Niko Niko’s Greek & American Cafe

Finally. I have finally arrived here. Being born and raised in Houston I felt almost obligated to come here. I’m glad I did.
I didn’t really know what to expect. My friend and I have been grocery shopping at the Central Market when I realized I reaallly didn’t feel like cooking anything that I bought that night. Isn’t that how it usually goes? Anyways maybe it was the time I got here but the place was packed. I’m glad there were people leaving as I was entering. There was a line out the door, and it was cold, but I like that there are menus to grab and see what you want which helped you by the time you get to the counter. You order your food at the counter with a buzzer and you go pick your seats and wait for the buzz to go off. It was so packed. But it was also Saturday evening. They have heating elements all around the outside so it was a big deal, but in the end we took our food to go.
I ordered the calamari and gyro sandwich with fries and my friend ordered an oyster poboy sandwich. Her sandwich looked huge. My gyro was huge. Portion sizes were really big. This was a really good gyro, I’m glad I ordered it. I wish I tried the oven fries, but the regular fries I got were good. Next time I’ll try them with feta, I hear that’s a game changer. My calamari, unfortunately was mediocre. Not bad, but I wouldn’t order it again. The desserts they had on display looked very intriguing, but I did not end up ordering any.
Overall I would say this place makes great gyros and they have a lot of good things going for them. It can get a little hectic especially with the line as it blocks the soda fountain (where you serve yourself) as well as all the silverware and condiments. That got annoying to have to go through the line each and every time. But it moves pretty fast. They’re pretty efficient in that respect, and the people at the counter were helpful. The downside I would say is they’re pricey. $ 15 for a sandwich and fries is kinda high, without a drink. But the portion size almost makes up or it.

Best Greek food in Houston. A little pricey for it being counter service, but it’s quality you’re paying for. There’s a large variety of desserts to try, including Greek and non-​Greek types. The salads are fresh and crisp. Their lemon-​y potatoes are remarkable! The gyro meat is consistently tasty, and the fries are super greasy good! Hate having to pay extra for tzatziki sauce though, but it’s not much — just the principle bothers me since I’m already shelling out $ in the teens for a plate. The layout is a bit narrow and creates a constant traffic jam in the middle during busy hours. Anyway, good amount of parking for being in Montrose.

Visiting Houston for a few days and was told I had to try this place. I tasted and saw and I raved about it for the rest of my trip. I convinced several others in my party to try this place and I heard all raving about the tasty food. I only wish I would have gotten something from that huge pastry selection!
Food — I stayed simple but was able to try several items I really enjoyed. The standout surprise was the oven potatoes. I dont know if it was the spices, the butter, or what seemed to be lemon juice, but man were they good! As another reviewer said, they have mastered the art of the gyro! I have had several gyros at restaurants and a friend and I both agreed that we cannot remember having a gyro better than this. I really got into Eleni’s special dishes! I ordered pastichio (Greek lasagna) and was able to try a good bit of stuffed bell pepper. Both were great!
Atmosphere — I really liked the seating options, lots of outdoor seating, some on a covered deck since it was winter, and some on a front patio area. I thought the ordering line moved fast and my food was ready quickly. The people behind the counter were very nice when I asked for extra plates, plastic ware, and tzattziki sauce.
I went into it with high expectations and had a lot riding on it since I convinced several others to go here. One of my best dining decisions while in Houston!

Being that I’m from Houston, this place is a local regular for
Greek food. It’s nothing special though. VERY typical Greek food, almost Americanized. Parking is a pain and the service is mediocre. If you want real Greek food, try to find a better place!

Food gets 4 stars, prices get 1 star. Been here multiple times and am always unimpressed. We got wings, a salad with chicken and 1 drink for $ 42. That just seems insane to me, especially since it is all order at the counter. The food was good, just not worth the price.
Additionally, I tried to order a sandwich, and sub a side salad for fries. I don’t usually mind an upcharge for a side salad, but they were going to make me pay $ 7 extra. Ridic.

I got a lamb gyro because I was told it was halal. I personally thought it was tasteless. The fries on the side were good. The Resturant itself was nice and the service was quick and kind. I would want to come back and try something else but I don’t know what else I could have unless I looked for vegetarian options.

Okay I really enjoy this place! I’ve been here a couple of times a few years ago and recently went back this past weekend and it was still as great as I remember it!
We went with family for a late lunch/​linnet and with 7 Adults and 4 kids they were definitely fast and kid friendly! We ordered a dip plate appetizer and a beef plate, gyro plate, and chicken plate with rice, fries, and potatoes as the sides. My sister ordered a gyro plate which she loved and the kiddos loved their coloring books that kept them distracted. Btw if you want dessert get the Honey Balls or Bombs (can’t remember the name)! Those were amazing! Overall, a great place to check out in Houston!

