Zeytini

I spent over $ 100 on dinner here with my parents and it was horrible. First, my mom orders a mojito. It was so bad, she had to send it back to the bar. How do you mess up a simple cocktail? She just got a glass of wine after that. Next, everything we ordered was bad. Dad got lamb — no flavor. I got a chicken dish and it was very bland. I don’t remember what my mom got but she said it was also lacking flavor. I’m not sure what’s up with the place but definitely not worth it.

They would get three stars but they did serve us during the NFC championship with the niners. I think Italian food should inspire. And the wine should be thought provoking but maybe that is just me. The place is not cheep $ 70+ for two people and the food is tasty but not WOW! Not a lot of food either. Not even as good as macaroni grill.
Next time I will go to panera probably. =) But won’t go back.

16 bucks for a half roasted chicken? Meh. It probably would’ve been worth it if it had better flavor and wasn’t so plain… To be honest you’re probably better off with the $ 5 rotisserie chicken at Costco.
I mean the place wasn’t horrible but it definitely isn’t a place I’d go to again considering the amount of food I’m getting and the price. I also didn’t understand how it was a Saturday night, the place was practically empty, and there were only 2 other tables in the restaurant and it took forever for the food to come. (I think I know why the place is empty now.) Considering the place was practically empty, you’d expect your food to come sooner. I think if I had waited any longer in there I might have eaten the plants by the entrance to stave off starvation.
My friend ordered a Caesar salad which was about the size of my hand…8 bucks? And again, you’re probably better off with the 4 dollar Caesar salad at Costco. God, Costco just wins at everything.
***Although I must say, the only thing keeping me from totally destroying this review was that the servers were very friendly and courteous. Go servers!

I have eaten here a few times but I am not to happy with them right now.
Every time I have gone there it was for dinner.
We usually get the mezze plate. This is a pretty good option if you can’t agree on appetizers.
I have ordered a lot of the menu options and I was not disappointed in any of the dishes. All were cooked perfectly and seasoned well. That being said — when I go to place and I try something I want to fall in love with it and come back for the same thing. I have not found anything here that I would go back for over and over again.
The reason I am not happy with them right now is that I had a 10 for 20 groupon and I am not sure if they normally charge for ice tea refills but each glass of ice tea I had showed up on the bill with a $ 3.00 charge.
So for now and in the foreseeable future I will not be going back.
If you are looking for a nice Greek dinner this is a nice place to go. If I was to choose between here and Gold Coast Grill I would pick this place. But as I have stated, I will not be going back here.

Spanakopita and hummus. Polenta and crab cakes.
Ground lamb on a skewer with tzatziki and grilled pita. Fettucini Bolognese.
Think: Zorba the Greek meets… Olive Garden. It’s behind Trader Joe’s, so you can’t see it from either the front or back parking lot. Comfortable but old fashioned, with erratic service.
The food is of average quality — nothing bad, but nothing exciting or carefully sourced. Crabcakes are made from surimi, the fake crab that is ecologically and taste-​wise, a disaster. The brown gravy, on the bland commercial scallopini, was made from a can of gravy base.
Desserts were no better, and espressos were awful. Really, spend a little more money and eat somewhere good, like Pappo’s or Asena.

***Review for the Lamb Gyro***
Even though I haven’t been to Greece or the Mediterranean, i still thought the lamb gyro was delicious! I love gyros and have tasted many over the years so i know what a good/​bad one tastes like… this was flavorful, juicy, wrapped in a warm, fresh pita and accompanied with a yogurt sauce.
Despite other reviews, the staff was very attentive and friendly.
Lunch: Nice sized gyro accompanied with parsleyed french fries, small salad: $ 10. Delicious!

A very pleasant dining experience. The owner came by a couple of times to chat us up. After dinner, he gave us some extra portions of dessert and a dessert wine.
The appetizers we had, which included spanikopita, were excellent. I enjoyed my roasted chicken. Unfortunately, my crème brûlée was a bit too burnt on the top.

Setting: In a shopping center area right by the alameda beach. They have outside seating as well.
Quality of food: Their food is yummy, but i think the quantity served is a little too small in my opinion.
I used to go there every other day, but not so much lately. It is a nice place to go with your friends, sit outside and enjoy the day.

