Cafe Athena - San Diego

Café Athena offers truly excellent, authentic Greek cuisine. Their sandwiches, gyros, and desserts are all fantastic. The staff always serves with a smile, and the location is quite accessible. Be sure to try their gyro served on freshly baked bread. The tzatziki sauce is made from scratch using real Greek yogurt, unlike the watered-down American yogurt found in many other restaurants.

The menu offers a great variety of traditional Greek dishes. I've visited several times and have thoroughly enjoyed everything I've tried. While the service can be a bit slow, it's not overly so—certainly not taking on 'Greek time.' It's a good idea to start with an appetizer to bridge the gap between meals. The tzatziki dip, skordalia dip, lentil soup, gyros plate, moussaka, kefta plate, lemon potatoes, and vegetables are all excellent choices. I recommend eating half of your portions to save space for dessert, which I'm sure will also be delicious. I highly suggest trying the galaktoboureko—three rolls of filo pastry filled with light custard and orange zest, all drizzled with rose water syrup. Opa! Enjoy your meal!