Lovely restaurant for solid sit down Greek food. Came here for a casual Sunday night dinner with my mom and we truly enjoyed ourselves. The environment is lively and upscale and the service is friendly and courteous. My mom had the Greek salad with chicken and I had the grilled chicken platter with lemon potatoes, both were delicious filling hearty portions. A huge plus is they give you a complimentary spread of pita and vegetables. read more

The grilled octopus is soooo delicious. We have tried other dishes, but when we come back we always get the octopus. I enjoy the pork souvlaki dish. FYI- The fries are not crispy. My bf enjoys the lemon potatoes for his sides. read more

The servers went out of their way to accommodate us, as well as sanitize and practice good protection measures. Maybe our expectations were too high but the meal was okay. Not sure if the fish was the freshest, nothing stands out as super or memorable. With so many quality Greek places in the area, they didn't give us a compelling reason to return. read more

The food was absolutely wonderful, full of flavor and one of the best meals I had in a while. Me and husband came for lunch on a Wednesday, sat next to window felt like we were in a hallmark movie lol. The waiters were pleasant and offered another round of complimentary starter. The atmosphere was nice and welcoming. Food was fresh, and will definitely be back. read more

Maria's Mediterranean - Calamari - Seafood Near Me - Bayside, New York

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I love Maria's. It's a great option for a group dinner with shared Meze. Gluten-free menu keeps things inclusive. Portions sizes are large (I always leave with a doggie bag). Food is tasty and genuine Mediterranean. Outdoor seating available. I have even used delivery (Uber Eats). The food was packed well and came either hot or cold accordingly. Worth the price. Sorry no photos on this one. read more

I've eaten at many restaurants along Bell Blvd for years, but never really noticed this place. My parents made a reservation here for my dad's birthday and wow - the food really is truly amazing. The restaurant's interior is tucked away by uninviting curtains, so you never see how busy it is here. The food is absolutely fantastic. Treat yourselves and get the grilled octopus. Also, I highly recommend the meat platter sample to get a little taste of everything but I'm warning you... the portions are enormous. Our party of five ordered the meat sampler for two and we walked away with leftovers. Granted, we did order other dishes but honestly two people couldn't possibly finish that platter. Or can they? If you're looking for a great Mediterranean place to eat with family or friends, visit Maria's Mediterranean. Fun fact - did you know that Maria was a winner of a Chopped episode? That definitely got me excited to eat here. And, I hope it peaks your interested too. *Overall, I would eat here again and recommend to my friends. read more

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Honestly, the fried pita chips and dips sampler earns all the stars here - dips were amazing and those fried pita chips are life changing!!! I also had the grilled shrimp with horta and it was cooked and seasoned perfectly. Hubby had the bifteki which was also seasoned well but nothing mind blowing. The greek salad was fresh but lacked dressing (can't complain about that bc I realized it doesn't even say it's dressed on the menu). Re: drinks - I ordered the mojito which was very good, but not worth $16 for a skinny-ish glass. We ate indoors (as we should be!) and the vibe was so wonderful, Christmasy and cozy. The waiters were also very very nice! I'd definitely come back to try fresh other items...and order maybe 5 platters of the fried pita chips and dips sampler :) support these restaurants!!! read more

Maria's Mediterranean - Grilled Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Bayside, New York

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Always love this place. Went tonight with another couple and had good meal. Ordered the specials of snapper and black sea bass. Realized when we got home that instead of $49 for the sea bass we were charged $93. Called and they said come back and we'll fix it. So we had to drive back, double park and resolve it. While they did it took 15 minutes and you would have thought they would have done something for us but they did not. Actually the waiter made out because we tipped in cash on the higher amount and our friend left half the sea bass on the plate cause he said it was overcooked read more

Ordered over 180$ of food for delivery and they forgot the tzatziki sauce. The food was cold by the time it got delivered as well. The chicken was hard and tasted like rubber. The swordfish was dry. Don't think I am going to order from here again. read more

Maria's Mediterranean - 180$ worth of food including tax and delivery fee. - Seafood Near Me - Bayside, New York

