The food, service, atmosphere and prices are all amazing at Taverna Manos. I attended a small 50th Anniversary Dinner and the food was such a wonderful surprise-the most delicious Chateaubriand was ordered in at the Couple's request-the best steak my husband has had in his 60 years. I had a gluten free eggplant parmesan, which I now go for regularly. The fact that have celiac disease and eat a vegetarian diet was no problem to the chef-he was very pleasant and accommodating. I felt like I was really no problem, which is a rare feeling when I go out to eat. Don't miss this delightful restaurant at the curve in the road on Gulf to Lake Highway in Crystal River! read more

Great food and service! Greek authentic foods. Reservations required. Takeout available

I am NOT an expert in Greek cuisine. I was in Athens in 1973. I almost always order you toss gyros but I always ask if they are off the stock 1st instead of frozen bagged microwave that cetera. This was authentic. These are probably the best you does I ever had. If french fries with perfect too. I'm glad I made that u-turn when I thought I passed the place. Highway 44 us westbound is not a big Road and this place is just a little bit setback so you could easily miss it. Glad I made that u-turn. read more

Taverna Manos - Mediterranean Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

Unable to accommodate my dairy free, meat free diet, despite having the food. I called to request a plate with dolmades, hummus, falafel, and greek salad. Was told I would have to pay for each item individually, which would have cost over $40 for my meal, but the staff member could check with the owner to see if there was another option. The owner denied my request and did not offer any options besides purchasing individually. I decided to go elsewhere instead. read more

First let me say that the first time we went there it was crowded, buzzing and a great dinner. Even believed the restaurant was worth the 40 min drive. We were excited to go back for the Chicken Milanese. Upon our 7:30 arrival we were greeted abruptly and shooed to what ever table. After almost ten minutes she came back and asked about our drinks. Before I finished my sentence, she rushed away. When she returned, I politely explained that my wife and I have a rare, child-free evening and this dinner is part of our nice, relaxing, romantic evening and we asked her to take a breath and slow down. She never returned to the dining area and after 15 minutes of sitting there we walked out. It is also worth noting that they were not busy and there were only 3 other tables seated. We were not welcomed, escorted, made to feel welcomed and invited. The waitress should be fired and she has cost you a local, lifetime customer. This is shameful and provoked a phone call to the owner, which hasn't been returned to date. Eat anywhere but here!!! So sad!! read more

This place should be rated 5 star! (Enough said). Take a bow! Demi was an attentive and delightful waitress. The food is exceptional! Food served with love, right down to the rolls and homemade Greek dressing! Wow exceptional!!! read more

If you're looking for a fabulous Mediterranean (and Greek) restaurant then Taverna Manos is the place to go! I've been here multiple times and their food is always delicious! They're known for having the best Sweet Potatoes Fries! They have great appetizers...I definitely recommend their Mediterranean Calamari and their Spinach & Artichoke Dip with Pita Chips! For entrees, my favorite is any of their Paninos...they have a great Sausage and Peppers Panino which was today's special but on their regular menu their Greek Panino is my fav! The restaurant is beautifully decorated, and their staff is always friendly and provides excellent service! I highly recommend dining here! read more

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Greek food at its finest. The stuffed grape leaves were huge and delicious. I got the Mediterranean Eggplant and it was way more than I could eat but so delicious and fresh. But above all, the service was above and beyond. It is not often that the wait staff is as attentive as this crew but they anticipated every need even before we did. An amazing dining experience in every way. read more

