I felt like having Greek food so I picked "Restaurant Athen" while traveling through Helmstedt…read more Located near a busy intersection it's easy to find, streetside parking was possible nearby.
It's possible to sit inside or outside, but the view of the intersection is neither romantic nor does it remind me of Greece in any way. But I was here for the food, and the server was Greek and let me choose my seat. The menu was a single laminated sheet of paper. Not very stylish.
I love Gyros but it often tends to be dry so I always love some Zaziki with it. The menu didn't mention any dish coming with Zaziki, so I asked, and indeed: Zaziki must be ordered as a side for 5€, at least it comes with a little bread. The gyros dish was inexpensive enough so I ordered the Zaziki. I would have liked a Saganaki as a side but it was almost as much as the entree.
When the food arrived, the pita was actually industrial bread - a quarter of an industrial Aldi flat bread thrown on a sandwich grill. Hmm. Not the typical pita. But the Zaziki made up for it and was delicious! A black olive would have been nice on the Zaziki!
I also got a small "salad" without dressing (don't know if it came with the main course or the side), which was only edible because of the Zaziki. And of course a generous serving of crisp and delicious (but a little dry) Gyros. There could have been a bit more rice (which costs next to nothing, why so stingy?) and the rice was super hot, probably microwaved. The fries were delicious! A whole slice of onion was a sloppy ornament, breaking it into rings would have looked 100% better.
All in all good value for the money with room for improvement: folks, your food is really good, be more generous with the rice and check the temperature, add a spoonful of Zaziki to the dishes, people will order more anyway. And the Aldi flatbread is a disgrace for any Greek restaurant. Baking yourself would be preferred, but if it has to be convenience food, there are better pita choices than that!
