XL Food & Drink: On the Side

Tino's Greek Cafe

Take your pick of great Greek dishes

The lunch line was unrelentingly steady, even after 1:30 on a Saturday afternoon. It didn't slow enough to give the workers a break until nearly 2.

Thao Nguyen
AMERICAN-STATESMAN

(enlarge photo)

Served cafeteria-style, the food at Tino's Greek Cafe draws crowds to the restaurant, located in a strip mall on U.S. 183 near Anderson Mill Road.

Amber Novak
FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN

(enlarge photo)

Tino's make-your-own plate lets you choose from the restaurant's options to create a feast out of one meat, a soup or salad, and three sides.

Amber Novak
FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN

(enlarge photo)

Dolmas are marinated grape leaves stuffed with meat, rice and spices, or with a vegetarian filling.

Tino's Greek Cafe.

• 13450 Research Blvd.
• 336-5999
• Rating: Forks up.
• Price: Cheap.

Even without tasting the food, one would have to assume that Tino's Greek Cafe was doing something right.

But the food makes it easy to see what draws a crowd to this cafeteria-style place in a strip mall on U.S. 183 near Anderson Mill Road.

The make-your-own plate ($6.99 at lunch, $9.99 at dinner) offered so many tasty options that it was tough to narrow them down: one meat, soup or salad, and three sides.

Both meats — thinly sliced gyro (a Greek form of compressed, minced lamb roasted on a skewer) and chicken done in the same gyro style — were generous and flavorful, with a delightful cucumber sauce on the side.

The salad with feta cheese and creamy dressing and the lentil soup were equally tasty. But the sides were especially tempting:

•The dolma delivered marinated grape leaves stuffed with meat, rice and spices (a vegetarian version also is available).

•The tabbouleh combined — in a wonderful balance — onions, tomatoes, parsley and cracked wheat tossed with olive oil and lemon juice.

•In the spanakopita, layers of delicate phyllo dough enveloped a mix of spinach and cheese.

•The baba ghanoush exuded the taste of roasted eggplant accented with garlic and tahini.

•The hummus, a blend of chick peas and tahini, was creamy and delightful.

•The falafel, a fried croquette of ground chickpeas, was crisp and not greasy.

With so many good choices, some of those in line must be making repeat visits to put together another combination plate. I'll soon be one of them, too.