***UPDATE*** And it isn't any better folks! I refuse to go to this restaurant, so this is not my review. I am writing a review for my mom who just got back from Taverna Manos. First of all, I swear this place pays for their positive reviews. Every time I see they are rated close to five stars I'm shocked and dismayed. My mom decided to go to Taverna on her own because as I said, I'm not going. It was after 6 when she decided to go and I said you better hurry. They close at 8. At the time she was in Inverness. She wanted to sit down and have a nice meal so she hustled. Because of their ridiculous mandatory reservation rule she called first to see if she could get in. The answer was yes. She got there, she sat down, and ordered her meal. She said she didn't want clams in her dish and asked if he could substitute something else. His response, (and I can't even believe this) was you're already getting the kitchen sink! Once she ordered her waiter did not come back. He didn't even ask if she wanted wine or anything to drink. The ambiance was just lovely too. Apparently there was one big table there drinking wine and popping pills and having a wonderful conversation about their drug/urine tests!? Classy right? Her food was brought out... in a to go container!!! She said that she didn't order it to go. He replied I thought when you called you asked about a to go order. She told him she never said any such thing. He made yet another snide comment about how he can't read her mind. Then he had the nerve to hint around for a tip! I'm appalled. My mom doesn't even know that I'm writing this review for her, but I couldn't hold my tongue. This kind of service is uncalled for. She wanted to sit down to a nice meal. She didn't intend on paying $30 for a meal to be carrying it out in a damn doggy bag not to mention the rude service. She really likes the food, I don't. It's inconsistent and most of the time I find it overpriced for the lack of quality and what you get, besides once I find a hair in my food I'm usually done with that place, especially if I'm already not thrilled with it. One thing that seems to be consistent though is the horrible service! That makes for two rude servers in a row. Where do they get this attitude!? I'm sorry, but being a server at an allegedly "upscale" restaurant in rinky dink Citrus County Florida is really nothing to be uppity about. read more

I've been visiting my father in Crystal River for the past 15 years and was thrilled when he mentioned they recently opened a mediterranean place in town. We had a nice table on the patio out back where I enjoyed a gigantic salad (I believe it was called the Hercules). It's a rare occasion that I cannot finish an entree salad, but this was piled high with so much Gyro meat and delicious veggies that I actually boxed up a portion to take home. Service was extremely friendly/responsive and the overall atmosphere is far beyond most of the places I've experienced in this area. If you are looking for something fresh at a reasonable price, I would certainly recommend that you stop by Taverna Manos. One note to the owners, I would politely suggest that you avoid engaging with the reviewers who give 1 star unless there is constructive feedback. read more

What a hidden gem! This is by far the best restaurant in Crystal River. Honestly one of the best meals I have ever had! Food was fresh, cooked perfectly, and unbelievably tasty. On top of incredible food, the service was 5 star! Amazing and friendly staff without a wait. How this is not the most popular place in town blows my mind. This will definitely be our stop on our annual scalloping trip. Absolutely 5 stars!!! read more

The food is exceptional. Never disappointed. Highly recommend. Reservations are required.

Very nice place with amazing food and great atmosphere. Service is quite fast, and every thing was in time. Best place to stop over the route. And they offer a 5% discount for cash (this worked even with debit card for me today) read more

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Have not written a review for 4 years on Taverna Manos. I will be short and only state that what the other one star reviews that follow are very accurate. Something has happened at this restaurant that turned it upside down. Staff and management have been nasty and food quality has diminished. read more

We came here to eat the first time. The food was so good. The waitress was so attentive and made us feel so at home.we had the Haddock with shrimp lobster sauce. It was a home run.will definately be back. Thank you for a great afternoon out. Tommy Phillips read more

Taverna Manos - Mediterranean Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

This was our first visit and we loved it. We had both the Lemon Chicken and Chicken Parm. The meals come with soup or salad a warm bread. We will be coming back. The service was as good as the food. Our server was Tod with a great personality. read more

This is my favorite restaurant , always delightful. My family went here for Thanksgiving and it was wonderful, large portions. The best turkey ever. The service and atmosphere are great; good prices, I will continue to be a regular. read more

My mother and I were off work on the same day (rare for us), so we decided to go hiking and then go to a late lunch. We couldn't really find anything that we haven't already tried locally, so we pulled into Taverna Manos. I've passed by it on many occasions yet never stopped, but I'm glad we went there today. It was around 2PM, so we were between lunch and dinner crowds and there was nobody eating there when we arrived, but a few others came in soon after us. The dining area itself appears to be very new and looks wonderful. The menu has plenty to choose from: appetizers, lunch and dinner, smaller portion items, vegetarian and even vegan foods, and quite a number of desserts. I didn't notice any combination platters on the menu, though; I'm used to combos at other Greek restaurants. It's not a complaint, just an observation of the menu. We both got moussaka with a Greek salad, and I got a flatbread as an appetizer. The main course and salad were very large and delicious, and the app was full of flavor and everything was as fresh as you can get and the server was sweet. We will defininately be back again, no doubt. read more

This was our first time at Taverna Manos, but it won't be our last. The waitress was very attentive and personable. She brought out bread with melted butter and garlic. The crust of the bread was nice and crispy. We had the flaming saganaki as an appetizer. It was delicious. The pita bread was hot and tasty. I had the bacon alfredo scallops. I would have never thought to put bacon in alfredo sauce but it was very good. My husband had the Marco Polo salmon, and really enjoyed it. Each meal came with a salad. My husband had his usual blue cheese, but I tried the Greek dressing and it was very good. There was a gentleman playing a keyboard. He did a good job, not too loud, just pleasant background music. The best part was the belly dancer. She did a great job and was lots of fun. She got my husband to play the tambourine for her. The decor was very pretty and relaxing. I think this would be a great date place for a couple's first date. We'll definitely be back. read more

Did a carry out the food was so good. Must go if you like Greek! Need reservations for lunch and dinner but a must!!!

