Greek Deli & Catering

Avgolemono. Need I say more?
Ok, fine. Avgolemono over orzo. With Greek salad. With that piece of dense, chewy bread.
If that doesn’t entice you, nothing will.

I love this place… except for the constant line out the door! It’s right by my office so we stop by for lunch fairly frequently. Make sure to check out the daily specials — often your best bet and constantly changing! The salads are HUGE, but it’s a lot of iceberg lettuce and whatnot. I’d recommend getting an entrée, soup. stuff you can’t make yourself. We also did catering for a work lunch once and the service was amazing (and the food too). I highly suggest you look into them when catering an office meal. Messy but delicious!

Who doesn’t love Greek Deli? The line is long but worth it. I loved the side salad so much last time I got a full salad this time. BIG MISTAKE. Get the platter or the gyro with the side salad. The full salad is a disappointment, even with falafal. Don’t kid yourself: you waited in that line, you’re worth getting the whole meal for.

Best greek food I’ve had in my life. The gyros can’t be beat, quick/​great service, and huge portion size.

Definitely a good gyro. Excited to try different things! Very quick if the line isn’t too bad

The very best food, always, every time. Don’t walk there — run! I have never eaten anything made by Kostos (the owner) that was not «oh my god» wonderful.

Yes the line is long. Yes you will receive a gigantic serving of food. Yes you really should know what you want to order by the time you get to front of the line. Yes, Kosta may tell you to hurry up. But all in all it is well worth it. The portions are enormous and the food is always fresh and delicious. There are also daily specials that are fantastic. Love this place.

I love this place. The vast majority of the food is excellent. Huge portions for a decent price (since I get 2 meals from each visit). Stick to the ‘Specialties’ (entrees) over the sandwiches. The sandwiches are good, but not exceptional. Try the Greek Combo– it has at least 4 different main course items, veg, beans and orzo. That is my go to for lunch and then dinner with the leftovers.
The owner can be a bit soup natzi intimidating, but the cashier is friendly and will answer questions. The line can get long. My only complaint– the bread is usually very dry and hard. Maybe it is supposed to be that way?
Minimal little seating outside.

Women get that Debbie downer once a month, and then there are some guys who are always on their period. The soup Nazi here is one of those guys. I’m sure he gets some kind of pride in being the best asshole he can be. Not only him but his staff as a whole has the same low morale and look miserable. If making food makes you so miserable, maybe you should all stop and do something else. Then again, putting a blob of Fage yogurt in a box with teddy bear honey and walnuts and charging $ 5 seems like a great way to empty pockets and make a scamaliscious living. I might go for lunch sometime to experience the lines and their other heart attacking dishes. Until then, congrats on your 1 star!

Best meal I’ve had in ages! I’m literally humming at my desk while savor in each bite because it’s THAT good. I got the gyro and the lemon chicken soup. I could live off of this! Their fresh bed, which they include a slice of is also delicious. And the quantity? HUGE portions! My new go to spot.
I will admit, however, that i came here for the first time last week and I tried their Greek salad with chicken. It was very fresh but only okay in taste. The amount of feta, olives and dressing was way too sparse for the size and the chicken was a bit bland. That being said, I can’t even knock them down half a star for this– they deserve all five stars because of how ridiculously good the gyro and soup are. I can’t wait to try their other dishes!
This place made a pregnant woman very happy! Even the baby is doing a happy dance while I eat :-) Extra bonus for fellow pregnant women– all of their feta is pasteurized so you’re good to go!

I have been wanting to try this place for years but never did since they aren’t open on weekends. I was finally in DC on a weekday so I got my chance. I stopped by around 1, late enough that I didn’t have to wait in much of a line but also so late that there was no chicken left for my Greek salad. I opted for gyro meat and liked it, but really wanted chicken. The salad itself was huge and enough for two lunches. It came with the bread that everyone was raving about, which was good, but kind of bland. I regretted not grabbing some butter and ended up dipping it in my dressing, which was a great alternative. The dressing is actually what made my salad so great and is a huge part of why I’m giving so many stars. Now I know why it’s famous!
My total for a large salad was over $ 13, which is kind of pricey, but I’ll be back (and for something a little more authentic and exciting)! Also, a tip: salads aren’t pre-​made, so if you’re like me and hate olives, it’s easy for them to accommodate you.

I guess I ll be the Debbie Downer here, but I don’t understand the hype of this place. I am highly upset that I spent 15+ dollars at this place. I excitedly ordered the lamb platter based on the popularity of this place which is easily observed by the long lines, but I immediately regretted it. The lamb was bearly tolerable, veggies were soggy, rice was bland, and the salad was pitiful. Upside, the bread was okay. Unilocalers led me wrong here.
I have been to Greece, spent considerable time in Athens and Rhodes and had some of the best food ever, so my standards are always set high for Greek food.
After this debacle, I have trust issues with Greek restaurants.

