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    Yia Yia's Taverna

    4.7 (350 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 9:30 pm
    Updated 3 weeks ago

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    YIA YIA'S TAVERNA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Intimate
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups

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    Chicken Souvlaki Platter
    Melissa C.

    4.5/5. This Greek food is as good as Astoria's. Not the best I've ever had but finally some fire Greek in BK. Star of the show was the octopus. Well cooked, fresh, flavorful. Coulda been a bit more charcoaled or crunchy but honesty it was great. Sangria pitcher $28, got me lowkey drunk but it was also my first meal of the day. The salad had a bit too much vinegar or lemon but otherwise good. Loved the halloumi. Chicken was juicy and yummm. Pita was a bit thin for my liking but so soft. My boyfriend liked it and treated it like a tortilla. Lemon potatoes were lemony asffff which is the standard but coulda used more salt/ or pepper. Tzatziki coulda been better, had strings of some sort and I wish it had cucumber. Wish the waitress told us the platter came w salad cuz I woulda saved $13 my bad for not checking tho.

    Frappe. Tasty
    Glenn C.

    I went to this Greek spot with glowing reviews a while ago with a group as per most of my other recent reviews and shared a bunch of dishes. The staff was nice and the place is pretty small but charming and the portion sizes of most dishes were quite large for the price point. I didn't have a drink but someone else had a Frappe to drink which they liked. The place gave the rest of the coffee with the shaker which was cheeky so I got to try it and it was solid. The Assorted Cold Dips had Tzatziki (yogurt/cucumber,) Taramosalata (caviar,) & Melitzanosalata (eggplant) and was served with some pita. The pita was standard while the dips were a bit better than the usual. The Melitzanosalata was the best of the bunch with some good smokiness from the eggplant. Otherwise, it was a nice thick tzatziki with a good amount of garlic while the taramosalata had some saltiness but not too much. The Imam (bayildi) or stuffed baby eggplant was good with a big portion as per most of their other dishes. It's a good solid veggie main with the eggplant being cooked down nicely with some good salty cheese on top and a tasty tomato sauce. The other smaller plate we got was the pricier one; the Ktapodi, or grilled octopus. As I have a severe allergy, I didn't try it but the rest liked it a lot with the portion size being one large tentacle along with some other smaller pieces for texture. The dish also had some olives on it as well. For larger plates, the Mousakka with Lemon Potatoes was in general our favorite. Plenty of meat and enough bechamel to add flavor but not be too rich. Said potatoes or Patates Fournou was excellent as well. I tend to prefer other side dishes but these potatoes were cooked perfectly. The Ani Kokkinisto or lamb shanks braised in homemade tomato sauce with orzo was also excellent. Plenty of lamb and a different presentation than I am used to. Not overly sweet compared to some other spots (I'm looking at you Souvlaki GR) and the meat was very tender. Would recommend as well. Probably the weakest was the Mixed Chicken & Lamb Souvlaki served with potato rounds. Both souvlaki were fine with the chicken being slightly better as the lamb was a bit dry. Best on the plate was actually the side served with it; the potato rounds/Patatas Tigantes, which were slightly crispy. There was some of the excellent tzatziki on the side as well as well as a small side salad with fresh veggies. For dessert, we ordered two though were already quite full. The Baklava was notably not overly sweet which I usually find a problem in Greek spots. Most Greek spots use too much honey and this place did not though the baklava was still quite moist. Solid but more standard was the Galaktoboureko. Not as much lemon flavor than I would like but again not overly sweet and the custard texture was good. Outside of maybe the souvlaki, the rest of the food was excellent. Just solid quality food with good sized portions for the prices (we spent $35 a person with a generous tip and left stuffed and could have left for a good $6 less per person and still have been quite full.) I can see why it's well regarded. Mid 4 for general quality/price. Would go back

    Sadly I don't remember what this was (maybe mossuka)
    Clari B.

    I've only dinned here twice but it is definitely shaping up to be my go to spot. It's the best Greek food around without breaking the bank. Although from the two visits I noticed inconsistencies with the food everything was still super scrumptious. The potato's the second time around were soft but had some bite to them. The beans were definitely al dente (which beans shouldn't be:) and although they were left untouched in the restaurant once home and reheated to their correct softness I felt like I was back in Greece. They were that good. Overall I can't wait to try all the items they have to offer, even if I have to take them home:)

    Grilled Calamari
    Pamela P.

