Decided to try one of our favorite Greek restaurants in the Sarasota area. As usual, it didn't disappoint. Prices are up about 15%.and portions are the same. Decided to try their Lemon Chicken instead of my normal Lamb Shank. They give you two chicken legs and one thigh. They should add the other thigh. The. Chicken is served in a lemon sauce with potatoes and carrots. Very tasty although the carrots were almost raw. Finished with their rice pudding which they added raisins to for us. Service is great only one waitress. Nothing special inside but clean. read more

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Such great food very please. Not only with the service but the quality of the food and the service. I love it when you go to a restaurant. And they're playing authentic music to what the restaurant theme is about. I recommend the Jeremy Sue and all the dishes that are on my pictures. You won't go wrong. Just ask the waitress, show them the pictures. And you'll be happily surprised. read more

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Good food For our dinner tonight we went Greek, and we got to revisit The Greek Taverna after much too long. This non-descript restaurant has been around for many years, blending in at the Jackson-Hewitt Plaza at Beneva and Clark. But those who like Greek food probably know about it. For my dinner I had their Lamb Shank. It was very tender fall off the bone, and there was a sauce that worked well. Not a dish I usually have, but I would not be surprised if no one could prepare it any better. My wife had their Kabob, a large single skewer that looked really good. To start I had their Greek side salad. The photo looks good, but the salad is not very deep. Service was ok, the pace of the meal fine. read more

The Greek Taverna - Lamb Shank - Greek Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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We had the saganaki to start our meal. Our waiter said the usual "opa" with the lust of a dead beetle. I had the moussaka and my wife had the lamb shish kabab. We both had the Greek salad with our meal. The saganaki was good - soak in quite a bit of oil but it was tasty with crispy edges. The Greek salad ingredients were fresh but was dressed heavily. My wife's lamb was grilled well but lacked salt. My moussaka was well layered but the edges were burnt. The meal was good, but the few flaws and unenthusiastic, but efficient service is the reason for the average rating - from my perspective. read more

The Greek Taverna - Lamb shish kabob - Greek Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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One of the best Greek restaurants in Sarasota. I would highly recommend this place for lunch or dinner read more

We started with the hummus and pita- authentic and delicious. Warm pita was really special. Then our great server had us try both the bean and lentil soup. The lentil soup was amazing. I make it at home but don't get the depth of favors like theirs. I need to know all the seasoning. Next we split the stuffed tomatoes and pepper. So good with raisins. I only wish it had a "kick" of spicy something. But so comforting. Good place we will be back with a larger group. Then we can try more dishes!! read more

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My wife, daughter and I decided on Greek fare that evening. Good choice! We don't know about any other Greek places, so I can't make any comparisons for Siesta Key/Sarasota. But, we've tried Greek restaurants in Ohio and Kentucky. So, we've had some good previous experiences. Very quiet, small place. Shown to our seats by a gentleman that was probably one of the owners. We ordered quickly. Nice and comfortable place, quiet. Not a lot of customers, but, it was a bit early and they did have a few carry out customers come and go. I ordered the Pasticcio, ground beef layered with macaroni and baked with homemade Besamel sauce. I had not tried this at any of the other restaurants before, so I was going out on a limb here. So glad I did!! Plenty of ground beef, and the Besamel cheese sauce was Quite good! My wife went for one of her favorite dishes. She almost always gets the moussaka . her logic is, that way she can compare one places version to another. She was Quite happy with her decision. My daughter ordered the Lamb Shishkebob. Meat was tender and moist and the vegetables were done really well, not over cooked, not under cooked. Happy camper she was! So, when back in Sarasota next trip, this will definitely be one of our dinner spots! read more

There were four of us and we all had different dinners. Flavor does not need to be covered up by excessive salt. The gyro meat was very dry and tasteless, the taramosalata was good, but too salty. The octopus pasta had a good base flavor, but too much salt. The octopus was cut into small pieces, which I did not expect. The moussaka was visually unappealing. The Chardonnay seemed watered down. What was good? Best french fries any of us have had anywhere! The Greek salad was very good. The table bread was good, and the coffee amazing. Baklava was good - but hard to ruin a great dessert. Service and ambiance are excellent. read more

What a hidden treasure in Sarasota The ambiance is perfect, the food is excellent, the service was fabulous read more

The Greek Taverna - Best birthday dinner ! So happy I found and chose The Greek Taverna - Greek Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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I'm Greek American. First generation Greek. This is the only place I will eat Greek food. It's incredible. Everything hand made. read more

