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Casual greek food at cheap prices. Always a line up down the block. Nothing on the menu over $12.
Went to Stepho's for the very first time last night. Amazingly there was no line up at 6:45pm. After about a 15 min wait we were seated, and luckily at that time we saw the line building outside. We ordered the hummus and pita, calamari dinner, and chicken souvlaki. Hummus and pita was decent but I always like nice, warm soft pita bread. The calamari dinner was huge and seemed to be overflowing. But the calamari sort of looked bland and didn't taste 'fresh' from the stove. The chicken souvlaki was pretty decent, the chicken had a great taste to it and not too dry. I would go back again if there was no lineup. It's good value for the amount of food you get but not worth the long wait.
We usually end up at Stephos weekly since we live close and it is the BEST comfort food imaginable. Initially we would order differently with my wife choosing the roast lamb and I being intoxicated by the meat lasagna, a delicious combination of lamb and beef in soft noodles covered (and I do mean covered) in cheese. Amazing meal. After our fifth (or so) visit, my wife was lured over to the lasagna and was trapped.
Our variety now comes from the appetizers (there is NO chance we'll have room for dessert sadly). The saganaki is great and my wife loves the salads (although olives, onions and tomatoes are my least popular foods so I pass).
We almost always end up with the same waiter who is excellent, fun and very helpful. He turned us on to the Tollo Italian wine (I suspect him of being Italian as well) and it is not only good but cheap as well. Every time is a fine dining experience.
If only there weren't those pesky line-ups it would be exquisite but the secret has been out for years now and it's a popular spot. I'm getting hungry reading this and as a matter of fact plan to go there very very soon (within the hour). Stephos forever!!!
I always see the line ups and finally one day, we walked by and it was early enough that we beat the lineup. We decided to take the opportunity and see what brings so many people in. I honestly failed to discover it.
The lamb souvlaki tasted like mutton, and was not very tender.
The kalamari tasted like it any other deepfried squid. A little greasy. Service was too focused on pumping us through-as The Line started forming almost immediately after we arrived.
I guess people see a lineup and thats enough to bring them in.
I really don't understand why people line up 30,60 mins for this place.
Yes, food is not bad, portions are big and price is very reasonable. But that's about it. Everything is premade, food is at most good for the money.
People giving this place a 5 star rating has obviously not been willing to spend $3-$5 dollar more for real souvlaki.
Service is so-so at best but one thing good is place is always busy and lively.
On an absolute level, compared to higher end Greek places, it's 3 stars for food, & 5 stars for value.
Go here is you are a poor student, but forget the hype, don't be a silly sheep by following the crowd to eat pre cooked lamb
There are 2 other Greek restaurants in the vicinity there, go pay $2-$3 and you'll know what I mean.
I ordered roast lamb to go, and asked for vegetables only - no rice, salad or bread, so get this, I thought if I didnt order rice,bread or salad he would naturally give me more vegetables, but NO just the usual portion
And the lamb was not nicely marinated nor did it have a nice outer crust, and was not tender fall off the bone
It was quite fatty also
Last time for me at Stephos....
I've been here several times now to have the roast lamb house special and it never disappoints. Friends have tried other dishes but they don't really compare to the lamb and can be hit or miss.
Believe it or not there are times when there aren't people waiting outside the front entrance, and that's the time to go to Stepho's. Great lamb for a great price!
Stepho's is overrated by many because you get your buck's worth. However, when they say the food at Stepho's is incredible, they've obviously never had great Mediterranean food. The service is terrible, which I usually don't mind at a restaurant if it's good. However, during my last 4 visits I'd say the average wait time for the server to take an order was about 15 minutes, and the food took another 40. An hour to get your food. If you add in another 30 min (being generous) to the wait time, that's an hour and a half before you get your food.
It may sound like an exaggeration but it really isn't. They always to prioritize take outs before dine-ins. Yes, sure, many of the orders may have been ordered before the other customers who were seated. However, if you are taking orders beyond the restaurant's capabilities to provide food fast enough, it really makes you question just how much the restaurant prioritizes their money over customer satisfaction.
Long story short:
Dine-in at Stepho's if you have at least an hour and a half to waste, to eat mediocre food with bad service
Get takeout at Stepho's if you don't have at least an hour and a half, and to eat mediocre food with good service
I love Greek food. I rarely get to come here but when I do, it is simply amazing. I usually have to stick to the tasty but piss poor portions and prices of Opa's. Food: Large Chicken Souvlaki. Big portions and you get 2 skewers and rice with the best tzatziki ever. Service: Pretty quick. Value: Very good. 12 bucks for a big portion that other restaurants don't even give half of and charge way more. Ambience: Pretty small and dark but feels like you're in Greece. Worth the trip to Vancouver. Try it.
I think Greek restaurants suffer from the same fate as some other ethnic fare, such as Vietnamese. They just don't work fancy. It's honest, down to earth food for people working the land, that's hard to dress up and stick a large price tag on.
Stepho's does it all well. They know the business they are in, and they excel at it. The food is as solid as it can be, service sparse but helpful, considering the size and density of the place, and turnover is efficient and quick, but you never feel rushed. No reservations are taken, so you do have to line up if you want in at prime times.
If you have some time to spare, it is certainly a cut above the already decent downtown Greek selections, including one right across the street. The place does not show any signs of being complacent or going downhill.
Big portions of food offered. I have tried most of the menu and its all above average. The service is usually good but there is usually a long line up outside. Lots of value for what you get. Ambiance is solid b/c everyone is enjoying their fairly priced tasty meals. Me likee this place.
