Pappas’ Grill

1006 Montgomery Hwy

Vestavia Hills, Alabama 35216

205-823-4458

 

“Good morning, let the stress begin,” is a sign that I would expect to see in overcrowded pancake houses, casual cafeteria style diners and even in Cracker Barrel restaurants across America. However, I did not expect this sign to greet me in a traditional Greek restaurant like Pappas’ Grill. From the first impression of the sign to the last bite of my Greek salad, I constantly asked myself: is Pappas’ Grill an Americanized or authentic Greek restaurant? From then on, I felt like I was on a secret mission to find out.

Since my mother and I woke up craving a classic Greek dining experience, I took her along for the ride. Both of us enjoy different cultural cuisines and experiences, but we also like giving ourselves breaks from cooking and eating the same old recipes. While we did not have overwhelming expectations when walking into the restaurant, we wanted the chef to fill our plates with fresh and healthy ingredients and have waiters that would provide us with excellent hospitality, such as asking us if we would like to sample a meze (appetizer) such as homemade pita chips and Tzatziki sauce. Surprisingly, a one-man show managed the restaurant and there were no waiters in sight.

From reading about classic restaurants in the city of Athens and the island of Ikaria, I expected to hear the finest Greek music that would mentally transport me to the vibrant country. Instead, though, all I could hear was the Fox News Channel highlights blaring from the wide-screen television in the back of the restaurant. I felt like I was eating food from Greece but in an American culinary establishment. I then thought to myself, what a revolutionary idea.

As a whole, the television did not make or break the ambience of the restaurant; that was the job of the ice machine. Since we could seat ourselves, the tables next to the windows were calling us. However, we did not stay there for long. Two large garbage cans were so close to our table we thought they might ask for some of the Moussaka and grilled chicken we ordered. Not to mention, the blaring sounds from the machines made us feel like we were eating in a freezer instead of a restaurant in Vestavia Hills, or better yet, Greece’s serene and mild climate.

I was pleasantly surprised when reading newspaper and customer reviews on the website because most of them said that Pappas’ Grill provided a convenient location with reasonable classic Greek menu items at reasonable prices. Past customers gave the restaurant much praise on their website such as,“Greek done right” and “the mecca of fine foods.” These comments created such an exciting feeling in my stomach even before I continued reading the rest of them. After my personal experience though, I questioned whether I read restaurant reviews for the wrong Greek restaurant. Though I am not a Greek culinary guru, other Greek restaurants where I have dined do not serve Lays potato chips at the front counter. Rather, real Greek restaurants like The Pita Pit or Makario’s Kabobs and Grill provide customers with an authentic Greek experience without other international influences like America.

While I was thrilled to see traditional Greek dishes like Moussaka and Spanakopita, I wanted to see if the succulent grilled chicken breast lived up to customer reviews on the restaurant’s website. Thus, I ordered a Marinated grilled chicken breast with a side of spinach and rice and a small Greek salad with homemade Greek dressing.

While ordering my grilled chicken was a simple process, for my mother, it was a different story. She did order Moussaka (Greek dish made with ground lamb, eggplant, tomatoes, and cheese on top) with a side of Greek-style potatoes and a small Greek salad with homemade Greek dressing, but she was disappointed with soup choices. She asked for the soup special of the day, and surprisingly, the owner said he was out of the Lemon Orzo Soup. I know what you’re thinking: Why didn’t the owner take down the soup of the day sign if he was all out of the special? Some answers we will never know. The other soup option was chili. From thoroughly reading Greek cookbooks, I have not seen any recipes even remotely close to using or resembling chili. However, I know that Chili is an important recipe in American cookbooks.

When taking the first bite, the grilled chicken strips tasted moist and juicy, but after a while, the overabundance of salt took away their succulent flavors. As I ate my third piece of chicken, the salty taste left such an unsatisfying impression on my tongue that I could not finish the main attraction of the meal. Though my small Greek salad had fresh lettuce and savory feta cheese, the lack of ripe red tomatoes still made me think I was eating Americanized Greek food.

Though I thought my meal was disappointing, my mother’s meal was more satisfying. While she complained that the chef stuffed the flaky bread crust with too much beef (I reminded her that the beef was actually lamb), and not enough eggplant, she said all of the ingredients tasted so hearty and fresh that she savored each bite. She indicated how the fresh, yellow Greek-style potatoes had a crisp taste; while she had an opposite opinion on the Greek salad sitting to the left of her Moussaka. 

 

The owner also served her a large amount of lettuce and a trivial amount of red tomatoes that were soaked in homemade Greek dressing. Though my mother enjoys the savory taste of any salad dressing in the supermarket, the oily taste of the Italian-like Greek dressing took away the herbal flavors of the vegetables. The chef did not even provide either of us with a hot slice of Italian Ciabatta bread and olive oil that might have provided a semi-sweet ending to an Americanized Greek meal. Nevertheless, he did give us a serving of bread, but in the form of small, cheap, flavorless buns that need a plethora amount of butter to satisfy most appetites.

As we entered the restaurant, one man yelled “Thanks guys! Good as always!” while carrying his take-out and leaving the restaurant. This optimistic statement made me think that my mom and I were going to receive a traditional Greek experience, but unfortunately, we just ate Greek food at an American style restaurant. Though the so-called classic Greek dishes, take-out service, and casual setting may provide delightful tastes to the palates of people in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, the restaurant did not fulfill the expectations of someone like me who desired a genuine Greek experience

 

Overall, if you want to savor the decadent but fresh flavors of the Greek lifestyle, I would not recommend this restaurant. However, if you want a restaurant that serves the American versions of most Greek-style foods, be my guest.

“Taziki’s is a Mediterranean restaurant,” she responded.

“My point exactly,” I said in a sarcastic tone.

Would you like more information about Pappas’ Grill?

Visit their website http://www.thepappasgrill.com/