The Big Greek Cafe — Restaurant in Sterling

Never again. Truly objectionable slop. I came to what used to be Souvlaki Bar for dinner on my break only to be disappointed to discover they've been bought out by what I suspected from the branding and the menu was an inferior chain. I didn't have time to rethink my dinner plans so I figured I'd have to give them a try. I truly tried to give them a fair shot and keep an open mind, but how right my instincts turned out to be.

I tried to get the closest thing to what I would have ordered form Souvlaki Bar - lamb souvlaki bowl with falafel. Only there is no lamb on the Big Greek Cafe menu unless you order the expensive lamb chops, and the only beef option is the gyro meat. The bowls also come with pre-determined ingredients, which lack the olives, cucumbers, feta, beets, pickled onions, and roasted corn I used to get (as well as most of the other ingredients and dips/dressings on the Souvlaki Bar menu). So you're stuck getting a bowl with basically nothing in it, which they make up for by undeserving rice and stuffing the bowl with romaine lettuce until there is no room left for you to mix the ingredients, leaving you to spill lettuce and cabbage everywhere as you try to dig down deep enough to get rice on your fork. And since there is no room to mix the ingredients, they are all clumped on the edge of the bowl they were added next to, meaning one bite you get a mouthful of sauce, another bite a mouthful of soggy shredded carrots, and so on all while feeling like you're eating a salad because of all the lettuce and lack of rice.

But it's the taste and texture that's the worst part. The rice is slimy and clumpy, and the gyro meat us utterly tasteless with a texture like something that came out of a can. The bowl comes with a runny sauce that tastes like watery mayonnaise. It was so anemic and disgusting I couldn't even bring myself to use it. The pita was okay, as were the falafel and tzatziki, but you only get 5 little falafel balls for $8, accompanied by a mound of diced tomatoes and romaine lettuce for no reason with one solitary kalamata olive sitting on top. Not even close to being worth the price. The bowl is also overpriced at $13.75. I've had $10 pizza shop gyros with more flavor.

So not only does this place lack in distinctively greek ingredients, they can't even get the basics of preparing the food or nailing the flavor profile right, nor do they proportion things reasonably, and overcharge for everything. The end result is an obviously unserious cash grab cosplaying as a tacky greek slop farm buying out their superior competitors and whose business model depends on people whose only point of reference for greek food is disappointing gyros from pizza joints and food trucks (which I would gamble on over this chain any day of the week). Not that I'm an expert on greek food but I'm knowledgeable enough to see what a joke this chain is. I pity the poor soul whose yia yia used to feed...

I used to love this spot in Sterling back when it was Souvlaki Bar. It was my go-to for Greek food, especially after climbing. The vibe was right, and the food was consistently great. I even brought friends there when they visited because it was just that good.

My regular order was the Chicago-style gyro with feta fries, and it was seriously amazing. The food just hit different – felt high quality, tasted incredible.

Then it got sold and became The Big Greek Café. Honestly, the food quality took a nosedive. I went the other day and tried to order the closest thing to my old favorite—just their regular gyro. It wasn't even close. They just stuffed it full of meat and drowned it in white sauce. It felt like zero thought went into balancing anything; it was way too much crammed in and just a mess to eat.

The meat itself wasn’t bad, but compared to how this place used to make gyros? It’s a real letdown, almost insulting.

What’s confusing is that a lot of the same staff seem to still be here—and they were clearly skilled before. That makes it hard to believe the drop in quality is on them. It really feels like the issue is with the new recipes, prep, or direction from ownership.

This place went from one of my top spots to somewhere I probably won’t go back to. If I’m in the area and need food, I’d honestly rather hit up Cava or Choolah down the street. There’s just no reason to pick Big Greek Café anymore.

To the owner: I don’t get why things changed. The old way was awesome. The food didn’t need fixing—please consider bringing it back.

Bottom line: Used to be fantastic. Now it’s a pass. Majorly...

A Disappointing End to a Long-Standing Loyalty

As a long-time regular of this establishment, both before and after the name change to The Big Greek Cafe, it's with a heavy heart that I write this review. I've cherished the meals here for years, especially as a Sterling, VA native living within walking distance. However, a recent experience has unfortunately led me to close this chapter.

My initial disappointment began when the name change resulted in the loss of all my accumulated loyalty points, a setback for a frequent customer. Despite this, I continued to visit, valuing the convenient and tasty meals.

Today, however, marked a significant turning point. For the first time, I discovered a fly in my food. What was even more disheartening was the response I received. Instead of an immediate apology and an offer to remake my meal, I had to request a remake. The explanation I was given was that the fly "probably came from the window," which felt dismissive. I then had to insist on a full remake, and even then, I was only offered the rice and salad components of my chicken bowl, NOT the chicken itself.

The complete lack of apology or acknowledgment of fault was truly unprofessional and, frankly, shocking for a customer who has been so loyal. I had hoped that my history as a regular would lead to a more understanding and accommodating response, but that was not the case.

While I've enjoyed many yummy meals here over the years, the recent lack of professionalism and the handling of this situation have been deeply disappointing. It's truly heartbreaking to say goodbye to a local spot I've frequented...