Athena Greek Taverna

I was jonesing for grilled octopus while I was in Winston Salem this week and found Athena on a Unilocal search. We decided it looked to dive-​y even for W-​S and opted for PF Changs instead, which I was not in the mood for. After we fed the kids, I placed an order for grilled octopus to go. It took way too long but I waited, hoping it would be even better than ever. Wrong!!! It was so overdone that I had to throw it away after trying to gnaw through one of the smaller pieces. :(. Very disappointing but at least I didn’t subject anyone else to the awfulpus!

Absolutely delicious — and great service. My wife and I loved the hummus — and could not get enough of the gyro meat! It was an enjoyable dinner — we highly recommend it.

Authentic Greek Food! It’s hard to find REAL Greek Food and this place has it. I had the Saganaki (flaming cheese) with Loukaniko (greek sausage) as my appetizer. Mix the 2 with some bread, it’s awesome. I also ordered the Pork Souvlaki, with Tzatziki, Feta Cheese, and French fries ALL wrapped in a Pita. You can add tomatoes and onions if you want. I ALSO ordered Baklava and Galactobouriko to take back to work so my team could try. I had a small piece of each because I was full, but that was also amazing lol.
I found Athena Greek Taverna from Unilocal and I am in town for the week for business. My parents are from Greece, I was born and live in Michigan, but I know my Greek Food!

Pretty sad experience — the lady ordered ‘OCTAPODI SKARAS’ while I got the Vegetarian Plate. The octopus was supposed to be char-​grilled, but it came out burnt, and the vegetables were soggy beans that had no salt. Mine were no better in taste. We barely made with whatever we could eat and moved out as early as possible.
We have had Greek food at several restaurants across the country and are big fans of the cuisine — this was a letdown.

Tasty food, great value.
We had a favorite Greek place near our old house, so we came in with high expectations. Athena Greek Taverna more than lived up to our hopes. At Sarah Ann’s recommendation we tried the meatballs on special, and paired it with horiatiki (Greek village salad, all the feta & vegetable goodness, without lettuce) instead of the customary Greek salad, Delicious. Only problem was the meatballs came out too hot to eat, but they were so good I kept trying to and burning myself. I kept the side of rice but instead of lemon potatoes, got green beans which I loved.
Hubs had a gyro, quite good, & sreak fries which were unexceptional. Next time we’ll swap them out too. Because we were particularly hungry, he also ordered a savory crêpe, mozzarella & bacon, which was amazing. The crêpe was done more crisp than I’m used to, which in this case was to its advantage.
If they had galactoboureco available I would have ordered it; it’s my favorite Greek dessert, even over baklava. But since they were out (and I was stuffed to the gills), I picked up tiramosalata (caviar/​feta spread) for the road.
Will definitely come back. We have to try the moussaka, the pastissio, the dessert crepes…
BTW, props to Sarah Ann. She was helpful and attentive, and explained things clearly, all while juggling 8 tables and hostessing.
Pro tip: Beware! The «mints» are licorice flavored!

A wonderful restaurant! Food is fabulous, atmosphere is authentic, owners are soooooo nice, and everything is clean and shiny! Portions are huge but save room for dessert!

Being fans of Mediterranean food we were excited to try out this well-​reviewed restaurant. While the service was very nice here, we found the food to be subpar. The chicken skewers were sadly boring and identical to the chicken breast dish. The rice tasted like it was boxed and the fries were meh at best. The hummus was good though very garlicky, and the green beans were pretty good though oily and had no remaining green bean flavor.
If priced fairly cheaply this would be 3 stars, but we ended up paying over $ 40 at lunch (including tip) for two adults and a child. With $ 10-​$ 15 dishes I expect a much higher level of quality. In afraid we will not be returning :-(

This place was awesome and pretty authentic Greek food. The hummus is spectacular! Not like store bought smooth cream. It was perfectly seasoned and hand mashed. So good! And the pita flat bread was delicious, soft and warm. The eggplant dip was scrumptious and the Moussaka was yum-​ilicious!
Oh! And I had baklava to go. It was perfect! I’ll be coming back here again when I’m back in Winston-​Salem.

OMG-​authentic Greek food, lovely atmosphere, brilliant staff. I love this place, come here at least once a week for lunch. Always order the Saganaki, which is DELICIOUS. The spanakopita is divine, & their tzatziki is the best I’ve had, outside of Europe. The portion sizes are very, very generous– if you’re after a decent Greek meal, you will leave totally satisfied!!!

This is a terrific Greek restaurant, one of the best I have ever eaten at, including several in the Greektown neighborhood of Chicago. We have eaten here many times and haven’t been disappointed no matter what we ordered. Do yourself a favor and give Athena’s a try.

