I am so glad that we finally visited Yamas; it is located in the Enchanted Lake Shopping Center in Kailua with lots of free parking. The restaurant is super clean and spacious, and they play some awesome classic rock music. You order and pay at the counter and they will bring you the food; the lady at the counter was extremely friendly and very efficient. You need to bus your own table when you're done, just place the used dishes, glasses and utensils in the labeled plastic tubs, not a big deal at all. Now, the food is the star. We order baba ganoush with pita, super gyro with zucchini fries, and a soup and salad combo. The baba ganoush was so delicious, and the pita was warm and soft. The super gyro has so much yummy meat in it that the pita can hardly hold them, and the zucchini fries were crispy and not oily. It also comes with a couple really good tzatziki sauces. My wife really enjoyed the avgolemono (lemon and chicken) soup and greek salad. She was so pleased with the combo that she had to order an extra takeout combo for her friend to try. On top of all that, we finished our great meal with a baklava sundae; two fresh crispy baklava pastries with a scoop of vanilla ice cream drizzled with cinnamon and honey. This desert is a must order. The restaurant is mixed in with a lot of other restaurants and shops in a large strip mall, so it maybe easy to miss. The prices are really reasonable and the portions are good. If you like Mediterranean food; this is the place. You will love it. read more

Yamas Mediterranean Cuisine - We ate most of the baba ganoush before we remembered to take pictures - Mediterranean Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

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We came here for lunch looking for something healthy, not heavy, and fresh and we got exactly that! We started with some hummus and zucchini fries that we all loved. They didn't feel heavy or greasy at all, they were thinly breaded and super fresh and crispy. I would go back just for those. I ordered the lamb souvlaki, everything comes with a side so I got it with the baba ghanoush. I love the way the lamb was seasoned and the baba ghanoush was delicious I might even prefer it over hummus. Not pictured, but I even got to try their garlic fries which also weren't greasy either and they had lots of garlic! I got to try their spanakopita as well, super flaky and crispy. For me, everything was a 10/10. It ended up being a lot more food than expected and perfect if you're looking for something healthy, light, but also filling. The environment was calm and the lady who was there was super friendly as well! I'd be back all the time if I didn't live so far! read more

Yamas Mediterranean Cuisine - Pork souvlaki with baba ghanoush - Mediterranean Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

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Tucked into a strip mall, Yamas has plenty of parking, is clean, order at the counter and bus your own table. The service is super friendly and efficient. The menu is straightforward and reasonably priced. We ordered zucchini fries, a gyro and a shawarma wrap. Everything was freshly made and tasty. Only quibble we had was that we added a little salt (strictly a personal preference). Glad we came out to give it a try...we'll be back! read more

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I tried the euro with the Greek salad to go, which was $16 plus tax. Interestingly, she put the tzatziki sauce on the side, which was kinda nice because that way the euro didn't get soggy because it was nice and warm too. Unfortunately the tzatziki sauce was very bland in flavor and she had run out of hot sauce. The salad however, was very good. I enjoyed the freshness and the dressing was delicious. I don't think I would be getting the gyro again but am definitely open to returning to get the Greek Salad if I'm in the area. I wouldn't drive to Kailua specifically to go to Yamas though. read more

Yamas Mediterranean Cuisine - Mediterranean Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

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As usual this casual Mediterranean restaurant did not disappoint us when we ordered got the family tonight. Food. We really like the supergyro. The lemon-eggdrop (avogolemono) soup was good and spinach pie (spanikopita) excellent tonight. We are glad to have this restaurant near us. Service : Carry out order was correct and on time. Staff are pleasant. Location : conveniently located in enchanted lake area of Kailua. Big parking lot. read more

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You may wanna...YAMA here if you love GREEK food. When my husband first told me about this place, I was a bit confused because of the name. YAMAS MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE. I thought it was a Japanese restaurant. He told me that it wasn't a Japanese restaurant, but a Greek restaurant. He mentioned that they had good Greek food. We used to go to the one at Puck's Alley many years ago, but I don't think they exist anymore? Now, this is our go to and our favorite restaurant in Kailua. Here are our favorites: GARLIC FRENCH FRIES: cooked well done with fresh garlic and cilantro sprinkled on top ZUCCHINI FRIES: absolutely the...BEST and our...FAVORITE GYRO: so ono and well loved BABAGANUSH with homemade pita: yummy and with a fresh garlic kick HUMMUS with homemade pita: just as yummy too GREEK SALAD: refreshing with a tangy salad dressing So, don't let the name of the restaurant fool you. Go check them out if you are hungry for some yummy GREEK food. You'll thank me or that! read more

