At the recommendation of my Guy, we ate here for lunch today. This jewel is nestled in a shopping center in Vestavia Hills that has Red Lobster as an anchor. It's literally a cute little mom and pop restaurant, so I knew that it was gonna be good, and it was gonna be authentic. When you walk in, you order, pay then find somewhere to sit. I ordered the pastichio with green beans, and my guy ordered the grilled ribeye with Greek potatoes and green beans. He absolutely loved the steak, as he said he would because he had been there before. He was as happy as a kid in a candy store. My pastichio was authentic and flavorful but in a couple of places it had been heated up too high which caused the pasta to be extra hard and inedible. Not necessarily a deal breaker. In fact, I placed a to-go order for this same dish to eat tomorrow. The owner was very personable and came around to make sure we were good. The owner's son also offered to discard our paper plates and utensils. Don't go here looking for a fancy, date night restaurant. However, if you want some authentic, well seasoned Greek dishes, this is your place. I will definitely return when I'm in the mood for some delicious Greek food. read more

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Food is very good but the place is filthy. The lack of cleanliness is beyond belief. Sticky floors, filthy rest room, tables and walls dirty. We simply can't return as the lack of cleanliness is a huge turn off. read more

Food average, green beans served without drained and spilled liquid over into other items on plate. Lemon soup was not good,too thick and resembled a dip- not fresh. Walls, chairs, floors all needed scrubbed. Restroom- ladies door did not lock nor close properly,no paper towel or hand dryer, floor needed clean. Counter where order was placed appeared cluttered and not clean. Went with 2 others at lunch time and we were the only ones dining in, others came in to pick up while there. read more

spot is absolutely incredible! The food is always fresh and flavorful. you honestly can't go wrong with anything on the menu. My number one favorite is the Philly--it's packed with flavor and always hits the spot. A close second is the gyro (their meat is seasoned perfectly and the pita is soft and warm). Everything else I've tried has been excellent too, so you really can't make a bad choice here. If you're craving Greek food, this is hands down my go-to place. Highly recommend! read more

Order at the counter.but they bring you your food. Really good food! It's quiet enough for good table conversation, but you have to talk fast between bites so you want be talking with your mouth full. Save room for dessert if you can . Their baklava is absolutely wonderful! read more

Pappas Grill - Empty plate - Greek Near Me - Vestavia Hills, Alabama

Yummy gyro salad! And fast pleasant service. A great lunch option. Wish they had a 'real' plate option rather than styrofoam, but food is good. read more

Pappas is a hidden gem in Vestavia! It is locally operated and is very casual. The service was also quick and efficient. The pita bread was so good that we forgot to take a picture of it. However, the chicken platter was also great! Overall, I enjoyed my meal and will be back for some more Greek food. read more

Pappas Grill - a plate of food - Greek Near Me - Vestavia Hills, Alabama

Bad night, maybe? No one greeted us when we came in. There were no patrons until later on, so it was awkward. The food didn't even look like what it looks like in the pictures here on Yelp. The potatoes were watery, the salad was room temp and there were some rotten, brown pieces. I only ate a couple of bites of both potatoes & salad. The chicken was fine. Nothing special. The floors were so sticky, my boots stuck to the floor. My mother & I both had to clean the table where we sat. The first table we went to was broken & tilted. Will not be back. read more

Wonderful flavor to the Greek chicken salad and large portions. Will definitely be back.

I went for the lamb. It's a little spot in a strip of other businesses that you can tell has been there a long time. Local owned and operated. Food was decent. It was hard to eat inside because there was so much smoke. It's fast casual so order, pay, then sit and wait for your food to be made. The lamb was good but not great, the green beans were good as well. We've had the pastichio in a catering order and it was fantastic. I would probably order catering again but not sure we would dine in. Overall I'd give it a 3.5 read more

Pappas Grill - Leg of lamb served over orzo with green beans - Greek Near Me - Vestavia Hills, Alabama

Found this while trying to find a different place! And I'm happy we did! Everyone was incredibly friendly. We grabbed a menu, took a seat, and had a pretty hard decision to make. I ended up getting spanikopita, and my husband got the burger. The spanikopita came with a Greek salad and another side. I chose the Greek potatoes. The spanikopita was warm and delicious! The melted feta in it was so addictive. The bottom layer of crust wasn't crispy, but it didn't matter. It actually added to how good it was. The Greek salad was a house mad Greek dressing over lettuce and a GENEROUS amount of feta. It was refreshing considering some of the other Greek salads available at other restaurants in the area really give the tiniest piece of feta haha. The potatoes were so good. They were soft and well seasoned. I ended up dipping my roll in the left over seasoning and butter from the potatoes. My husband's burger was delicious! He got it all the way, and it came with a sauce that I'm not exactly sure what it was but I wish I could buy it and use it at home. The prices are amazing for the quality of food. The service was incredible. They are all so kind and called people by name when they picked up their orders, saying see you next week. Truly a hidden gem. Now, I almost walked out without trying the baklava and that would have been a huge loss. My husband grabbed some on our way out. It was so good, crispy and sweet. I will absolutely be going back! read more

