I heard great things about this place from a friend who lives in the area but for me, this was a disappointment. I ordered a gyro plate with a Greek Salad and lemon potatoes. The salad literally has zero seasoning. No dressing, no oregano, just Iceburg, two tomato slices, two olives and red onion with feta. It was very basic and very bland. I make a better Greek Salad and I'm Hispanic. The presentation for the gyro plate was also really strange to me. Just shaved meat on a plate with random placed onion slices and one random tomato under the meat. It seemed like an afterthought and like it didn't belong there. The best part of the meal was their tzatziki sauce and pita bread. The waitress seemed like she was bored or wanted to be elsewhere. Don't get me wrong, she was not rude. She just seemed over it. Because this place was talked up so much by a friend, I expected it to be more like a Greek restaurant and less like a diner. But this is truly a Greek diner experience. You even pay up front, not at your table. It's not bad food at all, it's just that there are better options for Greek food near me in my own neighborhood (Brooklyn) like Meze, who makes a great gyro without having to leave the borough. Super "eh" experience, but still gave it 3 stars based on the pita and dip, and also because the lemon potatoes reheated nicely the next day.
Jenny F.
Food was good but a little overpriced. We ordered the two falafel platters, falafel sandwich, gyro sandwich and hummus. We all enjoyed the hummus that was served with soft warm pita bread. The FALAFEL PLATTER had a little spice kick to it but was good. I am knocking off stars because the service was not great. I had to remind the waitress to fill up our water cups and to provide us with utensils as only two out of four is us had utensils. We ordered two falafel platters that was supposed to be served with tzatziki and pita bread as per their menu. When the plate was given to us it just had fries and falafels. I had to ask the waitress about the tzatziki and pita bread and received it several minutes later. Waitress didn't check in with us throughout the meal to see how we were doing or if we needed anything else. After waiting for some time I had to get up from the table to ask for take out boxes and the check as we couldn't wait any longer
Rina H.
Located on Bell Blvd in Bayside, Avli is in a super convenient location surrounded by a lot of food and dessert spots. Parking is available on the streets. Since it's around the busy area of Bayside, I recommend trying to look for residential parking, if you can't it on Bell Blvd. I honestly did not know about this place until I was introduced to it. Like how?! I came here for dinner and was impressed with the food. The staff were friendly and often checked in on us to make sure that everything was okay. I ordered a medium rare skirt steak with lemon potatoes. The steak was perfectly seasoned and the lemon potatoes were spot on. Their pita bread was delicious and fresh. The soup that was served was hot and perfectly seasoned with plenty of chicken inside. I would come back to try the other dishes here. If you like Greek food, you won't be disappointed!
Joel J.
Hands-down my favorite place for Greek. I've been on a low carb diet and Greek is one of the few cuisines I can enjoy without worrying too much. I've been here multiple times and their food is always exceptionally delicious. I've worked my way through a good amount of their menu and have yet to be disappointed. I usually get it as take-out and have only dined in twice. From the cold appetizers I've tried the feta cheese, tzatziki, melitzanosalata, kopanista and hummus. I'm definitely a massive fan of their tzatziki and usually I'll get the pikilia to have a bunch of their cold apps when I dine in. From their salads, I've only had the Horiatiki which was quite good. From the Hot appetizers, I've had; Kalamari Sti Skara (char-grilled baby squid - which was done quite well and charred perfectly), Keftadaki (perfect to dip into their tzatziki sauce), Loukaniko (adds a different texture and flavor when you're having an assortment of meats) and the Gyro (usually I'll bring home to crisp up in the oven later in the week. Is probably my favorite to dip into the tzatziki sauce). The Moussaka here is excellent and I'd definitely recommend it. Its baked quite well and is probably one of my favorites. The Grilled Stuffed Chicken is also quite exceptional. From the soups, I've only had a chance to try the Faki (greek lentil soup), which is quite warm, comforting and delicious. From their extras, I'll sometimes grab a skewer of chicken and pork. I'm definitely a bigger fan of the chicken which is always very tender and cooked well. Overall, probably one of my top 5 favorite restaurants to get food from regularly. Its healthy, delicious and has yet to let me down. If you're a fan of greek food, would definitely recommend giving them a try!
Raymond L.
The food isn't that great for the prices that are listed on the menu. If you do decide to go here to eat, I'd recommend just taking it to go because the service from the servers was below standard. Had to ask more than 3x for water and we were handed our food and not given any utensils? It might've just been a new worker, but even so, he should still be supervised somewhat by a hire ranking worker. I won't be coming back here, it was a one time and done.
Evelina C.
