Mad Greek Deli — Restaurant in Oregon

In a culinary world where the boundaries between sublime dining and abject food misery blur, my latest foray into the realm of Mediterranean cuisine at Mad Greek Deli serves as a cautionary tale. It seems the establishment, in a bid to escape its past culinary sins or perhaps just chasing the sun, has uprooted and shuffled itself across the street. Yet, this physical leap, rather than signaling a bold step into gastronomic innovation, feels more like a stumble into the abyss of mediocrity.

I ventured into Mad Greek Deli, a place that once shimmered in my memory like a glistening olive in a sea of feta. But nostalgia, much like my ability to digest lactose, has weakened over the years. I was greeted not by the siren songs of the Aegean but by a service so lackluster it would make a sloth look industrious. The waitstaff, moving with the urgency of continental drift, seemed perplexed by the concept of 'service with a smile', opting instead for a demeanor that suggested they were mourning the loss of Atlantis.

The pricing, ah, the pricing—soaring higher than Icarus on his most ambitious day. One might argue that with great cost comes great culinary artistry, but here the only art form was the creative way they justified the bill. I half expected to see a line item for 'ambiance' or 'theoretical enjoyment'.

The decor, much like the move across the street, felt like a physical manifestation of an existential crisis. It was as if the establishment was trying to encapsulate the essence of the Mediterranean, but instead captured the ambiance of a tourist trap on the verge of an identity crisis. One could say it had the charm of a Greek statue, if that statue was made of plastic and bought on clearance.

In conclusion, my return to Mad Greek Deli was akin to opening a time capsule, only to find it filled with bills and a note saying, "Remember how good things used to be? That was nice." As I left, I couldn't help but wonder if the real Mad Greek Deli was the memories we made along the way—or perhaps just a mirage, shimmering across the street, forever...

A bit of constructive feedback from a former server and bartender 🙂. I’m not a huge fan of seat yourself, and it wasn’t entirely obvious where the front of this place/main dining area was. Definitely where a host would come in handy, but we found our way to the main dining area/bar via the game area and directions from friendly and smiling staff we ran into along the way. Our server was lovely, very friendly and welcoming. Unfortunately, the service part pretty much ended after the order was taken. We had to get up to ask for napkins and utensils after our food was delivered, and after my boyfriend had tzatziki dripping off his chin! My suggestion would be that the server/bartender who takes the order immediately drops off the necessary utensils, napkins, and condiments after putting the order in so they are on the table when the food is delivered. Another thing is no one checked on us after food came to refill water or drinks, or offer ketchup and ask how everything was. I know the patio was busy at the time and we were indoors, but it would have still been nice for our sever to come by. Also, when we were finished we had to get up and go to the bar counter to have someone close us out. Again, would have been better if we didn’t have to get up and server drops check off at table. As for the food, we only ordered gyros and fries off the happy hour menu, which were good and felt like a great value. I definitely want to come back and try some other items. Hopefully they can get a better system worked out for the service piece because there is a lot of potential for this to be a real hot spot! Looking forward to giving it...

I'm really happy to see Mad Greek Deli reopen across from its old location. I haven't been here since I was a kid and have really fond memories of this place.

I haven't been to the Burnside location but the unfortunate thing is that this place isn't as good as the original. I ordered a Fotis Gyro Special - a gyro with lettuce, a Greek salad, and a Greek fries with omega sauce.

The gyro just didn't match up to what it used to be. Gyro House over on Baseline has a much tastier gyro and is also a locally owned chain. That said, it is perfectly serviceable - it just isn't as good as other options that are nearby.

That said, the Greek fries are exactly as I remember and it was like tasting a bit of my childhood again. I love the seasoning on them and they are just perfect with the omega sauce. I can see why others might not like them but they hit the spot for me.

The Greek salad was pretty good but I personally just don't like cucumbers much so it's hard to judge a salad where one of the main ingredients is something I don't like.

Aside from the food, the venue itself is really nice and relaxing. The water feature is great and the outdoor seating is a great atmosphere. I'd love to go here at night with some friends and just eat and chill.

While not as good as I remember, I'm glad this place is back. I'll have to try out the fried chicken (an old favorite of my mom) and some of their sandwiches next time and see if they're better than the...