Venus
Category: Greek and Mediterranean [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Near West Side, Greektown820 W. Jackson Blvd
Chicago, IL 60610 (312) 714-1001
- Nearest Transit:
UIC-Halsted (Blue)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 4:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m.
Fri-Sat 4:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m.
Sun 12:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Valet
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: Yes
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
47 reviews
Neighborhood: Lakeview
"I love this place, the all you can eat fish and chips on friday nights is great. The appretizers are yummy and they have a great beer…" read more »
88 Reviews for Venus
Wow. Was lucky enough to dine here with 11 other yelp lovelies during Yelp Eats. And was it lovely. SO MUCH FOOD. 4 courses, great martinis, (although they did not have blue cheese olives for my dirty, it's my new pet peeve) I had a bread baby.
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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04/21/2007
Great Greek food. Was here for the Yelp event and was way impressed. Buffet was authentic, hot Greek… Read more »
Venus, the goddess of love. (However, Roman...not Greek, funny)
Lucky for all of us, not just a pretty face. I suggest the goddess of love martini, should you not believe me...it'll sweetly and secretly crush you. How ironic ;)
When the beautiful Brett D beckoned the broads of Yelp to dine at Venus for Yelp Eats, how could I refuse? Well, of course I could not.
First of all, I like Venus' location and that it's not so...er...Greeked out. No big Greek flags, no kitschy white/blue decor. A very nice little spot to enjoy...
Greek salad, hummus, way too much bread, Pastitsio (OMG, seriously...I've never had this before!?), baklava, coffee, cocktails and a Diet Pepsi for good measure. FANTASTIC.
5 courses later....I was like a stuffed grape leave myself. Good Lord, I've been Greeked by the goddess of love.
:)
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Sometimes you do save the best for last.... The last of my Yelp Eats reviews leaves me with the fun and fabulous girls night I had with my Yelp Goddesses at Venus. I know Venus may rhyme with _ _ _ _ _ (enter phallic word of choice) but we had no room for them last Thursday!! This was an ideal girl fest... martinis, course after course of olives, bread, cheesy deliciousness and of course, gab and shots.
Venus outdid themselves with the most robust of all Yelp Eats menus, 5 courses with a combined 16 choices (not to mention endless warm, crusty sesame bread too)!! With 12 girls it's easy to divide and conquer to optimize sharing and try everything. It was debauchery at its finest... saganaki and taramosalata flying across the table... another dirty martini here... a Goddess of Love martini there!
Here's a quick rundown on the highlights...
+ Halloumi Saganaki - not to be confused with the flambeed variety, this is baked goat cheese and it's friggin' delish!!
+ Saganaki - traditional, creamy, fantastic. I loved this the best, you can't beat the fire show.
+ Hummus with Pita - YUM!!!
+ Fish Roe Spread - Sounds wrong, it's soooo right. This was the best in show of the 'spread course'
+ Elliniki - A traditional greek salad. Refreshing, crunchy, fetariffic but hold the tomatoes, thanks.
+ Pastitsio - I'm pretty sure of the 6 entreé choices we all went for this decadent one. This greek 'lasagna' single serving was portioned for 4, piping hot and covered in cheesy béchamel sauce. Oopah! This truly sinful dish has a heavy nutmeg undertone, so be sure you like the spice before digging in.
A perfect triangle of sticky, sweet baklava finished us off with complimentary coffee and grappa shots. Natch.
Costas the owner was a doll and treated all of us Goddesses in the custom we deserve. Good service, great meal, but of course, the best company. I'll be back soon when my belly is aching for another 10 lbs of pastitsio!
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Last Thursday night, women were indeed from Venus...well, at least 12 lovely yelping women chose to dine there! I was one of the 12 ladies that comprised the first SMHC...and we did it up right!
We started by congregating at the bar, enjoying some of their lovely martinis...Goddess of Love? Yes please! And yes, we were the whole bar!
The restaurant has a light, airy feel, which helps when you're getting down to business with some serious Greek cuisine.
What a deal for the Yelp Eats menu...$25 bought enough food for an army, seriously! And we were well-taken care of by the lovely waiter, George, who was quite adept at handling a large table full of women who knew what they wanted.
I enjoyed the saganaki...and let me tell you, Saganaki makes me Saga-happy! It was especially good here.
