Mike’s Kitchen

Why the 2 stars?
Feel like a lot of the other reviewers nailed it when saying the décor was very off putting. It honestly looks like a dive. Don’t get me wrong, Ive enjoyed many dive restaurants. However this one just seemed unkept and dreary.
The staff needs a few training lessons I would say. The woman taking our to-​go order walked away without saying anything to me after I told her my order. Left us standing there money in hand for 10 minutes before coming back and telling me my total. Common courtesy would be to let me know she would be back in just a moment to finish the order.
The food wasn’t bad. I feel it was a bit pricey, but was ok. Honestly not somewhere I would recommend nor visit again. Sad because of the reviews I had high hopes. I feel either these people had a stroke of luck on their visit or simply friends of the staff.
I don’t enjoy leaving negative reviews, but I know I rely on others reviews when trying someplace new.

A lot wrong with this place. The place does not even look like a restaurant the whole environment is just very uncomfortable to be in. The food was just down right disgusting, I threw up in my mouth a bit when I tried the lemon soup.

We’re so excited that Mike is back… We missed his restaurant so much. The food is excellent and the service is great. I could eat there everyday!

My husband and I tried Mike’s Kitchen for the first time this evening, and the food was absolutely amazing. The waitstaff was exceptionally friendly, professional, and attentive. We will definitely be returning. The owner Mike stopped by our table twice to check to make sure that everything was satisfactory. We had absolutely no issue with the décor. Because like somebody else said you’re not eating the décor. They even gave us a complimentary cannoli for dessert.
All I can say is please don’t let the negative reviews stop you from trying this amazing restaurant.
LOVED IT!!!

We had a group of 10 stop in for dinner. The waitstaff was great. We had different foods for most. Everyone said they had a very good meal. I had the lasagna and it was moist and way more than enough. Fresh bread on the table for all. Drinks were fine. No beer on tap. But, plenty of choices.
We all felt that a return visit is in the future.

OUTSTANDING!!! Impeccable food and great service. We have been there several times and the waitress remembered small details of our likes. That goes a long way in customer service. The food is incredible and made with quality ingredients. Most importantly it is done with pride. I would rather give my business to the common fellow any day before chain restaurants. You will not find quality, taste, presentation and pride in a chain restaurant and these qualities are clearly delivered in their cuisine. Great portions, plan on left overs!!!

We really enjoyed our meal tonight. Very tasty homemade food. Entrees come with soup or salad, we both had the caesar, it was as big as a dinner salad at many restaurants. Garlic cheese loaf was one of the best we have had, by the time our dinners came we were already talking about what we were going to have the next time, I have a big to-​go box for Mondays lunch now. Price were very reasonable too.

This place was amazing. Quick and friendly service. Not very busy at all. The salads were fresh and balanced well with the dressings. The servings are so big we couldn’t finish it and had to bring them home. The prices were very reasonable for the amount of food that we had. Thank you so much for an amazing dinner! We will definitely be back

We visited here tonight for the first time. We enjoyed our food overall but there were a few things that I think may need some work. The atmosphere is not quite there yet. Their fluorescent lights are red which gives the whole place a weird feel. Almost like we were on Mars! Also the bar is constantly flashing different colors which is odd in a dining room. It would be in place if it were a night club, but I don’t think they are going for the night club feel. They need some help with décor also, it felt very big and empty. The waitress was very nice. She was very good at refilling drinks. We got salads and Italian wedding soup before our meal. I liked that the salads were more than just lettuce like you get at other places. The dressing was very good. My son enjoyed the soup. Our food came out in a timely manner and all of our main courses were good, but nothing to rave about. The price is a little high I think considering the atmosphere. Also my daughter’s silverware did not appear to be clean. I may go back and give it another try in a few months. Maybe they will have worked out some of the kinks.

The atmosphere is lacking but the food is pretty good. The booth for two is a little cramped. I had the «Yeeros Platter.» Why it is spelled that way instead of Gyros, I don’t know. I enjoyed the Greek salad which preceded it, plenty of feta cheese and Greek olives, and homemade dressing. The meat was tender, the tzatziki sauce was good, and the roasted potatoes were nicely golden and tasted good. The pita was placed underneath the meat which made it a little soggy. The green beans side I could have done without. Adding marinara on top of the green beans did not compliment the Greek flavors of the meal.
Compliments to the chef, service was also very good, but need to invest in interior design.

Over-​priced, overly greasy, and just overall not good. Unilocal you steered me wrong! Makes me so sad, we were so hopeful for a good Greek place by us.

