Athens Family Restaurant

While on that side of town yesterday I passed Athens looking for a good Chinese restaurant. After not finding any I turned around to try Athens being in the mood for something ethnic anyway. After spending more than I planned I took my to go boxes and left. I ordered Mousaka, Spanakopita, and Dolmades all of which I can make myself but divorced with kids grown and gone, much too labor intensive (not to mention quantity) to cook for just myself. I sat down and began to try each item. Disappointed is an understatement. Relatively bland, tasteless, and seriously nothing being anything as it should. Initially the first hook was ""all dishes made on premises"". Wow I thought. Must be terrific. Couldn't have been further than the truth. The eggplant in the Mousaka was mushy as if it had been boiled. I honestly don't remember any of the other ingredients. The only good part (yes there was one good part) was the Béchamel that topped the Mousaka which I happen to love. Nothing different to say about the remaining two dishes. For the $22.50 I paid I could have had a ""Ladies Mini Boat"" at Kobe's near the airport and rolled out of there too full and pleased as well as $4 in my pocket. Do not waste your money on this garbage. The sign on the restaurant also boasts, ""as seen on Diners and Dives"". I don't know what year that was from, nor do I doubt for a second that the food was made much different for that shoot. Had I looked on this site prior to dining there I would have seen the low score and avoided it. I think I will also call the restaurant and tell them my opinion as I don't think I'm through venting. more

My husband and I stopped in Athens. I have celiac disease and cannot have anything with gluten so I don't really like trying new places. But the owner, Muhammad, was so accommodating and went over all the ingredients with me, and personally made sure that the food was cooked correctly. On top of that it was absolutely AMAZING! Very tasty, we will definitely be going back. more

It is in the top echelon of Nashville Greek restaurants along with Kalamata's. Athen's Family Restaurant is lovingly managed by a hands-on lady and is a sole location. The ambience is nice, but functional. The waitstaff is professional, but personal. My favorite dishes are the lamb souvlaki --primo, and the suzukakia meatball dish with just the correct portion of cumin. It's Greek American and there is a moticum of American comfort food more

It's been awhile since we've been to Athens to eat, but we stopped by this evening because we were on that side of town. The place was virtually empty when we arrived, but soon afterward a huge party filled several nearby tables. (Based on the reviewer below who complained that they were slighted based on ethnicity, I have to say - the restaurant discriminates against all kinds of people. The large group received lots of attention and frequent refills. Our glasses were empty. We asked for a refill which never arrived from our waiter, but later another employee asked if we needed something more to drink.) The food was great as always, but the service was the absolute worst I've ever had there. Our waiter was not one of the ones taking care of the large party, but he never once asked us if our food was alright. In fact, nobody seemed that happy to see us there, in stark contrast to our previous experiences where the friendly staff made the experience one we wanted to repeat. The food is good. The dolmades I had was excellent. The three potato cubes in the bowl wasn't really a side of potatoes, but I was stuffed from the stuffed grape leaves and the green beans so I wasn't really that hungry for the potatoes. My suggestion - go for the food, but don't expect to see the old warmth and charm which used to exist there. more

The staff was terrible both times we went. They seem to be racist against interracial couples. My husband and I are a caucasian/latino couple. The first time, a waiter took our drink order and never brought them, another man had to ask us what we ordered and he went and got it. There was a party of 4 sitting close to us, 2 couples, all caucasian, they had the same waiter as us. He was very attentive to them, and also very friendly. He seemed to want nothing to do with us. There was barely any interaction at all other than to get our drinks, and food (which took forever). The second time we went at a different time on a different day to give it another chance, and yet again, We were the only people who were ignored the whole time. There was a caucasian couple, and a african american couple. They were both treated very well. But we received no refills, no checking if we needed anything. They literally threw our menus on the table, took our order, and gave us the ticket. No interaction in between, no clearing dishes, they didn't ask if we wanted anything else or dessert. They were unfriendly. The food is good, but not good enough to deal with being treated badly when everyone else around you is being treated well. more

This is my favorite place to eat in Nashville! It's got a very big city feel, the food is excellent and they are open late! I love the tzaziki! more

Having seen the show on the Food Channel spotlighting this restaurant, we went right out to try it. No one greeted us at the door and we had to ask other customers what the seating policy was, then search out someone to take our name. It took forever to be seated, which I take as a good sign, usually. My wife said, ""This place is filthy,"" which for a man means it's OK unless he's a neat freak. The flies were in abundance. The food arrived about 40 minutes after we ordered and it was very good, though I must say it was not any better than the cheap Greek place near home where you're served within five minutes. After paying the bill, we heard a scream. I looked and some poor little girl was crying in horror because a very large beetle was crawling across their table. Dad tried to play it down, but she was sobbing, ""I want to go home!"" I don't care what you have to spend, AFR, but spend it and clean that place up and place a big ad telling me or you have lost a customer. Pros: Food tasted excellent, courteous staff Cons: cleanliness, speed, cost more

