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Categories: Tapas Bars, Greek
Neighborhoods: Theater District, Hell's Kitchen50th St-8th Ave (C, E)
50th St-Broadway (1)
49th St-7th Ave (N, R, W)
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The place was packed, but we managed to get seated at the bar pretty quickly right next to an endless flow of beer from the tap.
Each dish was as tasty as flashy. The table behind us ordered something that generated a 1300 degrees fire bomb as the waiter lit up the dish. Glad that it was part of the show and no one got burned except the food that needed a touch of extra crisp.
You know the food is really good when you find yourself scraping all the loose salad pieces of the already finished tapas and main entree dishes.
Cool little place to know about in mid-town, not anywhere close to my favorite Greek food though. Service was below average, but thought select dishes were great. I'd stay away from their fried zuccini, it's not prepared the way I'm used to it, their version is rather watery and thick instead of fried chip-like. A few of my favorites, though, were the loin of lamb, the meatballs and the fried cheese.
As always, my recommendation on eating Greek food is two fold: go with a big group and share all the food. That way if you order a few sub-par dishes the wide selection far outweighs.
I'd say stop by if you're in the area, but not worth a long trip to eat here. Now, if you're even in Chicago, travel from all over to make sure you get to eat at Greek Islands (see my review there).
I went to Uncle Nick's recently before a Broadway show. The food is good -- my lamb kebabs were well-cooked and very flavorful -- but the prices are pretty steep and the portions are fairly small. My husband ordered the Mousaka and it was also tasty. Anything you might expect to come with your meal (bread/pita for the table, for example) costs extra here.
For me, this is a prime example of a slightly above-average restaurant that charges inflated prices because of its proximity to the Theater District.
Ate here on a July 4th...elected to watch the fireworks on the TVs in here rather than walk where everyone else was going...to the river for the show.
Lamb chops, taramosalata...and the best grilled lemony octopus on earth. My dad and I could have had another order; this was simply sensational. But alas, my mom can't stand the sight of octopus or squid and would not allow us to get another. Sigh.
I used to love this place. It is so sad to visit a favorite spot and see it go downhill over the years. I asked if it was a new owner but it isn't. It used to be the place to make sure I get to on my NY visits. Now I never need to eat there again. I wish it was that I ordered wrong but I tried 3 dishes to keep trying. I had the tri salad which they charge ten dollars for a bowl of lettuce with some shredded carrot and some cabbage on. I could not believe how my once favorite salad became a more expensive waste of time. Then the fried calamari which I was told about in LA. Nothing special at all. To top if off I went for their happy hour special of a lamb sandwich. The bread was good. That was about it. So sad.
Any place with a dish that arrives at your table flaming (provided that's the intention, anyway) is automatically a little bit awesome. At Ouzaria that dish is saganaki. It involves two of my favorite things - cheese and fire. And it's delicious to boot. How could I not be charmed?
There's more to the menu than just fire cheese, of course, and it's all fairly typical Greek fare, but flawlessly executed. The dip combo (eggplant, fish, cucumber, garlic/potato) is another favorite, and the meals, from simple sandwich to giant platter, have never been anything but delicious. Even the fries (displayed on the menu as "Fried Fries," just in case there's any doubt) are excellent.
A nearly identical menu is available next door at Uncle Nick's, but the ambience is oh so much better at Ouzaria, and the service seems just a little friendlier. Unless you have kids in your party (or you're way into bright lighting with your meal), stick to the bar side of things.
Delicious tapas
Came here w/ gf for Greek food. I don't know why, I live in Astoria but I hardly go out for Greek food. But this place is great, if a bit dark. They have this dish which really looks nice in the dim lighting though. The waiter would bring it out, toss some really strong alcohol on it, and then set it on fire. Whoosh! The flame last for a few seconds and burns itself out. The waiter then squeeze lemon juice on top to extinguish anything that is still burning.
We didn't order that dish, but my gf took a nice pic of it so you will have to wait until you puts it up.
Here's what we ordered:
Spinach pie - delicious, 4 croquette shape mini-pies that was light and flaky, and the spinach had plenty of flavor
Greek style Meat balls - There's a lot of earthy spices in it, and that's what makes it so freaking good
Lamb Kabab w/ lemon rice - The rice was sour and made me salivate more for the kabab. But while tasty, the kabab is not tender enough
Baklava - Delicious, although not overly sweet like some place. Hope that helps to determine if that's your preference
Yogurt w/ honey and Walnut - I had Fage yogurt w/ honey all the time. I never had it w/ walnuts. The walnuts gave it a good texture, although the yogurt was a bit on the sour side. But once I mixed it thoroughly w/ the honey, I liked it
Total came out to $51 including tax tip. Service was excellent, although it wasn't busy on a Sunday night.