I visited Mike’s Kitchen today and it was fantastic. The service was terrific! Someone in our party wanted eggplant and the server recommended eggplant Parmesan, which wasn’t on the menu. I tasted and it was really great! All of the food was great. I shared a Greek salad that came with two types of dressing. We got the Italian and Greek dressings and both were equally loaded with flavor! The salad was packed with cucumbers, feta cheese, garbanzo beans, kalamata olives and more. We also split a 10″ chicken kalamata pizza which was delicious! Super tasty. Very unique and for a place that I don’t think specializes in pizza, the crust could compete with any pizza place! The décor was nice enough — not the fanciest of restaurants, but you could tell they put some effort into it. It was a nice homey feel. We’ll be back!

Last night my husband and I had the opportunity to enjoy a date night so we decided to try Mike’s Kitchen. We really enjoy eating at different kinds of restaurants and haven’t had Greek in awhile. When we came in, everyone was friendly and the lighting was nice. There were quite a few people eating and we were asked where we wanted to sit. We chose a booth. I ordered the mousaka and my husband ordered a veal dish with artichokes and capers. We both thought our food was fantastic! We also had a flaming cheese appetizer that was so much fun to have prepared at our table. The yummy baklava rounded out a delicious night out. The place is fairly new so the atmosphere is basic but pleasant. Food and customer service are most important in my book. We will definitely visit again.

Not very busy but welcoming for lunch at 2:30 on a Thursday. Chopped Italian Salad was not what I expected — not really chopped at all — but who cares, because the flavors were AMAZING! The fresh basil was so fresh and flavorful, a delightful note in each bite I was lucky enough to find it. Cucumbers, romaine, tomato, fresh mozzarella, red onion, artichoke hearts and a zing of flavor from pepperoni and crumbled Gorgonzola. The vinaigrette was so full of herbs & spices and I drizzled it on the crusty garlic bread I layered with mozzarella and romaine for a crunchy, tasty mouthful. I was in heaven.
My husband had gyros and Greek salad which I tasted and loved but my obsession with my enormous fresh salad distracted me from remembering many details other than the kalamata olive and bite of sundried tomato. Hubs loved it!
Server was very friendly and efficient. Quick to refill our waters and never hovering.

I wanted to enjoy this new Greek & Italian restaurant; however, a few failures in our first experience sort of soured it for me. Here’s a summary of our party of 3’s February visit:
1. the décor is tacky and doesn’t speak to either cuisine being served.
2. It wasn’t busy at all when we arrived at 4:35pm (four tables with patrons) but we had to wait for 15min. before someone came over to take our drink order. ??? And it was by the man who greeted and sat us originally, our service was pretty spot on thanks to him even though he wasn’t planning to be our server but for some reason the woman working our section just couldn’t handle additional tables. My only complaint was that he never offered to refill our water and by the end of our 1.5hrs there, I had run out of water and poured some of my co-diner’s water into my glass. Never leave a table without asking if anything else is needed or with your hands empty because our empty plates sat too long, as well.
3. for the appetizer round: the saganaki was fun and tasty but may have had too much brandy or was on fire a bit too long because part of the cheese was burned black. The mozzarella cheese sticks were over-​fried as two had no cheese inside them but rather all over the platter. The Greek side salad was not traditional as it had lettuce and mushrooms which we of course picked off but what a waste of food when you’re expecting a «Greek salad.» The lemon chicken soup was delicious and a must try!
4. the bathroom was… the worst experience I’ve ever had in a public bathroom because the sewer smell coming from the floor drain was so strong that I had to physically keep my appetizers down while in there. There’s no way the owner/​employees aren’t smelling this, too. IMMEDIATELY DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS! Utterly disgusting.
5. there is no kids menu. Surprise is a family town. Italy and Greece are countries that cater to their children — I know, firsthand, having traveled to both repeatedly over the past 20yrs. and just recently to Rome and Athens last April. it’s a family restaurant, add some kid friendly options and kid friendly portions on the already four page menu. Small choices like mini pizza, fruit, chicken tenders, broccoli, fries or tater tots, etc.
6. an older stocky gentleman came by the table to welcome us and kept on moving. If this was the owner, he should have taken the time to at least ask how everything was. By the time I said hello back, he was on to the next table.
7. our main entrees: yeeros and pasta carbonara came out hot and huge! I’d recommend the yeeros as the meat was tender, juicy and seemed fresh. The carbonara dish was good with plenty of bacon and very creamy. The garlic bread basket was a nice touch and came in handy with the alfredo sauce. I couldn’t taste the garlic on it but I love garlic and would have loved it smothered in it.
8. the dessert came out quick which was great! It’s sad that the baklava was served warm and falling apart. I was told because it was fresh, made that day that this is why it’s flat with all the ingredients falling away from one another. It was a hot, gooey mess. That’s not the baklava anywhere in the US or in Greece I’ve ever had.
I want this restaurant to succeed because Surprise needs a good, solid go-​to Mediterranean restaurant for the masses to flock to and maybe even be transported overseas for a meal (if done correctly). :) In order for that to happen, Mike’s needs to iron its wrinkles and fast! I don’t know if I’d give it another chance… but if I do, it will be in a couple months just to give this crew some time to fix the operation a bit because they definitely need improvement. Good luck!

