Where to Find Great Greek Food in Every State
Opa! Great Greek food is found all over the United States, with specialties from classic entrees such as pastitsio, keftedes, and moussaka to Americanized hand-held interpretations of gyros, Greek fries, and more. It’s an earthier, more plucked-from-the-garden and straightforward cuisine than fancy French cooking, and one that celebrates the bounty of azure-ringed, sun-drenched islands where lemons, olives, tomatoes, greens, and vegetables appear in virtually every meal and lamb dishes are king. Though serving delicious menus, most spots we’ve selected are affordable chain restaurants with healthier and faster fare than a traditional taverna, along with a few upscale dining rooms and nouveau culture-blending twists on the fare. So is it time to brush up on belly dancing? After a big fat Greek meal, perhaps.
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Montgomery
Standout dish: Street pitas
The fresh produce so readily available down South comes in handy at Pita Mediterranean Street Food. "We focus on fresh, flavorful ingredients. Each restaurant features an open kitchen displaying vertical rotisseries full of gyro and kabobs flaming on the grill. Everything's made to order in front of guests while they watch as pitas are warmed, olive oil is drizzled, hummus is scooped, and sizzling rotisserie meats are carved,” founder and CEO Nour Rabai says.
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Anchorage
Standout dish: Lahanodolmades
There are not as many Greek restaurants in Anchorage as New York City, but Antonio's Greek Bakery & Café scores consistently high ratings, especially for the dolmades: three cabbage rolls stuffed with rice and ground beef cooked in special spices, served with roasted potatoes, freshly made bread, and a proper Greek salad for under $20. The dessert menu featuring classics such as kataifi is enticing as well.
Scottsdale
Standout dish: The Platter
George's is the king of fresh Mediterranean cuisine in Scottsdale, with The Platter being a well-reviewed and loved menu item that incorporates the biggest hits. Just choose a protein and eat it with two pita breads, tomatoes, onions, and extra tzatziki sauce served with Greek salad and a choice of rice or fries.
Little Rock
Standout dish: Greek pizza
An International Greek Food Festival is Arkansas’ largest annual ethnic event, and the state boasts many Greek dining spots. The top-rated Layla's Gyro, described as homey, inexpensive, and unpretentious, serves up popular chicken gyros, hummus, baklava, and more, but many customers say the standout dish is a Greek pizza, on which feta and mozzarella cheeses are blended and topped with marinated onions, samack spice, tomato, and gyro or chicken toppings on a crispy crust.
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San Francisco
Standout dish: Greek-style frozen yogurt
Souvla has healthy, California-kissed Greek favorites, such as salads and pork and lamb sandwiches, but its signature frozen Greek yogurt, topped with baklava crumbles or sour cherry syrup, is the talk of the town. Souvla is known for its energetic ambiance, and its most popular savory menu item is chicken salad with “Granch” dressing.
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Aurora
Standout dish: Lamb gyros
For a Pacific Northwest recommendation from an experienced traveler, turn to Philip Westfall, director of marketing at the RV rental marketplace RVezy. “I’ve traveled through all the states searching for great food, and the Great Greek Mediterranean Grill in Aurora is great! Travelers often make the trip to taste their renowned lamb gyros, and this restaurant has loads of 5-star reviews,” Westfall says. “I was pleasantly surprised by the friendly service and superb food they served that was tastier than a lot of high-end restaurants I’ve visited.”
Brookfield
Standout dish: Chickpea Chiller
An unlikely all-star from Connecticut is The Hummus & Pita Co., which since 2011 has served 100% homemade and health-focused cuisine. It uses seasonally fresh ingredients and offers vegan and gluten-free options, with bestsellers that include the daily baked laffa bread, homemade hummus, unique plant-based proteins, and more at a low price point. The standout? A thick and creamy Chickpea Chiller, a 100% vegan and a gluten-free hummus-based milkshake made with chickpeas, tahini, banana, dates, and almond milk. It mimics the texture and flavor of a traditional dairy milkshake but has heart-healthy benefits.
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Standout dish: Charred eggplant pide (flatbread)
Tourists visiting D.C. make sure to Chef José Andrés' Zaytinya, serving small plates and hard-to-find Greek regional wine near Chinatown, the Smithsonian Museum of American Art and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library. This overwhelmingly well-reviewed taverna offers a standout shareable vegetarian flatbread sprinkled with kasseri cheese, spices, olive oil, and charred eggplant for toppings.
