Maria's Souvlaki Greek Restaurant

Great place to stop for a quick bite before heading to the ferry. Maria’s is a bright and clean neighbourhood favourite with friendly service and nicely presented meals. We go for the chicken and falafel souvlaki wraps. So fresh! Messy but good. 2 piece fish and chips for $16.95. Best deal in town. Crispy not greasy. Inside seating as well as patio dining Street parking.

I have been jonesing for a Gyro for about a year! I read about this lovely place and saw the fabulous reviews so had to come try it out! My Gyro did NOT disappoint. Melt in my mouth meat, tons of onions and tomatoes and the tzatziki sauce 👌👌Anyone who is complaining about prices must not know the cost of ingredients in today's current climate. Service was friendly and perfectly personable!! Highly recommend!!

Very good and fresh tasting food. Awesome waffle fries and amazing Greek salad.

Solid food and good pricing here.

The service was awesome and the food delicious. Gyros donair very flavorful and melt in your mouth. Soft pita, very fresh tomato and tzatziki. Small portion of crispy waffle fries was enough for 3 people. Will definitely come here again!

We stopped in on our way through town. The food was excellent and well priced. We will definitely be stopping by the next time we're on the island!

We dined at Maria's our first night in Sidney. Lucky for us, we arrived on the last night of the weekly street market. The atmosphere on our walk from our hotel to Maria's was beautiful, as singer's performed and we stopped to check out the shops. The restaurant is small and cozy with interesting decor. It's very casual, not fancy at, and this is fine. You order at the counter and a wait staff bring the food to your table. It's very casual. I had the Mousaka, my spouse had the lamb skewers. We were both very happy with our entrees. Our only regret is that we live across the country and cannot return any time soon!

Good place to eat. Great staff. Food was good.

This was one of the best meals we had on restaurant row in Shirlington! Couldn't have been better!

Since coming to the Peninsula we have found that this is the only place we go for Greek food. The calamari is delicious

We love eating here every time we visit Sidney. Everything on the menu is delicious. See you again next summer.

Without a doubt, the worst Mousakka I have ever had. It was mushy, overcooked, bland and cold in the middle. $18 completely wasted The Tiropita was no better. I will never step foot inside Maria's again. I left my food half eaten and walked out. I use to be a frequent customer here at Maria's as I went to school with one of the son's but the food has really deteriorated and the son makes the dining experience awkward and very unpleasant. The son who works in the food line just glares at you when looking at the menu and makes you extremely uncomfortable. Save your money and eat anywhere but here

We are so glad to find this place for lunch while visiting Sidney. We tried the Kalamari which is very good. It's light and crispy. We also had the pork and chicken souvlaki in wraps. Personally I like the chicken more because of the texture but both are very tasty. Service is fast and efficient. Order the food, find a table and they will bring the food to your table. They clean up the tables very fast.

They were very busy (presumably) and I walked in to order, but the owner made it clear it would be a long wait. It must have been just before closing time. He didn't make me feel welcome or that he wanted my business. I left. However , I tried on a different day calling in my order and it went well. The staff was polite. I found the chicken souvlaki was tasty, but something that I hadn't expected to order was better! It was the Moussaka. It was very good! I will order that again!

Great Greek food in a casual setting! Never disappointed over the years we have been going to Maria's.

After getting off the ferry, we decided to stop for a late lunch at Maria's Souvlaki Greek Restaurant. We'd seen it last time we were in Sidney so figured it was worth a try based on the good ratings. We dropped in on a Saturday (around 1:15pm). The inside has a ton of seating along with a couple picnic tables outside. Service is non-existent; you go up to the counter and order. Older lady working the front wasn't too friendly or helpful. The menu is up above the counter: Greek appetizers, wraps, skewers, deep fried, salads, desserts and drinks. Bizarre that there's no combo/platters. If you order skewers, it just comes with that. - Kalamari ($11.95) - it's been forever since I've had kalamari. This one came with raw onions (why?), parsley, lemon, orange and cucumber. The batter was oddly not seasoned and while it wasn't greasy, overall it was very underwhelming. - Lamb souvlaki ($10.95) - the lamb chunks were good but again, not much flavour going on. The chopped raw onions, tomato and tzatziki added nothing to the souvlaki. The pita itself was disappointing. If you enjoy bland food, come here. Otherwise, be smart and wait till you get into Victoria for good eats!

