I love Messinis. Great portions, great food, great prices. I have been a loyal takeout customer to both locations, so I decided to try dine in. My dine in experience was absolutely not something to be happy about. I ordered a chicken gyro pita, no onions, due to a sensitivity I have. And guess what? There were onions! So I let my server know, and she was completely unapologetic. Not even a sorry. Just an, "Oh there's onions?"..... luckily I am not allergic to them (they just make my stomach upset) so I ate my wrap with a fork picking out my onions along the way, which really ruins your meal. Not to mention there was one other couple in the restaurant and I waited 20 minutes for my bill. Not impressed, will be doing takeout, as they seem to get it right every time. read more

Open since 2002 after a test run at Toronto's famed Taste of the Danforth festival, Messini has paid its dues and become a mainstay for the after-work and after-bar crowd in the east end. Located just east of Chester station this cozy, diner-like hotspot serves up comfort classics like gyros and souvlaki with a pleasant touch of back-home authenticity. Making the most of a rare trip to the Danforth my companion and I sampled widely from the menu, ordering a stack of appetizers, a sandwich and a grill plate. A great idea had I shown the good sense to skip the late lunch I had consumed just a few hours prior. We decided to take the food as it came, with cold beers to keep us company between arrivals. First up was the Saganaki ($7.95), a generous wedge of fried cheese served with pita (fresh-made daily). Dense, firm, crispy and salty, it was more than enough to keep two of us happy and looking forward to the rest of the meal. Next to arrive were the Kalamaki ($1.75 each), skewers of cubed pork, char-grilled and served with tzatziki. The meat was juicy and well-seasoned, with the dip offering a cool, refreshing hit against the savoury meat. At this price I won't pass by again without stopping in for one (or three). We rounded out the starters with Greek Fries ($3.95). Ripple-cut potatoes lined a banquet plate, topped with a vast expanse of feta, olive oil and oregano. We guiltily indulged in this rich, dense creation, barely pausing for words between mouthfuls. My friend valiantly challenged the Mixed Grill Plate ($13.95), a tower of shaved gyros, pork souvlaki, Greek-style sausage and a meat kebab (lamb and beef). Already subdued by the appetizers, he struggled to finish and eventually relegated the remainder of his plate to the next day's lunch, having thoroughly enjoyed every bite he could muster. I turned my attention to what Messini claims is Toronto's best-tasting gyro ($4.58 for the sandwich). It's stuffed with French fries, the way you'd find it at a fast-food stand in many a Greek metropolis. Strangely, it was the only disappointment of the evening; while the pita was fluffy ad flavourful, the sandwich was a bit on the dry side and the fries made little contribution beyond adding some novelty. A bit more tzatziki would have done the trick - be sure to ask for extra. Greek cuisine is inherently meat-intensive, and I for one am OK with that. There are a few vegetarian options on the menu, but vegans will be hard-pressed to put a meal together. It's not exactly fine dining, but the food at Messini will leave even the most devout carnivore satisfied at any hour (they're open until 4AM on weekends!) and the value is rarely matched. read more

Introduced by my girlfriend, and must say she chooses very well! The location is easy to remember as it is at the beginning of greektown. Onto the main course, I have had both the dine in option and take out option. Both have their merits as the service is great and the food is easy to carry around. The dining area is comfortable and has a very warm feeling to it. The service is very polite and effective. The take out is quick from the ordering to the completion of cooking. Food quality is great and by far is the best gyro I have had in toronto! Rating: 5 Stars The only negative thing about messini is the lack of stomach space after = no room for seconds!! read more

4.5* You can't really go wrong with Messini takeout; The efficiency and efficacy of the staff in providing you with a fresh, packed sandwich can only be matched by Webber's. The toppings are fresh, the finely seasoned meat is piled high, and they get the tzatziki right! What's also key is that the taste and service have been perfectly consistent ever since I followed fellow Yelpers to this gyros Mecca following an elite event in 2010. There really isn't much more you can ask for when you're paying somewhere in the region of $5! The lines could be annoying on the weekend, and they charge extra for small amounts of tzatziki, but this shouldn't take away from what is a true standard for gyros + souvlaki in Toronto. Overall a fantastic choice for a quick meal, at least in terms of taste if not health. Be weary that this original location serves up much better grub than others. read more

