A friend recommended coming to this place and what a find! Great food (with very large portions), at a decent price point. We came in on a Monday, while this is a slower time, I would still recommend making a reservation, as it looked pretty busy in here. They have many different seating options - when it's nicer outside, they do have outdoor seating. The inside is decorated super well & feels cozy. I had the shrimp kabob and I was a little nervous that it wouldn't be enough food, but these were some jumbo shrimp! They were cooked perfectly. There's rice on the side that made this a filling, but not overly stuffed meal. My group also got a few drinks which were good, but not the greatest drinks I've ever had. I would definitely focus more on the food if you're coming here. read more

Me and my 2 sons we celebrate the Father's Day with a delightful dinner for first time at this restaurant. The food was delicious and the service was great! Nick the main server and Marco were amazing and very friendly. We had lamb chops, beef kebab and fish and it was cooked to perfection. Having many years of experience on Greek Restaurant as a worker and customer I recommend Parea Greek Kitchen as one of the top places in Chicago!! Well done read more

Pavlo is an amazing waiter that took care of us on our visit, the ambiance is great and not too loud so you can enjoy your meal. Food is incredible, better than I expected! The pita bread is fresh made and the gyro plate is huge and filling. We tried different cold and hot appetizerd and everything is flavorfull and fresh! I didn't knew I had this place so close! read more

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A great new Greek restaurant in Arlington Heights. Branzino, moussaka, appetizers are among our favorite. Celebrated my birthday here and they knocked it out of the park! read more

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Love the service and food .... Their party rooms are spacious and well maintained . I attended a networking event and can't say enough good things about it. read more

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Parea Greek Kitchen in Arlington Heights is absolutely gorgeous inside. The vibe is warm, modern, and perfect for a night out in the Chicago suburbs. As a vegetarian, I really appreciated how many options they had. The menu is full of delicious choices and everything we tried was fresh, flavorful, and made with care. We ordered the Parea Trio with tzatziki, tirokafteri, and hummus. The tzatziki and tirokafteri were my faves. The house marinated Greek olives were so good too. The Greek salad was super fresh with crisp veggies and creamy feta. The beet salad ended up being one of my faves with the walnuts, spinach, sweet oranges, and Greek dressing. The spanakopita was another favorite. Perfectly flaky filo filled with spinach and feta. The saganaki was amazing with that melty cheese and bright lemon flavor. The fried zucchini was delicious with the skordalia, and the feta picante had great flavor and spice. We finished with the baklava and it was perfect. Crispy layers with honey, walnuts, and pistachios. A sweet ending to a great meal. Overall, I loved my experience here. Great atmosphere, friendly staff, and so many amazing vegetarian options. I cannot wait to come back. read more

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While there are plenty of Greek fast food and fast casual options in the area, there wasn't much in terms of nicer full sit down with entree options until the recent arrivals of Parea and Nostimo. These are both quite different for me as I feel that Nostimo is more along the lines of Greek-American with elevated ingredients while Parea is more traditional Greek with a menu similar to Demetri's in Deerfield - while Plateia in Des Plaines has a menu that really combines a bit of everything. Besides the food, the interior here is nice and elegant, though the sound isn't absorbed or damped particularly well via the tiles or walls, so it can be a bit noisy when dining. The decor itself is quite pleasant and service is friendly, though not always the fastest. The food itself is fairly good -- surprisingly large portion sizes for the prices and fairly good presentation. The pork chop is fairly tender, with a good ratio of fat by the bone though I feel it could've used a bit more seasoning. Gyros were done well - with good fresh vegetables and a generous amount of meat provided. Sides are fairly good as well -- the spanakorizo was tasty with a good amount of herbs without feeling too sour from the lemon zest, the fasolakia as flavorful as well though a bit mushy in texture for me. Overall, great addition to downtown Arlington Heights and a solid option for nice plated Greek food. read more

