Really enjoyed the food here. I heard the owner/chef won on an episode of Food Network Chopped! Definitely order the grilled octopus. It's probably one of the best ones I've had. The chicken and beef souvlaki were very juicy and flavorful! read more

See all

Yep, place is real deal Greek food. Seafood was fresh and well prepped. Pastichio was divine. Normally not my fave. Menu has a good selection of fish, not just shellfish, which rings true of a great Greek spot. Will have pics for my next visit. Not much to say here other than all the press from Chopped is well deserved. read more

Amazing food! Amazing service! Fresh always. The only thing is they are a bit pricey but i love the food

The food was absolutely outstanding! We had grilled octopus, feta saganaki, Maria's oysters, stuffed portabello, spinach pie, and fried zucchini. Every single time an app came it out it was better than the next. Service was great. Food was great. Next time saving room for dessert! read more

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

I want to let you guys know never go to this place for dinner or anything because I see things you don't want to know but I will tell you guys, first the fish was too dry and it looks frozen for days and they take it out when I order and the second thing is I saw the guys in the kitchen don't use gloves when making food and personally I think it's disgusting!!! Cause we still in the pandemic and some other people don't use mask and they don't have a hat to prevent hairs in the food it was bad experience for myself and my family. read more

I wanted to like this place. Celebrity chef. Free parking after 5. Nice decor and ambiance, and the menu identifies many items as gluten free. As it turned out, the Bifteki was mushy, like it had too much bread crumb. The flavor of both the patty and the dip were dialed down to a level of meh blandness. The pork Souvlaki was dry and tough. Perhaps just overcooked, but then that's also unacceptable for a reputable Greek kitchen. I have had too many succulent souvlakis in Queens to overlook this. The best dish was undoubtedly the octopus appetizer. No complaints about taste or texture. Just the $22 price, for something that is widely available at the same quality for $18 in Astoria. The beef souvlaki--at $24 vs. $16 for pork--was a much better cut of meat and also very enjoyable. I'm glad I tried this place, and will work my way down the list of other Greek restaurants before coming back. 3.5 star average for the inconsistent quality of food. Half star taken off for steep prices. read more

The quality of food does NOT match the price. Everything tastes like its frozen food.

Authentic Greek family restaurant - as seen on Chopped ! Clean food, family atmosphere, personal service - indoor and outdoor dining options and takeout. Always top quality food and service. read more

This place had the best chicken souvlaki that my husband's ever had. My grilled squid was also very Smoky and good. Next time we'll have to try their scallops. The servers were so very pleasant and helpful. The food is however, what will bring us back. Hats off to the chef. No wonder she won Chopped!! read more

Maria's Mediterranean - Grilled squid with vegetable rice. - Seafood Near Me - Bayside, New York

See all

Maria's is a great Mediterranean restaurant! A little further down Bell Boulevard, the competition is high in Bayside. There are a ton of Greek restaurants in The area but I would consider Maria's just as comparable. The restaurant is quite cozy and the decor makes you feel like you're right at home! When I went, I ordered the baked clams (yum!) IG: @twomorebites read more

This is my new favorite Greek spot. Everything we ordered are delicious! Staff is very nice too. Their price is not that expensive but quality is really good. I will definitely recommend everyone to try this place. read more

Maria's Mediterranean - Grilled Octopus, definitely a must try! - Seafood Near Me - Bayside, New York

Went back again tonight and WOW! I didn't think it could get better. The host (maybe the owner?) was so nice to us when we went in (make reservations!). He even ended up doing the heimlich on a customer (everyone was staring off into space, but he came and saved the day!). Back to the dinner- We got tons of appetizers and a meal and everything was spectacular. Definitely get a salad (so fresh!) and the baklava! Yummmm!! Service was great, everyone was so nice. Highly recommend Maria's!! read more

I feel like I was robbed! This place was so overpriced. The octopus was chewy and lacked in flavor. The head waiter was rude to a young lady because she was taking to long to make her way out of the restaurant because the table was needed for another party. She yelled at him that the service was poor and the food took too long. I won't ever go back here and I definitely won't recommend this place to anyone. I'll leave a copy of the receipt so you can judge for yourself! It was so uncomfortable to be eating there due to the lack of space on the table. This was a poor choice for the night! Next time, I will go to Astoria for Greek food! Kyclades has way better prices and quality! read more

See all

Food quality ranged from average to mediocre, but the service at lunch was atrocious. Despite there being a bartender and a server and no other patrons in the restaurant we were unable to get water refilled. The waiter forgot to bring the dolma appetizer we had ordered. My Greek seafood salad was a strange combination that featured lonely bits of seafood mixed with some veggies smothered in some mysterious sauce. read more

