This restaurant has closed permanently. Hopefully the original Vasili will reopen with his original recipes.
Lewis C.
Too bad this restaurant is closing soon. We had lunch here recently and the food and service were very good. We had the chicken souvlaki and the lamb kebab - both served piping hot with nice flavors and a generous side salad dressed in a simple vinaigrette. We also enjoyed a side order of seasoned fries and they were some of the best fries we've had in quite a while.
Ameyalli J.
Got 2 lamb gyros , the portion size was perfect ! But they put chunks of meat in the gyro to the point where I had to take some out , not usually picky on the amount of meat but just was way too much. Lamb was vary plain, and their garlic fries were not it. I thought there would be actual garlic on them seems like it was all just powdered seasoning and tons of black pepper if I'm correct. Would have gotten regular fries if I knew they were plain. Overall 6/10 ON GYRO. Will go back to try different items of menu might be a different experience .
Umesh T.
On our trip to Santa Cruz the past summer, we opted to eat in our hotel so every dinner was a flurry of hunting around for call-in-take-out food! We read lots of good reviews about Vasili's, so Vasili's it was! The in-house Pita bread with garlicky tzatziki sauce was delicious and better than most any restaurants that use store-bought pitas! I tried a bite of the moussaka; the bechamel layer was smooth, creamy, and luscious. The minced meat was flavourful and it was a harmonious marriage of flavour profiles and textures. My chicken souvlaki kebab was good, however it was a little dry. But that's to be expected of breast meat on takeout so one can't really fault the restaurant for that. I bet it would have been nice and juicy had we eaten in at the restaurant. Lastyly, the child-menu item of chicken kebabs and seasoned fries were pretty good too. It was a nice heaping pile of fries with a single skewer of chicken breast meat. The order took only about fifteen minutes between call in and take-out. Talk about a quick and delicious service!
Jim A.
I had a spot on dinner worthy of my college memories of Vasili's Greek. Open later on a Monday evening during my recent vacation, only one couple was seated when I arrived. I liked the classic, clean decor. Staff were in the middle of a dinner break, so they covered the tables in shifts. They all very clearly wanted to provide excellent customer service and did so. I had ordered the chicken souvlaki dinner, but mentioned I wasn't hungry enough to eat two skewers. The waitress suggested a la carte ordering to save some money. I didn't get a salad, which was all good, and bread instead of pita was a letdown but turned out to be perfect for the meal. The chicken was super tasty and high quality meat. I couldn't place the tang and spices on it, but tasted greek to me. Split side of rice and stewed veggies was classic, if needing some salt. The fries were just perfectly done, with a greek seasoning on top and enough for a snack at the hotel later. Try some substantive Greek meals at Vasili's today!
Sunipa D.
Decent food and portions. Good place to visit in Santa Cruz. The soup was exceptional. The souvlaki plate was good too. But, the gyro had too much tzatziki sauce all over-the pita got all soggy as a rest. Felt mayo-ish.
L. Rose McSherry
Maybe this is just because I’m a visiting Midwesterner and my pallet isn’t that refined, but this is hands down one of the best Greek places I’ve ever been. I could tell everything was fresh and local. Amazing food. If you like Greek food this is a must see.
Allyson S.
Holy MOLY! The lamb! The pork! The EVERYthing! So delicious... get some! If you don't know what to order, close your eyes and point!
S B.
Had lunch here today and enjoyed it! Service was fast and staff was very friendly and attentive. We ordered the vegetarian souvlaki platter and the tzatziki sauce was great. I ordered the Greek salad and a side of spanakopita, both of which were tasty. We did order a side of rice pilaf and vasilis vegetables, but those were lacking a bit in flavor. The family also enjoyed an order of the saganaki, which they served with bread. The pita bread was very good, great flavor and served hot! as a vegetarian, I felt they had a lot of options on the menu. To end, we ordered some orders of baklava which was a great way to end the meal. The portions were fairly big too, enough for 2 people if you wanted to split some dishes. All in all, enjoyed the meal!
Ruben Roque
I had the Lamb Gyro, oh boy. A lot of food, meat was perfectly tender, the fries were not soaking in grease. My girl had the burger which too was crafted beautifully with the taste out of this world. The staff was super kind and attentive, our waiter especially was very polite, funny, and made us feel at home. Great food, Superb customer service, can't wait to go again.
Amazing food and service. Authentic Greek beers and great prices overall. Will definitely be back!
Doni Hill
Really just not that good. Spent 50 bucks for an appetizer and two main dishes. Ordered the chicken plate and got maybe 2 ounces of chicken. Everything was oily and the pita bread tastes like it was frozen most likely. Not trying to be harsh it just wasn’t that good. Nick the Greek is a much better place to get Greek food in SC. Step it up.
Crystal Nunez
Chicken Gyro so tasty, enjoyed the cumin seasoning on the fries. Staff roman emperor’s costume looked really authentic. Plan to return soon.
Internet Person
First time here for me. 20 yrs since my wife was a regular here. Like she told me, this is the best Greek restaurant in California. Highly recommended. Friendly staff, clean restaurant, great smells, excellent food, large portions and tasty leftovers.
Melanie E.
Food was good...not "The Best", but good enough. Condiments are skimpy and if you want/need more, you have to pay for them. I'm used to Greek food plates having rice and being a little more that just your average gyro opened up on a plate. Customer service was eh. The place was clean. Parking is near impossible during lunch unless you take the chance and park at McDonald's across the street or the hidden parking lot behind the restaurant that says no restaurant parking. Prices are reasonable.
