1601 West Southwest Loop 323
Tyler, TX 75701
Athena is a relative new comer to Tyler just off the loops east of Old Jacksonville Highway. Kettle used to be housed in this building, but it is almost no longer recognizable as an old Kettle. The outside is completely white with some beautiful Greek designs along the roof line. I really liked the look of the place from the outside as they put in a lot of effort to make it look nice.
The spread: The menu looked promising. There were a variety of salads and Greek inspired soups as well as a lot of appetizers to choose from. They also offer the traditional Greek entrees to choose from: Gyro plates, lamb kebabs, moussaka, etc. They also have an "American" menu that has hamburgers and whatnot, and I'm not sure why - it really seems out of place. They also offer traditional Greek desserts.
The verdict: I really want to like this place. I think it is being run by a Greek family, with a really sweet Greek girl running the register. The service was below average, but I am willing to give them a break because they are new and still working out the kinks. The problem I have is with the food. The gyro meat is prepackaged (although it was the best thing I ate here). The pita bread was out of a package. The bed of rice that my lamb kebab came on was inedible (overcooked/mushy and sat out too long). The salads were bland, and the salad dressing came out of a prepackaged bottle. The spanakopita was also either made the day before or it was prepackaged. The stuffed grape leaves were bland and tasted overcooked/prepackaged. For someone who has never tried Greek food before, this may be a non-threatening way to try it, but it just isn't good food. My gut feeling is that a Greek businessman decided he wanted to start a Greek restaurant and has no experience/love of cooking great food. The prices were reasonable, but the food was just not worth the price. I give this place a year if nothing changes. If you a great example of a gyro, go to What about Kabob and his Gyro, as they care about food (fresh cut gyro meat, fresh made to order pita bread, homemade tsatziki sauce, yum).
Edible Tyler Roses: 2 out of 5, I wish this place the best, but I can't recommend one thing from the menu.
