Greek Taverna

Tried it tonight because we heard great reviews. Both my boyfriend and I got food poisoning, We had the cold appetizer sampler (the hummus tasted like cement). I got the gyro platter and he got a traditional lamb dish! Soo sad!

We made reservations for the day my daughter graduated Montclair state. YEAH!!! We love Greek food and we were excited to try this restaurant. We also prefer BYOB places.
We started off with four appetizers, hummus, Melitzanosalata, tzatziki dip and an apricot and goat cheese appetizer called Katsikisio.
We absolutely loved all of them! Our waiter Greg was extremely attentive and professional and never let our glass get empty. For dinner some of us had the lamb kebabs, one of us had a chicken platter and the rest of us had the Gyro platter. Delicious!!! And the owner gave complementary shots of Grappa in celebration of our daughters graduation! We highly recommend this restaurant. Oh and there was onsite parking which is always a plus in Montclair.

This place has long been very popular, so reservations are a must and it obviously has many devoted customers.
BYO with large portions and its own parking lot – all major plusses in Montclair.
I have not always been impressed with the food (all the Greek standards) – from pretty good to overcooked. It is also very loud, especially when, as it often is, it is crowded.
Casual décor, service has varied from very good to so-​so.

I was disappointed. I came here last week for lunch. I ordered the fried fish and chips. The fish was greasy, and the homemade fries were burnt. No pictures because I was at a business function, but trust me it was bad. The only good thing I can say is that the portions were large. The fish was ok once you got past the greasy coating. The service was good, and the bread basket was good.

I went to the Greek Taverna around lunch time with my mother. I love the interior. The gyro was amazing ! The portions were great and so was the service. I will be visiting again !

Amazing service! Great food. The levraki fish was absolutely delicious and top it off with their baklava cheesecake!

I came here for one thing only. Gyros. My friend and I came here a couple of days ago. Our waiter was super informative and almost persuaded me into buying all the specials of the day. (I’ll definitely come back to try them.) The gyros were heavenly, the tzatziki sauce was delicious with the lamb. And the baklava was so delicious. I’ll come back for more especially their fish selections.

Some of the best Greek food (and best service!) I have had in NJ.
We ordered the grilled Cypriot cheese for an appetizer, which was delicious. Since I am a vegetarian I ordered the appetizer sampler for two as my entrée, which was more than enough food and as long as you’re not craving a hot dish, provides a nice variety of some Greek classics. The tzatziki and hummus were both excellent, and their dolmas were the best I’ve ever tasted. We also had the cheesecake baklava for dessert, which was a tasty spin on a classic Greek dessert.
This place is a bit out off the beaten path from many other restaurants of its caliber in Montclair, but the service was excellent and the staff was incredibly kind. I will definitely be back!

So…
This was my first time at Greek Taverna. Beforehand, I had stopped by a popular restaurant in the Ironbound section of Newark since I had a taste for seafood. However, it was PACKED and their was a 2 hour wait for just ONE diner. I should have known the place would be extremely crowded since it was the Eve of Valentine’s Day.
I had been seeing the eye appealing billboards all over the place for Greek Taverna so I figured I’d go there to satify my seafood craving. I called ahead of time and asked if they were still taking reservations and was told they were. I made reservations for 6:30pm and arrive 2 – 3 minutes early.
I walked in and there were 2 «hostesses» at the front entrance; both were polite… one gave a slight smile and the other one none at all and not overly excited to see me. Lollll…
Anyhoo, I was seated and my server came over to me right away. I wanted to sit in a different spot (I was in a spot where people would be walking back and forth past me and behind me… servers…patrons… who had to use the restroom) but he was reluctant to move me because I was seated in #his section. Maybe he needed the tip. I don’t know. So… I appeased him and wound up staying at the table I was seated. He was very nice… so much so that he kept flirting with me the whole time I was there; not a good look!
I perused the menu but had difficulty seeing what was on the menu due to the #poor lighting in the place. I had to use the light from my cell to see it. I ordered the fried calamari for my #appetizer. Bad choice. It had NO flavor. Let me just say I’ve had PLENTY of calamari in my day so I know good tasting calamari when I well… taste it. My flirting server asked me how it was and I told him it was flavor-​less. He asked me if I wanted something else in it’s place and I said, «No thank you.» He took it back and he told the owner what the issue was and he came back and said it would be taken off the bill. Let me just say that the OWNER needs to step up her «people skills.» She never came over to my table to say ANYTHING about the calamari and my dislike of it nor to apologize about it. She knew «I» was the one who sent it back too because I watched as the waiter went to her and told her about the issue.
My #main course was a shrimp dish with mushrooms, feta cheese and some type of tomato sauce with rice on the side. Now, I must say that this dish was tasty and the shrimp were a nice size, although the actual portion size of the dish was kind of small for the price.
I told my server I woulddn’t allow the calamari to deter me from coming back but I UNintentionally… lied. Now that I’m thinking about my experience as I write this dissertation of a review, I more than likely will NOT be returning. It wasn’t a horrible experience but it wasn’t the greatest either.
So…let’s recap:
1.Poor lighting
2. Service was good (However, I didn’t need to be flirted with every time my server came by my table which was quite often).
3. Appetizer was very bland but main dish was tasty (The portion size is not comparable to the price though).
4. I didn’t mention the parking earlier but will now. They have on-​site parking (I was grateful for that).
5. The owner needs to be more sensitive to the patrons concerns if she wants to remain in business!
6. There is a 99.99 999% chance I will NOT be returning!