The hummus was great (although I think it should have included more than two tiny pitas...we were fortunate to have an abundance of soft, sesame-seed bread to mop up the remainders of our assorted spreads). Rather than opt for the pastisio, I was lured by the one remaining kleftiko, lamb baked in tin foil. It was tender and fell right off the bone, but a smidge fatty for my taste. The flavor was quite good, however. I did sample a bit of the much-talked-about pastisio and it was delish!
Our meals were capped off with baklava and coffee, and it was truly a heavenly way to end the meal. Oh, and let's not forget the complimentary shot of grappa (which caused each lady to grab for another liquid as a chaser...no lie, you could see each one of us in domino fashion reaching for something...wow!).
Kisses from George and Costas left us dancing into the evening with very full bellies and happy memories of our evening in our very own Venus.
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I attended the Saganaki MCW at Venus. It was a wonderful way to experience my first Greek Town restaurant. Although I knew I liked olives and feta cheese I did not know what to expect but I was excited to find out.
I had been reviewing the Yelp Eats menu for Venus and looking forward to this meal all week and had already decided what I was going to order before I got there. It was a 5 course meal for $25! I started with the Saganaki Halloumi which was flaming imported Cypriot cheese; you really can't go wrong with melted cheese! For my next course I had the Taramosalata- which was salty and creamy and amazing and my favorite part of the meal. They only gave two pita pieces with it but I was ready to eat the rest with a spoon (I refrained because none of the other girls did). I had the Elliniki salad, I asked for no cucumbers but it came with them. It was not a big deal- I picked them out. I had the Manitaria Afelia for my main course- it was freshly grilled veggies and it was a great meal to have following all of the food I had already eaten. They were fresh and seasoned well. I got to try some Pastitsio that some of the other diners got. It was creamy and wonderful. The presentation of taking it out of the bowls tableside was neat to watch. My baklava dessert was so good that I ate it very quickly and sadly don't remember savoring it as much as I should have. I also had a few very tasty dirty martinis throughout the span of the evening and a strong shot of grappa at the end- complements of the waiter and owner.
The service was great! George did a heck of a job waiting on all of us and making sure everyone got the correct food and drinks. Thank you to him and the owner for facilitating a great evening.
Thanks for Brett D. for organizing the evening for the girls. I had a great time and cannot wait to go back!
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We were here for the Yelp Eats! special menu. The space is very nice, I felt slightly underdressed. Our waiter was very nice, giving us plenty of time between courses yet making sure he was available the moment we were prepared.
We had the hummos and the eggplant spread. Neither of us were big fans of the hummos, although it was not bad. The eggplant was very tasty. This was followed by the baked saganaki AND the flambe saganaki, because we're all about cheese. Both were incredible. We freshened up with the elliniki and kypriaki salads, then got serious with the vegetarian mousaka and chicken kabobs. The mousaka involved more cheese - quite delicious but very filling. It's hard to screw up a chicken kabob and this one was just fine, with green peppers and onions.
We somehow reserved enough space in our very full tummies for the baklava. My friend found it to be too sweet, but I thought it was the best I'd ever had, complete with syrup and cinnamon. Mmmmm.
We sampled a few of the martinis, and all were very tasty and refreshing. I liked the Amaretto Dream and the Goddess of Love.
Definitely would recommend.
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2 stars for the food and negative stars for the annoying rude waiter. I love food and that's what I go to restaurants for. The service and the ambiance are never a big deal for me. If the food is good and the service is sufficient/standard, I'm a happy camper. Now, if the food is mediocre and the service is annoying, rude, and intrusive, you've just pissed me off.
We came on Friday for Yelp Eats and the place was pretty much empty. We had a waiter who not only was bad at his job, but I suspect that outside of his job he would be equally, if not more obnoxious.
I was in a great mood and happy to be done with my work week. After we were seated we were catching up about our day. Within minutes the waiter came and rudely interrupted us and was pushy for us to order drinks. I told him that i wasn't ready even though it was obvious that we were in the middle of a conversation and hadn't even opened our menus.
Throughout the rest of the night he continued to interrupt us over and over. He would come and not even fully stop and say "is everything OOOKKKKKKKKK?!?!??!?!" But then leave and be looking away before we were able to answer. He would practically yell the "OOOOKKKKKKKK!??!!?" part. It was the most annoying thing I had ever heard. This was the first time ever that I actually thought that I was going to ask the manager if he could remove this waiter from our table.
The food was mediocre. The fried cheese appetizer was tasty. The hummus was ok. I've had much much better. One of the salads was covered with capers. It was gross. The eggplant mousaka was bleeehhh. My lamb stew dish was pretty good. The French martini was great!
