Souvla

I had the lamb sandwich; my companion ordered the pork sandwich with Greek fries. The portions were satisfying; the service was quick (within about 5 minutes of ordering). The lamb was on the plain side, with several bits of fat or tendons. The Pork, on the other hand, was moist and tender. I would come back again and try the chicken sandwich or salad next time. We did try the yogurt with baklava topping. It was good, but don’t expect it to be like baklava. It’s worth giving this place a try.

With the ongoing NBA finals and the special start times to capture the largest possible viewing audience, eating before attending a Warriors’ game can prove tricky. A generous (monetary and time wise) friend, picked up meals here for our party of four. Knowing my palate taste, she ordered the Mary’s free range chicken salad (
) for me.
Due to traffic conditions and the 6 pm start time, I held off on eating this salad until after the game. Our kind host and my other friend had the vegetarian salad which one touted as one of the best she’s ever had. Our host’s dad enjoyed his healthy chicken salad too.
When I got home, I dug in with raised expectations. The good news, the salad lived up to the hype. The greens probably lacked the crunch due to the four hour delay from pre game to returning home but the flavors were still good. The citrus added a kick to the protein, greens, and the even yet not overly savory dressing; there was something pickled in the salad which made.
Probably didn’t hurt that the Warriors won game one of the Finals in making that salad that much sweeeeter.
Would have this salad again, but not sure whether I’ll actually visit the restaurant given the neighborhood parking difficulties. Nice addition to the neighborhood that’s home for two of my favorite restaurants for burgers, French onion soup, and simple meals (Absinthe and Chez Papa).

I’ve been coming here since they opened and have always left with my taste buds and tummy very satisfied. I happen to work for the company who supplies their plates, so I have a special place in my heart for a business that buys local as much as possible. Charles and his team are ultimate professionals, and this little restaurant in the heart of Hayes Valley garners all kinds of (well-​deserved) attention from the media. I love the concept, the simple menu, and sticking to the things that you can do better than anyone else around. The flavors here are off the chain, and you cannot go wrong with either the pita or salad. Also, the hype you’re reading in all the other reviews about the frozen greek yogurt with olive oil and sea salt? It’s not just hype, my friends. You really must save room for this treat when you come here.
Also, I just want to mention that while Souvla does Greek food extremely well, they don’t take themselves too seriously. We came here with some friends for my husband’s birthday, April 1, and they had completely transformed it into a taqueria for April Fools. They even hired a Mariachi band. So fun!

Best way I can describe this place: Quality, hipster Mediterranean food.
For your meal, you pick a protein, and then choose whether you want it in a pita sandwich or a salad. They have a vegetarian option too!
We ordered a chicken sandwich and a lamb salad, with a side of fries. Both proteins were great, but I LOVED the lamb. It was so tender and flavorful, and looking at the dripping meat in the rotisserie in the back of the restaurant, I can see why. I even liked the salad alone a lot more than I thought I would. It was well dressed with kale, romaine, fennel, pickled onions, and feta cheese, and it didn’t taste plain or boring at all. The pita for the sandwich was soft and a good size, and the fries were perfectly crispy and seasoned.
I ended up coming back a few days later to try the frozen greek yogurt with baklava crumbles and honey, and my boyfriend and I both loved it! I was a little worried that it would be overwhelmingly sweet especially with the addition of the baklava and honey, but it was perfect. The frozen Greek yogurt itself was tart and tangy/​cheesy (not very sweet at all, which I liked), and it went perfectly with the baklava crumbles (I don’t taste much of the honey).
What a Hayes Valley gem. I’ll be back!

This has become my new favorite Greek fast-​casual restaurant! There was a huge line when we arrived, but it moved fast and our food arrived even faster!
My friends and I shared a bottle of rosé (so awesome that they serve wine by the way)! We also shared a side of fries which were perfectly salty and crunchy!
I got the sandwich with chicken. It was so big that I couldn’t finish it all but WOW it was tasty and you could tell all of the ingredients are fresh. The chicken was tender and shredded. With their «Granch» dressing which was creamy and delicious. As well as navel orange, red onion, and pea shoots. They place their hot sauce on all of their tables which I put on my sandwich and it escalated the taste! Their hot sauce is so so good! I put it on every bite!
Last, you must try their frozen greek yogurt! It’s tangy and creamy the perfect dessert if you love greek yogurt. I topped mine with olive oil and sea salt which was addicting! Some people feel weird about the olive oil taste, but the combination is outstanding in my opinion. Highly recommend trying it if you’re the type of person that likes to drizzle olive oil on your food.