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This place is pricey for what they peddle and the service is quite rushed.
A saucer of mashed eggplant was overpriced and I paid 4.5 dollars per grilled octopus tentacle--- even in manhattan, that ain't right.
Whatevez though, they make up for it with a bottle of wine on the menu that tastes great for $24 dollars!!
Props.
Also, the homemade yogurt was quite impressive (thick, tangy, creamy) and delicious. I would come here for dessert and booze but go somewhere else for dinner.
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I need to preface my review by letting you know that we didn't actually venture in to Uncle Nick's, we ordered delivery.
We ordered avgolemono soup, a side order of roasted potatoes, horiatiki salad, Kotopoulo kebob platter, Gyros platter and Yiaourti. The order arrived quickly and the hot items were still nice and hot. The soup was good but not as lemony as I prefer. The roasted potatoes were one of the highlights of our meal - wonderfully flavorful and lemony. The salad and platters were great and offered huge portions. The Yiaourti was the other highlight of the meal...the yogurt impossibly thick and creamy, topped with walnuts and honey. Delectable!
Another Yummy Meal at Uncle Nick's! We dined outside, the sangria was amazing as always and perfect after a long day.
The tapas come out once they are ready, so you can order a few and just sit back and relax. You don't fill yourself up because the pace is nice and slow.
Order the Baked Cheese, the four dips and the eggplant or zucchini .. yums!
Didn't experience enough of this place but would definitely return based on my short stay. After theater we walked in and ordered the grilled calamari and had a beer. The food was really great and the plates around us looked very appealing as well. Decent draft beer selection for a tapas restaurant and I'm sure there is more to offer!
While 'Greek tapas' makes as much sense as "Greek paella" or "Spanish gyro", I love Greek food and I love trying a number of dishes at dinner so I can find it in my heart to forgive the misnomer.
Everything my dining companion and I tried was either good or really good. Here's what we tried...
Tzatziki w/ pita ($6) - It's hard to go for Greek and not get this. The dip and pita were both good but nothing special.
Assorted Greek Olives ($9) - Seemed a bit pricey since these are sometimes complimentary but they were really good.
Grilled Octopus ($10) - My favorite of the 5 dishes. Huge portion for the price. Tender, nice grilled flavor. Highly recommended.
Spicy Meatballs In Red Tomato Sauce ($9) - Really liked this as well. Sounds like an Italian dish but it tastes uniquely Greek. Served with 3 nice-sized meatballs.
Chicken Kebob ($15) - Good but I've had better. The chicken tasted a little undercooked. Flavoring was okay but didn't feel that distinct from what I could get at some diners. Served with lemony rice.
The wine list covers Greek and other foreign wines. A number of bottles were less than $30. We went with a Pinot Noir from Brazil (?) that sufficed.
Perhaps it was just a slow night but it didn't have the festive vibe of other Greek tavernas I've frequented. It was comfortable enough, though, that when I checked my watch for the first time, three hours had gone by. That had more to do with my dining companion than Uncle Nick but I'll give him a little credit for being the host....
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Wandered over here after the theatre at about 11 PM at night, and there were still people eating dinner, which is a good sign. The food is moderately priced and very good. We shared a few tapas dishes, including a greek salad, meatballs, sausage, and combo of dips with pita bread. We were also given another dish free of charge.
Not an overly big place, but a cool dark interior makes it a good date spot. Near a bunch of bars to grab a drink afterwards as well. Highly recommended.
You must check this place out. From the price, food, service, ambiance, everything is terrific, and I don't say that for any restaurant.
Try the flaming cheese, four dips, swordfish with garlic, pork tenderloin and calamari. SOOOO good!! Four of us had this last night and the bill came out to just $28 per person!
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Came here on a recommendation from my out-of-town friend who was visiting. It was very good. We ordered from the tapas menu: four dip combo, spicy Greek sausages in wine sauce and fried calamari with marinara sauce. The food was great, the four dips - one looked like it had a cottage cheese base but had a very subtle cucumber flavor, one was made from egg plant and was likely the close cousin of baba ganoush, one had a slight spicy kick made from chickpeas?, and the last was a garlic potatoe. Served with fresh baked pita, warm to the table. We needed extra pita which was $1.00. The sausages were spicy, the calamari crisp and light. My friend sampled Mythos (a light Greek lager).