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Such a pleasant experience. Delicious food, comfortable environment and friendly staff. I dine as a "1" and not wanting to tie up their only table (tho it was after 7 pm), a couple invited me to sit at their table as they were finished dining and leaving soon. How sweet of them. A lively couple, originally from New Jersey, we chatted a bit, I offered her one of my beaded bracelets, and they departed. I ordered the peppers based on one of their recommendations, and had a fresh Greek salad first. The bread and salad were spot on delicious and the Peppers were unique and wonderful. Half of one came home for lunch today. But here is the thrilling part of me dinner: When the young, first day on the job waiter offered me dessert (kudos to him), I declined saying my budget wouldn't allow it after an afternoon of shopping (jk). The woman (daughter of owner) then told me my dinner had been paid for ...with dessert by the couple I mentioned. Needless to say I was overwhelmed at that kind gesture. You hear of that happening but it was a first for me. I wish I could thank them. I heard they're regulars so I told the staff to please relay my gratitude. read more

The Greek Taverna - Stuffed Peppers - Greek Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Stopped here after reading all the great reviews. We decided to order takeout, the restaurant had an old school authentic vibe. The hostess was possibly new, she had no sense of customer service. We had the chicken kebabs with rice pilaf and ordered a gyro with fries. The had a choice of soup or salad we chose soup/lentil. The food would've been perfect for someone on a heart healthy diet because it had NO SALT. It was missing salt throughout the entire meal. The lamb gyro was a NO for me. The presentation of the meal was nice but that's the only good thing about it. read more

The Greek Taverna - The top of our recipe - Greek Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Actually three and a half stars...but no half so upped the rating The owner is nice Service good Ambiance nice enough The lemon soup was good as well as the lamb shank dinner Would I travel a long distance to eat here...No...otherwise a decent place if you are in the area read more

Very nice people. Very poor quality food. Not fresh I ordered simple lamb gyro and I couldn't eat the old food Hope they can get it figured out read more

If you are craving authentic Greek food in Sarasota this is your spot. Situated in a small strip mall the Greek Taverna really surprised me. I was initially thrown off by the simplistic decor, but the food didn't disappoint. We ordered the lamb shank and chicken kabob. Both very good. read more

This is a great authentic Greek restaurant. It's a family owned table cloth, real silverware, professional service kind of place with very reasonable prices. Greek dishes that taste like your Mom would make if she was a Greek chef. Nice quiet ambience. Everyone in our group enjoyed everything. I would recommend starting with Hummus and ending with the amazing Baklava. Add a Mythos beer and you're in Greece. read more

Best Greek food I've ever had! The falafel appetizer was spot on, with a delicious sauce. Vinaigrette on the Greek salad was superb. Spanikopita was marvelous. My better half greatly enjoyed the lentil soup and shish kebob. Service was excellent. read more

This Greek restaurant deserves 10 stars! We ate there for the first time last night. Our friends joined us. We had an absolutely fantastic meal. Three of us ordered the lamb Shishkebabs. The other ordered the octopus which the waitress suggested how to make it into more of an entree than an appetizer. All four of us loved our meals. We really loved our meals!! The atmosphere was nice, the waitress, Vanessa was just exceptional and the chairs, yes the chairs, were the best and most comfortable dining chairs in all of Sarasota! Are we going back? You bet'cha! My goal is to try one of everything on their menu because I just know everything will be excellent! read more

Yum. Yum. Yum. Yum. Yum. Best Greek food I've eaten. Wonderful family service. Tried hummus, salads, falafel, soup, coffee, bread. Could eat here every day. Authentic recipes, full of complex flavors, and delightful service. Not the speediest as there's one girl serving and a very full dining room. But well worth the wait. They seem to do a robust takeout business, too. read more

Lovely business with amazing food, lemon chicken is unreal, and the lemon soup is even more unreal.

Had a take out order for lamb gyro today. Weak, at best, lightest gyro I ever had. Pieces of leg of lamb in gyro. Fries, rubbish. $15, so not worth it. read more

Have been here dozens of times over the past decade and one might think the food quality or amazing service might degrade over time...but nope. It's truly a humble gem. Simple and comfortable. But just popping with authentic home cooked vibes. Always an amazing experience. It starts with the in house baked bread, goes through the authentic appetizers and I had lemon chicken this time but you can't lose. Just the bomb every time. And everyone who works there is as sweet as can be. Five stars and twice the hearts. read more

Love this Sarasota gem! It just might be our favorite place to eat and we've eaten just about everywhere. Everything tastes like it was just made by your Greek grandmother. Pietro the head server is a wonderful, friendly man. Shrimp and octopus apps are superb. Greek salad and lamb shank is top notch. read more

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Best Greek Restaurants in town. Food is delicious and quick service. Try Greek chicken lemon soup and Octopus. read more

