The Olives Bistro

Worst gyro we have ever had. Meat pattie on pita with a lettuce salad on the top. We got the special one with gyro and Greek salad. The thing came with a lettuce salad on top of the meat which was like a Cesar salad with no olives, no cucumber and the tomatoe and onion chopped so fine you could hardly pick it up with the fork. A bit of feta and a blob of taiziki sauce on the top. Not even close to the pictures in here. Very disappointing!

We love this place. The food, service and owners are great! The only thing that would make it even better would be to allow customers to bring their own bottle of wine, but I’m not sure if that’s legal here. Their wine selection is good, but we have our favorites. Anyway, we’ll continue to go and you should try it if you already haven’t.

When I come to visit family, this is the one restaurant that I must visit. The Greek spaghetti is addictive!

I decided to stop in for the first time. It is nicely decorated and clean. Small but for the area that’s expected. I ordered a Gyro and salad plate to go. After $ 15 I thought it would be a decent size for 2 people to share but was way wrong it’s not even big enough for 1 person. The food tastes good but for the money for lunch I would not recommend. I love Greek food but I will go elsewhere.

We enjoyed a lovely Christmas Eve dinner at Olives. Entering to delightful aromas, Nick and Jen were there to greet everyone and it was more like going to a friends house than to a restaurant. Only 12 tables so very quaint. Staff was great and everyone in the room very pleased with all the holiday fare and food. We ordered a jalapeño bacon wrapped filet and it was accompanied with a baked potato and asparagus. Delicious. Looking forward to the next holiday dinner there!

The chefs/​owners of Olives Bistro once managed and/​or ran The Amado Territory Inn restaurant. Then they moved to Duval Mine Road (can’t remember the restaurant name there), when they closed suddenly and resurfaced as The Olive Bistro. I can’t explain why, but am extremely happy they are opened somewhere. Their food is always good
While they had much broader menu choices in their two earlier places, the limited menu at Olives is delicious. They are open for lunch with choices of sandwiches, salads, gyros and frequently have a burger special. Dinner is the lunch menu plus their special if the day. Blackboard stated today’s dinner was a complete Prime Rib Dinner at $ 24.95. Lunch menu items ran between $ 8 and $ 14
And, they have a very nice wine selection along with a full bar.
This intimate Bistro has about a dozen 4 top tables inside and ½ dozen tables outdoors. This is really a great place to eat. Hope I have an opportunity to go again before heading home.

We arrived for dinner a little after 5:00 and there were 2 tables of 2 total in the restaurant. No one was sitting at the outside tables. We were asked if we had reservations and said we did not. We were advised that we should make reservations in that they are very busy for dinner and have such limited seating. They didn’t think they could accommodate us. But then, the cashier (owner?) said she thought we could have a certain table number (I didn’t catch the referenced number). We were then pointed to the table against the east wall which is a long table made into seating for 4 tables of two each. There was a couple seated in one of the middle tables of 2. We went to sit by the window to leave a space in between but we were reprimanded that that table was reserved. She had us move next to the other couple. Our waitress took our drink order and gave us menus. Then the cashier brought us a card and instructed us to make reservations in the future. I must note that the above behavior was not rude but, it was not welcoming. A better, more accommodating approach is recommended.
Our waitress was attentive and pleasant with our order. A couple of women entered and were greeted enthusiastically and sat at the window table next to us. Obviously, they were regulars and their cocktails were served and the waitress insured that they wanted their «usual.» The cashier came over and expressed her pleasure in seeing them.
My side salad was nondescript but the raspberry vinaigrette was lovely and saved it. The waitress was attentive with refills and service. Our food arrived and it was attractive and well presented. My fish was delicious, fresh and straight from the pan. Yummy! My husband’s chicken salad was plentiful but had a very large scoop of tzatziki on top. He wished he would have known to order it on the side…
As we ate, a party of 4 entered and the staff were all over them with hearty welcomes. Although they were up by the bar, we could hear everything. It was most apparent that this group of 4 along with the 2 ladies seated next to us were VIPs. There was a definite class distinction with the rest of us. The party of 4 and the 2 «important» ladies were fawned over by all of the staff. I must note that we (the other 3 two tops) were not ignored but, our service was rudimentary. This would have been fine had it not been so obvious. I found this most pretentious and it certainly did not compliment our otherwise enjoyable meals.
Customer service should have an overall even application. I do understand how important regulars are. However, «unknown» diners will not become regulars when the distinction is this palatable.

