This is a wonderful restaurant, I ate a very late lunch (linner) on my first day in Denver. I had one of the platters and every single item was delicious. The platter had Moussaka, spanikopita, greek salad, and another dish (not sure of the name). The platter was $17 and was too much for this big appetite. Even the tatziki and pita bread were notable, tatziki was richer and more flavorful than I've had elsewhere. And the baklava, oh my. Super friendly service, nice decor and ambiance, a unique restaurant that exceeded my expectations. As I walked out of the restaurant I was already looking forward to my next meal there. I'm so glad I have the yelp app on my iphone to make it easy to find great places like this while out of town and starving!
Review Source:Went here for my birthday dinner, and it had been over a year since I had last been here, but the owner (Angie?) remembered me, again. Needless to say, we were warmly greeted and Angie gave me hug, too (used to go here a lot with the ex-husband, some with an ex-BF, and a few times with some friends). It was my daughter and her husband's first time at this restaurant
Our waitress was a tenant at the apartment complex my daughter used to work at, and they recognized each other. The waitress gets major kudos for thinking I was my daughter's sister and being shocked that I was her mother instead. She was very friendly, courteous and professional.
We all had a Greek beer (yum) and ordered the flaming cheese appetizer (can't remember what it is called). All three of us did an epic fail in saying Opa at the right time post flame. While I wanted the Zorba the Greek, we went with the other Greek platter, since my son-in-law wasn't too keen on the lack of meat on the Zorba the Greek platter. The menu says it serves 2-3 people, but as usual, it feeds 4-5, since we all ate from the platter and I had enough leftover to take to work for lunch and snack the next day.
The complimentary ouzo they offer at the end of the meal is a nice way to end a wonderful dining experience. Unfortunately my daughter and son-in-law did not agree, so next time I'll drink their ouzo for them!
Its Greek Lunch this time around... Â Thankfully we managed to run some errands in this part of neighborhood and to Athenian Restaurant we went. Â Wednesday October 10th 2012. Â Time was at about 12:10hrs. Â When we first arrived at this establishment, there were several other patrons dining in.
We opt to be seated at one of the booth. Â Our server is inviting and welcoming. Â Thru the Menu, we opt for these following items :
* Â Calamari ($9.50)
* Â Crispy Hashbrowns, Eggs, Gyro and Feta Cheese ($9.00)
* Â Gyro Sandwich with Fries ($8.95)
Hubs had coffee ($2.25).
When my order of Calamari arrived at our table, I like it alot since the Calamari its NOT cut into rings, but as whole to begin with, and with the light batter and all the trimmings, it was indeed satisfying and DeLiCious on its own. Â The Calamari as part of the Appetizer comes with its own salad with cubes of tomatoes, raw white onions and crumbles of feta cheese. Â It comes with "sour cream" or was it Tzatziki and its own "salsa". Â I am indeed intrigued by the "salsa" sauce, its slightly spicy but yet wonder if its home-made from scratch.
As for Hubs, he opt for the Crispy Hashbrowns, 2 Eggs and Gyro with several cubes of Feta Cheese. Â Hubs order also comes with cubes of Green Bell Pepper in it. Â The Gyro was seasoned perfectly and Hubs like his order very much since he rate it as 3.5 stars.
I opt for the Gyro Sandwich. Â Portion is reasonable and the Gyro meat aka Sliced of Seasoned Lamb meat was D.E.L.I.C.IO.U.S... Â Mouth-Watering Delicious. Â Even while I am typing this review, cant help drooling or Salivate To The Max! Â The Gyro was sandwiched in a Pita Bread, with cubes of Tomatoes and Raw White Onions. Â My order comes with Tzatziki and Fries. Â I wish I could have more...
With tips and tax our lunch cost $40. Â The service was prompt and Hubs had his coffee free flowing during our lunch hour. Â With a full lunch in our belly and a satisfying experience, we dont mind returning when needed.
OPA!
@152/2012
Very friendly staff. Â Suggested drink/appetizer while waiting for take out. Â I ordered the gyros sandwich. Â $9 is a little pricey but it does come with choice of salad/mashed potato/soup. Â So for this entire meal, I think it a fair value.