Their gyros are always on-​point with their great flavored tzatziki sauce. The Philly Cheese Steak was heavy, but average in my opinion. Their veggie kebobs and pitas have never disappointed. Mind you, all this food comes out fresh and usually fast even on an average busy night. For the true meaties, their Souzoukakia is one of their best dishes when it’s prepared well, but one of the biggest disappointments when its not.
For the little one’s, their fries are superb. My daughter is getting into pita bread and hummus, but she’s always pleased with the grilled cheese pita or their pitzza.
There’s so much that i haven’t tried yet, but I’m confidently willing to explore all their menu options.

THE BEST GYRO PLACE IN TOWN HANDS DOWN.
I went on a Friday night with a group of friends and the line was long. I mean, long. With that said the long moved along pretty fast and we were ordering in about half an hour. The service was nice and quick.
I strongly recommend out door seating if the weather allows it. We all ordered Gyros and me being Mediterranean, it did not disappoint. The bread was great and the meat was cooked perfectly. The tahini to bread to meat ratio was spot on.
These people really know what they’re doing and I will definitely be taking out of town friends there as well.

This place is a must! Looking for authentic Greek food? Come here! From the fresh pita to the spanakopita, this place is off the biggest Greek chain across the hairiest Greek chest! OPAAA! …it’s so good, I want to smash some plates.

My husband and I love this place so much… that when we came to Houston for a week, we stayed at an airBNB a close by. And then proceeded to eat here 3 times in the week we were in town. Not only that but on our drive back to SF, we keep talking about how we wish there was one in SF.
Potatoes get them or you’re missing out.
Athenian mud pie is a MUST. We’re still drooling over it. Sooo freaking good.
Also, when we stopped by with a large party, it was perfectly accommodating. Not only is it easy since everyone can pay separately, but there’s so many options for the vegans and vegetarians.
Love love love love love this place. It tastes just as good as it did 10 years ago as it does today. Amazing!

Nikko Niko’s is always a fantastic fast (ish) Greek option in Montrose. It’s not fancy, it’s not necessarily cheap (for to-​go casual food), and they’re usually backed up in peak hours, but if you’ve been in Houston long enough to ask anyone about Greek food, Niko Niko’s usually pops up on top of the list.
Great salads, Souvlakis and of course the solid staple, Gyros. If you’re looking to eat til it hurts, get the gyro plate by accident and enjoy that double portion of lamb. (makes for great fridge food)
Prices aren’t terrible, but if you’re not careful, you may be slightly annoyed at the register. They try their best to throw your order together quickly and buzz your buzzer, but since this is the place on everyone’s list of Greek food, watch out for that lunch rush horde.
Quality has always been great for me though, so the price and sometimes long line, are well worth the trade for a tasty gyro in front of me.

Gosh, I have mixed feelings about this place. Depending on what you order the food is good. I especially love the spice they put on their fries, but the place feels a bit dingy to me. I think this place needs a major facelift, other than that I think it’s good.
Oh, and some actual silverware would be a plus.

Wife and I took the Texas Renaissance Faire trip, and one of two stops we *have* to make is Niko Niko’s Greek in downtown Houston (the other being the DeLorean Motor Company up in Humble-didn’t make that this time). Of course, it was featured on DDD, and the spiky-​haired host is prominently featured on the wall there. But Guy Fieri aside, the food is AMAZING! Authentic Greek, and the only other Greek I will ever eat is from Funstival, just held a few weeks ago.
Located near downtown, it is in one of Houston’s finer neighborhoods. We came in from 45 South, past the park on Allen Boulevard, and left onto Montrose. Houstonians were out enjoying the beautiful autumn day after some really nasty weather over the weekend that brought them rain, storms, and high winds.
Go inside, pick up a menu, order when ready. We caught the split lunch hour: 12:00 was leaving, 1:00 was coming in. A lot of Houston’s finest was in house: law enforcement, firefighters, and all sorts of other downtown Houston workers. But I know that NN is well-​known and is usually packed. This time was no exception. However, service was quick, and food came out exactly as ordered and hot, fresh and delicious!
Ordered a Hercules plate, which comes with more food than even the mighty Zeus himself could eat. Delicious, tender, thinly sliced gyro meat, grilled veggies, dolmas, and a TON of fries (I know…), this was worthy of sharing with the wife. And finished it off with a delectable hunk of baklava. So much left over that I had to take most of it to go (no worries… dinner). There are LOTS of excellent Greek choices available, and I was drooling at the thought of «Greekfast», a Greek breakfast. Just substitute your breakfast meat with gyro meat. YUM!
Be sure that you get by this Houston institution on your travels to Space City.

Nikko Nikko Nikko Nikko… How it pains me to say this but tonight’s dinner was subpar.
We’ve been eating here for years and our food tonight was enough to make me wonder if it’s worth coming back.
The French fries were drowning in grease as was the feta on top.
The kabobs were room temperature and the potatoes were cold. The only thing that was not was the French fries and they were entirely too greasy.
Hopefully it’s just a fluke. But next time we will send the food back if it’s anything like tonight.