Gyros are one my favorite wraps. I’ve rate a lot of them In a lot of different places. And this serves up a gyro as good or better than any I’ve ever had anywhere else. My wife had the Parisienne (turkey and Brie) — also delicious. The lunch service was friendly and quick. The price was great too. This is definitely a place to go back to.

We stopped in here at about 1 today to give them a try for lunch and are very glad we did. What a nice treasure for the community! Clean, comfy, nicely decorated. Jen helped us make a wine selection and we went with her recommendation and it was perfect for our sandwiches, thx Jen! I personally like a bistro with a limited menu; they are focusing on quality not quantity. We’ll be back often.

Food: 4
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Cleanliness: 5
Somebody’s Greek mama got told enough times that she needed to open a place and serve the masses, or at least the lucky Green Valley folks, her Greek/​Mediterranean delights or at least that’s what I think happened.
We veered from the norm, this visit, and made it over to «The Olives», a fairly new, petite establishment that specializes in dishes influenced by the Greek/​Mediterranean faire.
We ordered the Warm Olives and Ciabatta for a starter. What way to warm up the palette! I could have ordered three more of these for dinner, they were so good.
My aunt had the Seared Ahi Tuna Dinner that we all tried and described as melting in your mouth! Sushi quality ahi in the desert, who would’ve thought?!
I had the trout, which was flavorful, but a touch over cooked, hence the four stars for food. The mini Greek Salad, that came prior to the trout, made this little piggy’s heart oink with glee.
If I went back, I would totally get the Greek salad and spanakopita meal that I saw available on the menu. They also have gyros and some of that other traditional American-​Greek that most would expect including pasta smothered in garlic and cheese.
The dining area is tiny, but comfortable because the tables and chairs are spread out. I saw seating outside, but as the summer heat (of 90 – 100 degrees) seeps into the night, I can hardly imagine anyone dining outside. Apparently it is a sweet spot outdoors when all the snowbirds are here… and temperatures are a bit more moderate. We’ll have to see about that!
Sweet staff, immaculate dining area (and restrooms), with some amazing choices for food (warm olives, Greek Salad, Seared Ahi Tuna, & the spanakopita)!
Would I return?!
Absolutely!
~~**Oh and for those of you who drink wine– they have a wonderful wine selection. The Mourvèdre went well with the Tuna (my aunt confirms after I suggested) AND the Malbec paired marvelously with their Pork Chop special.**~~

I just had a wonderful lunch experience at The Olives Bistro. We sat outside under an umbrella and ate a delicious lunch while enjoying the beautiful Arizona spring weather. I ordered the Chicken Mediterranean salad. We didn’t have to wait very long for our order to arrive and I was very impressed by my plate of food. It was a beautiful salad, topped with a delicious Greek yogurt dressing and 2 freshly toasted croutons. The salad had a very generous portion of chicken and was very filling. I will definitely plan to eat here at The Olives Bistro again.

Great small Bistro with limited menu but great food. Good service and a fun place for a casual meal

The Gyro Omega is really good. it’s a good idea to get there early because they do run out of stuff is everything is pretty much a preprepared.

Great food and service. Nice quaint place! Awesome Greek gyro and Greek spaghetti was great! Clamstrips were top notch!

I’ve never dined in so I can’t say much about that aspect. I have placed numerous to go orders. Each and every time I went to retrieve my order I was greeted with a friendly face eager to serve me.
The food, let me tell you about the food, its so delicious! The Greek Salad is my favorite. That dressing they make is the best I have ever eaten. The hummus is a garlic paradise, i found myself licking the container clean. I’ve yet to come across any item on the menu that was not prepare to perfection.

