These old-school Greek restaurants are still feeding generations of Charlotteans
Many of Charlotte’s diners, Italian restaurants and sandwich shops have something in common: Greek food.
A few years ago, CharlotteFive’s Philip Freeman wrote about why so many of Charlotte’s restaurants feature Greek cuisine, explaining that immigrants snapped up much-needed jobs feeding folks moving to the area as the city grew.
Many decades later, that growth is still happening, and the city’s Greek food has blended in over time throughout area restaurants, blessing us with a bounty of tasty eats.
Some of those old favorites have been lost — but a few remain. Here are some of the city’s oldest restaurants serving Greek food that have stood the test of time:
The Diamond
Location: 1901 Commonwealth Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205
Opening date: 1945
What to eat: Gyro platter or Greek salad
Greystone Pub
Location: 3039 South Blvd, Charlotte, North Carolina 28209
Opening date: 1947
What to eat: Zeus burger, a double-patty burger on pita with Greek salsa, feta and regular or spicy tzatziki; or a gyro bowl with house-made hummus
Little Village Grill
Location: 901 East 4th St, Charlotte, NC, United States, 28204
Opening date: 2005
What to eat: Lamb gyro and baklava
The Mad Greek of Charlotte
Location: 5011 South Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28217
Opening date: 1991 as Hugos; became The Mad Greek in 2008
What to eat: Grecian Kebab, moussaka or spanakopita
Open Kitchen
Location: 1318 West Morehead St., Charlotte NC 28208
Opening date: 1952
What to eat: Greek salad with tomatoes, feta, kalamata olives, Salonika peppers and beets; or the Pizza a la Greque
Showmars
Location: Multiple
Opening date: 1982
What to eat: Greek veggie pita or chicken Santorini platter with grilled peppers and onions, rice pilaf with pita, tzatziki and a side salad