Honored to be the 400^th review for Greek Deli! This place is a downtown staple. Always great food with a menu that changes everyday. Go ahead and get the meatballs or the turkey platter, can’t go wrong. The soups are awesome and perfect for those wintery days in DC. The owner and his nephew run the place and there is often some interesting conversations going on between the 2 of them. Yelling if you are really lucky!
I tend to avoid the veggies there as they are cooked too much for my taste but I enjoy pretty much everything else they sell.
Tip: Line is always long and out the door at lunch. Get there early for a better experience.

Meh, I was disappointed. Decent enough, but my Falafel sandwich was overpriced (almost $ 10 for a small portion) and there’s nowhere to sit inside this place! I had to eat my meal standing outside around the corner, awkwardly. It’s definitely just a carryout type place. I did like the hummus and Falafel pieces in my pita sandwich, but the portion did not justify the price. I’d probably only order from there again if I was ordering in bulk for an event (I don’t anticipate ever having to do that, though). The service was friendly and the meal was filling enough, but just not really worth the price.

Always a line at this place during lunch time. I stopped there one day around 11a though and there was no one in line so I decided to try it. The food was great, I had the meatballs over orzo with some bread. Everything tasted great, even the bread was awesome. Now I know why people people wait in line all day for this place.

A little bummed when I came last Thursday at 3 pm, they were out of two things I really wanted: avgolemono and spanakopita. Nevertheless, the gyro sandwich and sides were good. I ordered a slice of bread and dolmades for my sides for one platter. I tried the sides of the second gyro platter (orzo and feta and Greek salad) and thought they were ok. The bread was great.
At nearly $ 30 for two platters, it seemed expensive, but I agree with the guy working behind the counter that the ingredients were fresh. Apparently, the owner has everything down to a science and makes enough for each day. I’d beg to differ since I wasn’t able to receive what I desired, but I’d be willing to give the place another try.

Wednesday, 1:45 PM.
Line out the door and nearly obstructing the sidewalk. Dayum!
Quickie:
+ Good food
+ Menu variety
+ Friendly staff
+ Turnaround
– Cleanliness
And then???
D.C. gem.
**********
Stuffed my face in:
1. Special: lamb with rice
+ Sauce was delicious
— Meat was too try
Constructive comments:
*Option for compost
*Sustainable sourcing and practices

Uhm… so I’m probably going to get grilled for this but yeah was not happy or satisfied with my meal. Came right before the lunch hour rush which already had a line and was so STOKED to try this place out after all these reviews.
Ordered their famous meatloaf and took probably 3 bites total. The portion is HUGE — they probably threw on a slab of 1.5 lb meatloaf with some marinara sauce. The meatloaf was bland and lacked spices and it was pretty oily. The vegetables they had as a side were green beans and were just overcooked soggy and tasteless. The side salad was also just a side heaping of lettuce, one cucumber, and two tomato slices. No flavor. Nothing special.
Definitely was not the best meal I have had.

Looking for Greek Deli? No address needed, just look for the insanely long line of people waiting outside on the street between L & M on 19^th during lunch time (longer than Chopt!). Of course I had to try this place and see what inspired everyone to wait in line on both very warm and very cool days. Turns out the wait and the line are totally worth it. I don’t think I can add anything to the hundreds of rave reviews about the gyros, spanakopita or the soulvaki so I won’t bother. They are all delicious — try them.
What I will say is one of my personal favorites is the Greek yogurt with walnuts and honey. This stuff is amazing and always my go to for a late-​afternoon snack. Thick, creamy and very clearly home made, this stuff is the perfect treat to get you though that 3pm lull. Added bonus is by that time there isn’t a line to wait through.

Can I give this place six stars?
The spanakopita, the souvlaki and the green beans were on par with some of Chicago’s best Greek restaurants (Psistaria and Greek Islands). I have been looking for good Greek food since moving to D.C. and I have found my spot. The phylo on the spanakopita reminded me of my yiayia’s (obviously it will never be fully replicated, but close is still an immense compliment).
I wish this place were sit down, that the lamb were less fatty, and that the portions were smaller and the price decreased relative to the portions. Ultimately though, these complaints are so minimal relative to what what an absolutely amazing experience.
Efharisto poli!

«Let’s go to the Greek deli.»
«Sure, what’s it called? Is it that grk place?»
«No. It’s called Greek Deli.»
And that’s how I found myself waiting in the line out the door at Greek Deli.
This is a carry-​out place only, so don’t panic too much when you see the line. It’s just hungry folks ordering food, getting it, and walking out. BUT they also have all kinds of Greek food goodies for you to purchase in their small shop. Phyllo? Got it. Nice olive oil? Yup. All the necessary spices? Uh-​huh. Baklava? You betcha! Feta? Sure. A LOT OF FETA LIKE AN OBSCENELY-​SIZED BLOCK? Okay fine, just keep your voice down.
I went for the lamb souvlaki because I was in a lamb-​y kind of mood, ya know?
IT WAS DIVINE. I wish I had asked them to hold the feta (I hate cheeses and feta is one of my LEAST favorites) as they got a bit unbearable in particularly feta-​y bites. But oh man, I only wish this was less messy to eat, I feel like I wasted a lot of the delicious flavor wiping my hands multiple times. It was juicy, flavorful, balanced… everything I ever wanted. I don’t know why I don’t eat Greek food more (probably the feta scaring me) but I am definitely going to be eating more of it thanks to Greek Deli.
JUST JUMP IN LINE. TRUST. EAT. THANK.