Have dined here several times and have always had to wait in the line that snakes outside and down the block. However, I have yet to be disappointed once I am inside Stephos.
The place is packed- and with good reason! Always bustling and noisy but what can you expect with solid food, huge portions, and most plates under $10!
Fairly extensive food menu and a decent drink menu as well. The hummus is a favorite-just the right amount of garlic and the perfect consistency. The souvalaki dishes are a good bet-although the rice is rather bland.
Service is prompt but polite. Looks like the servers hardly have a moment to breathe!
As mentioned, the value is unbeatable. Portion sizes are filling and you cant complain about the cost! Easily dine for $30 (appy and tip included).
Ambiance is lacking any authentic vibe, probably because of the table turnover and the cramped seating.
Have been going to this place for years and recommend checking it out if youre in the neighbourhood
A friend and I went to Stephos this afternoon for lunch. There was no wait and my friend and I were seated as soon as we walked through the door.
My friend and I both had appetizers which arrived at snails pace which we could not understand as the restaurant was pretty much empty when we arrived.
According to my friend, she says her calamari was dry, flavorless and really not all that fresh.
We both ordered the lamb souvlaki for our entrees which came within a reasonable amount of time and was piping hot. Unfortunately, this is where things go downhill.
Stephos has cut there portion sizes. Everything is much smaller than what they are normally known for, no more plates of heaping food. The lamb souvlaki were like little nuggets on a stick; and because the cubes were so small they were overcooked and dry. The Greek salad was a green pepper salad with a little feta on it. Our potatoes looked good but were not cooked all the way through.
I’ve been a long time customer and at one time I would swear up and down that the wait to get into Stephos is well worth it. I would never even consider going elsewhere for Greek food. Now, I would tell people to consider going elsewhere. Stephos in my mind no longer stands out from the crowd. It’s not worth the wait in those long line ups, the food quality has gone downhill and the can no longer sell the value aspect as they’re portions size has diminished. It’s now become another run-of-the-mill Greek restaurant with the hopes of becoming more!
stephos is AMAZING! every one knows, line ups super long every day but worth the wait IMO BUT the last 2 times i went... i got calamari dinner... one time... it tasted like it was frozen... and the 2ed time it was WAY OVER COOKED.
i asked the server if they had a new cook... she told me no.. so i don't understand.
do they freeze pre-cooked calamari now?
I know Stepho’s is a popular Greek restaurant in Vancouver and I can see why. It’s well priced, the service is fast, and if you’re craving Greek food it’s a good place to get your fill. However, if you’re looking for top-quality food than Stepho’s might not be the place to go. I know Greek food well and although Stepho’s is solid, there are better Greek restaurants out there.
It's always silly to see people line up for this place, knowing full well the food is just average.
Went there for lunch the other day, the plastic table cover was ripped, chair next to me had a huge ripped hole with foam sticking out, dirty cutlery (had to take one from another table), the place was dark and dirty (even for daytime), didn't even want to see what the washroom looked like.
As for the portion size, let's take the popular chicken souvlaki for example. Sure you get a great amount of food, but the quality is just average, rice is really bland, potatoes were good, and you can't really screw up the greek salad, and the chicken was standard....nothing mind blowing. The whole quantity over quality thing induces images of mindless farm animals wolfing down low-grade feed. As for the price/value, well, you get what you paid for.
Bottom line: there are PLENTY of excellent greek restaurants in town, but don't fuel the hype and line up for this one.
Please note a 'two star' rating is considered 'Decent' (average, passable), not 'Poor'.
Heard lots of great things about this place before attempting to get in the long daily lines.
In the end, it is ok to average greek food served by the bucket load for portion sizes. The chicken souvalki was ok, the calamari was chewy and the rice was bland. If a huge pile of average tasting food is your thing, then you will love this place.
If they reduced their portion sizes, I am guessing that the line ups and hype would follow suit.
Pass!
I've been going to Stepho's for 10yrs and loving it. Still a Vancouverite favourite - if you wanna be like the locals, order take-out or you'll be waiting a long time in line outside.
The moussaka and souvlaki are our comfort food favourites, always large portions, and still as good today as it was when I first started going over 10yrs ago.
My 3 out of 5 = Okay'ish ... NOT Solid.
I went on a Saturday around lunch time and we had to wait outside for about 15 minutes which is alright I guess since I've waited around that time at other places such as the Keg, Cactus Club, or even Sammy J Peppers.
The price is okay considering how much you get BUT I would rather pay a few bucks more and get less IF it meant that the food was better in quality and taste.
The spanokapita was good. The lamb souvlaki was CHEWY!! My mouth was EXHAUSTED after eating that. I didn't like it at all. The meat wasn't so flavorful and of course, it took about 5 minutes to chew each piece of meat.
I also do not understand the hype about this place. I think most people are jumping the band wagon to be honest. I've had better Greek food elsewhere.
Over all: 3 out of 5. I consider this an okay place but nothing special and I'm still scratching my head about the hype around this place.
Looking for a place to have lunch within an hour, Stepho's can do it. No waiting for a table, service, or your meal.
The small souvlaki had rice over 3/4 of the plate along with a greek salad, roasted savory potatoes, pita bread and 1 skewer of lamb-which was all to perfection.
So much food left over, easy to take the rest home for another meal.
Delish!
Can't beat the price. Somewhat Romantic with the candles and the house wine is not bad either. I have never been disappointed. worth the wait. My last visit was with a party of six and even with a bottle of wine and plenty of starters the bill was under 100...
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