Christos Mediterranean Grille — Restaurant in Pittsburgh

Stopped into Christos tonight after a Friday visit to The Warhol. Was a lovely little walk one block over and up from the bridge. From the moment we stepped into Christos I felt welcome in a way I haven't in a restaurant in a long, long time.

Our server was warm and delightful. He easily offered recommendations, like lemon roasted potatoes (his grandmother's recipe). You could tell he was crafting an experience, so we accepted each and every recommendation. Hummus and pita with garlic and lemon, the roasted potatoes, avgolomeno, entrees (one with chicken and and phyllo and the other with lamb - the chicken tasted like chicken pot pie, the lamb was immaculate).

I really wanted mousakka, but they were out. They make what they make for the day, and when it's gone, it's gone. Something charming about this, honestly. They don't overprep like so many other places do. Maybe it's why their prices are so low. And yes, the prices are very, very low - intentionally. Christos does not offer fine dining. It's not a modern dining facility with touch screen ordering and busting staff who get your food out in ten minutes.

(As an accessibility note: the building is old, and the restroom is through the kitchen. I think a wheelchair can get through, but would need to be careful. Children would need to be carefully supervised.)

Christos is a step back in time and across space. It's Old World time, where things happen when they happen. The space? I felt like I was a traveler, tired from the road on a trip to Greece, invited into a family farmhouse for a warm meal and a rest.

I had a glass of homemade wine: white and sweet. My partner had a boozy Onassis coffee that was so perfectly balanced that I had to remind him there was alcohol in it. The walls are covered in history: people, places, artifacts; lives that made Christos possible. Memories that made the space feel personal, like someone's home.

At the end of the meal we ordered baklava. "Anywhere, you can get baklava. Here, you can try the Jacqueline Onassis dessert!" - so instead of two baklava to go, our server brought one slice of Onassis dessert. Lighter than angel food cake, honey instead of sugar, moist beyond belief, only two eggs in the whole cake (14 slices!). "Will you take one to go, then?" "Two, actually."

It was a long dinner. 3 staff worked together, methodically but not quickly. It was nice to be reminded to take my time, enjoy my night. It was worth every penny and every minute. It wasn't just food, it was an experience our server had curated for us. "What's your name?" I asked him before we left. "Christos" he replied, grinning at me, delighting at the revelation. Thank you, Christos. We'll...

Stopped here during a visit to Pittsburgh thinking it would be a great little place for authentic Greek food. However it was not. The person who was waiting tables was, I believe, the owner. He tried to upsell everything, and told every customer the same stories. That was all fine and honestly pretty entertaining.

Where I was most disappointed was the food. The hummus was acceptable but very thin and watered down. It was served with cheap, store bought pita. The lemon potatoes were old and rubbery. I got a chicken kebab, which was one kebab. It tasted like the meat went bad and was cooked anyway. I took one bite and was afraid to eat any more. The rest of the food was really just mediocre, rubbery, and tasted like it was microwaved. I have had a fair amount of Greek food to compare.

I was also overcharged by a large amount when I went to pay the bill (which I guess was the wine which I assumed was complimentary since it’s not on the menu) I wish I had asked for a breakdown of the charges before I paid, I calculated I owed maybe $40-45. I was charged $56. I thought I miscalculated but honestly just think I was ripped off. The person manning the register was also the cook and would come out to ring up customers when the waiter called for him. Not sure how he could be doing anything but reheating food in a microwave to be able to step out of the kitchen on a whim like that.

In addition, I saw that food and plates that were cleared from people’s tables were not thrown away but placed haphazardly on the counter near new food coming out. I was concerned about how hygienic it was. I would be forgiving with that if it wasn’t for the extremely poor quality of the food.

Usually don’t write bad reviews but this was really bad. I noticed the only customers were tourists, which is also a telling sign that this is a place to stay away from. Hopefully this review can prevent someone from making the same mistake I did by...

The common thing I see with a lot of these reviews is about the owner and how he is a very nice old man. Let me say off the bat that part is absolutely true. The owner/server was cery much the best part of this restaurant, but let me talk about the negatives first.

The food is just not good. We were first recommended a salad with potatoes that is a recipe from the owner's grandmother. The salad was drenched with dressing, and the potatoes were just too much for what is supposed to be a light meal. I also felt almost peer-pressured into ordering, and it just wasn't it, unfortunately.

Next, I ordered the Moussaka, a very classic dish from Greece. It was my first time trying it, and it was not very good. Everything was very mushy, and I'm not sure if that's the restaurant's fault or just how the meal is meant to be.

I also ordered a Lamb Kebab, and it was undercooked, unfortunately. I see so many good reviews, so I'm just hoping it was a bad day for them. It also did not help that there were a bunch of flies flying around.

Now, let me get into the positives, and of course, the owner was the highlight. He will try to recommend a lot, but he does mean well. He has a lot of care for his restaurant and has some very interesting stories. While we didn't have the best dining experience, the owner was still very kind to us.

The one great meal we had was the dessert the owner recommended. Apparently, it was a dessert that First Lady Jackie Kennedy enjoyed, so that was a neat story. The dessert is kind of similar to a tres leches cake and was very good. It was also on the house since we didn't eat the kebab.

Overall, the food is just not my cup of tea. We also spent a lot more than we should've. They at least have an awesome dessert, and the owner was such a kind...