Frozen Greek Yogurt?!? I never knew that existed! It’s like froyo, but more tart and greek yogurt tasting. Be sure to get the one topped with baklava and honey — your taste buds will be in heaven! I was secretly annoyed that my friend kept stealing huge bites of my yogurt…
The salad is also amazing! The chicken is so flavorful and tender and I was surprisingly very full after eating about half the sandwich. Of course, to counterbalance the healthy salad, I ordered a side of fries. They’re seasoned deliciously as well!
I can’t wait to come back and eat more frozen greek yogurt!

The best causal Greek and Mediterranean food in the city! There is always a line but it moves quickly. My friend and I got the **Lamb, **Pork sandwich. We also ordered the chicken salad thinking the sandwiches wouldn’t be enough. But little did I know it was huge. So full of flavor in every bite. Wasn’t too heavy and the meat was tender. So good. We also order the **Greek Fries. It had good flavor and it was crispy. Better than garlic fries at the ballpark.
But my favorite dish was their **CHICKEN SALAD. So tasty, refreshing and full of flavors. The mandarins was a great touch for the salad. They are not skimpy with their meat, gave lots of chicken. One of the best salads I had all year.
The décor is very modern comfort and the staff was friendly. Can’t wait to come back and have their frozen yogurt. I was way too full to order it yesterday.

The froyo with rich, syrupy olive oil and sea salt is like a dense cloud drizzled in unicorn juice. You should get this.
I live a stone’s throw away from Souvla and it is incredibly dangerous. I contemplate getting it at least 4 times a week and act on those impulses at least twice a week. I tried the vegetarian sandwich a while ago and was underwhelmed; it was too starchy for my taste and I wished there was another protein option.
Fast forward a few months, and I finally decided to try the increasingly popular froyo. Fast forward a few weeks from that point, and I’m sure I’ve single handedly helped pay a small operating expense for Souvla with my froyo purchases.
Froyo is $ 4.35 after tax.

GET THE BAKLAVA FROYO! Yum!
Ordered:
Chicken salad — A little too much dressing for my taste, but the ingredients were fresh and went together very well. Chicken breast was tender and moist and went perfectly with the veggies. Next time I’d order dressing on the side.
Baklava Greek Yogurt — This thing will keep me coming back! The yogurt itself has a little bit of tartness, but goes amazingly well with the sweet syrup and baklava. I’m still dreaming about this dessert!
A good healthy alternative. I’d be back to check out other items on the menu.

I wish I lived closer to Souvla so I could take more advantage of it. It’s a great grab-​and-​go Mediterranean place, where you can get a fantastic chicken salad in less than 10 minutes. The chicken salad, which I’ve had twice, features juicy rotisserie chicken, onions, feta cheese, and tangerines. It may be a salad, but it’s just big enough to be filling without making you feel overly full — the perfect size!
There’s a decent amount of seating inside, as well as a few tables outside. It’s always pretty packed but you can usually grab a seat if you hang around for a little while. Ambience is very casual (you order and pay at a counter), which is great for a low-​key hangout with a friend or if you’re looking to grab something quick on the way home.
Great for those nights when you’re just looking for something fast, fresh, and delicious without too much effort or fuss.

Ordered takeout dinner from here, so can’t comment on the ambiance. The food was quickly made and fresh.
Roasted chicken salad — Salad had a good amount of free range pulled rotisserie chicken dusted with a mild cheese, mizithra (kind of like cotija meets feta) With the combination of ingredients, it was texturally too rough with the kale and fennel. Kale salads can be on the bitter side, but the orange slices and fennel didn’t quite balance it in sweetness but stood out on their own. Chicken was pretty good and moist. I’d say it’s on par with a Split Bread quality salad.
Frozen greek yogurt (olive oil and sea salt) — Yogurt is a soft serve froyo consistency watery and icy but still rich in flavor. Sweet, but not overbearingly so like Pinkberry or anything. The combination of sweet, salty, tangy and savory was highly addictive.
Healthy and clearly high quality eats, but kind of on the pricey side.

