TheDeli

I’m not too familiar with Greek food, so eating at TheDeli never really crossed my mind. My coworker decided to try it one day, and after I saw her meal, I HAD to give this place a try the very next day. I’m sad I didn’t discover this place sooner, especially since it is right across the street from my work.
There were few groups of people dining both inside and outside of the establishment. A nice lady took my order, and shortly after, I received my food. I was surprised at how quick they were! I ordered the chicken kabob plate. I also ordered a side of one falafel and one stuffed grape leaves for trial purposes since I’ve never had either before.
Food was delicious and neatly packed. Chicken was tasty. I didn’t care for the stuffed grape leaves, but that must just be a personal preference since others seem to love it. The falafel, however, was tasty as well. I really liked the yogurt sauce that comes with the meals — I think I’m addicted!
My only «complaint» was that my pita hardened quickly. My pita was cut in half. When I ate the first half, it was soft, warm, and pliable. By the time I started eating the second half (like maybe 10 minutes or so later), it was hard. I’m no pita expert, but I’m pretty sure ones I’ve had previously did not harden so quickly.
Overall, the food and service was great! Perfect for when you’re looking for a light lunch. I’ll definitely be back!

Unilocal 100 Review Challenge 2015: ⁷²⁄₁₀₀
My manager is SO awesome, always bringing me food & Starbucks to keep me productive so I thought it was about time I treat her to some (healthy) lunch! After Unilocaling around and find TheDeli, only a few blocks from my building, we decided to make our way there at 11:30am for lunch.
Tip: Come early! This place is small and a long lines begins to form!
I ordered the Grilled Chicken gyro because the kind woman working informed me that the other chicken option (Chicken Kabab) is on the spicy side which is a no-​no for me! My manager ordered a regular gyro with a side order of the Grape Leaf?! We took it to-​go though there are a handful of a tables in this tiny restaurant. About 5 minutes later, our food was ready to go and I couldn’t wait to dig in!
Back at our office, we opened our lunches to find beautifully presented food. My manager shared her Grape Leaf with me (my first time!) and it was delicious! The only downside was that my manager said the bread wasn’t as fresh as it normally is being that our bread was chewy and stale like:(And also the portion size wasn’t very filling for the price! This is definitely a healthy lunch option if you’re downtown that won’t leave you with a post-​lunch knack-​attack!

Simply put– a simply good place for lunch. Having been a long-​time fan of neighboring restaurants, I finally gave this place a try and wasn’t disappointed. They have a small seating area, which is not too pleasant as it’s inside; I recommend taking food to go.
They offer a variety of foods, I wholeheartedly recommend the gyro plate– their hummus, gyro meat, and vegetables are very fresh. The portions were ample for the price. Great value, friendly people, and very quick service!

I had business downtown, so I had a couple of days to enjoy the downtown lunch fare offerings. I don’t often spend much time downtown so I’m very happy that Unilocal led me to this little gem of an eatery, as I almost ended-​up grabbing lunch at the boring «sandwich chain» nearby.
I’ve always enjoyed Gyros but my experiences often included over-​seasoned meat and dried-​out pita. The Gyros here are anything but that! They are perfectly seasoned, with just the right amount of fresh hummus, veggies and tzatziki sauce, and the pita is soft and delicious. I enjoyed the Gyro so much that I decided right away that I would have lunch there the next day! But next time I would try the Falafel.
So there I was, day two, excited to try the Falafel and I ended up ordering a bit more than I had planned… Try another Gyro, a side order of Hummus and pita, AND the falafel! Ok, I couldn’t eat all of it for lunch but I planned on lunch (gyro), afternoon snack (hummus) and dinner (falafel). I enjoyed every bit of it and although I offered to share with my hubby, I was lucky that he wasn’t hungry and I got to enjoy every bit myself!
The falafel was YUMMERS! I reheated it in the oven and it was crispy and flavorful. I even added some of the hummus
I had from snack time.
I got my Greek fix and can’t wait to stumble into The Deli again. If you’re a downtown cat, you’ve gotta stop in and try something. You can even enjoy a quick sit-​down lunch served on a plate.

The vegetarian plate was super weak for $ 8. Two tiny stuffed grape leaves. A spoonful of hummus and a piece of pita bread. A spoonful of tableah salad. Plus a ton of lettucr. Completely sucky.

