Michael T.
Yelp
4.5 stars and 2,600 reviews should say a lot about a local restaurant, and I was hoping all of that would deliver in spades when my family and I were in the area visiting. So I reached out to see about a large reservation during what I expected would be a very busy time of year, and if I was basing my review on the experience booking that with George's alone (or the lamb chops frankly), this would be a solid 5 stars, but unfortunately that friendly, welcoming, and responsive service didn't carry through to the actual meal, which left me and my guests wondering what happened.
First off, George's offers a family style service which includes hummus, tzatziki, choice of saganaki or spanikopita, pita, rice, Greek salad, gyro and chicken souvlaki in an all you can eat table service format for $30/pp. You can add lamb chops to your meal for $10 additional and you are not required to add it for all people in your party, which is nice. This option is offered on the regular menu and doesn't need to be prearranged, so you can show up with a crew and get down!
Along with the great looking food and reviews on their Yelp page, this was a big draw because it meant we didn't have to order and could just eat and enjoy the company at the table, so I booked the reservation.
We arrived on a drizzly evening to find a relatively empty restaurant (2-3 tables) which never really got busier as the night progressed. That turned out to be a blessing because when we checked in with the hostess they seemed to have no knowledge of our reservation or a table ready and a bit annoyed when we arrived, but put the table together quickly.
That vibe kind of carried over to our server, who was initially happy to talk us through the family style service so everyone understood how it worked, but then seemed annoyed that our group of more than 12 had additional requests for refills of food and beverage during the meal. I think that was because he seemed to be the only waiter on the floor and had to address at least two large parties at once and another table on the patio.
Once we confirmed the lamb chop orders, the food began to arrive quickly though. The hummus and tzaziki came relatively quickly, followed by the salad and gyro, then the saganaki, followed quite a bit later by the chicken souvlaki.
The saganaki was the highlight of the meal. The presentation was wow for the kids and the cheese was nicely cooked. I wish we had thought to ask for more of this during the meal but we didn't.
The hummus and tzaziki were ok, but a bit bland for me, and they came in small quantities so they had to be requested multiple times. The hummus was homemade but I was looking for a nice lemony garlic kick, but this was definitely more middle of the road in terms of flavor. Same could be said for the tzaziki which did not have a real pronounced dill or herb flavor nor that tang from the yogurt.
The gyro was the exact same cone of pressed meat you find at any street cart or fast casual Greek restaurant, and came out pretty dry and to me, this stuff never tastes good. I was really hoping for something special given all the rave reviews, so this was a let down, but I was looking forward to the chicken.
The chicken was unanimously loved by all, and came out hot, succulent and juicy, but in such a small portion (four small skewers per 5-6 guests) and so long after the initial set of food that it was gone in a flash and more had to be ordered immediately, along with more of the sides as well.
All of the individual requests and reorders seemed to annoy our server further during the meal, which I can't explain because it's part of the service. It also could have easily been avoided by bringing slightly larger portions to be shared by the table, as we ended up passing many dishes up and down our group of 12.
All in all, the meal was fine and we all got to enjoy our time together thanks to this format, but I really expected better based on the glowing reviews and wonderful service I received while booking. I spoke with the GM at our hotel and he shared that George's once was a local business but now has grown into a big franchise, which I wasn't aware of, and I'm guessing in that process they lost a bit of that personal touch that made them so beloved and would've made this a truly memorable experience for all.