Athens Market Taverna — Restaurant in San Diego

I’m half Greek and I love Greek food and it’s done right here. Many times in my childhood, and later when I was an adult I went to the excellent Greek restaurants in Boston, the food is just as luscious here as at those great restaurants I grew up with. Been going here since the 1980s and 90s. After I had relocated back to the East Coast, upon my return in 2011, I have treated myself to a birthday dinner there every October until this past one. I love the Avgolemono chicken soup and the lamb shank dinner. Prices are reasonable, service is good and there is plenty of room. Never needed a reservation: they have a big space. Closed on Sundays. Family owned by Mary Pappas ever since I started going there in the 1980s. When I went on my birthdays first week of October, it was warm enough to sit at the outdoor tables on the sidewalk, except on one of those eight occasions in the past decade it was a bit chilly and I happily ate indoors. Instead of birthday celebration this past year, I’m going to do a New Year’s dinner with my cousin. This place is incredible, if you like Greek or Middle Eastern food you should love this restaurant, located right in the heart of...

Such a wonderful hidden gem in downtown. The service was great and the lovely owner even stopped by our table to check on us. There was a large party in there and it was a little loud (which didn’t bother us) and the waiter offered to seat us somewhere quieter if needed, which I appreciated. Most definitely get the three dip combo to start. Easily the best hummus I’ve ever had and also really enjoyed the satziki and the melizanasalata. I had a Greek salad and added chicken souvlaki and my friend had a Caesar salad with salmon. We both raved about the proteins on our salads being perfectly flavored and cooked. I’m looking forward to going back and trying the many other delicious sounding dishes...

We had a great dinner experience on our last night in San Diego. We found this amazing restaurant online and booked a table for two. We ordered the baby octopus and 3 dips with pita bread for starters. The pita bread was so delicious. It was warm and pillowy in texture and the dips were amazing especially the eggplant. We had lamb chops and beef skewers for the mains. They were cooked to our liking and the meat was so tender. The rub on that lamb chop was so delicious. Our server was also very nice and accommodating. The guests also seem to know each other and you could tell they were regulars. This restaurant is a...