Zorba's Bar & Grill

I really hope to come back and give Zorbas a 5 star review one day because I genuinely love Zorba's but the fact that it has gone downhill in recent years cannot be ignored. I've been coming to Zorba's for 20+ years and it's the first place I suggest people to try if they express interest in Greek food.This review is based on my last 4 in row visits.The service is just terrible - many nights there is only one person working the entire restaurant. One visit in particular the bartender, who also acted as host, waitress & busboy, was so weeded that she did not acknowledge us at the bar for over 15 minutes. When she finally did, she couldn't find our reservation but told us she'd seat us soon. 15 more minutes pass, as no point did she ask us for a drink order or offer us water. - while we're sitting at the bar for 30 minutes now. And that's just one example. Service needs help.Food- is delicious, truly, which is why I hope they fix the issues so I can come back. But my last visit I ordered a spanakopita and noticed multiple "hairs" all throughout it, after already started to eat. After finding 7!! In total we learned that I was finding several strands of pastry brush. It was so unsanitary and offputting and who know how many pieces of plastic I accidentally ate before realizing! Ambience - I love a divey place but let's be real it's become dirty. It hasn't been updated maybe ever. It's giving "old and grimey". It needs some major cleaning and updating. There is so much potential but no one is putting the work into it. Every time I come in I notice that the dirty baseboards are still uncleaned. The bar is falling apart. They don't even keep their liquor on the shelves anymore. After back to back terrible experiences, it will be a while before I give it another shot but I really really hope the owner takes note of this review and makes some positive changes, because I want to love Zorbas again.

After going three times, it's time to review. This is a fantastic restaurant in Greekstown. The food is among the best Greek I've had. I love that it's a real Baltimore bar on the first floor and really no different than many cool local hangouts. Upstairs is dining and it's nice, not fancy. Every time I have gone in I'm surrounded by the Greek language, which I don't know, spoken by older gentleman who have populated the neighborhood for decades. That was my hint that I was in the right placeYesterday I got take out during COVID. We bought a feast. The best (no joke) lamb chops I've ever had. They are so tasty I want the leftovers with eggs in the morning. They come with sides like Horta (a Curley endive cooked like collapses sorta) Amd the traditional green beans in tomato sauce. The grilled octopus is extra good. One Greek salad they make will blow your mind. No lettuce, but onions, tomato, olives, huge chunks of feta, and the dressing of oregano, vinegar, Amd the best olive oil.See my pictures. This is a wonderful place. I want badly for Covid to be over so I can go hang at the bar and learn some Greek.