About the gyros, very flavorful. Â The meat, onions, and tomatoes are cut smaller than at other places. Â I imaging this is to help the flavors meld more evenly. Â Not necessarily a good or bad- it just is. Â The tzatziki sauce is excellent- creamy with chunks of cucumbers and just the right amount of garlic and acidity.
Denver Culinary World Trip : Stop #4 (Greece)
Greece was our next stop. Â We went into the restaurant and it was raining like crazy. I have two words for this place "Flaming Cheese" (Saganaki). Probably the best appetizer ever!
I got the veggie pita sandwich and it was really good and authentic. The garlic dip was really good too. My other colleagues got chicken sandwich, meat dish (I can't remember the name) and they liked the food as well. I would go back just for the flaming cheese.
Wow one of my families favorite places to eat. The owners and wait staff are great and always remember us. You must get the the saganaki (flaming cheese) such an amazing start to the meal. The lemon chicken soul is bursting with flavor and is excellent every time. There are many great traditional Greek dishes that are outstanding with the lamb riblets and the Greek steak. It was more than worth your time to check this great place out.
Review Source:I have driven by this place a thousand times but just recently had dinner there with my family the other night. Â I was really impressed with the friendly service - from the time we got there to the time we left, we felt welcomed. Â Everyone we passed stopped and said hi to us and our children. Â Our waitress was really attentive and even brought out a little bowl of soup for our one year old to munch on while we waited. Â We appreciated the suggestions for food and our kids LOVED the flaming cheese! Â We got the Mediterranean Family platter, which was more than enough for 2 adults and 3 kids and a baby. Â My kids are usually kinda picky about trying new things, but they all loved it. Â We will be back for sure!
Review Source:The Athenian Restaurant in Aurora, Colorado is delicious.  The service is great, the owners are very nice and always talkative.  The gyro plate was superb.  There is a very "Greek" vibe in the place, from the décor to the television playing international television news.  It was not very busy or loud so the service was extra good. Â
I usually enjoy freshly brewed iced tea, instead of the fountain stuff, but other than that, I really liked my experience there. Â I will come back. Â
Want some delicious Greek food in Aurora? Â Check out the Athenian. Â You'll be glad you did.
So happy I've finally found a GOOD Greek restaurant in the area. Â I'm not Greek but I ate at some fantastic Greek restaurants in Conneticut a few years ago when I lived there. Â Just was not finding that in Denver until now. Â This place is about a 15min drive from me and in Aurora. Â It was well worth the drive. Â Every aspect of dining out was well above average, from the service to the wine selections to the food. Â Um! the flaming cheese was delish! Â Mousaka is my favorite Greek dish ever. Â Very affordable. Â Service was personable and friendly. Â Even the greek salad was fresh and crisp. So thankful to my Greek patient for recommending this place. Â This guy was so Greek I needed a interpreter half the time to understand him. Â What better person to trust than a real Greek person himself. Â Cant wait to go back.
Review Source:Having worked for a Greek family in their restaurant all through college finding a good Greek restaurant is like comparing a meal with your mother's cooking. Rarely can a place meet those expectations. Athenian does live up to the food my Greek mama used to make!
Having just started working from home I have one requirement for lunch on these beautiful afternoons- an outdoor patio. I pulled up half starving and mouth watering for Greek only to find that the patio, which is nearly totally enclosed, is smoking! There was only one table of people out there all of whom were smoking like crazy. Granted, they have the right to if allowed but with only one wall "open" the smoke was thick on the "patio". I write this review sadly from the patio of another restaurant. Looks like Athenian will not become a regular lunch spot for me after all.
I'd forgotten how much I like Ouzo. And free Ouzo to boot! Stin iyia mas! =]
I have eaten here twice, once for lunch and once for dinner. As a few people have pointed out the menu does indeed say "Greek-American-Mexican". Let me clarify as was highlighted by the very efficient, assertive Hostess - "Mexican is only served at lunch time". The evening menu does not have any Mexican items on it. and as for American food, I didn't see any non-greek American items on the menu either come to think of it.
My latest visit, I went for dinner with my lovely wife for our 21st anniversary. We didn't announce the fact that it was our anniversary because we really didn't want a whole lot of unsolicited attention, we just wanted to have a nice quiet dinner to celebrate. And that we did.