Ever since we went to Greece and pretty much OD'd on gyros daily as they were so cheap, so good, and had french fries on them, I've looked for a place that would offer gyros with french fries on them. In Ottawa, you are out of luck. (At least I haven't heard of any place that does it). In Montreal, (as we have friends that are Greek who live there), as far as I know as well you are out of luck. Ah, but in Greek Town in Toronto? Yes, you can have them. That alone will make we want to go back to this area. FOOD So, as you can guess, I ordered their gyros (actually I ordered pork souvlaki on a pita). Five of us actually ordered their pita sandwiches and all of us really, really enjoyed them. The sandwiches are quite large, the meat tasty, and yes, the french fries. Granted, the type of french fries they used wouldn't be my first choice, but I'm still glad they had them. Even before the sandwich, we started with a greek salad (which comes with the lunch special) with a tasty type of feta cheese (which we also can't seem to get in Ottawa). Let's just say we ate everything and had to roll out of there promising to go back. SERVICE Service was a little slow. It took quite a while to get our food despite a pretty fast revolving line for take-outs so I guess the take-out orders get priority? Once we got our bill, we just went to the cash to save time waiting for the server to come to us. PRICE From a lunch time special at least, $10 each for a salad, sandwich and drink was very, very affordable given the quality and quantity of food. OTHER I guess the locals know this but if you are from out of town, Danforth is a busy street. Parking here seems to be like winning the lottery and there are a lot of one-way streets around so if you see a spot, grab it and walk to save some aggravation. -- This is definitely a place I would recommend and return to. No questions asked. Only suggestion may be to order take-out if you are in a rush. read more

Supposed to be the best Greek restaurant in Toronto... I'd say the best meat for sure! But the rest is average, like any regular Greek place and not even a bit above! The service is not great but they're well known now so they don't need it. I guess. I ll be back for a gyros pita,which is really good for a decent price. I'd take to go. But not sure if the place deserves the title of "best of Toronto"! read more

I have been to Messini a few times over the years, usually before (or after) a visit to Dora Keogh's Irish pub. I dropped by today during the Taste of the Danforth festival and really enjoyed their pork gyros. The line up for takeout was huge which is always a good sign and the food did not disappoint. I loved how they put fries in the gyros, it made them even tastier! The souvlaki is definitely the better choice here. I have had the lunch menu once or twice and you don't get a lot more food, even though the cost is quite a bit higher. read more

Ordered the chicken soulvaki dinner and added an extra stick. Upgraded to Greek fries. Great food and great price. They expanded the restaurant so it can house more patrons. With all the new tables, the servers are having a hard time keeping up! It took forever for the manager to get my bill, even though I politely asked twice. I am knocking one star off for that. I love Messini and will be back regardless. I hope they sort out how to run this place with more customers coming. read more

Messini Authentic Gyros - Greek Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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The Tirokroketes and Greek fries are a must have! I have always gotten the greek fries, but the deep fried cheese balls were a first. They are so gooey, cheesy, and melt in your mouth good. I also got the spanakopita which was good and of course a lamb/beef gyro pita. I was a bit disappointed with their gyros this time around and they have always been my favourite in the city. Next time I might skip the gyro and just share some appetizers. Service is pretty good here and the food comes quick. read more

Messini Authentic Gyros - Greek Fries - Greek Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I've been going in on & off for the last 7 years as this is a staple gyros Danforth institution (they put fries in the sandwich, yum!!!) the prices are very reasonable, however, the service is SO BAD with so much attitude. They're always busy with line-ups out the door because the food is good, and the servers treat you like a second class citizen because they are obviously not lacking in business. No more patronizing of Messini as I go to Alexandros (on Logan Ave north of Danforth) as I ask them to put fries in my gyros and they're SO much nicer and friendlier here. read more

