Athenian Gardens

After walking to the Tyrone Mall in St. Petersburg to get a few things I was hungry. I had eaten at the food court before and wanted to try something different. Looking on my phone for the neighborhood I came across Athenian Gardens, just a block from Dillards in the mall. I'm a big fan of Greek and eastern Mediterranean food so my decision was made.Fortunately I got there a little after one when the lunch crowd had gone so there wouldn't be the rush by a staff trying to get everyone seated, waited on, served and checked out.Their menu is extensive, so much so that I felt like a kid in a candy shop. If my mom was still alive I'm sure I would have asked her if we didn't just have a Greek ancestor somewhere back in time.My waiter was very patient as I tried to make up my mind because I knew that by choosing one I'd be ruling out the others. Still a kid at heart.Finally I found a great combination for a lunch that I thought wouldn't stuff me but taste great - a combination of a Greek salad (with cole slaw) and spanakopita on the side (Lunch Special # 2 on the menu).Little did I know that both come in sizes larger than I had expected. My eyes lit up like they used to on Christmas morning. The world outside of my booth ceased to exist as I started in on the salad, spanakopita in my mind a form of dessert. The greens were green, not wilted or tinged with rust on their spines. The olives, black beauties, had that unique buttery slightly sweet flavor. The feta was fresh and creamy while the cole slaw was so fresh I was convinced it had just been made minutes ago - smooth yet not thick or too sweet mayo - just the right amount and crunchy shreds of fresh carrots. Of course I ate the pepperoncini because the sudden burst of juicy heat is essential to top off any good Greek salad.Then off to the spanakopita! The slab (not slice) was at first a bit intimidating since I didn't know if I could tackle all of it in one sitting (but the thought of bringing some of it home enticed the hell out of me). But my first forkful was so creamy with flavors blended like a watercolor that I finished all of it before I knew it. The colors of both the salad and spanakopita were vibrant with the filo crust of my self-designated dessert the consistency of the best baklava. I also had two small wedding cakes, pastry covered in powdered sugar like a beignet. I meant to take pictures of them but my hands and mouth had other ideas. They were gone before my camera knew what was going on. I can only describe them as soft, not dry, in the middle and with a hint of nutty flavor. The fact that the entire dessert display was only about ten feet from me I'm sure helped me to decide on ordering them.

The service was horrible , they treat you like they are doing you a favor by selling their disgusting food , this is definitely not Greek , fake Greek , not real Greek food , I went there twice , because I thought maybe the first time they were having a bad day , the second time was worst, I had a stomach ache after , and the prices were way to high, for the terrible food , I was raised around this kind of food , and this is not it , dont waste your time going there .

This place is a staple for our family and it never disappoints. We stopped in for lunch and got the salad for two and split a gyro. The salad is a meal all in itself - I've yet to come across another potato salad as good as theirs. The staff is always friendly and service is quick. Be sure to try it out sometime and you won't be disappointed.

Delicious home made food, family owned restaurant. Souvlaki sandwiches and platters tasted great and were large, good value. The Greek salad that came with the platter dinner was perfectly seasoned and delicious.

THE BEST GREEK FOOD the gyros were giantthe gyro meat was so delicious and soft it was perfect

This Greek restaurant is Greek in name only. Spanakopita was bland and microwaved. Not fresh. Not tasty. The Greek spaghetti was made with ziti. It was bland and microwaved. The combo platter meat with gyro, sausage and souvlaki lamb was salty and over spiced. There was no freshly-made taste. Nothing from the garden here. Nobody asked how the meal was. Ya Ya would be disappointed. You guys can do better than this. Transport us to Greece with wonderful herbs, lemon and fresh vegetables and fresh meat. Don't microwave your guests' food. Delight us with fresh cooked-to-order Greek food.

Nice family style restaurant. Gyros are great and huge! The chicken souvlaki is not chicken souvlaki though it's just chicken tenders in a pita wrap. The desserts that they make in house are pretty decent.

I went and picked up an order of Greek salad and 5 domaldies that were terrible! The salad was mostly lettuce and there were just a few crumbles of feta! There were maybe 2 tiny pieces of beets! The dressing was mostly oil and the bread was terrible! The domaldies were terrible! I got 25 dollars worth of garbage!!!! I will never go back!!!!!

Had lunch special Lentil soup and Greek salad with chicken Greek salad was VERY oily. Potato salad was good! Veggies were fresh. Grilled chicken was not grilled, rather pan seared with about a stick of butter - one piece was not even cooked thoroughly, was still pink and rubbery. However the portion on the chicken was quite generous.Lentil soup was bland and flavorless.My guest had fried grouper sandwich - also a generous portion. He said French fries were good. Sandwich wasn't anything special.Service was fine.

Vegans BEWARE!I ordered the Tabouleh and hummus salad. I asked if the dressing was vegan. The young male waiter said yes. I was then delivered a hummus wrap. I told the kid that I did not order the wrap, but I ordered the salad. Then I asked whether or not the wrap was vegan. He said definitely, so I said fine. Halfway through the wrap I noticed a white dressing. I asked a female waitress if this was a dairy based dressing. She said yes. Dairy is NOT vegan. The young male waiter came back. I explained that my food was not vegan he said he was sorry but the menu was different than what the Kitchen staff makes. (?) He took away the wrap and brought us the bill - he did not discount the bill but charged us full price. We will never return to that restaurant.