One of my FAVORITE places in Houston! I have dreams about the lemon chicken soup.
I’ve come here plenty of times over the years, always a solid choice. It is a bit pricey but it’s so worth it! The lemon chicken soup is award winning for a reason. I usually get that with a Greek salad or with a MINI Gyro, it’s the perfect size and has a LOT of meat!

The restaurant was shown on DD&D so I was interested in trying it out!
It’s a Greek fast food joint, where you order at the counter, pay & receive a buzzer for when your food is ready to pick up at the counter. When it’s busy, the parking lot is a disaster. The staff doesn’t seem to care much. Last time I went the line up to order took 30 minutes.
They do have great yeros & souvlakis, I’m a fan of the oven potatoes (the fries are good also) & the loukoumades are delicious! The calamari are meh, I’ve had better. The salads look really nice but I haven’t tried any of them yet. I have honestly had much better Greek food.
I prefer quality or quantity but that’s just me.

Written from someone who doesn’t normally eat Greek food, and this is also an out of state visit. I came here with two friends on a Wednesday afternoon. You order at the counter and you pick up your food when your number/​buzzer goes off.
Not familiar with anything on the menu, I ordered a NikoPita. The Greek salad that came on the side was generously large and the cheese that came with it was delicious. Being a light eater, this filled me up pretty quick. One of the best side salad’s I’d ever eaten. The Nikopita has turkey, chicken, peas and other ingredients that made every bite wonderful. The texture was flaky and easy to bite. Had seasoned fries on the side, which were great too. I ate the entire NikoPita and ate as much fries as I could. I also had (iced) chai latte. Can’t go wrong with that.
The food was the highlight of the visit. I don’t know if it’s normal that the Nikopita’s normally take about 20 minutes to make, but that’s how long I waited. I was able to finish my salad minutes before my food was ready. My friends were past halfway through their entrees as well. The counter to pick up your food intertwines and gets in the way with the dessert ordering line (those desserts look amazing). So sometimes it’s a struggle to get to your food with such a narrow space to pass through.
The verdict:
Side salad: ⁵⁄₅ stars. That cheese.
NikoPita and fries: ⁵⁄₅ stars
Chai latte: 4.33÷5 stars
Service: ²⁄₅ stars
Overall: 3.5 stars
I’d like to come back in the future when I’m in the Montrose area. Best Greek food I’ve eaten!

An affordable, delicious Mediterranean fast food spot with great vegetarian options, Niko Niko’s surprised with it’s quick line and bold flavors.
I ordered a D’s veggie pita, and was very happy with how the tabuli and hummus mixed with the onion to great this amazing base for the rest of the vegetables. The zucchini was probably my favorite vegetable in the sandwich. The sandwich is a bit too oily, though, and the puddle of olive post-​meal is a bit of a concern.
I was meeting three friends for lunch and was running late. The line was out the door, but moved very quickly. This is the kind of place that offers tons of menu options and hands you a buzzer so you know when your food’s ready: It’s hard to know what’s good, but the meals get made quickly and the vegetarian items are clearly marked.
This place attracts families because they offer free coloring books and crayons. What an awesome way to create a family atmosphere but keep kids occupied and not crawling over each other to grab more free soft-​serve ice cream (looking at you, Mia’s).
I’ll definitely be back — I can’t remember a better Houston Mediterranean sandwich.

I’m not sure if I understand the hype for this place; but I can tell you that this isn’t the best Greek food. The food is just ok; it was good yes, but it didn’t wow me like the place near my house.
We walked in and it was a long line; but thank goodness it went by quick. The lady at the counter was very nice and I really liked how she took the time to serve me. She wasn’t pushy nor mean.
Since it was my first time; my sister and I ordered the Greek combo that was $ 25; 2 of each food. I wouldn’t recommend this deal if you come with somebody that isn’t ok with paying for a meal like this. The food was just ok; the gyro meat never fails and that’s anywhere you go to; the lamb meat is always on point.
It consisted of:
Pastichio, mousaka, keftedes, spanakopita, tiropita, & gyros.
Greek salad, pita, yalandji dolma & tzatziki sauce on the side
First we tasted the salad and it was delicious. The nice white cheese on top with the fresh leafy greens; but the black tires was in there with olives. It threw off the taste for me.
Then, we sampled our big plates of food. The only thing was really nasty tasting to me was the pastichio; it was so gross. The noodles were over soft with weird spice like licorice candy. Eww! The mousaka was good though; I guess because it had potato in it. The spanakopita was ok; I tried to like it though. The tiropita was very yummy.
Now, it was my second time tasting the yalandji and this time it was very yummy. It wasn’t saturated in wetness and the inside wasn’t like Antarctica cold; it was just right.
See, the food was ok; and I still don’t understand why it was the best. Is it because of the area it is located? The area is ok, but the people seemed rude. I did like how they had star jasmines lining the gates outside while you eat; I’m sure you can smell the great aroma from that beautiful flower.
The prices were expensive for the quality of the food.