The staff are fun and have a sense of humor love that!! It's clean the food is delish and the Turkish decaf is beautiful! Looooove the rice pudding yum. read more

It is beyond me that this place only averages 3.5 stars. Best Mediterranean food in Columbia. Columbia doesn't have the best cultural variety in food but this place brings it up a lot. One of our favorite places to eat as a family. Yummy and healthy!! read more

I was in town for business and went on the recommendation of the hotel manager, who is originally from Iraq. Lovely, spacious restaurant with convenient parking. Great service! I ordered the chicken shawarma with grilled vegetables and rice. Everything was good, though I was a bit disappointed with the chicken. Rather than grilled, it had been in a slow cooker and over marinated. I did not enjoy the consistency very much. I had a great greek salad and the authentic dessert was fabulous. Good experience overall and I would go again. read more

Stopped for coffee and dessert. The rice pudding was outstanding and the Pistachio Baklava excellent. The portion was disappointingly small. Turkish coffee, made properly, takes as much time to make as it does to sip. No disappointment here! read more

Every time I have been there the food has gotten better. Having lived in both Turkey and Greece, this is the best food representing their cooking, in this area. The service is excellent, all the servers are very personable I have never been ignored sitting at the table. My favorite server is a to man named David, he makes the effort to the names of his regulars. The owner is usually there and will always be available to talk to you about anything good or bad,but I have never had a bad thing happened at the Green Olive. . read more

We really like the food and the ambience of the restaurant. The food we ordered was well seasoned and amazingly delicious. I specially loved their Red lentil soup and bread. Platter, white beans salad and veg kebab was also good. Although food was good we had some problem on our order. All the wait staff were friendly and they fixed our problem nicely. Service was good. We will definitely come back soon. read more

I was disappointed with the food. They have lot of confusing options on their menu but you do not get what is mentioned. Falafels were tasteless. Not worth spending money... read more

I liked this restaurant the first time when it was called Al Amir. Menu is almost identical, which made me sad. Was hoping for something unique. Service was on the slow side even though it wasn't too crowded for lunch. Lamb shawarma had a very sweet taste, almost like too much cinnamon or nutmeg added. Roasted veggies were good, as was the Shepherd's salad. read more

Another Mediterranean offering in Columbia. The spicy feta appetizer was pleasantly surprising. The tabbouleh salad was a little dry and could use a little more citrus. The gyro wrap was well seasoned. I also ordered a side of olives and the portions were plentiful. Parking not the best during lunch. read more

The service is excellent, the hostess are nice, they make you feel home!! Food I delicious!!

I came right when they opened and haven't had the chance to come back to see how things have changed. This location is directly next to Which Wich and apparently used to be a Miyo's. The decor is a carbon copy of the Epicurean higher up on Main. The menu is also very similar to Al Amir/Sahara. One reviewer is confused, though, and seems to think this place used to be Al Amir, which is not the case. Sahara is the one that used to be Al Amir. Anyway, my friend and I ordered our respective foods and then had to wait over 45 minutes for our food, which were both wraps. Our total lunch experience was an hour and 20 minutes long, which was not great for us as we had to run to class down the street to make it back in time. The food wasn't bad, but this place is honestly nothing special with two more exactly the same restaurants on the same street. read more

Do not go here if you have less than 90 minutes for lunch. Two of us were there for lunch and both ordered the kabobs. I specifically did not order the pizza because the waiter said it would take about 20 minutes. Since the restaurant was far from full and we were in a bit of a hurry, I ordered the kabobs, thinking that would be quick. Kabob meat should be prepped and ready to go on the griddle. Rice is already made and ready. Grilled veggies were still firm and not over cooked, so those didn't spend long on the griddle. It took 55 minutes to get two orders of kabobs. The waiter was obviously embarrassed and apologized several times. I left hungry, too, because the $13.95 lunch portion was four small pieces of lamb, one slice of bell pepper, and two slices of onion. The kitchen also put my lamb kabobs on my friend's plate with the rice and his kabob on my plate with just veggies. The kitchen staff needs to be replaced. Nearly an hour for two small orders of kabobs? That's just awful. The food was okay, but underseasoned. I had high hopes for this place. Dashed in one visit. This won't last long unless they make big changes in the kitchen. read more

The service was good but my lamb kabab tasted/smelled raw. The booth seating was too high and made me very uncomfortable. Also, I don't know what it is with the Mediterranean restaurants in Columbia - at least the Epicurean, Sahara, Arabesque, and Green Olive have almost identical menus, even the way they arrange the plates and the plates themselves. There is no difference in the eating at any of these places. Enhhh. read more

