Uptown Cafe

I have always wanted to try Uptown Café (UC) at Lawrenceville square and I had it bookmarked a while back. Yesterday I was able to go there for lunch even though the restaurant was closed when I tried to go there once before. This time I called on the phone earlier to make sure it is still open. Yes, UC is open to the public for lunch till around 2 pm.
For lunch, I tried the Lamb and Beef Gyro. I had a small salad with Balsamic vinaigrette dressing. The gyro was very tasty and delicious. The seasoning was just right with a creamy sauce on the side. The salad was fresh and had red peppers, romaine lettuces, onions, cheese and cherry tomatoes in it. I also ordered a cup of mint tea and it came out hot and comforting to the soul. Just the way I like it!
The owner was very friendly and checked on his customers several times to make sure the food was satisfactory. The restaurant is small and cozy. I enjoyed the ethic music in the background and the Mediterranean food was very delicious. It was indeed a sumptuous lunch and I’m so glad to have found this little gem that is not far from home. Do come and check out this place whenever you at Lawrenceville. It is located opposite of the old historic court house at the square. There is ample parking all around the square.
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If you visit this restaurant you may want to call first because the last 3 times I’ve tried to eat there they were closed. I’ve eaten here many times before and the food is very good so I hope they haven’t closed. No sign indicating they are closed for business but after 3 tries before 3 pm one begins to think…

Absolutely the best Gyro place for lunch in Gwinnett! So glad they’re now open consistent hours now :) the food holds up amazingly even after a 20 min drive FYI

First, this place is about 6 feet wide by 20 feet long (the dining area, that is). I saw one guy running it and it’s hard to imaging room for two in that kitchen. You can watch the proprietor chop up fresh veggies, mix sauces, arrange dishes, grill, and deep fry your food, so there’s no chance to hide prefabbed items.
I had the $ 8 Greek salad with feta cheese, three types of leafy greens, black olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, pita (in little pie-​slice shaped pieces around the salad), and (on the side) a not-​very-​sweet vinaigrette dressing. This was bigger than a side salad but smaller than a dinner salad with enough cheese to make it filling for lunch. Despite that, I also ordered a plate of croquettes (about 6) which were about an inch-​and-​a-​half across and three-​quarters of an inch thick. They come HOT and spicy and dark with a FIRM crust and moist interior but with only a slight flavor of salt. They are plated with a small cup of red, tart, moderately spicy fresh pepper sauce which complemented the croquettes well.
I had bottled water from a serve-​yourself fridge with sodas and other soft drinks which faces into the dining ‘space’.
Nothing I ate was quite like anything I have eaten before.
They don’t open until 11AM and I forget the closing hour.
If not for my irrational claustrophobia, I’d give it five stars.

You have no idea how much I love this place. Being of Mediterranean descent, I consider myself slightly well-​versed in food of that region. Trust me when I say that this is the real deal.
This hole-​in-​the-​wall place might be somewhat hard to spot, but once you find it everything is peachy keene. Keep in mind, this joint is EXTREMELY small. I mean, like, there’s probably only 9 or 10 seats inside plus usually 1 or 2 two-​top tables outside, so this is not a good place for groups. That being said, this is a great spot for date night or catching up with a few friends. It’s a mom-​and-​pop run place, and their customer service is amazing. Very sweet people.
I have tried:
–falaffal
–baba ganouche
–lentil soup
–gyro
–dolma
All of which were FANTASTIC.
I’m all about boosting the local economy, so if you have 7 or so bucks to spend and you’re looking for some delicious, fresh, and authentic food, come here. Seriously.

This place is currently closed. I didn’t get a chance to try them out. :(

I’m in Lawrenceville for the week. I was looking for a healthy lunch option with a good Unilocal rating. I was not let down. In fact, I’ll be here for lunch ever day for the rest of the week. Impressed!

Met a friend here for lunch today with little enthusiasm. by the time I left I was in a fantastic mood. Food was good. Customer service was great.
The person who was working was so genuinely nice. I do not want to give the detailed story but trust that the customer service I received here was top notch. I will go out of my way to eat here again some time because I am thrilled to bring my money to these types of businesses.

I LOVED this restaurant. I ate there at least once or twice a week. I use the past tense b/​c the owners have moved :(They sold the restaurant to another couple. I have no idea IF it will re-​open, or when, currently there is a sign that says «re-​opening soon». The previous owners promised that the gyro would stay the same. But they had already changed the delicious seared potato slices to french fries before they left to make it easier for the new owners, so I kind of doubt it. :(

The food here is excellent. Best gyros and greek salads around!
But I can only give three stars because their hours are a little… inconsistent… You show up and they just aren’t open at random times so I would definitely call ahead. Also the woman who co-​owns it is really unfriendly and has even been pretty nasty to a co-​worker of mine. But the food is really good so I’d say just call in your order and then take it to go.

Good «little» joint!
Owners are great, the potato? I’m glad I only received 4 as I could eat a pound of them.
I had the gyro, whyro, wrapro, thing. My wife had the flaflalula, flufflala, thing. :-) sorry, this olé dog don’t know no Greek, but’s I do got’s kollege, :-)
Anyway, it is a great place and as Jessie said It has a NYC kind of feel due to the small narrow size. But yo! That’s character! ;-)
Give them a try and do not be in a hurry.

