Naxos Estiatorio — Restaurant in Woodland Park

I'm Greek and my family has a Greek restaurant. The food is not authentic. In fact the lamb chops were not marinated and had no taste, except for tasting like a raw lamb. We had reservations and were excited to try the food. But, at first glance the place looked stylish but no table was available. Now, my beautiful wife, daughter, and myself were dressed to kill. Yet many people there were under dressed with guys in T shirts, jeans, and sneakers. Dress code is low class. Our table was not available still.. We waited 15 minutes mire and still no table. They offered a stool table for 2 when were are 3 people. So stupid. So since we were starving we accepted a table outside while it was raining. Meanwhile, my wife and daughter are wearing expensive clothes and shoes but we could not sit inside as we insisted. Whatever the case the vibe, was not even pleasant. It's our first time, but they didn't like us for whatever reason. It was bizzare. We're Greek, but no one who severed us was Greek. We had to order appetizer and main course at same time. As usual, restaurants that do this tend to rush the process. 5 minutes after appetizer and while we still eating they wanted to clear the table because main course was ready. Several times they interrupted us literally every minute if were done eating. In fact one of the severs took our utensils away and without asking. I had to tell them to stop and let us eat. Finally, we gave in let them take our appetizer that were half left. The main course came out. The lamb chops was the worst I ever had. I had 4 pieces and on my second chop the servers again started "Are you done, can we take this away." We have food in our mouths and I didn't even reply. My wife and daughter got so upset and just wanted to leave. They quickly brought take out boxes. We hadn't even gone through half the dinner, but it was that good anyway and we wound up throwing it in the garbage. What a waste for over $300. We were out within an hour. I really looked forward to this place, but it's a total disappointment. We didn't know why we were treated so impolitelly. I tried to speak Greek but no one was Greek. It was a real waste of an evening and our dinner was not enjoyable. In Greek culture eating and atmosphere is very important to us. I left a tip because I'm good person, but on the way home, I regret tipping. I would not recommend this restaurant (more like a fast food joint). We were the best dressed there, but we realized this is a low level joint. Terrible attitude by staff and most people there dressed below average. The food prices are high for the poor quality. The servers never even smiled or were nice. Honestly, its a dump. If you want authentic Greek food go the Its Greek To Me or the place...

The most unprofessional restaurant experience I’ve ever had. We came with my family and my 14-pound certified service Maltipoo. The staff were wonderful — friendly, professional, and even some guests played with our dog. The food looked great, the atmosphere was pleasant, and everything was perfect… until the administrator managed to destroy it all.

Forty minutes into our meal, after food was already served, she barged in, interrupted us mid-bite, and told us to leave because of the dog — despite our legal right to be there. No apology, no polite solution, just humiliation. This could have been handled with grace by first speaking directly with us, offering a respectful compromise, and explaining to her staff in advance how such situations should be handled. Instead, she ruined the restaurant’s beautiful impression, the food, the service, and our family lunch. Our food to-go was inedible after the long trip home. First time in my life being kicked out of a restaurant. Absolutely unacceptable.

Thank you for your reply. I must clarify a few important points. The dog in question is my daughter’s certified service animal, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD). Under these laws, service animals are legally permitted in all public areas, including restaurants, regardless of state or local health regulations. Your establishment is required to comply with these federal and state laws.

Neither ADA nor New Jersey law requires a service dog to wear a vest, special collar, or any identification. A lack of such markings is not a valid reason to deny access.

You can review your own security camera footage to confirm that my dog was never aggressive, never drank water from the table, and remained calm and under control at all times. In fact, both guests and staff interacted positively with her, and she was almost always in my daughter’s arms. She also has her own water bowl, which was used during our visit.

Even if there had been any concern, this matter could have been addressed professionally and respectfully — by first speaking with us directly, offering a reasonable solution, and ensuring your staff understands how such situations should be handled in compliance with ADA and NJLAD. Instead, your administrator chose to escalate the situation in an unprofessional and humiliating way, ruining not only our family lunch and the day, but also the otherwise positive impression left by your staff.

I strongly recommend that your management and staff receive proper ADA and NJLAD compliance training to prevent future violations and to ensure respectful treatment of all guests with...

My Greek friend was celebrating her birthday so we decided to try Naxos. The building was beautifully remodeled, very light and bright, and the staff was very friendly. The dishes we ordered were good but the price point was high. If you would like a salad, you will have to find a partner in crime because they are large, and they do not offer a side salad portion. Unfortunately the drinks did not deliver. As for my rating on service, it is a rating that includes the entire staff as they all play a roll in delivering a good experience and some things are just beyond the control of the server. We were a table of 4 and ordered a reasonable amount of food. We were also there early (4:00pm on a Saturday) and the restaurant was not busy at all. While writing this, I am actually surprised as to how many issues we experienced: (1) pita was never served with the dips they place on the table at the onset; (2) upon delivery of drinks, one of glasses had lipstick on it; (3) we needed to remind our server of the ice tea we ordered before it finally arrived; (4) using a tablet to take an order may not be the best method ... the server chose an incorrect entre and thankfully we were able to catch it during the read-back; (5) a simple dish listed on the menu (stuffed peppers) was not available ... that's an odd thing not to be able to prepare; (6) when plates were served, the dishes were placed in front of the wrong guest; (7) and lastly, we ordered a double espresso with a shot of Sambuca and received a single espresso with a double shot of Sambuca. Most of these issues are from a lack of training and attention to detail. Hopefully management read the reviews and make corrections because after one such experience, I don't know how eager we...