Yamas Greek Kitchen + Bar

THE BIG: Located in the Highland Park area of Austin. This place is a vibe with disco balls and pink flowers. Parking lot available but small, may need to park across the street.THE BLACK AND WHITE: We came here for brunch with a couple of friends and I would say, this is one of the vibiest brunches in town. There's a disco ball and eventually house music will start playing with some crazy drops. We wanted to try a little bit of everything so we did family style and grabbed the watermelon salad, the sweet hazelnut pancakes, chicken skewers, the meatballs (aka keftedakia) and the smashed boureki.My favorite bite was the chicken skewers, the meat was so tender and juicy. The hazelnut pancake was a nice way to end the meal with a sweet finish.THE FINAL BAMBOO: Overall the damage done was around $150 for five dishes, coffee, and tea. Not a bad place if you're craving mediterranean.

We came in for a birthday dinner to celebrate one of our gals. Upon arriving, the parking is not the best. If you pull into the tiny lot where the restaurant is, you have to back out into the street to find another lot. Dangerous and not ideal. There is a church next door with lots of parking and a small outdoor are which seems to be a part of Yamas for sunnier weather. Website should definitely mention something about parking.Once we were inside, we were promptly greeted but the hostess and the ambiance/decor was so nice and beautiful. We were seated and brought water quickly. The other staff walking around were polite too and friendly. Our waitress was nice enough, but seemed more concerned with other tables and wanted us to just order. They were busy, but she seemed more bubbly towards other tables.We ordered some apps and they were good, came out timely. We received our entrees not long after and it was tasty! I enjoyed the short rib and orzo. The orzo did seem like a mixture of rice and orzo though, menu mentions only orzo.Between the waitress, parking, and food, that's why I am giving them 3 stars instead of 4.Cute place, but I'll leave it to my friends to visit next time on their own. Onto new options!

WOW! Yamas is absolutely incredible, I'll just put that out there. The quick overview:Pros: Food, decor, drinks, serviceCons: Loud, time limit on tablesWe had been dying to check out Yamas, and we made a reservation way in advance to bring my mom while she visited from out of town. We arrived a little early but were still seated almost immediately. It was very, very crowded inside but the tables were comfortable and set beautifully. The interior of the restaurant is absolutely beautiful, and makes you feel like you are really in Greece. Our server, Case, was absolutely wonderful, so kind, so patient, and caring. Despite the chaos of the dining room, and having several tables, including a large party, he was always cool and calm, and never once left us needing anything, he was always there and available! The rest of the staff was swift in clearing plates, and running food as well.The cocktails were outstanding and complimented with fresh herbs which was such a nice touch. We ordered the saganaki and sea bass crudo which came out quickly. The saganaki was, hands down, the BEST I have ever had...and I've had quite a few from various places. We were nearly fighting over it, and my husband would have licked the plate if I'd let him! The crudo was so fresh, and was an extremely generous portion, topped with a ton of fresh roe and greens. We went family style as recommended by our server, and ordered the lobster pasta and whole branzino. Holyyyyy smokes they were incredible. Top notch!! The portions were very generous for both, and the fish was deboned and presented so beautifully! The lobster pasta had WAY more lobster meat than I have ever had on a dish, and we were blown away by how much there was. It had an exquisite lobster bisque sauce, with a touch of pepper seasoning on the lobster meat. The fish was so dreamy and flaky, and even the skin was delightful! They were unfortunately out of one of the sides we wanted, but our server, Case, double checked none the less, and we ended up with the lemon potatoes (15/10 recommend) and the greens. Usually sides are kind of meh, whatever, but these sides were the farthest from that! I could have eaten a bowl of the potatoes alone and been happy as a clam!We wanted a bottle of Greek prosecco but they were unfortunately out, and we elected for a bottle of Rose which was amazing! Case let us try it, and made sure we were perfectly happy with our choice! The only cons were that it was VERY, very loud. You will be shouting at each other, so be prepared. They had a DJ there, and it wasn't so much the music, the volume was completely reasonable, but there were a ton of large parties, and the bottles were flowing so people were having a great time. There were a lot of birthday's, and they play a song overhead, and come out with sparklers, and everyone swings their napkins around in the air, so it was a fun little event to see. They do unfortunately have a time limit on tables, and they needed ours, so we moved out to the patio, despite it being 35 degrees outside, and Case made sure we were taken care of. The patio was absolutely gorgeous, heated, and dog friendly! My husband and I have already made reservations to come back with our dogs and sit out there. My mother, who travels here a few times a year, has already requested to come back and says its now her favorite restaurant in Austin, and I think we agree!

Vibey brunch spot by Highland Park! I came with 5 other friends for a Sunday brunch around 11am. We made a reservation for 6, and they tried to squeeze us at a table meant for 5. We decided to order family style and got a bunch of different items. The portions are small except the Soulvakis. Highly recommend any of the soulvakis! My favorites was the meatballs and eggs and chicken soulvaki. Although, the egg was over cooked. It was more like a boiled egg than a poached egg. Service was pretty quick and around 12:30pm - 1pm, there was a DJ playing house music. Volume was manageable in my opinion.