First off, I have to plug the Sausage and Peppers. Simply amazing! They offer them as an appetizer but it's really an entree as it is a meal in itself. I could literally live on this dish for the rest of my life! Nostimos!
My wife and I both had the Greek salad and the Gyros plate for our main course. The meat was delicious and the tzatziki superb! I'm not sure why some of the other reviewers didn't like the tzatziki, I thought it was fresh and full of flavor. Very traditional IMO. Yum! My wife also had the Baklava for dessert, she absolutely loved it. I had a taste, it was delicious, but to tell the truth, I was so full from dinner that I couldn't fully appreciate it for what it was.
The atmosphere is wonderfully quaint and appropriately decorated. A wonderful place to spend our anniversary. The service was wonderful from all parties involved. Our Server was amazing, the Hostess was gracious and truly concerned about making our experience memorable. Even the bus person was friendly and accommodating.
We will enjoy coming back to the Athenian. Don't forget, order the Sausage and Peppers! Have I steered you wrong yet? =]
-MK
I've had this place on my radar for awhile and never got around to trying it until now ! I can't believe I waited so long and will probably become a place I go often when I'm in the mood for authentic greek food. The employees and owner were amazing during our visit. Friendly, courteous and  full of helpful explanations about the expansive menu !  Everything we ordered was fantastic and the portions were HUGE !  If you'd like a modern, casual atmosphere, with the ability to either eat traditional fare or be a little adventurous, Athenian is a great choice !
Review Source:I would have loved to love this place, big Greek food eater but this one just didn't cut the hummus.
The service was good, if not great. The waitress was nice and attentive but not too push when we were trying to talk business.
However, I found the hummus to be so-so and most of the food to be just okay. Large portions at reasonable prices but not my favorite Greek place in town.
I came here during the Spring last year and absolutely loved it! As a daughter of a Greek immigrant man and having visited Greece this is the epitome of what I've been looking for as far as food and atmosphere are concerned.
Private parking which can fill up quick if it's busy. Since we came during the week we had our choice of spots.. woo hoo! Thank goodness we got a close one since I barely walked out after eating such deliciousness.
Decent eating area.. very homey feeling. They also have a private room for parties or banquets which I plan to use one day.
Our server was pleasant and full of knowledge. I'm trying to get involved in the Greek community here and he gave me a lot of pointers. He kept us up on our drinks as we waited for lunch. The gyro platter wad delish, and so was just the gyro itself. I want to say we got dessert and ended up loving it! I can be picky on my tzatziki sauce and theirs was the perfect combination of creamy, cucumbery, garlicy goodness.
The complimentary shot of ouzo was delightful and brought a sense of camaraderie between us and the restaurant. It was memorable and I'll definitely be back when I don't feel like cooking my own feast.
Best gyro sandwich in town! Where most Greek, Middle Eastern restaurants pack their sandwiches with mostly lettuce, tomatoes, onions, the whole side salad and a few slices of gyro meat, the Athenian really stands out from all of them! Their gyro sandwich is literally loaded with gyro meat, then topped with freshly chopped onions and tomatoes, comes with a side choice of garlic mashed potatoes or French fries, which comes with a generous serving. Plus their tzatziki sauce is made with real Greek yogurt filled with garlic, chunks of cucumber and the right amount of acidity.
These mega meal comes with a great smile when you enter the restaurant, oh, and it's only $8.95!
Opa!
I have enjoyed quite a few breakfasts here recently...and they have been delish ! The pancakes are wonderful, the service is almost TOO friendly...and the coffee is constantly being replenished. Portions are generous...so when I return in this new year, I will need to NOT clean my plate.
Review Source:This is the BEST Greek food in the Denver metro area. I work only a five minute drive from this place, and we often order pick-up lunches from here. Their Gyro Salad is to die for, in my opinion... I've also been told their gyro sandwich and fries are amazing.
The employees here are honestly some of the nicest I've ever met in the restaurant business. I've never had an order messed up in anyway (and they're always happy to accomodate special ones), they always remember me and my coworkers when we come in, and I've never found a group of people who are more genuinely appreciative of my business. If my reviews don't give it away, I will say I am a sucker for a good restaurant or a great store... and I can easily say their customer appreciation here is the best.
