10/12/09

Excellent casual mediterranean food

by wwwDrNeincom

Personalized service, excellent food, friendly atmosphere

• Pros: very fresh food
• Cons: none

04/27/09

Never had such a lip puckering experience...

by victtrav

I'm giving it two stars because of the wonderful baklava and good brownies... the salad ingredients were fresh and crisp... the pita bread was good... BUT... the gyro meat was very off-putting, like a Greek Spam that came out of a can. I've never encountered anything that unfortunate even in the cheapest of Mediterranean hole in the walls-also they were very stingy with the quantity of "meat", even though in this case it was appreciated. Next up, everything from the stuffed grape leaves(very gummy rice too), the salad dressing, the baba ganoush all had an overwhelming, unpleasant sour flavor- not sure what the ingredient was, but it also turned off the three other people I treated to the meal. Lastly, I had to drink water for several hours, evidently due to a salt lick hidden in the food. I had dined at this place a few weeks after they'd opened, and I remember the food at that time was more authentic and homecooked, not the almost unpalatable ingredients I encountered this time around.

• Pros: great desserts
• Cons: tastes like fast food Greek, rather than homecooked

02/08/09

Confusing

by RighterOfWrongs

Kalamata?s has pretty good food, but I don?t like the way they do things. If you?re not a regular, you don?t have a clue what to do when you walk in the door. You don?t know where to order, where to pick your food up, where to pay, when to pay?nothing. They make you feel like an idiot. I?ve been there twice and I still don?t know how to do it. One day, I?m paying with my plate in my hand and another day, I?m supposed to wait and pay when I?m finished?all without a bill so I have to remember what exotic delicacy I asked for and tell whoever decides to bop over to the cash register.

They?re re-modeling the place now and I hope they decide to use servers because the cafeteria-style ?what now? with people milling around looking for their order or somebody to give their money to doesn?t work.

But anyway, this is supposed to be about food, and I like Kalamata?s food. I don?t like the fact that they put their pita bread in a microwave instead of a real oven because it gets gummy instead of crispy, but they?re supposed to be the experts in Greek food, so if they want it gummy, who am I to correct them?

One other thing: they have a great selection of sodas.

• Pros: Good food
• Cons: Not even the employees know what's going on in there.

09/23/08

Just Like Family...

by jessyhathaway

I see that some people have "fussed" about the 'lack of service' or 'bland food' that Kalamata's offers. Yet others comment on the wait because the line flows through the doors and onto the sidewalk. First of all, the atmosphere is as if the customer were family. I am of Greek heritage and much of my family's lifestyle focuses on food and togetherness. Imagine Mehar as an uncle, cooking at the family barbeque...you tell him what you want, he prepares it, you eat, and then you clean up your mess. It is meant to be informal, you are paying for the food not the service. Additionally, Mehar is still quite the conversationalist, even at the peak lunch hour. As for the food...It's not all Greek, it's Mediterranean, and is comprised of a myriad of recipes from different areas. As for taste...some foods, by nature, don't have a lot of flavor. By adding flavor to them, it takes away from the authenticity of "real" Mediterranean meals.

I very much enjoy everything about Kalamata's, from the flash of a smile as I walk in the door all the way down to the baklava at the register.

• Pros: Great food, great atmosphere, great experience.
• Cons: Parking is limited to a shared lot within a strip mall.

08/28/08

Favorite lunch spot

by mil2ndbest

Everybody I take here loves it. The filet kabob is more tender than most places' filet mignon, the falafel is the best in town. Good hummus, and pistachio baklava! If they have gazpacho on special, get it. You can taste how fresh the ingredients are.

I love it when the owner is front and center interacting with you instead of some bored teenager.

The disposable dinnerware is a bit incongruous with the rest of the cafe.

• Pros: Great fresh-tasting food
• Cons: Disposable plates, silverware

06/25/08

Not that bad, not that good

by lmtullis

Maybe I am spoiled, maybe I have a higher standard I hold food to. I was not impressed with the food or the service. Is it a deli or a restaurant?

They have live music which was fun but no table service, just counter service. The space had a feel of after thought, sort of like they had the counter area and then the landlord offered them the space next door so they knocked a doorway in the wall and put a few tables out.

The food was sort of bland and the lamb tasted gamey. I was disappointed that it fell flat on so many points since they had been highly recommended to me by a friend who has always had good food recs in the past.

• Pros: Location with easy parking
• Cons: boring food and not consistent quality

05/10/08

Better than tabbouli's!

by foodie7683

i've been to both kalamata's and tabbouli's and i think they are both great. tabbouli's is definitely more of a sit down restaurant kind of place, where kalamata's is very casual in and out kind of place. but when you are in the mood it's fun to order and watch them make your food in front of you! (at kalamata's). tabbouli's also has more on the menu but, i was very disappointed when my mom asked for something that was a traditional greek dish so she could try the flavors new to her, and she was brought some greek flavored chicken on a BED of french fries. i have never seen so many fries. i would much prefer and recommended a sampler plate from either restaurant, especially the appetizer plate from kalamata's. their pita bread and hummus are wonderful!! as is their house dressing. YUM!

• Pros: fast, parking, safe location

01/03/08

NOT AS GOOD AS TABOULI'S!

by maryjatkinson

Go there and you'll see why. I don't know why people even compare one to the other. The food isn't as authentic as Tabouli's BY FAR, and it's more cramped and fast-food-like. Try Tabouli's.

• Pros: None
• Cons: Inauthentic food, fast-food-like service (seat/serve yourself), dirty tables

09/19/07

Nice people, great food

by spivey814

I JUST discovered this place. DELICIOUS food and nice staff. Great spot for lunch. I am hooked on the grilled chicken pita. YUMMY

09/08/07

Outstanding, quick, fresh fare

by jdsc

Tried Kalamata's for the first time...will be going back often. Despite a line out the door, service was fast and friendly. Menu offered standard Mediterranean dishes as well as several unique ones. Had the special of the night, which involved grilled tuna cooked expertly. Enjoyed the live music, which was unobtrusive to the dining experience.

• Pros: friendly, fresh, affordable