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As I first walked in I found the ambience to be nautical and beautiful like I was walking into someone's home . The bar is gorgeous and definitely a place I could see myself enjoying a drink . Our server was attentive and explained the menu along with some of his favorites. I ordered the trio which was beets , caviar and traditional hummus , the Greek salad with the most tender fresh and flavorful gyro meat I've never tasted . The sangria was good . I noticed they also have zero alcohol margaritas which I'll try next time . I'm a sucker for flan so I had to order . It was silky and divine and the perfect ending to my meal .The owner showed me around the entire restaurant so I could see what every room looked like . The restaurant is decorated modern and fresh with the most beautiful shades of blue . Bravo ! I'll be back ! read more

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Parea Greek kitchen has replaced the old tapas place in DT Arlington Heights. While we were sad to see it go, we were hopeful this place would not disappoint since management is the same. We were happy to get a table quickly when arriving on a Thursday night during the live concert in the street and were given bread for the table. We first ordered the Saginaki and Lamb Riblets. We were pleasantly surprised by the amount of lamb. Both were delicious. We ordered for entrees the Gyro Entree, Gyro Plate, and Pastitsio. Truthfully, with appetizers and bread, the Gyro appetizer was plenty as an entree. The difference in food is essentially if you would like a small meal the next day. The Gyro meat was nicely spiced and had great char too. The Pastitsio was unlike anything we'd had before. Think of it as a Greek version of lasagna with the most delicious potatoes on the side. The one downside of our night was the service. The plates were not cleared until the next course would arrive, and we were not checked on during our appetizers so we didn't even order dinner until we were done eating. Overall, the food is probably worth coming back, but the staff may need more training as it was not busy when we went. read more

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First time customer who will be coming back for more. I had the most absolutely, amazing, hands down delicious grilled octopus I have ever had!!! It was perfectly grilled and so tender! I expect to ordering this many more times in the future. My wife had the beet salad and said it was beyond any salad she had ever had. read more

Excellent place in downtown Arlington Heights for authentic Greek food. We got the "standard" Saganaki complete with "Opa!" as an appetizer - along with some excellent calamari. Choices can be kabobs, lamb, chicken, shrimp, as well as several vegetarian dishes. Can get really busy on the weekend so make reservations. Service was prompt when we went. There are 3 separate good-sized rooms and bar seating. Full bar with excellent Ouzo! Reasonably priced. read more

The saganaki was amazing, so was the spanakopitakia appetizer, the melitzana imam, and the horta salad. The portions were huge, the eggplant dish was my favorite, beyond delicious. The best part was our server, Karem, she suggested all winners and provided excellent service throughout the meal. What a great Greek restaurant, can't wait to come back to try the other dishes, it was phenomenal!!! read more

Fantastic place. Great service. Great food. We had reservations, although though it wasn't so busy when we got there at 6:30 on a Friday evening. Arlington Heights closes off the downtown streets over the summer, and the restaurants set up tables outside. We hoped to be able to sit out there, but there was a 40 minute wait for a table, and we didn't want to wait that long. There are several dining rooms, and we were brought to the back. White linen tablecloths give Parea an air of elegance. Our waiter came by right away and to take our drink orders, but we were boring at the start and just asked for water. Their menu is pretty extensive. They have a nice fish selection, and that's what I wanted. So, we started with a small Greek Salad (which is more than enough for two). It was so fresh, it was wonderful. For our meals, I ordered the seafood shish kabob with Greek potatoes. my partner ordered the chicken shish kabob with rice, and we had an order of green beans to share. Everything was wonderful. The seafood shish kabob had several enormous prawns, cod, and salmon with red peppers, tomato, and onion. The potatoes were outstanding as was the skewer. And, the portions were huge - so huge - no desert for us. Wonderful experience, one we'll definitely repeat. read more