What do you do when you can decide on an entree? You order the $40 plate of everything. The atmosphere here is nice, and the staff is very friendly and pleasant. They seem to genuinely care when they ask you at the end of your meal how everything was. So we got the plate with pork, chicken, gyro, feta, pita wedges, calamari and olives. The tzatziki wasn't the best I've had, it wasn't incredibly flavorful or anything. Our Greek salads prior to our entree were good; they must make their own dressing. I could taste all the herbs in it... not like something you get out of a bottle. Of all the things I tried I think I liked the gyro the best. If I went back, that would be what I personally would order. The chicken and pork weren't very memorable or stand out. Love the decor!
Review Source:I was really pumped to try this place after reading the great reviews. I have been on a big Greek kick lately and decided to check this place out.
It was fine. Nothing special. I asked if I could substitute my rice for something else...hummus perhaps? NOPE. I really didn't think that I was asking for much. Oh well...
The gyros were pretty tasty, however I found the chicken kabobs were dry and over seasoned.
I was disappointed in the value. I have had better meals at Renzio's and paid about 1/3 the price of my meal.
Athenian's has the best Greek food I've had in Denver so far! Â
The salad was a little on the vinegary side, but everything else I tried was fantastic. Â The saganaki was superb, souvlaki well-seasoned, and they had an awesome tzatziki sauce that accompanied your dish. Â You also get a complimentary shot of Ouzo at the end of your meal. Â For dessert, we had an interesting cheese-stuffed, filo dough concoction that was totally awesome. Â All the meals were generously portioned. Â I'm not sure how I didn't need a wheelchair to roll myself out of there.
Along with the awesome food here is the awesome service. Â Our server always made sure our water glasses were refilled and that our experience was going well. Â Angie, one of the owners, served us our flaming saganaki and was very energetic and jolly. Â This is definitely the place to go for your Greek food cravings!
I was in town on business and was looking for something different. Â I am glad I found this gem of a place. Â It is family run and you can tell they really care about their business. Â
I tried their house red and it was pretty good. Â I was with a friend and we shared the sampler for two. Â It had a variety of meat, cheese and olives. Â Their pita was good and everything was very authentic.
D-d-dang! $13.50 for a veggie platter that included: sauteed veggies, a piece of pita, spanakotyropitas (flaky, oily, scrumness). Also came with 1/2 a cup of soup which I was not a fan of so the dude ate.
I didn't eat at the restaurant as it was retrieved for me, but the lady I talked to on the tele was very nice. The food was pretty flavorsome but I was expecting more for that price tag.
I would like to pop in and eat in house some time, maybe something cheaper & more satisfying....& some ouzo.
Decent Greek food. We ate there for lunch two weeks ago and overall i can't complain. At first glance it's pretty dumpy outside and the 'porch' area is basically the smoking area. I guess that's great if you smoke, but I don't. The waitress was friendly, and served us decently. Their menu has a bit to much on it in my opinion. If you have a Greek restaurant serve Greek food not a mixture, but I guess unadventurous people need to eat too. The Gyro meat was excellent though and my wife said the chicken was good too.
I would eat there again, but wouldn't go out of my way go there if I was in the mood for Greek.
I had a bad experience there with a waitress and ultimately, the restaurant. Â The whole experience left a very bad taste in my mouth, I won't be back and I'll be telling all my friends about the experience.
I went there today for lunch and had a pasta dish that was dry and when the waitress asked me how it was, I told her that it was dry and she quickly became very rude and said that no one ever complains about the food and just because I don't know about Greek food doesn't give me the right to judge.
Well, this is not my first time eating Greek food and if I am paying $14.95 for a lunch dish, I am not expecting to eat dry pasta. The restaurant is small and I overheard her complaining about me in the kitchen and it really made a terrible and highly uncomfortable experience.
I thought since this was a family business that the owner, who was at the bar, would come over to talk to me and see if I was okay but he ignored me and the waitress grabbed the plates and slammed the bill on the table and made very snide remarks that was so unflatteringly for a restaurant that usually gets 5 stars. It was unexpected and shocking. If I could give a zero, I would but this experience equals a BIG "Eek, Methinks not!"
