Yianni’s Cafe and Grill

The lunch specials were amazing. Lots of gyro meat on the salad and fresh authentic flavor. We will be back

Three years ago we had a4 star experience today 2 2.5 off day I guess we won’t give up quite yet, the first meal was that good.

This was our second visit to the sponge docks and we decided to stop here because they had live music. We walked in and they really were not busy, but no one seated us, finally one server told us to sit where we wanted. We sat down and it took forever to get drinks and to place an appetizer order. We started off with two appetizers and two beers and would have orders more but the server never came back to check on us after she dropped off the food. The thing that kills me is that maybe there was 10 other people inside and the server we had just seemed to be occupied with other things. When she finally came and we tried to pay she said their credit card machine wasn’t working but we could go to the ATM. Really? She didn’t think it important to tell us when she first came up? Her response was that she didn’t seat us and everyone there was supposed to tell the customers as they came in. Well due to the piss poor service and the two ATM fees (the one there and the one my bank would charge) I decided to not leave a tip. I can’t remember when the last time was that I didn’t leave some sort of tip, but this circumstance really called for it. I mean I even had to go to the register to pay her once I came back from the ATM because she still didn’t come over to the table.
Pass by this place and keep on walking… You will find better places on the same road. We actually left there and resumed our lunch at a wonderful Greek bakery farther down the docks.

It was disappointing. We had poor service, bills were incorrect, food was mediocre. They bragged about a free serving of baklava but never delivered, even after being reminded. We do not recommend it and won’t return.

While overall the food was good and the portion size was excellent I decreased rating due to timing of the delivery of the food, wait staff and cleanliness of the restaurant. We ordered the olive appetizer, soup and the Greek sampler platter for him and salad and the chicken souvlaki for me. The waitress delivered our soup and salad first then promptly delivered the appetizer. Before either of us could get even half way they the soup and salad, she delivered the entrees. The olives were delicious as were the pepperoncini peppers. The Greek salad was good with plenty of cucumbers, sliced bell pepper and feta. Could have used more olives. My chicken was crispy on the outside– just how I like it but many pieces were over cooked and tough. The rice was excellent as well. The Chicken Lemon soup was good as well as every thing on the sampler platter. We took enough leftovers for at least one more meal each.
The restaurant was not very clean. Spider and bugs had been killed in the rolled up «plastic» windows and left to dry out in the weather. Besides not ensuring proper timing of delivery of food, our waitress seemed hurried. When the bill arrived it was incorrect– she had charges us for two sodas and refills (yes, you pay for refills) when we had tea (without a refill) and water. We also presented a coupon which she misplaced. While she did make the corrections it left us feeling we were imposing and should have just paid the bill as it was.
Given the cleanliness and the waitress most likely would not return. I’m sure there are other Greek restaurants with the same food quality but more customer friendly.

Ate lunch on the patio. I had the gyros and my wife had chicken souvlakis lunch specials. The service and food quality were excellent. The lunch special also included desert, a most excellent baklava. ~$ 25 for lunch with soft drinks for the two of us which is quite affordable in the tourist areas. This is the only place we’ve eaten in the Tarpon Springs docks area but thought it was excellent Greek food.

My husband and I went on the Spongorama cruise and the lady running the stand asked if we would like a coupon for Yianni’s. Bad mistake. We entered and we’re told to sit anywhere and we’d get menus. we sat outside, waiting fifteen minutes and got no service. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, we went inside to be seen better, it was Saturday after all. We sat in the front of the restaurant and waited another fifteen minutes. I made eye contact with at least three different waitresses, but they all refused to come to our table. Right when I was about to ask one to come over, one came. I ordered fish and chips, he ordered chicken chow mein. We waited another twenty minutes for our food. We did not get our drinks, and I had to ask a waitress to get them for us and instead of just handed them to me, she said she’d find my waitress and tell her. She was standing in front of the soda machine. The fish and chips were the definition of bland. My husband’s chow mein was swimming in flavorless red sauce. We did not get refills on our drinks and basically no service throughout our stay. I will never go back. Do yourself a favor and stay away.

We stopped here so my nephew could use the bathroom, the food smelled so good i had to try some. Great decision, So good! I got a chicken shish kabob with rice — to go. Man was it tasty! The rice really stole the show there was a tomato sauce that I hesitate to even call a sauce — because I don’t want your mind to go there. It was awesome so fresh and you could really taste the vine ripened and roasted tomatoes seriously so so good. A bit on the expensive side coming to a total of $ 16 and some change. It did come with a nice salad feta and an (1) olive lol with a house dressing also pretty tasty.