My husband and I have been going here for years. The euro platter is typically what we get and it’s huge! It’s big enough to where we could even split it if we wanted to. It comes with meat, rice, potatoes and a side salad. I love baklava so I sometimes will get their baklava which is more on the honey sweet side and not so much nutty.
I do have to say the last time we got food from here though I instantly felt weighted down. I don’t know if it was a fluke or what but their food was really greasy and I didn’t feel too well for the rest of the evening. I hope this isn’t a new thing to stick because we normally love their food… Will stay tuned…

Pretty average place. I would go here if you’re craving a gyro or pita and hummus but the food isn’t anything special. The atmosphere is pretty similar to a diner.

Yum!
I definitely had a good experience. The waitress I had was good. This is a case where I ordered wayyyy too much because it all sounded great.
We started off with the grape leaves called Dolmathakia, they were great even my son liked them. We also had an order of tzatziki and pita, both were good I love tzatziki and pita. The pita was warm & tasted char grilled. One of the meals came with a Greek salad. It was alright, I’ve had better Greek salads.
By the time we got to the entrees we were both stuffed like the leaves. I had a few bites of the Mousska. It was so good & so was the rice. My son had a few bites of his Souvlika pita wrap, he enjoyed it.
We will deff be back, next time we’ll order less because most of out meals were boxed up and taken home.

Winston’s lucky to have such a great Greek restaurant! I just visited Athena’s the other day and was reminded how good their food is!
We started with the calamari, which was quite good, and our charming server even brought us a side of tzatziki, vs. the standard marinara for dipping, which was delicious. The tzatziki was very rich, flavorful, and a step up from other versions I had had.
Upon recondition from a pal, I got the vegetarian platter, which comes with spanakopita, stuffed grape leaves and tzatziki. which they graciously allowed me to sub for the eggplant dip. I loved everything! My favorite was the spanakopita which was amazing! Like so amazing I had to force myself to stop eating it so I could take home and extend the experience to the next day! Also, with the app and the generous Greek salad that came with my meal I had more than enough food!
We finished with the baklava, which was very tasty as well!
The service and food were tops! We will def not be waiting another 5 years before checking them out again.

Depends if you’re going for atmosphere versus chill. I would take Grecian Corner over Athena for a combination of pricing and also purely for Grecian Corner’s souvlaki. Athena does a great souvlaki, but Grecian does it better. Athena also has a great Spanakopita appetizer, which I really recommend.
Overall, nothing will likely disappoint. From the simple stuff like hummus and pitas to salads to souvalki, Athena does it excellently. Worth checking out.
Parking is easy.
Service is great.

Got to try some take out from here for lunch today, and it was all very, very good. The Chicken Souvlaki ($ 6.25 with a side of Fries) was excellent. The chicken is tender & moist, no dryness here, the pita was nice, and the whole wrap came together with tomato, lettuce, and the Tzatziki Sauce, which is outstanding. The FFs were super, as well.
The Spanakopita appetizer ($ 5.25) was very well done, flaky and full of flavor. The size is enormous, plenty for sharing. The Horiatiki Salad with Chicken ($ 10.25) is large, with a huge block of feta cheese to be crumbled on it. Unfortunately the chicken was really dry, and really detracted from the salad.
The Gyro Plate ($ 11.25 with rice & lemon potatoes) is pricey, but absolutely excellent. The meat is apparently prepared in the authentic manner, cut into thin strips, and is plentiful, tender, void of dryness, and loaded with flavor — as good as any in the Triad area. Both the Lemon Potatoes (mild lemon flavor) and the Rice were excellent, as well. The combination of these 3 items makes this a killer plate, and the portions are huge.
This restaurant is more upscale than its tiny competitor further down Stratford, has waiter service, and is definitely more expensive — but for the most part, this is some fine, authentic Greek food.

