Athens Cafe in Robbinsdale
Leave it to a Realtor (me) to rely on location to find a good restaurant (and great value!).
The biggest costs for a restaurant are typically food, labor, and rent; of those, the one they have the most control over is rent (I can’t prove it, but I believe there’s an inverse relationship between a restaurant’s marketing budget and how good a value it is).
What does all that mean?
If you’re a larger family hunting for a restaurant value (“check” on both counts) — not to mention a short line on a Saturday night — the place to look isn’t expensive Downtown or increasingly popular Eat Street (on Minneapolis’ Nicollet Ave.), but less heralded parts of town.
Like Central Ave and East Lake Street in Minneapolis; St. Paul’s Midway area; or Richfield (yes, Richfield).
Or Robbinsdale.
Best Greek Food (& Value)
My candidate for best reasonably-priced Twin Cities Greek food (and *best hummos — no contest!) is Athens Cafe in the Robbinsdale Town Center.
Total cost to feed five of us a variety of tasty, freshly made Greek food including gyros, kafta, dolmades, Greek salad, and baklava?
Under $50.
And that was before a 15% coupon — plus enough leftovers for another meal (or two).
P.S.: Runners-up include Christo’s and “It’s Greek to Me” (both in spendier Uptown locations, though, with more challenging parking).
For a Greek deli, try Bill’s near Lake & Lyndale (guess where they get their *hummos??).