Quite place. Excellent service. Food was good, nothing special. Traditional greek items were fair (avgolemono soup, pasticio, spanikopita), we'd all had better. Lots of outdoor dining, we sat indoors. Probably would not go back. read more

We went to this place quite late at night, almost 9pm, they were still open and there were plenty of customers in the outside dining. Although we had a large party, we were quickly seated and had our order taken. We first started with a bottle of Malbec, followed by their complimentary serving of pita bread and small plate of Greek appetizers. I ordered the shrimp scampi with grilled vegetables as a side dish. The shrimp was grilled in garlic and warm butter, very tasteful. The grilled vegetables contained a variety including an eggplant, bell pepper and asparagus, it made me feel very full. Aside from seafood, Maria's also offers regular Greek dishes aside from seafood. read more

Maria's Mediterranean - Seafood Near Me - Bayside, New York

My boyfriend and I wanted to try something different. We'd never really tried Mediterranean food before. I'm glad that we gave Maria's a try. The hostess was very helpful with suggestions. The choices that we made were great ones. We tried the bacon wrapped chicken kabobs, braised short ribs and spinach pie all were quite delicious. I can't wait to visit again to try some other menu items out. I definitely recommend this restaurant. read more

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Make sure you have reservations! This place gets busy, but given how busy it was, I was surprised at how good the service was and how quick they were able to bring out the food. Came for dinner one night and decided on sharing the meat platter. I know I ordered the meat platter, but it was a lot! Definitely enough for 3-4 people to share, but I conquered it with only one other person. Everything was pretty good and the chicken wasn't dry. Being that I'm asian though, all I wanted was a bowl of rice. Luckily there was so much food, I was able to take it home and it was delicious the next day as leftovers and even better with my big bowl of rice :) All in all, pretty happy with this place. The food was good and it wasn't overly expensive. If you like mediterranean food, definitely give this place a try. This type of food isn't my favorite so I had a hard time finding something I liked, but it was still good. read more

Came here with my family for lunch and we had a great time. Service was wonderful and very accommodating. The place has cute outdoor seating right now. We ordered a bunch of appetizers which I'll list with a brief review of each. Tzatziki- great portion, delicious! (Pita bread and a little assortment of pitted kalmata olives, carrots, and beans and chickpeas mix were also served at the beginning. Pita bread was fantastic!) Spanakopita- so flaky, the mixture was so flavorful, had bit of feta and I believe leeks or green onions. Highly recommend. Stuffed grape leaves- these are served cold, stuffed with rice. Be aware they do also come on the Greek salad which we ordered so we had a LOT of these Grilled Octopus- this was a favorite! The birthday boy loved, grilled to perfect and so tender We also got a Greek salad, it was a bit light on dressing so we had to ask for more olive oil but the salad was delicious regardless. The feta cheese on it was delicious and we are big feta cheese lovers. Lamb Shank- very tender, falling off the bone and was thoroughly enjoyed by my father, it is served with orzo, the portion is pretty generous as well. Kotobacon - My mother and husband got this, they raved about it! My husband said it was the best chicken he'd had. The meat was so tender. The dish is served with a side of tzatziki. He ordered fries with it, be aware Greeks put feta on their fries. More feta more beta!! hahaha My mother got rice with hers Swordfish- My brother and I both got this, he got the Greek fries, I got lemon potatoes. The steak is a good size, the sauce on it was a delicious creamy, buttery, scallion sauce. The fish itself was done well (I don't mean the temperature, it was just tender and fell apart beautifully). My lemon potatoes were 3 large wedges but sized well. They were very flavorful as well, a good balance to the rich fish Last but not least drinks, those are underrated but very important to a meal. Unfortunately I couldn't drink so my mother and I got lemonades which were ok. My husband got an iced coffee, huge size and the coolest part was that the ice was coffee too! Such a great technique. My father and brother got red wines. The Cabernet Sauvignon for my dad, which he had a second glass of. My brother had the Pinot Noir le Grand, which he said was light and could pair well with his fish. Overall very happy with our experience, we will be back! read more

Great food, great service and ambiance. Must try the octopus and whole branzino and for dessert the blueberry bavlava or ekmek

My boyfriend and I came here on a Friday night and sat outside. The waiters were extremely attentive and they all were in sync, helping each other and moving quickly. If a fork dropped they would notice it and replace it two seconds later and our water glasses were never empty. The service is perfect! They give complimentary pita and sides. I had a greek salad and my boyfriend had lamb. The food was delicious! The one thing I wasn't crazy about was the tszaki. We will definitely be back. read more

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Best Mediterranean food without the long wait. Staff is friendly. Ambiance is quiet and comfortable.