I came here on a week night and was immediately seated. I've heard great things about Avli so I figured I'd give it a go! We ordered a few different things: The appetizer platter was delicious we chose the tzatziki, hummus, eggplant, and feta. All were incredibly delicious, I'd say that the eggplant was definitely my favorite. It was cooked to perfection and went well with the pita bread. We also tried the octopus. Grilled octopus is UNREAL and a staple forsure. For my entree I ordered the stuffed chicken. The entree came with soup or salad. I got salad cause I was already getting kinda full. It also came with lemon potatoes and they were delicious. Especially dipped in tzatziki lol! #phatgirl
Alessandra A.
Food is decent, nothing amazing but will definitely satisfy your cravings. I'm knocking off a star for service and another star for portion size/price. Way too expensive for what you get. This was $15. Small soup & a side of potatoes, I couldn't help but laugh when I took it out of the bag.
Jeff G.
This is one of the few times Yelp has let me down. Avli had good reviews but I don't get it. There was nothing above average here. The experience started strangely. We checked in at the hostess stand. The girl there said "he will seat you", but there was no one else there. We waited a few minutes while she just stood there looking at us. Turns out the guy we were waiting for had no idea we were waiting for him and he was just standing in the back. Anyway we were eventually seated outside. The outdoor space was pretty nice. We started with hummus and pita. The hummus was the driest hummus I have ever had. It was weird. My next issue was the salad. They serve a nice big Greek salad but they have no dressing for it. It came dry with just olive oil and vinegar on the side. Again it was weird. I got a 4 meat platter. Gyro - good but still not great Pork doner- some pieces were good but most were unchewable fat. Greek Sausage - had a strange taste. Not for me Falafel - not the best I have had but it did have a nice spice level.
Yzabelle O.
Avli is a bayside gem for delicious and fresh Greek food. This was our second time here and happy to say after this experience we'll continue to come back. Avli has a variety of platters, sandwiches, salads, and Greek wine & beer! There's something here for everyone! We ordered: Caesar salad (small): Traditional Caesar salad with pumpernickel croutons Calamari: calamari served with fresh lemon and marinara to dip Chicken doner sandwich w/ fries Chicken souvlaki sandwich w/fries The sandwiches are super filling and come with your choice of filling, tomato, red onion, lettuce, and tzatziki. If you have an extra big appetite, Avli has great deals for platters. Each platter comes with soup or salad, rice, fries, or lemon potatoes and pita. There's plenty of seating and even outdoor patio seating in the back of the restaurant in a small courtyard. Fresh and light, perfect for a hot summer day. Lots of families come here but also a great spot for a lunch date. *Important to note: Payment for your meal is at the front of the restaurant *
Karen C.
Wow love this place! Ordered gyro and chicken souvlaki and had their appetizer platter. Feta Cheese Tzatziki Kopanisti Melitzanosalata. All were really good. The melitzanosalata was my least like bc it was a bit on a sweet side. But everything else was really good. This is def my new fave Greek place in the area. Highly recommend.
We came here because we never understood the hype of Kyclades Greek food and their prices just down the road, but we were pleasantly surprised with how much we enjoyed Avli! The food was very tasty and the prices were great as well! Only about $50 for a dinner for two (you can't really get that nowadays!). Be warned that we came starving and we were almost full by the time our dinners came because the portions are great and the food is delicious! It looks like they also have a great selection of alcohol, but we didn't try that this day. But since we plan to go back, maybe next time! We got the fried calamari for and app, and the gyro sandwich and the grilled stuffed chicken for our entrees. You also get fresh and warm pita with tzatziki which was a nice touch. The chicken came with your choice of a side as well as a starter of soup or salad. We definitely didn't have room for dessert today, although we would have loved to try some. I really don't think we have anything negative to say about the meal at all. Only thing that I would say was "bad" would be the atmosphere. It was fine, but I felt like there could have been something more. It does seem like they are repainting as they have tape all over the walls, so maybe that's why, Overall, a great meal! Highly recommend.
Gab G.
Called ahead for a same-day reservation on a Saturday. My boyfriend and I shared a horiatiki, spanakopita, saganaki and pork doner sandwich with greek fries. My favorite dish was the saganaki. They also have indoor and outdoor seating!
kristin c.
The platters here are pretty big and even shareable. Come with soup or salad plus a side. The lemony chicken soup had a lot of chicken chunks. The stuffed chicken with spinach was moist and delicious. Picked the 4 meat combination platter which is a good way to try different ones. Chicken souvlaki and pork doner were top picks for us. Will pass on loukaniko next time. Burger had a thick patty. For outdoor seating, I didn't know there was a nice backyard area but didn't mind the outdoor tables out front anyway. Attentive staff who kept checking on us.
Karen S.
Best Greek chicken souvlaki stick in bayside. Staff is always friendly and helpful. Love the backyard in the summer
Jennifer A.