The Greek Taverna - Pork chops - Greek Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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This place is so adorable inside. The music really transport you into the culture and the waitress we had was truly such a pleasant person to be around. She was very nice with explaining stuff whenever we had questions. She even showed us what she used to do as a kid with the Greek coffee! The food was amazing as well and you can tell the cook really has a passion for the culture and the quality of the food, 10/10 better than truly Greek all around. read more

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Place is is mediocre, small portions and a little overpriced. Really nice people though

The best Greek food I've had since moving down to Sarasota. We have eaten here several times and have never been disappointed. Keep up the good work! read more

Went last Friday night with family. Pita and hummus were so delicious, just needed more pita for the amount of hummus. Avgelemono soup was so lemony and divine. Lentil soup was wonderful. Pasta carbonara was good. Baked lamb and orzo dish was not my thing, but everyone else liked it. The server did an excellent job of handling every table in the restaurant after someone apparently called in. Next time I'd like to try the lemon chicken and Greek potatoes! read more

Wow, Greek Tavernas food and service are wonderful! The waitress was so kind she made me smile and was on top of it. The hummus and warm pita, gyro and Greek salad are great. The Greek salad was the best I've had in a long time and they served it with big chunks of feta. I will definetly be going again. read more

"Oil, Oregano and The Elderly". The meth-head waitstaff decided to call in 'sick' on the day of our visit. All of them pulling a Jimmy Hoffa on the Greek Taverna with little regard for their lone co-worker left to clean up the mess: beyond-elderly unhappy customers, lines, walk-outs and terrible food. read more

The pasticcio was a greasy mess, the pastry on the spinach pie was flaccid and the lamb in the gyro was so stringy. Not happy.

Quaint family run restaurant located in a strip mall. Although the ambiance and wine list are lacking the food and service are worth the visit we started with the tzatziki and eggplant spread both were served with warm pita bread and were delicious. I had the lentil soup for dinner and it was incredibly flavorful and the serving generous. For dessert we had the rice pudding. It was served warmed and absolutely delicious. The small serving was enough for two of us to enjoy looking forward to our next visit! read more

Disappointing Tried Greek Taverna last night after good reviews from friends and online. Ordered take-out at last minute, Calamari App, Mousaka w/Salad, Baklava for dessert. Portions on all very small, especially Calamari with 8 little pieces of squid, although it was tasty, crisp & tender. Mousaka also tasty, but portion so small! Finally, the Baklava dessert, such a tiny piece, almost laughable. When we got home with the order and saw how small portions were, sauteed some Orange Roughy to fill in. This was our first visit to Taverna, unfortunately, the last. For the record, quite familiar with Greek Foods coming from Chicago with wall to wall Greek restaurants on Halsted St. in Chicago's Greek Town. Maybe expecting too much, but so it goes read more

I enjoyed my meal - I had the lamb gyro and my friend had the moussaka. Both dishes were very tasty. Service was also good. So service, food and ambiance were exceptional. read more

Food is great Service fine They allowed a dog in the restaurant that was supposedly an emotional service dog It barked and was at one point roaming the restaurant That is not what service dogs do read more

We love this unassuming restaurant. The Greek chicken is tender and flavorful. It's our favorite. We eat there at least once a month.

So this is the place to go for home style Greek cooking featuring Ionian specialities and standards. We had two great soups, lentil and avgolemono (lemon chicken). Mains were spanakopita and lamb kabob. All like your grandmother was in the kitchen. When you crave a meal that leaves you feeling as good as it tastes this is the place. Don't forget to get the backlava- a steak at $3/serving. read more

Went tonight, (Thursday night) for dinner with my wife. Nice clean restaurant in a strip mall. We were greeted by the front of house person. He was a little brief but he also was the on,y person taking care of 6 tables of guests.He brought us water as well as bread and butter My wife had the lamb with orzo and I had a lamb gyro. Hers was very tender yet cooked well. Mine was different then expected yet very tasty. The lamb was sliced pieces of lamb versus shavings of pressed lamb.bot( orders were filling and my wife had enough to takes for a lunch. A side note, somehow this restaurant seems to have the market cornered on fresh flavorful tomatoes. Both in the salad and on the gyro, the tomatoes were ripe and delicious. We will definitely visit again. read more

Went tonight to The Greek Taverna. Had the lamb shish kebab. The meat was great, flavorful and tender. The rice pilaf side was a great accompaniment. Started with the side (Greek) salad, the spices in the dressing were out front, just right. A great meal. Will return. read more

Great service and very delicious food. Very highly recommended. The place has a private room that can accommodate large groups. Grilled Octopus and shish kebab are very delicious. read more