In a much needed girlie bonding time … my girlfriend and I came here this past Saturday for brunch.
It was past 1 pm … I thought it was dead inside but apparently the place itself is huge and rounding the corner, the rest of the patrons were seated and eating. Promising sight.
We got seated… given the menu and water. Then that’s where it all went downhill.
Yes I read that the service sucks… but since it wasn’t packed at all… I was hoping for the best… I was wrong.
Our main server was MIA and so I was trying to get another server’s attention to tell them that we were ready… Man, that elusive server was really hard to make eye contact with. And when he did see us, he looked at me and ignored me! WTH? Really?
We waited for a good 15 mins until our «main» server came out and took our orders. By that time… my mood had changed.
GF ordered: Pomodoro Pizza, mozzarella cheese, tomato and basil $ 9
She ate all of it (she’s a runner so she can eat but she just said it was ok…)
I ordered: PIZZA DEL GIORNO (Pizza topped with 4 cheese, prosciutto and toasted walnuts) $ 11
It was surprisingly good. The pizza itself could be crunchier but it was enough to hold me down. They were cheap on the amount of prosciutto… will probably order more next time.
We both had to get the bottomless mimosa… we needed it. We made sure we made up for the lack service and her food through the mimosas!
GF ordered the tiramisu for dessert… she liked it… finished it as well. I had the mango panna cota and it was actually really fresh and light.
Overall… food was ok… but service was confusing and «elusive» for when they want to come out of the kitchen.
Good for brunch and their bottomless mimosa was quite strong… not watered down.

This review sat around in my head for a month, as I wanted to let the experience rest and see if I felt the same way after some contemplation. Yep, still feel the same way. Let me explain…
Came here with my brother, had 2 apps, 2 entrees. Both apps were terrible. Seriously. Terrible. The crabcakes were doughy, sparse of crab, and undercooked. The meatball skewers were next-​to-​raw on the inside, nicely browned on the outside. Gross.
The pasta entrees was somewhere between bad and unremarkable and were both oversalted.
The pricing is insane for such bad food. Actually, they shouldn’t serve that stuff at any price.
So now I am going to grouse a little.
First, what the hell is wrong with Alamedans where they can’t differentiate between good food and bad food? The reviews for all the places around town are about the same 3 – 4 stars, when clearly some are 1 – 2, and a few 5 star places exist. Pricing is also stupid — people pay a lot for crap when they could pay the same at a much nicer restaurant with far, far better food (Pappo, for example).
All I want is for someone to open a place in Alameda that is on par with the good restaurants of SF, Berkeley, and Oakland. No, not a Michael Mina or Gary Danko, but how about a Dopo or Corso or Pizzaiolo or Wood Tavern or A Cote or or or or??? Chefs at those restaurants CARE about food, know how to prepare it, and do it with consistency. Places like Zeytini serve up slop and people willingly plop down big money and then talk about how delicious the food is. WTF? Emperor’s New Clothes, anyone? This food is awful, seriously, plain and simple, awful.
I have a live/​die line for a restaurant, and it goes like this: If I can go to Trader Joe’s, buy a bunch of fresh and frozen prepared food, heat it up (as needed) and plate it, and it’s BETTER than what I can get at a restaurant… then that restaurant needs to close. End of story. This place? Wow, I could (and should) have spent $ 15 – 20 at TJ’s, headed home, and enjoyed a MUCH nicer meal for less than one third the price.
One day, wholesale change might come to Alameda’s dining scene. I sure hope so. Hell, people wait outside of Yume for 2 hours and then drop $ 100+/pp for dinner, rave about it, and come back. That should be a clue: the city can support fine dining. Right now we are stuck with overpriced pretenders that people with Wal-​Mart snack bar palates rave about. Asena, Una Cera Volta, and this place — Zeytini.
I’ve got Yume, Angelfish, Pappo, but that rotation isn’t enough to keep me on the island. Perhaps if Abigail’s opens for dinner I can add a fourth to the mix.
Meanwhile, this place is terrible.

Went for happy hour. Thought this would be a great idea to try out something local. $ 5 house wine (cab, merlot, chard) and $ 3 beer on tap. $ 5 appetizers, flatbread, stewed beef, crab cake, calamari, and potatoes in a spicy red sauce. I’ll say the flatbread and the potatoes were good. The other stuff, we could have done without.
The staff was very nice and were around just enough. Might be reason enough to come back and give it another try.

