Mariakakis Fine Food & Wine

My container lid broke, probably because of poor quality packaging. Poor service from owner who seems rather arrogant.
I didn’t like the quality of some fresh items either

Love this place… but not for the wine. Just the food. Baklava to be exact. I’m addicted to their 2 ginormous flaky, honey drenched triangles in a plastic box for $ 3. This deal seriously puts other baklava to shame in the area b/​c it seriously weighs a pound and is literally the size of your fist. Eating their baklava here in one bite gives «fisting» a whooooole new meaning.
Other than that, as others have said good groceries for all the necessary canned, frozen, bottled and «squeezed» variety of Greek and Mediterranean food items you would need to self assemble your own Greek festival. Better yet, they also have Bulgarian sheep feta sold in the plastic buckets! That’s the kind of thing that makes my old Bulgarian friends happy. Some of the assorted cheese section can be cut to order — the friendly guy behind the counter is always ready to… er, cut the cheese. And the prices and selection on this region of cheese styles (i.e., feta) is infinitely better and cheaper than Whole Foods or elsewhere. That imported brined14 oz. «bucket» of Bulgarian sheep’s milk feta runs $ 6.29 which is *clearly* cheaper for the quality and much better tasting than the sanitized «dry» versions you find at WF or TJ’s. The phyllo sheets they sell here are also *much*, *much* cheaper than elsewhere in the vicinity. A ~13 sheet package of the thicker #7 (about a lb) runs you less than $ 3 and is versatile enough for your everyday stuff from mini-​spanikopita to your own baklava. If you need advice on advice on different thickness and types, fear not — the handy owner/​guy behind the counter is *always* there to help. He’s SUPER nice and I love how he always says «thank you for supporting us» at the end of each transaction. A seriously nice guy and one of the best deals in the area for phyllo, feta and baklava alone.
FWIW, my coworker’s Greek wife swears by this place and Mariakakis also is a sponsor for the St Barbara’s Greek Festival held yearly at East Chapel Hill High School. Regardless, I’m addicted to their crackalicious baklava and can’t help stopping by on walks/​rides that just *happen* to pass by MFF&W.
Other stuff: No free wifi, but plenty of other signals abound nearby.

Excellent selection of middle-​eastern groceries (giant dried white beans!) A surprising and reasonably priced selection of wines and the expected baklava. Make the trip.

Great place to find lesser known gourmet food items like European noodles, such as halushkies, and Greek caviar… Which is a lot like Japanese mentaiko, so I use it for mentaiko spaghetti. Yummy.

Cute small shop selling Greek and Mediterranean foods, sundries, and delicacies. Sold here: baklava, tins of olive oils, tomato paste soid in tubes, boxes of phyllo dough in the freezer, huge blocks of different types of feta cheese, Jordan almonds, and oh did I mention baklava? They sell probably the best baklava I’ve ever had. It’s fresh and super thick with endless layers of flaky phyllo and nuts. When you bite into it, the honey just oozes out all over your fingers and plate. Just talking about the baklava makes my teeth hurt, but it is so incredibly delicious with a strong cup of coffee or better yet, flaked and crumbled into a small bowl of vanilla ice cream. I’d recommend coming here just for the baklava — about $ 3 will buy you two large pieces (and subsequent trips to the dentist).

This is an absolutely delightful deli, wine, and specialty shop. Located just off the bustling 15 – 501, this shop is worth a pit stop.
Most who find Mariakakis probably happen upon it by accident as its storefront is non-​descript, and the other shops around it are equally normal looking. But those who venture inside are sure to experience a friendly knowledgeable staff excited to share their products with you.
Most of what they have is imported and specialty, though not overpriced. They have the best wine selection I’ve come across in Chapel Hill, all labeled by region of origin which is fun. Their food selection is neat with staples for whatever ethnic cuisine you’re hoping to prepare.
On top of that their deli is superb with a great pastry selection as well. If you’re looking for that hard to find product for your favorite home-​cooking, a great and original bottle of wine, or a high quality lunch on the go Mariakakis won’t disappoint.