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Why have I not stopped by this gem of a place prior to this? I don't know. Perhaps it's because initially, I thought this was a location tied to Yama's Fish Market (Yama's name). Much to my surprise, this is a really yummy Mediterranean restaurant! Ample free parking is available out front in an open lot. And ample 4-top seating is available in the restaurant. For a place that doesn't have table service, it's very clean and well kept. When first walking in, you'll notice a bunch of paintings on the wall with a working fountain in the middle of the room. Straight ahead is the order/pick-up counter and off to the right you'll see a self-service water, utensils and bussing station. The cashier was patient and helpful while we asked questions for our first time being there. We grabbed a hummus starter and Shawarma, which came with a choice of Greek salad, garlic fries, etc. to which for only $4 more, you could have 2 choices instead of 1. Such a great deal! And the plated were packed! Especially the hummus starter, it had over a dozen pieces of pita! One thing to note is that all of their desserts contain nuts in them, so if you're allergic, you might want to pass on dessert. Overall, the food was completed in a timely and efficient manner. And everything tasted great! The dressing on the Greek salad was like none other I've had before. The garlic fries had just the right amount of garlic. And the Shawarma was so big for me, that I had to save half for later. This was a meal well worth it to me and we'll definitely be back to try the other items! read more

Yamas Mediterranean Cuisine - Self-service water, utensils and bussing station - Mediterranean Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

Serving Greek food with huge portions at affordable prices, Yamas Mediterranean Cuisine is my favorite place to eat in Kailua. Located in Enchanted Lake Center, Yamas is an easy stop if you're on your way to the beach. Fast, friendly service with plenty of tables for dine in. The restaurant itself is peaceful and pristine with a fountain in the middle for ambiance and a self serve water and utensils station. Order and pay at the register and the food is delivered to your table hot and fast. The gyros are filling and delicious. The fries are loaded with sharp, fresh garlic and seasonings. The hummus comes with soft pita. We love the option to upgrade and get an extra side for an additional $4. read more

Yamas Mediterranean Cuisine - Interior of restaurant - Mediterranean Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

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Sister suggested Yama's for Lunch, so we drove from Kaneohe to Kailua, about a 15 min. drive , got to the restaurant about 11:15am , lot of parking in this strip mall anchored by Safeway.Another couple was dining. Naleiokalani asked us to sit at any table & gave us menu's. Water was self serve.we ordered 3 guro's. 2 Super & one regular with toss green salad. Guro's arrived in a timely manner. Forgot to tell Naleiokani one guro was to go. She kindly boxed it. Her customer service was excellent & she got the extra plate& knife I needed. The toss green salad & guro 's were delicious. Filled with beef & lamb & the yogurt based sauce is tasty. Nice spacious dining area. We'll visit again. Thank you Chef! read more

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I love this place!! Food smells amazing, made within the right amount of time, food was warm, nicely arranged, and portions were adequate. Great communication with online orders and pick up. read more

We got takeout at this place. The owner was nice and friendly. She forgot an item in our takeout but she was helpful. The hummus was very good. The container was full to the top. My son didn't like the falafel spice. We will try something else next visit. read more

They are open for dine in at lunch again! Open at 11 most days (closed on Tues) Lunch has pita plates, dinner menu is different. Need to come for dinner one day. At least for lunch you go up to order and pay then get your own silverware and water. They have soda. You can bring in your own wine, and have wine of their own. They bring your food. At the end of your meal you take your dishes and put them in the dirty dishes container. Very casual. Their gyros has "woven" lamb as one choice. Not sure of the term but it's similar in flavor to the rotisserie style but not quite the same. But still tender and good. They also have a super size with half a pound of meat, another with falafel, with Shwarma. Plates comes with one choice of Greek salad with feta, hummus, baba ganoush, spanakopita, soup (I forget the name), and maybe something else. You can get two choices for an additional $4. Friends had the salad and I had the baba ganoush. Baba ganoush was very tasty. Friends said the salad was good. Have eaten the zucchini fries, garlic fries, hummus, and spanakopita before. Like the zucchini fries and garlic fries. Hummus is ok (baba ganoush is better). Spanakopita is tasty but was a bit soggy. Might be ready made. Recommend this place since there's not many classic Mediterranean restaurants on the windward side of the island and the food is pretty good. read more