Wanted to go here for dinner after shopping on Black Friday. Had been here several times and was usually good, however when we pulled up the place was closed for Black Friday? I'm not sure the thinking behind this. During the Christmas season you would think that this could be a great revenue night. You would also think that the staff could use the extra money this time of year. Anyway, went the next day for lunch. Waitress showed up to take our drink order talking on the phone ( not her personal cell). In the middle of taking our order she says:" this lady is driving me crazy" as if we knew her and wanted to make fun of other customers. So after receiving our meal it was the only time we saw her except to receive our bill. Maybe they should just go ahead and close the other nights of the week. read more

We went with high expectations; when our server pointed at my mask that was sitting on the table I thought he wanted me to wear it so I picked it up ready to put it on. But I was surprised because he wasn't wearing a mask. I had no idea what he wanted. He pointed at my purse, indicating that I should put it away, which I did. When he returned with our appetizer I told him that I didn't understand what he wanted and that he might have asked me more politely simply to put it away. He then went into a complete tirade that turned into a terrible rage when we tried to tell him that we weren't disagreeing with him, it was just the way he spoke to me. He ended up screaming at us to get out. He's lucky my husband didn't deck him. We were both really really shaken by this experience; I have no idea if the food is good or not. I would never set foot in there again. read more

I have eaten here many times without complaint, it has been about 4 years since I ate here last. Usually the food is great! However my dining experience this time was not a pleasant one. I was not greeted warmly, took a while to get our drink order, I asked for a straw and never received it. When the waitress refilled my tea, it spilt all over the table and seat so I cleaned it up with my napkin and she never brought another one to replace it. The place was crowded and had 2 large groups but only 2 waitresses. When 2 people came in and no where to sit, The waitress started handing out the bills, and I felt rushed like I needed to leave !! This place used to be very warm and welcoming, I used to eat here at least once a week when I worked close by the restaurant... Maybe just a BAD DAY for EVERYONE. read more

30 years in Crystal River and this is my favorite restaurant. Everything is homemade. No frozen meals warmed in the microwave. A little spendy bit worth it and guaranteed you'll have leftovers. Homemade soups are exquisite and I recommend the Sangria. read more

Cute place, food is excellent, as is the service. Very generous portions while offering gourmet quality. Foods from all countries of the Mediterranean coast, wi th an emphasis on Greek. Accommodated my vegan diet. Loved this little gem. read more

Taverna Manos is one of my favorite stops even though I almost always go with the Spanokopita despite the lovely menu. Their spinach pie is totally the best as it is always freshly made to order with sautéed spinach, wrapped into its own phyllo pocket, finished under the broiler and then sprinkled with dill and feta - oh my. Everyone else has a big pan, cut a square etc. There is a very complete menu on offer; lunch has an amazing selection of panini & sandwiches and the dinner offerings include Mediterranean specialties and slants in every area from calamari to pork and lamb as well as lots of vegetarian focused items along with the Greek classics. Try and save room for dessert - it's always good. Check out their website for more details, hours etc. And Oh, the wait staff are unfailingly attentive and helpful. This place is a benchmark for variety and quality. Sadly (& incredibly to me), the Spanokopita is OFF the menu when I visited these folks again last week (April 2-2018). Still a decent stop with a specific lunch menu featuring salads, sandwiches & what they feature under the heading 'panino',many offered with soup and running about $10. Samantha did a great job with a large group, and I still recommend this stop, but dinner may be a better idea when the kitchen can stretch to a bit more. read more

Food poisoning Six ate ther Sat pm. We had a great time, good food ...we thought. Next day after leftovers five had violent stomach flu.,one who didn't have leftovers was ok. I called and tried to tell the owner as I thought she'd like to know. She talked and said we had a virus going around. She wouldn't let me explain anything! Very very rude. We used to like the place especially the lamb chops. NO MORE, The owner needs better customer relations. It wasn't like I wanted anything except to make them aware of the situation! So BEWARE read more

