Tara G.
Yelp
My husband and I have lived in the area for about 8 months, give or take. We went to the Giant grocery store off of Route 1 the other day for the first time. It was pouring down raining, but we passed the Parthenon Restaurant, which was closed and yet it still caught my eye. I'm a sucker for cute little 'ma and pa restaurants', or what some might call a 'little hole in the wall'. The place looked darling to me. When we returned from the grocery store, I immediately googled it. Why is the little restaurant not getting the light that it deserves? How could I have not read about it during my searches for great restaurants in the area? This place is adorable, charming and the food is fantastic!
It's Friday night and my first choice for dinner tonight. I couldn't wait to get off work and try it out. My husband and I got there and we were seated at a booth in front of the windows. Little lace curtains hang on the windows and artificial flowers are in a vase on the table. Looking outside through the windows are Greek sculptures and art. The place is super small, but so cozy and inviting. Behind the bar area doing the cooking, was a senior gentleman, who I assume to be the owner, Emmanuel Psaras. And on the floor serving up beverages to another table of patrons was a senior woman, who I assume to be his wife Sophia. There were 2 other gentleman helping out. The young girl who seated us, I take it was possibly a granddaughter. You could just tell this was a family run business; family pictures are to your right when you first enter the dining room. The place is clean and we were immediately immersed in the delicious aromas radiating through the air.
Our first meal, and I can already tell that this will become one of my regular eatery's. Yes, a lot of the food (like the meats and the pita bread) are quite possibly made earlier in the day and reheated, but it doesn't take away from the flavors at all.
My husband and I split everything, but our beverages. We both ordered an unsweetened iced tea, which is fresh brewed in house. It is served with a lemon, and on the table, there are sugar and artificial sweeteners available. For our appetizer, we originally had planned to order the saganaki, which is an imported cheese that literally comes to your table on fire! However, after seeing the tzatziki meatballs on the menu, we opted to go with those. We were not disappointed! For our entree, we split the Chicken Souvlaki Platter for $12.95, which comes with fries and a side salad. We ended the meal with homemade Baklava for dessert. Everything was so fresh and delicious! We couldn't have enjoyed dinner more! Greek music was playing over the speakers and Sophia, was dancing about. My husband, who has visited and eaten in Greece years ago, said that it has the feel of being in a true Grecian restaurant in the middle of Greece. It takes a lot to impress him, and he was impressed. That alone says so much.
While dining, we noticed that the booth next to us ordered pizza and we undoubtedly MUST try that next time. I want to try it all! Pay no mind to the naysayers, this place is fantastic!