Taverna Greka — Restaurant in Downtown

Taverna Greka is a classic green restaurant with a true authentic focus. The establishment itself has been thriving since the late 90s, which is a testament to its longevity and service, having gone through wavering economies, covid, and much more.

I had the pleasure of being served by the owners son-in-law, Kostas, who himself specially and painstakingly prepares and cuts the meats, which are carefully sourced. If you have the joy of Kostas as your server, he will politely & confidently explain the dishes to you if you are unfamiliar, making this place a top notch experience for both new and accustomed greek eaters.

The atmosphere is what you’d expect from a Greek restaurant. Stylistically there are nods to their culture wherever you look, allowing you to enjoy the full experience of the Greek. Bonus points of you can get a window seat, which overlooks the powerful and lovely Fraser River, transforming your experience from a great one to an unforgettable one.

The food itself was also unforgettable. From the soft and seasoned lemony potatoes, to the homemade Tzatziki dip, which Kostas also creates himself personally, you’re hard pressed to find a dish that won’t leave you satisfied. Myself and my friend shared a Family Platter, which was TONS of food for the two of us, so portions will not be a problem for anyone who ventures here with an empty gut.

Where you’ll truly find your god is within the meat. THE MEAT! My tastebuds had the luxury of experiencing Kosta’s hand selected and sourced Beef souvlaki. It is hands down, no BS, the most tender and soft souvlaki you will ever eat. I promise. If you were to come here for ONE reason only, then order this. As mentioned, the owners son-in-law himself meticulously cuts and selects only the finest pieces of beef to be served to you, which in return allows you to experience little bites of heaven, with most love from the Greek who prepared it.

On my way out, I shook Kostas hand and met his wife who also thanked me for coming in. My overall experience was that of a warm greek family preparing me their finest meal in the love of their own hearth. Experiences like this are hard to come by these days, but if you enjoy an old-school ma’ & pa’ experience with the atmosphere and food of a michilin star eatery, all wrapped up in a loving Greek blanket, then Taverna Greka should be...

July, 10, 2021

My hubby and I didn't go there at least 2 years. I am surprised that, their food quality, taste and services still good as usual, after pandemic.

I phoned them around 6:30 pm and made reservations for an hour after (7:30 pm) And requested for window seats. The lady told me, they will do her best, seem they are pretty booked. I was so glad they made it..

We tried to order their chicken livers, Too bad they discontinued it. We used to order it everytime we go there. The chicken livers was crispy outside, Smooth and tasty inside..

We had tried...

Lamb chop with rice, potato and Greek salad

--- I asked for medium rare for lamb chop, but they gave me well done, but the lamb chop still taste good and soft, I had no complain about it.

--- the rice still taste good as before, I can't stop eating it, after first bite, I totally ignored the lamb chop 😅 I started eating my lamb chop, after I finished half dish of rice 🤣

--- potatoes are soft, but too sour for me, But my hubby likes it.

--- i didn't eat the Greek salad, because I don't like the taste of raw onions and olives.

--- I gave 2 pieces of lamb chop for my hubby to try , I ate 2 pieces and 1 leftover, I can't even finish the whole thing, By the time I finished half dish of rice, I am half full already.

--- I got half dish of rice, 1 piece of lamb chop and Greek salad leftover and pack to go.

Greek style pork ribs --- whole rack of ribs with a lot of dried spice on it, it's crispy outside And tasty. Portion was too big for my hubby. Even my hubby is big eater

--- my hubby finished most of it.. But got half rack of ribs left over..

Kalamari --- half size as before, but fresh hot and crispy.

Pita bread --- hot and crispy.. it's so good --- my hubby can't stop eating it with red wine

We also order a half liter of Lindemans shiraz, Australian wine, --- When my husband sat down, he didn’t plan to order a wine. Until he saw the price of the wine are way cheaper than chop steakhouse.

Services are friendly and fast. Worth for me to pay them 18% tips

Good food quality with nice view and good services. We are really enjoy our dinner. We will go there again. I will bring my parents there for dinner next weekend..

Hopefully they will open for lunch in the future, we used to go there 2 times a week for lunch,...

Things were just off from the beginning this night. From the server to the food.

We had a young woman who asked if we wanted drinks and we did but we wanted a few minutes to catch up. She checked back again within 5 min but we were still catching up but, this time it felt like she had a little attitude and was put out when we weren't quote ready a second time and she walked off. I guess she was going to teach us a lesson because... she didn't return again for 10-15 minutes later. Unfortunately, I didn't write down her name. I should have.

Then, my order came out wrong and had to be sent back. I had greek salad with chicken. The chicken was literally room temperature almost cold- not grilled fresh. The greek salad was bland and lacked taste and was crammed into a soup bowl instead of a proper salad-type bowl. Not very appealing for sure. When you dug in, the salad had no choice but to spill over the sides of the bowl onto the table.

My friend told me his chicken souvlaki lacked taste and freshness. The rice was mushy and didn't taste freshly prepared.

It's too bad employees don't care or appreciate very often how much the Owners risk so much and pay to keep their restaurants in business and operational. Employees have a responsibility to not serve sub-quality products to their patrons. But, they sure expect 20+% in tips.

Nowaday, there are too many restaurants to choose from and I'd have to say, it's not likely we'd return. Who can afford to pay for a 2nd less-than-satisfying experience like this one was when there are so many...