Ikos Fresh Aegean Grill

This place opened so soon and it seems they aren’t ready yet. Don’t get me wrong. Food is actually great. They don’t serve alcohol for now since they said their license hasn’t been issued yet. You eat on disposable plastic plates and plastic utensils which i find odd because i thought it’s gonna be a not-​so-​casual dining place. But maybe i was mistaken.

Finally, a go-​to Greek place in South Charlotte! After moving here almost 6 years ago one of the things my wife and I missed the most was this great little family-​owned Greek restaurant we frequented in Los Angeles. After trying a couple of places, including another here in the Ballantyne area, I was never anything but very disappointed. I have gone to Ikos 3 times now and absolutely love it. The lamb is flavored well, the flat bread used in the Gyro’s tastes homemade (I am not sure if it is) and the vegetables also taste fresh. The garbanzo salad is a particular favorite.
It might be trying a little too hard as a sit-​down restaurant, it seems a bit too casual for that, but its not really a big deal. Also, they utilize the drive through window of the fast food joint that used to be there such that you can call ahead, please a to-​go order and pick it up from the window. So if you don’t feel like tipping a server (I have always had good service), then you can take the food to go. I am sure this will continue to be a weekly lunch destination for me and also a great dinner when I need a casual option.

Not a fan of the new menu & increased prices! I want the Delphi back on the menu!
The food is still very good though.

We came across this place just by chance. We pulled off the exit to grab a quick bite at McAllister’s (I know, but it was a quick road trip). After being seriously disappointed in the main Greek restaurant in Charleston, this place was a perfect pleasure.
We both had the lamb gyro. I had the chick pea, tomato and cucumber salad side, he had the potatoes. Both were perfectly served. The tazaki was excellent, the prices were great and the service was super friendly. We both decided that we will return on our trips back to Charlotte.
I am typically looking for a restaurant on the way to Concord, easily accessible from the interstate and quick. (I77N/​485) I usually compromise quality on this trip to arrive at my family’s house sooner than later. COMPROMISE NO MORE! This place is excellent and will definitely return on future trip. They need to add a logo on the interstate exit for Ballentyne!

I work right around the corner and was glad when Ikos opened up. I would go there at least once a week for lunch. I even had my birthday lunch there. BUT, they’ve had a consultant come in… the menu has totally changed, the prices have gone up by a big leap AND you still get your meal served on a plastic plate with plastic utensils. While I’ll miss the food, I won’t pay $ 11 (not including a beverage) for a mid-​week lunch.

I called in a to-​go order from Ikos today and while the food was still good, it was not quite as outstanding as my first visit and not quite worthy of 5 stars. Why? Well, on this visit, the potatoes were just a bit overcooked and the greek salad was more like Greek slaw (which may be a more authentic Greek salad but it doesn’t appeal to me).
It rated 4 stars today because the chicken was just right and the pita & tzatziki were good as well. It is still a very good value and the employees are super friendly.

I LOVE THIS PLACE! I love the manager, she is very attentive and quick. The food is fresh, light and easy on the pocket. If you like Showmars (and I hope you don’t) than you will really love this place. I feel its as authentic as you can get for the area. Greek food is not drenched in sauces or french fries, its baked potato wedges with delicious spices, cucumber salad and other lighter fare options. Fish, chicken and great salads. Easy on my pocket, easy on my waistline and fantastic any time of day.

The food is really good and the price is very reasonable for the portions you get. I’m not sure if it is a start-​up business for the owners or if they have had one before but the lack of a soda machine, silverware are real plates kinda has me wondering. I’m not sure if they realize they are spending more in plastic plates and plastic forks in the long run they they would for the real things?
That all being said the wait staff are very nice and check up on you just the right amount of times during your meal. I havent had a bad service or meal there yet and hope that this place is around for a while. It’s nice to go out to lunch for something different every now and then and this place fits that bill.

I’m worried for this place. It recently opened where the Backyard Burgers used to be, and when I went there on a Monday night, there were only two other parties there.
The food was quite good, and really affordable. I had a gyro that was about $ 5 – 6, and it tasted very flavorful. But I doubt I’m coming back soon. The restaurant is set up with waiter service (friendly people), but it really shouldn’t be set up that way. It’s a little too casual, and I think having the expense of waiter service is going to doom this place. Food is served with plastic utensils, which is a bit too casual for me to require waiter service. I would ditch that service and simply use a order-​at-​the-​counter kind of service and bring your plate to your table yourself when the food is ready kind of thing.

