The owners were so nice we stayed above the restaurant and they made us delicious food and were very hospitable.

In summary-underwhelming. I really, really wanted to like this place based on the fact that I was really in the mood for Mediterranean and was starving, having waited until around 2 for a Saturday lunch. It's a charming little place that was converted from what seems to have been a private residence. There was only 1 other table there (but that seemed normal considering it wasn't really lunch or dinner.) In summary-Hummus was okay-nothing to write home about and had some diced tomatoes plopped in the middle that were mealy and didn't add to the dish at all. Pita bread that came with the hummus was disappointing, It seemed like store bought Safeway pita that was just heated up. Falafel-was actually non-greasy and seasoned nicely. I should have gotten the patties on their own because the wrap was kind of soggy and fell apart easily. Chicken Kabab with rice, salad and grilled veggies-my boyfriend got this dish and actually the rice and salad looked pretty tasty. Afterwards I tasted my lunch all day (and not in a good way.) The service was friendly and the waitress was just the nicest lady, but I don't know-maybe they were having an off day... read more

We ordered the vegetarian plate along with Kefta and chicken kabobs. The kabobs were perfectly cooked and super juicy, the falafel was out of this world. The staff was incredibly accommodating and converse with you to insure you are pleased with their elegant and scrumptious dishes. Falafel is cooked to perfection with a perfect crunch @ first bite. read more

After eating numerous times at Petra's downtown location, I was really anticipating dining at their Petra Restaurant. Same great dishes (with some additional Mediterranean offerings) and friendly service with a more homey environment. Cute chandeliers, ornate window treatments and a cozy fireplace are just a few of the warm touches. The Hummus and Pita Bread and the Falafel Nuggets with Tzatziki Sauce were both supremely delicious. The Falafel Nuggets were served piping hot with a cripsy breaded coating. I was only half-joking when I asked my boyfriend the next day if we could grab some more of those amazing appetizers again, hoping to prod him for a back-to-back visit. We'll definitely get our Petra on within the next few days. For my entree selection, I went with my usual meal choice, which was the Gyro Sandwich and French Fries. I can't seem to stray from this heaping sandwich, with its perfectly roasted chunks of seasoned meat, cucumber-garlic sauce and topped with onions and tomatoes. Seriously, this place really got my Mediterranean buds in overdrive...I need to get to Petra's again very very soon. read more

Excellent wait staff and food! Hands down best falafel I've ever eaten and the vegan pea soup was delicious. I highly recommend coming here for the best Mediterranean food in town. The restaurant is so nice with a beautiful view and you can dine in or take out! Loved it here and definitely will be back! read more

Today I ordered the Vegetarian Combination Platter. It was exactly what I had hoped for. Every item was bursting with unique delightful flavor. The flavors were fresh and vivid and yet did not compete with one another. The meal came together well and finished with a pleasant flavor. I have also ordered the Chicken Delight. Excellent dish with a more subtle flavor. Delicious, warm and inviting. This dish reminded me of an old family recipe, perfected and passed down the generations. I also ordered Spanakopita. This complimented the Chicken Delight so well it should be incorporated into the dish. Then again, even the heartiest of appitites would be satisfied by the current offering. Either way the Spanakopita is a must try. The staff has always been very kind and accommodating. Highly recommend. read more

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I guess I'm spoiled coming from Central California where there are a wealth of really good Mediterranean restaurants. Hubby and I shared a combination plate as it came with a kebab of choice (we had beef), gyro, tabouleh, hummus and rice. We also ordered some baba ghanoush, which was kinda watery. Nothing too exciting about the meal, pretty ordinary at best. read more

I love this Resturant! Consistently good food, very friendly staff and reasonably priced.

