Kalos grill — Restaurant in Tempe

So I normally don't write restaurant reviews but the owner of this place spent an hour or more talking to us and since I really liked the food, I decided to take some time to write this. My friends and I were going to a spring training baseball game at Tempe Diablo and wanted to have some beers before heading to the stadium. We found "The Buffalo Spot" online and met there but found they don't have alcohol. Next door was this place, Kalos which did so we went in on a Sunday morning around 11am and had a few rounds. The beers were $3-$4 which is normal for a fast casual place and cheaper than most bars. I was hungry and they had a special on rice bowls for $5 which normally cost $6.95. I got brown rice (choice of saffron, white, brown) and chicken (choice of several meats including filet mignon for a $2 upcharge) along with all the veggies including the jalapenos and pepperoncinis. The chicken was tasty, the veggies were plentiful and steamed to the right level. And for the amount of food you got, it was a great value at $5 and would have been a good value even at $6.95. After the game we walked back because we left our cars there and Lyfted to the game and we decided to go back in for a couple of more rounds. That's when the owner came and talked to us. My buddy got a rice bowl with Gyro meat and the owner also brought us a sample of filet mignon for all of us to try. The Gyro meat (lamb) and the filet mignon were both great quality meats; tender with absolutely no fat or gristle. If you want a healthy, good tasting meal quickly for a good price then you should try this place. I'm not very familiar with Mediterranean food but this place definitely exceeded my...

Let me start by saying that I LOVE Mediterranean food. But, It's a struggle to find good Mediterranean food. Kalos almost hit the mark. I ordered the filet mignon plate with Greek salad, roasted red pepper hummus and yellow rice. I also ordered a side of fried mushrooms.

TLDR: Good flavors, and a couple issues that needed to be ironed out with my order. Worth a re-try, but probably won't order the mushrooms again.

Starting with the positive - the beef is really good. Cooked medium, nice flavor, etc. Rice was really really good - and they give you plenty of it. Hummus was fine, but not a highlight. Salad was fresh. But, to start with the not so good - there was no dressing on, or included with, the salad. Further, I had ordered tahini as the main sauce, but added garlic sauce as an upcharge. Received the up-charged garlic sauce, but no tahini. Unfortunately, the fried mushrooms were underdone. The batter was soft enough that it just slid off when picking up a mushroom. And, they hadn't included the ranch that comes with it. I caught that before I left, and she just said they ran out, but I could choose something different. However, had I not checked, I wouldn't have had anything to dip them in. Lastly, the order was confirmed for pickup between 555 and 6pm. I always come a little early so I can get it right when it comes out. I arrived at 540, and it was already sitting there done. Had I come at the early estimate of 555, it would have already been sitting there...

Wtf is up with this place? Employee not wearing a mask as he breathes over the food he’s prepping for us. Menu confusing, also containing stuff you wouldn’t expect at a joint like this. Burgers/wings/Baba ghanouj?

The veggies were over-steamed and soggy as F$&#. Rice was hard and bland, seemingly from a box. The falafel was actually quite delicious, but everything else was over salted and over cooked. Sauces and hummus were absolutely flavorless and over salted. Sodium is the name of the game here: buyer beware.

No napkins, utensils, lids, or straws were provided, until we stood at the register afterwards looking like idiots. Teenagers running the place? Come on, guys. They’re bitching at each other for using the restroom and shit while we’re out here, the only ones the restaurant, waiting forever to get some food. It was one of the most disorganized ordering experiences I’ve ever had. I wish I would’ve walked instead of giving them my money.

Maybe we got the JV staff. No idea. But a first impression is a first impression, and this sub-mediocre experience will be the one and only for...