Greek cuisine is well-represented in Houston, with some of the city’s best restaurants having been serving locals for decades. With the addition of chef-led newbies and new locations of old trusted gems, there has never been a better time to explore the scene.
Beyond the food and pastries—hello feta cheese pie—restaurants and cafes are pouring wines from Greece’s ample wine regions and slinging Greek beers, giving diners the opportunity to enjoy a well-rounded experience. Whether you’re craving a meat-filled gyro, a traditional horiatiki salad, or a generous portion of pastitsio, here is a list of 15 Greek restaurants that will satisfy the hungriest of appetites. Kali Orexi!
Pappa Gyros
Christos Bastios is the proprietor at this bustling Katy diner, which has been featured on the television show, The Texas Bucket List. The young owner began the business in a gas station before opening a standalone restaurant in 2022. Born into a Greek family and raised in Michigan, his menu offers a dozen different gyros, alongside American classics like Italian beef sandwiches and Chicago hot dogs; Greek plates like moussaka, pastitsio, and chicken souvlaki; plus “Famous Greek Meatballs”. For dessert, there are a tempting array of Greek treats, including bougatsa and the decadent galaktoboureko, a crispy phyllo-based dessert filled with Greek custard and drizzled in scented syrup. 21910 Franz Rd., Houston, pappagyros.com
Niko Niko’s
Niko Niko’s opened its original location in Montrose in 1977, and gyro lovers have had to fight to get a seat ever since. Fortunately, the restaurant has expanded with locations in Memorial and the Woodlands, making it more convenient than ever to score beef and lamb gyros, souvlaki plates, crispy fries, and its famed roast potatoes. Spanakopita is a traditional appetizer, but for those who want to have a taste of everything, the meze platter is a great shareable for two. Pair with coffee, beer, or wine, and linger around over a meal as the Greeks do. Multiple locations, nikonikos.com
Island Grill
This family-owned Mediterranean cafe has five locations across the Greater Houston area. The daily breakfast is popular, and its lunch and dinner menus offer a fantastic take on Greek cuisine. Guests can start with falafel balls and spinach pies, or try the Island Greek salad loaded with vegetables, greens, and feta cheese. The list of pitas includes gyro or beef, which is an Americanized version made with certified Angus beef and Swiss cheese; and seafood pitas made with salmon or shrimp. For something more indulgent, try the Greek pizza topped with gyro meat and feta. Multiple locations, islandgrillhouston.com
Kriti Kitchen
While it’s only been open for a few years, this light and bright counter-service cafe is considered among the best Greek eateries in town. Chef Mary Cuclis fuses the cuisine of her Greek heritage with Indian culinary techniques to create a menu that is inspired by the island of Crete. A variety of mezze boards serve as a great way to start, and feature both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. The traditional Cretan salad is a healthy mix of cucumber, tomato, pepper, feta, herbs, and pine nut vinaigrette, while the Greek patty melt is pure comfort food. Brunch dishes include the Spana omelet and strapatsada with sausage. Pair with a Mythos beer or glass of Greek red wine. 4010 Bissonnet St., Houston, kritikitchen.com
Athena’s Greek & European Kitchen
On the northwest side of Houston, Athena’s has won the hearts of suburbanites looking for great Greek food. Co-owner Maria Stefanakis immigrated from Greece more than 50 years ago, and she is usually on site offering guests a warm Greek welcome. The decor is homey with family photographs lining the wall. In addition to casual eats like gyros and souvlaki, Athena’s has traditional Greek dishes like pastitsio, moussaka, and two different options of lamb shank. Other Greek comforts like chicken avgolemono and Greek bean soup will make you long for home even if you’re not from Greece. 13250 FM 529, Ste. A, Houston, athenasgreekkitchen.com
Anonymous Cafe
Patricia and Tasos Pantazopoulos are the couple behind this European-inspired cafe, hidden on a quiet side street in Upper Kirby. Breakfast offerings are pretty straight-forward, with the ubiquitous feta cheese making an appearance in dishes like spinach quiche and the Villager, two slices of sourdough bread topped with grated beefsteak tomato, shredded feta, and hard-boiled egg. Find rotating daily lunch specials, plus pita wraps and burgers. Save room for croissants, baklava, and homemade pound cake—all prominently showcased in glass cases. The ekmek kataifi is not to be missed. 3701 Kirby Dr., Houston, anonymouseats.com
Ekko’s
This deli is located inside a Galleria-area Valero gas station, and is reminiscent of the casual roadside stops in Greece. Don’t be deterred—Ekko’s menu is perfect for the budget-minded who crave a classic Greek salad or its famous gyro sandwich, which some Houstonians will argue is comparable to Niko Niko’s. The hummus is served with soft pita bread, and vegetarians will appreciate the falafel burger topped with mayonnaise, avocado, lettuce and tomatoes. Get the souvlaki or gyro plate, and plan on having leftovers. 5216 Richmond Ave., Houston
AL Quick Stop
