Nikos Nikos Greek

10/31/09

Good Food, Great Location, Gouged Prices

by waxdragon76 at Citysearch

The absolute best thing at Niko Niko's are the oven potatoes. How good can you get? Sprinkle some more of the seasoning over them, extra seasoning is in parmesan cheese shakers on the tables, and we are talkin.'

The Pork Chops are delicious! They are marinated in olivie oil, lemon, and garlic. I must say, though, that the chops are thinner than they used to be.

The lamb kebob is a good choice, also. The lamb and veggies are cooked perfectly.

How can you go wrong with gyros? Simple, delicious, satisfying. If you crave something on the lighter side, the pesto salmon and trout are lovely, as well.

Now that the weather is turning colder, I have to recommend that you try some of their coffees. They are never a disappointment,. They even have hot cocoa for the kiddos, or the kiddos at heart.

So, with that said, what are the bad things about Niko Niko's?

The Parking - I hate thinking back to when there was no new parking lot and we had about a dozen spaces in the lot and maybe 6 in the front to work with. We all knew the drill, park alongside the street. Now that the parking lot has been expanded, guess what? We still know that there is a chance we have to park on the street again because they also explanded the outside and the left side of the restaurant.

The Serveware & Utensils - With these prices, why oh why are we still eating on stuff I do not even serve at my BBQs? I saw a fellow reviewer mention the amount of trash they must go through. Indeed.

Prices & Portions - I know the economy is suffering and to buffer the prices of expansion, Niko Niko's has reduced portions and raised prices. Did they think those that go there often would not notice? The heaping serving of fries and the thick cut pork chops are not what they used to be. We are definitely paying for not only the expansion, but the location. Niko Niko's has an excellent patio people watching setup.

I adore Niko Niko's. They have me hooked and while I do not like some of the changes, or lack of, where else can I get that wondeful passion fruit iced tea? Those delectible oven potatoes, the cool tzatziki sauce, the tasty marinated feta cheese (which is why it is not served crumbled, do not be so lazy) and the sweet naughty honey balls...

NOM!

• Pros: Oven Potatoes, Location
• Cons: Prices, Parking, Serveware

06/03/09

Pretty Good

by getnbetter at Citysearch

We have always enjoyed the food and the service, however the plastic forks always break, you would think they would upgrade to something a little more sturdy considering the prices they charge. I will recommend to atleast eat here once.

• Pros: Friendliness
• Cons: Plastic Ware is too cheap.

04/23/09

Treasure with alot of TRASH!!

by sms216 at Citysearch

I just recently dined at Nikos Nikos for the first time and the food was delish, service was great and I defo look forward to returning however in this day and age how can such a popular restaurant get away with serving EVERYTHING in disposable containers?!

Plates and bowls are styrofoam, cups and utensils are plastic - everything goes in the trash. I do not even want to begin to imagine how much trash this restaurant produces...

Like I said - this was my first visit and in my haste for a gyro maybe I walked by the "We Recycle" sign or just didn't take notice of their recycling bins (please, please tell me you guys recycle at least some of what is tossed...) but, when as a society we are being taught to be mindful of the amount of trash we produce, to recycle what we can, and even bring our own bags to grocery stores I cannot believe that we may one day have to bring our own plates and cups to dinner at Nikos Nikos.

I really hope I am wrong but I expected more from a Houston landmark such as Nikos Nikos - time to get eco-friendly guys...!!

• Pros: Quick counter service, nice patio
• Cons: Disposable EVERYTHING!!

02/08/09

Great flavor but the portions are getting smaller

by eatsleepandship at Citysearch

Love the gyro plate and their used to be enough to have leftovers for lunch the next day. But the servings have shrunk so the 'value' part of the equation has caused a star to be lost. Still some of the best greek food in the city.

11/21/07

A Greek and American Delight

by nineeightylunchclub at Citysearch

Improved parking! Compared to prior customer's postings, Niko Niko's has improved their parking situation. The new outdoor seating is really nice, and on a day like ours it made for a very enjoyable outdoor meal for the lunch club. Portions were very generous and this was an overall "good" value. Perhaps even, a great value. The kitchen pushes out quality food and fast with excellent technical skill. Very consistent throughout our lunch club's meals. This is a very casual place and the plates and utensils match the (cheap food) theme with all disposable plastic wares (seemingly from Sam's Club). The disposable wares (are they earth friendly?) seemed out of place while enjoying the new outdoor patio.