Last night, after the Christmas Event (Don’t get me started. UGH) in Tarpon Springs, The husbeast and I were hungry. We didn’t want our usual fare so we decided to try someplace new. We rolled the bones and Yianni’s is where we decided to go.
Yianni’s is new-​ish, clean and attractive with patio and back patio sitting areas right in front of the Sponge-​o-​Rama museum torward the first third of Dodecanese boulevard in Tarpon Springs, so it’s not hard to miss. The metal tables and chairs out front can be chilly if it’s been windy but after walking as we had (our parking last night was NOT prime) it was a welcome change.
There was one Waitress on at Yianni’s last night, so service wasn’t FAST, but it wasn’t slow either, Yvonne was great. She was attentive and friendly. And when we placed our orders she listened and took care of everything.
The husband and I ordered the tzatziki and pita appetizer, and their Tzatziki game is strong. It’s good, cool and cream with just the right balance of cucumber and garlic. VERY NOM!
We had upgraded from the house salad to the Greek salad (With POTATO SALAD! this was on the menu for emphasis) and those came out first and were huge. I was pleased to see it wasn’t the usual iceburg lettuce crap but Romaine, Feta (usually that’s extra) a large dollop of potato salad, onions, tomato, olive, garbanzo bean and cucumber. It was a hearty salad, you almost didn’t need a meal after this.
And when the meals came out, their portions for the platters were excellent. As you can see by the photos, you most certainly had left overs — ok I had left overs as did the husbeast. The Souvlaki was perfectly grilled, had a nice garlic mince and the potatoes were tasty too. I didn’t eat the pita since I was already full of bread. Their Gyro mix of lamb and beef was perfect! A bit more lamb than I’m used to, but I am –not– complaining, it was unctuous in the mouth, a very sexy combination.
Yes, I’d come back again. They offer coupons when you’re walking in the afternoons down the Docks. Stop in and try Yianni’s they’re a

The food was excellent. Very good spot for Greek food. The waitress was very friendly and the food came out very quickly.

Awesome food and friendly staff, not sure why this place has a low rating. Our large group all had different dishes and everyone loved their dish. Can’t wait to go back! Homemade hummus and flaming cheese app were excellent.

Gyro platter was awesome. Grouper sandwich was awesome. Greek salad was the best I’ve ever had. Didn’t care too much for the flaming cheese but everything else was great. Staff was super friendly and attentive.

EXCELLENT! EXCELLENT! EXCELLENT!!! It far exceeded my expectations! Don’t take others advice to go to another popular lunch spot in the shopping area, if you’ve ever been there I bet you can guess which one I’m referring to.
Meandering down through the Tarpon Springs main artery, Dodecanese Blvd., we rain into a woman who had asked us if we had eaten lunch and if not to try Yanni’s as she handed us a paper menu. She also said they are dog friendly and I could sit with my pup on the patio. I can be a little weary of people who seem like they are hired promoters advising me to go to places but I took a leap of faith as I had a good feeling about this one. Based on the look of the resturant and having an open mind my sister who was visiting me at the time and I decided to give the restaurant a try. Because of the impending looming rain shower that we were about to experience, there were some restaurant patrons but the restaurant wasn’t filled. The resturant had a nice layout and has an outdoor patio area out front which is great for people watching as it is adjacent to the main road with all the cars and foot traffic. The patio out back was slightly more enclosed and private and was across from Sponge-​O-​Rama, a store that has a museum on Tarpon’s Sponge history and a movie documentary as well.
Our server was outstanding, attentive and very friendly. We ordered two appetizers, the horta, which are boiled and lightly sautéed endive greens with some lemon juice (very flavorful despite being vegan) and some fried eggplant with skordalia dip, both of which were very good. We decided to order off the very appealing lunch specials menu which has 12 menu offerings on it all for $ 9.95 which includes a soup or salad to start piece of baklava for dessert. I wasn’t expecting much but boy was I impressed when my food came out! The salad greens and other vegetables were very fresh and there was a nice piece of feta in addition to the yummy potato salad and other additions. I ordered the chicken gyro and it was delicious and the chicken was plentiful in large kabobs and the tzatziki was tasty. My sister had the spanakopita and she enjoyed it and even took half home because it was filling! The baklava that was served for dessert was not overly sweet, had a nice syrup, and was nicely spiced. There was a gentleman playing keyboard accompaniment to some Greek tunes which was enjoyable as well. In addition, my dog was given a water bowl which was appreciated.
If I had checked out the other reviews I probably would not have given this place a try. I’m glad I trusted my instincts and tried this place because our experience was phenomenal. It seems as though Yanni’s had some weak links and kinks in the pat but it seems that they’ve worked them all out. I highly recommend Yanni’s for lunch at least, I have not ordered off their main or dinner menu beyond the appetizers we ordered. If you pick up a menu there are specials and coupons which cannot be used in conjunction with the lunch special because hey already offer a great deal. No matter where you pro Yanni’s will give you $ 3 off your bill (for parking fee). Also there is a coupon for a free sanganaki (flaming cheese ignited using Ouzo) owning purchase of two specialities or a buy one entrée get one entrée half off from 6−9pm valid for up to a $ 14 meal. Again, I had nothing but a positive experience with friendly and professional staff and I will gladly return next time I find myself in Tarpon Springs. OPA!!!

horrible service and food. The waitress billed us for an extra beer and charged us for a dish we didn’t order. Extra charges were reversed, but the waitress had a bad attitude since the beginning. The food wasn’t good.