As a result of Covid and the phase II opening of NYC restaurants my sister and I needed an outing so we ventured to this sweet spot on Bell Blvd in Bayside Queens. Listening to the sounds of Greek and Mediterranean music we enjoyed a fabulous dinner for two. The staff is attentive and the food is good. We started our evening with sangria and the grilled octopus, cooked to perfection. I had the stuffed flounder with spinach and feta over an amazing bechamel cream sauce-I did find the fish a little bland but I guess it was meant for an American Palette vs. my Latina love of spices. Nevertheless I enjoyed it and would recommend. My sis had the moussaka, spices were just right. Great conversation and another round of sangria and our dinner was a success! Check out this quaint gem on Bell Blvd away from the crowds. You will not be disappointed. read more

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I was a fan for many years. Lately the food is subpar and they rush you. Appetizers served before cocktails, brought the check to the table without asking if we wanted to order dessert. The good news is there are plenty of good greek restaurants in the area. I do not recommend Maria's any longer. read more

Went to Maria's for the first time last week. The food was amazing!!!! We like Mediterranean food and we were looking for a new place after a disappointing meal at another restaurant in the area. The food at Maria's was fresh and flavorful. The server was friendly and knowledgeable of the menu, he patiently described the dishes in the menu. The restaurant was clean and good lighting. We were very happy with the restaurant and look forward to going back. BTW, this is the first time I have felt compelled to write a review read more

Great food, we'll be back! The family wanted something a little different from our usual fare and we made a great decision to go Maria's. Aside from being a Chopped champ (OK, that helped in our decision making), we'd read the YELP reviews and that sold us. For six of us, we ordered the trio of spreads, loukanika and fried zucchini as starters - combined with the free warm pita it was a great way to start. Main courses, two of us shared the seafood orzo, which was really good and plentiful; two shared the meat platter for two - which is really for at least three!; we had the stuffed eggplant special, and it really was special; and the shrimp with feta and tomatoes. All delish and a LOT of food, we'll be eating leftover for a few days. But we weren't too full for the blueberry baklava, which lives up to the hype and was truly wonderful. Get it! The only downside was the packaging for the leftovers. The styrofoam containers leaked all over the plastic bag they were in and we had to repackage everything when we got home. Note to owners: you have great food and a great restaurant, invest in very great to go containers! Overall, a very good experience and we'll be back! read more

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Enjoyed Greek fries among other absolutely Delicious dishes, gigante beans, grilled large portions of calamari, fantastic grilled whole bronzino, stuffed eggplant with lamb etc...we got to meet the owner, Maria. She was very gracious and gave us gratis delicious cake in honor of Dads birthday. An exceptional experience, will most definetly make the trip for another special occasion. read more

Maria's Mediterranean - Seafood Near Me - Bayside, New York

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We just come here for Greek food, Mediterranean style. They really know how to prepare seafood. We have filet of sole, moist, flavorful and not over-cooked. The calamari is tender and perfectly grilled. We also have a meat stew which is cooked in tomato sauce. Basically we enjoyed every dish we have, followed by the signature winning dessert baklava. read more

We reserved a table for 4 people on New Year's Eve for 8pm. Unfortunately the table wasn't ready for us till 8:15 even though we arrived at 7:50. This was a little discouraging but we didn't let that kill the evening vibe. We started out with the fried pita with 3 different dips. My favorite was the spicy feta which was fantastic. Then I had the chicken wrapped in bacon which was amazing. We will definitely be back in the near future. read more

