Love, love, love their food! Everything I have ever had is delicious. Sea Bass is to die for. Chicken souvlaki is the best.

We just had the very best Greek cuisine tonight that was even better than our last visit to Athenian Garden. The Greek Salads (2) were terrific with delicious tomatoes right from the garden and the feta cheese set the pace for an extra order of feta and kalamata olives. Chicken Oreganata alone is worth the drive from any shore town.Spanakopeta with filo so good. Rula and Nick have not missed a beat and we look towards our next visit. Great waitress. read more

So surprised to read some of these other reviews. The woman who greeted us was friendly and welcoming. She took our orders and chatted with us for a bit. We stopped here on our way to Atlantic City. We ordered some salads, souvlaki, and a gyro. Everything was tasty including the Ekmek dessert. We will be back when we are in the are again! read more

Athenian Garden - Ekmek dessert--incredible! - Greek Near Me - Absecon, New Jersey

My boyfriend and I just finished eating a delicious meal prepared by this great establishment! The waitstaff was friendly and attentive (and definitely not a nuisance)! Being that we're both Mediterranean, we are picky when it comes to food from our culture. So when we had our meals tonight, we were overjoyed! He ordered the gyro platter and I ordered the kleftiko after our beet and trio appetizer! Nothing was under seasoned or overcooked. Everything was just perfect :) The atmosphere is relaxing, the food is worth a second (and third) trip, the portions were large, and the prices were fair! We'll be back when we come down this way for sure! read more

At the end of April, we had our wedding rehearsal dinner here. From start to finish, everything was amazing. My husband and I are both vegan and the owner made sure that were were able to eat at each course. The almond garlic dip is among one of the best things I've ever eaten (warning: you must LOVE garlic!). All of our guests gobbled it up first. We even got some to go so we could have it later on. The hummus, eggplant dip and falafel were great too. Our salads were also good (they made sure to leave off the feta for us). For the main course, they made my husband and I a vegan eggplant dish that was delicious. Everyone else got to choose from about five options. Everyone raved about their food but about the fish dish the most. We ordered a few of their desserts, which were crowd-pleasers for sure, but they also let us bring in vegan desserts since theirs all have butter. They did not need to allow us to do this but we really appreciated it. The service was spot-on and everyone was so nice. The most telling event that points to their over-the-top awesome service? My Mom accidentally dropped her earring through the slats of their porch while taking a phone call. The owner climbed underneath in the dark with a flashlight and found it for her. Talk about above and beyond the call of duty! Eating at Athenian Garden feels like being at someone's home, in the best way possible. The setting, food and service were top notch. We will definitely be back! read more

Best Greek food ever! Wonderful couple and family restaurant. Wish they were closer to home!

First time here and what a great experience. Started with an appetizer. The calamari was cooked perfect and one of the best I've ever had. The cocktail sauce had a little heat and was boss. For awhile I've been trying to find an amazing Caesar Salad and well, I found it, here. The dressing was house made and simply put, perfect. Just the right amount of anchovy flavor and creamy. They forgot my croutons but it wasn't a big deal they brought them out when I asked. Check this place out, trust me I know I'm late to the game but give me a break. read more

Athenian Garden - Calamari - Greek Near Me - Absecon, New Jersey

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My coworkers and I were in Atlantic City for a convention, and we all share a fondness for Greek food. We wanted to find something outside of the city, but not too far out. But more to the point, the staff was friendly, the prices were reasonable, and the food was awesome. I ordered the gyro and rice with a side Greek salad, and my coworkers ordered the spanakopita to start with the gyro sandwich and chicken kebob as entrees. Definite 5/5. I will most enthusiastically come back here if I ever find myself in this part of New Jersey again. read more

Having grown up in Absecon, I can say there's not much to love about the food in this area. However, I'm a huge fan of Athenian Garden. Every time I'm in the area, I make it a point to stop here. This place is incredibly fresh and owned by a sweet greek family. You can actually tell that they take such pride in their food and what they do. Their lentil soup is amazing, and I'm always happy with the various choices I've made from the menu. If you like fresh greek food at a charming family spot, do yourself a favor and stop in here. read more

