soft and flavorful. The lamb was cooked amazingly!! I got the gyro pizza and it was absolutely delicious!! Very hot and savory. Also got the pork kebab/ skewer. Very juicy! Tirotopia stuffed with feta was very flaky and fresh, loved it! Go for the food and you can spend time looking at the stands full of trinkets and watch the kiddos dance on stage but me and friend were not there for long.. Maybe 1hr and a half. read more

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It may be a bit small for some. But, you will always have some good food, drink and FUN! I get to see some good dancing and buy something new every year I attend. I really can't describe it too much more than that. You just have to go and see it for yourself. If you do not like it. Then you at least went. read more

Boring. Not much food or beer. Small. Not much shade. I'd spend your day elsewhere. If you go at least get a Groupon for the entrance fee.

Waited so long and it was great. Sampled all offerings of food and everything was delicious. So happy we braved the weather! Great atmosphere!! read more

Nice expierence, only good for eating and that's about it. Try the Greek pizza

This Greek festival is much better than the one in the Montrose. The Montrose one has long been a social event for 20/30-something singles, diluting both the community feel and the feel of actually being a celebration of Greek heritage rather than just a meet market for singles. The west side Greek Festival, on the other hand, still has very much a community feel to it, and feels more "Greek", the music and dancing performances are literally center-stage rather than being off in a side building like the Montrose event. The food is good, authentic, and reasonably priced, the people running the event and working the booths are friendly and welcoming, and there are interesting things to buy in the little outdoor market (for about $10 I bought an olive tree there several years ago that now gives me a pretty good annual crop of tasty olives). There is a section with rides for small children, all in all a more authentic The buildings and grounds are very attractive, remind me of being in Patmos years ago. All in all a more authentic and family-friendly Greek festival than the in-town one. I don't know why Elisha P complains about parking, there is plenty of free street parking along the curbs, you just have to walk a little bit. I never saw any houses offering up their yards for pay parking, these are nice neighborhoods that aren't going to want cars tearing up their yards, and it's not necessary, either, so either she's mistaking this event for another event elsewhere (maybe the Montrose Greek festival?) or making that up. read more

Just come here to eat and for the free greek dancing entertainment. Get some sunlight and hopefully its not too hot, but can find shaded seating. read more

The Houston Greek Fest never disappoints. The food is made by Greek women in their 70's, and it is absolutely fantastic. The Spanikopita, Baklava, and Gyros are wonderful. NIko Niko's always sponsors a Gyro eating contest that is fun to watch. The festival is usually free on the first Friday, so I always love going then. You should definitely try the Oparitas. They are a nice twist on frozen margaritas. read more

This year's Houston Greek Fest was a good experience! First time here, and didn't realize at all that it is pretty much held in a church parking lot. Still, had a good vibe, delicious food (albiet a little overpriced), good entertainment and a mini carnival. Dancing, music, and good people made this event fun, and they had a few vendors to boot selling little odds and ends. If nothing else, grab some spanikopita and some fried donuts with honey and powdered sugar if you're in the area next year! Look for a free admission flyer in the mail, otherwise its $3 at the door! read more

Good for lunch and walking around about 15 minutes. Really, not much to it for the $5 parking, $3 entrance fee and $7 gyro. Missed the gyro eating contest, got there to early to want to wait for it. read more

Ive been going for a few years. This past year I only went because my friend lives in the neighborhood and got free tickets. (but tickets this year were cheaper than last year, thank god) Its just so hot and there isn't a variety. same gyro, same dessert, I guess you say, if you've been there once., you're done. I love festivals too. But I think Ive seen enough of this one. read more

I hadn't been to this Greek Festival when I meandered in on the day it opened. They have many food options, and I opted to try something different with the Greek pizza ($7). I was very happy with my selection. Very cheesy and tasty with the addition of the Gyro meat. However, the margarita wasn't good at all being watered down tasting. I think it was supposed to be frozen too, and it was not that, and at $7 a pop it was disappointing. The beef skewers were nice but could have used more seasoning, and been a bit cheaper for a better value. The loukoumades were my favorite, and a great value and plentiful for the price ($3). They also have a few rides for the kiddos. They also had a couple of booths selling wares, but they could definitely use more to entice you to stay and peruse longer. In addition, they offer church tours and music and dancing. I would go again just for the food. read more

This is my 3rd festival in Houston. First was Turkish, second was Lebanese, and by far they were better than the Greek festival. The Greek festival had really good food, I got the gyro, dolma, and stuffed spinach pastry. For dessert, assorted baklava and such. We checked out the church as well, and it was gorgeous and magnificent walking in. As we were in, we learned that the church tour was about to begin. I got excited because I love learning about different religions and cultures so I took a seat. The priest, a Greek man in his mid 40's started describing the church and the history of Christianity. I, myself, unaware of many things found his lecture very knowledgeable. However, all of a sudden I hear "Islam is slaughtering Christianity." I looked at my friend and asked "did you hear what I just heard?" My friend indeed did hear as well. I was in awe. I just listened about a religion for 30 min with an open mind to come to a conclusion like this? IT WAS BEYOND DISGUSTING AND DISRESPECTFUL. I wanted to get up and say something or even walk out, but I respected the church and I waited until the tour finished. That literally ruined my whole entire day. Does the priest not know that this is a public event and many other religious individuals attend the tour? FYI, for those who may agree with the priest, ISIS does not have anything to do with Islam. They, like the KKK a "Christian" organization pretend they are a part of a religion. ISIS kills more Muslims than Christians. I hope someone reads this review and talks to the priest. This religious intolerance is unacceptable for a festival, not alone in America. I will forever have a bad taste in my mouth because of his four words! read more