We came here because of the great Yelp reviews, and they also happened to be open on Sunday. Yelp is normally a great resource that we frequently use, and it is rare that we are steered in the wrong direction.This was one of those rare cases. We expected and were looking forward to great Greek food.We really wanted gyros since we love the combination of the meat with the spices, cooked on a rotisserie. We know not many places use the traditional lamb, and since this place offered chicken or pork - that was fine. We ordered two pork gyros.We also ordered the appetizer of sliced zucchini, and a couple of beers. When we got our beers, mine tasted fine, but I am not really a beer expert. My partner started drinking his, and then he asked to look at my bottle. I didn't ask why. I later found out that his bottle had expired - it was past the date - and he could taste it. Considering that they have NO beer on tap, the fact that we got an expired bottle makes even less sense. He didn't tell me at the time because he didn't want to sour my experience at this place.We got our zucchini app - and although it was technically "sliced", they were huge, cross-wise slices - not really sliced in a normal way. They were hot, and we dug in.Salt. All I was thinking when I took my first bite is that they forgot to season the flour, or the zucchini - or anything. Bland was an understatement. Even with the accompanying lemon wedge, it was so bland that it seemed to be a mistake. All they had to do was sprinkle some salt when it came out of the deep fryer. It was disappointing, but when we added salt, it was better.Then our "gyro" stuffed pitas came out. At first glance they looked appetizing. Then we took a bite. There was nothing even vaguely resembling gyro meat in those pitas. We knew we ordered pork, but the chunks of "meat" in there didn't look or taste like any pork we have ever encountered. Hidden by the tzatziki sauce, there were pieces of meat that were so fatty, so flavorless, and so disgusting that I actually pulled them out of my pita and just ate some of the pita with the salad that was in there. We clearly left food on our plates because our waitress asked if we wanted to wrap it. I then told her that this wasn't a "gyro".She then said that they don't make lamb (we knew that - it wasn't on the menu), and that's why she asked if we wanted chicken or pork. She said they call it gyro because most people expect chunks of meat - not really gyro meat. In other words, they believe that most people have no clue, so they can throw whatever they want into a pita, and customers won't know any better.Sorry, but that's a pathetic excuse for what was served. Not all customers who are not Greek are that clueless. We're from NYC - we know what a gyro is SUPPOSED to be - and we expected it to be authentic - or at least CLOSE. Here is the official definition: A gyro or gyros[a] (Greek: , gyros [iros], literally 'turn') is a Greek dish made from meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie. Like shawarma and tacos al pastor, it is derived from the lamb-based doner kebab.[1][2] In Greece it is now most often pork, or chicken, while a mixture of beef and lamb is common in the U.S. and other countries. It is usually served wrapped or stuffed in a flatbread such as pita, with tomato, onion, tzatziki sauce, and sometimes french fries.When she offered "pork or chicken", we still presumed it would be gyro - and not some tourist-trap sandwich. I'll be honest - I love grilled shish-kababs of meat - almost any kind of meat - including pork. This was nothing like that. I was even considering that the pork might have been spoiled because of the gray color and weird texture. Thankfully I didn't eat enough to test that theory and get sick.After a lovely 4 day weekend vacation in Baltimore, we were expecting an authentic, enjoyable and great Greek meal. Unfortunately, it turned out the be one of the worst meals we have had in many, many years.Perhaps their other food is better. Perhaps they simply forgot to rotate their beer stock. Maybe the chef thought he salted the food. There is NO excuse for using one word on the menu, and then substituting a completely different product and making excuses when they are called out on it.Never again.

We got tons of recommendations to come here from friends, and boy am I glad we did. For starters, the place was cute and the waitress was very nice. Before our food came, we got bread and that bread was out of this world. Personally, I usually don't even like bread but this was something else. We ordered lamb chops and a chicken gyro wrap (it was for 3 hungry people), and they were spectacular. The lamb chops were fully cooked, but still so tender and juicy. The chicken gyro wrap was so wholesome and fresh if it had been any fresher we would be in a farm! All in all, a bit pricey but definite my favorite Greek restaurant and one of my favorites in general.

This restaurant has fantastic food and service. I grew up in the city and I enjoy coming to this place anytime. They normally play soccer games and have Greek music on when I'm there. I love the food and people, keep up the good work!

Stopped in Zorba's which is next door to the Acropolis Restaurant for an early afternoon snack; ordered the fried eggplant app and a glass of Retsina which was very good. The eggplant was perfectly cooked and fried a delectable golden brown, while the breading was excellent it was slightly bland but with the addition of some salt it was perfect. The portion size was extremely large, I ended up giving at least half of it away to several people sitting next me. I wouldn't hesitate to stop by and try some of their entrees in the future as many of those items are open spit roasted and looked amazing.

The best lamb chops in town. First discovered this place when my friend recommended it. He is Greek and he hates lamb, but loves the lamb chops here. If that isn't the best endorsement, I don't know what is. It is your typical family establishment, no frills, but amazing food!!

Welcomed by owner and treated like family. Food was authentic and delish. Try the octopus! And the pork!

Visited Zorba today at 5:30, it seems that the cook was also the waitress we asked to see the wine list for Greek wine and there was no Greek wine only a bottle or red and a bottle of white. There was no bourbon. The bar was very limited. There were no local people there we didn't get a good feeling, It wasn't the same place. We had visited many many many times in the past years so we got up and left.

Ate there last night. Great place with delicious Greek food. I recommend Zorba's and will return soon and often.