Not a fan of Greek food. Â But was invited as a guest to meet there before a Hawks game, so I didn't want to be rude. Â Figured I'd hang out, then go to the UC and eat a hot dog. Â
I decided to try the Gyros, again, not to be rude. Â It was AWESOME!!! Â Then decided to try to flaming cheese (saganaki). Â FANTASTIC!!! Â Then tried the meatballs with onions (I think the meatballs were made with lamb). Â DELICIOUS!!! Â I tried a few more, liked most of them too.
The staff was great, extremely attentive which I really appreciate. Â I've already gone back, just a really nice experience!!! Â And they have complimentary valet, which is nice too.
One of the best places in the city for a group that you don't have a reservation for (didn't want to end this sentence in a preposition so I added this parenthesis, take that Strunk & White). Â On more than one occasion I have had a large group of people (10+) over at my house when we were deciding on where to eat and The Parthenon wins a fair amount of the time.
In my review of Greek Islands I mentioned my conflicted stance on reviewing Greek restaurants. They are usually very efficient and I've rarely been disappointed with my food. Â But that same efficiency generally comes with a very impersonal atmosphere, making the restaurant feel more like a factory than place to enjoy food. Â On top of that, I feel that every Greek restaurant's menu could be changed with another's, but the family-style option here is what sets it apart (and why it's so good for groups). Â Parties of 2 or more can order a prix fixe option that comes with like 7 courses (most of which is what you would typically order at a Greek restaurant anyways) and it only costs $20 a person. Â That's a dern good deal and a great option if you're looking to satisfy a group with some members who don't like to spend a lot on a meal.
They also have a house wine, which we eventually discovered is most likely just white wine with some cranberry juice mixed in, but still order it despite it losing its mystique.
We were really disappointed in the food. Â The lemon rice soup was terrible; there was literally no lemon flavor in the soup at all. Â I ordered the traditional lamb and it too was disappointing . Â I'm Greek and I am very familiar with traditional Greek food. Â I would not return to this restaurant.
Review Source:Went here for a business lunch and was extremely disappointed. The gyros was so dry and stale it was like little pieces of wood on a plate. I couldn't cut it with a knife and the fork was useless. Absolutely disgusting. We were in a rush so we just wanted to pay and leave but no waiter to be found. We finally flagged down the water guy to go get our check. Strongly recommend going to one of the many other restaurants in the area.
Review Source:What another great Greek restaurant. The Avgolemeno soup is great, Yet a little salty. But still good. The dolmades are great. The Skordalia is fantastic. The meatballs OK. A bit on the disappointing side. But the greek-style rice is great too. Nice small array of liquor decanters at the bar.
Review Source:I loved the atmosphere and the food but our server wasn't very attentive on Sat. night.
I have never been to Greek Town so the experience was awesome, I absolutely loved it. We were in a rush to get to the Bulls game and had to flag a server down after about 5-7 minutes to find our server but it was getting busy so I didn't file a complaint.
The Parthenon has become a mainstay to our friends and family...
Every January we go out to celebrate my Brother.in.law's birthday.... about 12 of us came out to celebrate amongst the frozen tundra (usually there would be more of us... but the flu took them out) to celebrate "Grecian-style".
On this specific night the place was very busy... after a beverage or two at the bar we made our way to this cozy little back room (it was just our large party and another party, about the same size). Our friend Jimmy took the helm and talked to the waiter that was assigned to our table....
The food and wine then started coming out in waves.... We started of course with their house "the pink kind" wine; this stuff is so smooth it's dangerous! (All night we never had an empty bottle)
Food-wise.... You can never go wrong... The "waves" started with your Saginaki... which was flamed up tableside, with all that came out (about six orders) it could've started a five alarm fire! That was eaten very quickly, since we ALL love it... scraping the leftover molten cheese off of the hot metal plate... spread it on some of their bread... HEAVEN!
More wine...
Gyros and pita came out next... And don't forget the Tzazhiki! They make it all in house. All in house... the meat itself was a little bit drier than I was used to, but that's not a bad thing. They use a blend of meats... and they don't use any preservatives or fillers... and the flavor was so there, spot on!
Even more wine...
Octopus, my favorite came out... Has to be the best octopus in town... perfectly brined and grilled... always the best! This was followed by a traditional Greek salad.
The wine just kept coming....
