Place is ok. Food is good, but the atmosphere is plain weird. I'm pretty confident that the egg lemon soup is canned chicken noodle soup...but I still like it for some reason. The gyro-ish item is worth a try (sorry forget the name) read more

The Olympia is probably the only restaurant worth reviewing in Lowell, and my experience is limited to take-away orders. The fact that the staff is able to keep track of a couple dozen take-away/to go orders and serve patrons who are eating in is nothing short of a miracle. There is no ambiance to the cheap imitation sculptures and plaster-of-paris columns in this place, but the FOOD IS DELICIOUS and one of the best places to get take-away in the area. I still want to know what the secret ingredient in the red sauce is (friends have said it's lamb's blood?) read more

The Olympia Restaurant has maintained the greatness it had decades ago. I was skeptical about eating here because I had the honor of having the food by original owner, Socrates Tingas. He was a brilliant gourmet artist of momentous culinary abilities, so great that, the original "Fighter," Micky Ward, from the movie "The Fighter," immortalized his food and restaurant by actually SHOOTING the award-winning movie starring Mark Wahlberg at the Lowell Olympia Restaurant as it stands today. You must know when you enter the Olympia that it maintains the same throwback 60's/70's decor, jokingly said last night, that the only thing missing were cigars and cigarettes. I organized a huge party of about 70 people at the Olympia with chicken souvlaki, Pastitso (Greek Lasagna), Keftedes (Greek Meatballs), and Award Winning Roast Lamb. And son of Socrates, Artie Tingas, was the chef for the entire event. Guess what? 10 Stars! If I could have given the food and restaurant 10 stars, I would have given it 10 Stars. Chef Artie has channeled the outstanding gift that his father had. Bravo, Artie! A friend on the phone, complementing last night's event (and food) who attended from Boston, said "the Pastitso was as good as her mom's." Another relative said, "the lamb was exceptional, and it melted in my mouth." For me, I am in complete agreement about the lamb, I had the lamb, and it was absolutely OUTSTANDING!!!! When you go to Lowell, or nearby Boston (just 30 minutes away from Boston), and you want authentic Greek food, hands down, go to the Olympia Restaurant. read more

We had never been the Olympia before so were going on the recommendations we found here on Yelp (not sure we ate at the same place). The place was very empty for a Sunday during a long weekend. The carpets had seen better days. I'm glad we were doing take out. Hubby got Lamb on the Stick Olympia Style (Marinated Lamb Tips Served with Rice, Potato & Vegetables) I shared MEGA Combination Of Greek Specialties Olympia's Sampler Platter that consists of: Pastitsio, Mousaka, Grape Leaves, Meatballs, Spinach Pie, Feta Cheese, Kalamata Olives & Loucaniko. We both enjoyed the meatballs and the lamb on a stick however the vegetables may have been fresh when they were cooked last week but were so mushy from reheating they were inedible. The grape leaves were tough but homemade and not terrible. The Mousaka and Pastitsio were both overwhelmed by some spice in the béchamel. Spinach pie was OK, I learned I don't like Loukanico at all (never had it before) Hubby liked it. We were not terrible impressed. I might go back for the lamb but my favorites are Grape Leaves and Mousaka so that was disappointing. read more

Two and a half stars. I have to knock off a half star because it's kinda outdated and the wall to wall carpet is 1. ugly and 2. grimy. This restaurant is better than the other Greek restaurant in town, which is on the same street (Market Street) a few blocks away. The food's good, the prices are ok and our waitress was very nice. I recommend it when you're in downtown Lowell. (the lentil soup was much better than the other restaurant's, too) read more

The best dinner I ever had!! I had was the baked stuffed haddock and it was excellent OMG!! My husband got the lamb shoulder and I tried his and that was awesome. If you need a change of the same old then this is the place to go!!!! read more

It's good Greek food in the heart of Greek culture of Lowell, MA. I recommend the Mosaka & lemon egg soup. read more