Wilmington
Standout dish: Bifteki platter
Casual and friendly, Opa! Opa! has a traditional taverna menu heavy on the gyros. Its Bifteki platter is an unusual entry in which beef, not lamb, is the star and is served with spices, herbs, pita, and traditional sauces such as tzatziki, plus a Greek salad. It’s affordable at less than $14, and many say the portion can feed two people handily.
Fort Lauderdale
Standout dish: Back ribs ladoregano
There's loads of great Greek food in Florida, but Lori Bogedin, a chef and culinary expert, says seaside Greek Islands Taverna is a winner: "This is a well-known spot with delectable Greek cuisine. They serve a fusion of flavors that cannot be found anywhere else. You can now order the baby back ribs ladoregano — ribs seasoned with lemon and oregano and topped with potatoes and veggies.” The restaurant is fairly reasonably priced and even has a New York-style steak, Bogedin says.
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Atlanta
Standout dish: Lamb pie
Executive chef Pano Karatassos has redefined a traditional Greek menu’s taste, style, and ingredients since opening the award-winning Kyma in 2001. Diners may have spotted Karatassos preparing his succulent signature lamb pie, wrapped in phyllo, on The Food Network’s “Beat Bobby Flay.” (He did.) If Flay had him on, you know this chef has the goods.
Honolulu
Standout dish: Spanakopita
Say aloha to Leo's Taverna, established in 2000 as a family-owned destination with two locations. The standout item is a crispy spanakopita, a buttery phyllo dough pie or triangle stuffed with spinach and feta cheese and served with a Greek salad for under $8. The lebneh yogurt dip, served with a lucky olive, is a close second on a nicely curated menu.
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Coeur d'Alene
Standout dish: Chicken souvlaki
The tater state has an abundance of Greek spots, but The Olympia near the Coeur d'Alene lake up north does the classics with style, with Mediterranean herbs sprinkled on crispy idaho potato fries, spanakopita, baklava, gyros, and more. Mentions from happy diners favor crispy, creamy custard rolls and a heart-healthy chicken souvlaki plate.
Lincolnwood
Standout dish: The Psistaria Spread Trio
Never a dull meal at the lovely Psistaria, which has a full menu and many options for vegans and vegetarians. Its spreads and dips get raves online; try the Psistaria Spread Trio, a choice of three housemade dips with fresh pita bread, but save room for a well-reviewed and hard-to-find ortikia (broiled quail with ladolemono).
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Indianapolis
Standout dish: Moussaka
The festive blue and white exterior of The Greek Islands Restaurant holds a warm family-owned taverna where the moussaka gets the lion's share of the shout-outs. Layers of eggplant, potato, and ground beef drenched in a rich béchamel sauce are baked with tomato sauce and parmesan to form a golden crust. A serious deep-dish entree for anyone with an appetite.
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Marshaltown
Standout dish: Opa Platter
When you have as tantalizing a menu as Opa!, the standout play is an all-encompassing greatest hits platter with chicken souvlaki, spanakopita, cheese pies, fresh pita, tzatziki and Greek salad or your choice of soup. With such a wide menu, it’s smart to go for shareable platters where you can sample it all.
Atchison
Standout dish: Pastitsio
Heavy on the tasty Greek shareable appetizers, the menu at Pete's Steakhouse features a Mediterranean, Greek, and American menu where you can get a righteous steak at a reasonable price — but order the beloved pastitsio, a Greek lasagna of penne, seasoned meat, and béchamel sauce baked and served deep-dish style. This may remind you of moussaka, which uses eggplants and potatoes with no pasta; pastitsio uses pasta and no eggplant or potatoes.
Richmond
Standout dish: Hummus
Hummus quality can make or break a Greek restaurant. Babylon Gyro gets high marks for great food at reasonable prices and has loads of fans for its Greek menu. The standout dish is a special homemade hummus, a lemony garlic-laced dip that can stand alone with pita for smearing or go with a variety of other menu items. It is always served on sampler platters too.