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Parea is a relatively new Greek and Mediterranean restaurant located in downtown Arlington Heights. On a Saturday evening we were able to secure same day reservations, which are highly recommended. The restaurant is modern , contemporary and bright. There is a large bar in the first room when you walk in. We sat in the dining room near the kitchen. The restaurant is very noisy because of the hard tiled floors and bare walls. We tried several dishes. We started with the Pareo trio- Spicy feta, Melitzanosalata, and Roasted Beets. Our favorites were the spicy feta and beet. The beet was blended roasted red beets with thick, tangy Greek yogurt. It was accompanied by 3 small slices of warm pita bread, definately not enough . We did ask for more and it was provided, along with a charge! We also had the Feta Picante. It was feta baked with chilies, bell pepper, tomato & herbs. It comes out piping hot in its baking dish. It is served with warm, with bread. It was delicious and the tomato and herbs were very fresh.Mediterranean Shrimp- sautéed shrimp with spinach and tomato. While it was very good , for an entree it was a bit overpriced . A Shrimp Kabob entree was one kabob with rice. It was well prepared, but as an entree it the portion was small. And we had a small Greek Salad, topped with a generous slice of feta. Overall, we enjoyed our experience. Food was good, some portions were smaller than anticipated . read more

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Ambiance was good, but service was terrible. Went on a sat night alfresco. May have been too busy for them. We moved table and the waiter seemed overwhelmed. Did not attend to us for at least 15 min if not more. He forgot things and does not acknowledge after you speak to him. Goes to other patrons. Ordered their non-alcoholic drinks. Very bland. Tasted like water. The food was not flavorful at all. I got the dolmades. I was not impressed. Kabobs were not bad. Overall, will not return. read more

My friend and I were excited to check out Parea for the first time! This new Greek restaurant is in La Tasca's former building in downtown Arlington Heights. We made a reservation the day before because we'd heard it gets busy. We fortunately we seated in the restaurant's back room, which was much quieter than the bustling entrance and bar area. Now that I've seen both areas, I'd definitely try to sit in the back again on future visits. I ordered the vegetarian moussaka, which was full of eggplant, zucchini and potato, and opted for Greek potatoes as my side. My friend had the shrimp kabob with a side of okra. We both really enjoyed our meals, which were prefaced with a bread basket. I saw many other items on the menu that I'd like to try, and look forward to going back soon. The desserts also looked great. I could have been convinced to order one, but our server brought our check as we were still finishing dinner and without asking if we wanted dessert. Next time I'd like to try something sweet, or perhaps start with an appetizer. We saw a couple of other tables served flaming saganaki -- that was quite the spectacle! Overall, I'm happy to have a new option for lunch or dinner in the area, and hope Parea does well in this location! read more

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A great addition to downtown Arlington heights! We enjoyed the beautiful day and sat outside. The Greek wines were delightful - I tried a rosé and the house white. My dad enjoyed the house red. The complementary bread was pretty standard but nice that it came with the meal. We tried the hummus, which was tasty and a big portion. I also loved the large Greek salad to share. The gyros plate was also delicious with the naan and tzatziki sauce though the rice we chose as a side wasn't very tasty. The octopus appetizer was phenomenal and crisp. Overall, it was a nice meal with pretty good Greek food in the suburbs! read more

Parea Greek Kitchen - Gyros plate, large Greek salad, octopus appetizer - Greek Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

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Parea Greek Kitchen is a relatively new restaurant in downtown Arlington Heights. This is a great addition to the area. They serve great food at a reasonable price. Your meal starts with bread and butter or olive oil. I had the gyros plate while my husband ordered the pork chops. The pork chops were tender and juicy, if not a little underseasoned. The gyros were fairly standard but done well. We had plenty to take home and were too full for dessert. Our server was nice and friendly. read more

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Greetings! Greek hospitality, flavors, and food arrive in downtown Arlington Heights in a spectacular way with the recent launch of Parea Greek Kitchen. A new launch in downtown Arlington Heights is not for the faint of heart and Parea Greek Kitchen fits right in to the locale that already offers many great choices. Everything in the completely renovated space prepares you for a wonderful Greek dinner. Decor, colors, and ambiance are fresh, and plenty of attentive staff work with efficiency and grace. A Greek restaurant better have great Greek bread. Our's arrived just after the water and it was fresh and wonderful as you could hope for. Appetizers? Of course! A trio of three great spreads and a saganaki was a great way to start. Each bite on point, with flavors and quantity perfect to share among three guests. Our entrees continued the success. Chicken kabob, stuffed chicken breast, and stuffed peppers were each presented well, great portions, and flavorful in every way. Of special note was the perfect balance of seasoning and salt...too little or too much and you miss the mark. I am already looking forward to my leftovers. Wine and beer selections were impressive. Plenty of familiar names if you'd like, and many great Greek choices, too! I enjoyed an Agiorgitiko and a a Greek Cab...next time I'll hit the whites and make sure I take in a dessert. Washrooms spotless, and the restaurant sparkled fresh off the renovation. My guess is that Parea Greek Kitchen will become a local go-to in no time...it's ready to be discovered and I'm honored to write the first review for this worthy contender! Until next time...tk read more