Pappas Grill - Baklava - Greek Near Me - Vestavia Hills, Alabama

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I have been here multiple times and tried several different items. The standard Gyro and my favorite the Pastichio. This had been my go-to for authentic Pastichio (Greek Lasagna). No more! While the taste is still there. I discovered today that my Pastichio was microwaved from frozen. I had always assumed they had a pan in the back warming that they took a serving out of when ordered. This has caused me to call into question how fresh many of their other authentic dishes are. Maybe on the days when they have nightly specials it is freshly prepared that day. Tablecloths are the cheap plastic kind that you can buy at a dollar store, which would not be a big deal but were showing significant wear and should have been changed out more frequently. I probably won't be back and will have to get my Pastichio fix at the Greek Food Festival and hopefully find a new restaurant with it on the menu so I can have it more than once a year. read more

I missed the annual Greek food festival last weekend, and I have been needing a Greek food fix ever since. And I've had Pappas Grill bookmarked for a long time. So when I was asked "where do you want to eat", I had Pappas queued up. I met Yelp masters Will B and David L for lunch yesterday. The restaurant is a modest, strip mall storefront that is adjacent to Red Lobster. The setup is a casual, counter-order style restaurant. There is indoor seating, and four tables outside. We sat outside, and it was quite comfortable in the shade. I ordered the Souvlaki (beef tenderloin kabob). It comes with a Greek salad, and choice of an additional side. I opted for the Greek style potatoes. The portions were huge, and I thought everything was fantastic. The steak was seasoned and tender, and already removed from the kabob stick. The potatoes were soft and flavorful. The salad was wonderful, and I loved the generous amount of feta. The salad dressing was the perfect blend of tartness and herbs. The meal had great balance, and to me was the Greek version of southern comfort food. I really enjoyed our experience, and the food preparation seemed very authentic. Some other tradition offerings include Pastichio, Moussaka, and Stuffed Grape Leaves. It was like being in an ancient Greek village. read more

Pappas Grill - Beef Souvlaki, delicious! - Greek Near Me - Vestavia Hills, Alabama

Met fellow Yelpers Paul C and Will B for lunch here. Pappas is the go-to Greek/Mediterranean food place for many Vestavians for years. They are owned and family operated with a loyal customer base. Opened for lunch and dinner during the week but only for lunch on Sat and Sun, many like to keep Pappas their hidden secret. Located next door to Red Lobster and across from Sprouts in Vestavia, Pappas is tucked away in a strip mall before you get to the new Vestavia City Hall. I heard a Metro Diner is opening next door to them soon so there should be even more foot traffic. The interior is modestly decorated with memorabilia on the walls and small tables and chairs. If you have a large party, it might be a little cramped inside. They do have about 4 tables right outside the front door. You que up, order and pay at the register, find your seat and they will bring your food to you shortly. You can watch them cook your food if you wish. The atmosphere is even more laid back than Tazikis. Paul tried their beef tenderloin kabob. It was a huge portion and looked delicious. He had nothing but praise for his beef. Will and I got the basic gyro. I loved my gyro because this was the only time in recent memory that I my gyro ever had the pita wrap "toasted"... nice touch Pappas... nice touch! Just that bumped my review from 4 to 5 stars. The portions of meat (see photo) were Yuge. The taste? DCD! Just the right amount of dressing, lettuce and tomatoes. It's a good sign when you have trouble deciding how to pick it up to get your mouth around it. By itself it comes with a bag of chips, but there are other side items. I also got a side greek salad. It was as good as I expected it to be, a nice blend of iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, dressing and ample chunks of feta cheese. Their menu is extensive and includes other entrees such as fish and chicken. If you're a fan of Greek/Mediterranean food, you have to try Pappas. Give them a chance. You won't be disappointed. read more

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Came to Pappa's Grill with a friend. I had never heard of it prior and must say, WOW! The service was terrific, Greg went out of his way to make us feel welcomed and explains he dishes to me. I enjoyed every bite. I'll be back for sure! read more