Now came the Lamb Chops, Greek Chicken, rice... green beans.... and potatoes... this part was more a tidal wave; surfs up?
Don't stop a pouring....
The Lamb Chops, always grilled to perfection... the Greek Chicken, always so juicy... the rice, always love the rice; always so good (I went for 3rds!)... the green beans, a group favorite... and the potatoes, who doesn't like potatoes?
And then came dessert.... all the Greek classics were offered.... and coffee too...
We ended our evening back in the bar, and end all be all closed the place down. Is that a bad thing?!
So for a group or for a table of two, The Parthenon has a lot of great options out there for everyone. Check it out and give it a try!
I am afraid I have to demote this place to two stars. Â I ordered their gyros there recently and it was much dryer than I remembered. Â My husband and I also shared their shrimp and scallops dish and the scallops were very oily and limp. Â My girlfriend also got food poisoning from undercooked pork. Â The extra star is because service is still friendly, as always.
Unfortunately, good service is not enough for me to return again. Â My Greek cravings will now be satisfied at Greek Islands or Pegasus.
We had a LARGE group for lunch, and it was great! They gave us a private section, and the service was fantastic for a group that size. We didn't have to wait long for our appetizers or our entrees! And the portions....enormous!
We had a cheese appetizer which they flambed on the spot, and it was really gooey and delicious. I ordered the gyro, and it was pretty much a plateful of meat, but they were the kinda crispy texture I like. The only negative is that you have to specifically ask for the pita bread, which I thought was weird. Everyone at the table seemed to enjoy their food, and there were plenty of leftovers for the next day! I highly recommend it for the price and portion and especially if you're in greektown.
Just finished dinner and there's nothing to mull over... Hands down, the worst dining experience in Chicago.
Our food was lukewarm at best, and my entree was cold. It was tasty, but it was obvious that my pasta was pre-made, sliced into a brick and served without a visit to an oven to warm up. I never saw the waiter check up on us.
But what's terrible is that when the waiter asked us if we wanted boxes, I asked him if the dish was meant to be served cold. He told me that no, it wasn't. He brought back our check and tried to play it on me, like it was my fault or that I was trying to scam him out of a cold $14 pasta dish. "You should've said something."
Apparently he did check in with one member of our party on the end, but he NEVER checked with me. And he should have because I needed another drink as well! We all had empty glasses. What decent restaurant lets that happen?
Shoddy service and the server (short, pudgy, shaved head) should be moved to the bar/carry out orders only. If he sincerely apologized for my food being cold without the attitude, I might have given this restaurant another chance. Now? I'm telling everyone to avoid the place. The food's cold and the service is unprofessional. Never!
I've been a couple times and have made this my go-to Greek in Chicago. The saganaki always comes out correctly, and lamb and rice never disappoints.
Service can be spotty at times depending on your server. If I could individually rate the food and service the food would get a 4 and service would get a 3.
Hosted a work xmas party here the other day. The food was fantastic (we had a buffet), but the service was quite lacking. When the waiter did come around, he had to replace everyone's drink because he had been gone so long. This occurred the entire 3 hours we were there. And it's not like it was crowded or anything. Would help if their alcohol didn't come in tiny little glasses. Maybe my coworkers and I are just alcoholics though. :)
Review Source:For some reason I make it out to more Chicago restaurants for business meetings than I do for actually going out to a restaurant on my own. Â Well anyway, me and my closest 70-80 business friends met at the Parthenon recently and had a blast. Â This is a great choice for sampling Greek food and even better, Greek beer!
Full bar, excellent table service, and we really enjoyed the food. Â Our group had a choice of chicken, lamb, vegetarian, or combo plate. Â I could not finish the roasted chicken because of the portion size, but the other plates did look nice and received a lot of compliments. Â Inside was spacious, and we were directed to the right once you enter the front door, for a large room that had its own bar and buffet line. Â I would definitely recommend coming here for a great meal even if you are not with a large group.
Easy access with CTA bus #8 off South Halsted Street. Â Might have to make reservations because this place always seems packed. Â How do you say "bon appetit" in Greek?
I've eaten at The Parthenon a few times and it's always been a pleasant experience.
Last night my family and I ate there to celebrate my 10 year-old cousin receiving a role in the Joffrey ballet version of the Nutcracker. We didn't have a reservation but because someone in our party is friends with the owner we were able to get seating for nearly 30 people.