I have visited twice within the past two months and have not been disappointed. This gem in Green Valley is a quaint 10 table wonder. It’s got a small craft Greek menu with the staples you look for in a Greek place plus daily specials. They have an extensive wine menu for such a small place and the staff is VERY knowledgable.
Great atmosphere, very friendly, and great prices. The only reason it isn’t a five star little gem is that they have limited seating and the bathrooms require a key and aren’t in a very accessible place.
Faves: fried clams, Greek spaghetti

A friend and I visited The Olives for lunch with our children. The presence of our children seemed to offend the waiter, which gave me a sour first impression.
We sat outside, and ordered our drinks and a plate of pita and hummus to start. The pita was well seasoned, and delicious, as was the garlic hummus. I ordered the Amado Avocado (meatless) sandwich, which was exceptional. My friend ordered the Mediterranean Turkey, and found it to be quite good as well.
I was pleased that the quality of food prevented the waiter’s attitude from making me regret dining at The Olives. Next time I’ll remember to order ahead and pick up my food to go.

We are repeat customers. Food is Great! I had the Ruben. Potato salad is fantastic even better than ours. ;)
Artichoke bottoms stuffed w pesto and cheese are fantastic.
My wife had the Harvest salad with a substitute dressing and enjoyed it

I want to love this place, but there are a few improvements that need to be made. We’ve been there twice now, and both times the food was very good and it was served quickly. The first time I was very put off by the waiter. His demeanor made me feel like he was doing me a favor by allowing me to eat there. The second time it wasn’t quite as bad as that, but it still did not have a welcoming feel, or even the feel of being pampered by a very high end establishment. For as much as I like the food, that ambiance makes me have to think very hard about returning.
Also, if a place is going to give me a satisfactory fine dining experience, it MUST have brewed iced tea, and preferably sugar in the raw. The tea here is really quite awful, and again takes away from the experience. Given the quality of everything else, and the overall impression they are trying to make, this is a pretty major oversight. Furthermore, it is a pet peeve of mine when my tea reaches empty, especially here in Arizona, and neither of us received even one refill. I also spent a fair amount of time waiting for the check after our food was gone, though I somewhat understand that it’s a small place that doesn’t support a lot of staff, yet would be hard to manage with more than a few tables and only one waiter. I’m not really upset about that, but be prepared to wait if there are more than two our three tables. Still, letting my tea run out is a big no-​no.
All of that being said, I really have enjoyed the quality of the actual food. The flavors have always gone well together, and everything looked and tasted fresh. Some of the prices seem a bit high, but mostly it’s a fair value. Just a few tweaks and this place could become a favorite in the area. I was tempted to give only 3 stars but I am optimistic.

My guess is that Green Valley/​Sahuarita — the land of Mexican food and diner-​style sandwiches — can be a tricky market for a place presuming to call itself a «bistro».
Sure, there’s the grill at Quail Creek (more of a country club experience). Way, way at the end of that spectrum is Lavender. Even with its French-​trained Master Chef, it only squeaks out 3 Unilocal stars. Tough crowd! (Although, looking back at my own 3 star review, there were good reasons.)
I say bravo to The Olives Bistro for trying to be hip in a retirement community.
I did enjoy my lunch at an outside table on a recent gorgeous sunny afternoon. The service was welcoming and attentive. The stylish interior was not empty. And plastic plates and flatware??! Um, no-​o-​o. On a whim, I had a tuna salad sandwich made with black olives, coconut (too subtle to taste) and lemon vinaigrette instead of mayonnaise. It was served on pumpernickel with a dollop of Greek salad on the side. It was fine. Certainly, as the menu suggested, «Not-yer-Mam’s Tuna Sandwich». Next time, I think I’ll go for the Grilled Caprese. Or maybe one of the «‘Lil Tapas» (seriously, ‘Lil?)
Okay, here’s what I think. The Olives Bistro has still not found its mojo. But I did like it and I’ll be back. It feels like a place you might stop in and have a glass of wine and plate of tapas at the bar. The reason I believe it has potential is that it’s owned by by the same family who ran Solaris — which everybody loved, but which mysteriously went belly up.
Could it be you’re trying too hard to fit the Green Valley mold? Don’t! You’re a rare bird in a scorched wasteland of a dining scene. So maybe lose those cutesy names on the menu and OWN your bistro style! (Meanwhile, save a piece of your luscious lemon cake for my next visit.)