Athenian is what every restaurant should be. Good food, and good service. Have dined at Athenian twice in 7 days. Ordered the char broiled lamb kebab, which was delicious beyond all expectations. Pita bread served with Tzakiki [sp?] sauce for dipping to start your night off. Greek salad is fresh with plenty of olives, fresh green leaves, and peppers. Athenian exceeded all my expectations. Highly recommended. read more

This was a lucky find for my coworkers and me: a great restaurant in the suburbs of Atlantic City. The waiter was excellent and the food was delicious at our lunchtime excursion to this restaurant. I personally enjoyed the vegetable sandwich, bean soup, and grilled calamari appetizer, and my coworkers enjoyed the falafel, baklava, and spinach pie. As far as prices go, the costs of our lunches were accurately reflected in this place's two dollar sign status. And although the wait time was longer than at a fast food restaurant, it felt appropriate considering the quality of the food. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone, but especially to vegetarians, who will find a good selection of hearty, meatless dishes. I look forward to my next visit! read more

It's a real treat for me to come here. It's a bit out of our way for a restaurant so when I do get out to this direction, my mind if full of wonderful thoughts. My mom always gets the whole chicken butterflied and asks for extra sauce. I love the lemon chicken soup and the pork tenderloins that come with capers, and veggies. My wife gets something different every time! Why is this place so good? The charm of a family business and you see the same people working here every time you come. The husband and wife behind the counters cooking, their sons serving, and the consistent flavor each time we come. This is hands down my favorite Greek restaurant in the area. read more

I loved my experience here. The old fashioned Greek music playing made it feel so authentic. They brought out warm, soft, delicious pita bread with olive oil before my meal and I'm telling you it was the best pita bread I've ever had. Then I had a very flavorful Greek salad with amazing feta cheese. Then a lamb kabob with rice pilaf, and the flavor of everything was incredible. Highly recommend! read more

A hidden gem! My family went here for the first time tonight and we're totally new to Greek food. Let me tell you that coming from Italian you will not be disappointed! The chicken souvlaki is, for my simplified purposes, a chicken wrap Which was definitely made fresh from scratch right down to the warm pita it comes on. We all basically got this dish and were glad we did! Fries were perfect as well and came topped with sea salt, a nice touch. We'll definitely be back! read more

Athenian Garden - Chicken souvlaki- as a lover of chicken wraps it was awesome! - Greek Near Me - Absecon, New Jersey

Amazing Greek food in the area! The food was amazing! Everything was authentic and homemade - plus it's BYOB. You can't go wrong on anything on the menu because everything was delicious. It's a great local restaurant if you're willing to try something different read more

Another great dinner at Athenian Garden. Been going for over 10+ years. The avgolemeno soup was amazing and so was the lamb and orzo. Wonderful Greek owners and fabulous Greek cooking. Very good waitstaff too. Walk in and it smells like Yia Yia's kitchen. So comforting, ultra clean and a great dining experience. read more

Best greek food ever. EVER. I used to go every Wednesday when I worked around here. Now I've moved to D.C and tried all type of restaurants but can't find a comparable greek restaurant. I highly recommend the Wednesday special, chicken kabob platter with rice. read more

Athenian Garden - Wednesday special. Chicken kabob platter with rice - Greek Near Me - Absecon, New Jersey

Delicious authentic Greek food. Got the gyro platter & falafels, both tasted amazing. Did take out, looking forward to dining in soon!

I am Greek and the food there is great! The vegetables come to your plate through their own garden, the freshest you can get. Great service, and all the items on the menu are cooked to order. That's a must for Greek food lovers! read more

This place is awesome!!!!..I felt like I walked into the family dining room..the food was authentic and absolutely delicious..The warm pita to start..salads were simple and perfect. Spinach pie was spot on...Meals were exactly what I was expecting...scrumptious..I had the chicken kabob dinner which was perfect. Cooked perfectly over charcoal with fresh grilled veggies. The staff was great..very attentive. The only down side was we did not save room for deserts. If we get back to the area anytime soon...we will be coming back for sure.. read more