Food: Excellent. Great food that is delicious and pretty cheap. There is a pretty big selection too. Everyone seems to be regulars, so if you aren't, you may feel a little out of place. I think most people do take-out. Service: Everyone is nice, but I swear we had the worst. waitress. ever. My drink never came. We each ordered an app, never came. I asked for my salad without angel hair pasta, yep, it had the pasta. Not sure what was up with her, but she is the reason this is not 5 stars. read more

I grew up going to this place and it was a favorite for sure... Best Greek food I've had anywhere. I hadn't been back in 20 years ... until a few months ago... I've eaten here 4 times since then. Every time is amazing. I have the Gyro with zobra fries. Best french fries ever & gyro ever. My mom has gotten the baked lamb & it's also excellent... falls right off the bone. The lemon soup is to die for. So yes ... the restaurant decor is a bit outdated ... but the food is delicious & incredibly reasonable. The staff is nice & it's clean. ... update 8/20/17 ... sad to report ... the last couple times I have been the gyro meat & pita were overcooked. I also visited at off times, so things may be more fresh at peak times. read more

Olympia Restaurant - Greek Near Me - Lowell, Massachusetts

Whether or not it's because of the pandemic all I can say is that the woman that answered the phone this time and the last time had a major attitude. I've ordered the Lamb Kabab Olympia before over the phone and in the restaurant and the garnish was included. It says that on the menu. She said it was not. Ultimately it's fine because they are pricey for what they give you. The food is good but I'm not paying $60 for a dinner for two to have that kind of attitude. read more

Worst food ever. Ordered 3 lamb and rice dinners. One with no potatoes. I got 2 with no rice. It was so greasy, by the time i finished my dinner, i was in the bathroom vomiting. I drove from Litchfield N.H. to get what i thought was food i grew up on. Now I will never set foot in that place again. The bread was good though....so was the pepto... read more

This is a staple in downtown Lowell. It is the ONLY place to go if you want authentic Greek cuisine. Everything on the menu is delicious. From the lamb on a stick to the egg lemon soup. The only thing that has ever bothered me here is the service. I was recently here with a good friend of mine from out of town. We ordered two drinks and both had the lamb Olympia style. But the service fell short. Our waitress was rude, but waitresses have been rude here for the past 20 years. Maybe it's part of the allure of this place. Much like going into a diner in jersey and having a waitress hassle you about what your going to eat. The food outshines everything here though, and I will continue to go. Even if the waitresses do boss you around every once in a while. read more

Had dinner here recently and it was delicious. The table had various selections including: moussaka, baked haddock, chicken kids kabob, kids hamburger, and lamb meatballs. All were delicious. The kids hamburger was a full size burger and the kids kabob was a full plate as well. I really enjoyed their Greek dressing. It was so tangy and delicious. read more

The Olympia has been in Lowell since forever, where it has been the go to place for Greek cuisine. It's been a while since I have visited The Olympia and thought it was time to go back. All in all, it was okay, but also a little disappointing since we know how it used to be. Started off with some fresh yet boring bread. My House Salad was good with chilled lettuce, tomatoes, cukes, onion, and Greek olives in a nice Greek dressing but just a tiny chunk of feta cheese. I decided to go with the pastitsio while my wife went with the mousaka. My pastitsio was rather bland with slightly overcooked noodles and just a ultra thin layer of ground lamb. The rice with tomato sauce side was the tastiest part of the entree. My wife was also not overly impressed with her eggplant dish. Two very standard Greek dishes were filling yet rather unimpressive from this long time Lowell institution. But the restaurant was crowded, and everyone seemed to enjoying themselves? Maybe a bad night? Next time I'll order the lamb kabob. It looked awesome. read more