Outstanding! Great food - try the Petra Combination for a nice tour of their specialties. Sometimes Greek food can be swimming in olive oil, but this was very well prepared. This has been a favorite for us whenever we visit the Monterey / Pacific Grove area and we weren't disappointed in our recent trip. Go early and there is no waiting, otherwise it fills up quickly. They had only one table server, but she was really hustling! This is one place we will both recommend and look forward to returning to. read more

Had lunch here a few days ago; thoroughly enjoyed it. Started with an order of falafel, which was the best I've ever had. The outside was crunchy but not brittle, with a creamy, tasty interior. NO greasy taste or feel to them - they were delightful! Next up was the Peta Combination plate, with lamb kebabs. Plenty of fantastic flavor in the kebabs and the gyros; the pilaf and 2 kinds of stuffed grape leaves were fantastic. Friendly, attentive waitress with plenty of refills for my coffee! This definitely goes on the "come back again" list! read more

Absolutely wonderful food, and even nicer family that runs the place. They are always so kind and welcoming. The food is delicious. Highly recommend the falafel nuggets, vegetarian platter, gyros, chicken delight - we literally have not had a bad meal. If you love Mediterranean food, do not miss Petra's. read more

What our group had- -fish and chips-pleasing to the 5 year old -the 19 month old devoured the Greek salad. It was almost comical. Everyone loved that salad! Great dressing. -husband and I had the gyros plate. Both loved it but both needed more tsadziki -mil had moussaka - very tasty -Also got baba ganush and the 5 yr old loved it...I was expecting more flavor from it. -Had some baklava to top it off...was good...tasted like it tastes whenever I have it. We would definitely eat at this place again. read more

Finally getting around to writing a review for this place. While visiting PG, I came across this place on Yelp....so I headed there for lunch. I had the Chicken Gyros and man was it good! Price was decent and it was more than I could eat. Will be returning when I get back up to PG. read more

Petra Restaurant - Greek Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

Very good small restaurant. I liked my curried chicken and vegetables, husband had sampler platter with this amazing pork, beef, sausage thing that was out of this world. My friend ordered a gyro plate, very satisfying she said. I liked warm bread and very good service. I wish j would ordered hummus and more appetizers. Will be back . read more

Second visit to Petras and can't wait to come back. I had the chicken kabobs on a skewer and it was grilled to perfection. The service was great. The meals are not overpriced and the quantity of food is perfect. I love the house setting and a seat by the window is a plus. Will always eat here when traveling to Pacific Grove. read more

Nice Lebanese/Arabic type of a restaurant, Food was average to good nothing to write home about. We got there late and they served us, actually that was the best part. read more

We came here for lunch after spending some time at lovers point. Hummus was great. My husband got kefta kabob wrap an really liked it. I got couscous and it was not what I expected as it was different than the usual couscous I am used to seeing. It was different, probably more traditional. I enjoyed it. Service was good. read more

Petra Restaurant - Couscous with chicken - Greek Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

The Lamb Shank Platter...quite simply, joy in a "to go" box. Brazed nicely and served on a wonderful bed of rice, potatoes, carrots and peas served over rice. The Greek salad with it was a lovely starter. read more

Good Greek food for a price above the average hole in the wall eatery. House in a house, modified to meet the ADA requirements. It's doesn't feel like Greece, it's Pacific Grove, CA! I had the gyro and a sampler plate. All good here. The food was so good I told the waitress to tell the cook it was better than being in Greece. The cook never came out of the kitchen. I guess he is use to compliments. read more

Why isn't this place more crowded? The gyros were amazing. Perfectly spiced meat that I still hanker for a month after eating it. The food can take a bit depending on what you order, but it tastes freshly made, so I am willing to wait. The Turkish coffee was a wonderful surprise. If you have never had it, order it with an open mind and enjoy. read more

We loved It. We felt like family the minute we walked in the door. Staff was very friendly and attentive, the owner stopped by our table to chat and the Lamb kabobs were perfect, tender and perfectly seasoned. read more

