Mezes, A Taste of Greece

If you love Mediterranean food , this is the place for you . Mezes brings together the warm tradition of Greek hospitality with delicious contemporary Greek cuisine. Perfect for a gathering of friends,or a special night out . With a comfortable and warm ambiance, friendly and knowledgeable staff, and a fabulous outdoor patio , Mezes cannot be given a miss .. I found a great deal for this place on a site called Urban Spoils.. you can get too..check out the site . more

I absolutely love Mezes. I'd even go so far as to say that it's my favorite restaurant in San Francisco and I think that's a pretty big compliment in a city full of great restaurants. The hostess is warm and friendly and the service is impeccable. I love the ambiance too, it's sort of a greek rustic look, with cozy dim lighting and yummy smells bouncing of the walls and beams of this place! You can come all dolled up, or come in a pair of jeans and shirt. You can come for a romantic date or a nice dinner with the family. Anything goes. It is also the perfect place to just walk in and sit and have a glass of wine or two at the bar. Among some of my favorites are the lamp chops, gigantes, meatballs, grilled octopus and the moussaka. I'm not a huge fan of lamb, but this is just about the only place I'll eat it. Top to bottom a great, one of a kind restaurant! Pros: great selection of greek wines more

On a foggy SF day, the creamy white gigante beans at Mezes, smothered in an earthy and unforgettable tomato and herb sauce, will warm you up in no time. Much of the other veggie dishes here are vegan too, making this place proof positive that sunshine is way overrated. Pros: Huge number of veggie dishes Cons: Having to walk uphill so full in order to get back home ;) more

One of my all time favorite restaurants in San Francisco. It's clean and the staff is incredibly kind. I love this place - the food is great and the service is reliable. I've had Greek food at a few places, but this is the best. The food is savory and full of flavor. I love love love their meatballs. What's amazing is that everything on the menu is great - not just a few items - all of them. If you've never had Greek food or have always been curious, you have to come to here. Pros: service ambience more

Mezes was a great place to hang out. My friends also had a great time. They have outstanding lamb chops and a veggie list to. The Greek wine list is also a plus. The only downside was that it was a little tough to get a table this past Friday. We did not have reservations. I would recommend trying it on a weeknight if you can. They also have some weekday events that look interesting on their website. more

I moved recently from Boston to SF. I love Greek cuisine, and love hole in the wall restaurants. I noticed Mezes one day when I was walking in Marina. It looked just like the type of place that I would love - unsuspecting, not much signage out front, small and intimate. Excited to try some place I had never been, I quickly made a mental note to drag some friends there. I still don't think my friends have forgiven me for that night... Mezes is cute - I will give them that. Upon walking in, I immediately took delight in the Mediterranean feel of the place... My friends and I was the only people in there and got immediate attention from the guy behind the bar - perhaps a little too much attention. I felt like explaining to the guy that we were there just to eat, not to ........ Moving on...we ordered several things from the menu including, Horta Dandelion Greens Lamb chops and a plate of dips. Although we were the only ones there, it took forever to get our food. Lamb chops was so burnt that it turned to ash in my mouth and the greens was so tough that I finally gave up trying to chew . The only saving grace were the dips, but come on - it is dip...it is hard to mess that up. About half way through our meal, I noticed the Mexican cook was picking his nose. We just paid and left then Needless to say, I will not be visiting Mezes again anytime in the near future... Pros: None more

Try their prawns with ouzo sauce! I thought ouzo could only be consumed by means of a shot glass. Quite... more

We got the zucchini cakes, lemon soup, small house salad, dipping trio, and dried/battered cod plus two glasses of wine and the tab with tip came to $80, which seemed high for a meal that wasn't very filling. Overall the food was pretty tasty but the tomatoes in the salad were hard and flavorless which in August seems hard to justify, especially as a main ingredient. The hostess and our waiter both seemed bothered to help us which didn't make me want to return to give the food another chance. Pros: Tasty bites, fun location Cons: Staff disinterested, pricey more

Mezes means bites - appetizer served family style. The bites, we found out, change periodically. I'd highly recommend the marinated mushroom dish & the lamb. They also had a good selection of vegetarian treats. Yummmy! My only complaint was that it took a while to get our food, but everyone enjoyed their dishes upon its arrival. Pros: great food Cons: took a while to get the food to the table more

My fiance and I went to Mezes for the first time to celebrate a low-key Valentine's Day. The food and the service were spectacular. There was a 4 course prix-fixe menu for approximately $46 - and worth every penny - and our waiter could not have been any warmer or friendlier. The mixed appetizer plate is for sharing and everything was amazing, especially the tzatziki (one of the best I've ever had), the dolmas, and the zucchini cakes. The greek salad that followed was very fresh, with very tasty salad dressing and feta. For entrees, we had the shrimp (amazing) and the chicken souvlaki, which was the only downer to the whole meal. It was thigh meat with too much fat and junk attached to it. I'd never order it again, but that's okay - everything else, including the dessert, was just delicious. We're happy to have discovered this place, just a short walk away from where we live. We will definitely return. Pros: Friendly service, no attitude, AND great food! more

