Geitonia Greek Grill — Restaurant in Valparaiso

Geitonia Greek Grill -- hands down the best gyros and lemon rice soup in NWI!

The gyros is moist and tender yet has a nice char on the outside, and comes with tzatziki sauce, tomato, and red onion. I add feta which is an additional $.75. Overall, it is a very delicious sandwich that is juicy and full of flavor and doesn't leave you feeling gross, greasy, and reeking of gyros and onions the way a lot of drive-thru gyros joints do. If I wasn't so frugal, I'd easily chow down on five of these in one sitting.

The avgolemono soup is perhaps the most flavorful and balanced lemon rice soup I have ever had in NWI. I like mine lemony and the lemon really stands out with this one, but not in a way that those who may find too much lemon flavor to be off putting, that they wouldn't like it. It's just the right amount of lemon flavor. With most Region joints that serve lemon rice soup, it tends to be gelatinous and more of a rice and broth flavor. Texture wise, Geitonia's soup is on the lighter side. Overall, the avgolemono soup is a must. It is absolutely delicious and light enough to consume on a summer day.

The staff is very friendly and attentive. The owner himself is always present and friendly and it is apparent that he takes pride in his food and business. He is accommodating to quickly address any issues -- for instance, I had suggested adding larger portions to the gyros and he obliged the following week. He doesn't come off as pretentious like some of the other restaurateurs in Valpo, which has caused me to not patronize their businesses. It is nice to see business owners who take pride in their business, they're there everyday behind the counter working, and make you feel they are grateful for your patronization. That's old school.

The place itself is immaculately clean. Staff cleans off tables right away. They have even offered to take my trash to the garbage for me. The environment is laid back and comfortable.

Majority of negative reviews were within their first couple weeks of being open and when they were still getting the kinks worked out. So take those with a grain of salt. Some people just are really impatient and don't comprehend that a business doesn't run smoothly right away.

I think my only recommendation would be in the future to expand to a number of additional combo meal offerings like a 2 sandwich and a drink deal or something in that sense. Maybe even offer a rewards program. Or daily food specials with food that is only offered on those special days. That's definitely a way to attract more first time customers.

So I would absolutely recommend Geitonia Greek Grill to anyone craving some delicious, authentic Greek food and wanting to get away from the usual fast food...

We have eaten here on two different occasions and both experiences were excellent. The first time we visited we had lunch on the day of the Popcorn Fest and the second time was tonight for take-out dinner.

First, let me say what Geitonia is not. It is not your typical "gyro joint" that you'll find around the region. Nothing against those places - I will hit them up at times. But at Geitonia, you're going to find a higher-level experience.

So far, we have had the traditional Greek salad, the hummus appetizer, the spicy feta dip, the salad pita, the falafel pita, the lamb pita, and the chicken souvlaki. Every item has been fresh-tasting and prepared to perfection!

The Greek salad had crisp lettuce, fresh veggies, and an outstanding dressing that was not too sour. The hummus is heavenly with a very smooth, yet thick consistency with flavors of cumin and lemon. The falafel is fried to a nice crispy texture outside with a very soft, moist inside and just a touch of heat in the spice mixture - so good! The lamb gyro is not your typical hunk of pressed gyro meat rotating on a spit. The lamb meat is real lamb, finely chopped and fried quickly on a flattop to give it a wonderful crisp outside yet soft and juicy inside. And it is seasoned perfectly! Every pita we have had has been very soft and the rice side dish has always been extremely moist and full of flavor.

Again, Geitonia isn't your typical region "gyro joint." You may pay a little more here than at one of those places, but it is so worth it!

At the time of this review, they are open 7 days a week from 11am to 9pm. Why not give them...

Edit: owner replied with no regard to quality of pita that we paid for with the sandwich but concerned about his cost for sauce? Then calls it complimentary? Be a little more generous as its an important part of a gyro and especially since others said its more like sour cream anyhow. In the long run it will cost a LOT more because we have choices.

Owner reply: Response from the owner 18 minutes ago Hello,

Thank you for your feedback. We appreciate your past business and understand your concerns about the extra sauce charge. Unfortunately, due to increased food costs, we’ve had to revise our policy regarding complimentary sauce. We hope for your understanding and continued support.

I will look into the lemon in the soup. It’s made fresh daily and we attempt our

My original review: 3rd time wasn't a charm. Each time I've dined in with others and thought it was very good. Different but seemed fresh and plentiful. Each time, we ask for more gyros sauce because it's about a dollop at best. Its $.80 for what seems like another tablespoon. Once he comped it, I guess because we spent well over $50.00.

Soup is usually very good. The lemon was overwhelming this time.

Fries hot and fresh.

The pita on my chicken gyro was literally cold on the end that didn't get wrapped (and that end was barely warmed) and tasted like something exposed in the refrigerator. I removed it and enjoyed the rest with my rice.

Quality control was severely lacking on this visit. The bill- about $32. One adult meal, one children's meal. Soup. Yes I mentioned it after I went back to my table to get my bank card for...