I went to Messini's for the third time today. Each time I've tried something different. The first time I had the chicken gyros which I wasn't too happy with. I thought the meat was a little sketchy. The second time I had the grilled calamari which was very good. Today, I tried the chicken souvlaki and I wished I had ordered the calamari instead. It was okay, but the pita was a little dry. So why a four? I like the salad and the tapenade, and I really like the greek fries. They are especially good if you are a hungover... like a greasy magical cure. Each time I've gone, I've had good service - friendly and efficient. I've never encountered any of these epic waits people mention; in fact, I've never even had to wait to get a table. And for the money, the amount of food you get is insane. I always have leftovers. No, it is definitely nothing fancy, but for quick eats, it's just fine. read more

I have updated this review to a 5 star. Why? There isn't a gyro better in the city. I have tried many places and I keep coming back here. Now I'm craving another gyro :) read more

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I really wanted to love Messini's based on my initial experience about a year ago. From my memory, it was utterly delicious with amazing service from start to finish. Unfortunately this was not the case. I visited Messini's mid-day expecting a long line up on a beautiful Sunday and to my surprise there was no wait, ample seats and a well equipped staff. Yet even with these factors, my table was barely acknowledged throughout the meal by our server and it was a hassle each time we wanted his attention. The food was subpar which was really disappointing since it's not exactly cheap and previous reviews made it sound decent. I really had high hopes for this place as I had been raving about it on the car ride over, but honestly I recommend taking your money and going to literally any other Greek restaurant in the area. read more

Came here with a friend of mine who brought me here saying that this was the best restaurant to eat at in the entire area. Boy, was this place a treat. This definitely did not disappoint. This place is known for their gyros and rightfully so. I ordered the chicken gyro and my friend ordered the pork gyro. We came during lunch so each came with a drink and a salad,potatoes, fries or rice - All for only 8 bucks each! Anyways, the service was very friendly and I had no issues with food taking a while. This place was FULL when we arrived so you knew it had to be good. We got pita first with a very interesting looking sauce, it's kind of purplish and there's definitely olive oil in it but I cannot lay my finger on what that sauce. Anyways, the sauce was kind of bitter yet very savory and it was really good. When the food arrived, it came in huge portions. The gyro was gigantic and they literally gave me a full big potato roasted in this yellow greek sauce. The pita was packed with fries, TONS of chicken and some onions and tzatziki sauce. It looked normal until I took a bite out of it and WOW it really was the best gyro I've ever had. The chicken had this flavor to it that was absolutely phenomenal and the fries were not dry but very soft like those mcdonalds fries that were slightly undercooked yet so good. The meal was absolutely stuffing and by far worth every penny. There was a reason why this place was packed and why my friend brought me here and I guarantee you that you will not be disappointed by the food if you came here - I'm not sure about the service as some people have complained about it but I had no problems so be sure to check this gem out! read more

Some of the best gyros I've ever had and a really good lunch deal to boot! Feta fries (+$1), generous gyro platter/sandwich, and a pop. Not a lot of seating but easy to take out. I definitely miss Danforth now that I've moved to Chicago. Just can't get good Greek food here and always make a trip to Danforth every time I'm in town! read more

Greek salad had lots of cucumber and a good amount of feta. Ordered the mixed platter that included pork, lamb and sausage which came as a pile of greek love, plus an extra side of potatoes. The sovalki chicken was on the dry side but the gyros pork was excellent as well as the lamb. $16 My friend enjoyed a lamb gyro with fries inside it which was a hit. $5 bucks flat. The third member in the party ate a chicken gyro dinner plate with greek salad, and potatoes. Tasty, inexpensive and overall good food. Review is based on price, as there is potentially better Greek in the Danforth. read more

Yummy gyros, great greek fries, and the best yummy fresh greek salad, it's always crowded and the service is slow but the taste worths the wait read more