Service was decent, the waiters were mostly prompt but took some cajoling at times for service. The venue was decently decorated but the tables are on the small side.
Portions were good, prices were very reasonable. Try this place for great Greek food.
I had the gyro platter-good but pricey. I did have leftovers, though. My friend had kebabs, which she liked but again, kind of pricey. The Greek Country Salad is great and huge, too. Maybe I'll go back since there aren't too many Greek places around but maybe not.
Fire is fun, cheese is always good, and flaming cheese is just beautiful, I had to order the saganaki even though it pained me to compute the caloric intake. I also really enjoyed my calamari in garlic sauce: extreme garlic action, the kind that makes your pores smell like garlic for a few days- yum yum yum. The grilled swordfish was a little plain. We had a nice bottle of Greek wine. It might get a little pricey if you try to fill up on the smaller dishes; the larger entrees are priced fairly though one may not fill you up on its own. Its a cute place even though the tables are on top of each other. The service was very fast and we even got complimentary shots of dessert wine.
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When you order an entree be careful of the size. OPA! Perhaps I am using this word out of context. Let's start at the beginning.
Our waiter was really Greek......plus!
Melitzanosalata (Eggplant Dip)...... so good
Tzatziki (Cucumber, Yoghurt & Garlic Dip)........wow! you must like garlic
Saganaki-Tiri (Cheese on Fire)......WOW WEEE WOW!
Pita bread grilled so warm, so soft. Our entry was Chicken stuffed with feta, red peppers served over a bed of spinach. It was huge and big enough for two.
It may be a tapas restaurant, but the portions are huge. Great place to experience Greek food without having to fly to Greece or go to Astoria. Not that there is anything wrong with Astoria, I love Astoria
Pros: 1) The saganaki was impressive to watch and very tasty. 2) You definitely get your money's worth when you order wine. 3) Decent-sized tapa portions. 4) Service was good.
Cons: 1) Wasn't too impressed by the mezedakia. 2) I thought the food was a bit too overpriced for what you got.
Pretty good greek food - but the service is fairly slow. There's almost always a wait and the place is pretty tight. Their mussels are really good.
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It used to be better! The food is good but not great anymore. The service has much to be desired. And yes it does get noisy. There is better greek in NY, and if not take the train to Astoria!
Precision. Uncle Nick's has what it takes to make perfectly seasoned and juicy meats. Their tapa sizes are huge and you get alot for your money. The sausage is unbelievable. Just marinated perfectly. The Greek fries are to die for and don't even get me started on the cheese flambee. The gyros/pork souvlaki combo is highly recommended. Their tzaziki sauce is one of the best I've ever had. Friendly service and perfect ambience/setting also. I love eating in the Hell's Kitchen area...you can find any food you're in the mood for.
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went here for a pre theater eats the other day. was on my own, and all i knew i wanted was ouzo, so let's start there.
most ouzo i've had here is a rather harsh rough quaff. with a sharp alcohol edge - but in greece it was often a much mellower beverage. well here they had a great ouzo selection, i didnt count but probably 10 varieties, and if i find the right partner in crime i will return here to explore that further. i told the guy to bring me a nice smooth one, adn indeed he did. (of course i said i wanted it straight up so i could pour water in - in greece they would have brought me a water container and not make me struggle with my water glass - but that's a minor quibble) if this was a review of only the ouzo you WOULD see another star up there
i ordered some taramasalata, some meatballs that were not keftedes that had a spicy tomato sauce, grilled octopus and saganaki. {yes that's right boys and girls, i didn't order a single vegetable dish. it wasn't intentional, some salad would have been nice, but i had already ordered more food than i was going to eat - so anyway}
i will admit i like highly seasoned food, but with that caveat in mind, everything was a bit under salted, to my taste. not drastically so, but being across the board, noticeable.
this is really where it lost that 4th star to me.
that said (in order of arrival at the table) the taramasalata was fine, with a good creamy texture. extra shot of lemon juice from me added the needed brightness.
next came the sganaki, which is apparently a speciality of the house. whenever it arrives they pour some volitile alcohol over it and ignite while carrying it to the table with a whoooosh and a big yell of OPA. fun and theatrical, but when they do it behind your back adn you are not watching it can really make you soil myour pants.