I will never come back here. That waiter was a big annoying turn off. I really didn't want to tip him, but since we did Yelp Eats, an 18% tip was pre-added to the bill.
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When I die, I am now convinced the gates of heaven will open and I will lounge about on a cloud of their bechamel. Seriously, it was that good and earned the fifth star.
After some olives and bread and oil, it was time to get down to business. For the Yelp Eats menu, we started out with our choice of stuffed grape leaves or cheese. As much as I like the former, not a choice for this cheese lover. My companions and I tried the regular Saganaki and the Halloumi, which is baked Cypriot cheese. I loved them both, but the second one was my favorite. The second course was a choice of hummus (which was nice), taramosalata (fish roe, which was awesome, it reminded me of lox spread), melitzanosalata (eggplant salad, which was only ok), or talatouri (yogurt and mint dip, which we didn't try). Then came a choice of salads, Elliniki (traditional Greek) or Kipriaki (Cypriot--no feta--so I had to go with cheese on the Elliniki for the win). It was good but a little too much dressing for my personal taste. Then the main course. I ordered the Vegetarian Mousaka (eggplant, potatoes and zucchini layers topped with homemade bechamel), which by then I was too stuffed to eat more than a few bites. It will be dinner this evening and I am drooling thinking about it. The last course was baklava, which I usually don't care for, but this was exquisitely sweet and delicate and I somehow made room in my belly for the filling. Yum.
Our server George was funny and I think serving more than a dozen ladies flustered him a little, but he did his job well. Once again the owner bought us a round of shots. This time, however, I was not drunk when I did mine, so I am now giving everyone a warning: Grappa tastes like paint remover to the palate. Whew! Still very nice of him, gesture appreciated.
I am sure I will be back.
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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05/06/2008
anyone who knows me well knows the way to my heart is through good flavored martinis. Came here on… Read more »
The Saganaki MCW was a fabulous way to end a week of eating and Yelping all around town at some of Chicago's yummiest restaurants. Thanks again, Yelp, for hooking us up!
I've been to many of the Greektown restaurants, but I had never experienced Venus, so I was excited to get my feta-eating on. The dining area is actually a bit smaller than some of the other Greektown options. The décor was simple and cute, very Greek Isles with cheerful yellow and blue tablecloths. We were set up at a long table at a prime spot right in the middle of the restaurant. I suppose that's what happens when your party consists of 12 beautiful ladies! George, our server, while not an authentic Greek (actually more NY Italian!) was entertaining, efficient and made sure everyone had a good time. There was only one snafu involving a few cocktails being spilled down the back of my dress, but all was forgiven when the gratis grappa came to our table as a peace offering.
Now, for the food. Let me just preface by saying that I'm sure I ate my body weight in Greek food last night. The portions were HUGE and five courses is no joke, especially at a Greek restaurant. I started with the saganaki. Pretty standard, but how much can you really do with flaming cheese? Second course was the "spread" course. I chose hummus (I know, SO not adventurous). It was creamy, smooth and had a great flavor. The Greek salad came next. It had all of my favorite food groups: Cheese, onion, salty onions and maybe a smidge of veggies. Now for the main event: the pastitsio. If you've never tried this Greek creation, get to Greektown NOW. Its layers of pasta and ground beef topped with Venus' homemade béchamel sauce. After working my way through 3 courses already, I could only put away about 1/4 of the pastitsio, but I have a feeling it will be excellent for lunch today. We capped everything off with baklava. Sweet and nutty, it was a fabulous way to end an outstanding meal.
Thanks, Venus! I felt so welcome and taken care of during our last night of Yelp Eats. Our whole group had a great time and in true Mediterranean fashion, we were all wished a fond farewell with hugs and kisses from our favorite new server at Venus, George.
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As far as prix-fixe promotions go, the Yelp Eats menu at Venus is ridiculous (in a good way)! Considering how much food you get, it felt like a mini feast -- we were completely stuffed by end and still had plenty of leftovers to take home. As for the food itself, there were some hits and misses. Here's my take on what I tasted:
Halloumi (Baked Cypriot Cheese) - very tasty, nice smokey flavor
Saganaki (Flaming Cheese) - just ok, a bit too salty for my liking
Talatouri (Yogurt Spread) - essentially glorified tahini sauce but not bad
Taramosalata (Fish Roe) - deliciously creamy with the perfect combination of saltiness and tanginess
Elliniki (Greek Salad) - didn't taste too great, the feta cheese was too overwhelming and the dressing was too tart
Kleftiko (Lamb) - pretty good, meat falls off the bone, the sauce/broth was very light so the dish was a bit bland
The main reason for the three stars is the service. While our server was nice enough, there were some things he did that didn't sit well with us. Namely:
- Telling us that we could only get soda or coffee even though the Yelp Eats menu clearly states "soft drinks & coffee". We weren't really in the mood for coffee so no big deal but why try to deviate from the menu.