Took my Granddaughters and their mother to Maria's and they were very impressed with the delicious food and Maria's visit to our table which made them feel special because of the fact that she is a Chopped Champion. It's really great living in New York and having access to really fine dining like Maria Mediterranean. read more

See all

Went here last Sat with a friend for lunch. When we arrived we were the only table there but by the time we were done lunch time had really picked up. We ordered a few things from this Chopped Champion's menu and we were not disappointed. The food was good quality and priced right. I got the Grilled calamari lunch special with lemon potatoes (which were really good not a lot of herbs to overpower the lemon flavor which I like - that's the whole point). My friend got the seasoned pork chop which was also great. We had the Keftedes appetizer - which were juicy and ample portioned. My only regret - that I didnt get to try the Ekmet dessert as it's a fave of mine generally and would have loved to compare but I was running late!! lol. If you go here you will enjoy your meal and will feel satisfied both in your belly and your wallet! read more

See all

We ate at Maria's on a Saturday night with a large group. Although it was crowded they were still very accommodating and got us a table right away. The food was excellent. We shared the octopus, the steak souvlaki, lobster and a salad. Service and food were on par. We all enjoyed a relaxing evening and look forward to going back the next time i'm in the neighborhood. read more

Delicious! Vibrant flavors! Who knew grilled chicken could be so tender, bright and flavorful! Every detail is done well. Hot, fresh pita bread, served with a meze of black olives, marinated carrots and lemony chickpeas! The lemon potatoes are a delightful balance of fresh lemon and crispy edges! Thick, well seasoned tzatziki compliments everything. There is a question of what is sweeter, the homemade lemon pie or Christian, the awesome waiter and daddy to cutie, Sebastian! (I happened to be a customer when Christian and family were expecting baby Sebastian). It has been a couple of years since my commute brought me through bayside and it is delightful to see that Maria's has only gotten better! read more

See all

My friend had purchased the Groupon deal for $25 which includes dinner for 2 covering an appetizer, 2 entres ( under $20), 2 desserts, and 2 glasses of wine. My friend had a called in advance and asked if ok to use the groupon deal during lunch. They said no problem. Upon our arrival, our waiter John, also stated no problem and suggested that we order from the dinner menu to make our deal worthwhile.. The restaurant is nice and spacious. Even though we came at 1, we were the only patron. As soon as we sat, we were offered water, our white wine (meh..), bread, and marinated olives. We ordered the the fried calamari for appetizer, i had the lemon filet of sole with greek fries ($19) and my friend had the salmon filet with the greek fries ($19)... First the fried calamari ($10)...it came fairly quickly....the texture of the calamari was strangely over tender and borderline mushy. the breading was not bad but it was quite oily. I am not sure if this is because they did not fry at high enough temperature or they didn't drain properly or what but anyways it was just too oily! We waited a while...like 15-20 minutes for our entree....which was quite strange since we are the only table in the restaurant and i can see at least 3 cooks in the kitchen...We joked that they needed to defrost the fish...i do think that was the case... The lemon filet of sole was GOOD. tender, flaky, and the lemon butter sauce was delish. The greek fries was ok. they were just fries cut in a different way, round slices ( like pringle style) with some white cheese ( i think mozzarela?) shaved on top. Since they only gave minute amount of cheese, i couldn tell what kind of cheese it was. My friend's salmon was average and nothing to write home about. After our meal, when we were ready for our dessert menus, the waiter came and announced that he was giving us a dessert "on the house". He said it was very deliciosu and it's an "apple....." i forget the name that he called it. There was no asking for our acceptance nor did he offer us the dessert menu. It was simply, they are presenting us this "apple" dessert "on the house" and that was it. When we got our dessert, it was either 1/2 or 1/3 slice of an whole apple poached in some liquid, with 1 or 2 raisins. This is something that i would never order but ok, whatever it is "on the house" . But I am confused by the "on the house" statement. Our Groupon deal includes 2 dessert of our choosing which you have not allowed us to order. Instead you have forced this apple dessert upon us. If the apple dessert was truly on the house, then that should been served to us IN ADDITION to the 2 dessert we would have ordered and not INSTEAD OF.... Anyway, the tactic is clear that you simply did not want to shell out the dessert. By this time, the restaurant had 2 other tables including ours makes 3. Our water was never refilled...i had to ask for my water to be refilled and then had to remind the waiter again. Our bill came and the total due is 12.90. The tax is based on the menu price the tax was 5.xx and there is an 18% gratuity ( based on menu price) of $7.xx automatically added on to the bill so total due was 12.90. Usually you get a steal from the groupon deal but in this case, we paid $25 + $12.90= $38 For $38 bucks there are 101 OTHER places in bayside to dine for way better food and value. read more