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I really prefer this counter order system over the restaurant service. It's fast and convenient. You can eat in or take out. Even the food has improved. Great idea! Probably good idea to restock the silverware, napkins, cups, etc. Kept running out. Will definitely be back. read more

The other reviewers are spot on - best gyro I've had in Hawaii! This is my new go to spot when coming to Kailua. The dining room is now open to eat in. There's no table service, but that shouldn't be a barrier when the food is so good. Best things we had: * Gyros - may consider the super gyros next time for extra meat. * Shwarma - I actually didn't get to try this because my son gobbled his up so quickly. As for sides, I'd get the Greek salad or hummus. The baba ghanoush was far too garlicky. read more

Yamas Mediterranean Cuisine - Gyro with side salad - Mediterranean Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

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Yamas has been one of our favorite restaurants on the island for years, we drive out to kailua from ewa beach just to eat here. Hawaii doesnt have many great greek options but Yama's is probably the best and most authentic greek places I've tried anywhere. We always order a gyro with spanakopita and hummus for sides, it's a very generous portion that my fiancé and I share. The gyro meat is so flavorful and the spanakopita is so light and flaky. It had been take out all the years we've been coming but it's finally open for dine in now which is great. The lady who works there is so nice and friendly. We always call our order in before we get there and it's ready within 15 mins. read more

Yamas Mediterranean Cuisine - gyro with spanakopita and hummus - Mediterranean Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

Gotta say this is becoming one of my favs in Kailua. Staff is very helpful and friendly. Looks like a family run business. Atmosphere is nice. A few stucco columns and beams and a fountain in the center of the informal dining area. There's no table service - go to the cashier and order. The gyro can't be beat. Compliment this with a greek salad, add hummus and pita and you got yourself one heck of a meal. Tried the balaclava for the first time and I have to admit that it's the best I've ever eaten. So tasty... a hint of cinnamon which I love. I love that they serve it with a small yet ample serving of honey. There's no alcohol served here but BYOB is accepted. Price is great for the quality of food prepared and served here. Best thing is don't just believe me... I'm someone you don't know, but try out yourself. By the way Yamas isn't a Japanese word or a shot cut to the owners Japanese name. It's a Greek like saying "cheers," or " to our health!" So my reviews aren't only my opinion on cuisine but it's also educational. read more

Good food & good service! Ordered takeout over the phone & it took around 15 minutes everything to be ready. I would recommend the super gyro & zucchini fries. Make sure to get extra tzatziki sauce! The restaurant itself is a good size and very casual. Will definitely be back in the future! read more

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Best moussaka!! I've eaten at yamas a few times recently and everything is exceptionally fresh and delicious. I love moussaka and I have to say, I wish they'd add this to the regular menu because their moussaka is incredible. I forgot to take a photo. I've also enjoyed their gyro pita and chicken souvlaki. Meals come with a side which I really appreciate. I usually get a side salad because they're crisp and fresh but I love the hummus and Baba ghanoush can't wait to try more dishes. I wish they had a true Greek style salad with a slice of feta and olives and tomato. Give Yamas a try for dining in or takeout. You won't be disappointed. 5 stars! read more

We were on the hunt for a falafel pita and some good lamb shawarma and sure enough, we found it all! Extremely flavor packed baba ghanoush, hummus, falafels, lamb, AND tzatziki. Portion size was great and not one bite went uneaten. Oh and the garlic fries are a MUST try! The lady working there was very personable and sweet and even though it appeared to only be her, there was hardly any wait. Very unassuming place with some beautiful art on the walls. If your mouth isn't burning from the garlic, it isn't true middle eastern food! We LOVED it. read more

I love Yama's! I live in Central Oahu, and we make the drive out to Kailua just to eat at Yama's at least once every few months. I CRAVE their food, and I'm so happy they reopened the dining area to dine in! My favorites from here are the spanakopita and the zucchini fries, we get them aaaall the time. The restaurant is cozy, it's got that Greek vibe to it (as it should). I like that there is artwork done by local artists displayed on the walls, which you can purchase as well. I will always recommend this place to anyone who asks! 10/10. read more