I've been going there frequently for a few years, and the last three times I went, the tomatoes tasted bad. They have an almost floor cleaner-like, stale, rotten flavour. I've also noticed that Maria, the owner, is a classist insolent. I have seen her kiss the behinds of people that she considers to be wealthy or influential. She is impolite or overlooks ordinary people. When I heard of her rants to paying customers, especially to a fellow Greek woman who is familiar with the cuisine of her native country, I was horrified. I'll be going somewhere else instead of wasting my hard-earned money there since I don't like being neglected as a regular. Last but not least, the proprietor appears to be struggling with ego issues, but the rest of the crew is excellent; I have no negative feelings towards them.

Yummy greek food and very nice workers.come here all the time cus food so good glad i came here very good

Came here with the mises the Greek salad is hands down the most fresh best tasting one I have ever had however I will say little pricey but definitely going back to get a taste of that homemade hummus again

I think it was a little pricey for what it was, but they had good food and good service. You have to order and pay at the register. We got a very big order for a group of 9 people, plate for each plus a few sides of fries and a portion of calamari. Everything was very tasty, and the portions seemed decent. It is just that the price was a little high for a 'fast food' kind of place. We ate at a few other places as a group and even at sit down restaurants the bill was lower. Probably because of the location of this place being so close to the shore.

This is one of my favorite lunchtime spots. I love their chicken souvlaki wraps. Side Greek salad always goes well it, or the waffle fries. Friendly service, but sometimes slow.

A tried and true family-owned favourite in Sidney. The falafel is my go-to, and the calamari is crispy (not greasy) and delicious. The skewers are not a filling meal - I recommend a souvlaki. Great for a quick a la carte meal. Order at counter and eat-in or take out and sit by the ocean (or grab n go for the ferry!). A casual, clean setting. Patio is nice in summer months. Not inexpensive but reflected in quality and freshness. Busy in evening with locals. A recommended stop for any visitor to Sidney.

Maria's is a staple of the Saanich Peninsula community, and for good reason too. The food is always fresh, filling and tasty, and the service is wonderful. They truly always make you feel like a friend of the family when you go in, and the greek decor is charming and classic. The falafel souvlaki, gyro donair, calamari, and honestly even the chicken strips are all stand-outs in the menu, and the ingredients are fresh and flavorful. It's a lovely spot for lunch when you're exploring Sidney, or dinner with your whole crew. I've been a fan of theirs my whole life, and getting back there when I'm in town is always a must!

3 stars only because the owners are usually pretty cold and unfriendly when speaking over the phone and in person. Food is great though!

Friday night. Medium busy. Lots of folks that were getting their "to go" orders. Strange that you order the meal in pieces. 5$ for the Greek Salad. 10$ for one skewer. No rice. No table service (order at the counter). The food was OK, a bit bland. The wait was a. It longer than expected and the prices were a bit high. I would have expected to pay $20 for a plate with 2 skewers, rice and salad (like a typical Greek place) but that would have been impossible here. They could be great! Just something missing.

We chose this place because of the many 5-star yelp reviews and the stated price range ($). The food we got was of good quality, however, the value for the money was way off. I ordered the lamb skewer and paid almost $10 just to find out that it was actually the skewer only without a single side. This is not $ in my opinion but $$-$$$. The regret was huge after figuring out that there were way better deals around and we left the place hungry and disappointed.

Wonderful souvlaki, the waffle fries were delicious, and the pita and tzatziki to start was delicious. Cozy, friendly atmosphere. The staff was very friendly as well.

Just okay... a little pricey for counter ordering due to a la Carter ordering. Flavourful tzakiki and good fries, pitas nicely warmed and chicken was good. Falafels were not crispy, seemed under-cooked. Under-ripe tomatoes (in August!), terrible feta pre-shaved like I would never buy from the grocery store, either cheap or diluted olive oil on salad as it has no flavour. The cashier was not exactly friendly (as noted by other reviewers), and neither was the bus girl. Will not return.

This was such a good find. Really good Greek food in a cute little beach area. We had a big group of people come in for lunch Wednesday. Basically I was able to try a little bit of everyone dish which was practically everything on the menu. And let me tell you...everything was DELICIOUS! My favorite would have to be the chicken wrap. The pita was fresh with moist flavorful chicken and sauce. I wish this place had a little more options like orzo or some kinda grain with the skewers. Also keep in mind when taking a large party they will ask for a 10% gratuity. Which is fine, just thought it was a little odd that they only asked us and not anyone before us. But other than those minor thing food was fantastic

Horrible older lady at the register. So rude . The 2 times I've been she's been mean and nasty. We will never go back. Food is not worth that treatment, not a chance.

Lamb skewers were super juicy and flavorful; a little bit pricy though at $8.50 for only 1 skewer. The gyro meat was grilled nicely and crispy on the edges, the tomatoes on there were super fresh. The restaurant has nice decors and the staff were very friendly. Highly recommended!