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Messini is one of my favourite restaurants in the Danforth, largely because they offer a killer vegetarian pita (which, speaking as a firsthand member of a largely meat-eating greek family), is a goddamn revelation. Eat the Greek fries. No really...they pile feta on top and bake it until it cries. Among my circle of friends I always play designated driver on Friday nights, but if I was drunk and hungry...I wouldn't settle for anything other than Greek Fries from Messini. PS - The owner is a killer dude. Tall, Greek, gold chains and a chest of hair that would make Chuck Norris bow down in submission. It just adds to the ambience. read more

My Greek friends told me about this place and is now my go-to Greek place in the city. Delicious food for really really reasonable price. Pretty cheap when you think about how much good food you get. We generally go with the platters and nothing is really a miss here. The Greek fries are also a fave here. Not as subtle and refined as Parthenon a few doors down (which is like the classier, more upscale and pricier version) but still great and for the price point, the best there is, and one of my favorite restos in the city. read more

A popular gyros joint in an area teeming with Greek options. I had the pork gyros and it came wrapped tightly in paper, making a bundle of deliciousness. They are generous with their fillings, with their meats being in sizable chunks versus being sliced down or flaky. The wrap itself is soft and chewy, holds up well to all the sauce and stuffing inside. There a coupke french fries to give it some crunch but it is mostly meat. Their Greek fries are great, the potatoes are cut into thin discs and loaded with a lot of feta cheese. Extra points for melting the top layer. read more

My friends had been raving about Messini's gyros and fries for weeks and weeks by the time I finally went with them, unfortunately I didn't have a chance to see what they were raving about. We were sat quickly enough, just after 1:30pm on a weekday, most of us ordered the special which comes with fries or salad, pop and a gyros. After about twenty minutes the salads came. Decent enough, nothing too special, but they didn't scrimp on the feta so we were pleased. But forty minutes later, less so. We'd been trying to get the attention of our server and had noticed that many other tables were returning food and complaining, so we were in fine company. I went to the front to speak with the cashier since our server had been ignoring us and the second I got to the cashier she runs in, waving me back and telling me that they're swamped. (Funny though, two tables who came in later were served and eating gyros way before we were, it wasn't full, but we were still gyro-less.) It became evident that they had lost our order and forgotten about us. Instead of apologizing the server blamed the cashier and we received a new order in about 10 minutes. By the time it came to settle up we were a bit peeved but at least full. Going to pay, they had combined our bills instead of splitting them up as we requested, alright, so as we were figuring out how much we all owed, the cashier cut in, "You don't understand the bill? 5$ ISN'T enough (Referring to money I was swapping with a friend) don't you see? You had 3 items, this was $5, this was $8,..." The condescending attitude was icing on the cake. Sure, the gyros was tasty but not enough for the time and attitude. read more

This is my favourite Greek place when I visit Toronto. I have been visiting Toronto on and off for the past 16 years, and this is a place that I always stop in. The food is very authentic, and the atmosphere is like been back in Greece. Overall, I just love it and highly recommend it. read more

having an unexpectedly fantastic meal at Le Coin Grec in Montreal I am beginning a quest for equally amazing greek options in Toronto. I've always enjoyed greek cusine here and there but that Montreal experience absolutely knocked it out of the park for me and I want more. Where else better to start my search than with my most trusted food resource,Yelp, discovering Messini to be exact. Deep fried calamari, good. souvlaki, good (expecting great). greek fries, ok. Prices, great! Relatively cheap for the serving sizes. Overall, great prices for just ok food. read more

Can I give 3.5 stars here? We were here last night. The crowd fave appears to be a gyro in a pita. it comes with fries right in the pita. I wish I had ordered it. I ordered the pork souvlaki skewer dinner. The greek salad doesn't have lettuce, but it's super delicious. The tzatziki sauce is super duper garlicky. I also had the spinach pie. It was pretty tasty. The pork was a bit dry for pork, but way less dry than the chicken skewer that my friend ordered. This place is super loud. And really busy. Next time I'm getting the pita. read more