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Decided to do a take out meal and ordered the super gyro with fries and salad with a side of zucchini fries. Meal was FANTASTIC! Price point was much better than the majority of places in Kailua. Ingredients were very fresh and delicious. Even with to go and eating 30 mins later both the fries and zucchini fries were crisp and cooked to perfection with no sogginess! Hubby and I shared both and feel full! New hidden gem we found and will be back for sure! Need more places like this in Kailua. read more

I will make the drive out to Kailua for Yama's. The food is well made and extremely flavorful! My favorite items are: -Gyro -Super Gyro -Lamb Souvlaki My favorite sides are: - hummus - baba ganoush - Greek salad (on the lighter days) - garlic fries -- let me tell you, it packs a PUNCH. Bring your own bag as the plates are substantial (in my opinion) and make a plan to eat quickly as the food comes freshly and hot. I usually make a plan to order, look at Ben Franklins, and come back to Yama's as the food usually takes between 15-20 minutes to prepare. read more

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Great food and nice staff. We wish they would open the restaurant again vs only take out.

Love Yama's Mediterranean restaurant love the gyros and the garlic fries.... Pretty little place Hard working owner

Still the BEST mediterranean food around! Since the pandemic they only offer take out. However I will take out whatever I can get from this fabulous flavor-ville establishment! Tonight I had a delicious garlic shrimp plate over perfectly cooked bed of rice and a magnificent Greek salad! Service with a smile and a great art display on the walls as the center fountain gurgles a tranquil sound for you listening and viewing pleasure. Still Five Star Food to go! I'll be back! read more

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Very good gyros, fries and side salad. The gyro meat had Good flavor and the fries had a crunch to the outside but hot and fresh. The side salad was fresh. The place is clean. We will probably go back again. read more

I gave 5 stars but 4.5 is more appropriate. PLUS: Excellent food quality and fresh. Delicious taste. Nice portion size, and the super gyro was loaded with good stuff. Very nice staff. Good value (almost impossible to find these days). We'll most definitely be back again. Well worth the drive from Kaneohe. MINUS: I'm OK with paper plates, but not wild about paper sheets inserted in plastic baskets with the food on top. I would have much preferred paper plates or styrofoam plates. Deducted 1/2 stars for that alone. read more

I've been coming here for 5 years and it's unequivocally the best Mediterranean food I've gotten domestically! Found this place through a rec a while back and have always been impressed by the speed, portions quality and price. For what you get (avg 14-20) you get a heaping plate, a side and maybe a drink depending on what you get. I've tried a majority of the menu from the gyros and falafel to the lamb shanks and souvlaki and none have let me down. The super gyro to me is the best deal cause u can get a half pound of meat for only 2 bucks more. Everything comes out fast and always tastes well seasoned but clean with little to no grease. I fell in love on first bite and you will too! read more

This is Windward's Greek restaurant and it is tasty and very reasonably priced. BYOB so I always pick up some retsina to go classic dishes

Was spontaneously in the mood for Mediterranean food while on the Windward side and Yamas was the closest spot we could find. Called in a pick up order and it was ready in 20 minutes. The restaurant itself was nice and inviting. Kinda small space but lots of tables and a cute fountain the middle. The staff was super welcoming and friendly, striking up conversation while I paid. The food itself was good! I ordered a falafel with banaganoush as my side and my partner had the gyro with spankopita. Neither blew our minds but the tzaziki helped add flavor. I love the options for side dishes and that you could choose two for an extra cost and would be willing to try out other dishes if I'm ever on the Windward side again! read more

Yamas Mediterranean Cuisine - Gyro with Spanakopita - Mediterranean Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

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Excellent Mediterranean food! Friendly staff. Need to go back and eat more from the menu. Gyros are well portioned and perfectly grilled.