This restaurant has closed permanently. Hopefully the original Vasili will reopen with his original recipes.
Too bad this restaurant is closing soon. We had lunch here recently and the food and service were very good. We had the chicken souvlaki and the lamb kebab - both served piping hot with nice flavors and a generous side salad dressed in a simple vinaigrette. We also enjoyed a side order of seasoned fries and they were some of the best fries we've had in quite a while.
Got 2 lamb gyros , the portion size was perfect ! But they put chunks of meat in the gyro to the point where I had to take some out , not usually picky on the amount of meat but just was way too much. Lamb was vary plain, and their garlic fries were not it. I thought there would be actual garlic on them seems like it was all just powdered seasoning and tons of black pepper if I'm correct. Would have gotten regular fries if I knew they were plain. Overall 6/10 ON GYRO. Will go back to try different items of menu might be a different experience .
On our trip to Santa Cruz the past summer, we opted to eat in our hotel so every dinner was a flurry of hunting around for call-in-take-out food! We read lots of good reviews about Vasili's, so Vasili's it was! The in-house Pita bread with garlicky tzatziki sauce was delicious and better than most any restaurants that use store-bought pitas! I tried a bite of the moussaka; the bechamel layer was smooth, creamy, and luscious. The minced meat was flavourful and it was a harmonious marriage of flavour profiles and textures. My chicken souvlaki kebab was good, however it was a little dry. But that's to be expected of breast meat on takeout so one can't really fault the restaurant for that. I bet it would have been nice and juicy had we eaten in at the restaurant. Lastyly, the child-menu item of chicken kebabs and seasoned fries were pretty good too. It was a nice heaping pile of fries with a single skewer of chicken breast meat. The order took only about fifteen minutes between call in and take-out. Talk about a quick and delicious service!
I had a spot on dinner worthy of my college memories of Vasili's Greek. Open later on a Monday evening during my recent vacation, only one couple was seated when I arrived. I liked the classic, clean decor. Staff were in the middle of a dinner break, so they covered the tables in shifts. They all very clearly wanted to provide excellent customer service and did so. I had ordered the chicken souvlaki dinner, but mentioned I wasn't hungry enough to eat two skewers. The waitress suggested a la carte ordering to save some money. I didn't get a salad, which was all good, and bread instead of pita was a letdown but turned out to be perfect for the meal. The chicken was super tasty and high quality meat. I couldn't place the tang and spices on it, but tasted greek to me. Split side of rice and stewed veggies was classic, if needing some salt. The fries were just perfectly done, with a greek seasoning on top and enough for a snack at the hotel later. Try some substantive Greek meals at Vasili's today!
Decent food and portions. Good place to visit in Santa Cruz. The soup was exceptional. The souvlaki plate was good too. But, the gyro had too much tzatziki sauce all over-the pita got all soggy as a rest. Felt mayo-ish.
Maybe this is just because I’m a visiting Midwesterner and my pallet isn’t that refined, but this is hands down one of the best Greek places I’ve ever been. I could tell everything was fresh and local. Amazing food. If you like Greek food this is a must see.
Holy MOLY! The lamb! The pork! The EVERYthing! So delicious... get some! If you don't know what to order, close your eyes and point!
Had lunch here today and enjoyed it! Service was fast and staff was very friendly and attentive. We ordered the vegetarian souvlaki platter and the tzatziki sauce was great. I ordered the Greek salad and a side of spanakopita, both of which were tasty. We did order a side of rice pilaf and vasilis vegetables, but those were lacking a bit in flavor. The family also enjoyed an order of the saganaki, which they served with bread. The pita bread was very good, great flavor and served hot! as a vegetarian, I felt they had a lot of options on the menu. To end, we ordered some orders of baklava which was a great way to end the meal. The portions were fairly big too, enough for 2 people if you wanted to split some dishes. All in all, enjoyed the meal!
I had the Lamb Gyro, oh boy. A lot of food, meat was perfectly tender, the fries were not soaking in grease. My girl had the burger which too was crafted beautifully with the taste out of this world. The staff was super kind and attentive, our waiter especially was very polite, funny, and made us feel at home. Great food, Superb customer service, can't wait to go again.
Restaurantji Recommends
Amazing food and service. Authentic Greek beers and great prices overall. Will definitely be back!
Really just not that good. Spent 50 bucks for an appetizer and two main dishes. Ordered the chicken plate and got maybe 2 ounces of chicken. Everything was oily and the pita bread tastes like it was frozen most likely. Not trying to be harsh it just wasn’t that good. Nick the Greek is a much better place to get Greek food in SC. Step it up.
Chicken Gyro so tasty, enjoyed the cumin seasoning on the fries. Staff roman emperor’s costume looked really authentic. Plan to return soon.
First time here for me. 20 yrs since my wife was a regular here. Like she told me, this is the best Greek restaurant in California. Highly recommended. Friendly staff, clean restaurant, great smells, excellent food, large portions and tasty leftovers.
Food was good...not "The Best", but good enough. Condiments are skimpy and if you want/need more, you have to pay for them. I'm used to Greek food plates having rice and being a little more that just your average gyro opened up on a plate. Customer service was eh. The place was clean. Parking is near impossible during lunch unless you take the chance and park at McDonald's across the street or the hidden parking lot behind the restaurant that says no restaurant parking. Prices are reasonable.