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Lafayette
Standout dish: Greek nachos with beef
Zorbas wins the review game with a varied, traditional menu and twists on cultures such as its standout Greek nachos made with beef or chicken. Zorbas tops crispy pita chips with Mediterranean beef or chicken, then adds hummus, feisty (spicier) feta, tzatziki, fresh tomatoes, red onions, jalapeños, paprika, and finishes it off with olive oil.
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Portland
Standout dish: Skordalia
Portland has rocked great Greek food since chef Matt Ginn — a Food Network "Chopped" champion — opened Evo Kitchen + Bar in 2015 with fresh seafood and meats done Mediterranean style. Classic appetizers such as skordalia, a creamy garlic mashed potato dip, keep it authentically Greek.
Rockville
Standout dish: Big Greek Feast
Colorful fresh vegetarian and meat-filled dishes and carefully constructed platters and sides are what The Big Greek Cafe is all about. Many opt for a Big Greek Feast platter that includes a chicken skewer, pork skewer, gyro, and Greek french fries, all with the requisite sauces. Reviewers say this is enough food for two to feast on for $22.
Boston
Standout dish: Feta psiti
The spicy baked feta psiti wrapped in phyllo, honey, and sesame seeds is swoon-worthy to Alexis Eliopoulos, executive vice president for public relations at Kel & Partners. "As a Greek-American who goes to Greece every summer, I know my food. Kava Neo-Taverna is hands down the best Greek food that I’ve had in the U.S. It feels as if you are in a village in Greece and your grandmother is cooking. So many Greek restaurants try to infuse American ways, but it truly does not work.”
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Shelby Township
Standout dish: Four-Dip Combo
Many people make meals of the appetizers offered in Greek cuisine. The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill knows that taking fresh pita bread and slathering on savory dips is half the fun in Greek meals. Its Four Dip Combo features hummus, tzatziki, tirokafteri, melitzanosalata (made with eggplant) or other combinations chosen by the diner. Reviews rave how the dips themselves are filling, like a meal, and pair well with any menu item ordered.
St. Paul
Standout dish: Original Greek Salad, aka horiatiki
Most Mediterranean restaurants offer Greek salads, but The Naughty Greek salad is Greek greens on steroids. A slab of fresh seasoned feta drizzled with olive oil sits atop generous portions of sliced red tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, green pepper, and fresh dressing. TNG also turns out popular spanakopita and other side dishes plus tzatziki, olives, eggplant dips, and crispy phyllo desserts.
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Ridgeland
Standout dish: Krilakis burger
Down south, Krilakis gets sweet tea right and the classic Greek dishes too, says travel and food blogger Anne Clark. "My husband loves their gyros, but he's now addicted to their Krilakis burger. A burger at a Greek place may sound strange, but he refuses to try anything else on the menu. The sourdough bun and homemade tzatziki sauce make this burger the best in the metro area.” At $7.50, it is also very reasonably priced, Clark says.
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Richmond Heights
Standout dish: Saganaki
The family-owned Olympia Kebob House & Taverna drips with old-school charm and serves a full range of classics. But its bestseller and most mentioned item in reviews is the flaming cheese, aka saganaki. Deep-fried tableside with a fiery floor show, this crispy, cheesy starter can be a meal in itself paired with a traditional Greek salad. The cheese usually done this way can be graviera, kefalograviera, halloumi, kasseri, or kefalotyri.
Missoula
Standout dish: Feta Fries
Out where the cowboys roam is a fine Mediterranean respite: The Greek Pastry Shop boasts a gyro that wins local awards consistently for "best of." But it’s the feta fries that are posted about most frequently on social media from this inexpensive and straightforward Greek diner that makes an addictive nosh out of neighboring Idaho’s famous potatoes.
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Omaha
Standout dish: Keftedes and tomato keftedes
A meatball by any other name is just a meatball — except for the keftedes served at Jim & Jennies. In addition to the meat version, there’s an option with fresh tomatoes fried up crisp and served up with cool tzatziki sauce. Reviews rate them as addictive appetizers. Save room for well reviewed desserts too.
Las Vegas
Standout dish: My Big Fat Gyro
Roll the dice at Yassou where entrees and lunch items fill the menu. Yassou’s My Big Fat Greek Gyro is a loaded sandwich that hogs lots of customer review ink; people marvel at how stuffed it is, and satisfying with its flame-broiled beef and lamb combined with feta cheese and the usual sliced fresh onion, tomato, and tzatziki sauce. A house Greek pizza is a close second made with spinach, feta, basil, olives, and special sauce.
