Plateia Mediterranean Kitchen — Restaurant in Maine Township

To start off, we like this place. I know that’s not indicative by the stars I left and that’s based on the experience I had last night. There were four of us and everyone else was fine and liked their food. I mostly liked my dish, but I do need to leave a review so here goes.

We were seated in the bar area. I think from mow on, we’re going to ask to sit in the main dining room and will wait until a table opens up in that area. Our table backed up to one of the archway plants and it felt like there were three of us on our side of the table: my wife was on the left, I was on the right, and our child, the plant/tree was in the middle. And we got to feel an annoying chilly breeze every time the front door opened.

The chairs are meant to keep you at the table for a minimal amount of time. They are plastic and have this weird curvature on the seat edge where your legs bend and is very uncomfortable for a longer amount of time.

Our server seemed friendly but annoyed (just my opinion since I didn’t confer with my dining companions). She asked for our drinks and appetizers. I ordered a bowl of the Avgolemeno soup. On this occasion it was not as thick as usual with no chicken pieces and barely any rice in it. I think they just phoned in the making if the soup that day.

Next we got our meals. I will say this, my wife ordered a small Greek salad with salmon on the side. I watched our server write it down and then it was delivered with the salmon on the salad. I guess it’s the little things, right? Like the attention to details that make or break a restaurant. Not that it really matters as Plateia is always pretty packed. I got the char-grilled chicken. It is deboned. For the live of all things that are holy, please remove the cartilage as well. It was so delightful to constantly have to remove pieces of chicken breast from my mouth after having partially chewed a piece because of the lousy deboning but not de-cartilaging (my new word) the chicken breast. And I think that there was something wrong with the potatoes as it seemed as if there was a skin or wall to the actual potatoes. I can’t describe what was going on, but they were weird.

I get that restaurants want to pipe in music, but you’re not a bar, maybe turn that music down so diners can hear the conversation? Just a suggestion.

And I believe I discovered why our server may have been annoyed. There was a 60th birthday party in the bar area. It was unknown to us when we were seated and would have been nice had the host/hostess asked if we were okay with that. I would have said “no”. They were loud. As if they were in a private room (they weren’t) and we were all involved like a Greek version of Tony & Tina’s Wedding.

We’ll of course go back. We like the food, but I’m gonna keep my eye open for a different place that serves a chicken breast that is free of bones and cartilage and that serves their signature soup with love and not just...

Not sure if Plateia's management will take in consideration my review, because I see similar reviews and experience, but still, I hope maybe in the future their seating system will change and they'll start taking reservations, because this is ridiculous that at such a great and super busy place- they DO NOT take reservations in 2022!!!!! Me and my friends absolutely loved this place until recent experience. I decided to celebrate my birthday at Plateia because their food is great and delicious. But this was my biggest mistake and regret!! So I had a party of 12 people, called 2 weeks ahead about 3 times to try and make a reservation, to make sure that we will have a table for sure and spoke with 3 different people. Even offered a deposit to have a table guaranteed , but they refused to do that! Since I've sent the invitations earlier already , because I was sure they'll take a reservation for a big party like this, (had experience before reserving a table for a comp party, same amount of people and they did take that reservation), I decided not to change anything . Samantha was very nice on the phone and asked me what time will my guests arrive and I told her- Saturday 6:30pm, so she advised me to arrive 15 mins earlier and she guaranteed that we will be seated. So I understood that Saturday will probably be busy, but had no idea that it would be that horribly packed inside and outside, I decided to arrive even 30 mins earlier before my guests will arrive. Samantha took my name down and told me they'll do their best to seat me outside as I requested , but can't guarantee it..So the total time waiting for me was 1.5 hr , hearing that they're doing their best to get me a table outside and that they;re waiting on 1 table to leave and they'll get us seated. That DIDN'T HAPPEN ! The manager guy approached me after 1.5 hr of waiting and told me that he can't get couple of tables together outside , but can seat me INSIDE right now. Of course I took that option because I was embarrassed in front of all my guests for all that waiting time. Our waitress Anna was great and very polite!!! Food was great also, did came out very fast, no complaints about that ! My point of this review is this- basically I was told over the phone (when I called to make a reservation)- that they don't need big tables/parties like this, basically I had a feeling that they want you to go and choose another place/restaurant , that they don't care about any service they provide. And I completely understand- because they're always packed with people and they can afford to lose some regular customers . But one thing I don't understand - why such a place can't take reservations??? Is it hunger for money? to serve as many tables as you can? How does the reservation system affects this? It looks to me that the management just doesn't...

I’ll add a star back as I was finally able to visit Plateia and provide a more in-depth review of the dining experience finally.

The Good: Food all around is quite tasty and well done. Feta Pisto, avoglomono, Bakalao, and skewers with tzatziki done to perfection. The Skordalia was ok, surprisingly a tad weak in garlic though.

The Bad: Two pieces of bread were provided to us and that is even after ordering the Feta Psita which is a dippable cheese appetizer. As soon as my dad and I took our single pieces, a busser immediately took the basket absolutely no offer to get more. That said the service was very impersonable from literally everyone who worked there from the host stand to the wait staff. Felt like being shuffled in and out like cattle during the entire experience.

The Ugly: The no reservation policy is still absurd. The place was packed on a Wednesday and if you need to hear your companions sitting across from you good luck. Screaming at them in the middle of a hurricane is likely more successful. The place is in desperate need of sound insulation.

Lastly ordered my dad a Manhattan which had no price on cocktail list. When bill arrived it was obnoxiously $20. We are located in Skokie, not literally Manhattan!! That cocktail price was absurdly more expensive than my skewer entree.

My advice, order the tasty dishes to go and avoid eating there in person, as it is a circus of deception with zero help from the staff.

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Before I get into this, this certainly is a singular experience but one that is truly deserved because of Plateia’s absurd no reservations seating policy.

My Friday night birthday was approaching and I wanted a nice Greek place to dine with my family. That said with a party of eight I knew how important it would be to make a confirmed reservation with a party of that size on a weekend night

I went in person to make a reservation the following Friday only to learn that Plateia does not make such reservations. Okay fine I’ll go someplace else.

The manager Tony passesby the hostess stand overhearing my plight and reassured me that we’ll be seated no problem although the no reservation policy. I had faith in his word.

Come the following Friday, the place is literally packed from the seams with people and my family of eight was completely deceived that we would be accommodated. At this point trying to find alternate accommodations for a group of this size was next to impossible and we needed to cancel the dinner entirely.

The food looks great. But these policies and terrible deceptions by the floor manager that complete did not allow my elderly parents to celebrate my birthday is...