Hellenic Kouzina — Restaurant in Mechanicsburg

A True Central PA Treasure!

I had dined at Hellenic Kouzina several years ago when work brought me to the Greater Harrisburg, PA, area, and later took my wife there to eat when we were passing through on our way to another destination. We enjoyed the food very much on both occasions. However, I would be seriously remiss if I did not post a review about the wonderful experience I had there with family in June of 2021. My wife and I were driving my mother-in-law and sister-in-law to Newark Int'l. Airport to catch a flight to Greece and I wanted to surprise them with a good Greek meal to send them off. Three days prior to departing Pittsburgh, I emailed the restaurant and asked how far they were located from the PA Turnpike exit and explained that I would be stopping with family. The restaurant is apparently owned and/or managed by two sisters and a brother, and I received a welcoming reply.

We arrived at the restaurant mid-afternoon on June 12th and, as we entered from the vestibule, I saw a woman approaching with the relaxed but confident look of an owner. It was the sister of the woman I had spoken to on the phone, who had alerted her sister that I would be arriving. I pointed out my 89-year-old mother-in-law sitting on the bench and Konstantina sat down next to her and began speaking to her in Greek. My mother-in-law instantly became a fan of the restaurant! We were seated by a relaxing waterfall wall. Within a few minutes, an order of fried calamari appeared at our table, compliments of Konstantina. Later on, as we were almost finished with our meals, a young man - the brother in the management group - came by to ask if we enjoyed our meals. He sent a complimentary order of baklava ice cream to our table to share. Everyone enjoyed their food very much, but I must make a point to note that my mother-in-law was very pleased with her food and repeatedly said so. This coming from a woman who does not like to eat out often and typically does not order Greek food out. But she got the turkey burger and sweet potato fries - which were drizzled with honey and sprinkled with cinnamon - and she loved them. I got the moussaka and it melted in my mouth. After we left, my sister-in-law told her husband over the phone that it was the best Greek restaurant she had ever eaten at in her life, and my mother-in-law continued to rave about it in the car as we drove.

Hellenic Kouzina has got it going on! I love EVERYTHING about it! Let me explain why. First, it is not just another gyro shop. It has a full menu with just about every popular Greek entree dish you can imagine, and also some creative new ones. They also have a delicious array of desserts. Second, the food is delicious. Third, the atmosphere is clean, smartly furnished and comfortable, while at the same time relaxing and not stuffy. The cool air conditioning was welcome on a hot day. Lastly, the owners epitomize the Greek concept of "Philoxenia." This word is the common Greek term for hospitality and literally means "love of or friend of the stranger." They were so friendly, kind and welcoming. It was a lovely, delightful touch for Konstantina, for example, to take the time to sit with my mother-in-law and speak to her in Greek.

My mother-in-law enjoyed her visit to Hellenic Kouzina so much that she even stated that it was worth it for my wife (and I) or one of her sisters to make the drive from the Pittsburgh area - over 3 hours - to enjoy a meal there. She even continued to rave about the restaurant after arriving in Greece when we Facetimed! Not small praise coming from her, I assure you. I hope that residents of Mechanicsburg, Harrisburg and the surrounding area know what a treasure they have in Hellenic Kouzina. If not, I hope this review enlightens them. I can tell you this with all assurance: If my wife and I lived closer to this restaurant, they would be taking a chunk of our income on a regular basis. I'd probably have to fight the urge to eat here weekly. It was that enjoyable. My name's not Arnold, but rest assured "I'll be...

HK is one of the very few highly rated restaurants in downtown Mechanicsburg. It's easy to spot, marked by a modern exterior with an expansive array of glass panels. The entrance is pragmatically located in the back. Parking can be tight in its private parking lot. Even with street parking, it can be painful finding a nearby spot.

There are 2 separate order lines: one for dine-in and one for take-out. You order and pay at the counter, given a buzzer, seat yourself, and a server will bring your food to your table. Think Noodles & Co, and Panera Bread. I love their interior. The Greek blue can be seen on the pendant lights, the floor tiles, and the seat cushions. There is a giant water wall in the middle of the dining area with Greek columns on each side. Very impressive.

The menu offers typical Greek fare, mostly quick eats such as salad, soup, spread, and gyros. There are also half a dozen choices for bigger entrees. We ordered a Signature Gyro which features marinated pork, and a Chicken Gyro. The tomatoes and onion toppings were fresh and refreshing, providing the much needed balance for the savory proteins. Speaking of which, the pork was tough and dry, and way too salty; the chicken was much better. The pitas were perfect. They were moist, warm and springy. The serving size was rather small given the price, about the same size as the small bag of chips that came with the order. Not quite enough for a real meal.

So a mix bag of hits and misses. I like it that it's informal and offers fun selection of quick eats. Much of what fell short in the food and services were somewhat made up by the nice setting. As I was pondering which way to sum up my experience today, I got a quick resounding answer swing to the negative: After the dine-in, I ordered a gyro to go. While waiting for my order, I snapped 2 more photos of the water wall from the waiting area. Suddenly the manager popped up in front of my face and wanted me to stop taking pictures - "out of respect of his patrons", he said, as if I wasn't one as well. That was a first! That, along with the tone of his voice, justified or not, put a big damper on the whole experience...

Hellenic Kouzina was quite the dining experience. The restaurant boasts a wonderful ambience, highlighted by a beautiful glass waterfall divider in the middle of the room. What immediately caught my attention was how impeccably clean the bathrooms were, a testament to their commitment to cleanliness. There's an enticing open air patio, but we chose to dine inside as it was a bit brisk this fine fall day.

Now, onto the unique ordering process. At Hellenic Kouzina you place your order, pay and tip right away at the register, which is somewhat unexpected for a restaurant that leans toward a finer dining experience. Nevertheless, any initial skepticism was swiftly dispelled by the attentive servers who promptly delivered our food once we were seated. The slight hiccup was that I hadn't anticipated this pay-first-serve-later setup, and unfortunately I paid by credit card and didn't have enough cash on hand to leave a respectable tip. This, made me feel terrible because both the food, especially the lamb Souvlacki, and the service were excellent.

Speaking of the lamb Souvlacki, it was a delightful reminder of a dish I hadn't enjoyed in years, as it's not commonly found in many Greek restaurants these days. The flavors were authentic and satisfying and the lamb was cooked to perfection. The salad was a refreshing mix of fresh greens with a generous smattering of Feta cheese. The fried Calamari appetizer we ordered was slightly overcooked, but the seasoning was tasty.

My dinner didn't come with any pita bread which was a little disappointing and our server, though exceptionally polite and attentive, didn't appear to know much English which made it difficult to get this across to her so I did without.

In conclusion, despite the initial surprise regarding the payment process, I plan to return to Hellenic Kouzina. Next time, I'll make sure to have cash on hand for a well-deserved tip, as I believe in letting the meal and service set the stage for tipping - like waiting for a play to unfold before applauding the actors. Hellenic Kouzina offers a memorable dining experience, and I look forward to...