There really are so many options here in Hoover/B'ham it can get easy to just keep going to the same place over and over. Not today! Doing a quick YELP search I came across Pappas Grill. We arrived at lunch time, about 11:20, and they weren't too busy yet. Went inside and easy enough arrangement to figure out. Menu's at the counter, you look through what's on the menu and the specials board. Now, immediately upon entering this place, the food smelled amazing (good smells - 5 stars). We placed out order and chose an outside table since it wasn't too hot outside. Note, if you want to sit outside I'd recommend coming a little before normal lunch time, because in minutes the 4 or 5 tables were all occupied. About 10 minutes later our food came out. Salad was good, and the greek dressing was flavorful, however not really anything that would quality as a wow (3.5 stars). The chicken was good but dry (3 star), the potatoes again, were flavored ok, but something was just missing (maybe pepper would have improved it) (3 stars), the beef and pasta dish (sorry forgot the name) was really on the dry side, especially the pasta. Beef was flavored good though (3 star). Staff was friendly enough, I guess, just a little pushy if you requested stuff in a manner that they didn't want to provide it. Example, the person I was with asked for light ice, the server mumbled it's hot and proceeded to fill his glass with ice. I was definitely hoping for more with the high volume of good reviews, but this place just kind of missed in all areas for me. Would I come back, yes, but probably only if somebody asked if we could go there. But, with all the good reviews your opinion may vary from mine. read more

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The food was fantastic. Everything was perfectly seasoned. Get the olive dip with the pita... my goodness. Absolutely wonderful.

Ate here for lunch today. Wow what a treasure. The gyro, greek salad, stuffed grape leaves, and baklava were excellent. If you want good Greek food, then this is the right place to go. Great mom and pop restaurant. read more

I've always heard how wonderful their hamburgers were, and finally ordered one with fries. Both were great!

I visited this place recently after living in the area for 3 years and always meaning to get around to it. I love Greek food and was looking for Spanakopita which isn't on the menu at a lot of the Greek places in Birmingham. The service was quick and my food was very good. Spanakopita was a very large portion and it came with a salad and a side. I chose Greek potatoes as my side and they were delicious as well. I got a piece of baklava for dessert and my total was only about $13 which seemed very cheap to me for the portion of food. My only complaint was the greek salad seemed a little soggy and since it was serve in the same container as my hot food to go, it was warm by the time I ate it. Other than that, the food was great and I will be back. read more

Not a high ambiance location. The food is very good true locally operated Greek cooking. You have to look for the location. It's up by the Vestavia city hall. read more

On countless occasions, my in-laws have picked up a Pappas' Greek Salad to share amongst a crowd. It has always been really good... but thou shalt not Yelp on salad alone! Not to mention I have had even close to the full experience. So I was very excited when some fellow Yelpers wanted to have a meeting here. I have heard from my in-laws for years that the owners are kind of unhappy. So my goal was to try and make them smile while I was there... fail. I'm not sure what it is, but that just adds to the charm of this place. Normally if I went to a restaurant and my waiter acted pissed the whole time, I would probably take note negatively. But perhaps it is growing up going to counter service, hole-in-the-wall places with cranky service that makes me feel nostalgic. Not to mention every one of those places holds great food in my memory. I opted for the Gyro with fries. The presentation was ruining by my unwrapping of it, so no photo on this. But that explains the lack of good photos on their Yelp Page. Trust me, it is better than it looks in all these pics. This gyro was unique because the pita bread was toasty. If you told me before that it came that way, I would have probably turned my nose up since it wasn't the soft, fluffy pita of my dreams. But the flavor and texture, though different, were incredible! I really loved it. The lamb was tender and well seasoned and the sauce cold and creamy. A winning pita for sure. The fries were nothing overly special. But hot and fresh... no argument with that. All in all, no complaints from me. Good food, nostalgically grumpy service, and a 5 star experience in my book. read more

Pappas Grill - Gyro and fries - Greek Near Me - Vestavia Hills, Alabama

Delicious place. My gyro was packed with ingredients unlike Tazikis gyros. The staff was working so hard and managed to get out food in a timely manner. Will be back soon. read more

OMG! I got the Greek Style Snapper. It was delicious. This is a small family owned restaurant and the customer service was great. The fish was fresh and cooked to perfection. I am so glad to have found this place. Def going back. read more

Pappas Grill - Greek Style Snapper - Greek Near Me - Vestavia Hills, Alabama

Order take out on a Thursday around 5pm. They were out of 2 MAIN items so I had to order something else. We settled on a regular burger dressed no cheese, greek chicken plate w/ side greek salad & greek potatoes. Add'l side salas & green beans. The burger had a nice char & natural flavor. The greek chicken tasted like it was frozen & reheated 5 times. It was dry & rubbery. Decent flavor. The greek salad was so wet & wilted I had to drain it to get to the lettuce. The greek potatoes & green beans were the star of the dinner. Good flavors! The workers/owners were so so RUDE! I actually felt like they didn't want me business & wanted me to leave. The prices are pretty good for the amt of food you get. We won't be back. read more