Great food, definitely NOT regular Greek food but delicious. Nice atmosphere. Highly recommended. What a pleasant experience. Delicious Greek fusion food with an attractive atmosphere. We didn't know what to expect with this new restaurant on Bell blvd. The word "fusion" threw us off a bit. There was no need to worry. It was delicious Greek food with a nod towards lighter tastier much less greasy food than some Greek fare. I had the pasticcio and my wife had the stew on rice. It was delicious. Highly recommended. Service was good and not rushed. They even gave my wife a long stemmed rose for Valentine's Day. With all the choices on Bell Blvd., this one is definitely worth trying out. read more

The most friendly staff everrrr. Our workplace ordered delivery from Maria's and the lady who took our phone call was SO charming. It was a great delivery phone-call experience haha. On top of that, the food here is banginggg. We got the meat platter for 4. It was HUGE! We couldn't finish it and it was 5 of us. The meat platter had bifteki (ground meat patty), pork chops, grilled chicken breast, beef, and sausage, including pita bread and tzatiki sauce. We also got the Greek salad, vegetable rice, steamed vegetables, and lemon potatoes. Everything was on point. Best Greek food in Queens! read more

Maria's Mediterranean - Meat platter for 4, Greek salad, vegetable rice, steamed veggies, and lemon potatoes - Seafood Near Me - Bayside, New York

Dinner with a girl friend! Dinner done right. We got: Baked clams Octopus salad (one big tentacle on a bed of greens) Spinach pie Beef souvlaki Galaktoboureko Everything was delicious. Service was outstanding. Waiter was super cute and super friendly. He just had the best personality ever! They bring you pita bread and olives in olive oil before you order. Wasn't crowded at all on a Tuesday night. Great little find in Queens and I would recommend. read more

Bayside is turning up its restaurant heat... Watch out. The gold standard for Greek food in NYC remains Taverna Kyclades in Astoria. Hands down. I use it as my litmus test. However, it's not easy to get a table there and the location is not convenient for us. When visiting my in-laws in Bayside, we often choose greek cuisine. We used to dine exclusively at Avli, due to the Yelp ratings. However, today, we decided to change it up, so we went to Maria's. Such a great decision. Let. Me. Tell. You. about two items that blew me away: 1) Maria's Oysters: I have never put anything in my mouth that tasted remotely like these. Pure decadence, flavor and delight. Blown away part 1. 2) Lemon Potatoes: Hot damn. These are the best greek potatoes in NYC... *Better* than Taverna Kyclades'. They are thick, browned on the outside, warm and luscious on the inside with the perfect dose of lemon. The other food was good (i.e. horiatiki salad, antipasto sampler, baked clams, stuffed sole...) but still not at the level of Kyclades. There was one true disappointment - the Galactoboureko dessert. All 5 of us thought it was pretty bad, as it's a family favorite (one of those dishes we order in the heat of a political discussion - because we all melt and agree that we can agree on our love for this). They serve it in triangles instead of cut from a pan - so the ratio of bread to custard is off... there is WAY too much phyllo. Taverna Kyclades gives it to you on the house each time you eat there and it is perfectly divine! Even Avli's galactoboureko, which is down the street from Maria's, is much better. Overall, Maria's food is a notch above Avli, it's neighbor and competitor. However, the galactoboureko at Avli comes about ahead. Why not dine at Maria's and head to Avli for dessert? read more

Maria's Mediterranean - Maria's Oysters are from another planet. Please go just to try these. - Seafood Near Me - Bayside, New York

Definitely family style and large portions. Thankfully our waiter was able to caution us. Got the meatball which was a bit dry according to friend. The fried cheese which is a specialty was good but salty... I ended up putting it with a piece of bread and it was good. Complimentary olives platter and bread was nice. My son devoured the octopus!!! Salmon was delish.. perfectly cooked and seasoned. Lamb shank was good. Lots of gravy... a bit too much for my liking. Came on a bed of orzo. 2 people portions. Great for sharing. Greek salad was good, not fantastic. read more