The restaurant was PACKED but we were ushered to our seats immediately. Â There were 2 waiters assigned our group; one was fantastic but the other one was a GRUMPY GUS! This particular waiter was slow, impatient and inattentive. He was the only sore spot in an otherwise fantastic evening. For instance, the other waiter gladly agreed to separate the checks for any guests that requested it but not Mr. Grumpy Bear...
Most of the people in my party ordered the traditional family style dinner but I ordered the Athenian broiled chicken with the vegetables and an extra side of roasted potatoes. It was delicious!! Everything was cooked to perfection and everyone who'd ordered the traditional meals all said they'd regretted not getting what I had ordered!!
I don't get to The Parthenon often but when I do it's a definite treat.
Came here for lunch with two friends last Saturday, and we had a nice time, but sadly going to take things down a star.
I had some coffee and ordered some appetizers to make a meal. Â I got the Greek salad, chickpea soup, and taramosalata (pink fish roe dip). Â The dip was good like last time, though not as strongly flavored as I recall, but I went to town on that stuff with the sesame seed bread from the basket on the table. Â The chickpea soup was just silly. Â It was literally broth and chickpeas. Â Not a thing else. Â Homemade broth, I think, but still. Â There were just like, 50 chickpeas sitting in it. Â What? Â I expected other veggies, a partial puree, ANYTHING but chickpeas floating in broth. Â If i want that for lunch, I will pour some broth into a bowl and open a can of chickpeas into it. Â I'm not saying it tasted bad, but it was totally ridiculous. Â Greek salad was okay - too much lettuce, not enough other goodies, but the olives and big hunk of salty gorgeous feta definitely elevated it.
Bummer is that my friend who came a little late ordered a chicken salad - we all heard her - and they brought an Aegean salad out instead. Â Easy mistake, she corrected him, he took it away. Â And he didn't bring back the chicken salad for AGES. Â The Greek empire could've risen and fallen in the time it took him to bring the right salad. Â I seriously hate this at restaurants - if there's a problem with the food, take it away and bring back a replacement ASAP. Â No excuses, especially when you're not busy! Â That needs to take priority over whatever else the kitchen is doing. Â By the time they brought it out, she had to wolf it down so we could make our 3 pm appointment in the neighborhood. Â She ordered the salad around 2 pm. Â The whole thing took that long. Â Silly.
I had nibbles of the spanakopitakia and it was rich and creamy inside, and my friend really liked her chicken salad. Â
I think I need to order food-food here next time, not appetizers, to judge more thoroughly. Â That soup was seriously just goofy. Â I think the food here is generally good, but the service could stand to be improved for sure!
Met a few friends for dinner here on a Wednesday night. Â We had a <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2FRestaurant.com&s=0aab4cbd731f3d3b0d1453050d3abc56a8c80bd214e25469c7555b750dca8a51" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://Restaurant.com</a> certificate which gave you $75 off of $112.50. Â Great deal!!! Â There were 5 of us, so we knew we'd spend the money - and you can use it on drinks.
I sat at the bar while I waited for my friends to show up. Â A bit uncomfortable as the people around me all were speaking Greek and there was one crazy-guy at the bar getting very loud. Â But then he bought me a drink, so all was cool :) Â The house red wine was awful.
We ordered the saganaki, meatballs, and spinach cheese pies for appetizers - and they were all very good. Â I had the combo plate for dinner and none of it was very good, so I would not recommend. Â Two friends go the braised lamb - one had a good cut of the lamb, and the other was completely not good. Â Strange. Â The other friends ordered this shrimp/scallop dish that looked amazing. Â I would try that next time for sure.
Had a few of the oouzo mixed drinks where were strong. Â Didn't have dessert.
I will say that service was GREAT. Â Our waiter was fantastic. Â The place was empty and we were there from 5pm - 8pm. Â Â It's a good place to go with a group, but I don't think the food is all that great. Â Too many other places to eat at in Greektown.
This place has tasty food! Â I liked what my friend and I ordered. My complaint is that the service is quite below average. We were ignored for such a long time for this and that. It took so long to get our check that we were wondering if we left, how long would it take for them to notice.
But the food is pretty good.
DEEEE LISH US... I had the combo platter with  Lamb, Dolma, Moosecaca, Noodles ... It was so good .... That with the little metal carafe of red wine and then followed by Greek coffee. We need to go to Greek Town more often and hit each place. China Town... Greek Town ... Devon for Indian  -- all competing with each other to give you the best deal... I love our city!