My friend and I shared a wonderful dish of eggplant mousaka, a unique rice and beans, and a greek salad. IT WAS FABULOUS. Can not wait til I can return! read more

Everything on the menu is delicious!! Great little family owned place. The hummus dip and pita bread is one of my favorites and you must try the gyros. Yummy!! read more

Nice grill , enjoyed our Greek salad . Their Pastichio is really good !!!! Lots of options to choose from . We'll be back

Just a quick light lunch. So grabbed green potatoes and calamari olive dip with pita. Service is fast and everyone was friendly. I got mine to go but they have a nice eating area outside and good table settings inside. Loved my lunch. Tasty and filling even for a light meal. Can't wait to go back and try some of my favorite Greek dishes here read more

Snail cute place with great Greek dishes and good service. Locally owned and operated. Food is delicious. Definitely give it a try!

Best food ever! Ive been going here most.my life. Its consistent, delicious, the place is clean, and the guy is super friendly!

My husband and I stopped in to eat. The food was good, but the place is disgusting. Very dirty. It needs a complete gut job.

I hate to post a great review because this is our favorite place and we don't want any crowds, but the menu is extensive and EVERYTHING is wonderful!! Casual, local place off the beaten path. If you're lucky enough to go when they have the Greek burger, don't miss out!!! read more

This is my first visit to Pappas Grill. It's located right next to Red Lobster on Montgomery Highway in Vestavia. It is a little difficult to see the restaurant from the road. I researched for local restaurants and found this gem via Yelp. I showed up around 4 PM to get some late lunch/early dinner. I ordered Beef Souvlaki (medium rare) with rice and salad. I must say that the beef was so juicy and moist, seasoned to perfection, and rice was such a great complement to the dish. I had a very brief moment to talk to the owners. They were very nice and explained to me some of the specials: Prime Rib on Thursday evenings and Lamb Shanks on Friday evenings. I cannot wait to come back and dine. The dish was super delicious and I really think it was as authentic as it gets. If you are looking to get some authentic Greek food in/near Birmingham, take a trip out to Vestavia to go to Pappas Grill. read more

Pappas Grill - Beef souvlaki - Greek Near Me - Vestavia Hills, Alabama

First timers today. Been in search of decent Greek food here in Bham. Unfortunately, the search continues. Let's start with good...nice people. As for the bad...place smelled like burnt food. The food was mini-sized for a non-mini sized price. Only 3 small strips of meat in the gyro. Pita was about the size of a hot dog bun. Both the chicken gyro and regular gyro were tasteless except for a hint of pita flavor. read more

Pappas' is not a fancy place, but it's my family's go-to restaurant when we have a craving for Greek food at a time other than the famous Greek Food Festival each year at the Greek Orthodox Church. I have eaten in a few times, but my favorite way to patronize this place is to call in an order. My personal favorite is the "char salad," a plentiful mix of greens topped with a perfectly "charred" chicken breast atop. The amazing thing is, I call in my order and have never been asked for a name...and it is always a mystery to me when I arrive and my order is ready and the owners know that it is for me! I highly recommend Pappas when you need a quick "Greek fix." read more

I dropped by here seeking "something different" for lunch. It had been years since I have visited the place and at one time they were well known for chicken fingers. At least that's what I heard people talking about. I did not remember the complex menu with lots of stuff begging to be tried. Today, I had Pistichio (Greek Lasagna). It came with a really good greek marinated style salad and spinach rice. Everything was really good. The people were friendly. All for around $11 with a drink. I do not know how I could have had a better experience. I'll be back soon. read more

Wonderful local restaurant in strip mall of Vestavia Hills Alabama. Friday night (only) specials are Greek Snapper and Greek Trout Almandine, but you can get their superb Philly Cheese Steak sandwich anytime. Outside tables, come as you are, family friendly, no alcohol, reasonable prices, neighborhood favorite. Strongly recommend. read more

Pappas Grill - Excellent Greek Snapper meal - Greek Near Me - Vestavia Hills, Alabama

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Tried Pappas for the first time recently after noticing the good reviews. It's hard to see the restaurant from the street and wasn't very crowded on a weekday at lunch. I ordered the pistachio, and it came with a roll, Greek salad, and choice of side so I chose green beans. It was all very good. The pistachio was a little over cooked with some crunchy noodles but had a good flavor. My husband got a gyro and said it was very good also. This isn't a restaurant with any atmosphere and is not the cleanest looking, but I would come back again as the food was good. read more

Pappas Grill - Pastichio - Greek Near Me - Vestavia Hills, Alabama

I do my happy dance when I arrive here. Real Greek cuisine. If you are looking for ambiance, you won't find it here; but the pics on the wall and authentic food take me back to Greece. read more

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