The venue is A-​OK… 3 stars… not 5…
I’ve been a few times, and wasn’t too impressed with the coffee, the food, and the proseco I ordered was flat. I didn’t want to complain about that since we were there with a group of people, but if it were me in a more intimate or smaller group, I would have asked to change the flat proseco.
The coffee tasted old and «reused» though the waitstaff assured that it was not… hmmmm… didn’t want to argue over it, and they didn’t remove it from the bill. Left with a bad taste in mouth… LITERALLY!
The portions seem to be a little on the smaller side but tasty at times, and not at others.
I’m sure it’s hard for a place like them to do well in a mall that charges ridiculously high rental rates for tenants, so I hope they are able to improve their food, service, and offerings in time, so that more people come in, and maybe raise the bar.
To tell you the truth, I don’t really think I’d like to return, but since my friends want to go at times for Happy Hour or whatever, I’d go for them, but I prefer ASENA on Santa Clara Avenue. Different food, but close enough…

I’ve been here 3 times for happy hour, and each time, the service and food has slowly gone downhill.
First time we went, they allowed us to sit in the patio since it was such a gorgeous day out. The drinks were good, really packed a punch. The little plates weren’t bad, but they weren’t great. It wasn’t heavy and was something easy to munch on while we had our drinks. The service was good. She checked on us often on refresh on drinks or anything else.
Second time, we sat indoors because the patio was completely packed. problem here was, there were flies circling our table. AWESOMEEE!!! Food and drinks were the same. Service. we were indoors, but she (the server) somehow still managed to overlook us.
Third time, if we wanted to order off the happy hour menu, we weren’t allowed to sit in the patio on one of the hottest days of Fall. Fine, we’ll sit at the bar. All we wanted some refreshing drinks anyway! I think they deliberately try to ignore us. We’re sitting at the bar, how can you not see us when it’s only us and another group?
This place went from a 3.5 stars to 0, but of course there is no such option in this rating system. I had high hopes for this place, and really wanted to thrive, but with the service that has pretty much went out the door, unless they’re only trying to cater to the AARP folks, I doubt I’d recommend this place to anyone.

To be blunt, this could be the worst restaurant in Alameda. The service is non-​existent, and the food is anything but delicious, and the cockiness of the manager is almost laughable given how bad this place is.
Should have realized when we were the only people in here that we obviously didn’t know something others do. Well… now we do.
Oh, and to the cocky manager wearing sunglasses indoors: $ 5 for a happy hour beer isn’t a good deal, tough guy.

Since my sister was in town to visit me I wanted to take her out to a nice lunch so that we could hang out and chat and have some sister time.
I really enjoy that they have patio seating that doesn’t sit alongside the parking lot or a road. It’s more quiet, feels more friendly and you can enjoy some people watching and the sounds of the fountain in the middle of Alameda Center.
We ordered:
The Meze Platter (for two); an appetizer variety plate that included olives, grilled pita bread, humus, salsa, Dolmades, some kind of cucumber and white bean salad mixture, and feta cheese. I really love how they grilled the pita bread. It had the perfect texture and was really good with the feta cheese and humus. I definitely recommend the appetizer variety plate for those that haven’t been exposed to very much Greek for AND for those that love a little bit of all Greek food. It was a great way to start off the meal.
My sister ordered the Moussaka; a traditional casserole of sliced eggplant, potato and ground lamb with bechamel sauce. The dish looked amazing and she loved it! Unfortunately, that is all the information I have, as I elected not to sample it.
I ordered a pasta dish with shrimp, peas and Alfredo sauce. This was probably not the right dish for me, since I rarely eat seafood and I’m not a huge fan, but at the moment shrimp sounded appetizing for some odd reason (had I not punched myself in the uterus earlier that morning, I too would have questioned whether I was pregnant or not, but au’ contraire, I’m just chubby). Anyway, the shrimp didn’t seem that fresh, and I hate to say it, but seemed like they could have been frozen? Anyway… the disk was OK, not amazing, but OK.
My sister had my 10 month old niece with her and the hostess was more than helpful in setting up a high chair for us. The busser nor the waiter didn’t even get frustrated after baby threw her spoon on the floor for the 45^th time or about the fact that she may or may not have spilled Cherrios everywhere. Whoopsie (don’t worry, I left a healthy tip).
The appetizer plate and the outside patio really made me enjoy this place regardless of the pasta dish. Next time, I’ll order a non seafood dish and hope to be blown away.