This family-owned business originally opened as a convenience store and restaurant in Montrose in 1991, eventually growing into a second outpost in the Heights just a few years ago. While not exactly a Greek eatery, its largely Mediterranean-inspired menu offers dishes like gyros and falafel sandwiches. Appetizers include marinated feta and grape leaves stuffed with rice and parsley, plus Greek salad, tabouli, and fatoush. For a Texas take on Greek cuisine, try the gyro burrito or quesadilla. AL Quick Stop also has a breakfast menu with gyro-centric items such as the egg and gyro taco. It’s more popular for taking-away than dining in, and the Montrose location still doubles as a convenience store. Multiple locations, alquickstop.com
Harry’s
First established in 1948, this Greek diner was acquired by Johnny Platsas, a Greek immigrant, in the early 1990s. Since then, he and his Ecuadorian wife, Patricia, have completely overhauled the restaurant, including major renovations in 2018. The dining room is almost always packed for breakfast, which is served beginning at 7 a.m., six days a week. The Larissa, named after the original owner’s hometown in Greece, is a hearty breakfast dish of eggs, chopped potatoes, sauteed onions, and tomatoes topped with feta cheese. The baklava French toast is a decadent spin on the breakfast classic, with baklava sandwiched between slices of challah bread, then battered, grilled, and topped with two scoops of house-made yogurt ice cream. 318 Tuam St., Houston, harryshtx.com
The Olive Oil Restaurant
Located in Spring, near the Woodlands, this family-friendly restaurant is also family-owned. It features an extensive menu of Greek dips, dolmades, spanakopita, and more. For those who love to discover new flavors, the bekri meze is a sampler platter with tyropita, keftedes, grilled sausages, hummus, and more. From simple gyros and souvlaki, to hearty fare like moussaka and lamb shank, there is so much variety on the menu. On Fridays and Saturdays, there are often belly dancers providing entertainment and, sometimes, lessons. 373 Sawdust Rd., Spring, theoliveoilrestaurant.com
Echoes Cafe
Part listening room, part restaurant, Echoes is housed in a unique, second-story space where guests can listen to music and enjoy a mix of Greek and Mexican cuisines. Start with a house cocktail like Aphrodite’s martini or Miki’s spritz before settling in to eat. The dinner menu features mezedes such as tzatziki with pita, fried zucchini, and spanakopita; souvlaki plates and gyros with salmon, chicken, and pork; plus pastitsio, which is like the Greek version of lasagna. Echoes also features a small late night menu, plus occasional live music. 900 Richmond Ave, Houston, echoeshtx.com
Yiayia’s Greek Kitchen
The Pappas Restaurants family has an empire of restaurants from Tex-Mex to Cajun seafood. The group opened a Greek concept called YiaYia Mary’s in 2004, but closed both locations during the COVID pandemic. Last summer, Pappas Restaurants opened a new Greek venture that pays homage to the family’s own heritage with an eye to modern Mediterranean cuisine. Guests are encouraged to gather around mezedes, or starters, like dolmades, charred eggplant dip, and saganaki. There are seafood dishes such as Mediterranean sea bass, as well as ribeye souvlaki and lamb chops with roasted beets and skordalia. The baklava cheesecake brings two desserts together in the best way. 2410 Richmond Ave., Houston, yiayiasgreekkitchen.com
Sweet Greek Grill
Also known as Sweet Greek Pastries & More, this family cafe in the Champions area has added Greek savory dishes like gyros, souvlaki, and a mile-high pastitsio to the lineup of Greek pastries and gelato. Since opening, it has expanded its seating in the dining room and added an outdoor patio, giving way for guests to hang around. The menu offers several brunch dishes like a gyro with scrambled eggs and baklava waffles. The tortes are available in individual sizes, as well as whole versions for a special celebration. Some of the traditional desserts include ekmek, kataifi, and rizogalo; a Greek rice pudding. 8320 Louetta Rd. Spring, swtgrk.com
Októ
While homey Greek cafes can satisfy cravings for gyros and souvlaki, this upscale Mediterranean restaurant in the Montrose Collective named for the Greek word for “eight” elevates the cuisines of the Levant, with some Asian and Spanish touches. Chef Yotam Dolev’s menu includes a Greek salad, taken up a notch with pistachio whipped feta. There are mini kebabs with almond chili crisp and snacks like halloumi bites. Lamb chops are served with a cauliflower and sunchoke skordalia, while the pearl couscous with shrimp gets a bit of heat from Calabrian chile. The interior is moody, with a wall of backlit spirits that add to the ambiance. There is also a gorgeous patio with street views of the Collective, for when Houston weather obliges. 888 Westheimer Rd., Houston, oktorestaurant.com
Gyro King
This fast-casual, halal eatery offers a number of different proteins like lamb, chicken, shrimp, falafel, and chapli to top its salads, rice platters, or gyros. There are seven locations in the Greater Houston area and some of them stay open until midnight, or later. Guests can enjoy a healthy dish of tabouli or take advantage of a cheat day by digging into the gyro fries. To wash away the guilt, try one of its fresh-pressed juices. Multiple locations, gyroking.com