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Came here for an unexpected date night. Whenever we can't decide what to eat we always take a ride to Bell Blvd to try something new and Maria's did not disappoint! We got the steak and chicken kebabs with lemon potatoes and vegetable rice. Everything was extremely fresh and flavorful and the prices were more than affordable. They also give large portions so we got plenty of leftovers ! We will be back! read more

The service was outstanding. It is helpful when the servers are able to articulate the nuances of a menu and are confident enough to give a personal recommendation . The halumi app was delicious. The fish was tasty and perfectly prepared. read more

Traditional grilled Greek Fare served by a winner of Chopped TV show. The food is ok. The fish was good but it didn't wow me. The grilled octopus was a generous portion, very tender and had a nice grilled charred taste. The best thing was the desert. Definitely try the Blueberry Baklva. Simply wow. read more

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I went with my co workers to Maria's for dinner. We ordered the 6 spreads with pita chips for starters and it was a hit. We ordered the white sangria, that wasn't that good. It was too strong we had to add some water. For our dinner we had two mousaka 's and calamari platter and salad with grill octopus. Everything was really good. The reason why I gave it only 3 stars, it was the salad with grill octopus. They only put 5 pieces of octopus. It's not worth it. I am Greek, I am familiar with Greek desserts and the blueberry baklava with tahini ice cream was not good. It was very tart and it crumbled as soon as the fork touched it. It was dry and not sweet. read more

We came here as a group of 5 on a Friday night without a reservation and were able to get seated without a wait. The waiter was cool and helped us pick out some dishes. The Vegetarian Mousaka was good 8/10. read more

Maria's Mediterranean - Vegetarian Mousaka - Seafood Near Me - Bayside, New York

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I love this place, but it wasn't as good as it was years ago. I remember getting the swordfish steak here and it was my go to item to order. Now it's a hit or miss. I've also had the mousaka here and it's not bad, but the baby lamb chops and stuffed filet of flounder are delicious. If you have a sweet tooth, definitely go for the famous blueberry baklava, it's very sweet, but soooo good. If you don't want something as sweet but equally as yummy, get the ekmek for dessert. All in all, this place is a good Mediterranean restaurant and I always come back here! read more

Went in there for quick take out. Took a little bit longer then expected. Nice place, good vibe. Hummus was delicious and creamy. No lamb at lunch, so I went with the pork kabobs. Flavorful, little tough but really good. If im in the neighborhood again, I'll def sit in. read more

Maria's Mediterranean - Seafood Near Me - Bayside, New York

I live in San Diego, California and heard about Maria's through mutual friends. Came to NY for 3 days and made it a point to come here. Best decision I ever could have made. The food was phenomenal, the atmosphere was amazing, the staff was tremendous. I wish I could give a 6 star review. read more

Maria's Mediterranean - Look how packed Maria's is!! - Seafood Near Me - Bayside, New York

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Ordered from Uber eats and never again! I ordered grilled chicken got steamed frozen vegetables from a bag smh I could of did that myself at home however I don't eat "frozen vegetables "....that's a disgrace coming from a "restaurant " ...... read more

The waiters were talking amongst one another, not attentive or friendly. Large selection is n menu but portions were small. Not the best Greek in town. Food was adequate at best. read more

Food is amazing!! Service was attentive, knowledgeable and courteous. We had a wonderful experience and even a " novice" to Greek food found some new treats. read more

First of all this place has been recommended from many friends so I decided to come try it out. Upon walking in, I could see that it was a full house tonight and we were a party of 3. The wait was for several minutes but the gentleman at the podium taking people to their seats were keeping us company by stories and laughs which was very pleasing. We also were able to just place the order down so once we were seated our food was already on the way. Super excited for the food. Had ordered the lamb souvlaki cooked medium and hummus and pita bread. When the food came I was super pleased because the meat wasn't gamey at all, the lamb was cooked perfectly medium and extremely tasty. My overall experience for this visit was great. Customer service was a plus and with a yelp checking we were given a free glass of wine. Super happy for that and grateful for the manager to supply us with jokes and stories while we waited for the table to be ready on such a busy night. read more