Disclaimer: this is a bit late but worth the write up. My wife and I celebrated our wedding anniversary at Taverna Manos. I searched for a restaurant that would serve Mediterranean dishes that my wife could especially enjoy. Since we were new to the area, I was unsure and hopeful in this endeavor. What a delightful treat! We not only dined on wonderfully and well cooked cuisine, our waitress treated us with friendliness and care. The best part....my wife was enchanted and enchanting! It was priceless. The pricing was reasonable and I had expected higher prices. Thank you Taverna Manos! read more

After reading such great reviews I had to try this Greek restaurant, and they didn't disappoint. This is a gorgeous restaurant with a high class look and a down to earth family feel, is the real deal. Authentic Greek, Mediterranean food with tons of flavors. I had the Gyro and the Mediterranean Flounder, absolutely delicious all the way around, sides and all! Give them a try, you won't be disappointed! read more

Tasty filling vegeterian food. Amazing location. Friendly and courteous staff.

Amazing Lunch ! Friendly waitress. One of us had the Cheeseburger...and Fries..PLUS the Clam Chowder... which was perfect. I had the clam chowder also, and next time will get the BOWL ! The special was a shrimp, Tomato and Spinich Panani ! Perfect ! Nice and QUIET and NO TV's ! Tired of ALL the restaurants with TV's ! Reasonably priced, clean and a real GEM here in this town! read more

Unfortunately I can't give this restaurant zero starts. It doesn't deserve the one star I'm forced to give. This was probably the most unpleasant meal that I've had in a very long time. We hadn't been to Taverna Manos in a while. Our last meal was lunch several months ago and it wasn't good. But being gluttons for punishment, we figured we'd go back for dinner. Parking lot was full. We thought that was a good sign. Get into the restaurant where there was blaring music by a live band that reminded me of a wedding I attended sometime in the early 70s - and customers seated at only 2 tables in the main room. Because the music was so loud, we asked to be seated in the back room, also assuming that's where all the customers were. Wrong. There was one solo guy sitting at a table alone, getting most of his food wrapped up. Where did all the cars come from? Did each of the band members come in his or her own car? When we were ready, the waitress came to take our order. I ordered falafel and my husband ordered the gyro dinner. Oh, sorry. There is no falafel. The waitress sat down at our table (sat down?), suggested the eggplant rollatini. Nope. I thought this was a "Mediterranean" restaurant and I wanted something more middle eastern. I asked for more time and ended up ordering a Greek salad with grilled chicken. My husband ordered the gyro dinner with a salad. We got our drinks pretty quickly. His salad came out first. It was spring mix, not what he was expecting, so he was disappointed. In a Greek restaurant, I suppose he expected romaine. Then we got warmed (microwaved) pita with an odd dipping sauce - olive oil and way too much oregano. Then our meals came out. The Greek salad was nothing special. But the gyro dinner was unacceptable. The meat was dry and the orzo was overcooked and tasteless. Blander than oatmeal. We waited - and waited - for the waitress to come back and check on us. She should have come earlier to check on our drinks. Eventually she came back and my husband told her that the meat was dry and not fresh and the orzo was overcooked. She apologized, tried to explain why the meat seemed dry. Something about it being so fresh. She asked him if he wanted something else. He told her he didn't want anything. She took it away and said she'd take it off our bill. A few minutes later, she walked back carrying the plate and once again tried to explain why the food didn't taste the way my husband expected it to taste but that it was fine. He said he really didn't want it. She said she'd take it off our bill. A few minutes later, she came back with his dinner wrapped up in a takeaway box. "The manager said that the food is fine, and he asked me to wrap it up so you can take it with you." Why would we want to take bad food away with us? Then it dawned on us. We were expected to pay for it. My husband quickly asked for the check. After she walked away, I said, "You'd think the manager would have come out here to tell you himself." So when she returned with the check, my husband told her that the manager should have come out to speak with us himself. He asked if it was the owner. She said, "Well, Nick, the owner, our manager, he's not here. I had to call him on the phone to make sure that I was doing the right thing by taking it off the check. And he told me to wrap it up for you to take with you and I can't take it off the check. I don't think it's right, but it's his call." So not only did I sit and eat dinner alone (yet again), but we then had to pay excessive money for this privilege. My husband left the food on the table and as we were walking out, he told the waitress to have the manager eat the food himself. Seriously, too, after the food being taken away and returned to us twice, who knows what might have been done to it in the kitchen. This is the last time we will ever go to this restaurant - and I'd recommend that no one else eat there. read more