Had a great meal here last night, but just as we were wrapping up eating a waitress came on duty with so much perfume on I could taste it. She walked by our table a couple of times and it was just over the top. I bet if she had delivered our food it would have tasted like perfume. But on to the food and drinks. Great Cosmo and martini--both Grey Goose and the bartender used Cointreau in the Cosmo. The dry Greek red house wine is really good and reasonably priced. Husband had bottled beer--think it was Stella. Ice cold. I had the breast of chicken with just potato. I don't order the rice because it soaks up all the delicious red sauce that the potatoes are cooked in. Chicken was tender and juicy and had a crispy skin. Husband had grilled lamb chops and they were excellent. He opted for what they call "garnish" which is potato, rice, and a mix of veg in that same tomato sauce. There were green beans, celery (I love celery as a cooked veg), carrots, and lima beans. We hadn't been here in a while, but we'll be going back soon. We used to get takeout a lot but haven't recently. It's best to dine in if you are ordering the lamb chops or the lamb kebobs. They keep cooking on the way home and are overcooked by the time you get home. Have to make a note to go early before the girl with the perfume comes on duty. Hopefully the owner will read this review and tell the girls to nix the perfume. One of my biggest pet peeves. Can't stand perfume when I'm trying to eat. read more

First time here. Met up with friends who dine or do takeout from here and love it. Service was good and friendly. The roasted leg of lamb and the mousakka were delicious. Good size portions and friends say the takeout orders are even larger. read more

The quality of the food here was not good it was amazing. It felt as I was eating in Greece. The lamb and rice was incredible and was a very good quality dinner. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to others. -Nick read more

I have been coming to this place basically all my life as I am Greek. When the dad owned this place, the food was excellent. He knew our family and would always make sure we got exactly whatever we wanted. I always ordered the baked lamb with garnish and it was always delish!! I noticed when the son took over the food went downhill. I ordered my regular meal and the lamb was awful...mutton full of fat. All of the waitresses that work there are always grumpy and mean, but I was used to it. I called the waitress over & showed her the lamb, she brought it back and I was shocked to see her bring it right back to me. She said the owner said there was nothing wrong with it??? That was the last time I went there. Pretty sad for someone who frequented that place on a regular basis!! read more

I've eaten here twice in the past couple of months. Once was good, the other was only okay. So, the first time we actually ate in the Zorba Room before a show. The menu is quite limited and the waitress wasn't really sure if we could make any changes or substitutions. Having said that, I ordered chicken skewers with vegetables and potatoes. I haven't had veggies so over cooked since my childhood (quite a long time ago!) Seriously, they were just mushy and unrecognizable. The chicken was great; so overall this meal would have gotten a 3 star review from me at best. Two weeks ago, I went with several friends and ate in the dining room. The menu is much more extensive and varied. Took me a while to figure out what I wanted to have!. I opted for the combo platter (appetizer) for my meal. I have to say that I truly enjoyed every bite. My husband ordered lamb. I don't think he said a word during the meal -- he was too busy eating and couldn't stop long enough to say anything. So, combine this 5 star meal with the 3 star meal, and you get 4 stars. Also, the Zorba Room is a great place to see a show. Seems like they have a pretty varied line up of performers. Worth checking out! read more

In from out of town, seems to be substandard from years past, a quarter of a potato with baked lamb, really? No sauce on lamb, rice or potatoes, feel intimidated asking for more sauce like I'm putting them out. Go to Athenian Corner close by, better food, better service, you won't be disappointed. read more

Not bad for Greek food overall. I enjoyed the spanakopita a lot and would say it was probably the best thing I had here. The gyro was good, although not amazing. It was definitely not bad, but it wasn't as good as many other ones I've had. However, it is best Greek food I had in the Lowell area, and I would recommend coming here if you want Greek and are nearby. read more

Let me say this out loud & clearly-YOU must go here to eat if you love Greek food!! I went for the first time and I was so amazed at how delicious the food was I literally yelled out "is grandma cooking back there?!"!! No lie the food is phenomenal!! Go now and ask for the lemon & rice soup, and the stuffed cabbage with rice & beef, I had tomato sauce on mine but you have other choices!! Honestly amazing! Enjoy!! read more