\r \r Xian H.\r \r This place hits the spot. It's my default 'no-frills' brunch go-to when I just want to eat something that makes me feel good and I'm too tired to try to be more creative.\r \r Pros: Nice, decent-sized portions of both Greek and American dishes and warm, friendly service. The perfect remedy for a wicked hangover. I'd recommend for breakfast: Eggs Florentine (or any of their poached eggs for that matter) or the Greek Breakfast. And if you stick around for dinner try the Pastichio. Closest thing to a diner in Astoria.\r \r Pros: good staff good food Cons: it get crowded on weekends for brunch. more

Carly M. Nashville, TN 6/28/2010 I have eaten here multiple times and each time they get 5 stars. We live nearby so it's very convenient but we would drive here for the food, service and value. The place is usually pretty busy except for the slower times (between breakfast/lunch and lunch/dinner) on weekdays. Even when it's packed, the tables turn quickly enough that we've never had to wait more than 10 minutes or so. The service is always fast and excellent. They are very attentive and always get our orders right. The place is sparkling clean, there's ample parking and they serve breakfast all day. The food is delicious and fresh and at very affordable prices. The menu is pretty large so there's a great variety to choose from. This is one of our favorite place to grab breakfast or a casual meal. more

Normally wouldn't complain about spending fifteen dollars for lunch, but the fact that this establishment was given even a dime out of my pocket made me so sick I almost purged the three bites of food in my mouth. I ordered the \r Lamb Suzukakia, \r and it was one of the worst meals I could ever remember having. \r \r The rice was cold and completely tasteless. \r \r The ""greek vegtables"" were some old, brown, slightly pickled looking canned vegtables slopped onto the plate that tasted like they had been heated up at 5-6am and were dumped into a hot well and continued to cook for the next 8 hours before they were served to us, strong taste of vinegar.\r \r The ""meatballs"" were very oddly shapen, and had obviously been frozen in open air. The center of the ""meat ball"" turned to mush when it was cut into, and if i wasn't in a restaurant full of people i would have spit it back onto the plate. The sauce that was on them was some sort of red, highly acidic sauce that was practically inedible, with a sprinkle of some old ""fresh"" parsley that looked like it had started to turn.\r \r The only thing I was able to eat was the warm pita bread that was brought out. All of the other meals at the table looked equally disgusting, I don't understand how anybody could ever give this place ""5 stars"", you should be ashamed of yourselves. Pros: A roof over our heads, air conditioning Cons: The food, sanitation, and cost more

Ordered Mousaka:\r Tiny portion of mousaka. Rice was uncle bens with some tumeric and no flavor. Vegetables were overcooked and bland. Food was cold and the mousaka looked like it had been frozen and thawed. \r Also at the table:\r Gyro Plate:\r Overcooked strips of processed meat and a pile of the same rice but a small salad that looked a bit wilted and certainly was not appetizing. \r Lamb Suzukakia:\r Same crap rice and bland vegetables. Looked like overworked meatballs in an oblong shape with canned sauce of some sort. \r \r Underwhelming appearance of food, cooks were slovenly and loud. The owner, I assume, was on the line stuffing something in his mouth and then continuing to touch items that would be served. This place just sucked. As a chef I may be a bit harsh, but I usually give points for effort or affordability in this case there was no effort and eveything was grossly overpriced. Just not worth the time or money. Actually pretty nasty! Pros: Nice server Cons: Small portions, overcooked vegetables, not clean or fresh more

I really love this place it's grate for family's .I eat there every day !! Pros: the service is so good ask for ashley best server in town!! Cons: N/A more

We apologize that nashvilleguy37211 had a few bad experiences in our restaurant. We just wish that he would have said something to one of us while he was dining with us. We buy all of our meats and poultry from the farms in Franklin Kentucky fresh and we butcher it ourselves.Our coffee is a special blend that is made especially for our establishment. It is brewed with filtered water. To all of our customers we always try to satisfy all of there needs to the best of our ability. CHEF ADEL ELOSTTA Cons: We do not serve kofta or shwerma more

This was once great place to eat. But our last few meals have either been forgettable or borderline disgusting. They have always bought the cheapest cuts of meat, so we always avoided the lamb shank or kabobs- (in Athens these are gristly and flavorless). But the kofta was always tasty and the shawarma was succulent; the lemon chicken soup was a delight. The kofta is now mushy and overcooked -- and so salty! They cannot even figure out how to make scrambled eggs and bacon. The coffee is like dishwater and the toast is stale. We have dined there since the week it opened-- but never again. Chef Adel's effort to make excuses for his appalling restaurant is pathetic. He should close this awful place and work for a REAL restaurant . He needs the training, believe me. Pros: Pleasant waitresses Cons: Crowded space; bad food; indifferent management more

