Athenian Bar & Grill

My favorite place for chicken salad! Keeps a girl full and satisfied. I actually have to eat it as two sep meals and yea it’s just that dang good. I love the warm pita with the tzatziki. The portion matches the price. I also love the lemon chicken soup. I haven’t tried anything else but I’m quite sure everything is delicious. Why change what I already want and crave?

Most reviewers comment on their experiences having lunch here. We made reservations for dinner, telling them it was a birthday celebration. When we arrived at 7PM, there was exactly one other table occupied; that caused some disquiet — how could they prepare excellent food, many being items normally prepared in quantity (one portion of moussaka? how?)?
We started with saganaki — that’s my ground zero measure of what to expect in terms of authenticity — and it was served as multiple lightly fried fingers of cheese on a plate, drenched with olive oil and spices. I’m used to it prepared and served in a metal ramekin, right from under the broiler, cheese still bubbling. The waiter flamed it, served it with the necessary side of pita, saying «Opa!» with his Guatemalan accent — and it was excellent!
Next: A salad, not the classic «village» salad, but entirely acceptable as the prelude to:. The combo plate. It was enormous — two of us shared, still took meals home. Everything on it, from the moussaka to the spanakopita to the souvlaki — lamb and chicken — indeed, every item was as good as I can remember, starting with the restaurants in Baltimore’s Greek community decades ago. How they did this, even though we were their only sit-​down customer — there was one carryout that looked enormous — with nothing tasting as though it had been pulled from a freezer and reheated — is beyond me. Even the moussaka’s bechamel was light and perfect, no way that can be sustained through a reheating.
I went back to thank the chef, of course.

So much yum here! I tried a little of everything — soup, salad, grilled veggies, gyro, bread … and every morsel was flavorful and perfectly seasoned. The cafeteria style line goes quickly, ensuring that you get your lunch in a timely manner. It’s a great value for all the food you get, too.
Just remember, as the proverb goes, «If you eat outside in April, you must fight the grackle.» And apparently the grackle loves gyro as much as I do :(

Best food to have downtown! The place is always clean and the prices are sound. The food taste so delicious and comforting.

I ordered the chicken sandwich and salad combo as a to-​go order because I was on my lunch break and I had a limited amount of time. The food was done quickly which was really impressive. Because it was done so quickly, I decided to eat my lunch there as the atmosphere was really inviting. Good thing I decided to eat my lunch there because I noticed my order was incorrect. I took my sandwich to the counter to get the sandwich remade three times. All in all, the food was just ok. Half of my sandwich contained taziki sauce, while the other half didn’t contain any at all. Lastly, the salad was very bland and the feta was more of a liquid consistency than I typically like.

Don’t mistake this for anything other than what it is: a lunch place. Go in with that, and you will be rewarded.
As others have pointed out, pretty much everything is in the $ 12-​$ 14 range. It’s varying combinations of chicken, gyro, rice, vegetables, tzatziki, hummus. The line gets long but moves fast (and do everyone a favor and have the number you wish to order ready as you’re coming up in queue).
Where this shines above other downtown, lunch, quick service establishments is that the food has both «good» and «consistent» going for it. It’s family run, and most everything is made in-​house (including the giant gyro and chicken logs they slice from). They’re friendly, and show up a few times and they’ll learn your name and regular order.
It’s not the greatest Mediterranean food ever, but it’s very good. It’s not the greatest ambiance, but it’s comfortable. It’s not the cheapest lunch, but there’s great value. Compared to most of the quick service options downtown, this is by far the best all-​around experience. If this is what you’re looking for, then you’ve found it.

Combo salad for the win! An easy never disappointing option if you’re in downtown Austin.

The line goes by super fast. Fastest, loudest service I’ve ever had but they never mess up an order. It’s quite a sight to behold actually.
In terms of healthy options downtown, its not half bad, very tasty actually, though I feel the healthy aspect gets negated for the amount of food they give you. Plenty of meat, vegetables, rice and a healthy sized pita to go with it all. You definitely will leave full. I love gyro meat and there’s is actually not too salty.
That said it is quite expensive for a greek place though the portions do make up for it some.