I work downtown, and this is my go-​to lunch place when I want to spoil myself. I always order the gyro sandwich with feta. It’s served on a toasted whole pita shell, slathered in hummus, layered with romaine lettuce, piled high with gyro meat, topped with tabouli, and garnished with feta. The whole thing comes neatly assembled on a quaint French/​Mediterranean plate. I always eat every last bit of it and return the plate to the counter as if nothing had been on it.
I have never had a bad meal here. The Deli is always spotlessly clean and whimsically decorated. It’s one of the more comfortable places to sit in to eat lunch. The lady who runs the Deli has a unique «pleasant-​efficient» way about her.
Whenever I want to reward myself for getting through a tough project, I promise myself I’ll go to the Deli for lunch.

One of my go to places for lunch: D
I also like going to Good and Healthy Café, however there is a few things I like better here compared to there.
One thing I really like about The Deli, is how fast they are. I never have to wait long after my order for my food. Which is great since I’m on a time limit for lunch. Another thing that makes this place great is the food is fresh and light. Nothing super heavy to give me a major kanak attack when I get back into the office.
The Grub.
[[ GREEK SALAD $ 7.60 ]]
This salad is soooo good: D Definitely one of my favorite things to get.
[[ GYRO PLATE $ 8.60 ]]
The Gyro plate was super tasty. I like the sauce it comes with too.

This has got to be the worst place my friend and I ever eaten at. Was not satisfied and their grape wrapped side dish $ 1 for a skinny grape leaf appetizer? Not to mention both of us was not feeling good after eating there. Def will not be heading back… I wouldn’t even rate it.

Great Greek spot downtown… run by Japanese.
It might seem strange having Japanese making Greek food; but this place is actually pretty good. Right next to It’s Good & Healthy Café, The Deli provides another Mediterranean option in what I refer to as the ‘Alakea alleyway.‘
All of their offerings are great: somewhere below Olive Tree but above Fat Greek. They have Chicken Kebab, Gyro, and Falafel. They all can come as sandwiches, but they also can come as plates. The plates come with pita bread, tabbouleh, and hummus. Their pita bread is quality, and the hummus too.
I usually get the Gyro Plate: great taste and good portions. However, their Falafels are really good; one of the better ones on the island. There is a Vegetarian Plate which is very good for even us carnivores: with Dolmas (stuffed grape leaves), baba ghannoush, kalamata olives, and Falafel. Their Dolmas are delicious too.
Besides being good, this place is pretty fast. They also have daily specials if you want something different. For people with a sweet tooth, they also have Baklava. Usually people I’m with end up getting them. Everyone usually leaves happy: one of my favorites downtown.
This small, tucked-​away place offers a quick and healthy meal.

10.16.13.
FYI «It’s Good and Healthy Café» is closed until 10/25…but The Deli is just across the way & serves yummy Mediterran foods too!
I usually don’t come to this little plaza because of it’s proximity to my work building… I’d much rather take a walk around downtown during my lunch break. But I was in a pinch for time and my coworker wanted to get a spicy ahi bowl form a place in this area. I still had no idea what I wanted to eat at that point and my coworker mentioned The Deli having a pretty good tabbouleh salad… my response, «what the heck is that?!» From my understanding is a mixture of barley/​quinoa, cucumbers, tomatoes, mint, etc. all chopped up – and supposedly it’s pretty refreshing.
Instead of just going with tabbouleh, I opted to go with a «safe» choice of a gyro salad ($ 8.50). A bit expensive… but it was a Friday & work had been non-​stop; not to mention we were eating lunch at 1:00 pm. The lamb was crispy & delish, not to mention that the salad also came with a spoonful of tabbouleh – which I ended up really liking! The salad also came with a pita bread – my fav! – which was the perfect way to finish off my meal :)
I will surely be back again the next time I need to pick up something quick for lunch!
Unilocal 365 Challenge: #288/​365

