We all know Greek restaurants make American food as good as anyone else. But if you’re looking for good ol’ traditional Greek food, we’ve got you covered on both fronts.

by Max Fisher

Greek food (even the Americanized version) is fresh, delicious and affordable – and there’s plenty of great options around Buffalo Niagara

Simple but Delicious

Putting the word Greek in front of anything instantly transforms it into a mark of quality. Greek yogurt (it may taste awful by itself, but add some fruit and it miraculously becomes delicious. Plus it’s jam packed with protein). Greek salad (pieces of tomato, cucumber, onion, feta cheese and olives. Dressed with salt, pepper, Greek oregano, and olive oil. It’s super healthy and tastes great as well what’s not to like?). And don’t get me started on Greek wraps because everyone knows they’re legendary. I can’t help but think of a Greek restaurant as nothing short of a holy grail for good food with a track record like that.

Luckily you won’t have to go on some grand quest to find great Greek restaurants in Buffalo Niagara. (Sadly, no matter which Greek restaurant you end up going to, the fountain of youth won’t be on the menu. Only fountain drinks). So if you’re in the mood for some quality Greek food, how about we talk about some of the top-notch Greek restaurants in Buffalo Niagara?

Partners in Deliciousness

Greece is a country in southeastern Europe with thousands of islands throughout the Aegean and Ionian seas. (Sorry for the geography lesson, but I promise I’m going somewhere with it). Greece is a country with a tropical climate where many fresh fruits and vegetables can be expertly grown. A lot of animals can be given excellent living conditions to produce the best meats possible. (I’m sorry again, I’m sure I made a vegetarian cry with that sentence). This is the sort of thing I keep in mind when going to a Greek restaurants. I’m not expecting them to have a 100-acre farm in the back with live animals waiting in the back to land on my plate (that would be as delicious as it would be sad, and all that space would cost a fortune). But what I am looking for is that sense of freshness that should be inherent due to Greece’s cuisine heritage.

In other words, if Greece is known for fresh quality food all over the world, when you step into a Greek restaurant you should get the same thing. That’s why when I want some good Greek food, I go to either Milton’s or Alton’s.

One thing I have to point out is just like any Greek establishment, you have to Americanize it to maximize profits. Meaning although hot dogs and mozzarella sticks aren’t traditional Greek foods, they still find their way on the menu because that’s just what the people want. Yet the interesting thing about it is even though these traditionally American items in origin end up on the menu, they never take away from the Greek food available at either establishment. They simply add more options for the customer.

Salad done right: take-out Open Face Chicken Souvlaki from Alton’s

Alton’s & Milton’s Restaurant

Take Alton’s, for example. They may have chicken fingers on the menu, but one of their best selling items is still Spanakopita ( Spinach Pie – layers of buttered strudel dough filled with chopped spinach and feta cheese, baked to perfection). Something like this just spotlights the kind of juggling act that restaurants have to manage when they want to serve traditional culturally relevant food from their home country (this same aspect can apply to any “foreign restaurant in America ranging from Italian to Polish and everything in between). Yet, in the case of Alton’s, they manage to do this juggling act with seemingly effortless ease because everything you get from there is very good, whether it be as American as mozzarella sticks and fries or as Greek as a souvlaki.

In the case of Milton’s, another aspect of the Greek restaurant in America comes into play: “how much of this restaurant should we model after a restaurant and how much should we model it after a diner?” By definition, a diner “is a small restaurant found predominantly in the Northeastern, Southeastern, and Midwestern United States, as well as in other parts of the US, Canada, and parts of Western Europe. Diners offer a wide range of foods, mostly American cuisine, with a casual atmosphere, and characteristically a combination of booths, served by a waitstaff and a long sit-down counter with direct service. In the smallest diners, your meal is simply served by the cook.”

If you’ve ever been to Milton’s, you’d of noticed that it is very much modeled after an American diner, in atmosphere and look having the booths and such. Even more than Alton’s (which I consider much more of a restaurant. Although I suppose if I were to look just a little harder, I’d see many aspects of the American diner as well). It seems to have more of an American appeal. And why not? There’s a reason why diners are still around. People always enjoy good quick service.

And if you can in some way find a means to share your cultural cuisine within the admittedly flexible confines of the American diner, why not go for it?

Gyro-Dillas: Mexican-Greek fusion revolution happening at Kosta’s Family Restaurant

In the case of Milton’s, they have delicious charcoal-broiled hotdogs paired up with Gyro’s (can someone please tell me how to pronounce that correctly because I have no idea)—paired with chicken feta wraps and French fries. It’s similar to Alton’s selection, just a bit speedier by way of the diner design.

Either one you choose, however, will give you a great experience. Whether you prefer the feel of a restaurant over the feel of a diner or visa versa, you can bet that whatever you choose from either establishment, whether it be traditional Greek food to a hotdog and fries, it’s all going to taste great.

Front & Center

After doing a little digging for this piece, it’s pretty easy to see why places like Milton’s and Alton’s choose to embrace American food and aesthetics, but whether by choice or necessity, one incredible thing always shines through — they never lose their way. Meaning although they may have the burgers and fries on the menu, the Greek dishes are always proudly front and center because the people running these establishments know burgers and hot dogs are good. They can make them as good as anyone else.

Buffalo

Zoe

East Amherst

What do you think of our guide to Greek restaurants in Buffalo Niagara? Have a favorite? Know a great one that we missed? Let us know.

Let's do this again, shall we?

Let us do the ground work. Get our weekly newsletters and partner updates delivered right to your inbox, twice a week. We have weekly giveaways and will keep you up-to-date on all the latest and greatest around Buffalo Niagara. Hope to see you there!