- Taking FOREVER to take our orders, bring our food, refill our drinks and bring our check. They definitely weren't busy that day so I'm thinking the guy was just slow or lazy or both.
- Charging us $0.95 per extra pita bread, which we asked for because the yogurt, hummus and fish roe all came with two measly pieces of pita bread. I should've just used the regular bread at the table. Actually, they should've just given us more pita bread. Cheap bastards.
- Giving a very lackluster "opah!" when he brought out the saganaki. Come on now. You work in a Greek restaurant. Cheesy or not, the "opah!" is part of the experience of eating in a Greek restaurant. So give it a little ooomph next time, ok?
- Asking us if we liked our food in a way that was borderline threatening. "Everything is good, RIGHT? RIGHT?" The worse part was after we said the food was good (which it was for the most part), the server then had the audacity to take credit for it. As if he was the one back in the kitchen making the food. Dumb ass.
Had we gotten a better server, I probably would've bumped up the review to four stars, maybe even five. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't give Venus a try because you should. The Yelp Eats Menu is worth the trip; just keep your fingers crossed that you get a good server.
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For how much I love Greek food...you'd think I'd be more Greek.
But you don't need to be Greek to love it. Great place! Good service. I was a little sad they didn't have any dolmades (or maybe I just couldn't find it on the menu) but I got the lamb wrapped in foil instead and was very satisfied.
I miss the Greek combo platters that some of the other places in the area offer (mostly because I want it all!), but their menu was extensive nonetheless!
My friend got the stuffed salmon which totally swims upstream! Ugh..bad joke. Floats my boat? closer....anyways I banked off of her b/c she didn't want the leftovers. Sorry coworkers...it's gonna smell like fish in the kitchen somewhere around lunch time. :D
I was really excited to come here for the Yelp Eats promotion and it was well worth it!
I loved the decor & ambiance. The windows were open making it breezy and comfortable. Our waiter was great. He didn't look down on us for not ordering off the menu and trying out the Yelp promotion. We took our time and had a leisurely meal - there for 2 hours! - and he was not pushy at all.
The food was outstanding! Since we had specific items to pick from we each ordered something different. The saganaki was delicious (who doesn't love flaming cheese?) and we tried another type of saganaki: HALLOUMI which was baked but was also very good. The hummus & spreads were awesome. Every single was one was delicious in particular the TARAMOSALATA which is made of Fish Roe, which I was hesitant about but it was my favorite. I ordered the KLEFTIKO which is lamb wrapped in foil and baked 6 hours. It was incredibly tender and juicy. The potatoes served with them were delicious as well. My friend order the MANITARIA AFELIA which featured portebella mushrooms and it was perfectly seasoned. To top it all off we received Baklava - the best I ever had!
The promotion was a steal and I recommend everyone to go check it out before Thursday. I will be back though, this is my new favorite place in Greek Town!
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The staff here know how to have a good time with their customers! My friend and I came here because she can't eat gluten, and in all the gluten free eating guides, they say this place is very good. We told the waiter and he knew all the dishes that were gluten free, and which ones weren't. Those that he was unsure he checked with the chef!
We have come a few times and each time we have a charming Cypriot guy who is our waiter suggesting some excellent dishes.
- Ordered the portobella mushrooms in the red wine reduction, not really that good to us, but it might be that we're not red wine reduction kind of people
- the lamb kleftiko was immense and delicious! its a lamb shank that is wrapped in foil and cooked for a long time with potatoes, onions and other assorted vegetables. it was wonderful!
service was excellent, they didn'teven mind that I was dressed like a UIC student on a friday evening where there appeared to be lots of people dressed all fancy.
I highly recommend this restaurant, especially to those who are looking for gluten free options in Chicago.
I'd give it 4.5 if I could.