Petra is a good solid casual paper napkin kind of dining place. The prices are right & the $7 wine corkage is unbeatable if you want to bring your own wine. We spent about $50 including tax/tip for 2 dinners. Dinner starts w/a Greek salad & it was pretty basic lettuce, onion, green bell pepper slices & an olive w/bland anemic tomatoes. The feta cheese in olive oil rescued it from being blah. The Petra combo dish is a good choice so you can sample lots of items. The Gyro meat was tender & flavorful as were the tiny dolmas & tabouli salad. The hummus was pretty bland & as other reviewers have mentioned, the lamb in the shish kebab was tough & chewy. I had to pull off gristle on 2 pieces - there was no way to chew it or swallow it. Service was friendly & efficient. It's a good place for large groups & for families with kids. The staff is very laid back & isn't flustered by anything. Not sure I'll return, but mainly because there are lots of other casual dining places to try within walking distance on Lighthouse Ave. read more

Great Mediterranean food in beautiful surroundings. It was cool the evening we dined there and there was a fire roaring in the fireplace, adding to the homey feeling. Our waitperson, Emily, was friendly and efficient. We are vegetarians and there was plenty to choose from. We ordered the Greek salad and plate of appetizers that included dolmas and falafel--plenty for two. Of course, we had to split a baklava. Lovely dining experience! read more

A solid spot for Gyro's in the Monterey Bay! This is in our regular rotation and we go maybe once every month or two. I always get the same thing - Gyro sandwich with Greek Salad. read more

Mistakenly listed as $. This is actually a $$-$$$ restaurant. Friendly service. Under seasoned food however. No appetizer combo plates that many middle eastern restaurants have, so I was unable to try the hummus and baba ganoush. Mousaka was mediocre, and the lentil soup lacked any seasoning at all. A bit overrated. read more

High price for such low quality food. The pita was several days old supermarket bread. The hummus was tasteless with the amount of water used to smoothen it, instead of using tahini sauce like they should. The spanakopita was tiny and smooshy and was not freshly made. Very disappointed!!! read more

Food was EXCELLENT! Service was TERRIBLE. ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE. There were maybe 3 or 4 other tables, of small parties, and our server came back maybe once. read more

I just had the perfect meal here and had to write review right away. The restaurant is clean and comfortable, but the food is the true stand-out here. I had the Lamb Shish-kabob and it was heavenly - so tender and richly flavored, the rice alongside perfectly cooked and the home-made salad dressing was amazing. The waitress was attentive without being overly conspicuous and we never wanted for anything. We finished our meal with Turkish coffee (so rich, fresh, and aromatic, with a wedge of baclava. I haven't left a restaurant so satisfied and content in years (a miracle considering I'm rather hard to please when it comes to restaurants.). The price is a bit on the higher end for lunch if you go for an entree (though good for the quality and quantity) but the sandwiches are a flavorful option for smaller budgets as well. I HIGHLY recommend this family-owned gem! read more

Such an amazing place.. Everything from service, ambiance and ofcourse food is excellent here. The staff is lovely, portion sizes are huge and the overall vibe is very relaxed! Just make a quick call to them before you drive to this place. We went to Saint Carlos beach in Monterey just before heading to this place for dinner. We were four people and we ordered their royal dinner for 4. This costs 120 dollars and it can easily serve 6 people! Highly recommend getting this- this has a good mix of veg and non -veg options. First up is a salad consisting of fresh lettuce, olive, tomato, bell peppers, cheese and a good amount of dress. Then pita ( unlimited) along with with platefulls of baba ghanoush and Hummus... Both tasted yum! These were followed by falafels (4 good sized pieces) with a yum side dipping sauce. We had requested to separate meaty items from the non-meaty ones and they did just that! They got us a big plate consisting of a bed of rice under grilled veggies. Rice was cooked with paprika powder (not the hot kind) and pine nuts. Vegetables included tomatoes, onions and mushrooms...these all were grilled very well and tasted super juicy! The non-veg platter had a generous portion of rice with chicken and lamb kebabs on top. These were very good according to our friends! Finally we were served 4 pieces of baklava and these were so light.. So good.. With the perfect amount of sugar.. Not overly sweet! There espresso is also worth trying..they add cardamom in it and have unlimited refills ;) read more