Review Source:I wasn't expecting much, as my boss recommended this restaurant. Mind you he ate here back in grad school, which is more than a few years ago. But being from San Francisco and coming here to meet even more of my girlfriends family, we went along with the suggestion.
Celiacs rejoice, there is a gluten free menu! And there are options. Many many options!
I started with the broiled octopus and wasn't sure what I was getting into. But I saw others here loved it and thought what the hay. It was amazing. I was going to share with the table but decided not to after all!
I was a bid disappointed that the flaming cheese wasn't gluten free, but after such a good dinner, I let that go!
I ended up having the Greek style chicken and potatoes and it was a great choice. I think I had a whole chicken. And the potatoes were the stand out dish. Forget what everyone says about being oily - the oil is added flavor. My mouth is watering right now thinking about them.
Gluten free done right!
They served you a lot of food!!
We ordered some wine, greek salad, and a whole bunch of things. The menu IS SO HUGE THAT YOU WON'T KNOW WHAT TO ORDER.
The pita bread tasted like pita bread done right, the red beets were average, and the gyros were just dandy.
My cousin brought them gyros home, but then she said that they smelled like poop, so only eat the food in the restaurant! Otherwise, your food will smell bad.
I really enjoyed the food at Parthenon. I came here while studying at UIC 10 years ago and wasn't that impressed. This time I was pleasantly surprised. I had the stuffed chicken (stuffed with spinach and feta) and it was delicious. The manager came by and saw that the piece of chicken was rather small, so he brought me a second one, with a second serving of potatoes. I told him I couldn't possibly eat any more, so he suggested I take it home! That is great customer service if you ask me.
The only issue I had with my experience at Parthenon was the noisy table we were seated by. Six women drinking and shouting about very inappropriate subjects. I realize the restaurant can't do much about that, but seeing that I was on a date, they could have sat us in a more secluded spot. The place was practically empty and they sat us right next to these horrible women.
Went here with three others, so I was able to try 4 main course dishes. Â They were all pretty average. Â It mystifies me that it is so busy. Perhaps they have a loyal following? Â It is a family type establishment-- nothing wrong with that, but be prepared for lots of kids running loose, cheap and boring dishes lacking subtle flavor, with an emphasis on portion rather than taste. Â Like a greek Denny's (or other family style chain).
This place was awful on so many levels- obvious that they are cheaping out on quality. Â They are making shortcuts on ingredients and wine quality and it shows.
The waiter was very nice, but not helpful, and incredibly inattentive. Â When I asked about the different wines he always said "it's nice ". Well, he was wrong. Â The two reds we tried were of poor quality. Â we had to send the first one back because it had changed into vinegar. i am not a wine snob and for me to send back anything it would have to be completely unacceptable.
We started with the lemon rice soup. Â Ugh. Â I am certain that the broth was from a can. Â It tasted like Campbell's chicken soup with rice. Â You would think the management would notice that no one finished it..
I had the spinach pie. Â I asked the waiter for spanikopita and that's what he suggested. Â I was soooooo disappointed. Â It was almost indelible it was so salty. Â Yes, I know, feta can be salty. Â However, they should have balanced the feta with the spinach in proper proportion. Â The phyllo was good but only on the top layer. Â I guess this is easier to make than real spanikopita. Â Too bad they don't make it!
The roast chicken was way too dry. But if u like dry chicken order it because the portion is huge.
The roast lamb was tough and way over cooked. Â I don't recommend it.
One in the party ordered steak. Personally, I think it is kinda silly to order steak in a Greek restaurant, but anyhow... it was a meager cut, thin, over-priced and unseasoned. Â
Although we told the waiter at the start that we need two checks and he thanked us for telling him in advance, he forgot at the end and we had to wait a long time for him to fix this problem. Â When he finally did bring up the final checks he hadn't bothered to actually seperate the items , so we had no idea who was paying for what.
Our table was next to the dish station in the back. Â The bus boys smashed and crashed so many dishes it was impossible to talk. Â I even heard a few breaking. Â It is my feeling that these guys must hate jobs and are trying to get fired.!
The hostess came by and asked if we were enjoying our meal, then didn't really wait for an answer.
We skipped dessert.