Went here for dinner this past Saturday night on a whim when I was down the shore for the weekend. I was with 3 other people, and we went fairly early thinking the place would be crowded since it was Saturday night. We arrived around 6, and the place was completely empty with the exception of 1 table that had another party seated there. I realize it's the off season for the shore community, but there were plenty of residential areas around the restaurant for the place to have customers. The staff was incredibly nice, and very welcoming and friendly. We all got our drinks right away, and were able to order our dinner within a reasonable amount of time, which was great since we were all hungry. My bf and I ordered an appetizer (the trio with hummus, roasted peppers and roasted eggplant, which was SO GOOD!), and the other couple had ordered a salad and a soup for theirs, but their food didn't come until after he and I finished our app, which I thought was strange. I felt bad having them sit there and watch us eat knowing they were just as hungry as I was. The entree I chose was the chicken kebob, and I wasn't too impressed with it. The rice had a nice flavor but was a little oily, and the chicken didn't have any seasonings on it at all. The best part was probably the grilled veggies that also came with the meal on their own skewer. Everyone else's dish looked so much more appetizing than mine since mine was bland. I ended up taking half of my entree home, and I'm not sure I'll be reheating it, since that'll make the chicken even more tough than it already was. Not sure I would drive all the way out to Absecon again to eat here. Maybe only if I get a craving for Mediterranean food again. read more

Let me say first the food is great, fresh and delicious but the service is awful. Sat there for 15 minutes before order was taken and then another before drinks were served. Dinner was another 25 and the check took another 10-15. So disappointing since the food is very good. Won't be going back sorry to say. read more

Stopped in on a whim, because my son was looking for vegan food. We are not Greek food experts. The women owner, could not have been nicer. She explained the menu items and made recommendations. Everything we ate was good. We got there late so it was not busy. This is a small mom/pop operation. I can see it getting crazy for them at prime time in prime season. It seemed like the other people in the restaurant were really liking their food. Give them a try. read more

Our waitress was nice however they made us pay for water. Never in my life have I sat down at a restaurant and been forced to pay for water. It's $2 a water bottle. It may seem dumb however it is just very bizarre to me. read more

This restaurant is a solid 3.5. Food is good and portions are good. They served us a basket of pita with a olive oil dipping sauce. We shared a small Greek salad to start which was really good, the feta tasted so fresh and was creamy, the dressing was very good. I had the chicken kabobs with rice and taziki sides. I don't eat taziki so I can't rate it, but the rice was good and the chicken was good as well. My husband had the half chicken and he said it was very good. It came with Greek potatoes and zucchini. Service was a bit slow but all in all a good meal. Nice local place in this area. read more

I was tempted to rate this place 3 stars because the service is slow at best but the food is very good. Had the mousaka. It had a nice high layer of bachemel with a layer of potatoes above a layer of meat that was a perfect blend. We also had an eggplant, tabouli, and hummus all were done very well. Plenty of pita served also. I will come again but will expect the slow service. read more

The food was fresh and delicious!! Don't let the country diner atmosphere fool you, it was some of the best Greek food I've had and I'm from New York City! Definitely stop by if you like Greek food!! read more

Went last night for takeout. Great gyro sandwich and platter. Generous proportions and fair pricing. Will definitely be back. Easy to order and pick up. Can't wait to try eating in house when COVID is over. read more

First I would like to comment on the atmosphere of the restaurant. The place was clean but simple. The music was authentic, however it could be annoying at times due to the excessive chanting and repetitive songs. We started with appetizers. I ordered a lentil soup which was very good. It reminded me of my late grandfathers recipe. The other people in my party also enjoyed their appetizers. I ordered a chicken kebab for my main course. It was excellent! The chicken was flavorful and well cooked. I didn't enjoy the rice as much but it was still passable. Overall I would recommend this spot for some authentic Greek food if your in the area. read more

Authentic and delicious! This restaurant has an old school Greek vibe. Upon entering we were entertained by Greek music playing (not live) and were seated at a table. It was around lunchtime and there was only one other customer. Our group ordered an appetizer salad and entrees. The beet salad was a large portion and fresh. The entrees were homemade and delicious. No complaints! If I'm in the neighborhood again I would certainly go here again. Cozy and warm inside, clean, rustic feel, great service and food cooked like your grandma! read more