The perfect place for a family lunch, kids and all.
Second trip on a Saturday afternoon. First time we, daughter and son-​in-​law, their two kids, both under 5, and «grammy» did the usual geek fare. couple of appetizers, gyros, fries, etc. all very good. nice large portions, good service.
Our second trip, same group, plus an additional adult child, celebrating my daughters B-​day (this was her 1^st choice for lunch).we went for the OCTAPODI SKARAS /​Char-​grilled octopus in a vinaigrette dressing, KEFTEDES /​
Pan fried Greek meat balls, SPANAKOPITA /​Phyllo dough stuffed with fresh spinach, Feta cheese and herbs and GIGANTES /​Giant lima beans with fresh herbs and tomato as appetizers. Octopi was excellent, Meatballs crusty with a great soft, almost creamy center, spanokopita was light, crispy and very flavorful, giant limas are really good, and a hit with my grand-​daughter, age 3 .
Main course was the Mixed Grill, YIANNI’S PIKILIA PLATTER /​Gyro, Chicken, Pork Chops, Lamb Chops and Greek-​style sausage all grilled to perfection, accompanied by a large Greek salad, rice, lemon potatoes and vegetables. Excellent flavor, plenty of food, and a bargain to feed 5 adults and 2 little kids. You can’t go wrong with this if you’re feeding a crowd.
We wiped it out and left feeling well satisfied and knowing that we’ll be back.
On the way out we saw the presentation of SAGANAKI /​Imported Greek cheese, flamed in brandy, served as an appetizer. that’s on our menu next time. It smelled heavenly.
go, eat, you won’t be disappointed ! And being there on a Saturday afternoon, with little kids at our table, and the one next to us as well, no one’s complaining you’re interrupting their dinner. Have fun !

A new favorite for my family. The menu is a nice mix of simple pitas and salads, traditionals like Moussaka and Spanakopita, and some funky seafood dishes.
Our Hummus appetizer was very tasty with soft warm pita bread. The server helpfully suggested adding some sliced cucumbers along with the pita, so my gluten-​free daughter could also enjoy.
Gyro meat was tender and flavorful and looked to be sliced off the cylinder, not uniform strips from the freezer like many local Greek posers. Chicken souvlaki was moist and tender. Greek salads were very fresh. Lemon potatoes (boiled) were tart and zingy, with a very generous portion. Green beans were the only disappointment — bland, mushy and overcooked. We all wished for some fresh vegetables with our entrees.
Desert crepes were OK. Good to try once, but I will skip on my next visit.
Co-​owner and hostess Sofia is a gem — warm, inviting and attentive.

Jerry and I started with a couple of appetizers at Athena Greek Taverna. The Kalamari Tiganito were tender rings of squid with a light breading, deep fried until the outside was golden and crisp. The kalamari was served with a side of marinara sauce for dipping and several wedges of lemon. Next time, we will ask if they can include some tentacles; they are my favorite. The Melitzanes & Kolokithia stole the show. Sliced eggplant and zucchini had been fried and was served with a dish of Scordalia (a spread of potatoes mixed with loads of wonderful garlic).
Our entrees came with a Greek salad (iceberg lettuce, red onion, cucumber, green bell pepper, kalamata olives, tons of feta cheese, and sliced tomato with a vinaigrette style dressing). The server brought us a basket of bread for the table. My entrée was the Moussaka. It was a huge. The top layer was a custard style bechamel sauce. Underneath this thick, creamy topping was a layer of ground meat seasoned with lots of herbs and nutmeg. The bottom layer had roasted zucchini & eggplant and sliced potatoes. It was served with rice.
Jerry had the Souvlaki Combo with Lamb, Chicken, and Pork. He selected the Lemon Potatoes and Green Beans as his two sides. Well-​seasoned, with a slight bit of char from the grill marks, and served with a side of tzatziki for dipping, the flavorful meats were lean and tender. The lamb had a bit of pink in the middle and was our favorite.
I ordered the Galaktoboureko. It had layers of thin, buttered phyllo that sandwiched a unique custard made with fine semolina. It was soaked and rested in sweet syrup. Jerry tried the nutella and coconut crêpe. They gave us fair warning that it would take 10 minutes or so to prepare the crêpe. It was definitely worth the wait. The crêpe itself was excellent. I think the heavy shredded coconut detracted a bit from the simple elegance of the dessert. I would stick to the jam or hazelnut chocolate spread next time.
We enjoyed our dinner at Athena Greek Taverna and look forward to returning. What’s your favorite Greek dish? Please check out our food blog at
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Have you ever had saganaki? If you answered no and you enjoy eating cheese then you are really missing out! It is this delicious greek cheese that they pour brandy over and light on fire in front of you, it turns into hot, melty, deliciousness. Athena Greek Taverna serves a delicious saganaki dish and I definitely recommend it if you eat here. I also recommend the avgolemono soup. I have had this soup at many a greek restaurant and it is my favorite by far!
The gyro plate is also good here if you want to go with your basic greek staple. The potatoes are very lemoney. If you get the soup and the lemon potatoes you will be on a bit of a lemon overboard but its worth it.
The service is very friendly. The atmosphere is okay, not exactly the place you want to go on for a romantic date. The prices aren’t bad but, if you are like me and have huge eyes and a much smaller stomach the bill does add up quickly!