The Deli, which is LOCATED on Merchant Street, a few doors down from «It’s Good and Healthy» is a nice greek/​medi option in downtown. I didn’t know this place was another greek restaurant until one day, I Unilocaled it while I was waiting in line at «It’s good and Healthy». A few days later I decided to check it out. I was somewhat skeptical at first because this place never seems to have a line. What could it be? Their service? Their quality or quantity of food? Well let me tell you, I was not let down at all by any of my concerns. On my first visit, I decided to try the
MINI GYRO SANDWICH
This is sooo good and my favorite place for it. While I must admit that their pita bread isn’t as good as their competitor a few doors down, it was still really good to my standards. They use just the right amount of hummus, salad, greek yogurt sauce and gyro meat for a nicely balanced gyro. The portion size was very good for a mini. On my second visit I decided to get the
MINI FALAFEL PLATE
I was pleasantly surprised at how much flavor the falafel had. The insides of the falafel were very soft, just the way I like it. The only downside for me was that the entire falafel was soft. I usually like my falafel crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It’s still a well made dish though.
The ENVIRONMENT
is nice. I like the deli counter and there are a few tables if you choose to eat there. This place isn’t that busy so I have always seen open tables.
The SERVICE is also very good. From the moment I walk in to the time I leave, the lady helping me never stops smiling. She is also very helpful. On my most recent visit, I couldn’t decide what to get and she asked me what I tried before. Then she made suggestions. When it was time to pay I open my wallet and find two dollars… oops… and I didn’t see any credit card machine either. I am really bad about not holding enough cash on me. Anyhow, she said «It’s okay, I take credit card» Then she take out her ipad with the credit card attachment. Woohoo. lifesaver.
This place is a solid 4 stars and will be my go to place for greek/​mediterranean

I ordered the vegetarian plate, and for $ 8 was very happy. My salad was crunchy and pita bread soft and fresh. What I couldn’t stop eating was the yogurt that comes with the plate, I poured it on everything and even scraped the inside of the container with my pita bread to get the last of it out. I could see how people may think the portions are small but it’s just right. Any more and you would be stuffed and uncomfortable. After lunch I was no longer hungry AND I was able to work again without feeling tired!

Very good lunch option for the downtown area. TheDeli is right across from Good and Healthy Lebanese and they both offer about the same things!
I got the mini falafel plate for about $ 7, and I was impressed by the quality of the falafel nuggets which were really tender inside and reminded me of eating little fried pillows.

Great gyro sandwich. Soft fresh pita bread.
Now I like Good and Healthy Lebanese across the corridor from The Deli, but the gyro sandwich at The Deli is better.

My spousal unit and I loved this place (like 6 years ago) before the current owners took over. The previous owner (not the good one before that) made awful food! I mean so awful that we have never been back since. Today was our first attempt back and we loved it!
There was no line so me and my wife carefully chose our items on the menu. I chose the vegetarian plate and she chose the vegetarian gyro. Also, I purchased their baklava and their other desert covered in rolled oats (don’t order that one, it’s lame).
Vegetarian plate
Romaine lettuce salad with a lemon wedge — it was very fresh and not withered or brown or bruised or freezer burned — great quality control on their part.
Lentil Salad — it wasn’t mushy but firm and not too soft — cooked just right!
Some kind of cucumber, tomato, parsley mixture — simply but great stuff!
Two stuffed grape leaves — tasted pretty good but nothing spectacular!
Two falafel with yogurt sauce — their falafel was kind of close to a donut ball, however, I was surprise how much I liked it. It wasn’t hard as Andagi, but kind of had the same consistency as a ‘Loves Mini Donut’.
Homemade hummus — good stuff… nuff said.
Pita bread — baked just right!
Vegetarian gyro
Angel hair
Romaine lettuce
Feta cheese
Two slices of baked japanese eggplant
Two slices of tomato
Some lentil
Even though I had better, I would definitely order it again since there is no one who can even come close to anything better in the Downtown area (the good ones have all shutdown).
Desert
Halavah — Good consistency, however, I never was a halavah fan anyway. So this will be the last time I order this. I don’t know what I was expecting? Fireworks? Disney Magic? Go figure!
The other desert is worth mentioning that you do not order it. Don’t know what it is called and don’t care. Anyways it is covered in rolled oats. Save your money on this one!
Also by the time we finished our meal the line was very long. So be sure to get there as early as possible.

The Deli is my ‘go to’ place for a quick, always delicious Mediterranean lunch! Today, I wasn’t that hungry so I asked for 3 falafels and 2 grape leaves (dolmas), together just $ 4.75. The duo of flavors works nicely together and are pleasingly presented in a white container on a bed of chopped romaine with a lemon wedge. The piping hot falafels are blend of chickpeas and spices, formed into round pillows and deep fried to a golden brown. The grape leaves offer a cooling contrast, especially when dipped into the mild cucumber dressing. I’m not sure if the dressing is for the lettuce or for the falafel, but I prefer it on the grape leaves.
The Wednesday special is a basil pesto chicken atop linguine, $ 7. It’s always a winner, and you can order it with their special multi-​grain rice if you prefer. It looks like white rice, but it’s a special type of grain rice.
On Friday, the special is a Milanese chicken, another winner. Local folks, think chicken katsu only the batter has a hint more Italian seasoning. The chicken breast is lightly golden fried and resting on a bed of multi-​grain rice with a romaine salad and the cucumber dressing. Specials are typically $ 7. (I miss the days when it was $ 6!)
Other menu items: Souvlaki, gyro, plate lunches, salads — Greek, chicken, lentil, side orders and a daily special. Great place to go if you’re a vegetarian. Some days the line is out the door, so plan accordingly!

