The Real Greek Souvlaki Bar — Restaurant in Melbourne

In response to the management,

There was no mention of your reluctance to serve dine-in customers with proper cutlery and plates.

Myself and my 2 acquaintances were served our meals in cardboard packaging with wooden sporks.

The staff did not even bother to bring the food to us as we were seated, he was barely 3 steps away but still expected us to get up and get it ourselves while reaching it over to us.

The area in question which smelled heavily of urine was the big couch seating area directly at the back of the restaurant with the mirror.

Not the toilets, it was the dining area.

There is a very good chance this was resolved after our visit but at the time, the smell was very pungent.

On to the other things: In regard to the time of the review being posted (6 AM), I hope you are aware people can share their thoughts and experiences after their visit. This can be minutes, hours, days or weeks etc after the visit at any time. I'm very unsure as to why this is of concern?

On to the "mishandling of food". Where we were seated (At the front of the restaurant, near the door) we could see directly into the food preparation area. Both myself and one of my acquaintances witnessed the incorrect preparation of a customers order, and it happens to the best of us, we all make mistakes.

But, the fact the mistake happened, both staff members noticed and acknowledged it was incorrect and yet nothing was done to resolve it, I assume it was a means to save money and not waste food, the order was still sent out.

Considering the inherent hostility, legal threats and seeming reluctance to take on the negative feedback, it is incredibly unlikely I'll return to the establishment in the future.

Final note: If I was a competitor, wouldn't it make sense I left 1 star?

Original Review:

It pains me to do this but...

I've been coming here for a while now, well before the change of ownership.

Since the change of ownership, I personally feel that the place has sadly gone a bit down hill.

Service is pretty cold and lacking and the food isn't prepared with much care or emotion as it was before.

When I was there last, I watched them make a souvlaki which the customer requested sweet chilli sauce, they began to pour LOADS of chilli sauce on it, the other worker realised and pointed it out at which point both of them shrugged it off and sent it out to the customer regardless and without telling them.

The main things I've noticed in the last few times I've been there since the change of ownership are:

They seem reluctant to have dine-in customers and serve their food on plates with cutlery.

Cleanliness doesn't seem to be of high importance, the back section of the shop with the massive seating area reeks of urine and they were still happy to seat customers there. The smell is definitely noticeable throughout the entire shop.

They tend to forget to provide you with alcoholic beverages you've ordered, it wasn't busy when I went (About 5 customers from when I entered to when I left over 30 minutes), had to remind them after 10 minutes.

Overall, I'm sad to see my once highly recommended / beloved places for souvlaki fall so far from grace. The food is by no means terrible but definitely not what it was.

I don't think I'll be back but I hope they work on their service, cleanliness and put move love...

Really suprized by all these great reviews- unfortunately this was the opposite to my experience. I walk by this place everyday but since Im vegie and it being a souvlaki place, have not tried it. That being said though, I am greek, and I love greek food and they have what look like a great array of salads and dips in the window so tonight being 1 am and noting else open thought I would come in a get a salad/dip plate. Easy enough request I would have thought. Since they did not have a mixed salad plate on the menu I asked if I could just have one made. The attendant was quite rude and pointed to the containers and the price of each salad. I again explained this was my meal as im vegie and i didnt want a side I just wanted a mixed plate of a few salads. I am really not sure what the issue was as I would have paid whatever I just didn't want 4 or 5 huge containers of salad going to waste. She was extremely frustrated with me and at this point I wish she'd just said I cant help you. She kinda ignored me and goes to doing something else and another lady comes along and starts filling a container with egg salad, I again go through the same process of explaining I want a mixture, and again I get the same rudeness. I really have never felt so uncomfortable as a customer in anyone's store before and I really wish I had just walked out. The icing on the cake? I get home, and the salads are rancid.. not just not fresh, but actually off and sour.. and I throw the...

As a Sydney-sider, there are very few places here like The Real Greek Souvlaki Bar in Melbourne. A tavern of Athenian delights that’s existed in Melbourne’s funky and fringe area since the early 1990s (possibly earlier), it is a true representation of the migrant history in the city-an establishment that was perhaps an old dive bar way back when, fitted out with multiple massive spit roasters, a service space and no-nonsense refrigerator housing both local and imported, Greek beers. The wood finish feels “found” more than intentional, and the only frills are paintings and prints of scenes from Greece.

The food in flavour and texture is cooked so well, in the way that you trust an elder of your family would whip it up as if it were second nature. There’s a utility-ness to the food which makes it feel incredibly homely i.e., welcoming and unpretentious. Strongly recommend both lamb and chicken off the spit as well as condiments made in house. Tzatziki may as well be the “Toum” of Melbourne, and TRGSB has an awesome one. If you’re a non drinker, try a Loux Cola and Vikos Cola. Refreshing and unsurprisingly “realer” tasting than Big...