The womens bathroom was a mess. Â Yuck. Â
Over all, I would go to this other Greek place nearby. Â I also reviewed them. Â The competitor is by far a better restaurant.
Went to the Parthenon when I was in town helping my boyfriend move to Chicago, and I'm definitely a fan. The decor is a little dated, if not charmingly cliche, but it adds to the overall atmosphere. It's great that their menu features a lot of gluten free items (without making major substitutions) so my boyfriend (who has Celiac) was able to enjoy an authentic Greek meal that reminded him of his mom's home cooking.
I ordered spanakopita for myself (not being gf) and I was in heaven when the waiter brought them over. They were piping hot fresh from the kitchen, with crispy phyllo dough and that wonderful creamy spinach and cheese center. The appetizer could have been a meal for me, but I stopped myself from eating everything so I could enjoy my entree. My bf ordered dolmades and I can't even remember if I managed to snag one off the plate before he ate them all - they were apparently THAT good.
Broiled octopus & rice pilaf for my boyfriend - already tipsy from ouzo, he enjoyed the perfect texture of the octopus & pilaf. I had the Greek style chicken & potatoes - simple but delicious, with just the right amount of seasoning. The potatoes were a little overdone/oily, but nothing a little bread couldn't fix.
I would definitely come back the next time I'm in Chicago.
I love Greektown, I enjoy going to the restaurant itself - but this is about catering.
Although their food was good, delivery went well, and they tried to work with me to fix the issues - I was very disappointed in the serving sizes for the cost of the catering order. When you go to the restaurant you always receive an ample portion, catering was a different story. I would go to the restaurant again, but won't do catering.
I have been to most of the restaurants in Greektown, and this one is my favorite. I order the same dish everytime I frequent a restaurant in Greektown, and the Parthenon is hands-down the best of them.
I always order a Coca-Cola, a saganaki appetizer with fresh bread, broiled octopus, greek potatoes, and a side dish of tzadziki. Each of these items significantly varies from restaurant to restaurant.
COCA-COLA - If cola isn't important to you, skip to the saganaki. It's important to me, so when some restaurants give you a can of Coca-Cola (a big negative), its disappointing. Others use a variated ratio of syrup to water in their fountain or the restuarants put too much ice, while others may not even give you a glass. The Parthenon has the best tasting fountain Coca-Cola topped with the right amount of ice. The major downfall is that the cheapskates don't offer free-refills. However, this is easily overlooked once you taste their food!
SAGANAKI w/BREAD
The Saganaki here is hands-down the best in Greektown. Between its texture, serving size, seasoning, and delivery, nothing else can stack up to it. A solid serving size, and good dose of burboun & lemon offer a quick marinate of the cheese before it is set on fire in a spectacular display. OOPA! Â At the other places, the serving size is small, the cheese a cheap alternative, often times overcooked and even burnt, lacks in seasoning, and is not even set on fire! Lastly, when visiting other restaurants I anticipated variation amongst these items, but never expected that the bread would play such an important role. Parthenon uses sesame seed Torano bread, and it compliments the saganaki perfectly. It is never too dry, always hot and fresh, and does not fall apart while you eat it, such as the case with several other establishments.
BROILED OCTOPUS***
This is the most important part of this review. The Parthenon has the BEST broiled octopus. EVERY other restaurant delivers it with an overcooked, char-broiled, blackened exterior and a REALLY chewy, fishy, pink-ish inside. They cut their slices into little "chips" as if they were cutting a carrot. The Parthenon broils the octopus to a nice pinkish-reddish exterior, and a solid-white interior with the texture of a fine steak. The pieces are cut into roughly 1 inch cylinder pieces, and have a texture similar to a medium well steak. The pieces are seasoned in oil, lemon, and herbs, make for a unique taste that can only be described as excellent. This is the perfect dish for anyone who does quite care for seafood, but wants to try something new. You will love this dish.
GREEK POTATOES
They are average here; somewhat over-oiled, but the seasoning is good and the portion size is more than enough. They compliment most dishes well.
TZATZIKI
THE BEST! I tried to uncover their secret reecipe for this seemingly simple dish, but they wouldn't give it up. I personally like to dip everything in it, from the bread, to the octopus, to the potatoes. Not too yogurty, not too chunky, not too sour. Other places tend to lack certain ingredients, such as the cucumber of vinegar, but the Parthenon got this one right all the way around. Just perfect. One notable downfall, the price; though I still think its worth it considering one order is enough to share between 2-3 people.