The restaurant is very nice with great ambience. The food fell a bit short of expectations. We were a table of 10 and that was the consensuus - nobody was overwhelmed. We found the food bland and uninspiring! We had higher hopes. read more

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Overall very loud place. The music is too loud. The service wasn't great. The waiter we had wasn't helpful or polite. Gave one us a side of potatoes without asking what side we wanted. No welcome or menu explanation. It appeared he didn't want to be there or he assumed we wouldn't tip well since we didn't order drinks. The food was good. The chicken was OK. Ive had better Greek chicken. The Moussaka was really good just very rich. The lamb shanks were good according to my husband and Dad. My son thought his chicken kabob was OK. The best part of the meal: the salad. The avgolemono was too salty. Not sure we will come back. read more

I had a Carryout order delivered which was efficient. I ordered the Luncheon Combo plate. I have some suggestions about packing the food. Everything was in one container and when I picked it up out of the bag, it tilted and everything ended up mushed together. My fault but not appetizing. Would have been better to have each dish in separate containers. Another issue was that I was not given an option to give special instructions when ordering on the site. Please change this. I cannot eat onions and there was no way to ask they be excluded. So, onions over everything. The Combo plate was a lot of food and tasty. I do wish you had not cut the pita bread into quarters, so I could have eaten it as a sandwich with the gyro. Very messy eating. Gyro was tasty. I loved the Tzatziki sauce with fresh dill. Dolmades were huge! Good also. Pastitsio was also good. read more

What a gem in Arlington Heights! My friend and I chose this spot randomly because it was conveniently located for both of us -- and I was genuinely pleasantly surprised! The ambiance is beautiful, but I also have to highlight the excellent service -- everything was prompt and professional. I ordered a lentil soup (if I remember correctly) and a classic Greek dish -- gyros -- and both were absolutely delicious. We spent two wonderful hours enjoying the food and catching up. Now, whenever someone asks me to recommend a good Greek restaurant, this is the first place I mention! read more

Parea Greek Kitchen - Greek Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

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We had an exceptional experience at Parea last night! From the start, our waitress Angie was amazing--she recommended excellent wine choices and even provided a tasting. For appetizers, we ordered the octopus and Ouzo shrimp--holy cow! Both were tender, perfectly seasoned, and cooked to perfection. For dinner, we had the whole Branzino with spinach and beans on the side. Everything was perfectly prepared. I especially appreciated the light dressing--flavorful without being heavy, with extra oil on the side if you wanted more. The owner, Danny, was incredibly welcoming and shared wonderful stories about his family and experiences in Greece, which made the night even more special. I've seen some of the negative reviews, but our experience couldn't have been further from that. Please give this place a try for yourself--you won't regret it! Opa! We can't wait to be back! read more

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My beet salad was very good (although I would have preferred goat cheese). The service was not great, however. It may have been an off day for the waiter or maybe he was busy on the other side of the restaurant. He never asked if everything was ok until we were just about done eating. My friend a regular coke instead of diet and she can't have sugar. I'll err to the side of good because of the food. I wish the service was better. read more

Louie was an attentive. He deboned the fish in front of the table. He made suggestions on the meals desserts and coffee. Definitely will return. read more

