Market Grille Café
Traditional Hummus served with Pita Bread
Babaganoush served with Pita Bread
Falafel on a bed of Lettuce with Hummus
Gyro Meat Side
Greek Trio – Spanakopita, Mousaka, and Pastitsio with Basmati Rice
Rice Pudding with Cinnamon
Baklava
One of two locations for a restaurant frequently named Best Greek Food by a notable local publication, Market Grille Café on West Lake Meade Boulevard was a spontaneous selection for Friday dinner after alternative plans fell through for unrelated reasons, the space whose name has fooled more than one into assuming it some sort of grocery store serving up a great dinner for three at a price far lower than much of its competition.
Located in the same shopping center as Panera, The Cupcakery and several other stores, entry to Market Grille Café sees patrons greeted by an open kitchen and homey confines as the menu spins Mediterranean by way of Greece and Italy, a smaller lunch variety and happy hour specials offered for those dining earlier in the day while more substantial options are reserved for full table service later in the evening.
Certainly more Athenian than Roman, though the similarities between dishes like Mousaka and Lasagna should seem fairly obvious to most, it was with an in-training server that the evening got under way as Iced Tea and Water were served to those at the table, the place fairly busy for 7:00 on a Saturday evening with all sorts of ages, genders and races represented in the crowd.
Encouraged to order in courses, most everything but the warmed Pita reportedly made in-house, it was with $5.50 small orders of Hummus next to creamy Eggplant puree with Garlic that the meal got started, the former a bit thinner than most of those previously tasted but at the same time full of flavor while the Babaganoush was far more chunky with a slight bit of smokiness left to linger in the mouth.
Not particularly wanting to over-order, the low prices actually quite deceiving for large plates when compared to the likes of Hummus Factory or Mykonos in Sun City, entrees were limited to just a trio of Greek favorites plus a few ‘sides’ including tender Gyro Meat and a quartet of “Greek Meatballs” (as described on the menu,) the Golfball sized Falafel our meal’s only dud as ground Chickpea Fritters lacked any particular flavor on their own, save for that of the Oil.
Impressed by both the layered eggplant Mousaka with rich Beef Ragu, Spanakopita also quite nice with sheets of Phyllo interspersed by Spinach and springy Cheese, Pastitsio unfortunately seemed to be a bit overwhelmed with Cinnamon that completely overwhelmed both the Noodles and the other ingredients, far better bites found in two desserts including a generous slice of Baklava with plenty of Nuts and Honey plus a bowl of chilled Rice Pudding that embraced the grains texture rather than acting to completely hide it.
THREE AND A HALF STARS: One of the more traditional Mediterranean menus in town, the limited Italian options seemingly just there because they are easy to make from ingredients commonly used in Greek cuisine, Market Grille Café offers good food at a fair price with plenty of vegetarian or more healthful options in an atmosphere that family friendly, but still nice enough to qualify for date night.
RECOMMENDED: Babaganoush, Mousaka, Spanakopita, Baklava, Rice Pudding.
AVOID: Falafel and Pastitsio.
TIP: Closed on Sunday. 20% off with Yelp! check-in for those looking to save some cash.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
http://www.marketgrillecafe.com/