What a great find! I loved this place; it had a New York restaurant feel when you walk in, small and cozy! The owner is right there behind the cashier, cooking and talking to her customers.
Being a veg head, falafel is one of my favorite middle eastern foods, so I tried the falafel sandwhich. Now, if you are addicted to falafel like me, you know that no two places makes it the same. Sometimes it’s grainy and mushy, sometimes it’s firm and really crispy. Theirs is in between, and spiced very well! I got the falafel sandwhich, and it was great!
When trying a middle eastern place, you can’t not not try their hummus, so we got it, and it was great; again, well spiced and a good consistency.
Just a note: this is NOT a pop in, pop out kind of place. The food is made to order, and the quality is outstanding, but you must wait for such great things. Plus, they post this, heavily, at the door, so you aren’t shocked when you have to *gasp* wait 20 mins for your food to be made. Shut up, sit down, have some baklava, and enjoy the meal!
My boyfriend and I have dubbed this ‘our’ place for special events (anniversaries, special dates, ect) just to give you an idea on how nice this place was for us. He paid, so I can’t say about the prices, but he didn’t comlain, and he’s no stranger to that, so take that how you want!

Absolutely great food. Glad we went. The special made potatoes were very tasty. The service was very good, very nice couple. Will definitely go back.

Warm, wonderful service in a tiny restaurant. Very busy, few tables, tight quarters. But who cares when the food is this sensational?
Reasonable prices, nice menu. Nice couple running the place.
FOOD… this is why you go! Everything seems to be made in their tiny kitchen from the most wonderful ingredients. The hummus is absolutely the best I’ve ever had. Chicken breast was incredible, moist, and perfect. The Kufta (ground beef) was beyond description and will be my next order. But save room for a Baklawa for dessert (probably shared with a friend).
My wife wants to go back for dinner tonight!

We came here on a Thursday afternoon and were amazed at the quality of this place. Everything is made to order from scratch! For the appetizer we got hummus with pita, it was delicious and so fresh! For the main course, I got the lamb gyro and my girlfriend got the falafel sandwich. The gyro came with potatoes which were delicious and the falafel came with a salad. Both dishes tasted great and were definitely worth the wait. The place is the definition of cozy with sitting for only about ten people. It’s definitely a place that we will be coming back to!

What can I say… Gyros were awesome. Being from Chicago, I am used to great Greek food! Uptown Café has the best Gyros I’ve had since moving south!!!
I look forward to trying other items on the menu.
I highly recommend Uptown Café and strongly suggest calling ahead for your order!

What a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful little place! Yes, it is a bit hard to find for a once newbie to the area such as I was, but like all the other glowing positive reviewers have stated here on Unilocal,I find Uptown Café’ to be the BEST little place for Greek, Vegetarian, and Mediterranean in Lawrenceville; heck. I’ll go so far as to say it is the BEST in the Atlanta area period!
Service is top on and super friendly; my fiancé’ and I felt instantly welcomed and right at home here!
The building is cramped yet very inviting, pleasing, and cozy; the place is literally a converted alleyway like those found in many Mediterranean towns and cities so don’t expect much elbow room.
The Food is spot on fresh, authentic, and oh so gloriously good; EVERYTHING from the menu has been a culinary delight, and I vigorously applaud the kitchen for their exquisite presentation and mouth watering deliciousness!
Yes, the wait time for orders can be a bit longer for some people’s expectations or time restrictions (they have take-​out service), but I’ll state that while sitting and waiting for the foods we ordered to be freshly prepared, I leaned back in my chair, closed my eyes, and immersed myself into the intoxicating aromas that quickly fill this little alcove of heaven; the aromas immediately eliciting a jolt to my memory banks of perusing the cities and towns of the Mediterranean some many, many years ago!
Of quick note: parking on the square can be difficult to get at times so take advantage of the free parking deck located on East Crogan St SE right next door to the Lawrenceville Welcome Center; this is just a few minutes walk to get to Uptown Café’.

If you blink, you’ll miss this place. My wife happened to remember seeing this restaurant so we thought we’d give it a try.
Food was above average comparable to other Greek restaurants we’ve been to. Service was very friendly and portions were generous. Will be back.

After trying to stop at Uptown Café for quite some time, I was excited to see the store’s «Gyro» sign glowing bright. At first I was disappointed when I saw that the owner’s had stepped out to run an errand, but they hadn’t gotten too far and came back to grab me some food to go. The restaurant is very small, with about 3 tables and a small bar top against the wall. I ordered a gyro with a salad (you have a choice of seasoned potatoes or a salad). The food didn’t take long at all, and the owners were very accommodating. When I got home, I was surprised at the size of the side Mediterranean salad, which was large enough to be considered a meal for some. The gyro was wonderful, and unlike most restaurants, Uptown gave me plenty of tzatziki sauce.
I really appreciated the owners opening the store back up for me, and felt a little guilty after 3 more customers came in before I left. I pass by the café at least 3 – 4 times a week so I will definitely be stopping by more often.

Amazing little hole-​in-​the-​wall restaurant across the street from the old courthouse in Lawrenceville. I’ve had the gyro and it’s wonderful. The vegetables are fresh and the meat is very good. I doubt they could stuff another thing into that sandwich! Everything is fresh and homemade. Even the gyro sauce is homemade and out of this world. The potato fries are perfectly seasoned and crispy and the unsweet mint tea is refreshing. About my only «complaint» is that the place is too small, but that also adds to the appeal and ambiance. Wonderful find.