I was at a wedding over the weekend near Long Beach and ate at a fabulous Greek restaurant, which reminded me that I hadn’t visited any of the great Greek places here in Tucson recently. An oversight that will soon be remedied.
After all, any restaurant that will set fire to a wedge of cheese as a routine part of their service is a place I ought to be eating.
My favorite Greek restaurant in town is Athens on 4th.
Athens on 4th is a nice little place with both indoor and patio dining near downtown and the University, at 500 N 4th Avenue. I like Athens because it’s a nice place with friendly service, and a very casual comfortable atmosphere. You get a good meal with the tablecloth and linen napkin and all of that, and you can dine there in jeans and be completely comfortable. Parking can be difficult at times, especially if there is an event happening on 4th Avenue, but hunting down a spot to park will be well worth it.
Someday, hubby and I will break out of our rut and order something other than the saganaki, dolmathes, and the gyro platter. But every time we look over the menu, those are our favorite items, and they’re just too good to pass up. I’m not a sweets girl, but I hear the baklava is excellent there too.
October 11th, 2007 at 8:17 pm
You found the best Greek restaurant in Los Angeles!
If I’m ever in Tucson, now I’ll know where to check out the Greek food there.
Thanks for the tip!
October 12th, 2007 at 11:44 am
It was excellent - I didn’t know ahead of time that it was the best in LA! The food, the service, really a great evening. Opa!
November 30th, 2007 at 11:19 pm
Just checked out new Tucson Greek Restaurant called Opa! on Campbell and was totally disappointed. Bad food, poor service. Don’t recommend.
November 30th, 2007 at 11:24 pm
I saw that new Opa! place the other day driving along Campbell and wondered what it was like. I thought it would be a more quick-food type thing, but it looks like a sit-down-and-be-served joint. I was going to give the place a little more time to work out the kinks before I tried it.
December 17th, 2007 at 11:17 am
I eat at Opa on Campbell all the time. I love it. The owner is from Greece, is very passionate about his food and his customers. Their floor management needs work and the wait can be longer than it should, but the food…very good.
December 26th, 2007 at 3:02 pm
Opa! will succeed if it keeps up the elements I have seen on my last three trips to the restaurant - Good food, good service and good atmosphere. In particular I would like to comment that when I had a question about the greek wines, the waitress admitted that she was just learning them and went to get someone to help answer my questions. The gentleman that came out was very informative, knew the wine and the origin and the history of its pine tar overtones…it was personal service at the highest level. While the pace of the meal is relaxing, I think the addition of a starch - with a dip would help the wait. We will eat there again.
December 28th, 2007 at 11:22 pm
I just tried out Opa and really enjoyed it. I am not a Greek food afficianado, but I found the atmosphere pleasant, the food tasty and the staff helpful. Many of the people there seemed to be regulars, which to me is a good sign.
January 3rd, 2008 at 5:07 pm
I have been curious about Opa for several weeks and finally went in today. I was horribly disappointed. The food itself was fantastic. But the service was just about the worst I’ve ever had. After waiting for twenty-five minutes for our lunch, we asked how much longer it would be. The waiter had a few very sarcastic comments and walked away without answering the question. Another ten minutes and we asked again. He told us that after we had ordered, another order came in that was put in front of ours because it was very large. He gave us some more sarcasm and walked away again. After almost an hour to make two sandwiches? I heard some bad attitude directed at other customers as well, along with looking over someone’s shoulder as looked over their bill and setting dirty plates on another diner’s table. The food really is quite good, but it is not worth having to put up with this level of unprofessional behavior.
May 20th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
I have eaten at Opa several times with friends and co-workers. We try something different each time, and are quite satisfied with the quality, quantity and price. Unlike Naomi, we’ve had no problem with the service. If you’re in a rush at lunch time, either go early and take a later lunch; they are very busy 12-1. It’s a great fun place. Finally, Tucson has a true Greek restaurant!