The meat platter was delicious and perfect for 2 people. The salad was delicious. The price is good and then waitress was sweet. We will definitely come back for more, I want to bring the fam here and try.
I heard great things about this place from a friend who lives in the area but for me, this was a disappointment. I ordered a gyro plate with a Greek Salad and lemon potatoes. The salad literally has zero seasoning. No dressing, no oregano, just Iceburg, two tomato slices, two olives and red onion with feta. It was very basic and very bland. I make a better Greek Salad and I'm Hispanic. The presentation for the gyro plate was also really strange to me. Just shaved meat on a plate with random placed onion slices and one random tomato under the meat. It seemed like an afterthought and like it didn't belong there. The best part of the meal was their tzatziki sauce and pita bread. The waitress seemed like she was bored or wanted to be elsewhere. Don't get me wrong, she was not rude. She just seemed over it. Because this place was talked up so much by a friend, I expected it to be more like a Greek restaurant and less like a diner. But this is truly a Greek diner experience. You even pay up front, not at your table. It's not bad food at all, it's just that there are better options for Greek food near me in my own neighborhood (Brooklyn) like Meze, who makes a great gyro without having to leave the borough. Super "eh" experience, but still gave it 3 stars based on the pita and dip, and also because the lemon potatoes reheated nicely the next day.
Food was good but a little overpriced. We ordered the two falafel platters, falafel sandwich, gyro sandwich and hummus. We all enjoyed the hummus that was served with soft warm pita bread. The FALAFEL PLATTER had a little spice kick to it but was good. I am knocking off stars because the service was not great. I had to remind the waitress to fill up our water cups and to provide us with utensils as only two out of four is us had utensils. We ordered two falafel platters that was supposed to be served with tzatziki and pita bread as per their menu. When the plate was given to us it just had fries and falafels. I had to ask the waitress about the tzatziki and pita bread and received it several minutes later. Waitress didn't check in with us throughout the meal to see how we were doing or if we needed anything else. After waiting for some time I had to get up from the table to ask for take out boxes and the check as we couldn't wait any longer
Located on Bell Blvd in Bayside, Avli is in a super convenient location surrounded by a lot of food and dessert spots. Parking is available on the streets. Since it's around the busy area of Bayside, I recommend trying to look for residential parking, if you can't it on Bell Blvd. I honestly did not know about this place until I was introduced to it. Like how?! I came here for dinner and was impressed with the food. The staff were friendly and often checked in on us to make sure that everything was okay. I ordered a medium rare skirt steak with lemon potatoes. The steak was perfectly seasoned and the lemon potatoes were spot on. Their pita bread was delicious and fresh. The soup that was served was hot and perfectly seasoned with plenty of chicken inside. I would come back to try the other dishes here. If you like Greek food, you won't be disappointed!
Hands-down my favorite place for Greek. I've been on a low carb diet and Greek is one of the few cuisines I can enjoy without worrying too much. I've been here multiple times and their food is always exceptionally delicious. I've worked my way through a good amount of their menu and have yet to be disappointed. I usually get it as take-out and have only dined in twice. From the cold appetizers I've tried the feta cheese, tzatziki, melitzanosalata, kopanista and hummus. I'm definitely a massive fan of their tzatziki and usually I'll get the pikilia to have a bunch of their cold apps when I dine in. From their salads, I've only had the Horiatiki which was quite good. From the Hot appetizers, I've had; Kalamari Sti Skara (char-grilled baby squid - which was done quite well and charred perfectly), Keftadaki (perfect to dip into their tzatziki sauce), Loukaniko (adds a different texture and flavor when you're having an assortment of meats) and the Gyro (usually I'll bring home to crisp up in the oven later in the week. Is probably my favorite to dip into the tzatziki sauce). The Moussaka here is excellent and I'd definitely recommend it. Its baked quite well and is probably one of my favorites. The Grilled Stuffed Chicken is also quite exceptional. From the soups, I've only had a chance to try the Faki (greek lentil soup), which is quite warm, comforting and delicious. From their extras, I'll sometimes grab a skewer of chicken and pork. I'm definitely a bigger fan of the chicken which is always very tender and cooked well. Overall, probably one of my top 5 favorite restaurants to get food from regularly. Its healthy, delicious and has yet to let me down. If you're a fan of greek food, would definitely recommend giving them a try!
The food isn't that great for the prices that are listed on the menu. If you do decide to go here to eat, I'd recommend just taking it to go because the service from the servers was below standard. Had to ask more than 3x for water and we were handed our food and not given any utensils? It might've just been a new worker, but even so, he should still be supervised somewhat by a hire ranking worker. I won't be coming back here, it was a one time and done.