Highlights:

The Soutzoukakia (Greek meatballs in tomato sauce) was outstanding. We were warned this dish would take extra time to prepare (at least 20 minutes). It is worth the wait and recommended for all to try if you can spare the extra time. Patio Seating (music, lights, fans ). Greek Passion Tea. Quality Food - Gyro, Feta/Spices, Potato Wedge Fries, etc. Restrooms were Clean.

Lowlights:

The Greek salad was rather underwhelming. Although the feta and spices were good, the ice berg lettuce seemed rather flat (regular "cheap" fare). Potential Parking Problem - Rainy weather could create a mud pit in the newly opened parking lot. Long Lines, but move quickly - Get there early for lunch! Gyro Plate (not the same Greek effect as the Gyro sandwich). Traffic (What can you do?). The Chicken Greek Salad meal - overloaded with dressing and stemmed iceberg on the cheap side. Beverage Station - location prior to ordering food causes confusion amongst patrons in line.

09/10/07

food... is worth all the parking lot hassles!

by plushpalate2 at Citysearch

Great food! Don't be deterred by the long lines because they're suprisingly fast. Love the gyros, lemon potatoes and hands down, one of the best (and biggest serving size) pork chops around town. The fries have changed a bit but all the same, it's still satisfying. Carpool with your friends during dinner/lunch or else, one of you will be stuck circling the parking lot/block for a parking spot!!

• Pros: food, casual setting, portion size
• Cons: parking!!.. don't go in the midst of lunch because the line will be out the door!

11/21/06

decent greek food, not so much for ambience

by missorenishii at Citysearch

this quaint greek restaurant tucked in the heart of montrose gives a hole-in-the-wall-fast-food-joint vibe. the ambience is much to be desired of, but the decent greek food more than makes up for that. it's a great place for a quick bite to eat or when you're in a hurry and need fast service.*

• Pros: decent greek food
• Cons: ambience, parking

11/13/06

Yumo! French Fries

by bigeaterchica at Citysearch

Always consistent and good food. Very comfortable outdoor seating. Love those french fries and pitas are always fresh. Thank you for caring Demetrious!

• Pros: Delicious French Fries
• Cons: Parking

11/07/06

A compromise for Greeks, but generally good

by texas_flood at Citysearch

My perspective is a bit biased, after living in Greece for many years. I get the impression someone without the Greek experience would be pretty happy here. Generous portions, good food, fun atmosphere. For a Greek its more tricky. You have to balance the nostalgic experience on the one hand, with Americanized versions of Greek dishes and OK quality cuisine on the other hand. I love Niko Niko's but I'm just being honest. For example, the souvlaki is cut into chunks of meat that are too big (in GR its bite sized, and a small bite at that), the pita is not heated up on the oily stove like it should be for sandwiches, the tzatziki has no taste, and the gyros comes from an unauthentic processed meat log. But you have to accept it this way, I suppose. Americans do want big chunks of steak, don't want greasy bread, and don't want garlicky tzatsiki. Making Gyros the traditional way is too impractical. I will suggest heating up the pita on a dry stove instead of a greasy one. Mythos in Athens does this (new wave of Greek fast food, I guess) and it comes out pretty nice! Like I said, its a compromise. The Xoriatiki Salata is very good, made the way its supposed to be (which is near impossible to find in the US! NO LETTUCE, OK!) The Kreatopita and other pies are excellent. Very very good. Rice and potatoes are awesome. Chicken is awesome. Desserts are fantastic. Wine selection is good. Stuffed cabbage, stuffed grape leaves, and eggplant salad are all A+. Meatballs were overcooked, moussaka did not impress me. It was cafeteria quality. Sorry about that I'm just being honest. Maybe its another Americanized version (there was too much ground meat). So, overall, thumbs up, go check it out... especially the dishes I suggested. Even purists like me will be very happy with some (but not all) of the dishes. I hope this review helps. I'm trying to be as honest as possible, for those who know their Greek food. Kalh opexi!

• Pros: Good food, nice fun setting, REAL Greek food
• Cons: Slightly Americanized. Some dishes below my expectations.

09/20/06

Need to know greek foods!!

by ikes2 at Citysearch

While the food was good and the service was fast with how busy they were, alot of the menu items contained sauces and terms i've never heard of and with how busy the restaurant is I felt there was no one to ask for help deciphering the greek food terms.

• Pros: fast service, good food
• Cons: long lines, parking