Zeytini’s is tucked away behind Trader Joes and has a fairly decent ambiance. The bread served with oilve oil is delicious. Its most likely heated in an oven before it comes up and it tastes delicious and fresh.
I had the roasted half chicken. This small half sized chicken was niceky cooked but lacked flavor once you got past the herb spiced crust. The dish is served with fries on the side along with a wassabe flavored dip. The chips are not to bad and can be pretty addicting.
My friend ordered the pasta with feta cheese, sun dried tomatoes and pesto sauce. It was pretty good.
The dishes are a bit pricey for the quantity and quality of the food.

Tapas is NOT when you take appetizers of different nationalities and call it tapas… tapas is a spanish small plate… do not put 2 chicken skewers on a plate and called it tapas!!! So the happy hour isn’t so bad if you’re paying like $ 4ish bucks for the dishes, but the dishes are nothing special. The service was terrible, there was barely anyone else in the restaurant and our food took forEVER to come out (how long does it take to fry calamari and grill little pieces of chicken?!).
Maybe dinner is actually good, but the happy hour food was just ok, drinks were pretty good @ the HH price but I wouldn’t go back here.

Food is reasonably priced, healthy portions & good service.
Pluses:
*Free WARM/​toasted bread w/​olive oil is always good.
*Appetizers were yummy: Lamb Keftedes & Greek Salad.
*Easy location w/​plenty of parking.
*Conscientious staff.
Neutral:
*Salmon was okay, but they did undercook the fish the way I liked it.
*Definitely should have more LAMB entrees, only had ground options.
Minuses:
*Mediterranean pop music blasting.
*Skirt steak was chewy & the polenta was too rich/​creamy.
I would come back, but probably only for a quick small bite.

I am sooo changing my opinion on this place. Today we went for lunch, sitting outside. Being homeless right now, any nice space to relax is great. We had a lovely team of waiters, one from Turkey and one from Mexico (whom we assumed to be from Turkey also, my bad!). A nice bruschetta trio to start out with. Traditional, one with chopped up calamari, and one with artichokes.
I had the gyro with an upgrade to greek salad. Good dressing. My only complaint was the rather thin, partially dried out pita bread. Flavor was fine otherwise.
Great Malbec. Even Turkish coffee!!! Out of Raki, but had ouzo. Chose the grappa instead. Jack had a JW Red soda twist, his fave.
What a change from our first visit!

This place has so much potential!
It’s got a great spot located right in the middle of Alameda Town Center. The restaurant is new, so the décor is all fresh and very welcoming. It’s got a great patio eating area… And from my experience the waiter staff was very nice, too! All of these things can make for a great experience at any restaurant.
However, there are a few kinks that still need to be worked out. I’m really not the kind of guy to complain about wait time for food, but when me and my GF ate here there were exactly ZERO other customers eating here– It still took about 20 minutes for for our Omelet and Salad to come out.
The food itself was pretty underwhelming. From the ‘Salad’ section of the menu, I ordered a Salad w/​Half Chicken, which essentially was a side salad that literally came out with a half chicken. I guess i should have read the fine print, but i thought it would be chopped chicken in a salad. I had more chicken then i did salad. The other problem is it came out cold, I’m assuming it had to wait at the pass for a while until the omelet was done. $ 12.95
The Omelet, on the other hand, started off well but ended bad. The first bite into it, you get a mouth full of hot mozzarella cheese and a huge shrimp! Not too bad! After two or three bites into it, you start to see a pile of oil forming at the bottom of your plate… uh oh. By the end of the meal, our omelet was swimming in the oil. $ 11.95
On the plus side, the Bread Bowls were AWESOME! We had two bowls through our meal.
I want to give this place 3 stars because it seems like a great new restaurant for Alameda and the waiter staff is A-​OK! But it’s just got a little more work to do… For the price they charge on a salad and omelet, the food just didn’t match up. This restaurant isn’t half bad, i may try it again…