Minimalist review, since my coworker brought me takeout and I didn’t even step foot in the place. I enjoyed the gyro plate. It came with a meatball, gyros over tasty buttery rice, more tzaziki than any one human needs, a pita that I actually forgot about, and a salad. I was planning on dumping half the tzaziki on the salad but it actually was already pretty creamy and didn’t need much.
I ate it all. It was pretty good. I was full. I wouldn’t say Athenian is a destination, but it’s absolutely a solid lunch option in downtown option and I’d get food here again.

I think this is a great spot to grab a quick lunch downtown. The food is consistently good (chicken was been dry once, but that would be my only complaint on quality). The portions here are large, but the prices reflect that. My friend and I usually split the chicken salad with a side of hummus and it’s plenty of food! I’m typically not a fan of cafeteria style places, but since I work downtown it’s fine for lunch since I often find myself in a hurry.

The owner and his staff are friendly and prompt. We have been eating here for five plus years now and The Athenian never disappoints. The quality of the chicken shawarma is the best in town. The rice is aromatic and the veggies are always fresh. Try a cocktail like the Greek Summer which is freshly squeezed oranges and limes mixed with Greek Uzo. My only complaint is they are only open on weekdays.

One of the better (and maybe only?) Greek places in downtown Austin. You get a ton of food for a reasonable price. Highly recommend for lunch!

Delicious. Really enjoyed myself. Honestly, this is my third time here this week. Highly recommended for lunch or dinner.

A consistently delicious lunch spot downtown. Lunch comes quick on weekdays. Their Chicken Salad and Chicken Plate are very popular.
Order cafeteria-​style on the right when you walk in.
The plating process is lightening quick, so you’ve got to be on your toes if you asked for something special like less sauce.

We were in a hurry to find a restaurant close to the Paramount. Accidentally found this little jewel. Excellent food and service

Huge portions and cafeteria style aren’t really adjectives used to describe high quality Mediterranean food. With that said, Athenian Bar & Grill definitely doesn’t try to hide what it is as the staff rushes you through their Greek food assembly line. Portions are large, but the $ 12-​$ 14 price range reflects that.
If you work downtown and you’re looking for a lunch place to stuff yourself with mediocre Greek food, this is the place for you. If not, don’t bother.

brb super good food
brb super fast food
brb super large amount of food
I LOVE IT

The food is nothing to write about. Salads are swimming in dressing. Meats over cooked. I’ve eaten here three times and was left underwhelmed every time. Food is Greek-​like, not Greek! I wish this place would just get a major overhaul, starting with its recipes, ingredients, and kitchen.

Came in here for a quick lunch with a friend one day and was certainly glad I came with someone who had been there before. The line moves fast and you should know what you want by the time you get up there — no messing around here allowed. I got the chicken plate and was very pleased with the large portions. If you can handle being a bit rushed and someone yelling at you to tell you your order, then you’ll get by just fine here.

Food is decent, if not tipping toward lackluster.
You get a decent portion of food for the price and it comes out pretty fast (cafeteria style).
The building is almost really cool. The ceiling is great, but the rest is pretty bland.
Though the part that bugs me the most about this place is the service. Particularly the cashier. Every time I go in there she’s all smiles with sharp dressed customers. As soon as I get to the register, it’s the «don’t acknowledge this person» treatment. I get my receipt dropped on their side of the counter, minimal interaction and the occasional belittling.

Came here for lunch, not much reason to come back.
Cons:
* Food was dull. Spinach pocket was burned and not very good. Broccoli and cornflour didn’t taste very fresh. Other items were just okay.
* Way overdid it on the salad dressing.
Pretty far from finishing my meal.
Pros:
* Good service
* Cool environment

I come here sometimes for a quick lunch since it’s so close to my building. The line always moves very quickly. I usually order the #1 salad with gyro meat. The dressing for the salad is pretty tasty and they give you some pita bread with the meal. They literally give you so much gyro meat! I usually just save half the meat and put it in the pita bread so I can eat that for dinner so it’s 2 meals! The only negative thing is that this salad is expensive… that’s why I only come every once in a while.