The waitress was very nice and that is about where it ended. When we first sat down we were shocked at some of the prices for bacon and eggs. Reluctently, we ordered expecting the quality to be above average considering the cost. Our bacon came out cold, the toast was stale, the coffee tasted very strange. The eggs were decent but certainly didn't live up to the price tag. Never order the stuffed french toast, as it is basically 2 pieces of frech toast with a straight off the block chunk of philly cream cheese and nasty thick strawberry syrup... it was disgusting. When we mentioned this to the manager he joked about it and didn't offer to take anything off the ticket. All in all, we consider the $22 the 2 of us spent on breakfast a total waste. Avoid this place at all costs. Pros: nice waitress Cons: quality and price more

I've now visited this place 5 times... 4 of which I was coerced.\r There is simply no reason to return after today's visit. The service & meal were so bad that when I pointed it out to the owner, he simply could not argue. In my humble opinion, a Greek restaurant should make an excellent salad without fail. The only near decent thing that I've eaten there was a hamburger. I've only had good service once. Today's service was inexcusable for any restaurant. If I had not been someone's guest, I would have left.\r For great Mediterranean food, go to Kalamata's. Pros: Location is convenient for me. Cons: The ""Star"" rating that is required here is not deserved. more

Privately owed and has awesome food! They have a huge menu which I've tried most of and nothing on it has been bad. This place is great! We have our weekly office meeting here and the food is consistent and tasty every time. Plus they are open 24/7 Wednesday - Sunday! \r \r The wait staff is always great, ask for Kristen she takes great care of us every week! \r \r Pros: Parking, Service Cons: Bathroom & Bathroom sink's water pressure! Becareful or get wet! more

I signed up to just say how much I love this place. Turns out to even be a cook there you must have extensive experience, which makes sense, because the food (even when they're open at 3 in the morning) is delicious. Pros: Price, Quality more

I have been there a few times and the experience changes everytime, I doubt I will go back again. My last experience which was last weekend I found a hair in my meal after a few bites. After finding the hair I looked into the kitchen and noticed that some of the employees were not wearing caps or hair nets, along with not using gloves and washing their hands as needed (at all for that matter). Then I noticed how the female server was rubbing her nose, never washed her hands and continiously rubbed the matter into her red shirt and pants. I will never be back and do not be suprised if you pick up the bill and a pathogen at the same time. I would not recommend any restaurant that does not practice good hygiene. Beware! Pros: It smells good Cons: Parking, Hygiene, Food Quality more

I've been jonseing for a Greek Omelette (G.O.) for awhile; this morning I was determined to find one. I'm a transplant and the G.O. I'm accustomed to eating comes with Feta Cheese, Onions, Tomato, Spinach, & Avocado with Grilled Pita -- It's truly amazing. Although Athen's G.O. came with only Feta Cheese, Onions, & Tomato, they do have something on the menu called an Athen's Special Omelette which lets you have 5 ingredients of your choice. Well, that's exactly how many ingredients I needed to make my G.O. with some Grilled Pita on the side. I marched down there this morning. I've driven by many times but I've been apprehensive about going in based on the location and exterior. The restaurant is small with 16 small square tables and outdoor seating (little metal table sets you find at Zoe's). It was packed, which is a good sign - a small restaurant doesn't equate to having bad food - so I remained hopeful. I told the waitress exactly what I wanted ... first blow-they don't serve avocado ... second blow-they don't serve grilled pita as the bread side for breakfast-wheat or white are your choices. Fine, I'll try it without the avocado and without the pita ... but what do I get instead? I don't like mushrooms, I didn't want potatoes in my omelette ... I decided on having some protein and asked for lean turkey. I waited for about 10-15 minutes before getting my meal. It's a big omelette, but it was flat, heavy, and boring. The Feta overpowered the other ingredients so it was salty on several bites. Nothing like the G.O.s I'm used to. I'm not going to judge the entire restaurant on this one visit - I'm certainly not going to judge the rest of the menu either. I love Greek food and the menu looks wonderful. I do plan to return and try some of the other dishes; however, I am highly bummed over my Greek Omelette. Will anyone in Nashville, Brentwood, Antioch, Franklin, Smyrna, or Murfreesboro please prepare a G.O. the way I like it?? ... still looking... Pros: Affordable Cons: Small, cluttered, doesn't carry avocado more