A staff member and his wife are moving to another state, and for their going-away celebration they indicated a preference for The Athenian. Â I contacted them by phone and requested to use their party room for our event, which would be a come-and-go type of thing over the space of several hours.
The exterior can fool you - it looks very small and even a bit on the shoddy side. Â This would be because they have put more effort into the interior, which is very nice and has an authentic and elegant feel to it.
From the moment I arrived to the moment I departed, the staff treated me like an absolute queen - we had a waitress dedicated to our room, and the owner's wife also assisted in making sure our needs were met. Â They gave me great advice for what to order to get the most out of their menu for people who were either just stopping by or were going to stay for dinner. Â The waitress was prompt, attentive, and entertained our sassy staff with her own New-York attitude. :)
The food? Â It was GREAT, and believe me I got to sample a little of everything. Â The prices are rather high, but in my opinion you get the full treatment in exchange for every dollar you spend.
It's not on my side of town, but the owner's brother runs Undici in my neck of the woods, and with that being Italian... well, let's just say they'll be getting a visit from me in short order.
ETA: Â Even MORE props... I had to call back and try to get an itemized receipt for our dinner party, and by the time I went to pick it up, a waitress who hadn't even been there that night had copied it all out for me! Â My finance department will love her with me!
Another great night at the Athenian!
Mr. Mixer and I threw the mutt in the car, let the cat out and ran to the Athenian on Wednesday because we came home the smell of natural gas in our home. Â While waiting for the technician from Xcel to come out, we decided to go get some munchies.
When the owner heard what was happening, she was so sympathetic. Â When Mr. Mixer had to run before the meal came, she asked me what I wanted to do and quickly boxed things up. Â They asked me to sit at the bar and chat with them while I waited for Mr. Mixer to call me and let me know what was going on, as I was very nervous!
That is the kind of service I expect from a 5 star restaurant. Â That's also why I will go back to the Athenian again and again. Â
Oh, and the food rocks, too!
Everything turned out ok at home that night. Â Whew!
I returned for lunch a second time.
I am still crazy about this place.
New observations:
1) Â Caution - Not everything on the menu is Greek.
2) Â Nice banquet room for parties.
3) Â Tag Line - "Where the Ouzo flows and the food flames."
4) Â Owners - Stathopoulos' - that has got to be a good Greek name!
5) Â I was greeted as if I was an old friend who dropped in daily.
Definitely a place to bookmark.
I'm only giving this place 2 stars instead of 1 star because of the ambiance. You know right when you walk in it is a Greek restaurant due to the beautiful Greek decor. Right before you go into the bathrooms there is this really cool wall fountain that I would love to have in my house.
The food was not good. I think I could do a better job making the sampler platter even though I have never made any Greek food. Tzatziki was the worst I have ever had. It was really thick and had no flavor, I'm not even sure what it was made out of.
The waitress was very snotty. She even tossed our bill on the table.
The items on the menu were so over priced we only ordered the sampler appetizer and no dinner. Glad we did. If the appetizer was that bad I can't imagine how the entrees would taste.
This place was utterly confusing. Â The outside looks like a complete dump, and the inside is littered with delightfully tacky "Greek" paraphenalia. Â It's actually kinda cute and kitschy. Â Would be a great place for an informal party or get-together.
The food itself was pretty good, if slightly overpriced. Â I had the mousaka: great texture, nice sides, flavorful. Â My husband had something that claimed to be on angel hair pasta but was on thick spaghetti.
The desserts, though. Â Oh my god the desserts. Â Pyramids of chocolate or cake or ice cream or cheese cake, or something! Â Not entirely sure what all was in there, but I could have tried every dessert on that menu. Â AMAZING.
Actually the restaurant should get a 2.5...The food was good, from the saganaki (flaming cheese), to gyros, it was consistent. The calamari appetizer was excellent, very lightly fried and the marinara sauce that accompanied it was excellent as well. The tazjiki sauce could have been tarter, I like my yogurt more lemony...In the dessert area, the baklava was excellent and while they were out of their flaky custard dessert pastry, we had been told it was terrific. I would go back.
Better than most of the Pete's restaurants in Denver.
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