I have eaten here twice. The first time I ordered their lunch chicken curry to go. It came with a side of jasmine rice and a salad, so very good value. The curry was nice and spicy just the way I like it! Since I had a great first experience, I met a friend for lunch there a few weeks later. Granted, it was 2:00 and they were in the middle of a shift change, but very poor service overall. There were only two other tables dining in at that hour. After waiting for fifteen minutes for someone to take our drink order, my friend finally walked over to the hostess stand and asked one of the three employees standing there to help us. I got the beef kofte wrap and lentil soup, and both were very good. We had no problems after that. So, I will probably go back, but maybe after they have had some time to work out the new restaurant kinks (or maybe I will stick with a to-go order). read more

I went into this restaurant the other day and was pleasantly surprised. The chicken shawarma was delicious and the waiter recommended me to get a cup of red lentil soup as a side--best decision I ever made! Overall, the food was very good and the employees were very nice and accommodating. I enjoyed the atmosphere and can't wait to visit again soon! read more

Great wraps and a very good salad for just 7.95. The side of hot sauce was some of the best I've had.

The place gets 2 stars for quick service and an amazing flat bread, but the rest of the food did not satisfy and I was really excited for some good mediterranean food. I got the turkish hummus which was chicken over hummus and both were very, very bland. Did not impress one bit. Made me really sad. The dish came with a soup or salad so I went with the feta. Salad wasnt too bad... pretty generic to say the least. I wouldn't come here again unless they added mediterranean spices to their food. read more

Wait time is HORRENDOUS! Today my coworker and I decided to try Green Olive for lunch. We were greeted and seated at 11:40 AM (anticipating a lunch rush we arrived early.) Since there were only about 3 tables occupied we figured normal service would be offered. The first sign of bad customer service is that we had to order drinking straws 3 times (and only had water with lemon.) We proceeded to place the order, received our salads in the next 5 minutes, ultimately ate the salads and waited for our heavily tattooed waiter (sorry forgot his name) to return but to no avail. We sat for 35-40 minutes with dirty salad plates as we watched our waiter attend to others and everyone scrambling around. We approached the host and he admitted that they were trying fulfill a large 28 person online order as well as tend to in store customers. It is unfortunate for them that they are unable to handle the pressure of customers wanting their business. We were told there is no manager but the owner is the chef. With all being said it is impossible to give Green Olive a great rating. I am certain this establishment would do much better if they address their wait time. Pressure and stress are all a part of restaurant working. Adjust accordingly and NEVER forget your customers who are waiting. Good luck! I won't return. read more

This restaurant has a great atmosphere of Lebanon style culture. Definitely middle eastern culture and atmosphere, with a friendly and knowledgeable staff. The food is above average but a little bit on the $$ side. The owner is usually on site and very friendly and knowable! read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants downtown. Quick lunch, great service with lots of options. Always a go to when people are in town.

Food was awesome. We went for lunch and got the Chicken Schwarma. It comes with a very large feta salad, grilled vegetables and chicken served over a bed of basmati rice. Service was excellent, price was good for the amount of food we received. Would definitely recommend Green Olive. It was excellent Mediterranean food! read more

everything on the menu is genuinely delicious! especially the pide, gyro wrap, chicken shish kebab, and hummus!!

they didnt give me breadsticks when i ordered them online .... still love them though, but still, but that's all i wanted super disappointed when i got home read more

Ate here for the first time and it was a pleasant surprise! Our server, David was the best! Very knowledgeable and made the best recommendations for lunch! Highly recommend! read more

I have tried this place numerous times thinking it would get better but I have been wrong every time. The service is very slow and they frequently mess up the food order, ie gave the vegetarian a meat meal and then expected for me to pay for it. I would say a last resort place to eat. read more

I have to say, I was extremely skeptical about coming to Green Olive. My girlfriend and I had passed by on many occasions and thought how empty and unappealing the restaurant looked from outside, but our years of poor judgement on this place proved to be just that... poor judgement. We finally made our way inside and the food was absolutely amazing. The atmosphere was welcoming and the food tasted home cooked. The food at Green Olive makes you feel like you've been invited into someone's home for dinner. read more

The spicy feta dip was awesome! The small was big enough for two people to share. I also got the Caesar salad and it was also tasty.