This place was beautiful!! Felt like I walked into Greece/Santorini. Service was great as well. Our waiters checked in multiple times to make sure we were comfortable and happy with our orders. Drinks came out promptly. The calamari was pretty good, not too salty and very crispy. I also loved the patitsio. Tomato sauce was perfectly flavored. I definitely want to try their souvlaki dish next time and their brunch menu. I did not enjoy my matcha latte at all! Probably the reason I gave this a 4 star instead of 5. Could barely taste the matcha in there, I could taste my own tears though, I was so disappointed with the drink as I am a huge matcha fan. It tasted like sugary boring milk.

My wife and I came to Yamas with a couple of friends. It was a Friday evening, around 6:30 PM or so. We were able to get a table without a reservation, HOWEVER, I'd recommend making a reservation beforehand. We were told from the beginning that they could seat us but because of reservations later that evening we would need to finish our meal by __:__ PM, which we were fine with given we were getting the opportunity to dine-in. The restaurant itself is very nice inside and out, was impressed with the decor. Our server greeted us promptly, took our order and attended to us throughout our meal regularly. They seemed to be well-aware of the coming reservations so they were really on top of it with us. As an appetizer we ordered the "Pikilia Traditional"--Tzatziki, Spicy Feta, Hummus, and Kalamata Olive Paste served with Pita bread. All of the selections were delicious! We loved the variety and the portioning was great for 4. When we'd run out of pita, there was no issue for us to ask for more. The pita was nice and soft.To eat I ordered the "Seafood Pasta"--linguine pasta served with shrimp, calamari, mussels, tomato sauce, and lobster bisque. As a seafood-lover this plate was perfect! Great portioning, and the seafood was plump and delicious. Would definitely recommend it! I really enjoyed my experience here at Yamas and will definitely be coming back!!

I think this place should be highlighted for the Greek vibes! The decor transports me back to a Taverna we went to in Mykonos! The food was delicious and full of flavor! The Spanakopita was our favorite appetizer! The grilled octopus was plentiful in serving size and absolutely delicious! I enjoyed the Moussaka as well. The service was friendly and attentive. Will definitely be coming back here again for the vibes!

I came to this location over the summer with Thing Two and have finally decided to add to the review for my time there. I love coming here as the decor reminds me of my time in Greece. The namesake for this spot "Yamas" means "to our health" in Greek which is said during a toast. But, really it's more than just a toast when this term is used, it's said as a heartfelt blessing that celebrates life and invokes good health.Grilled Salmon with celery root puree and dill sauce Salmon is one of my favorite fishes. The color, oily, juicy texture and strong flavor make to be unique and recognizable. Dill is a perfect match for salmon. Dill complements salmon's flavor and enhances its subtle notes without overpowering it. The feathery leaves of the dill plant add a fresh, herbaceous, lemony flavor that goes well with the rich, oily nature of salmon. The celery root puree on this dish is just a bonus as it can be used for any number of any reasons. However the aromatic celery root pairs beautifully with smoked fish in general. I was most impressed with the flakiness of the fish and the flavor profile. Thing Two was being a pre-teen and wanted to be picky "but she doesn't even know what she wants" - Teddy Swims Because of this, the staff decided to make her something off menu. What was it? Fresh cut steak french fries (different from the Greek fries). The fries were thick, crisp and fresh. Thing Two wasn't impressed with the fries but I take that review with a grain of salt. I also ordered two mixed drinks but was also brought out of a free shot of Ouzo to take with the other customers. Ouzo which is a dry, anise-flavored aperitif is the national drink of Greece. It is made by distilling rectified spirits and flavoring them. Ouzo has a similar taste to other anise liquors, such as pastis, sambuca, mastika, and rakı. The Ouzo was a great way to finish off my meal and to clear my palate. The service and food here is top-notch. My waiter went out of his way to make sure that Thing Two had something that she would like to eat as opposed to being limited to the menu offerings. This establishment has mid-range prices for all items bu t the price tag is worth the quality of food that is presented. #supportlocal

From the get go, you feel like you've stepped on to the set of Mamma Mia with the restaurant. The interior is cozy but fun with plentiful face. We ordered the pikala plater, 2 chicken soulvakis, salmon and the ekme pancakes. While the dishes took around half an hour to come, the wait was worth it. Every dish was fantastic. The portion sizes were good, especially of the chicken soulvaki with the tender chicken and crispy fries seasoned well. Their pita bread was soft, pillowy and drizzled in olive oil. Their ekme pancakes was a surprise with the patisserie cream being light and fluffy. As for the salmon, the sauces were unique and paired well with the vegetables. Definitely a must try spot!

This was just ok. Very overpriced food that was not very good. The fries tasted like they were from the freezer, the lamb kebab was kinda tasteless and watery, and the ceviche and tartare were surprisingly bad.Ceviche had way too much lemon and the tuna tartare tasted too much like sesame oil. Who designed this menu? Would not return. Apart from being cute, this place does not have much going for it.