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I could go on and on about how wonderful this restaurant is, about the out of the world freshest ingredients, reasonable prices, friendliness, etc. but I'll save you time. Go there, be prepared to go to heaven; the best out of all Mediterranean food restaurants I've tried anywhere from the Monterey Peninsula all the way beyond Lake Tahoe and in between, hands down. There simply are no comparables, including their amazing freshly made dressing! Heaven found. read more

Two friends and I went walking around and eventually ended up here for dinner. I got the grilled meat sandwich which was super good; tender but cooked all the way through, and just the right amount of char on it. One friend got the chicken gyro with the Greek salad and wolfed it down like nobody's business, and my other friend got the regular gyro sandwich with fries and said it's one of the better gyros he's had. The service was fine, we had to wait a little while, but hey that's part of the Mediterranean culture. I also recommend the Lebanese beer they have. If you're looking for a nice Middle Eastern/Greek resto to spend some time at with friends, definitely check this place out! read more

1st and last visit. I live in PG and had never been here. When we get a craving for Mediterranean food, we typically go to Dametra Cafe, which is always fresh and tasty. We wanted something close to home so decided to give this a try. I got a Gyro Platter, my wife got a Chicken Gyro, and my son got a Lamb Burger. Not one of us enjoyed our food. Everything was very dry and boring. The pita was dry, the gyro meat was dry, and the Tzatziki was the texture and taste of sour cream. It's a crime to even call what they served Tzatziki. The tzatziki ruined the meal. It wasn't a sauce at all. It was just thick seasoned sour cream. Tzatziki should be a creamy yogurt base with fresh herbs, cucumber, and other flavors. Whoever makes their Tzatziki has no clue. It was by far the worst Tzatziki I've ever had, which made the Gyro dish the worst as well. Hundred of malls across the US serve better Gyros. Why can't this place at least be as good as a food court restaurant? $95 with tip for 3 sodas and 3 meals. Not at all enjoyable. Service was good though, just the food sucked. read more

Just a really good Greek style place in PG with lots of gyro choices and good accompaniements like the hummus and veggies. We have been several times and all of the dishes have been well prepared from fresh ingrediants, served by friendly people and priced fairly. If you want world class Greek food, then you need to go to either Greece or Detroit, but in the meantime we have a little Greek treasure right here on the Peninsula. read more

A nice place to dine while on the Monterey Peninsula. The one waitress was pleasant and, by necessity, efficient. The decor was, unfortunately, bleak. It was dated, worn, and in bad need of a fix. For example, there were at least six different types of light bulbs in the chandeliers. The elderly woman I assumed to be the owner was overly-attentive to the regulars, but left us completely alone. I would have like to see her help the waitress at least some. The appetizer, spanakopita was small and only just warm. The salad was nice, typical of the genre. My moussaka was a smallish portion but tasty. There was, however, tragically little bachamel so I cannot recommend it. My wife's lamb shank was large and served with a lot of veggies/potatoes, which was nice. It, unfortunately, had no regional pizzazz in terms of flavor and spices. She would not recommend it. The pita bread was nice, but desperately needed butter or some tzatziki. The tzatziki was only available as a $6 side, which struck us as pennywise but very pound foolish. The "house wine" was Vendage, the very poor corporate attempt at making wine. Never offered or received a water refill. So, next time we're in Pacific Grove, I fear we shall not revisit this restaurant which has unrealized potential but lacks proper management. read more