I've been wanting to come here for quite some time. My girlfriend and i are big fans of Greek cuisine and are always on the lookout when it comes to anything that involves bechamel sauce. So I decided to surprise her by taking her here on Valentine's Day. As far as food quality, selection, and ambiance goes, the Athenian Garden is a great spot for an authentic Greek meal in a very quiet, traditional setting. For these said things alone, I would rate the Athenian Garden 4-5 stars. Now maybe it's the fact that I was recently in Greece, but I found the pricing to be a little high, even though Greek isn't exactly cheap (that is unless you're at a diner or grabbing a gyro somewhere). As I mentioned before, we went on Valentine's Day, which can be a bad day to rate a restaurant. Although our server was nice, he sparingly visited our table. I can't blame him though because he was the only one working, which I didn't understand since it was a night that you can expect a lot of people to come out for dinner. Our order consisted of an appetizer of spanakopita, mousaka, and octupus krasato. The food was quite tasty and most definitely hit the spot. Although the food was excellent, I would have expected a little more for the price as far as quantity goes. With the high rating of the food and ambiance and lower rating for pricing and service, I feel as though 3.5 stars is pretty fair. I wouldn't mind returning on a less busy night to sample more of the menu, but I plan on coming prepared with more money and possibly a bottle of wine. read more

I keep going back for more of their Chicken Oreganato. That stuff is god-tier deliciousness.

My family and I tried to eat here - we sat down next to a very loud table. We asked to move our seats to a quieter section which they seemed annoyed by. We sat there for over 25 minutes with no one coming over to us. We tried to get a waitress who was talking with a table and she said when she has a second she will come by. We gave up and left and as we were leaving the staff was yelling at us. read more

Great food, great service, and great prices from a great family.

Real Greek food! Authentic Greek dishes you wont find at your typical gyro diner. Great food, nice family, nice dining atmosphere.

What I don't understand is why the owners behave as they do? Why are they in the restaurant business if it gives them no pleasure? Are they indentured slaves or something? Why be there, in a service industry, if you don't like people??? The last review I read by another reviewer brought back what happened to us the last time we went to Athenian Garden. We were obviously the last luncheon diners. They shut the restaurant doors right after we walked it. We had wine and we were laughing. Mind you the place was empty. Then the owner stood up and screamed "SHUT UP, YOU'RE GIVING ME A HEADACHE". We were very embarrassed and upset. My friend walked up to him when we got up to leave, immediately after being screamed at, and explained we were on vacation and we were just having some fun. Then my friend apologized. This was his cue to accept her apology and to say something cordial back to her. Instead, he glared at her, turned his back and walked away. He said nothing back to my friend--- like he felt it below him to talk to her. What a condescending SOB he was to us. So that's the reason why we will never go back even though we are in the neighborhood several times a year. What a waste-- because I really do like their food. It's just not worth the aggravation. Over and over this has happened. The last time was indeed our LAST TIME!! read more

The fact that you came back with something so pathetic shows your true class. FYI, I have been to other establishments in the capital of the USA that encourages sodas because they do not serve any beverages aside from water. You ought to come out from under that rock you're living under, and venture out a little to learn a thing or two about running a business (and i'm using 'business' very liberally here). As a matter of fact, I was not even one of the people who has a soda that day, and still got the third degree from you. The fact that you failed to see the message in my review says a lot about your character as a person and as a business owner. Somewhere between choking on the dry chicken kabob, and not having water to wash it down with that day, I felt pity towards you. I sincerely hope that you get rid of that stick pronto! read more

The food here was such amazing and traditional Greek food!! We ordered basically one of everything and it was all amazing. The service kind of sucked, just our waiter was not very responsive when asking questions. And a little rude, but our food came out quick and was delicious so not to much to complain about. read more

Athenian Garden - So good! - Greek Near Me - Absecon, New Jersey

Overpriced, food is just average, and the service (the waitress) was awful. This waitress was probably one of the worst I've ever had and my family and I go out to eat at least two to three times a week. Forget asking her a question about the menu, or for a refill, or anything for that matter. read more

Great family restaurant with excellent food at decent prices.