Everyone raves about this place, especially people who live outside The Danforth/GreekTown, but it is pretty average compared to the overall quality of Greek Cuisine in Toronto and authentic Greek food (in Greece). Kudos for their completely authentic Greek-style gyros, with the pommes-frittes inside the pita! However, the pita is too thick, and the meat inside is not much. The ambiance could be better. And their other food, except the gyros, is downright average. The price is right, but not super low. There are plenty of places on the Danforth that are better than Messini's, both as food quality and authenticity, and ambiance. IMHO (in my humble opinion) as someone whose roots hail from the region and who has lived in Athens (Kiffisia) for a little while. read more

Love/Hate relationship with this place. The staff are extremely rude, even for Greektown. The gyro is usually dry, bland and mediocre. However they are open late on weekends making them the staple Danforth really-late night option. However I would never, ever recommend them before 1am or a few drinks. read more

Had dinner with a friend there recently. Ordered the fried calamari (huge portion) and greek salad with only 2 olives but a full tomato cut in 4 pieces for $24. He had the chicken skewers. They were very dry. Cozy environment. However, the service was extraordinarily bad. We kept having different servers. None seemed to know the menu or that they did not offer desserts. The wine list is was limited to 2 very cheap tasting house wines that were highly over priced. At one point, my friend ordered a glass of wine. We never saw the woman again. When I spoke with a staff member about the lousy service, he said "I know". I then spoke with the owner/manager. He essentially said the his staff was horrible, he knew the service was very poor, he said good staff was impossible to find, and that he knew that the wines were very bad. However, he said that the place had been around for many years and that the food spoke for itself. This place seems dated. I told the owner that he might want to think about keeping up with the times and that he had a lot of competition given all the greek restaurants within the same block. His response -- I'm Greek, I'm stubborn. This place has the potential to be a much better restaurant. read more

The first time I ate here last year was pretty good. I ordered a lamb gyro and Greek fries. The gyro was good but had way too many onions, and the fries were so perfect! Such a great yet basic recipe. The second time I visited a few months ago, the chicken gyro wrap (no onions) was fantastic, but the feta cheese on the Greek fries was burnt. I'm talking like literally black and charred. I threw them in the garbage. Just a few nights ago I went for the final time. My boyfriend and I shared Greek fries and roasted potatoes. When we took the containers out of the bag, grease spilled everywhere. Our pants and his car seats are stained with grease. The Greek fries weren't very good and the roasted potatoes were so bland, the only thing I could taste was oil. read more

I have been to Messini a number of times. It stands out in my mind as a beacon on the Danforth...amongst the touristy and overpriced Greek food spots. I almost always order a Combo with a friend. The Combo gets you 2 sandwiches, a salad, and fries. I recommend chicken gyro sandwich, Greek salad (the type with no lettuce!) and Greek fries. Greek fries come with feta baked on top...mmm... The combo costs around $16. So, two people can eat really delicious food - and be totally STUFFED - for about $20. The catch is that there is often a line-up to get a table. You can also do take-out there, which is awesome, but the containers spill so be careful if you go that route. I would also warn against going here for a "nice" dinner. This is the type of place you go after work, when you want your food to come quickly! And that's exactly why I love it. read more

I was introduced to Messini by my parents. They purchased a chicken wrap for me with fries in it. The taste was out of this world, I had never tasted anything like it. I was impressed, we did take out for three nights straight. Being price conscious, my only concern is, naturally, the price. The price per sandwich is a bit over inflated, they don't offer a deal if you purchase more than one. For that reason, I wont make coming here a regular thing, but I think on occasion its good. read more

This place used to be great, and I can remember the many good times I had here. Now it's just going downhill day by day. I ordered a lamb & beef gyro and waited more than 30 minutes. The rude waiter just keep on eyeing me without explanation. When I asked him he made some vague and indifferent explanation. Eventually the food came and it was all fat and disgusting. Half of the plate is fat. When I asked the waiter and explained I've been here many times and have never had this, he's like "what do you want me o do? What do you want me to do?" This place is done, I am over this place and will never visit again. read more

Messini Authentic Gyros - Disgusting more than half fat lamb gyro. I will never visit this place again. - Greek Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

After eating the yummiest gyro in the land of gyros- Greece (in oblix restaurant in Santorini), we had been craving really good gyros for a long time. So we planned to stop her for lunch on our way to Toronto. The gyros were served as in oblix with fries, yummy tzatziki and without lettuce but i think the bread could have been better... Perhaps fresher. I'd go there again. read more