I was looking for dinner in downtown Pacific Grove last Monday night and striking out everywhere I went. About to give up hope, I headed over to Petra. Success--they were open! I've lived in the Monterey area for years, and I'm embarrassed to admit I'd never eaten at Petra, so my friend and decided to pop in for dinner before our movie down the street at Lighthouse Cinemas. We started off with the hummus and an order of falafel. The hummus was good, but not really all that different from hummus you get at any Mediterranean restaurant. The pita for dipping were nice and warm, but a little thin for my tastes. The falafel was tasty--four big pieces per order. They were piping hot, moist and quite flavorful. For my main course, I ordered the couscous. It first came with a small Greek salad, served with our appetizers. The salad was fresh and light, but I'm not a big fan of Greek salads. The veggies were all nice and crunchy, and I liked the feta cheese; the dressing was just a tad too acidic for me though. My couscous was a smaller portion than I'd expected--but by the end, it was actually just the right size. Unlike most other couscous dishes I've had, this one had giant couscous pearls instead of the diminutive little beady couscous I was used to. I must say, these bigger couscous pearls were quite tasty--cooked in chicken stock, they were packed with flavor and had a nice, filling, meaty texture. The couscous came with grilled chicken and grilled veggies (a mix of carrots, zucchini and onions). The chicken was cooked perfectly and nicely seasoned; the veggies were a little bland and could have used some more time on the grill. We finished off our meal splitting a piece of baklava. It was a little dry, but the perfect blend of sweet honey and savory pistachio. It wasn't the best baklava I've had on the Peninsula, but with a cup of coffee, it would be a nice treat. (I had to skip on the Turkish coffee, since I'd consumed an ungodly amount of coffee earlier in the day and needed to detox. But my friend said it was quite good--I'll try it for myself next time.) While food might have had a few hiccups, service was spotless. Our server was very friendly, helping us decide what to order. She brought out our food promptly, clearing empty dishes just as fast. Water glasses and coffee cups were never empty long before she came by to refill them. She definitely made us feel at home here, like we were regulars who came in every week, even though this was my first visit here and my friend's second. This family-run restaurant is an institution here in Pacific Grove--I think they've been here nearly 30 years? The secret to their success isn't just tasty food, but more importantly a true attention to the importance of good customer service. After dinner here last Monday, I'd definitely go back--and I'm kicking myself for not discovering them sooner. read more

I love their pita bread! Although it was a bit quiet for my experience and the prices are too high, did enjoy their falafel salad. Will come back soon. Great option for vegans. read more

The meal (musaka) is really good, the service was terrible and there was only two tables with people there and I was table one. It took 25 mins to get my split pea soup, and another 20 minutes to receive my musaka plate. All the while the waitress never asked us how we were doing nor give us a status on our meal. It's a shame when places have good food and terrible service because it makes me NOT want to go back. The waitress was server 5 if that helps the management. After dinner we didn't bother trying their BAKLAVA because that too would have taken who knows how long ,so instead we went down to the International and received polite courteous helpful and constant service and they had a full house. And their BAKLAVA was out of this delicious world! I won't be going back to this establishment and I don't recommend it. ( My opinion ) Also the restroom door is swollen so push real hard and expect a loud noise when opening it. Good luck! read more

I have been visiting the Monterey/Carmel area for a week and this is the best meal I've had. Great job!!

We were visiting Monterey Bay and happened to yelp the resturant up, it's has an indoor and outdoor seating if you have pets this is the spot to be, I think cause we came in at an odd time so we were greeted by the chef or the owner, the hospitality is amazing they bring water which is common practice and they gave sliced meat for the pets and I have been to a lot of pet friendly resturants., the food is amazing by the way we had the lamb shank and the salmon kabob . This place is a hidden gem don't forget to give it a try when you here. read more

Wonderful little restaurant! I only discovered this in the past year and wish I would have know about this place before. It's cozy with a very pleasant atmosphere and has a friendly wait-staff. The lamb and chicken are cooked to perfection and tenderness and whatever they put in the rice I wish I had the recipe. So good!! This is one restaurant we will always return to every time we visit Pacific Grove which is several times a year. I have to smile to myself though when the waitress comes by and asks "are you still working on your dinner?" I didn't think they still used that phrase. "I'm still dining, ..not working on it." Good place for couples. And best of all, it's not too expensive!! read more