Three couples went there at 3:30 PM, asked for the standard Greek lemon-chicken soup and other Greek items. They told us they don't make any of that any more and if we want soup we should phone 2-3 days in advance to "reserve it"! That was the highlight of the event. The waitress apparently hated her job and was breathtakingly rude. I asked for pita bread - "Well, you didn't order it but I'll go get it anyway!" The food was truly dreadful and the waitress should not be allowed to interact with the living. read more

Just popped in for the first time tonight. We were greeted with smiles and provided options which were noteworthy in and of itself. We highly recommended this restaurant for some very great food with homemade flavors. read more

My fiancée and I stopped here for a late lunch on our drive up the gulf coast. We appreciated the gluten free options and their use of organic and hormone-free chicken - a bit of an oasis in the area! The staff was very helpful and accommodating, the decor upscale and tasteful without formality, and the food was delicious! I highly recommend the lamb chop appetizer and the Athenian chicken or the chicken spanakopita. Great desserts, too. A highlight of our little day trip! read more

Went here for lunch on a Saturday. I ordered a gyro and fries. My wife ordered a salad with gyro meat. The couple next to is also ordered the gyro. When their order finally came after waiting over an half hour, the meat was so overdone that they refused the order. They were then billed for the Coke he ordered, though after protest, they didn't charge him. While waiting for our order for over forty minutes, I counted at least 7 times the waitress apologized to other patrons for a variety of reasons. When our order finally came, they forgot my fries. I had to ask for them, which the waitress again apologized for. It took several bites of the gyro. The meat was like jerky, the sauce tasted like watered down tahini paste, the gyro was not wrapped, but served like a soft taco. All the tomatoes instantly fell out. Gyros are possibly my favorite food. I've eaten them all over the country and have had really great ones and mediocre ones, but never have I not finished one. The one from this restaurant I ate less than a quarter of. Giving credit where do, my wife said the salad was good, with a light flavorful dressing. I will never return to this restaurant. read more

I went there to celebrate my First year anniversary for dinner was disappointed atmosphere is basically for lunch everything I wanted to order was not available had to settle their is nothing I could say that was enjoyable very disappointed read more

Great find! Nice options for vegetarians. We started with the Flaming Saganiki which was delicious with pita and makes for an impressive presentation! One of our party had the Shrimp Scampi and declared it excellent - the sauce was scrumptious. One had the Lemon Chicken Scallopini - VERY rich, very delicious with lots of chicken. Two of our party had the Super Vegetarian (falafel in pita) with French fries which they really enjoyed! The service was efficient and very friendly and the place itself is charming. It is small and reservations are recommended. Definitely on the "must do again" list!! read more

This place is PHENOMENAL! Word to the wise: MAKE RESERVATIONS. The place looks so unassuming but does NOT disappoint, & I think locals know this. Several parties showed up without reservations & were told they'd have to wait. The place was packed for a reason. My husband & I had Mythos beer to drink, kids had soda (it came in a can to set your expectations) & we started with the calamari. Fried to perfection, & the marinara was good enough to eat solo. For dinner we ordered two of the special order dishes, the Cajun trio pasta & the giant raviolis. Both were generous portions, & absolutely delicious, very fresh. My husband & oldest son had the zuppa Toscana & both commented on the soup being flavorful. I had the house salad & it was a diverse blend of different lettuces & what tasted like a from-scratch Greek dressing. My younger son got the kids' pita pizza made from scratch with the same delicious sauce. It also came with a sizeable basket of fries! We were all pleasantly satiated & the kids even got to-go boxes due to the generous portions. Staff is friendly & prompt, & only added to the positive experience. Highly recommend this place whenever you're in Crystal River! Thank you Tavernos Manos for a most wonderful experience!!! read more

Five of us had lunch, and all the meals were outstanding. Two of us ordered from the dinner menu, the rest from the lunch menu. The portions were large (three doggy bags were in order), very tasty and nicely presented The food is cooked to order. Service was attentive and quick. This was our fifth or sixth visit and we've always left happy. read more