This restaurant would have been such a pleasant experience if the waitstaff knew what they were doing. Our waiter took about 15 minutes to even say hello. When we asked him the difference between the only two white wines, he had to leave to ask to only come back with "they're both dry" and a shrug. After our order came, my fiancé asked the food runner for some hot sauce - his rude response, "can you ask the waiter, I'm really busy." Which to me seemed funny considering our food came in no time and the restaurant seemed pretty over staffed. Our waiter was non existent after he took our initial order, we had to flag him down for everything. So, can't give perfect reviews although the food was actually so good and plentiful the service left us with a bad taste. It seemed like all they had were hostesses and food runners yet nobody who knew anything about customer service. read more

This is my go to spot for food after a long night of liver trauma. Everything is very inexpensive. The gyro's are great and have fries in them which is awesome. The atmosphere is also amazing. Since it caters to those who can appreciate a good deal, you end up with a lot of fellow young city people around you and I've never gone in without a good conversation striking up between tables. If you go you absolutely have to get the greek fries. There's noone who does it like them. They cut the fries medalion style with ripples so they catch and scoop as well as possible, then they cover them with tons of feta, drizzle them in olive oil and herbs, then put them in the broiler so it's a golden brown at the top. Other restaurants make greek fries but none compare. Just beware they are large so if you're doing a wrap you'll want to share one between 3 people (or maybe 2 for guys). read more

Very busy almost everyday even I came at 10pm. Cheap and delicious, i love the greek salad there, it think it is authentic compare to other restaurant. I also like the pita with the "olive sauce ", very yummy. Best pita ever !!!! A dinner for two is about 20$ with refill soft drinks. I couldnt finish my chicken wrap. The services is okay and the restaurant is a lil small. You have to line up a lil bit for setting up. read more

Messini Authentic Gyros - Pita and olive sauce, greek salad - Greek Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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After a yelp research, me and my girlfriend got to this awesome Greek restaurant, luckily we got by lunch time so we ordered the pork gyros which was the lunch special for that day, plus 2 sides (Greek fries and roasted potatoes) Gyros were huge, the pork was delicious and they put fries inside the gyros (add value) Both sides were even bigger! And pretty yummy! Also we got an excellent olive tapenade with fresh pita just after we ordered. Overall, great food, excellent prices, huge portions, good service friendly staff... a solid 10/10! read more

Holy #$%&! $5 for a gyro! The mixed gyro (chicken and pork) is really delicious and packed with meat! I've gotta try other things there, as it stands I've only had their gyro, several times mind you. Based on their gyro and the value I highly recommend. Funny story, my girlfriend was a little annoyed with the guy taking our order, she thought he was rude, I thought he was fine and I told her maybe you should know what you're going to order when you get to the counter instead of humming and hawing after you've been waiting in line for 3 minutes. She did not appreciate that I took his side, but you could tell waiting in line that the guy doesn't take any shit and expects you to know what you want. Sometimes you got to read the situation and go with the flow. read more

This place is one of my favorite comfort food restaurants in the city. The food is amazing (specially the gysos). Huge portions for the price you pay. Service is fine. Totally recommend the Greek fries and Greek salad. read more

Okay seriously... DEN PAIZETAI ! Translation to English as "nothing compares". I'm Greek and I've been to Greece maybe 20+ times and I can tell you this place really does authentic gyros. This is as close as it gets to actually having a fresh gyro sandwich in Greece. Marinos (the owner) does it right. Chicken, pork, lamb... they're all cooked juuuust right. The menu is packed with an assortment of Greek cuisine but really go for a pita sandwich they're #1 in Toronto. The grilled octopus and grilled calamari (squid) dishes are also great. Would you like some Greek salad and Greek fries with that? Yes please :D read more

Favourite Greek restaurant by far. Been going here for the last 10 + years. Could get busy depending on the time you go but the food makes it work it! Get the greek fries. It's amazingg!! read more