Venus represents a true cultural Greek/Cypriot restaurant. They make dishes of both categories and it is clear which is in which category. Many people have tried Greek Saganaki but not everyone has tried Cypriot. It's nice to be able to learn of a cultural significance with food that I never knew of before, courtesy of the waitress explaining the difference.
The pianist and the style of food plus good martinis make the place an overall good place to eat. 60 bucks for 2 people including alcohol, appetizers, soup and meals is a pretty darn good deal too.
Reservations can be made if necessary through opentable.com, although you can typically just walk in as needed as well.
Soups were 3$, which is a heck of a steal too. Overall food was good, unique things I've not tried before, and of great cultural quality. Bread was nice and fresh and hot. They also give you olives greek seasoned, which were fantastic. Not sure if it's a weekend thing (went Saturday), but they have a pianist too!
There was 1 specific negative thing. The busboys kept trying to clear the table on us as quickly as possible even though there was plenty of room in the restaurant and we kept ordering food. They certainly filled your drinks up quickly too.
First time there, will go back sometime for certain.
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"She's got it- yeah baby she's got it" like the lyrics of the old Banarama song "Venus"- this Greektown treasure is sure to please.
While I have been here several times, Venus holds a special place in my heart as the first time I came here was for my very first Yelp Elite event! Unfortunately I was too busy trying to figure out who everyone was to ever make it over to the buffet to try the food and hung out at the bar most of the night. The next few times I only could rate their drinks (excellent) although the people I was with raved about the food. Finally, the stars aligned and the other night, I finally had a chance to experience the food for myself.
Since it was a Monday night- the place was pretty empty except for a few scattered tables and a group from a local office. What impressed me is that the host remembered me from my last visit, welcomed me and excitedly led my friend and I to the best (and my favorite) table in the house- right by the large windows that open to the street.
I had been thinking about what I was going to have all day so ordering was not problem. We started with the flaming saganaki, had a Greek salad and finished with the Pastitsio (which is like a Greek lasagna) covered in Bachamel sauce. The Pastitsio is cooked in individual dishes that they serve to you table side. Know that it takes a little longer than the other entrees (35 minutes) but it is well worth the wait. And the sizes are huge so I had plenty leftover for lunch the next day. Combine that with the few Greek beers that I had and it was a great dinner.
The owner offered to buy us dessert, but by this point we were stuffed but it all looked great.
Another nice touch? Free valet parking. And the valet kept an eye on us through the night so when he saw us pay our bill he went and got our cars so they were waiting out front as we exited the restaurant.
Great food, excellent service and reasonable prices. "She's got it. Yeah baby, she's got it!" Bananarama would be so proud.
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A hearty delicious meal for 2 for under $20? Count me in!
Okay, it wasn't really a meal. we didn't get entrees. But we did get quite full off $3 appetizers (daily from 4-6), and that's always my favorite part anyways.
The feta dip was excellent with a bit of heat, the skordalia was creamy and garlicy, the meatballls had a great flavor (but were a tad dry), the saganaki was excellent (how can flaming cheese go wrong?) and Dan enjoyed the stuffed grape leaves.
Service was excellent. And even without the happy hour special, the prices were great. I'll definately be back to sample more tasty, cheap apps, and try the entrees!
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Oh my goodness. The service here was outstanding.
I brought my family here to celebrate my mum's birthday, and they took every opportunity to make sure we were well taken care of. Our waiter was able to suggest dishes for my meat loving family and veg ones for me.
Mum had the kleftiko, slow-baked lamb with onions and potatoes. She kept mentioning the tenderness of the meat and how incredibly flavorful it was. Pops thoroughly enjoyed the kotopoulo sti schara, a broiled half-chicken with olive oil, spices, and fluffy rice pilaf. Sis had the makaronia me kima; she said it was the best spaghetti she'd ever tasted. As for me, I enjoyed the hummus with toasted pita and an order of briam. The vegetables were flavorful and light. (They also had more veg options than any other Greek restaurant I've been to in Chicago. Yay!)
Their selection of Cypriot wines was impressive. I'm not much of a wine person, but the glasses we had were like red suede.
I will be back for more.
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This bar either loves the ladies, or loves yelpers. Or both. We got quite a few free shots.
Either way, I'm happy. Who doesn't like free shots? Oh yeah, my head when I wake up in the morning.
The service was just wonderful. The manager (owner?) kept coming by to show us some Greek hospitality and the waiters were attentive.
I didn't have much of the food - just a nibble here and a nibble there of my friends'. I liked what I had, but it wasn't much. I was there for the wine and gossip (but I only got wine, no gossip). And I stayed for the shots.