We had a party of three, one was vegetarian - everyone was happy and full by the end. Everything was tasty, from the dolmas, to the variety of hummus, right down to the olive oil. If you're in the mood for Greek food, this is the place to go. And the waiter was very helpful about the wines - I had my first Greek red wine and it was great (even for us Napa/Sonoma drinking snobs). And very affordable wine, too. I was happy to see that it was NOT the normal Marina crowd on a Friday night. (As a Marina resident, I'm talking from experience). Shh, maybe they don't know about this place. more

My husband and I happened on Mezes in a CitySearch and decided to give it a try. This Marina restaurant was tastefully decorated and inviting. We sat on the patio on a lovely SF day and had the best, most delicious appetizers and delicious Santorini white wine to start. The shrimp in ouzo cream sauce was sumptuous. We had the horotiki salad to follow, which was sublime it is spices and fresh veggies. The house special was lamb shanks and they were the best we have had anywhere in the world. For dessert, the semolina cake or the walnut cake with cinnamon ice cream and delicious Greek coffee is a must. The service was prompt, helpful, and friendly with many good suggestions. All in all, one of the best dining experiences we have had in San Francisco. Can't wait to share it with our friends! Pros: Food, service, ambiance Cons: None more

Great Greek food and a friendly atmosphere in the Marina Dist. My favorites are the green beans, the meatballs in sauce, and the zucchini cakes. This is a great place for a "grazing" meal; lots of choices. One of the, if not the, best Greek wine lists in town. Friendly and helpful staff. It is even comfortable eating at the bar. Pros: good selection, good wine list Cons: Marina parking more

I have eaten and prepared Greek food for over 40 years. I have been to restaurants in Greece(Athens, Crete, Santorini etc), San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Mezes is, by far, the most authentic Greek restaurant outside of Greece I have ever experienced. The specials are seasonal and well executed. The regular menu offers value for every taste; meat eaters, vegetarians, large eaters, nibblers. The wine list, especially the Greek wines, is extensive and an excellent match for the cuisine. If you are unsure of what to order, ask the friendly staff. They will guide you through the menu, advise on portion size, match the wine, and even recommend the dessert/dessert wine finish. Pros: food, selection, price Cons: marina parking more

WE WENT THERE BASED ONLY ON THE REVIEWS ON THIS SITE AND WE WERE EXTREMELY PLEASED. THE GREEK SALAD WAS THE BEST I'VE EVER HAD. I WANTED THE SHRIMP WITH SPINACH ENTREE BUT MY HUSBAND SAID HE SAW IT SERVED TO SOMEONE ELSE AND YOU HAVE TO PEEL YOUR OWN SHRIMP. THE WAITER IMMEDIATELY SAID NOT TO WORRY, WE WILL PEEL THEM FOR YOU, NO PROBLEM. IT WAS ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! I EXPECTED TO SEE MORE LAMB DISHES - THEY HAD A LAMB SHANK AND LAMB CHOPS BUT THAT WAS IT. BUT I HAVE NO COMPLANTS. EXCELLENT SERVICE, FOOD AND VERY NICE AMBIANCE. Pros: SERVICE AND FOOD Cons: NONE more

We found this resaurant completely by accident one night and have been going back ever since. The food is authentic Greek and the wine list is amazing. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly and the restaurant has great ambiance. Reservations are recommended but if you show up unannounced pull up a seat at the bar and enjoy the full menu while sampling wines. A true gem in the heart of the Marina. Pros: Amazing food, Great wine, Great service more

This restaurant is by far my favorite. It not only has the most incredible food, wine, and atmosphere, but the staff are what makes it even more special. They always make you feel like family, and the food makes you feel like you've stepped off the plane in Greece. A 10! Pros: Great food, Warm staff, Relaxing atmosphere more

Once you visit Mezes you will want to visit Greece. And if you have already done that and you are at Mezes you for sure have the nostalgic need to go back! The atmosphere and home made cooking makes this restaurant a must to visit! Check out the patio... Pros: greek wine, baklava!, greek coffee more

Since my trip to Greece last summer I had been trying to find food that tasted like the real thing. The only Greek restaurant in San Francisco that woke up my taste buds was Mezes. Great value, nice folks. I will go back. Pros: Taste, Service, Value more

This place was amazing. I was there with firends recently. Excellent food and attentive service. Warm and relaxing ambience also. Pros: Food, Service more