GYROS
This is the real deal. 100% fresh cut lamb meat. None of that fast food knockoff stuff. This is cooked fresh to order and is very tender. No beef injected into it, and it comes with to soft, freshly toasted pitas and onion slices. I recommend splitting all of the aforementioned food amongst two or three people.
OVERALL
+Great food, decent prices, excellent service, relaxing atmosphere, free valet parking, open late.
-Small, limited beer choices, older building, can be hard to find.
I was here a while back with two of my now deceased aunts, and BOY was the food great. Being as naive as I was about Grecian food at the time, I ordered chicken. I mean, how can you go wrong with chicken?
Service was quick. Dropped a napkin? Replaced before you can even think to ask. Drinks refilled automatically. Good background music.
The food was off the chain. I will be back.
So there were other restaurants more packed on Halsted in the Greek Town area, but my brother wanted to go to this one after hearing about it from a friend we all trust as a foodie and chef.
Huge dining area, and there was food under my table from previous diners, which made me want to move. Â I hate when things aren't perfectly clean when I am dining.
The food though was stellar. Â I ordered the braised octopus, my brother had some Greek sampler thing and my Mom got spinach and cheese stuffed chicken. Â EVERYTHING was delicious! Â I ate my Mom's leftovers for lunch the next day cold and it still was packed with flavor. Â My octopus made it out the door in my belly...I did not have any leftovers...nor did my brother.
If the floor under my table had been clean, I would have rated this place higher.
Grade: B -Worth checking out.
Street parking I think.
I think this is the first time I went to an actual Greek restaurant for food. I usually go to artopolis bakery and cafe that is closer to Jackson.
Right at the door is the host who will seat you. They are dressed distinctly. What captured me was the roasting lamb at the window. (not to mention the huge craving for meat). I came in with my friend and we had some awesome lamb spaghetti and the hot appetizer. Â Sorry, I forgot the names. The appetizer platter for one has one of each sample and kebabs. I was pretty amazed how the meat were so tender. The same goes for the lamb. It was juicy and had the taste I was craving for.
The place had soft music that fits the mood. Lighting was not bad either. It was in between romantic and well lit. The decor got me amazed as well. I thought I was sitting outdoors for a minute. They had what I would call "clothkins" that were neatly folded on the plate.
One thing was the servers weren't as attentive. We told them we were in a hurry, and it seemingly took quite some time for us to depart. I still had a good experience here. The serve tried to recommend some food for us as well. They were really helpful.
I guess the price is reasonable, but I wish they were negotiable. The lamb leg spaghetti price threw me off... Not a bad place overall.
My Big Fat Greek Conference Banquet was held at the Parthenon.
Plusses: fine Greektown ambiance and huge quantities of food.
Negatives: the dishes were really kinda mediocre (reminiscent of a college dining hall, let's say) and the banquet seemed to last forever. Â After over two hours sitting at the table, I excused myself on the grounds that I needed my beauty sleep. Â For all I know, the banquet is still going on.
If you have a Travelzoo, do yourself a favor and throw it right in the shredder, just consider the $35 a sunk cost. It is not a deal at all. We prob saved like $10 overall and were unimpressed about nearly everything. My fiancé wanted to surprise me with it and take me to an "authentic" Greek restaurant; I almost broke up with her for choosing this place; just kidding.
We thought we had a choice for the appetizer, soup, and salad but our waiter brought us some fried cheese appetizer, which was awful, some thrown together salad, OK at best, and lemon-egg soup which was nearly inedible. Following these courses we had the octopus and lambs leg for dinner. Wow, were these terrible. The octopus was swimming in oil so I had to douse in lemon to offset the oil taste. The lamb was very overcooked and was covered in some brown sauce, which seemed to be the kind that came from a can at Dominicks - needless to say, this was not appetizing at all. For dessert we had ice cream and chocolate cake, this was the best part of the meal and would recommend to only come here for this if your tried the restaurant. One other plus for the restaurant was the Greek wine, elios; would recommend this and lots of it to make the food taste better.
Also, the waiters seemed to treat us differently compared to other tables. They only came by after the meal was nearly done but were very attentive once they dropped the check and waited to get a tip. The plates we had seemed to be presented very different from other tables - ours seemed to have been sloppily thrown together and were half the size of other plates being carried around the restaurant. Not sure who rated this place above two stars, which would beg me to ask, have you even been to another establishment outside of McDonalds or Subway? Do yourself a favor and go to one of the gyro places a few storefronts north, they are 100x better.