This place don't get enough credits! A hole in the wall but a gem. I forgot to post this 2 months ago when I was here. We ordered the lamb special with a salad. The rice was delicious and the meat was seasoned very well. My partner had the Greek chicken and it was also delicious! My husband and I travel around the world and this is definitely Greek cuisine! It wasn't as fresh as what we had in Greece but close enough! The tatziki sauce was refreshing and I love it on my meat! The service was awesome because our water was refilled without asking! Nice spot! read more

I read the mixed reviews and was hesitant to go for dinner with family. So glad we went and found out for ourselves. Dated decor but food was spot on! We were a party of 6. Two had the baked lamb with garnish that they devoured. The rest of us (4) had the gyros. The gyros were not made from a rotisserie but was just as good and delish. I can't speak of anything else on the menu but being Greek and know what goes by not a good Greek meal. The Olympian did not disappoint. Will be back again. read more

Love love love this place!! A bit pricy, but lamb dinner with veggies and rice is so delicious and it's all we ever get. I'm sure everything else is great too though. I always get take-out so I'm not sure how the dine-in service is, but I'm sure it's fine. read more

Here's the key to going to a Greek restaurant in the middle of Greekville (Lowell) -- go with a Greek! The staff knew the family I was with and we got great service. That avgolemono (lemon and rice soup) I could eat all day long, it is the best thing ever. The calamari was tender and perfectly dipped in a very light batter.. sooo good. Then I had a sampler lunch plate, very reasonably priced considering the amount of food!, with moussaka and pastitsi and other yumminess, and for someone who doesn't eat lamb, this stuff was very good. All this with some Greek beer, and I had a really fantastic time.. no room for the super strong Greek coffee. read more

The food was disgusting first off we went on Monday, at 1 pm, one waitress to handle all of the customers. I am Greek American from NewYork, and we have some of the outstanding Greek restaurants here bar none.This is just one restaurant in a small town establish in 1952. My daughter was carving the spinach pie it was made mostly with zucchini,spinach and other green. And waitress bought out someone else plate a Pastitsio with rice and oven potato with tomato sauce, ""What"" I order Moussaka and Zorba Fries, I bought it to her attention. (I am Greek I should know my dishes I make it at home.)She took it back and bought it with the rice and potato again not the Zorba fries. The Moussaka was burnt and dry and rice was cook for 2 minutes hard and box of salt no flavor, really? and tomato sauce!!!! unedible my dog wouldn't eat this. You figure it was good place to eat,one Greek restaurant in this town run by family from 1952. I when to Philadelphia and Greek restaurants are amazing also. I have travel to a lot places. This places is far by the worst food ever, Never again top it all off we spent 2 hours in bathroom emptying our stomach because we got sick from this food image how many weeks it spent in the refrigerator, never visiting this place again . The Greek Lemon soup, Lipton from a box and some egg and lemon sauce to give it the flavor. Galaktoboureko dessert she told me they just made it, wrong microwave for a 2 seconds bought it out stale warm one side and frozen cold everywhere else, They should bring health department because this restaurant has major issues. read more

If you don't get the atmosphere at the Olympia, you're missing the point of the place. The tiny, ancient waitress forced me to order avgolemono the last time we were there. You just have to roll with it. You're at a Greek restaurant in Lowell--and in the Acre at that--so what did you expect? In the great Olympia vs. Athenian debate, we are Olympia people, but I will eat at either one, to be honest. The food at the Olympia is better, and if you've clocked significant time with Greeks, the service qualifies as friendly. read more

This spot is a staple in Lowell. I have never known them to not be there. My daughter wanted to stop by so we went. Service was excellent and the food was just lovely. We ended up with so much to take home between us I used the leftovers on top of home made salads for a couple of days. A great spot that we will visit often!! read more