We couldn't decide what to have for lunch so after some toss ideas back and forth, we ended up at Parea Greek Kitchen. We noticed tables set up outside for al fresco dining and checked in inside. We were greeted quickly walking in and chose to sit inside. Our server was friendly and quick to come to our table. He gave us a nice introduction to the menu and offered to help with any pronunciations we may struggle with, which we didn't need help with as it's not our first Greek meal. We started with the octopus appetizer and fried calamari. We were served warm, crusty bread and water shortly after. The octopus was tender and flavorful. The calamari was good, but pretty average for calamari. They didn't have a lunch menu so we assumed that the order would be a well sized in portion so we ordered pastitsio and gyros. Our food came out surprisingly fast! We barely finished a slice of bread before our entrees came out! Hubs had a taste for gyros, but for the amount we were served at $21 we will not be ordering this again from here. They tasted like pretty average gyros from a hot dog joint, just a smaller portion and somewhat dry like it's been reheated on the griddle. We were thinking it would be more of their own homemade recipe of lamb and beef stacked and roasted. It was not. The pastitso was too heavy on the bechamel and not much on the beef or seasonings. I couldn't get the flavors of the beef and seasoning over the cream flavor. Hubs and I have enjoyed some good, authentic Greek food at other restaurants, and even home cooked at the homes of friends. This meal missed the mark and was overly priced for what we had. I'm not saying don't try Parea on your own. I'm saying to read the reviews and order accordingly. read more

Review for Parea Greek Kitchen My husband and I chose Parea Greek Kitchen to celebrate two family birthdays, as he is a great admirer of Greek cuisine. We made a reservation for a party of 12, hoping to create a special evening. While the ambiance of the restaurant was lovely both inside and out, and the birthday dessert plate was a thoughtful touch, unfortunately, much of the rest of the experience fell short. Our server seemed overwhelmed from the start, which affected the service throughout the evening. When our brother-in-law asked for whiskey recommendations, she sighed and simply pointed to the menu. A regular Coke he ordered arrived an hour later, after he had already finished his meal. One of our guests was brought the wrong entrée and informed that the dish she had originally ordered would take a very long time to prepare. Because she needed to leave for another commitment and was concerned the correct entrée would not be ready in time, she accepted the incorrect dish out of courtesy to the restaurant. Despite her understanding and flexibility, she was still charged for the entrée she had not ordered. Diet Cokes were ordered but never refilled during the two hours we were there. Another guest ordered the cheeseburger listed on the menu, but what arrived was a dry, bland burger without cheese. When he inquired about it, no effort was made to resolve the issue or offer anything additional. We had hoped for a warm, memorable celebration, but the service and food quality were disappointing overall. Regrettably, we will not be returning or recommending this restaurant. read more

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Has a nice time here, despite coming at a really bad time (some street fest happening). Our server was very attentive, and the food tasted fresh. My husband thoroughly enjoyed his lamb dish, and the pastitio was good as well (although not as good as mine hehe). Place definitely exudes a clean, modern Greek ambience. Would love to try again without the crowds. read more

I met a friend here for lunch on a weekday, we got a table outside and enjoyed some great food! I also had a mezcal paloma cocktail with my meal, it tasted great. Our server was very attentive, and made some great recommendations. Next time I will try the desserts! read more

Parea Greek Kitchen - Okra - Greek Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

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The appetizers were pretty good. We got the saganaki, garlic sauce, and gyro sauce. The avgolemono soup tasted almost like there was something too sweet in there, not like the traditional egg lemon soup taste. Our waitress forgot a drink and then forgot to place one of our meals. We had to talk to another waitress since our waitress was not checking on us. When our waitress came out she we asked what happened. She says she forgot to put the order for the other meal in...we were all done eating except the person who had to wait for their meal. We thought maybe something would have been deducted from the bill or an apology on our way out, but nothing. We are not going back here. read more

Very bright and beautiful restaurant with kind service and delicious food. Will be back read more

Parea Greek Kitchen - Gemista, gyro plate, salmon, Greek burger - Greek Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

We just had a wedding shower held at this place. Pete was more than accommodating. He moved tables around, took pictures and sat for a few minutes with us. The food was excellent!!!!! The calamari, one of the best I've ever had. The salmon very tasty and a good portion size. All the entrees for the wedding shower were tasty . Loved the flan! - I usually never have it, but it was delicious. No complaints here. I'll be back for sure! Everyone at the shower loved the food. Great job read more

I rarely give 5 but everything was perfect. It was a random Wednesday evening with my wife. We got Spanakopitaki as appetizer, kabobs, and lamb chops with spankorizo (rice) and fasolakia (green beans) as sides. All of it was well seasoned, cooked perfectly, and served warm. There were no left overs. The bread and olive oil was great too. Will come back again. read more

Very lovely restaurant. Food was delicious! Service was impeccable. Ambience was great.