This isn’t amazing food by any means, but it is consistent and I’ve never had a bad experience here. The serving sizes are generous and I never leave hungry. The gyros are pretty good and the bread is always soft and delicious. I really like the tzatziki sauce here as well. Can’t go wrong with a plate here with gyro meat, salad and sides or even just the gyro. Worth checking out for lunch if you’re downtown and don’t want fancy, but want reasonably priced, filling food.

If you worked near by, this place is okay. Not the best Greek Food I’ve ever had but it’ll do if you need to be quick. Its a little cafeteria style in the respect you get your tray and silverware first, then make your way down the line.
As others mentioned in their reviews, the portions are extremely generous. I ended up getting the Greek Salad with Chicken. While the salad was fine and again the portion was very large, the chicken left a lot to be desired. It was cut very thin and it was dry. So dry that I could hardly cut through it with my knife. Eventually I gave up and just shoved big chunks in my mouth & down them with water for moisture.
It was an incredibly nice day out when we went, so my co-​workers and I sat outside on the patio in the alley. Its quite nice but my co-​workers, all of whom have been there before, wanted to sit away from the trees/​fence. When I asked why, they laughed and proceeded to tell me stories how they have been shat on by the many, many pigeons that mill around. Between the sh*tty birds and the dry food, I doubt I’ll be back but again, if you need something quick and you work around the corner, they’d do in a pinch.

3 Stars for the Food and Price
4 Stars for the Convenience and Speed
I have come here a handful of times as I work right down the street and am never NOT in the mood for good Greek food. The amount of food they give you is MONSTROUS and I can definitely eat it for almost 2 meals.
The food is just okay — it is cafeteria style, it is prepared for the masses, the kebab from kebabalicious is much better, but if you want a quick hearty lunch this is it! I also don’t feel like it is the most hygienic. Since it is downtown though, you can have a full lunch for $ 15 which is sometimes hard to do.
Anyways, I will keep coming here whenever the fancy strikes, but it will never exactly blow me away.

I work nearby, and have been probably 10 times. The pros are that the place is actually really nice inside with a somewhat Greek design complete with pillars and a sort of ceiling fresco and an outside area that is ruled by a very hungry mob of pigeons (pigeons not being a pro… be sure NEVER to leave your food unguarded even for 5 seconds).
I also like that they have a bar area. The place has a nicer ‘sit down and be served by a waitress’ feel, however it is a cafeteria style: you get a tray in line, fill up your own drink, drag the tray along rails while the very intense staff puts food on a plate while barking at each other and you, and finally you pay at a register which is tended by the owners, who seem like delightful, unique people.
Now for the cons… given that it is a fast cafeteria style place, and not a sit down restaurant with individually prepared/​served meals, the food seems a bit on the pricey side. For $ 15 for a meal, drink and tax, especially in such a nice place, it seems like waiters should be bringing out individually prepared dishes. But hey, I get it… the market in the area demands faster food prepared for professionals on their lunch break… its just that the prices don’t suggest that. As such, I usually only go once every month or so at the most.
The other thing I’ve noticed isn’t so much a con, but just an observation. I lived in Greece once upon a time… and when I did, I subsisted half the time on $ 3 Gyros. One of my favorite thing about Greek Gyros compared to gyros and kabobs from places like Turkey and Germany, are that they always put a serving of fries (French fried potatoes for all of you old fashioned types), on each gyro. It was a distinctly Greek thing that they did at 100% of the places I’ve been in Greece, from Corfu to Athens to Ios, from the NW of the country to the southern islands, and something that would be great to experience at the Athenian. But hey, its just a personal preference.
Beyond all that, its a pretty good overall place which I will be returning to… in a month or so.

I love this place! My favorite lunch spot during the weekdays. The Athenian chicken salad has a very generous portion of super tasty roasted chicken topped with dressing and Tzatziki. Huge portions and my favorite salad. You grab your food in line and sit so it’s perfect for the quick business lunch. Food is tasty and light.
There’s plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. The servers are super friendly. 5 stars!