Had an amazing Travelzoo deal and went as a party of 6. We had an amazing time, the waiters were so patient and helpful. The saganaki was delicious and well prepared. I love feeling the heat of the flame when they light it!
The food was very good for the most part, the chicken lemon soup was great, the feta in the greek salad was full of flavor. Â I thought the suckling pig, while tender and juicy, was lacking in flavor and seasoning.
All in all, another great experience and we can't wait to go back!
P.S. They have free valet parking so no need to scour the streets for a spot!
I could go on and on about why I love The Parthenon, but I'll try to be concise.
Salvador is the most charming, attentive server around. My husband has been coming to The Parthenon for years and on our most recent trip to Chicago refused to go on Salvador's night off. If you can, ask to be seated in his section.
Saganaki (the flaming cheese) is a fun appetizer to get, it is definitely a memorable presentation! "Opa!" and a squeeze of lemon to put out the flames and you have a delicious plate of goodness to eat. The taramasalata is soooo good and worth trying if you haven't before.
On our most recent visit, I had the lamb and artichoke hearts in avgolemono sauce and was blown away. Flavorful, tender, absolutely delicious! It'll be tough to try something different the next time I'm there. Mr. H had the roasted loin of lamb and we shared the braised okra. Everything was just perfect.
Order a few bottles of ice cold Roditis to wash it all down and you have a darn good night. I want to go back now!
Soooo much to eat & delicious - let me tell you.
Our meal. The yummy Saganaki - can you say "Ooooppah". Â Also had delicious mini spinach cheese pies
Entrees Kotopita (Greek chicken pot pie)
And Scallops Saganaki a LaSoto. Huge scallops with a tomatoe based sauce and rice.
Our server was Elias - very friendly.
As I stated in my Mr. Greek Gyro review, I am Greek. Very much so! So when I stayed in Greektown during my first visit to Chicago, I stayed in the Parthenon Hostel which also has a restaurant right next to it! When I checked in I discussed with the person who was working there about a good Greek restaurant to eat at for dinner and she told me that the Parthenon next door is good AND I get a discount for staying at the Hostel! This was perfect for a 21 year old with a budget! So, I went and had the best food experience that I had in Chicago.
I've been to Greek restaurants, I've eaten Greek food. We have a nice Mediterranean restaurant here in Upstate NY called Aladdin's, but this place is what I have been looking for. When you first walk in the decor, the people, everything says traditional Greek and as I walked in I got excited because I knew that I was in for a good experience.
We sat down and checked out the menu and I was excited to read all of these delicious foods that my YiaYia and her friends would make homemade on different occasions. Spanakopita, Gyro, Saganaki, Moussaka - so many choices. My fiancee ordered the Spanakopita and I ordered the Moussaka for our entrees and we ordered Saganaki for an appetizer. If you didn't know Saganaki is a traditional cheese dish that when the waiter brings it out for you they actually start it on fire, yelling 'Opa'! According to Wikipedia, this actually started here at this restaurant. I don't know if that's true or not, but it's pretty cool nonetheless.
The entrees were delicious. The Moussaka was perfect and just like my YiaYia and her friends make! The Béchamel sauce was delicious, as was the meat and eggplant. I am unsure about whether the meat was traditional lamb or beef, but it didn't matter to me because I actually have never (knowingly) ate it with lamb and it was delicious anyway! I have yet to find a Spanakopita that I can successfully compare to my YiaYia's, but this is as close as it comes! My YiaYia's is less spinach and more cheese, when most Spanakopita that I find is the opposite.
In conclusion, this is definitely my favorite place that I have eaten at in Chicago thus far and I'd be interested in finding more Greek restaurants that I can compare to this!
Opa!
We came with a coupon for meal for two. We ordered
braised octopus - good but greasy
saganaki - good, melting cheese!
special combination - good, a selection of entrees
scallops - ok, very greasy
crema caramel - great, not too sweet and very soft
baklava - ok
galaktobeureka - ok
I thought the food was ok, but tend to be on the fatty & greasy side.
