Tina Visits The Greek Spot

There’s a running joke in my family every time we go out to dinner. No matter what or who we are celebrating, everyone knows that my mother secretly wants to go to The Greek Village. And more often than not, that is where we end up. So, needless to say, I have many memories of meals shared with family at the little Greek joint in the strip mall in Commack, NY.

Even though I am not Greek myself, sometimes when I want a little “taste of home,” nothing will do but a gyro, or some spanakopita. I used to live in Cleveland Park, just a stone’s throw from Yanni’s – which became my go to spot. I often hit the Greek Deli, at 1120 19th St NW, during the work day but since I relocated a year and a half ago, trips to Yanni’s have been infrequent and I had yet to find a reliable Greek place close to home.

The other night, a craving hit, and I decided to finally visit the Greek Spot. It’s a little out of the way for me so it required a
special trip, but boy am I glad I made it! After work I took a walk down U Street all the way to 11th where just north of the intersection, at 2017 11th St, sits a hidden gem. Continues after the jump.

The place itself isn’t much to look at, but then again, I’ve discovered that the best places usually aren’t. There’s very little
standing room, a tiny table with two chairs and a cooler full of salads, desserts and other assorted Greek delights. You can see right through to the kitchen, where a the gyro spit is spinning, full of seasoned lamb goodness. Don’t worry, vegetarians. Greek Spot offers plenty of veg-friendly options and from what I hear the veggie gyro is delicious, and near impossible to discern from the real thing.

After reviewing the pretty extensive menu I settled on the gyro platter and a baklava for dessert. All in all it set me back about
$13, which isn’t too bad for the amount of food the Greek Spot handed over. I hurried home, the wonderful aroma taunting me, and the rest of the S2 bus, along the way. I couldn’t wait to dig in to my plate heaped full of orzo, gyro meat, pita bread and greek salad. Everything was delicious; the meat was flavorful and not too dry, the bread wasn’t soggy even after the 15 minute commute, the salad had just the right amount of feta (A LOT) and the dressing – the perfect lemony tang. And the portion was huge. I was ready to burst by the time I gave up, and I still had enough left over to top my salad for lunch the next day. I had to wait about an hour before I could get to the Baklava – which was absolute perfection – lots of layers and soaked in honey!

Overall, I was very happy with my meal at the Greek Spot. The price was right, the food was yummy and even though it’s a little far away for me – they deliver a couple nights a week. Plus, if you find yourself in need of something tasty after a night of drinking, they are open until 2:00 on the weekends! I have yet to hear a bad word about this place, and now I’ll have to add myself to the list of fans!