Plus there's the remains of an old ship in the bar. How cool is that?
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Free. Valet. Parking.
Does anyone do this anywhere? If so, I have yet to come across it. Not that parking is really all that hard to come by during the week (and I was only walking from Union Station), but still. Cool!
The service here is impeccable and the staff incredibly hospitable. We were seated right away despite not having a reservation and were well taken care of. Our dinner came out promptly, and if a dish were to take awhile to prepare, they have that labeled on the menu so you know that you'll be sitting there tapping your foot as you watch your friends gorge on their entree's =P
The set up was very quaint, family friendly atmosphere, and I'd definitely come back with a big group of friends to sit, talk, eat, drink, and laugh.
I haven't had much Greek cooking, but if this is truly what Greek hospitality entails, then I'll be frequenting Greektown a helluva lot more than I have been! Instead of heading east down Jackson from Union Station, I'll be turning a full 180 and heading towards to guaranteed good: good food, good service, good times!
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If I can rate it 3.5, I would. My mother-in-law was in town and she wanted to treat her son for a pre-father's day dinner. She was keen on the idea of Greek so I made reservations for Venus. Usually, I dine at Greek Islands, but with the reviews on Venus, I couldn't go wrong.
Let's start with the strengths: great service, talatouri, saganaki, and koupepia were delicious. My son's chicken and pork kebob were grilled perfectly with a nice smoky flavor. My husband's mousakas tsoukas was out of this world.
Weaknesses: Both my plate and my mother-in-law's were just plain with absolutely no flavor. Not even did salt make a dent. I ordered the kleftiko (lamb wrapped in foil baked for six hours) and yes it was tender but the lamb had no taste to it. No seasoning...like it needed capers, wine or something to give it more flavor. My husband's mom ordered the kotopoulo tigania; really nothing to write home about.
I haven't ruled out Venus because I am sure the other entres are worth trying and they do have more of a selection than Greek Islands.
I'm not sure if it was because of the amazing hunger (I nearly made him stop for a Big Mac on the way to dinner) or because of the food but it was GREAT!
Enjoyed the Greek wines (too much!).
Appetizers: melitzanosalata (smoked eggplant salad spread blended with garlic and roasted peppers) and tzatziki (yogurt cucumber spread made with garlic, olive oil and vinegar). Both were so delicious. Entrees: kotopoulo gemisto (baked chicken breast stuffed with spinach and feta cheese mix, served with rice) and arni souvlaki (seasoned lamb kebob grilled on a skewer served with oven-baked potatoes). Also wonderful!
///////had to consult the online menu for the names and correct spelling!
I have been to places like Greek Islands and Santorini but this is now my new fav place in Greek Town. Like someone else reported they offer FREE valet! And on Saturday nite there was live music. If you are a fan of the Greek music this was great, I enjoyed it all but the weird, Greek banjo interlude reminiscent of Deliverance...
My husband, in-laws and I went to Venus last night for the first time. They have free valet which is nice and the restaurant space was tastefully decorated. I had a glass of Cypriot wine Nicolaides (sp?). It was buttery and wonderful. The owner or manager came over, greeted our table and made us feel like their VIPs which is a nice touch.
We shared a combo-dip appetizer (best taramousalata-sp? I've ever had!), liver and onions and octopus. The octopus was tender and so juicy- not chewy at all. My FIL ordered a lamp loin chop dish which was excellent. My BIL ordered a pork skewer dish that he loved. My husband and I split a dish of their Cypriot version of dolmades (can't remember what they called it on the menu) and pork meatballs- fantastic!
Sometimes when I order dolmades at nearby Greek restaurants, it's bitter and tastes like it was sitting in a chafing dish. At Venus- they were tender, warm and delicious. Our server was friendly and brought my 14-month old son some ice cream when the check came b/c he was getting a little antsy. All in all- a great experience. You can go to the same old same old in Greek Town- and we've been to them all- or you can get a fresher menu of Greek and Cyprus cuisine nearby and great service.
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you must love the Greeks, because the Greeks will to love you in the face, like they long lost family and with wine, women, song and food romance you until you are fat in the heart with love and joy.
Beautiful space, with beautiful hearts behind the service and food.