    Amazing greek restaurant with beautiful back patio and happy hour deals even on weekends. Service was great and food delicious, affordable and huge! We ordered the grilled calamari and some lamp gyros, both delicious! Would be coming back for more.

    Lamb Souvlaki Platter
    Iris F.

    SO DELICIOUS and generous portions at a very affordable price for nyc standards. My party of 2 walked in around 6pm on a Saturday and the restaurant was mostly empty so we got seated immediately. Grilled octopus was great, perfectly cooked. Moussaka was huge - so filling and delicious and we opted for the lemon potato on the side which was cooked to just the right softness. Also shared a lamb souvlaki platter. Everything was fresh, perfectly cooked, and so satisfying. Those 3 dishes had us verryyyy full. Would come back again for sure!

    JiHae L.

    I'm not sure why they have such raving reviews. Yes, their service was good, however it could be better.. However, their food wasn't that great. I've had Greek food before, and this isn't really great cuisine, compared to the other restaurants, especially in Astoria. Regarding the food, I had the Tyrokeftedes, which was on the special menu as an entree. It was shrimp kebab with vegetables. It was 4 large pieces of shrimp with veggies. I didn't think it would be filling, and that the portion size would be good enough, but I was wrong. For appetizer, Ellinikes Patates Tiganites was ordered, and it was cheese balls that came with this sauce. I couldn't put my finger on what type of sauce it was, but it sure tasted good. We were too full to have dessert, so we didn't have any.

    Fried Calamari
    Ashlee S.

    Absolutely incredible! I recently set a goal to visit small businesses and restaurants in my neighborhood more often. A friend was visiting and we both Mediterranean food so Yia Yia's was the perfect location. We went with the fried calamari and tzatziki dip for our appetizers and we loved both. For our entrees, I did the Garides Santorini and she got the special for the week which was grilled shrimp on top of a bed of spinach and rice in some type of tomato based sauce. Both were very delicious, beautifully presented, and packed with flavor. On top of the good food, the service was impeccable and the outdoor patio was wonderfully decorated with art created by local residents. I plan to make Yia Yia's a neighborhood go-to especially when I have visitors!

    Chicken Souvlaki Platter - YUM
    Hannah M.

    Soooo frickin good. This was my birthday lunch and it's been on my radar for a while. I saw they delivered on DoorDash so decided to give it a try. I ordered the chicken souvlaki platter and requested potatoes instead of fries which they honored (always appreciate that). I almost hate to say this but...they're underpricing their food. For $16 this was an absurd portion of ridiculous deliciousness. Anywhere else the same platter would have been 50% more at least. Everything was wonderful, from the salad to the heavenly potatoes (so glad I requested them) to the massive stack of pita and the tender chicken. If you're in the mood for delicious affordable greek food, I highly recommend you check this place out. Salivating just thinking about it.

    Shrimp Souvlaki Sandwich
    Priscilla F.

    I ordered delivery from here earlier this week. I got the shrimp souvlaki sandwich and the horiatiki salad. The sandwich was good but I was a little disappointed with the salad. The tomatoes weren't very good, and since it's a major part of the salad, it ended up being my least favorite part of the meal. The prices for this place are affordable and right in line with what you'd expect.

    Lamb kokonisto had really nice rich flavor!
    Edward K.

    My wife and I checked Yia Tia's out on a Wednesday night before a concert at a local venue. We got in there around 5:30 pm and were seated right away. The decor is slightly dated and dark but it was a comfortable setting. The service was pleasant and the gentleman that took our order made some helpful recommendations. We ordered the lamb roll stuffed with feta and stuffed grape leaves for appetizers and lamb kebab and lamb kokonisto for entrees. I enjoyed the lamb rolls, my wife found it to be a little on the rare side. They forgot to deliver the grape leaves (didn't charge us for them, so perhaps they didn't hear me order them). My wife's lamb kebabs were tasty but perhaps a bit well done for my liking. The lamb kokonisto was a nice stew style dish featured slow cooked lamb over orzo. The flavor was very good and the texture of the lamb was nice, the lamb might have included a bit much of the fatty bits but I wasn't complaining. We had a strange send off, as they didn't ask if we wanted one of their desserts (always hard to say no to baklava), they just dropped the check off on the table. The restaurant was still empty, so it didn't seem to be a table availability situation. That said, it was overall a good meal.