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Manchester
Standout dish: Chicken gyro fries
Food blogger Chelsea Wilson is sold on The Gyro Spot and this $9 dish that sees a classic gyro transformed by becoming toppings for a pile of delicious homemade fries. “In New Hampshire, the chicken gyro fries are the ticket,” she says. “Make sure when you get it you get their ‘g-sauce’ on it in addition to the tzatziki.” The spicy, creamy sauce is the perfect finishing touch.
Edgewater
Standout dish: Greek salad
The Greek Taverna is "a bustling hangout with a lively crowd and generous portions of Mediterranean-inspired goodies,” and a unique spot great for family outings due to its open atmosphere and fresh food, says Julia Bobak, content creator at Home Grounds, an online community of home baristas. She advises diners to go for the famous Greek salad, a towering masterpiece crowned with a generous portion of fresh feta.
Santa Fe
Standout dish: Bulgar cauliflower
Yamas has all the fun stuff from gyros and baklava, moussaka, and pastitsio, but its vegetarian offerings are unique. Look for the bulgar cauliflower made with the wheaty grain, roasted cauliflower, sweet pepper, red onion, walnut, feta, parsley, cucumber, and fried garbanzo, and served with a ladolemono vinaigrette. Check out the red potato hummus too; the creative spins on classics define this spot.
Bridgehampton
Standout dish: Oktapodi skara
Among the many great Greek spots in New York, Elaia Estiatorio was opened in 2017 by Sofia Crokos and Chris Boudoris to pay homage to their Greek roots with a menu described by reviewers as “rustic yet elegant.” Look for the bestselling oktapodi skara (grilled octopus, fava beans, and pickled onions) and bifteki (Greek-style beef patty, herbs, lettuce, onions, and feta). There’s also takeaway barbecue packages so guests can cook at home.
Chapel Hill
Standout dish: Spanakotiropita
Giorgios Bakatsias, sister Olga Bakatsia and co-chef George Delidimos turn out highly rated items at Kipos that include Olga’s beloved and raved-about handmade phyllo pies. Her spanakotiropita, a combo of spanakopita and tiropitakia, is based around spinach and feta served with seasonal fruit. In addition to the menu items, Kipos has the most extensive Greek wine selection in the area.
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Fargo
Standout dish: Avgolemono soup
GP's Greek Kitchen gets high marks for generous portions, huge, tzatziki-drenched gyros, crispy seasoned fries, and all-encompassing samplers, but in cold North Dakota, a simple soup is king. Just $5, the avgolemono soup is an egg yolk and lemon juice mix with broth and spices that is velvety, filling and adored by many. As with the reputation of one’s hummus, having a well-reviewed avgolemono can really make a restaurant.
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Solon
Standout dish: Yia Yia's (Grandma) Baklava
Yelp gave a "Best Places To Eat in Cleveland" prize to Simply Greek, which does it all from gyros to dishes with wild-caught shrimp, Faroe salmon, lamb, and perhaps the best saganaki in Ohio. But reviewers gush over Yia Yia's baklava, a sweet ending to a meal that could also be capped by Pappou’s (Grandpa's) rice pudding.
Oklahoma City
Standout dish: Greek Gyro Platter
The entire Mediterranean crescent is represented at Greek and Seafood, a family-owned spot in its 10th year and beloved for its standout gyro platter with Greek salad. The plate is filled all the way around with seasoned and roasted meat, salad, and crisp fries. The eatery also turns out mouthwatering kebabs and authentic Persian food.
Portland
Standout dish: Dolmades
This inexpensive and unassuming diner and counter service eatery has a devoted following who love its tender, fresh stuffed grape leaves, filled with seasoned meat and rice and served with fresh tomatoes. A Taste of Greek also has a food truck serving its popular falafel and gyros.
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Media
Standout dish: Chicken chops
Yia It's All Greek To Me has a huge menu that can accommodate kids, vegetarians, and keto dieters, and has a top-reviewed chicken chops dish made of healthy, grilled marinated chicken thighs served with all the Greek trimmings, sauces, and Greek salad. (And not-so-healthy but tasty fries.)