This was a disappointment.
I brought my son and we agreed that this should be on Kitchen Nightmares.
We arrived at 5:30 and didn’t leave until 7 because they were so disorganized. They weren’t idle. They were too busy to pay attention to us.
We ordered an appetizer, spanokopita. The sauce on top reminded me of a thickened lemon chicken soup. Our meals eventually arrived. I had seafood and pasta. My son got a chicken with mushroom dish. The shrimp and scallops were so small I assume they were canned. My son enjoyed his meal. We ordered a tiramisu to go. Later I dug in and found it to be consistently mediocre.
$ 58 plus tip is what this less than stellar experience cost me. I will not be returning. It’s hard to strike out with appetizer, meal, dessert AND service but they did.

I have to agree with other reviewers about the ambiance. The room is way too big, and the decorations are plain and sparse. BUT. The moussaka and the eggplant Parmesan we enjoyed was somewhere between «way good» and excellent.
The moussaka had a creamy, custard topping which complemented the eggplant and lamb fillings as well as the spices. I can honestly say I would go back and enjoy it again and again — and try other dishes. The servings were generous and the price was very fair. The eggplant was similarly generous and delicious. The dinner salads were generous portions, and glasses of wine were 5 bucks a glass. The waitstaff were friendly and competent, but not overly unctuous like so many chain restaurants are.
If you like to support local independent restaurateurs, Mike’s qualfies. If you are looking for a fine dining experience with fancy tasteful décor and a wine list, this is not your place. But if you are looking for real food, nicely prepared and at a reasonable price, give Mike’s a try.

This was a nice Surprise in Surprise, Arizona. We stopped in for lunch and tried the Mussels and Greek salad. It was so good I knew I needed to revisit this place.
We returned in the evening for a take-​out. We ordered one Lamb Shank. This was so delicious. It was served over fettuccine with a beautiful red sauce. It was enough for two people easily. I live in Utah but I will dream about returning.

We have always had amazing food at Mikes. We have been faithful patrons for years and now in their new location, we will be visiting frequently!!! Love the food, love the people! Life is too short for bad food!!!

Only opened a month ago in this new location. Wouldn’t have known it was there, except for Unilocal.
Unimpressive sign, hardly any cars or customers. We were still dubious as we entered and saw a mostly empty place, but noticed the large pan of Baklava fresh on the counter! Looked fantastic!
We were seated, and looked over the extensive menu, I had Dolmathes, husband had reuben (said it was some of the best corned beef he’d ever tasted, Dad had a porcetta panini which was also reported to be very good. If we actually lived in the area, we would return to try many more of the menu items.
I will say that the interior décor leaves much to be desired, so I hope their intention is to work on that in the future as they settle in.

Sad.
I don’t want to give a bad review, but I have to be honest and I feel I was mislead by all the reviews I read on this place.
First impression I wanted to run back out and so did my husband, but given the rave reviews I thought we should stick it out.
The «décor» (if you could call it that) was cold, unwelcoming and very confusing. The front booths had no color and checkerboard tablecloths like a diner/​pizza joint, while the back was mostly tables with green walls and tons of junk on display. The back wall had a large ladder leaning against a door which lead me to hope they were remodeling the new location. The ceiling «tiles» had paint missing and weird pieces of red fabric over the lights along with red glass pendant lights. The front counter (bakery type display) was enormous but completely empty. Hmmm
So we sat down and the girl brought us menus. The tables around us were dirt with dirty dishes/​food and remained that way for our meal. The menu seemed promising with lots of choices Athenian, Greek, Italian (perhaps too many?).
I started with lemon chicken soup ($ 3.45) that tasted canned (the chicken had the consistency of Campbell’s chicken noodle soup). We asked the server for his recommendation. He said he likes the «chicken pita»…so, I asked which one? He didn’t know. What is in it? He did not know…
OK…
So we went with the Kalamata ($ 8.95) as that was what I was leaning towards. We also ordered the $ 10.95 Gyro Burger, medium… sounds interesting.
The salad was «ok», and the chicken pita tasted «spongy like microwaved from frozen» according to my husband and the tzatziki sauce was watery and bland. The burger had a «square» corners on it and was chewy like only frozen beef can feel. It was also a distinct «well done», however thank goodness it wasn’t undercooked as my hubby & I were sick the rest of the day.
At the end of our meal a very sweaty dirty man with long greasy hair (Mike?) came out to ask how everything was… really?
Servers were nice and attentive (1 star), but we won’t be going back. Very disappointed as I LOVE Greek food and we really need some variety around here.