I had been a great client of theirs for about a year. Usually had food delivered.
Approximately 5 times in a row I specifically asked for hot sauce with my food.
They always forgot it and I would just let it go.
The final straw came when they did it again and I actually called them to complain.
I spoke with the owner and she actually told me she was too busy running 2 restaurants and could not be bothered with this.
I would not recommend them to anyone at this point with an attitude like that.
They lost a great paying client in the meantime but I guess that does not mean much to them.

Waited 43 minutes with reservations, and when seated — I had to ask to have the table cleaned. I guess it was too loud for the waiter to notice we were seated as I asked (2) bus buys for him, then he toke the others table order then ours — and that couple was just seated. To top it off he messed up our order.
Food was just ok for the price but the loud environment and recent experience will keep me away

This is my first time at the Greek Taverna and my spring salad w/​salmon was delicious! Service was very friendly, I will be back w/​hubby soon.

The food was pretty good, I had the grilled octopus appetizer as a meal and it was above par. (I’m a huge octopus fan so I know what’s good). But, we got to the dessert and it had MOLD!!! I can be forgiving with one dessert having mold but we had TWO different types! Huge disappointment since the actual food was good. The owner came by and gave us some explanation as to why… but still, gross. Not sure if I would try this place again.

All I can say about the place is that the staff is nice. The food was terrible. I would not go back again. Much better Greek Food in the area. My husband liked the vegetarian moussakka, but my husband will basically eat anything (provided it is vegan/​vegetarian).

Honestly the food here is phenomenal — Everything is seriously authentic and absolutely delicious. I was here the other night with some friends, this place is a staple for us, but I must say the service was a little off. My friend asked for no cappers on her salad, then we all go no cappers. They missed an order of chicken to go on top of one of our salads and when we pointed it out it took about 20 min for the replacement order to come out. Nothing horrible but just not the quality I’m used to from this place.
Cannot rave about the food here more though. I of course will be back! — NOTE: DONT FORGET THIS PLACE IS BYOB!

First time here… And last. Not a horrific experience for sure but there’s SO many other places to eat.
Service was slow– we had to keep interupting our conversations at the table to try to (unsuccessfully) get waiters attention for water. At desert, 1 of us got their desert then had to ask twice for the coffees
It was SO loud. They have music playing over the people talking so the people talk louder and I think they turned up the music.
Food was ok
Staff kept hanging around on the bar stools on customer side of the small bar surfing /​using their phones — very unprofessional

THERE IS ONSITE PARKING. in the city of Montclair, this is a huge plus.
I went to Greek Taverna for a rehearsal dinner. We had the back room At off business hours. The food was served family style. Be aware if u reserve this room you have to walk through the restaurant to get to the restroom.
The food was delicious. They make a Greek shepards pie that was phenomenal. Their meatballs were great and desserts were amazing. They made their own pita bread and sides which were delicious. The wine selection was fair but the food was great. It’s not a full bar restaurant.
I would definitely go back for dinner with friends or as a couple.

I’ve been here several times. Great parking lot!!! The servers are attentive and friendly. The food is good, but not the best Greek food I’ve had. Last night we ordered the seafood dish to share and spanakopita (spinach pies). Half the seafood was very good, the other was over cooked :/​the spinach pies were yummy, but the sesame seeds on top take away from the flavor.
The waiter suggested our dessert, A cheesecake cream with a marmalade on top. Taste like sour cream cheese and baby food. Had to send it back. Overall okay food.
They also allow dogs (nope wasn’t a service dog) on the patio which is gross.

Greek Taverna has very good food and is slightly higher in price than other local Greek restaurants. The restaurant has two different rooms separated by a hall way in the middle. One is a very loud and active area and the other, where we sat, was smaller and quiet. I ordered the chicken platter that came with «fries» (sliced potatoes), salad, and pita. The pita was warm with a slight crisp. My chicken was very juicy, I was impressed that it didn’t come out dry at all. I do wish that the salad was more than just lettuce. Some added feta or grape leaves would have made the dish complete.

What happened?
I’ve been to Greek Taverna a number of times over the past couple of years, and it has slowly, steadily gone downhill. Last night pushed me over the «I’m not going back» edge.
Ordered a chicken platter to pick up. Got the food, brought it home — still hot. So psyched.
Open my container, and half the chicken wasn’t cooked through. Had to throw it away.
The amount of raw herbs — didn’t recognize it, thyme maybe? — thrown over the salad greens overpowered everything and made the salad inedible.
The rice was good. I can make rice. I don’t need to go out for rice.
Overall, the reviews for this place are up and down — and while every place can have an off night here and there, when it comes to food not being cooked, I’m moving on.