    Soo we were in the mood for healthy Mediterranean food but did not want any meat. I read this place had good seafood!!! It did not disappoint-the portions are generous and everything we got was delicious and fresh! Amazing service and the ambiance !! We sat in the backyard and felt like we were in Greece.

    Beef meatball Greek Salad
    Cal C.

    We stumbled upon this gem while shopping at urban jungle with my daughter. Four dishes we ordered were generous and super delicious. This is the first time we have visited Brooklyn and I am sure coming to this place just for great lunch

    Branzino filet
    Ada W.

    Made reservations for 5 ppl for outdoor seating in the back patio, but it was raining and the boss said their back was a mess so they seated us in front of the store which wasn't bad either since it had a durable awning overhead to protect us from the rain and it wasn't too close to people walking by on the sidewalk. To start, we had the grilled octopus with olives and olive oil. It was delicious! Definitely 5 stars for this dish. The octopus was cooked perfectly and tender. Not too chewy. Flavored really well too. The fried eggplant was really good too. It had a garlic mashed potato dip and it was delicious. The fried eggplant was served hot. They were nice and crispy outside and soft inside. Highly recommend this as well. For entree, I had the spanakopita. It was pretty good. It had a good ratio of more spinach than cheese, which is how I like them. The crust was crispy. I had a side of lemon potatoes and honestly not a fan of lemon potatoes. I'm not used to having potatoes taste sour like that. My husband had the chicken souvlaki plate. I tried a piece of chicken and it was decent. Husband says it was decent too. Chicken wasn't too dry. Nothing particularly special to comment. FIL ordered a branzino filet from their specials. It was drizzled with way too much lemon and it was too sour. All of us made a sour face when we tried it. It was nice and soft tho. Other than that, without the overload of lemon it probably would've tasted better Moussaka- i didnt try it but it was pretty huge. After we finished, the waiter was really nice and treated us to some loukamades. Its basically little fried donut balls drizzled with honey and cinnamon. It was a good dessert. They were fried nice and crispy. Service was nice. Food was pretty good. I would definitely come back again. Highly recommend the octopus and fried eggplant

    Shrimp Souvlaki Platter

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    Pleasant atmosphere not too noisy. Service was very good and prompt. Food was delicious and it was all gone by meals and.

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    Page 1 of 9

    Yia Yia's Taverna Reviews in Other Languages

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    Medusa The Greek - Lobster Pasta (Astakomakaronada

    Medusa The Greek

    4.4(379 reviews)
    3.1 miPark Slope
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    5 stars all around the table!…read more Very tasty Greek restaurant. I saw they had spicy feta dip on the menu and knew this place was going to be good. There were a lot of good options to choose From so it was hard to narrow it down. Mix of traditional Greek dishes and new takes. We landed on these- Spanakopita Falafels Greek chicken soup Chilled beets Ribeye Souvlaki Baklava The ribeye was so tender and everything dipped in the tzatziki was superb. The Greek chicken soup was also a flavor bomb not your typical chicken soup. This one has dill, lemon, rice, vegetables...life in a bowl. They have an extensive drink menu as well and are open late into the night. I would definitely come here again!

    Celebrated my friend's birthday here on a weekday, and we had such a fun night! The colorful, funky…read moreMedusa-inspired decor gives the place a really unique vibe, and the spacious booths were perfect for our group. We ordered quite a few dishes, and the octopus was definitely one of my favorites--such a generous portion with two huge tentacles! The branzino and squid ink seafood pasta were also delicious. The pita chips were crispy and nicely seasoned with herbs, while the moussaka was rich, hearty, and packed with layers of bold Mediterranean flavors. The crispy fries with garlic oil were another hit. The cocktails were creative and impressive, and we ended with the Galaktoboureko for dessert. The creamy semolina custard wrapped in phyllo was delicious, although a little sweet for my taste. Next time, I'd probably go for the Loukoumades with Nutella pistachio sauce instead. Service was solid throughout--our waiter was friendly, welcoming, and very knowledgeable about the menu. Overall, a fun spot with great food, drinks, and a lively atmosphere for a birthday celebration!