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

Love the service! Quick, efficient and super friendly! Tables are separate by dividers and lot of outdoor dining if you prefer. Free wine with Yelp check in! Food was amazing, everything was flavorful and well presented . Portions were great! We had so much left overs from the spires we mezze platter ! Definitely worth the price! The grilled octopus was alright and tzatziki was great! Would definitely recommend for a easy dinner in bayside! read more

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

Great food and great service! Got the Groupon deal for 3 entrees for two with two glasses of wine They have amazing grilled octopus! A must get! The was grilled crispy on the outside and the inside so soft... For entree we had the salmon and the seabass. Both were flavored very good. The salmon was seasoned well For sides, the steamed vegetable were flavored with vinegar, which tasted kind of odd and the vegetable rice wasn't as good For dessert, they gave us baked apple, which was just ok The waiter was also very nice and attentive. Kept on coming back to make sure we were ok and gave us recommendation over the food Overall a very pleasant dinning experience. Will definitely be back again read more

See all

I now have eaten here twice. Once with just my wife and son, and the second time was with my parents and my cousin and her kids. The staff is very warm and friendly. The staff keep saying its a family restaurant. The are not uptight if the kids are loud for a moment. It's not a fast food Greek take out. It's like going to Astoria for Greek food but still staying near home. The food is really good. For appetizers the saganaki (greek fried cheese) is great. The grilled octopus and broiled oysters are also worth trying. The Mousaka is really good. It's firm so each fork full gets a little potato,eggplant and ground meat. It doesn't fall apart. The baby lamb that is cooked on a rotisserie is amazing. The lamb doesn't have a strong lamb taste and the skin is sooooooo crispy. Also try the fresh potato fries with cheese. I will return here to try even more good food. read more

Maria's Mediterranean - Seafood platter for 2 - Seafood Near Me - Bayside, New York

I came here and placed an order to go. It took about 25 to 30 minutes for my food to be ready, but it was worth it! I had the Chicken Souvlaki and it was excellent. The chicken was juicy and it went with the rice and vegetables perfectly. I'll definitely be back here, and maybe next time, I'll dine in. The Shrimp and Scallops on their menu sounds good, so I even know what to order next time I visit. read more

Stumbling on Maria's was one of those happy accidents that foodies love so much. We made our way to Bayside with the intention of dining at Avli. When we passed Maria's, I noted the large banner over their awning proclaiming their rating as #1 rated restaurant in Bayside on Trip Advisor. After being told there would be a 20 minute wait at Avli, we found ourselves seated at Maria's. Their signage reeled in two customers in for the evening. Our wonderful dining experience solidified us as two regulars for the future. Everything we ordered was delicious. Between us, we sampled the calamari appetizer, spread sampler, stuffed flounder, chicken souvlaki, lemon potatoes and rice. I consider myself something of a Greek cuisine connoiusseur. It ranks among my favorite types of food, and I've sampled a wide variety of dishes at restaurants throughout the city. Everything was well executed, and perfect in it's simplicity. Service was on point. Our waiter was knowledgeable and attentive without being overbearing, and management was friendly and courteous. I'd also note that everything on their menu is extremely reasonably priced, especially when taking into account the generous portion sizes. We ordered the large caraffe of wine, and were stunned at it's size as it certainly wasn't reflected in it's price.Additionally, I noted that while their menu had all the standard Greek fare you'd expect, they offered additional items not normally present at this type of restaurant, like their baked clams and broiled oysters. Try the desserts as well. They're all made in house, by Maria herself. read more

See all

The chef clearly does not know how to cook, everything was very salty and the Bronzino was over cooked to the point where it wasn't fish anymore. Extremely disappointed. Complete rip off, many good restaurants in Queens. This isn't one of them. read more

The owner of this restaurant won for her blueberry baklava on the show Chopped so of course I had to come here to dine! We made reservations for last Saturday at 5:30 for a group of seven people. We all had such a great time, and enjoyed all the delicious Greek food here. There was not a dish here that wasn't cooked perfectly. The lamb was succulent, the short ribs so tender, and I loved the stuffed chicken just wish that dish was a bigger portion. For appetizers these were the best keftedes I had at a Greek restaurant, and were a big hit at the our table. The stuffed clams were huge, and had lots of tasty stuffing. The saganaki and the chips and dip were great! For desserts we had of course the blueberry baklava which was of course fantastic! We also had the mousse cake and the ehmik both excellent! I would have to say the mousse cake was my personal favorite. It was unbelievable and surprisingly so good since it was at a Greek restaurant. Every table was full within an hour of my reservation, and there were lots of people waiting in front to dine here. I definitely suggest a reservation. This restaurant is a very popular place to go too, and I can see why. Prices were very reasonable here too. The waiters here are excellent, and didn't rush us at all even though there were lots of people waiting. We all had such a great time, and we all enjoyed the food from beginning to end, and are looking forward to coming back. I highly recommend Maria's! read more