I just had a good lunch with a large group for a friend's b'day lunch. It was the sort of thing where most of us arrived at about the same time, others came later, ordered long after the rest of us had gotten our meals, the server brought us plates and utensils for the cake we had brought., stayed polite while various members of the party pondered decisions like decaf...tea...or real coffee??? It was nice, food was ok. The place looks like it could use a total makeover, and there was that man who is always just sitting near the door. read more

This restaurant is located near downtown Lowell close to the Pollard Memorial Library. It shares its (free) private lot with what seems to be another business.. not sure! There aren't many available spaces.. so you're best bet would be to find one of the bountiful metered street parking. Upon walking in, the restaurant is very reminiscent of other Greek restaurants I've frequented- very white and blue. My friend, A, and I were one of only two taken tables and were seated very quickly. Before we ordered, we were given a complimentary basket of bread and butter. We didn't touch it, but it looked just ok. I placed an order for moussaka while A ordered pastichio. My order was really good! The ground lamb was well seasoned and the potato was delicious. I just wish the eggplant was less mushy. The fries that accompanied my dish were yummy as well. A's order was less than satisfactory. While at first the dish was decent, it became much less enticing when she found that the center of her block of lasagne was COLD. We were in a rush by that time (about 40 minutes passed from arrival at the restaurant to receiving our entrees) so we just asked for boxes to go. It can be reheated later anyway, right? I will note that our waitress seemed wicked rushed and not inclined to really speak with us at all. She was a no fuss, no muss kinda gal. She asked us how our meal was, with no zeal at all... like it was forced! She didn't even fill my soda or ask if I needed it filled (it was empty with melted ice!). read more

I am probably giving this place more stars than it deserves. The best part is the ambiance. The murals and mirrors transport you to another world. And you've got to love the brothers, always at the bar with a cigarette and a drink, any time of day. I have been going here for 20 years and every visit one of them is there, smoking and drinking. They have great egg lemon soup and Greek salads and their rice and potatoes are awesome, just ask for extra sauce. I hate lima beans but they manage to sneak them into their garnish and their not half bad. I usually get the baked lamb, which is good but kind of leaves you feeling sick afterward. Their spinach pie sucks as well as their chicken. If you order take out you get much bigger portions than eating there. read more

Quite a disappointment. This had been a place recommended by 2 coworkers my boyfriend works with and I'm not sure if we were eating at the same place. I've been to Amphora in Derry, NH which totally BLOWS Olympia away. Where to start.... The decor of the restaurant is extremely outdated and just plain ugly. Carpeted dining room is a no-no and quite dingy. The fake flower decorations and painted murals peeling off the walls. The inside was also cool (as in temperature on a 7 degree day) and the bathroom was even colder...does not make for a pleasant experience when you have to pee in a cold bathroom. Speaking of cold....the waitstaff. Not exactly a friendly bunch. And when a 12 top sat behind us, it became even more apparent. Food was very "meh". The bread they give to start was a little stale. One thing that did stand out of everything we ordered were the french fries and the stuffed cabbage but honestly, who wants to say the french fries were the best thing at an "authentic" Greek restaurant. I ordered the moussaka which was just okay and my boyfriend ordered the gyro. The meat in the sandwich was kind of dry, as well as the pita bread. Unfortunately, not very memorable. I hate to be so brutally honest but really nothing to be excited for and looking forward to returning again. I'll stick to my usual place for Greek food. read more

I am not sure what is going on here, but I went to this restaurant to have dinner and a couple of guests across from us made startling faces and we began to wonder why. They kept looking at the floors, I looked also and noticed things crawling wicked fast from one corner of the room to the next. It was clearly a food service violation. I didn't want to say anything, I was trying to enjoy my lamb dinner but lost my appetite, had to lift my legs up onto the seat. My cousin was with me at the time and she was so petrified. I hope they have taken care of it by now. The place is a bit deterring. I haven't had the feeling to go there after that. read more