I was quite impressed by this place! It's take out only right now and I ordered the gyro. I asked the worker if it's possible if I could get beef only instead of the lamb since I don't really eat lamb and thought to play it safe with just beef. She said no since it's all pre-made and that the lamb isn't gamey. I didn't mind and still wanted to try it out. I got garlic fries as the side. As soon as I opened my container of food, I was pleased by the generous portion. The gyro is a good size and they gave a lot of garlic fries. The gyro was delicious! The worker was right, the lamb wasn't gamey at all and it was seasoned nicely. The pita bread was soft and chewy. I loved the tzatziki dressing it came with! It was creamy and had a refreshing taste to it. The garlic fries were pretty good too and very crispy. I also noticed on the day that we came in, it was a one woman show! There was one worker who was taking the orders and preparing the food. I thought she did a great job because there were quite a few other customers while we were there and brought out all our orders in a timely manner. She was even taking phone orders too! This spot is definitely worth to check out! Yummy Mediterranean food and great prices! read more

Yamas Mediterranean Cuisine - Gyro with garlic fries - Mediterranean Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

Pretty disappointed in this place. Service was great, parking was easy to find and the wait wasn't long at all (maybe 20mins) to get our food BUT it was not good at all. The zucchini fries barely had any zucchini in them and they were VERY over cooked. The sauce was just tzatziki with a little feta sprinkled on top. The super gyro was so dry, meat was hard, and once again the fries were over cooked. The fries were so hard they were actually hollow in the center. I asked for extra tzatziki sauce and didn't get it which honestly, it wasn't that good anyway so I guess I didn't miss much. Pita was soggy & fell apart at the bottom. I know this place has to be somewhat decent because they had tons of people going in and out and picking up orders. Idk if we all got bad food or just our family but I would not recommend this place to anyone. Sad. read more

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Went here for the first time with my family. I was sad to see that it was still take out only... but the food was amazing!!!! I ended up getting the Souvlaki with lamb and loved the amount of meat I got, the rest of my family got the gyro and also had amazing things to say. The lady there, who I assume is the owner, was so sweet to work with. It seems like she's running a one woman show and our food still got out in a timely matter. Our orders took about 10mins longer than she estimated but then she gifted us with these beautiful desserts!!! Will definitely be going again!!! read more

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I love yamas, the gyros/salad plate are my favorite but my husband sears by the lamb shank, he gets it every time it is is available.

Takeout dinner from Enchanted Lakes (Kailua, O'ahu, Hawaii)... When my friend wanted to take me out for dinner and asked me where I wanted to go, I chose Yama's because her Japanese last name starts with "Yama..." Haha! Like most people, she didn't think that the restaurant would have Mediterranean cuisine. Well... Surprise! I had been to Yama's in the past and ordered takeout. This business is currently still doing takeout only. (We took our meals to Windward Mall in Kaneohe and ate together in comfort.) We both got the Super Gyro because it has double portion of meat. The tzatziki sauce was served on the side in a small plastic container. Our Super Gyros came with two sides. We shared the spanakopita (two pieces), hummus with slices of pita, babaganoush (a bit spicy) with slices of pita), and Greek Salad (the dressing was tasty). The gyros were a little on the bland side. I poured the salad dressing on it because the tzatziki sauce only had a subtle dill flavor to it. The meat was very tender and moist. We would be willing to return and get other dishes! read more

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Wonderful flavor gyros. Garlic fries would keep a vampire away. I did not mind this...I loved them! Greek salad was really good. I was not a fan of the dressing otherwise everything else was wonderful. read more

Current menu is found at https://yamashawaii.com/ Take out only. Got the falafel in pita w/side of spanakopita and gyro plate w/side of greek salad. Each plate comes with a side of your choice. Everything was yummy, took a taste of everything: ate the salad, 2 falafels, 1 piece of spanakopita, & 2 pieces of gyro meat. Meal for 2-3 more times. Everything was fresh & tasty. read more

Yamas Mediterranean Cuisine - Falafel in pita w/side of spanakopita. Sorry, I ate one falafel before I thought of taking a picture. - Mediterranean Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

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I've been going to Yamas for years and I love it. The food is consistently great and the owner and staff are very courteous. I enjoy the menu and the portions are very generous. A must is the Baklava. 5 stars read more

First time trying this place despite loving Mediterranean food and living Windward side. Food was great and tasty - next time no need double up on sides cos we all ended up w leftovers (paid the $3 for 2 side choices). Baklava was yummy (tho haven't met one I wouldn't eat yet). They serve the honey I the side and DO sell out of it. We got the last 2 pieces the last nite we went. Still take out only but food held up well all the way to Kaneohe. read more

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