Maria's Souvlaki is simple and delicious. While the Lamb is a true judge of a greek place and I no longer eat it, I can safely recommend both the Spanakopita and the Falafel pita. In fact, I am convinced that this is the only place you can get a good semi-authentic falafel on the Island after 3PM. You order at the counter here and a server brings your food to you. All of the employees are very friendly i have a feeling this place is family owned. If you're hungry after getting off the ferry and it's before 8PM, Maria's is a great bet.

went in for dinner last night went in for dinner last night. service was decent, prices were stupid expensive for what you got and the food was terrible. wife had the moussaka and it was a pile of mush that she couldnt even finish. i had the lamb souvlaki wrap it was terrible. couple pieces of lamb tomatoes and onions in a pita wrap. i asked for a coffee the girl at the till went to go make a fresh pot the manager said no this one is still good. it was like drinking mud. the only thing good about the meal was the pita and tzatziki. wife was sick half the night. never ever going to this place again.

Casual Greek resto in Sidney! Good sized restaurant with a focus on pita wraps, Greek salad, traditional appetizers and waffle fries. Good sized portions. You order at the counter an can get your meal to go or they'll bring your order to the table. Their wraps are around $6-$8 each and come with your choice of meat, donair meat or falafel with tomato, onion and tzatziki in a grilled pita. We had their pork, lamb and falafel versions and shared a large waffle fries. Very fresh and tasty. The lamb was a bit tough, but otherwise everything was great! Open until 8 pm.

Love this little gem of a place. Every time I am near Sidney, this is my first stop. Run by a very friendly family, the food is delicious and reasonably priced. What more can you ask for? Too bad I don't live nearby, otherwise I would be there a minimum of once per week.

We had two wonderful lamb kabobs in pita; comes with fresh tomatoes, yogurt in a warm fresh pita. One beer and one glass of wine; total $28.00 Canadian. yipes. Better Greek food in Sidney than in the Bay area!! Customer service: fine.

Really nice restaurant with cool greek atmosphere. The service was fast and it' not too pricy. The food is really fresh. We especially liked the tzatziki with pita. Give it a try !

Awesome restaurant, been going since I was a kid. The waffle fries and wraps are particularly excellent under all circumstances.

The best traditional Greek restaurant in town, as in the North American tradition not the Greek.

We are locals that have been going here on a regular basis for 20 years and the food is always good. We usually have the chicken souvlaki wraps, spanokipita and the waffle fries. The fries are SO GOOD. Prices are really good and we've done both eat in and take out. We like the casual atmosphere; you walk up to the counter to place your order and then they'll bring it out to you, or you can call in your pick up order. The menu is strictly all Greek food so if there's any in your party who don't like Greek there's not really other options. Also not much selection for alcoholic beverages and desserts. However, keep in mind this is a fairly casual and small place but food is great - always!

Fresh food at a good price. It's nothing fancy but we enjoyed our meals. The lamb Souvlaki wrap was tasty. Their tomatos were exceptional, tasted like they were out of their own garden. Our friends said the falafel was good. My husband liked his gyro. I have had better but all in all a good experience.

Good news and bad news. This place really does deserve 5 stars. Dropped one just because they don't show prices in the online menu. I walk by Maria's several times a week and it is always busy; a good sign. We wanted to try some Greek or Itie in Sidney, so took to the internet to check out Maria's Theo's and Odissia. I was leaning towards Maria's but decided not to go when I saw no prices. In fact none of the three have prices online and Theo's doesn't even have a website. So we decided to walk around to all three...Sidney's not that big. First was Maria's Souvlaki and as soon as we walked through the door I said, I'm good with this. Very plain, very casual but clean and lots of staff. One look at the overhead menu board and I knew it was a good choice . Good selection and great prices. It really helped when we saw the food that was being delivered. Once we made our way through the line to the "Order Here" sign, it went quickly and the order was brought out only a couple of minutes after we sat down. I had the Lamb Souvlaki Wrap with half a Caesar. Partner had Lamb Skewer, Pita and Hummus. All of it was very, very well done and delicious. Long time since I have had such tender lamb. Just a really great eating experience so, don't be put off by it not being 5.

Yum! This is a Sidney classic. Delicious food. I come here every time I visit Sidney -- love the waffle fries and souvlaki! The falafel souvlaki is an excellent addition to the menu.

Great souvlakis. Everything was fresh, no stale wraps,, nor long standing ccndiments. Thus, it took longer to prepare but the wait was worth it. Good when one is looking for something light. About C$ 16 for two souvlakis (price varies depending on the meat chosen).