Cranston
Standout dish: Daily specials
Casual counter-service spot The Athenian Deli & Restaurant does all the greatest hits such as gyros, platters, baklava, lamb, and rice pudding, and customer reviews seem to like them all — but often mention daily specials such as Monday Greek meatloaf or Friday baked scrod served with Greek-style baked macaroni and cheese.
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Charleston
Standout dish: Veggie bowl
Kairos Mediterranean says its recipes were developed by a James Beard Award-winning chef with attention to fueling a body with nutritious but crave-able food. Its popular veggie bowl is customizable and affordable, often falling in the $8 to $12 range.
Brookings
Standout dish: Yiota's Gyro Pizza
In South Dakota, the options for authentic Greek are few, but George's has a mix of Italian diner specialties plus a "Grecian" menu that has bestsellers such as the standout gyro Greek-styled pizza. Gyro meat, tzatziki, American cheese and Greek oregano top a crispy- crusted treat.
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Murfreesboro
Standout dish: Grilled chicken salad
This bright spot has daily specials, vegan and vegetarian offerings, and a focus on freshness. The Greek Cafe Grill also does a standout heart-healthy Greek chicken salad with toppings such as a house-made tzatziki and hummus.
Austin
Standout dish: Swordfish souvlaki
Austin is a music and arts town full of great Greek food, in part thanks to Simi Estiatorio. The summer island-inspired restaurant emphasizes fresh seafood such as scallops with black lentils, octopus paired with Santorini fava puree, and a standout favorite, swordfish souvlaki. In addition, giant Gulf oysters and shrimp, lobster, and crab are on a menu filled with a large selection of grilled meats and Greek sweets, to name a few hard-to-ignore options.
Salt Lake City
Standout dish: Souvlaki
For decades, Greek City Grill owner Bob Daskalakis and his family have served up Greek and American fast-food favorites such as burgers and gyros in a cool, casual setting. The gyros are award-winning, but look for the souvlaki lunch in which diners choose chicken or pork to eat with pita bread and a side selection of crispy fries, rice, or Greek salad for less than $8. Carryout or drive-through service only.
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Brattlesboro
Standout dish: Hummus
The Israeli-born owner grew up in a Greek-Yemeni household, and has a similarly diverse staff making a new type of Israeli-Greek fusion. Yalla’s hot hand-fired pita was made to be dragged through skhug, a Yemeni green hot sauce dip, and its Greek-style hummus is so good it is now sold throughout New England and New York.
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Chester
Standout dish: Fresh stuffed tomatoes
Casual and family-friendly, this highly rated Greek diner serves Southern twists to Greek cuisine such as the fresh stuffed tomatoes with housemade Greek chicken salad. There are more raves for the Greek desserts made daily, such as galaktoboureko (custard in phyllo dough), chocolate baklava, and housemade rice pudding.
Seattle
Standout dish: Vegetarian dolmades
Yanni's Greek is a Seattle institution since 1984 and takes great pride in its authenticity. Standout items include vegetarian dolmades, tzatziki-topped grape leaves stuffed with diced vegetables, herbs, and rice. If you have vegan and vegetarians to feed, this restaurant will handle the whole crowd. Save room for the bougatsa, a phyllo-wrapped dessert filled with sweet cheese and topped with Greek honey.
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Weirton
Standout dish: Greek appetizer platter
Customers say they drive from Philadelphia to eat at Theo Yianni’s, and one draw is a Greek appetizer platter stuffed with grape leaves, a Grecian roll, a spanakopita, a piece of tiropita, tzatziki sauce, and pita bread for $16. (No substitutions!)
Appleton
Standout dish: Flaming rack of lamb
Apollon has been serving fine Greek fare since 1994. Dishes that stand out are the dramatic flaming rack of lamb and shrimp Santorini. Apollon's Mixed Grille is a medley of lamb, scallops, and shrimp. The entrees all come with avgolemono soup and salad. Save room for a custard-filled crispy galaktoboureko dessert.
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Casper
Standout dish: Chips and hummus platter
The cowboys of Wyoming roam here to Sweet Zoey for Greek food, Middle Eastern delights, and coffee shop fare. The item everyone seems to add to their orders? Don’t overthink it — it's a chips and hummus platter at $8.50.
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