My fiance insisted we go to The Parthenon one evening as she had been eating their all her life. I thought to myself, like an idiot, (like I'm sure many of you do when walking/driving down Halsted/Greek Town) that the other more "posh" looking places had to have better food, service, etc. But man was I wrong!
We pulled up. Got free valet parking. Walked in to friendly smiles. Sat down. The old waiter (who had been my fiance's server millions of times previously) was reminiscing that he knew her when she was just a little baby. He remembered exactly what she wanted to order (without asking) - Roditis and a Cold Combo Appetizer. Holy moly was it delicious! I couldn't stop eating the delicious foods in the appetizer (cold octopus, bean salad, taramosalata = the best, melitzanosalata, dolmade, and a cheese puff).
Then came the meal, Tigania (slow cooked pork medallions in a wine-tomato sauce). After the appetizer and bread I was nearing belt-busting but it was too delicious to not finish! On subsequent visits I've managed to save some to take home in a doggie-bag and, man oh man, is it delicious the next day!
Also, according to wikipedia (with references) The Parthenon invented saganaki - which, of course, their's is delicious.
All in all, go to the Parthenon for great food, great service, great value, and an overall amazing experience. Keep going and the dedicated staff (which seems like they've all been their forever) will get to know you.
I have been coming to the Parthenon for about 30 years - literally since I was born. I am a HUGE Greek food fanatic, and can honestly say that no other restaurant in Greek town compares. The food here is consistently awesome and the owners are friendly and wonderful.
But now onto the most important part - THE FOOD! I think with any restaurant there are standout dishes. I can't say I've ever had a bad meal here, but there are certainly dishes that I always order, and are the best Greek meals I've ever had in chicago. Here are my ultimate go tos - the all time favorites!
1) Cold Combination Appetizer plate: I ALWAYS order this. This cold combination plate is the best I've had anywhere PERIOD. Included in this plate is marinated cold octopus (frickin delicious!), bean salad with dill and olives, taramosalata (fish roe spread), melitzanosalata (eggplant-garlic spread), a dolmade and a cheese puff. This cold plate alone, for one, is enough with bread to be a meal. If there are two of you, only order the cold combo plate for one - it is PLENTY of food. If you have four guests, order it for two.
Another excellent appetizer is the broiled octopus - the most tender octopus I've ever had. Order it, you won't be sorry!
2) Tigania: at the Parthenon, their Tigania is slow cooked pork medallions in a wine-tomato based sauce. AH-MAZING. Not only is it my favorite dish at the Parthenon, but it's my favorite Greek dish period. The pork is soft and melts in your mouth, the sauce is soooooo flavorful, and the rice absorbs all the goodness. It's an easy dish to overlook. Don't overlook it! Order order order!!!
3) Â I am not a pork chop fan. Typically I don't like them at all. BUT, the pork chops at the Parthenon are the JUICIEST pork chops I've ever had in my life. GET THEM.
4) Best Moussaka I've had.
5) Whole fish of the day prepared Greek-style. GET IT. My dad's favorite, along with the lamb chops.
6) Lamp chops - GET THEM. Huge, and like butter.
7) Lamb with artichokes is delicious.
8) My favorite avgolemono (egg-lemon soup).
9) For vegetarians, their veggie combination entree is delicious and huge.
10) The rotisserie roasted greek chicken is AMAZING. SOOOO juicy and delicious. When you bite into it you will be shocked. Another easy dish to overlook on the menu and assume is boring. DON'T overlook it!!! SOOOO good!!!!!!!!
11) All the entrees come with a side - I highly recommend going with the braised eggplant, braised okra, or the spinach rice (served on weekends). Typically they just give you rice or potatoes as a side. Ask specifically for one of the above dishes.
There are waiters that have been working here for thirty years. It's an institution. Get a bottle of house Roditis wine, put some lemons in it the Greek way, sit with your cold combo plate, and enjoy! The other places in Greektown just don't compare. Don't follow the sheeple and tourists and go to other places like the Greek Islands. Over the years I have tried other places and always felt disappointed and underwhelmed. The Parthenon is a Chicago classic and probably my favorite place in Chi-town! I have never made a reservation here in my life, so I wouldn't worry about trying...I didn't even know they took them, except for large parties! The wait is usually very very quick, so no worries about this issue. Oh - and free Valet parking, of course :)
Oh, and just FYI, the Parthenon invented the deeeeeelicious flaming saganaki!!!! Â 'Nough said.
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