Everything I know about the Greek culture, I learned from My Big Fat Greek Wedding: Windex solves all problems. Greeks are basically Trinidadians, except one of us is one steroids. If I knew anything about my own culture I’d give you a final verdict, but I don’t, so you have to figure it out yourself.
My friends parents, who are the loveliest parentals, treated us to a concert at the Nourse Theater and we wanted to meet up for dinner before. This spot seemed to be the best option health wise and I’m so glad we picked it.
The lines get long very fast, but it moves at a good clip. The one con is really limited seating: about four 4-​tops, a community table that seats about 8, and bar style seating. I think there’s a 2-​top right outside.
I had the Chicken salad and have yet to regret that choice. It comes with a nicely chopped kale/​romaine mix, granch dressing, fennel, navel orange chunks, pickled red onions, and feta cheese. Oh man, I’m still salivating thinking about this. Their chicken is the best roasted chicken I’ve had in SF. The only competitor in my humble opinion is Bell Street Farm in Los Alamos. I believe you can order a whole chicken to go too, but if I’m not mistaken it’s $ 20 and that’s overpriced.
We also tried the Greek fries, and the juicy potatoes. The latter was OMG GET IN MAH BELLY. I might have said this out loud. Drink wise we popped a bottle of Greek Bubbles which was really nice, not too dry and really refreshing. Another table had the rose and hated it. We also had the floral & spicy red, which was as described.

Where has Souvla been all my life?
You can’t go wrong with the chicken or the lamb or the frozen Greek yogurt! The rotisserie chicken as a salad is my love. For a carnivore who hates veggies, kale never tasted so delicious. The combination of dressing and chicken flavor masks the fact that I’m eating greens. So not only did I eat healthy, it was tasty!
Ok, I forgot about the garlic fries. I usually prefer skinny fries but the quality of fries is amazing. Super crispy and not too garlicky and yum to the tum.
Cleanse the palate with some yogurt, of course. I had with baklava crumbles and I’m addicted. It’s crack.
I love you, Souvla!

Oh My Freakin’ Goodness!
My tastebuds and mind has been blown away! Not only is the food amazing, but the speed in which they get the food out to you is amazing! Ever since I moved up to SF from SJ, this place has been on my list of «To-​Try» for some time now. One day I visited Hayes Valley for my casual city exploration adventure, and there I happened to stumble upon this huge line. And knowing me, I was so curious as to what the heck was going on! I later found out that the huge line was for this amazing beauty!
I ordered the lamb sandwich for $ 13 and the frozen greek yogurt with honey & baklava for $ 5. Definitely the best combo I have ever had! I would totally recommend 100% of the time!

Very cute, small but service is very efficient and quick!
My best friend and I stopped by for lunch around 12pm and we missed the lunch traffic. You order at the counter, a number is given and waiter will bring your food to you. You can order the yogurt with baklava first and get it after your meal without waiting in line.
There are limited seating but we didn’t have a problem finding two open seats at a table.
I ordered:
Fries
Lamb sandwich
Greek brunch punch $ 6
Yogurt
Total with tax $ 35
Overall–
fries were awesome. So crispy and salty!
Greek brunch punch — refreshing but so small for a cocktail :(
Lamb sandwich — maybe I should have gotten the salad like everyone did but I had to try the sandwich since it was my first time and assume that’s what souvla is known for? The cucumber and feta cheese was a great flavor combination but I thought the lamb was kinda dry. I actually wished the lamb was in stripes rather than chunks of meat? It was kinda hard to eat. Regardless the sandwich was flavorful and satisfying
Baklava yogurt– refreshing! I’m not a frozen yogurt fan but I can tell why everyone likes it! Great happy ending to the meal :)
Overall, friendly and quick service with great food makes me want to come back again! Especially for the fries and I want to try the salads!
Yummy!

Was absolutely blown away by this little spot. I have a soft spot for all food Mediterranean and the flavors here had that solid Mediterranean food taste but with a modern twist to it.
Came here on a weekday night for take-​out and you just choose your meat, and then whether you want it in sandwich or salad form. I got the sandwich although I’ve heard the salad is just as good. I got Mary’s Free-​Range Chicken with «granch» dressing, fennel, navel orange, pickled red onion, pea shoots, mizithra cheese. I am usually not a fan of putting citruses into my savory entrees but the blend of everything here with the super juicy chicken was AH-​MAZING! Also got their Greek Fries and mmm… you definitely do not want to miss these.
They also have frozen greek yogurt here with the most delicious sounding toppings (baklava crumbles, wildflower honey?!) but I just came from Loving Cup but next time!