They changed the gyro ... Now officially the worst gyro I've had Columbia. How sad. This change is a bad sign of a kitchen cutting corners. The owners (see below) say the original gyro will back soon. Good news! read more

The food is good the service is slaw and bad We was big group five women with 8 kids the waiter was very slaw and confused we tried to help him but he chooses not, we spent almost un hour waiting for the food then tow have there salads the others wait and the kids asked for hot sous , and they added 1,25 for each kid read more

Their bread... is a pillowy bit of heaven. At other places, even Eli's, I dip, but the bread at GO I eat on its own, it's that good. The ambiance is lovely and open (sunlit by day, and warmly lit at night), with seating that reminds me of Al Amir when they were off Devine, except more comfortable. Fabulous date spot, day or night, (plus open on Sunday nights!) Has been a great impromptu spot for groups, too. We've never had much of a wait, even when they've been more full. The service is not unusual for a college town -- sometimes it's superb (David's a great server to have), and sometimes someone is tired. Or new. It's always gone well for us, even when shifts change. Most of all: the food (and beer) are consistently good. Fresh, savory.... love the appetizers, the shawarmas, their lentil soup, the wraps. We're still exploring the menu, but it's hard to expand your taste when you find yourself craving favorites! Not such a fan of the vegetable curry, though my husband likes it. The vegetables are perfect , but it has that overwhelming sour yellow curry note I don't favor (sometimes found in Jamaican places, too, for some reason) that reminds me too much of Old Bay. Otherwise... I want to go there, now, just thinking about the rest! It's a lovely addition to the city. read more

Had a wonderful time, the staff could not have been any sweeter and the food was fantastic and we had a lot of different items off the menu. Very glad we went in tonight! Thank you! read more

We think we found our next favorite restaurant! Just tried a few dishes but they were perfectly and deliciously seasoned and the beef and lamb were some of the tenderest we have ever eaten. Looking forward to trying more dishes! Staff was also great! Parking easy and convenient too. read more

My first experience at Green Olive was this past week. The booths are built ridiculously too high up. I was very uncomfortable eating my food simply because the booths were built too high! The food itself was OKAY. I ordered a lamb gyro with a side salad. I thought the vegetables could have been fresher. The meat on the lamb was actually quite tasty. I will not be returning to this restaurant. read more

One of the best value restaurants in town. First of all it is very affordable. I ordered the gyro plate which was delicious. My server Mary provided an awesome service. The food came out fast. The restaurant is clean and fresh. They take pride in their service and their food. I would go back again. Furthermore, I strongly recommend it to everyone. I noticed that they fixed the height of their booth due to some feedback. That shows that the owner is open to contsructive feedback. I like that. read more

I always get the Salmon. The cooks have yet to overcook or undercook it so it is always perfect. The hummus and the spicy blue cheese are to die for, so I definitely recommend that. Food is always lighter fare than you find at other Mediterranean restaurants, which is a nice change of pace. The servers are always nice, and the staff is always happy. read more

I am a big fan of Meditteranean food. However, this restaurant just didn't satisfy my craving.... I had the Turkish Hummus, which is one of their popular dishes and a side a tabouli. I was not thrilled at all. The tabouli was not vibrant - it was dull in color and very watery. I also would've liked to see more vibrancy and freshness from the vegetables in my main dish (Turkish Hummus). The hummus was alright, it tasted store-bought as it didn't have any texture to it like home-made hummus does and it was just runny. It could have used a splash of lemon juice for sure. The bread they served was incredibly dense and thick like a bad pizza dough. It was not crispy, it was not seasoned (except for like 20 flax or chia seeds thrown onto it). Instead, it was chewy and heavy. A very unpleasant experience considering bread is used as a utensil when eating hummus dishes. If this restaurant is not willing to serve their customers delicious Meditteranean food, then perhaps they should consider lowering their prices by about 35% This order was placed using BiteSquad read more

Five of us lunched here today and everyone thought it was great. Big servings, salads very fresh and tasty, mains hot and tasty, prices favorable, service prompt and friendly, clean bathrooms, nice restaurant ambiance, spacious and comfortable. What's not to like. Will definitely return. read more

Love their baba ganoush and kofte kebab! Don't forget pistachio baklava for dessert. Your taste buds will thank you for all of the above!

Four of us went here Nov. 12 for dinner. There were two concerts that night in the area, they should have expected more than average business. While we all thought the food was good, the service was so bad we couldn't really enjoy it. Our waitress kept telling us she was bringing food, drink, but it didn't come. We asked the manager to help us and he got another waitress to help us, but we scarfed our food done so we could get out to our concert. Other people seemed to be getting their food, but the tables our waitress was serving just waited forever. The concert was great however! read more

Good restaurant. I had a play of baba ganoush with lamb and bread and tabbouleh. I like the baba ganoush better at Al Amir, but I might like the bread better at Green Olive. Space still reminds you of Miyo's. Service was very pleasant; waiter was attentive and did a good job. Look forward to more meals at Green Olive. read more