I came here for the very first time with my friends after class one day. I have never had Greek food in my life so what the hey, I'm up for trying new things! The outside of the restaurant looks very dead; you wouldn't even notice there was a restaurant open! The atmosphere of the place is very old fashion and "blah", but who cares I'm not really here to look around, I came to EAT. So of course I had no clue what to order, so I ordered one of the specials. I ordered the Pastitsio: (The Greek Lasagna), I was in the mood for something tomatoey and boy did I get the opposite! It came with seasoned rice and a potato. The pastitsio was disgusting, the rice and potato was pretty good. My friend ordered the Chicken Shish Kebab specialty salad, which I took a few bites of and it was amazing! My other friend ordered lamb I think which also came with rice and a potato, it looked really good! Our waitress was kind of bipolar; impatient one minute and super nice the next. I couldn't help but notice the other asian waitress, she was so nice and acknowledged everything and everyone around her! Oh yeah, the bread and butter offered at the beginning were so fresh and delish! Not a bad place, I can't just judge this restaurant due to one experience so I will be back to try other dishes and update this review soon. Order: the chicken shish kebab specialty salad and other dishes BUT Do not order: pastitsio [greek lasagna] read more

Olympia Restaurant - Greek Near Me - Lowell, Massachusetts

Great stuff, great stuff. I've been coming here for 30 years and the atmosphere is exactly the same (very clean), so in a way it's like a time machine to a Greek restaurant from the past. Yes, the service is a little gruff but extremely competant and the baked lamb and vegetables are to die for. I simply can't recommend this place enough. If it's too crowded, try Athenian Corner. It's not quite as good but also good for a great meal!!! read more

Went in with a Greek friend. He said it's close to authentic. Meatballs were awesome.

Olympia makes some of the best Greek food I have ever eaten. The portions were huge and the food super fresh. I can't wait to eat again!

Recently I had lunch at Olympia. A co-worker of mine had recommended the place as I was meeting some friends from out of town and was looking for suggestions for places to eat. My co-worker informed me that it was a good place to go because it really was a Lowellian institution and a good way to demonstrate the strong Greek roots in Lowell. She said the food is just okay- but for out of town people, it is a good place to go as it is a Lowell landmark. She was right- but I think that saying the food was okay was a little generous. I was very disappointed as I am a huge Greek food fan. We all ordered off of the lunch special menu. Under the lunch menu listings- it says that the meal comes w/choice of fries, rice, or pasta, soup, and coffee or tea. I must say- our server was very, very, nice- but I was disappointed that we were not offered soup OR coffee or tea. My friends and I were so happy to see each other that we just let it go. I was up in the air about what to order- the gyro or the spanikopita and in the end went with the spanikopita. One of my friends ordered the gyro and said it was very good- although she did have to ask for tzatzki. I unfortunately, was not thrilled with my choice at all. I LOVE spanikopita- but this was below mediocre. It was not fresh and had been barely reheated- and tasted like it was stale. The usually flaky phyllo dough was rubbery. I did get Zorba fries on the side, which ended up being very good, so that salvaged the meal somewhat. One friend got the rice, the other got the pasta- and neither one of them touched their sides because they just looked- meh.... I may consider giving it one more shot- like I said, the server was very nice...maybe it was just an off day in the kitchen... read more

Went to Olympia on a Saturday night thinking that this would be some fantastic greek food. Had the Lamb Chops which were very thin and over cooked. Very disappointing evening and dinner. The appetizer plate and fries were pretty good. Service was OK. Dessert options were very limited from what I would have expected and seen at other Greek Restaurants. Decor is very dated. Worst of all is that it's not really clean inside. We were seated by a window with vertical blinds that were food stained. We should have asked to be moved but didn't, our bad but needless to say it was not very appetizing. I would say this place is a candidate for the show restaurant impossible. read more