Kouzina — Restaurant in Peabody

Restaurant Review: Kouzina Greek Restaurant 📍 134 Newbury St, Peabody, MA 01960

Kouzina is a family-owned Greek restaurant on Route 1 that serves food made with love and top-notch ingredients. They even import their olive oil directly from Greece, which adds an authentic touch to every dish. I got a behind-the-scenes look at how some items are made, and it’s clear that quality is their priority. Here’s my breakdown of the menu:

Appetizers Spanakopita Crispy phyllo pastry filled with spinach, herbs, and feta. The portion size was huge—like a slice of pizza! A must-try for anyone who loves Greek classics. 9/10

Kolokithakia (Fried Zucchini Chips) Thinly sliced zucchini chips served with homemade tzatziki sauce. The flavor was fantastic, but I wish they were slightly crispier. 9/10

Greek Fries Freshly cut fries topped with aged feta and oregano. You can’t go wrong with fries and cheese—absolutely perfect. 10/10

Oktapodi (Grilled Octopus) Tender grilled octopus served with creamy fava. It was delicious but slightly fatty. If you enjoy octopus, this dish will impress you. 9/10

Saganaki (Flamed Kefalotyri Cheese) A showstopper! This Greek cheese is flamed with ouzo right at your table. The gooey texture and tangy flavor were amazing. My boyfriend even mistook it for bread when I reheated it at home. A must-order. 10/10

Horiatiki (Village Salad) A traditional salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, peppers, barrel-aged feta, and kalamata olives, tossed in olive oil and oregano. Fresh, shareable, and flavorful. 9/10

Entrees Pork Gyro A classic gyro packed with pork, tomato, onion, fries, and tzatziki in a soft pita. They didn’t skimp on the tzatziki, which I really appreciated. Absolutely delicious. 10/10

Deluxe Souvlaki Skewers Chicken and pork skewers cooked to juicy perfection. The meat was tender, but I wanted more dipping sauce to pair with it. 9/10

Dessert Galaktobouriko A creamy semolina custard wrapped in flaky pastry and drenched in honey syrup, topped with a cherry sauce. A refreshing alternative to baklava and an absolute must-try. 9/10

Final Thoughts Kouzina is a cozy gem for Greek food lovers. Their dishes are authentic, flavorful, and made with care. During the holiday season, the restaurant is beautifully decorated, adding to the charm.

Food: 9/10 Ambiance: 10/10 Affordability: 7/10 (Gyros are a great deal at $13, but some other items are slightly pricier.)

If you’re craving authentic Greek flavors in a welcoming atmosphere, Kouzina is the perfect spot. Whether you’re there for a fiery saganaki or a classic gyro, you won’t be...

There's something for everyone on this menu, but service can be an issue.

It's a restaurant straight out of the mid-80's (this is not a bad thing!). Good Greek entrees, with solid diner fare. We were greeted and seated promptly. After our orders were taken warm white bread rolls & butter were brought to the table. Entrees come with a choice of two sides and, as noted in other reviews, portions are generous.

The food arrived in a reasonable amount of time, but the kid's pasta dish was brought last -- with an uncomfortable interval between the adults' entrees hitting the table and the kid's meal arriving. In my book this is an important detail. Kids' meals should arrive first. Now, a nice touch was even though the order was plain pasta with no sauce, the server brought marinara sauce on the side just to be sure.

All of the entrees at the table were reported to be good: spanakopita, grilled chicken salad, stuffed eggplant, and a chicken souvlaki wrap. I thought the Horiatiki salad (shared as an appetizer) and the green bean side dish (actually stewed with tomatoes and spices, but not described by the server as such) were real standouts. Both were flavorful.

The fries might have arrived at the table hot, but it was a while before I could eat them: as I mentioned, we had to wait until the kid's meal arrived and the server didn't automatically bring ketchup. I had to ask for it.

After the food arrived, our meal took a weird nose dive. Our server disappeared. I'm not sure he checked back, and even when we saw him, he was running around the store and not available to refill drinks. Another server (manager? hostess?) briefly appeared at one point and partially bussed away dirty dishes, but then stopped doing this to run food from the open kitchen window. We sat for a few minutes until I finally had to get up and ask our server for more water while he was at the bar getting drinks for another table.

Yes, our server was slammed and perhaps new to the job (he wasn't servicing multiple tables at once, just one at a time). I don't understand where the rest of his team was -- why they weren't supporting him instead going to the side area, sipping water and talking.

It's a pity I had such a negative service experience. One of my friends has been to this store multiple times and assured me this was not the usual...

I was impressed by the very high quality of the dishes I ordered; the welcoming and completely hospitable behavior of our waitress; and the decor of Kouzina.

These impressions were totally unexpected. I had never eaten before at Kouzina. In all frankness I expected far worse than I received.

What did I order?

Keftedes I ordered Keftedes because Keftedes are the Greek cousins of Romania's Chiftea. Both dishes amount to ground meat (in Romania the choice are wide, including Chicken, Pork, Beef or Lamb. Keftedes at Kouzina included ground beef.) in combination with onion, carrots, spices. Kouzina labels them "Greek Meatballs."

Keftedes exhibited a nuanced set of flavors. The yogurt side accentuated the range of tastes when I spread it on the morsels I ate.

Mousaka Recently transplanted from Central Long Island, to my new home in Southwestern New England, I have to admit to some "home sickness" for one my favorite restaurants - Kyma, in Roslyn NY.

What stood out for me at Kyma? The Mousaka.

I hoped to revive some delectable tastes by sampling Kouzina's Mousaka appetizer.

Not only did I revive these tastes, but I said hello to a completely unexpected rich set of new ones, based on the comparatively light, but nonetheless, delicious version of the dish.

The lighter impression of Kouzina's Mousaka was a definite plus - no "weight in my stomach" feeling after I ate almost all of the appetizer.

Oktapodi My fondest recollection of my days of eating at Greek restaurants on Long Island, included this dish, but rendered differently at Loukhomi on Ditmars Blvd in the borough of Queens, NY.

But never had I had as fresh and perfectly grilled Oktapodi as I enjoyed during this visit to Kouzina. The Fava bean paste accompanying the dish, once again, did a perfect job of accentuating the range of tastes possible from the main dish.

What more could one ask of a side dish? Perfect.

I also enjoyed the traditional Village Salad (my only quibble, the tomatoes could have been a bit riper), and an appetizer of Rack of Lamb chops prepared as other lamb dishes are prepared in Greece.

Price?

Quite reasonable in my opinion, for 2 people, the total bill including tip...