See all

This place never disappoints. The food and service are always good. If you are going Saturday for dinner I suggest you make a reservation. I have one complaint. It is very loud in there. It is hard to hold a conversation. Be prepared to eat in silence. read more

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

Tried this place for the first time since I saw the chef was a Chopped winner (I love the show) and it was pretty good. As a starter we tried the octopus and it was pretty solid. The octopus was cooked to perfection but I felt like we could've used a little more sauce and veggies. Overall it was a great dish! For our entrees we got the sword fish with lemon potatoes and the shrimp and scallops with steamed vegetables. The scallops and shrimp were a home run! The sauce was amazing and I had to finish it with the bread they give you, it's definitely a must try! The sauce on the swordfish was also addicting. Unfortunately our swordfish was a little dry but the sauce really came in clutch! The sides were okay but nothing great. Overall I recommend this restaurant to anyone. Would especially recommend the blueberry baklava. It has a really good contrast between sweet and tarty and I could see why it was the winning dish for her on chopped! read more

They are fabulous accommodating and just good They are celiac friendly and always love eating here read more

Definitely worth a try. Very good Greek fare and good service. I went on a Sunday night. Wasn't crazy about the Lemon Chicken Soup, but very good Octopus Salad, lemon potatoes, Lamb Souvlaki, black striper fish, good atmosphere and Greek soundtrack in the background. Only weird thing to be aware of was that, while my $25 restaurant.com certificate was accepted without question, it was applied after tax was added, and by hand (in pen) waiter deducted $23, oddly. I didn't say anything until he charged my credit card based on the original (pre-discount) amount. I pointed this out and he fixed it, no problems, apologies accepted. He mentioned the error on his POS... that it disregards a discount when he splits the bill in half to charge two credit cards 50%. I don't think there was any fowl play intended; just pay extra attention when you get the check. read more

I understand why she won on Chopped!! I have only been there a handful of times over the last 2 years and always had an amazing meal. The seafood has never disappointed me! Not overpriced as other places. Ambiance is great and they are also family friendly. Servers are friendly and professional. A favorite dinner place on Bell Blvd. Weekend reservations recommended. read more

Just went to Maria's again and she is still absolutely KILLING IT. The food amazing. Everything that we ate was delicious! The smelts and octopus were fresh and perfectly done. The salad and the dips were fresh and presented beautifully. Spanakopita was fresh, full of flavor and perfectly herbed. The restaurant recently had a facelift and the ambiance is that of the best Greek taverna in town. 11/10 would recommend to anyone. read more

See all

I love Greek food and in Bayside you have many choices. I have dined at Maria's three times and each time it gets better and better. This is my hands down favorite Bayside Greek restaurant. The service is warm and attentive. The photos around the dining room are authentic family photos. I learned last night that the family is from Northern Greece close to Bulgaria to the cuisine is more meat driven than seafood. That does not mean their seafood is secondary, I have had their Shrimp Mykonos and swordfish which were amazing. Their spreads are the best I have ever eaten. So fresh and bursting in flavor. I highly recommend this family owned and staffed restaurant. Great value and delicious food. read more

Maria's Mediterranean - Clay pot appetizer. So delicious. - Seafood Near Me - Bayside, New York

See all

Entering Maria's Mediterranean, you are welcomed by a superb setting, a charming marriage of old world and the extravagances of the contemporary. Sitting anywhere, you have a wonderful view of the open kitchen where you can see the chefs at Maria's operating. On my most recent visit I ordered my staple, the medium sized Bronzino, grilled to perfection with melt in your mouth lemon potatoes. My friend took to the seafood orzo, mussels, shrimp, and clams scattering throughout and nestled into a delightful orzo mixture. Notwithstanding the charm of meeting Food Network Chopped Champion, Maria Petridis, your experience isn't complete until you meet her husband, you can call him "Gary". read more

The portions for the meat platter for 4 are yugeee and phenomenal. You could literally build a wall with all the meat you are served. In all seriousness, they have a good selection of wines here, and if you are with a big group, get the meat platters. It comes with a variety of meats served on a bed of fries. Ordered the calamari here as well; I personally had better but it was still pretty good. Very friendly and attentive service here! Parking in the area is relatively easy; metered parking upfront or street marking a tad further away. Will be back! read more