We went in a Monday afternoon, so can't comment on noise level as there were just a few tables. We sat at the bar, and the service from the bartender was great. I wasn't a fan of most of the food we ordered. I'm a big fan of saganaki, so we started with that. It was burnt. I get it that it's flaming when brought to table, but the bottom (not where the flame was) was black. $13 is a lot for a small, burnt piece of cheese. I had a sangria, which I would not order again. It needed more sweetness. We ordered the lunch combo, and the best part of that was the gyros. I didn't care for the pastitsio, but that was my first time having it, so I am not sure what it is supposed to taste like. Maybe I just don't like pastitsio. I will go back just to use the rest of my gift card, but that will probably be the last time unless I am wowed by a different dish. read more

As a Greek, I can confidently say the food at Parea is truly authentic. We ordered the lavraki (branzino), horta, spanakorizo, fasolakia, octopus, shrimp ouzo and avgolemono--and every dish was outstanding. Both the service and the food were a 10 out of 10. The cocktails were also delicious, especially the Dirty Greek Martini! Their vodka comes from a Greek producer based in Los Angeles, and I love that touch of home. The owner, Danny, personally came by to check on us, which we really appreciated. We loved our server, Angie! We'll definitely be back! Thank you for an authentic wonderful Greek night! read more

Parea Greek Kitchen - Greek Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

I went here on a Friday night with my girlfriends . The weather was too chilly to eat outside, so we had a nice table inside. I was very early , but the hostess seated me right away. The decor was simple but pretty . The menus and specials were already on the table so I could check it out while I waited for my girls. Once everyone arrived we ordered some drinks and appetizers. We had a large Greek salad to share and of course some saganaki flaming cheese. I ordered the parea combo plate that had dolmas, spanakopita, pistachio and gyro meat. It also came with a choice of sides , I chose the Greek potatoes. I did get a spicy margarita, it as actually very strong in booze and spice. Probably should have a Greek wine instead. My plate was very good , I enough for leftovers the next day. The service was good. The area of downtown Arlington heights was really cute . They have street shut down for outdoor dining and other activities. It's a nice way for people to check out the other restaurants. I would definitely go back. read more

We were there yesterday. The food was average, not something to really come back for, but the service was THE WORST !!!! First off, the server took almost 15-20 mins to check on us. We ordered the avgolemono that never came but was ON THE BILL !! When we ordered, he did not even inform us that there are different sides to our order & just gave us all potatoes. The sangria was horrible. The chicken was bland. We paid almost $500 and we barely saw the server. When he did, it felt like he did not want to be there, treatment was so dry. WOULD NOT COME BACK AND WOULD NOT RECOMMEND TO ANYONE !!! You could spend your money on a better place !!!! read more

As a local to Arlington Heights and a longtime lover of Greek cuisine, I had high hopes for Parea, and would have love to give a local place 5 stars, as it already has an amazing location and ambiance going for it -- but sadly cannot. We've now dined here twice -- the first visit I rated a 4, largely due to inattentive service, but I gave them grace as they were still new. Unfortunately, our second visit -- for a special birthday celebration -- was even more disappointing. The service was once again lacking, with the same server who clearly hasn't improved. Food took an unusually long time to arrive, and several dishes missed the mark. My salmon was outstanding -- easily 5 stars - and the highlight of the experience. My husband's pork chops were decent (4 stars), but the chicken kebab was tough and rubbery, and my mother-in-law's shrimp dish was equally overcooked(2 stars each). We had mentioned it was my mother-in-law's birthday and even brought a cake, hoping to celebrate with a candle and a small gesture -- but this was completely overlooked. The server returned the untouched cake in a box as we were leaving, which felt like a missed opportunity for something thoughtful. Sadly, this experience was underwhelming and frustrating. A three-star rating at best. I truly hope they improve, as the concept is promising, but the execution and service need attention. read more