Yiassou! Greek Deli is short and sweet and awesome.
I am only one of those things when it comes to writing reviews. You decide which :)
There is no BS. This is not fine dining. This isn’t that stupid Gyro place in every city that can’t even pronounce the word correctly. This isn’t Greek street food either. This is something extraordinary and special. While I won’t dare compare it to some of the older and more legendary establishments in this city, I will venture that Greek deli has catered to everyone from tourists and dignitaries, to locals and lobbyists who know what good food is.
This the heart-​and-​soul Greek cooking, done by the same Greeks who were doing it back when I first moved to DC a decade ago. Kostas is a class act, who always responds to my crappy, broken Greek with a certain amount of patience and a certain amount of «Greek humor» as they say. The younger men and women are friendly, helpful to the uninitiated, and always on-​the-​go to keep the sometimes-​gigantic line moving.
Enjoy the sun, there is no awning. You may be tempted more than once to just say «forget it» and go to a local chain nearby. Hang in there — you will be rewarded.
The only things I can recommend are the things that have never changed. Specials are posted daily, and some are better than others. But you can’t go wrong with the roasted chicken, the green bean side dish, the Greek meatballs, the potatoes rival those of my own Yaya, and (I remember this from LONG before I had to go gluten-​free) — the bread is thick and fresh and warm, and it is just amazing during those rainy winter months.
Yes, you want Feta on everything. Why wouldn’t you?
There is olive oil on nearly anything. Dieters be warned. Sometimes they literally sprinkle a gallon can of olive oil over fresh potatoes. It’s good for you!
There is a little seating to the side, but walk a few blocks south and you’ll have a nice park to sit in. Fact is, most people I know are taking this food back to their desks, having killed most of their lunch break waiting in line. You know what? I was STILL worth it.
Efharisto Kostas, you keep my hope for honest Greek food in America alive.

Review #450 goes to Greek Deli.
Most things in DC are not worth waiting in line for, especially food-​wise, but I will make an exemption for the Eastern Market breakfast, Ben’s Chili Bowl (as a social experience, since I don’t like their chili), Roses Luxury, and Greek Deli. Opened in 1990, Greek Deli is a staple lunchtime spot for the old Dupont/​Farragut/​Golden Triangle area that came back first from DC’s lost years in the 80s. If you spend any amount of time here waiting, you will inevitably be greeted and chat with the owner, Kostas. Loud, friendly, and rightfully proud of his home cooked food, Kostas will gladly help you make your selection if you are a first timer, or make small talk if you’ve been coming here regularly for years.
Since this is nowhere near my office, I inevitably end up here when I’ve got an errand in the neighborhood (my eye doc is out here) and I manipulate my schedule to end up here before or after the lunch rush to grab some food. Everything I’ve tried here has tasted like someone’s grandma made it, with the corresponding large portions that an immigrant grandma would foist on you. I’ve really enjoyed the popular staples like gyro, moussaka, and the orzo and green beans are tasty. If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, try the avgolemoni soup (lemony chicken soup). And grab some baklava, because everyone could use some more baklava in life.

It was a sunny afternoon, perfect weather for waiting in the Greek Deli line. Although the line queues up way past the door, it moves fairly quickly. If it’s your first time, look at the menu online before you if you have trouble making up your mind (like me). Once you get to the register, you don’t have a lot of time to mull over your options, but that’s what makes the line go faster for everyone. Once you pay, slide to the left and wait for your food which will come out quickly. The guy in front of me wasn’t paying attention and went back to the entrance to chat with his friend while waiting and the owner ended up giving us his food (sorry!).
It’s more expensive than other lunch spots nearby, but the quantity of food justifies the price. I ordered the soup and sandwich combo with the lentil soup and lamb gyro pita. The large serving of soup came with a huge chunk of freshly baked bread. I thought the lamb gyro would be sliced meat, but it was more like slow cooked lamb stew. Not really an issue becase all of the food was great and lasted me 2+ meals. Combo plates are hearty and come with a meat, orzo, vegetable, greek salad, and bread.

The pork special was fantastic! Sooo juicy and cooked to perfection. The special also came with a HEALTHY portion of orzo, veggies, and bread all for $ 12. The amount of food was a bit insane and I ended up stuffing myself. The second half of my work day was sluggish to say the least.
They also had a Soup Nazi (Seinfeld) guy behind the bar. He was yelling «NEXT!» and you had better be ready to go.
You can find the place on 19^th by looking for the long line out the door. Enjoy!