Greek restaurant in Greek area and they did not have lamb. I’m sorry but no lamb for a gyro. Ugh. They did have good lunch special, and food was ok but wouldn’t go again. We tried helping the server put tables together but she was not having it and seemed to be annoyed. The two for one margaritas were so not worth it either. Find somewhere else.

I would not recommend Yianni’s to a friend. I was in town last month and I decided to check out Yianni’s. My parents had been here previously and had a server named Yianni who they enjoyed. Our server let us know this man had been fired because he was a bad worker and was pretending to be the owner (I think she could have kept this to herself)
The service was slow (it took 25 minutes after being seated to order), the food was fine, the fried seafood platter was the best, the food seemed overpriced (over $ 100 for lunch for 4), the waitresses made inappropriate comments about:
— how tired they were
— how they wanted to leave and not deal with the customers
— the drama going on between them
Also they celebrated the birthday of one of the workers during the lunch service and it was disruptive, loud and slowed service down further.
based on my service I would give them 2 stars, they just didn’t seem happy to be there or have customers. I bumped it up to three because one of the servers did a great job at handling a less than pleasant table of women.

My son and I grabbed a quick bite before taking a boat tour. I’ve been to Tarpon Springs many times when visiting town so I try to go to different/​new places each time. Glad I ignored some of the negative reviews! The place was slammed for lunch but the wait staff was so darn nice it really made me overlook the busy tables. The Greek salad was great and the potato salad was delish.
I must have heard ten times «thank you for your business!» at other tables from the staff, and from our server as well. Very very nice folks :)

I actually give Yianni’s 3.5 * they have a good location on the spongedocks, live steel band music on the patio — good people watching patio out front or a quieter patio in the back. Drink specials all day — friendly staff. The food is your usual Greek fare, I’m always looking for a place in Tarpon that will serve up some fabulous Greek cuisine (still waiting) I usually get a Greek Salad or the sampler platter which as a bit of everything on it. My friend from Scotland ordered a Grouper Sandwich and said it was good. Prices are reasonable and if you set your expectations you will have a good lunch salad and maybe house Sangria on a nice day in Tarpon!

Over a month ago on business I went to Tarpon Springs. The hotel recommended a few Greek eateries since where I live there aren’t that many. I went to all of them. This one was my last stop. Now, considering that I have high standards being Greek I wasn’t really going to post — but I felt compelled to because I saw this restaurant was «claiming» they are going to be on TV. Remarkably, it is my husband that pointed it out. He said «Is that the place that took forever to bring the cold food and the Greek Salad with potato salad». Instantly made the connection.
Where do I start? We were not greeted… as we walked through the place someone said «You can’t sit here — sit in that area and pointed». A short round latino looking lady. We sat — a boy brought us some ice water and asked if we wanted any drinks. We just said we are really hungry… can you take our order.
A blonde girl came and took our order.
I was excited. Grilled Octopus, Spanakopita, Saganaki, and «real» pita gyro.
All with Greek Salad.
The food started to come 20 minutes later. But only our two salads. My hubby looked at his salad and said to the waitress a brunette — UM this is not a greek salad… i think you brought us the wrong ones. She rolled her eyes… yes it is. He looked at me and said in Greek to me «she put feta on a potato salad with veggies and calls it Greek» the waitress interrupts. «Um I don’t speak Greek and Yianni isn’t here but the owner Barbie is.
I said «Well, we asked for a Greek salad — greek salad does not have garbanzo beans in it — ” The waitress said «Yes it does — we are from an island called Kalymnos and we eat salads like that.
My hubby intervened «No, you don’t I was working on the bridge that was built between Tenedos and Kalymnos and NO ONE serves this as a salad in Kalymnos as a Greek salad.
She said — «You don’t know me?»
Whatttttttt
We walked out — end of review.

It is easy to call this place a tourist trap because let’s face it, the docks at Tarpon Springs are full of tourist traps indeed. This place isn’t any different.
The restaurant is quite big and strategically placed on the small strip of the sponge docks. They have indoor and outdoor seating. Suits diners who prefer either option mostly dependent on weather and if you are into people watching.
The menu is not huge but decent enough. We didn’t go for their 9.95 lunch special and chose to go for the specials. The entrees we got were decent sized. We couldn’t finish 2 of the 3 dishes. The chicken sheesh kabob had the smallest portion. The pork chowmein (not sure why the noodles name although the dish itself had rice) was the biggest one and I could only finish ¹⁄₃^rd of it and packed the rest to go. The fillers are really the house salad and the bread that comes before the main dish. And of course the side we chose: oven potatoes. The spinach pie was good too. I tried all of the 3 entrees and mine was the clear winner.
The service was good. Our waiter was very courteous and attentive. Overall the prices were little on the high side but again — it’s a tourist spot. It is not a bad place to go to as a one time visitor. Ideally suited for groups especially if you are with family.
Next time I would definitely try other Greek establishments on the strip. But no regrets trying this one. Here are my ratings out of 5
Ambiance: 3.5
Food: 3.5
Service: 4
Price: 3
Overall: 3.5 /​5