We needed a quick bite to eat before attending a pre-​ballet lecture/​talk at the War Memorial Opera House and Souvla fit the bill. It’s casual (order at the counter and find a seat), but the restaurant’s décor is modern and the vibe friendly. The location can’t be beat too. It’s only a few blocks from the Ballet and Symphony, and close to bars, coffee shops, etc!
The DH (dear husband) and I both ordered the Pork Shoulder Sandwich ($ 11), and Greek Fries ($ 4) and the Souvla Side Salad ($ 5) to share. The pork sandwich had minted yogurt, pickled red onions, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and feta in it. The sandwich was okay (needed a little more spice for me), but it was very hearty. I almost wished I’d ordered the salad instead which costs a dollar more. It would have been a lighter dinner. Careful with that sandwich! The juices from the meat and dressing dripped and almost got on my outfit!
I actually enjoyed the fries and salad more than the sandwich. Even though the fries were not as good as Opa Fries, they’re nicely seasoned and they’re not too thick. I loved the salad! Loved how refreshing it was. I would definitely order my choice of protein on a salad next time. The sandwich was too heavy for me!
We didn’t order dessert as we had to leave and walk back to the WMOH. They do have Frozen Greek Yogurt that you can choose to top with baklava and other sweet toppings.
Sodas, Greek wine and beer complete their menu. We just went with water as I always grab a glass of wine at the Ballet before the performance.
Souvla is a good option before the Ballet, Opera or Symphony if you’re wanting something quick and affordable!

Finally we’ve been able to make it here!!!
I’ve been trying to cross this place off my list for a long time. Once I got her the line was out the door, keep in mind the place is relatively small. Operationally everything runs so smooth here, this place is a well oiled machine.
We ordered a lamb sandwich, greek fries, and 2 frozen yogurts (baklava, and cherry). Initially I thought $ 13 for a gyro was ridiculous, however, they use big chunks of lamb here, rather than the compressed lamb/​meat slab. The sandwich was made with fresh ingredients and was delicious, the fries and yogurt was just as good. Definitely a bit of a hipster twist here from traditional gyro sandwiches, but in the right direction.
I will more than likely be back to try more of their sandwiches!

There have only been a few times in my life where I’ve walked into a fast-​casual food spot and thought «My God… this could be big not only in this city but nationwide.» The first? When I first strolled into what was a local Denver spot called Chipotle Mexican Grill years ago in Denver. The second? A dumpling mecca in Shanghai called Din Tai Fung. The third? A revolutionary salad spot in Dallas called Bread Zeppelin, and most recently, a Greek spot in San Francisco called Souvia. This is going to be big.
Star 1: How were the service and atmosphere?
In my mind there’s a difference between «gah look at that line what an inconvenience» and «wow look at that line that place must be LEGIT». With Souvia it’s very much the latter, but know that the layout is such that lines can easily pour into the street and even once you’re inside you’ll have people circling your table like a batch of vultures.
Even so, the service at Souvia is fast and friendly, and that’s largely thanks to what is a brilliantly simple menu. Pick your protein and how you want it and BAM. There is is. Dessert? Go for it, and you can expect it all in relatively short order. Star Granted.
Star 2: How were the portions relative to the cost?
I’ll get right to it — my $ 12.00 chicken sandwich was huge, and I made a huge mistake by ordering some frozen greek yogurt to go with it. Now, $ 12.00 isn’t exactly cheap (we’re talking more expensive than a Chipotle burrito with double meat here), but as you can see in the picture this was a quality dish. Star Granted.
Stars 3 and 4: How was the food?
This was an excellent coming together of ingredients here: chicken, yogurt sauce of some sort, tangerines, clover, onions, and cheese. While I think the menu could be mixed up just a bit more with bowls and other offerings and the like, these sandwiches alone are enough to carry Souvla into franchise or multi-​location greatness. Star Granted.
Star 5: Would you eat here every day if you could?
With a slightly more varied menu this is an easy yes, but even with the existing offerings I’ll highly recommend Souvla to anyone who will listen. Star Granted.

Souvla is a restaurant that I wish was a staple: the food is very solid, and prices aren’t too high. (Note: they’re supposedly opening one in the Alamo square park area on divisadero sometime this year!)
I’ve had the pork salad two times and have enjoyed it both times – it is very flavorful with a nice sweet component from the pork and a saltiness from the cheese. It also feels like you get quite a bit for your money, as the portion is pretty big. Haven’t had the froyo yet but hope to try it sometimes.
There isn’t much seating, so be ready to prowl for a seat or take it to go. I’ve been lucky enough to get a seat both inside and outside (very limited outdoor seating). The line ideas usually pretty long, but service is pretty fast. Great option if your in the area and looking for a fresh meal.