Good times for big crowds..OPA! goes another saganaki...we okay here?
more wine, more bread, more EVERYTHING!
is beautiful she is here...simply beautiful;-)
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The best pastitsio I have ever had in a restaurant. If you don't know it, pastitsio is a dish often called Greek lasagna, for no reason other than the fact that it contains noodles and meat and is cooked in a similar pan. Unlike lasagna, the noodles are long and tubular, the dish is not layered, and it's topped with a bechemel sauce. That's right, it's nothing like lasagna. Traditionally, pastitsio is baked in a rectangular pan and cut into squares. At Venus, they bake individual portions in bowls and serve you tableside. Which is why the menu tells you to allow 35 minutes for your entree. Most Greek places prepare the dish in advance -- nothing wrong with that -- and then reheat it and top it with tomato sauce, which is heresy. So I was pleased to discover that at Venus it comes with the unadulterated bechemel. It comes out in a bowl, and then two servers and four spoons are employed in extracting and serving it. It looks great -- the bechemel flecked with brown -- and the first scent that hits your nose is the nutmeg in the sauce. Excellent! The portion is huge, and I planned to take half of it home. And I did -- in my belly, along with the first half.
The rest of the food we had was standard Greek fare, but very good -- crusty bread, saganaki, and a combo appetizer of talatouri (house tzatziki), hummus, taramosalata (fish roe spread), and melizanosalata (eggplant spread). They have a good selection of Greek wines -- from Athens, Rhodes, Santorini, and more -- that goes beyond the standard rodytis. And plenty of Italian, Australian, and domestic wines as well.
As you would expect, the service is excellent. Venus is a great example of why Greek hospitality is renowned. Costas, the owner, is bound to visit your table at some point during the evening, and if you chat him up, don't be surprised if he comes back to share a shot with you at the end of your meal.
As an added bonus, from 4 to 6 on week days, appetizers are only 3 bucks. Sit by the open window and relax with some wine and cheese, bread and olives. That's livin'.
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great appetizers....for my entree i ordered the lamb wrapped in foil with potatoes and onions... the waitress was making her way to our table it looked huge.... she finally made her way to us and open it up for me, i was thinking "man its a good portion", but once i moved the onions i couldnt find the meat!!!! common if im paying 4 something(it was like 60 buck for 2 bites of food lol) i expect my moneys worth, i was able to finish the d@mn thing with one bite!! what ever, i just had paco's tacos afterwords. the grapes leaves with yogurt were good though, and the service was good, but the portions suck, suck, suck!!! that one bite of lamb was good though!!!
I work down the street from Venus, but I didn't know anything about it until I saw it on Check Please. Normally, I don't rush to the places I see on Check Please, but I figured I'd give it a try. I'm really glad I did. Of course, I had to have the saganaki, which was your standard Greek fried cheese. We also had the mousaka and calamari, both of which were also good. It wasn't amazing, but it was solid. I'm giving an extra star for the service. Our server was great. I was having dinner with someone I hadn't seen in over ten years, and she didn't care that we just sat at the table with a bottle of wine talking for an hour before we even looked at the menu. She was extremely friendly and gave us good recommendations for wine and food. I would definitely go back.
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The service here was fantastic. The owner fetched us off of the sidewalk to invite us in to smoke at the bar.
It was a very quiet Sunday evening, and for some reason they took the opportunity to treat us like gold.
Brother had the makaronia me kima (spaghetti & meat sauce, Greek-style). I believe a fight broke out over the leftovers.
Dad had the whole roasted fish, 'cos it's supposed to be reliably delicious at any Mediterranean restaurant worth the stucco on its walls.
Recommended taverna-style dishes (vegan- woo-hoo!): spanakorizo, bamies, skordalia, melanzanosalata, and Kypriani salad. Their bread is delightful.
I was disappointed with the briami for a couple reasons. Most notably, it, like the spanakorizo & bamies, lacked an herb or spice- no mint or coriander or oregano? Please pick one? Please let it be mint?
This might just be a function of the desire not to turn people off with 'unfamiliar' flavors. The result is a bit bland. Plenty of lemon is provided, however.
Their wine list is awfully impressive, too. The Keo Othello tastes like red suede.
Go, go, go!
And don't fail to try the Metaxa Seven Star on your way out.
We will be back in flash.
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Went there for my mom's birthday. I never eaten there and so it was good place to go since my parents don't experiment much with foods.
Meat, potatoes, rice and other things that they recognize are a way to go.
Everything was great from the beginning. Running late due to traffic so called ahead and they said it wasn't a problem. Nice valet person held the door for my mom and my dad.
