Bites Nearby: Greek Islands Coney One of a Kind

Not all coney restaurants are created equal. In fact, there are probably no other coney restaurants that can say they have a Last Supper painting recreated with Greek gods eating hot dogs. It's special touches like this that make different than your average coney island.

Being a coney restaurant, Greek Islands serves coney dogs. We visited on National Hot Dog Day, July 23, so ordering a coney was a must. No need to stray far from tradition on a coney — topped with chili and onions, the natural casing frank had the signature snap. Add your own mustard, which is a slight deviation from other coney islands.

One of the most impressive aspects of Greek Islands is their attention to homemade, authentic Greek dishes.  

Start your meal off with a flourish by ordering Saganaki. You might know it as OPA! cheese, but regardless of what you call it, it is Kasseri cheese flambé. The flames are extinguished with lemon juice.  After the show is over, the cheese is crusty, bubbly, and spreadably delicious on a piece of the accompanying pita bread.

Entrees are served with soup or salad, choice of side, and a generous portion of the main dish.  

The Greek salad served with dinner is typical, aside from the fantastic housemade dressing. Tangy, herbaceous, and just a little sweet, the dressing is so popular that you can bring a bottle of it home with you ($3.70 for a 16 oz. bottle).

Call me shallow, but my overall opinion of Greek restaurants hinges on their gyros — a Greek-style meatloaf that has been shaved into a pita and topped with tomatoes, onions, and lovely, delicious tzatziki.   Greek Islands gyros are very good. The meat appears to be shaved from a spit (unlike many coneys that serve food service gyros slices) and it is well seasoned and hot. The gyros platter is more than enough for one and could probably make a decent meal for two.

The one disappointment of the night was the spinach pie. Soggy, overcooked, and burnt, it tasted as though it had been sitting out all day and got a quick turn in the microwave before being served to me. It may have been an off night, but it just didn't sit right with me.  

Spinach pie was included on sampler plate with moussaka and pastistio. Aside from the spinach pie, the other two dishes were tasty. The pastitiso is like a noodle casserole — it's an authentic dish that most kids would like, too.

You are served a lot of food at Greek Islands, but whatever you do, do not skip the homemade rice pudding. Light, creamy, sweet, and served super cold, it is the perfect finish to your Greek dining experience.

Joe Hakim is a food blogger and photographer for TheHungryDudes.com.