Most recent visit… Since my folks like this place so much, we went again. We ordered 3 gyros platters. This time there was little meat, cut into small chunks and all topped with jalapenos. HONESTLY… who puts jalapenos on a gyros ??? Needless to say, we didn’t like it. Service was good, along with appetizers and soup. But true greek salads need more olives (more than 2) and a side of feta cheese.

Mike’s Kitchen for breakfast this morning –EXCELLENT! Not the usual breakfast fare, but some very interesting and unusual choices. But, don’t get too excited. Mike told us that they were discontinuing breakfast completely due to the poor turnout. Instead they will have Sunday Brunch Buffet starting on January 9 from 10 AM to 3 PM. An omelet station where you choose all of the ingredients and Mike will cook it in front of you. Also a huge buffet with many, many options. $ 10.95 for adults and $ 5.00 for kids. (note — coupons not accepted for brunch and no «to go» boxes). Can’t wait to give it a try.

We used to go to Mikes when it was next door many years ago, food was excellent, was sorry to see it go, but now it’s back, we will return with hungry tummies.

OMGOODNESS! If I could give 1 million stars I would! Service was great, but the food. the food was amazing! Normally Italian food makes me feel stuffed/​sluggish && I should eat again for another month! However Mike’s food was great the taste was on point! I had the salmon special w/​fettuccine Alfredo and I’ve gotta say the salmon was made perfectly wasn’t over cooked or under cooked it pretty much just melted in my mouth! And that sauce, I wish I could bottle it up and eat it everyday! It seriously reminded me of my childhood when my dad would spend hours in the kitchen cooking a perfect meal, mike’s kitchen thank you for an amazing dinner, service and for bringing back Amazing memories! We will def be back!

Great new location on the north side of Bell. Dave our server was attentive, there at every turn. Becky raved on the Greek salad, my Caesar was fresh, and flavorful. Becky ordered the calzone, having to take half home it was so big. I had the Involtini di Polo alla Vsldostana stuffed chicken breast with mozzarella, ricotta, fontina, feta, fresh spinach, sun dried tomatoes, topped with Marsalla wine mushroom sauce. Excellent!

MIKE IS BACK! OPA!
The West Side has a NEW «GEM» in Town!
Mike is a well known Chef in this area and is well known for his Greek and Italian Cuisine.
This restaurant prepares well made food. Sauces and many meats prepared in house. The front of the menu says they are a Bakery too so possibly some of the breads might be prepared in house too.
I’ve been to his last restaurant many times and this new restaurant offers a bigger more varied menu, wait staff, roomy comfortable booths.
I came in for lunch and ordered the Salmon Souvlaki Pita. The pita came with my choice of Greek Fries or Greek Salad so I went with Salad. Out comes a big fresh salad and soon after my pita arrives. The pita bread seemed like it was made to order as it was so fresh and hot and the filling was tasty. My husband had the house made sausage with peppers and onions. The sandwich was baked with bubbly mozzarella cheese.
We were checked on several times by our server and by Mike.
We will stop in for dinner next time as I remember the Myconos Chicken was pretty darn tasty.
Portions are large and pricing is reasonable.
They serve breakfast (8am), lunch and dinner 7 days a week.
Give Mike’s a try when your in the area!
Very Slight update.
Very surprised that many Unilocaler’s are making an issue about the atmosphere. People are making it sound terrible and that really isn’t the truth. Just look at the pictures and see for yourself. Mike’s is not high end and has a slight retro feel and is a whole lot better than many little dirty ethnic dumps you see on dirty dining. Now THAT IS THE TRUTH!

We never got the chance to visit the old location, but heard from Mike’s past… food would be excellent. And it definitely was! Would loved to had a glass of wine with our dinner, but was not an option. Hopefully he will get a license soon… we will definitely be back!

The food is good. The music is nice. There’s a wide selection of Greek and Italian favorites. The Baklava is spectacular.
Of note from our meal was the Gyro platter, Moussaka and the Calzone. Kid size spaghetti and meatball was a hit too.