Food - i thought the piece of the saganaki cheese was just too small. Maybe even if the plate was smaller it would have looked better. Otherwise, flaming cheese - salty and delicious.
Another appetizer was eggplant. I wasn't too impressed. it was just deep fried pieces unimaginatively drizzled with marinara and we got some parmesian cheese with it. It was ok, just not super awesome.
Everyone's dinner was great. My mom liked the lamb special she got. Dad liked the chicken medalions with rice even though he doesn't like rice.
My fish kabob was ok. But rice was pretty yummy.
The Capryot wine i got was amazing!
Here is the thing - i wish they pointed out their regional dishes more. There are tons of greek places in this neighborhood. They could stand out by doing that. I was looking for something traditional and i don't like lamb so it was kinda disappointing in that respect.
The waitress was great, the people highly accomodating to my fussy parents.
Not bad at all. my mom even got a slice of cake as a surprise! It was pretty nice touch. Really sweet.
p.s i can't spell.
I never had much Greek food growing up... but wow I have been missing out! I heard about Venus through word of mouth and took my mom and boyfriend there this Saturday. There was a snow storm so there weren't many people there. Hopefully that is why because this place was excellent. We tried a bunch of different foods including the fried cheese (YES!), lemon/chicken soup (mmm), chicken stuffed with feta and spinach, etc.. everything was to die for. So yummy. Also don't skip the baklava! I really want to go back here ASAP.
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Went here for a work function with a large group, but overall impressed with the service, prices and quality. Free valet!--at least on the weekdays. A touch on the slow side for service but if you don't mind that it is worth the wait. Pretty large menu with a huge selection of dishes ranging from cheap to pricey.
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I strolled in for dinner during an Amtrak layover at nearby Union Station on a balmy summer's evening (easy walk if you're in the area).
There were maybe three other parties in the whole large place, so the service was very attentive. I started off with a cucumber and tomato salad and my main course was a sauteed chicken with green pepper, onion, and rice.
Unsurprisingly, everything was DRENCHED in olive oil! Fat city, but good fat, to be sure. After lingering for a while to enjoy the open-veranda view of Jackson, I dragged my butt back to Union Station, and slept like a baby on my train to New York. A hearty thanks to Venus for satisfying my tummy (and soul) before departure.
Recently I found myself setting up a reunion dinner for my 20 year high school class, and darn my fillings (TM Lester Bangs) if every place wasn't booked solid for summer weddings, outrageously priced, or demanding of a LARGE deposit. I did not attent the Yelp event at Venus, but it looked like a cool place to approach for the event, based on the reviews.
Venus was not only available for the date we wanted, they only asked for $500 down! About a month ago, a couple committee members and I visited to check out the space and taste menu items. They were wonderfully generous with the tastings and wine samplings, so our evening turned into a memorable free dinner. We shared three appetizers (sausage, the combo spreads, and two types of saganaki), the Eleniki salad, two entrees, and wine. We were more than satisfied with the food and service and eagerly booked the event.
Knowing they wanted to impress us that night, I returned last night with Miriam W. from DC for dinner. Everything was just as wonderful, and I got to try the Pastitsio I'd heard so much about. It was fantastic, with a lighter sauce than I'd imagined, and a hint of cinnamon. The red Greek table wine goes well with everything.
The service, valet and bartender were all wonderful. Costas, the manager, spent time at our table chatting - great guy.
Since I wrote a review of Uranus a while back, I think it's important to note that I find also Venus a lovely, terran planet, but don't forget your gasmask.
UPDATE: the 20th reunion was a BLAST. Fantastic food and hospitality.
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Let's just call it 3 1/2 stars and round this up for the effort. The food here is in between Middle Eastern and Greek; which makes sense b/c demographically it's where Cyprus is located. My recommendation is the Tirokafteri (spicy feta). We've had very good service the few times I've been there.
If you like Greektown, definitely check this place out.
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Here with my partner for a company Christmas party. It was a lot of fun. They wouldn't seat us until the scheduled time which the place was completely empty so I didn't understand why not. So all 25 of us had to stand at the bar and I kept feeling like we were in the way.
Our dinner was served family style and the food was oh so good. The people that work here are fantastic and so attentive it was a great experience. Flaming cheese!! Woo hoo!!
The food was great - lamb fell right off the bone. Eggplant was fantastic - just great all around! The friendly people put my nerves at ease for having to meet all of my partner's co-workers.