Maria's is my favourite Greek restaurant. A wonderful family-run place with excellent, fresh food. The falafels, salads, hummus, and tzatziki are the best! Fast, friendly service is great if you're in a hurry.

Love the falafel and the Greek salad! The patio in the summer is really enjoyable. If you love Greek, this is the place to go in Sidney.

The food here is decent, however I've never had such rude and disrespectful service in my life. The woman at the till which I'm guessing is "maria" did not say two words to me and just glared at me until I gave her my order (which coincidentally she got wrong - I didn't bother to complain). I had an infant with me and a baby food pouch had fallen on the floor. It was almost empty and had not spilled (so no mess!) but she walked by and picked it up and THREW it at me with a look of disdain on her face. I have never felt so unwelcome in a restaurant and have no idea what I did to deserve such aggressive treatment. I will NEVER return to this restaurant.

Always good. Can't go wrong with any of their souvlaki choices. Lamb is my favorite. Their calamari is awesome, worth trying it out. If you like fries their waffle fries are delicious. Greek salad is also very nicely done. Solid place for food when in Sidney.

It was a pleasant surprise It was a rainy night and we had an hour to kill before our ferry. Everything we had was first class, their was no grumpy lady. I will go back. The Calamari and greek salad were delicous.

Great food, I absolutely love this place. I usually take my food out, the restaurant itself isn't super comfortable or any kind of ambience.

Loved the Greek salad, very fresh. We enjoyed the gyro and souvlaki as well. Nice outside patio seating in great location. We will come again on our next trip here.

I made a Yelp account just to leave a review for this restaurant and that is never important to me to do so until now. Me and my boyfriend were visiting Victoria and wanted some Greek food since I'm Greek and we just love the food, we saw the reviews and decided to give it a try since they all seemed so wonderful. When we showed up to order the older woman in the front who took our order didn't say one word, not even a grin, nothing- that's fine it didn't bother us we ordered our food (chicken souvlaki, lamb gyro) and sat down to wait for it. After a while long wait she brought my chicken souvlaki and the lamb gyro to our table and I realized the "souvlaki" came wrapped in pita bread, with onions and tomatoes like a gyro. I'm from Lefkada/Patra and no where in greece that I know of does a souvlaki come served like a gyro and not on a skewer. We kindly told the lady that I wanted the chicken on a skewer and not wrapped up in a pita bread because that's what I know a souvlaki has always been, instead of apologizing and asking to bring what I wanted she started throwing the chair at the next table and yelling at us that the "souvlaki" is chicken wrapped in pita. My boyfriend got up to ask at the front counter and she continued to argue him, the chef finally asked what's wrong and told us he'd make the order I had wanted. Although we only got some pieces of chicken on a plate without the skewer it was closer than having a gyro called a souvlaki. The food was decent but compared to the customer service it was just an embaressement, not only to her restaurant but to my country because that's what customers were perceiving out of her customer service. After leaving we saw another table complaining about the same issue I had and her reacting the same rude way to them. We will gladly be taking our business elsewhere when we revisit, truly the most terrible customer service we've ever received.

their food is so delicious and the prices for food is really good. The portion sizes are amazing for the price. You get this huge plate of great fries for a few dollars! very nice staff as well.

This is one of the best Greek Restaurants I've been to. Food is delicious. We ordered a gyro wrap and falafel wrap. We definitely stop by again if i come to Victoria.

I've been a regular at Maria's Souvlaki since 1987. It represents one of the best-kept secrets in the area when it comes to really tasty food at a very reasonable price! This may not be "fine dining" in the classic mode, as the place is pretty basically decorated, and can be a little loud when full of customers, but if you are lucky, you can catch a spot in the newer section, with comfy chairs and a faux fireplace. In the summer, they have a good outdoor seating area at sidewalk level, where people with dogs can enjoy their food al fresco, with Fido tied up right there to the railing. A good beer selection is a bonus. Most importantly the souvlaki and the salad are always perfectly fresh and the calamari is superb. Only a half-block around the corner from Beacon Avenue (Sidney's Main Drag), and a block from the oceanfront pier. Take-out is available too. It's a friendly, family-run place that deserves your business the next time you're in Sidney. What more can I say? Mark H.

Cheerful and inexpensive. The wrapped chicken souvlaki is the best we've ever had (and we've been to Greece), and is consistently excellent.. The waffle fries are sinful and delicious. The calamari is always tasty and tender. One of our favourite places in Sidney. Eat outside in warmer weather.