I came here on a week night and was immediately seated. I've heard great things about Avli so I figured I'd give it a go! We ordered a few different things: The appetizer platter was delicious we chose the tzatziki, hummus, eggplant, and feta. All were incredibly delicious, I'd say that the eggplant was definitely my favorite. It was cooked to perfection and went well with the pita bread. We also tried the octopus. Grilled octopus is UNREAL and a staple forsure. For my entree I ordered the stuffed chicken. The entree came with soup or salad. I got salad cause I was already getting kinda full. It also came with lemon potatoes and they were delicious. Especially dipped in tzatziki lol! #phatgirl
Food is decent, nothing amazing but will definitely satisfy your cravings. I'm knocking off a star for service and another star for portion size/price. Way too expensive for what you get. This was $15. Small soup & a side of potatoes, I couldn't help but laugh when I took it out of the bag.
This is one of the few times Yelp has let me down. Avli had good reviews but I don't get it. There was nothing above average here. The experience started strangely. We checked in at the hostess stand. The girl there said "he will seat you", but there was no one else there. We waited a few minutes while she just stood there looking at us. Turns out the guy we were waiting for had no idea we were waiting for him and he was just standing in the back. Anyway we were eventually seated outside. The outdoor space was pretty nice. We started with hummus and pita. The hummus was the driest hummus I have ever had. It was weird. My next issue was the salad. They serve a nice big Greek salad but they have no dressing for it. It came dry with just olive oil and vinegar on the side. Again it was weird. I got a 4 meat platter. Gyro - good but still not great Pork doner- some pieces were good but most were unchewable fat. Greek Sausage - had a strange taste. Not for me Falafel - not the best I have had but it did have a nice spice level.
Avli is a bayside gem for delicious and fresh Greek food. This was our second time here and happy to say after this experience we'll continue to come back. Avli has a variety of platters, sandwiches, salads, and Greek wine & beer! There's something here for everyone! We ordered: Caesar salad (small): Traditional Caesar salad with pumpernickel croutons Calamari: calamari served with fresh lemon and marinara to dip Chicken doner sandwich w/ fries Chicken souvlaki sandwich w/fries The sandwiches are super filling and come with your choice of filling, tomato, red onion, lettuce, and tzatziki. If you have an extra big appetite, Avli has great deals for platters. Each platter comes with soup or salad, rice, fries, or lemon potatoes and pita. There's plenty of seating and even outdoor patio seating in the back of the restaurant in a small courtyard. Fresh and light, perfect for a hot summer day. Lots of families come here but also a great spot for a lunch date. *Important to note: Payment for your meal is at the front of the restaurant *
Wow love this place! Ordered gyro and chicken souvlaki and had their appetizer platter. Feta Cheese Tzatziki Kopanisti Melitzanosalata. All were really good. The melitzanosalata was my least like bc it was a bit on a sweet side. But everything else was really good. This is def my new fave Greek place in the area. Highly recommend.
Restaurantji Recommends
We came here because we never understood the hype of Kyclades Greek food and their prices just down the road, but we were pleasantly surprised with how much we enjoyed Avli! The food was very tasty and the prices were great as well! Only about $50 for a dinner for two (you can't really get that nowadays!). Be warned that we came starving and we were almost full by the time our dinners came because the portions are great and the food is delicious! It looks like they also have a great selection of alcohol, but we didn't try that this day. But since we plan to go back, maybe next time! We got the fried calamari for and app, and the gyro sandwich and the grilled stuffed chicken for our entrees. You also get fresh and warm pita with tzatziki which was a nice touch. The chicken came with your choice of a side as well as a starter of soup or salad. We definitely didn't have room for dessert today, although we would have loved to try some. I really don't think we have anything negative to say about the meal at all. Only thing that I would say was "bad" would be the atmosphere. It was fine, but I felt like there could have been something more. It does seem like they are repainting as they have tape all over the walls, so maybe that's why, Overall, a great meal! Highly recommend.
Called ahead for a same-day reservation on a Saturday. My boyfriend and I shared a horiatiki, spanakopita, saganaki and pork doner sandwich with greek fries. My favorite dish was the saganaki. They also have indoor and outdoor seating!
The platters here are pretty big and even shareable. Come with soup or salad plus a side. The lemony chicken soup had a lot of chicken chunks. The stuffed chicken with spinach was moist and delicious. Picked the 4 meat combination platter which is a good way to try different ones. Chicken souvlaki and pork doner were top picks for us. Will pass on loukaniko next time. Burger had a thick patty. For outdoor seating, I didn't know there was a nice backyard area but didn't mind the outdoor tables out front anyway. Attentive staff who kept checking on us.
Best Greek chicken souvlaki stick in bayside. Staff is always friendly and helpful. Love the backyard in the summer
The meat platter was delicious and perfect for 2 people. The salad was delicious. The price is good and then waitress was sweet. We will definitely come back for more, I want to bring the fam here and try.