Oh… pa.
This place is amazing. I keep forgetting about all these little corner restaurants in downtown that are just hidden gems, waiting to be found.
Craving for Greek food, I decided to walk down to Merchant St. since I had to drop off film at Longs. I came across The Deli and entered.
Although it’s small, there’s still space to sit down and eat for a quick lunch break. The menu is simple, I forgot what I ordered but it was one of the plate lunches with chicken, hummus, pita bread, salad, lentils, and this interesting mixture of tomatoes, onions, cucumbers and I think parsley? Not sure but damn it was DELICIOUS.
It’s all very fresh, which was really important. In comparison to Leo’s, The Deli really does, I feel, own up to that Mediterranean cuisine, fresh and crisp vegetables, tender, flavorful, juicy chicken.
The pita was hot and fresh, perfect to spread hummus on. The chicken was very satisfying and flavorful (I’m running out of words to describe food!) and the portions were perfect (about $ 8).
What I especially love about this place is that you don’t feel bad for eating afterward, like you don’t have that sick feeling because you feel like you ate healthy.
They do have baklava which I have to try next time I come here.
Can’t wait to travel to eat here again :)
Unilocal 365 Challenge ???\365

I cannot rate 4.5, so here comes 5!
My favorite dish here is Gyro Sandwich $ 7.60 and Baklava $ 1.00.
I remember coming here 12+ years ago. Old name is «Mediterranean Café». I think I saw the owner/​chef of present «It’s good and healthy café» that time. Or somebody just looks like him. Now with new name, restaurant seems a bit brighter somehow.
I like Brian A.‘s name for this place «Japanese Greek Place». Potion, taste and the look has a little Japanese kick to it.
Cash Only
Unilocal 365 — ⁵²⁄₃₆₅

Fresh Greek food! Once again in my search for lunch places, I actually always used to walk past this place, not thinking anything. One day, however, I came here to check it out and I was pleasantly surprised!
The Deli is located inside the same building where Subway, CeeGee’s and Sushi Kahuna is. If you work Downtown, then you know where that is. If not, it’s located in at the intersection of King & Alakea. Walk past the Subway and enter the building right after. The Deli will be on your left hand side. The whole building gets crowded during the lunch hour, especially since the Tardus Building down the street (with Ahi & Vegetable, Bale, etc.) was bought out and all of those eateries are closing.
Going back to the Deli. I’ve been here a couple of times and got the chicken kebab dish each time. I got it once as a sandwich, where everything is combined on a pita bread, and as a plate, where everything comes separately and includes hummus. Both are filling, just depends on how hungry you are.
The food was fresh, light, and left me not overly stuffed. The chicken was perfectly moist, even after taking some bites an hour later (I was eating lunch at my desk).

I think Brian A. named the place right – the «Japanese Greek Food»! not because it has a Japanese flair, but it’s funny to hear the Japanese ladies speak Japanese when discussing «gyro platters» and «hummus» in between spurts of Japanese niceties…
For $ 6.90, I get a mini chicken kebab plate on rice. I think the flavor is great and the rice is really nice too. Love the yogurt sauce, the hummus is a little salty, and the greens, well they’re greens. I’ve changed to stop getting the tabbouleh because I thought it wasn’t my flavor and they were super nice about it (I thought it was too salty and bitter all at the same time). The regular is a little over $ 8 and tax is included in all the prices. Next up will be the gyro plate but I can’t help but order the chicken kebab because it’s tasty. I tried to branch out but last time I went right back…
The baklava on the counter looks good too but last time there was a puddle of oil it was swimming in, so I opted not to ingest all of that.
They have tables and chair inside and you can eat there (on real plates!) or they do takeout as well. They’re pretty quick too!
Oh, and you can tell it’s the Japanese Greek place because the plates are so neatly put together. And sometimes there’s a little wax paper on the hummus so it doesn’t spill or morph into the rest of the food. A big contrast to the other nearby places that just load up the food and have hummus spilling in the yogurt and all of that. I love it either way. Well, I probably love it when it’s spilling only because the portions are bigger, but you also pay for that extra food.
Open 11 – 2 Monday through Friday only.