The Olympia — Restaurant in Coeur d'Alene

This is, unquestionably, one of the best establishments serving Greek food in the US, and certainly among the best values. The menu is fairly limited in the breadth as far as which dishes are available, but that's not going to be a problem, because you want a gyro. There are other foods you can order, and they are equally fabulous, but you want a gyro. Dolmades, avgolemono, and a gyro. With feta. Baklava if you can manage another bite.

You'll pay marginally more here than for a street gyro (around 10 a person for basic lunch, double it for the works) but the Olympia is to Pita Pit as 5-star lobster is to Petco. You cannot beat this food.

While the aforementioned limited menu primarily features different variations of gyro, with other options like souvlaki, spanikopita, and several other Mediterranean favorites, the expertise with which the cookstaff (and owners) execute the dishes is unparalleled. There's nothing more I can say to explain the honor this restaurant bestows upon the humble pita.

Other points:

Gyro meat is fresh carved and succulent, service is prompt and friendly (it's been the same people for years) and the atmosphere is comfortable and cool.

It can be difficult to find convenient parking in downtown Coeur d'Alene, but it's easily worth the walk from wherever you can get to.

My family and I have eaten here dozens of times over the last decade and never had a mediocre experience, let alone bad. Today's visit was no exception (I took pictures and then ate before writing). We moved away a couple years back and specifically scheduled time to come here on a return visit. If you're not from CdA, I recommend you do the same, because it lived up to even our most...

The Olympia: A Greek Restaurant That Missed the Mark (and the Flavor)

Walking into The Olympia, I thought I was about to experience a slice of Greece right in the heart of the city. Instead, what I got was a cramped dining room and a to-go order that left me wishing I’d stayed hungry.

I opted for the pita and hummus, and while the flavor had a hint of promise—there was a tiny kick to it that caught my attention—everything else was a letdown. The hummus? Thick enough to make you question your life choices. It was so dense, I had to pry it off the container like it was a slab of concrete. Good luck scooping that with the pita, which was... well, let’s just say "unremarkable" is a charitable description. No one’s writing home about that pita.

And then there’s the presentation, or should I say the complete lack of it? Even for a to-go order, I expected a bit of effort. But no, it was a sad, sloppy heap with zero care. Oh, and olive oil? Forget it. Not even a tiny drizzle to help wash down that hummus cement.

For a Greek restaurant, this was as disappointing as a souvlaki skewer with no seasoning. Not sure what happened here, but whatever it was, it missed the mark by a mile. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, not even my worst enemy.

Food, like life, is an adventure—sometimes a thrilling ride, sometimes a slow-moving disaster. This one? More of a tragic misstep, like a tourist ordering fugu from a guy with a twitchy eye. But hey, we eat, we learn, we survive—mostly. Until next time, may your meals be memorable for the right reasons. Join me at Northwest Chef Food Reviews on Facebook for better food...

Visiting from out of town I wanted to find a simple mom & pop place for lunch. Walking around the downtown area I happen across this location. Greek food is always a top choice for me because it's usually fresh and tasty.

It's pretty hard to miss it being Greek with the white and blue outside decor, and a name like Olympia. But that's maybe beside the point.

I walked in and was greeted with a great, friendly voice. Once inside the decor is quite dated, and the building is very old. But that typically does not mean the food is bad. In fact many of my best dining experiences are at old mom and pop type locations. As it turns out, this was no different.

I ordered the Gyro plate, which is basically a Gyro without being wrapped in the pita. I want a little more salad and less bread.

The plate was delivered maybe less than 10 minutes after I ordered, and the portions are nice and healthy sized.

First bite the salad, fresh, crispy, clean. Dressing, nice. Second bite meat and salad, good tasting gyro meat. Third bite, I begin to chow down. Yep, this is what I desired. A clean fresh salad with yummy Greek seasoned meat, a little bit of pita, and I ordered some hummus for the side. The hummus was nice and garlicy, not quite as smooth as I'm used to, but indeed very tasty.

I finished every bit of this meal with great joy. At the end I always ask myself would I come back here again? The answer is absolutely. Next time if I'm in Coeur d'Alene for more than a few days, this will be one of my stops.

Thanks Olympia for the great meal and the...