Maria's Mediterranean - Lamb kebab cooked medium - Seafood Near Me - Bayside, New York

It's hard not to compare Maria's with Avli. Two Greek cuisine restaurants within throwing distance of each other: Avli being a little more "blue collared" and easier on the wallet, and Maria's being more polished and commanding the higher price. They're both wonderful restaurants and we're lucky to have them. Maria's Mediterranean is a pretty restaurant. The two times we've gone here, the service was beyond stellar. It was impeccable. Studied, and impeccable (the service at Avli is just as warm and friendly, but maybe not quite as impeccable). So what about the food? We've been to both restaurants twice. So far, I wouldn't say that either restaurant has the edge food-wise. Both restaurants are fantastic. That in of itself might say "Go to Avli's because it's cheaper" but part of what you pay for the dining experience is the ambience. Maria's is a place you'd take a date to impress. Avli might be where you'd go for the food only. As I try each restaurant a third time, I'll try to update this review with Keftedes: A Fried meatballs. Nicely spiced, fresh, vibrant. My stomach is grumbling even thinking about these babies. I'd order them again in a heartbeat. Lemon Potatoes: A- If you're going to a Greek restaurant, these need no introductions. They're fresh and not overcooked, the way lemon potatoes can often be. Nice lemony overtones without being overburdened by lemon. Avgolemono: B- Ouch! This should be one of the best things on the menu. It was a nice soup, but was sorely lacking lemon. There was almost no lemon flavor. Comically, my mom asked for a plate of lemons, squeezed a few slices into her soup, and made this B- soup into a A- soup. Shame... Ding! Shame... Ding! Shame... Ding! Spanakopita: B- As with the avgolemono soup, this also should've been a home-run, but wasn't. It was in bad need of a sharp feta cheese. I felt the spinach could've been cooked more, and I prefer a crispy mille-feuille crust on spanakopita rather than the pie version. Crusty pastry outside works better with the spinach. Lamb Shank with Orzo: A- This was a special, so it's not on the regular menu. A divine cut of meat, that's for sure! Soft, fatty, moist. Delicious. It was in a tomato-based sauce, which was slightly weird, but it worked. The overall spice was something I, to this moment, can't put my finger on. I'm dying to know. I wasn't absolutely crazy about it...the sauce had a somewhat dull and heavy character. Maybe too much bay leaf? Not sure. I teetered between B+ and A- on this one. Fillet of Lemon Sole: B- A sad, lonely dish. Hopelessly bland, and at $22 a plate, I'm angry at myself for not sending it back. It doesn't seem like a lot of effort was put into making sole, which is a $12 fish, into a $22 meal. It needed to be propped by something to make it flavorful, like capers. maybe some extra sauce. Maybe something should've been put on the plate to make the fish less lonely looking. read more

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Always a great dinner! Calamari melts in your mouth and the portobello mushroom is beyond delicious!!!!

This was my first experience at Maria's. The service was very good. We ordered keftedis and fried calamari for appetizers. They were excellent. Very fresh and delicious. We ordered the lamb souvlaki, pastitio and shrimp scampi and fries. The souvlaki wasn't anything special, the pastitio was very good but really-frozen vegetables as the side? The scampi was good and came with lemon potatoes. They did serve the French fries very late in the meal. So late we were done with our entrees. We decided not to stay for coffee and dessert. The lunch menu is not available on Sundays. I think they were overpriced for lunch on Sundays and should offer their lunch menu. The environment is very nice and quiet - very relaxing. Overall I would try it again but do lunch from Monday through Saturday. read more

A big Efharisto to the "The Chopped champion chef"for their award winning dishes. From appetizers, the pita bread and companying chick peas in tomato sauce, to the Seafood salad, then Tender beef ribs kokkinisto, and Baked egg plant with lamb stew, complemented by my first glass of Fix, We had a delicious palate satisfying indulgence. We liked the environment and of course what I share here we will he my next 5 star review on Facebook! I have had many great tasting Greek food in Queens, in Bayside, and this is among my big smiles and stretched out bellies. I was really quiet and wife knows that's when food tastes good. read more

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