Garlic Lovers Corner — Restaurant in Town of North Greenbush

So I have to say that the food here is exceptional but I give it ONE STAR BECAUSE OF THE OWNER. I have been here many times and each time the owner isn't there my experience has been great, the food always good and the service exceptional. However, the owner's bedside manner is very lacking and I will never go if he serves me again. He is brusque, rude, and his service is horrible. When my family and I walked into the restaurant on a Thursday evening, there was one other table with two people. The restaurant was empty and as we walked in, the owner looked at me and my children and said Yes? As in what are you doing here? As if we were there to do him a favor!! I can understand if the restaurant was slammed, however that type of welcome isn't exactly what I want to go to pay for.

It just gets better... after we were seated...the owner comes back and says are you ready to order. No water...didn't even ask if we wanted something to drink. By contrast, he took care of the two top table fawning over each detail for this couple.

At the end of the meal, my partner signed the bill and went to heat up the car. The owner comes over to me and says " I cant read this and almost throws the bill at me." I look at the bill and noticed that my partner wrote the tip in-correctly. As I dial my partner on the phone...the owner yells out to me "HERE WE LEAVE 15% to 20%" I mean how rude! I am on the phone trying to figure out if it was an honest mistake but I have never in my life been treated so poorly.I corrected the mistake and though we left him 20% his service honestly did not deserve even a dollar.

I have never written a review and honestly I wasn't going to bother with this one but this isn't the first time he has been this brusque with me...Not sure if he has an issue with people of color or what the deal is but if I do want to eat their food, I would think twice just because of him. I have had his nephew serve me and my family before and any other server at the restaurant has been polite and very welcoming but the owner needs to brush up on some etiquette...

The food at Garlic Lovers Corner is always great in my opinion. The have great Mediterranean food. Their hummus is the best I've ever had, it's smooth and creamy and seasoned perfectly. I typically order their Greek Salad with Gyro meat (I'm gluten free), and it's one of my favorite all-time salads. Their Green Goddess-type dressing is out of this world, and I could eat their dolmas all day! I'm so glad they come in the salad! When dining with friends/family, they always love ordering the gyro sandwich and fries. They also say the pita is wonderful. The pita always comes out hot and freshly made. The only downside of this restaurant is the service. It is EXTREMELY slow. There typically is only one waitstaff, and I believe only one cook. I tend to order right when I'm seated so there is not an extra delay, but even so, I usually don't get out of there under an hour. Since I typically go during lunchtime from work, it can be an issue. Other than that, it's...

I'm just sorry I waited so long to try this restaurant. I didn't know it features a lot of Greek cuisine. Amidst soothing sounds of Greek music, I ordered the beef and lamb gyro with tzatziki sauce. The pita and meat came warm and both were tender and easy to eat, the raw vegies were fresh and colorful, the sauce was delicious. Instead of fries I was offered a bean salad, which was also delicious after a light sprinkling of salt and pepper. The restaurant itself is cozy but there is ample space between the tables, it looks and smells clean. There is a soothing color theme of earth tones. I came early for lunch (just before noon) but two other couples came in right after me. The waitstaff was welcoming and friendly. The only disappointment was no baklava for dessert (surprising!) but the coffee and spumoni were good. I will definitely be returning with family...