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    Medusa The Greek - Grilled Octopus

    Grilled Octopus

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    Athena Mediterranean Cuisine - Flaming Saganaki Cheese

    Athena Mediterranean Cuisine

    4.4(493 reviews)
    4.0 miSouth Slope, Park Slope
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    This is my first time in Brooklyn, NY, and Athena was a perfect introduction, recommended by my…read morepartner's best friend who moved to the city recently. Athena is a quaint little place with friendly staff like Stavros (I hope that's how he spells it). For an appetizer, we ordered the dip trio with hummus (which was so creamy and delicious), spicy whipped feta, and tzatziki, which was honestly the star of the trio. Stavros was also kind enough to bring us more pita bread to finish our dips! I ordered the Lamb Souvlaki, and it was amazing. Juicy and sizable cuts of lamb dipped in more tzatziki on top of a bed of fluffy rice pilaf. It's a hefty plate so I only ate about half and took the rest back to my hotel. I hope I can eat the other half before I leave! I'm also hoping there's a place in Raleigh, where I live, that can match this experience. What's not pictured is the baklava dessert, which was quickly demolished by the three of us. It was originally meant for me only, but my partner and his best friend couldn't resist multiple bites. If you love Mediterranean food and you're in New York, add this place to your list. Well worth the trip. And also ask about the "Windex" shots (;

    I usually order from here for delivery through Grub Hub/Seamless. The food is sometimes late but…read morequite good... BUT I ordered something tonight and it was very late. I called to say it was a half hour late and the man who answered the phone was instantly abusive, first denying it was late then blaming Grub Hub in a tone of voice that was so nasty, I told him not to talk to a customer that way -- which only made him more abusive. I gave as good as I got -- this is New York where people you yell at yell back -- and he hung up. I cancelled the order. So I suggest that if you want to eat at Athena, go to the restaurant. If you order for delivery, it will likely come late and if you call to ask about it you may found yourself being screamed at by a psychotic who clearly shouldn't have any job that brings him into contact with the human race.

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    Athena Mediterranean Cuisine - Dip trio with Hummus, Spicy Feta, and Tzatziki

    Dip trio with Hummus, Spicy Feta, and Tzatziki

    Athena Mediterranean Cuisine - Whole branzino. Good for the whole table to share!

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    Let's Go Ya Souvlakia - Haloumi Skewer

    Let's Go Ya Souvlakia

    4.5(52 reviews)
    2.8 miProspect Heights

    Wow. So fresh. So warm. So tasty. I loveddddd the pita sandwich. We got the traditional gyro on…read morethat and it was so good. The fries are so crispy and soft at the same time. The platter is yummy. I think the sandwich just holds it all together better and blends better. The platter is all the fresh things you love like lettuce and onions and tomatoes. Super friendly staff. Love the outdoor seating.

    1/2 Our group had a…read morereally good lunch at Let's Go Ya Souvlakia. What stood out most was that there was truly something delicious for everyone, whether you were craving traditional Greek favorites (like a Gyro) or wanted to try one of the more unique menu offerings (like a custom bowl). The food was fresh, flavorful, and generously portioned, making it easy for everyone at the table to leave happy. The spicy feta and tzatziki were spot on and great toppings. They stay true to classic Greek street food while offering a few creative options that help set them apart from other spots. The atmosphere is casual and welcoming, perfect for a relaxed lunch or dinner. One of the hidden gems is the outdoor patio in the back, which provides a great place to enjoy your meal when the weather is nice. It's a wonderful addition that gives the restaurant a neighborhood feel. If you're looking for authentic Greek flavors, friendly service, and a laid-back setting, I highly recommend checking out Let's Go Ya Souvlakia. We'll definitely be back to explore more of the menu.

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    YA House Salad "Marouli"

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    Melitzanosalata Spread

    Yia Yia's Taverna - greek - Updated September 2026

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