but it was really big chucnk of nice hot melty grilly cheese - again- needing a little shot of lemon juice on top, but excellent just the same
then came the meatballs. unlike the usual keftedes, these had a little more complex spicing, and were served in a spicy tomato sauce. very tasty - but a bit flat from the lack of salting. (yes i did add salt, and no - salting after is not the same as proper seasoning added during cooking)
finally i had some grilled octopus. while no one likes octopus to be uber chewy, and tenderness is the difficult holy grail that one wishes to achieve, these were beyond tender. they tasted mushy. decent flavor, but the texture was a total turnoff to me. while ordering i knew i had one dish too many for one person, but i was in the mood for many flavors and didn't mind paying the extra for the variety. i just wish it hadn't been the mushy beast.
so - while i would go back here, i probably wouldn't go out of my way to do so. avoid the 'pus - and fer christ's sake - get a salad.
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Great place! So glad to know this exists: medezes like they're done in Greece -- little plates that you can stay and order and eat for as long as you'd like. Tasty, lots of bang for your buck, and a low-key but friendly environment.
Everything we had was excellent highly recommended
I went here with my buddy from Zurich, and order the tapas platter for two. A awesome deal! Both of us were pretty stuffed, and the food was really tasty. The baklava was pretty good but again a huge portion and a great bargain. I have been looking for a convenient, reasonable greek spot in Manhattan and finally found it. Having grown in the Detroit area, greek food to me is more of a comfort meal than something exotic.
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Good neighborhood spot. Love their fried eggplant with scordalia dip and the snapper right off the grill was juicy and well seasoned (not for those who get weirded out by fish still on the bone). Would definitely go again to try more tapas..
A friend of my Meetups recommended to dine here. He was right there were no disappointment. The food quality is good and is close to authentic Greek cuisine. The service is quite attentive. They open late for patrons who work late into the evening. The drinks are no dissapointment as you get what you pay for with a full bar. The flaming cheese is really a show worth watching as patrons yell "oppa" when the flames of the fire is high.
Went with my bf for his bday dinner.... we wanted to do the tapas menu and what an amazing trip we had! Let's start with their fantastic service... HUGE selection of wine!!!! Can not stop digging into their tzatziki sauce with the warm, soft pita bread... amazing and scrumptious spinach pie... tasty zucchini with the scordalia dip... not to mention the flaming (ozu was poured onto just before served) cheese... and their wonderful MEZEDAKIA which is a plate of their meats... I LOVED their sweetbreads... my bf on the other hand... loved all the other choices on the dish... regardless... it is an amazing place to enjoy a great "sampler" of what the Greeks have to offer... as well as their wines and OZU!!!! Their desserts is the usual selection which I am in no way complaining since they were all amazing! It's a great place to relax, unwind or just sample all there is to offer in NYC!
This is where I go when I don't want to talk to any of you people anymore (family, friends, etc).
Amazing food and tremendous value. Officially my favorite stop in and eat kinda place in all of NYC.
The grape leaves are 8/10
The saganaki is 10/10
Let me explain what saganaki is to all you rookies: It's a half inch thick by 6 or so inch long triangle of sharp white cheese breaded and fried (calm down Italian's it's get's more creative than your Mozzarella in Caroza right about now) which them comes to your table on a sizzling fajita like metal pan-dish-a-ma-thingy. They drop a shot of rum (i believe it's rum) on top and light the bitch on fire (told you so Vinnie and Tony). At this point a fireball errupts into the air causing everyone to go a little nuts and everyone who works there yells "WHOHPA!". Then he puts out the fire by squeezing a lemon over it. Now, can you believe it tastes better than its presented? Make sure you order some pita with it as the sauce floating around it pretty good stuff.
I love the meatballs in the spicy red sauce, the lamb skewer over rice, etc. Most of the stuff on the tapas menu is good enough to order 2 per person and split. It that's the case than you'll get out of ther for under $20/person. If you get a meal the price skyrockets to $25/person. That's including alcohol. My wife is fond of the house red while I prefer the Greek beer they have which I believe is called Mythos.
Don't be a poseur and go the restaurant restaurant next door. Stick with the Ouzaria and enjoy the comradery that comes from sitting 5.5 inches from a stranger.
Fantastic food, quick and attentive service, and a cozy atmosphere.
Try the Tzatziki dip!
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The original Nick's restaurant on this street is fine -- but the tapas bar is perfection. Great place to meet up with friends, have a glass of wine, a little garlic something, a little tomato something else. Everything is delicious.
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Neighborhood: Theater District
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Category: Greek
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Category: Greek
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