The reason I did not eat here sooner was because I thought it was a Greek place that used to be near here that I did not like. When I found out Ikos just opened nine weeks ago I knew it was not the same one. First the service was friendly and everything was as I ordered it.
The Salad was a disappointment, could have been so much better I’m giving the salad 2.5 Unilocal stars. The Balsamic Dressing for the wrap and the salad was great 4.85 stars. The Souvlaki Wrap (Pork and Onion with Balsamic Vinaigrette wrapped in Pita) was very good 5 stars. Then I tried to mess it up by adding Tzatziki Sauce. The Tzatziki sauce was thick like I like though too simple, needed Herbs and Garlic. While the Tzatziki flavor was good and thick it only gets 2.5 stars. The Wrap comes with a side of Potatoes (wedge fries) they were good (3.5 stars).
The Big Surprise was Dessert — Wow! Usually I like Lebanese style Baklava better than Greek style. This Baklava was the best Greek style I have ever eaten. Fantastic flavor (s) butter, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, walnuts and pecans with very little filo dough and super-​thick filling! This Dessert is in the running (second place right now) for the Rod0 «Best Dessert in Ballantyne» list.

Wife & I tried out Ikos this evening for dinner. As of 8÷27÷11 they don’t have beer/​wine license. Waitress said soon, but had no ETA.
With my glass of water I had the flounder dinner and it was OK — nothing special (no problem with bones). The potatoes were good. My wife had the Greek salad with her water, and chose not to add the chicken option for extra $ 1.50. She said the salad was OK.
The portions were relatively small, especially the Greek salad for $ 6.00. The fish was a little better value @ $ 7.75, but mostly because the potatoes were filling. Anyway, prices are low, but as often happens you get what you pay for.
The service was very good — extremely friendly and helpful. Despite the good service, the food is the most critical aspect of a restaurant so we are unlikely to return to this restaurant that offers average food and average value. Seems that it is more of a lunch place. Another ½ star when thy have beer & wine available.

We tried Ikos the week it opened. The food is good. Not spectacular, but a solid, good meal. The best feature is the price. $ 5.25 for a gyro with a side of Greek potatoes. The other Greek place around the corner is $ 7.95 for the same deal. The menu is small as has been mentioned. Possibly they are starting out small and will expand once they get everything rolling at full speed. Great for take out… we actually got more food when we did take out than when we ate there… even a better value!
***********IKOS went out of business already. Wow… less than six months. Not a good sign if you’re a Ballantyne small business owner****************

Ohhh, family owned Mediterranean fast dining restaurant… let’s eat! Not so fast…
While there are many things I appreciate about this place, there are a few tweaks they can easily do to ensure high star ratings in the future. I liked the price points very much. You won’t break the bank eating here. I also liked the friendly and attentive staff. They were spot on in cleanliness as well… can never use enough Clorox wipes! And for these reasons, it kept this review at a safe 3 stars.
Having said that, the food was a disappointment. I got the gyro plate. While the flavor was delicious, the meat was a tad dry and the olive was the saltiest I’ve ever eaten. My husband ordered the roughy and he found it to be a chore. He struggled to take one bite without pulling out little bones for the next five minutes. Rather, it became frustrating and he pushed his plate aside. Perhaps they can take that entrée off the menu or tell the patrons it’ll be bony. Our waitress even shared our frustration, but didn’t do more than agree with us. On the plus side, the pita bread was fresh and really good. In addition, the taziki yogurt was great!
It definitely felt of family. The owner sat down and visited with guests, the chef came around asking how things were early on, and even their own staff returned to eat.
Like others have mentioned, hopefully it’ll stay busy and thrive! And I hope a few tweaks in their menu will add better quality… or at least be bone-​free.

This is a family owned Greek Restaurant. I went there with my wife and child. The restaurant is in a former burger establishment, and has a limited menu. DO NOT LET THAT FOOL YOU!!! I had the Athenian while my wife had the Delphi. My daughter had a Greek Salad.
The food was excellent! The flank steak had incredible flavor and was cooked just right. The salads served with the meal and separately were fresh and nicely prepared. The prices were VERY reasonable and excellent value. It seemed to my wife and I that the portions were just right.
I hope they do well at this location. It is a little tucked away, but worth the look! We will be back.

I picked up a Gyro sandwich from Ikos after a trip to the bank. The sandwich was very good. My only complaint was that I did not receive a side of cucumber sauce to go with my fries. I hope they expand the menu in the future.
The staff was very friendly and I liked the atmosphere. Service was quick, too. They are in a very convenient location in the Ballantyne area. It’s nice that they have a drive through window for pick-​up orders.

I had the pleasure of eating at Ikos today in Ballantyne and I was pleasantly surprised. I had some reservations about eating at a Greek restaurant but I figured I would give it a try and I’m glad I did. It’s located near the corporate park in the old Backyard Burger.
I had the Delphi which came with a greek salad and pita bread. I really had no idea what I was ordering but it looked good on the menu. It was a baked square of pasta, ground sirloin, cheese, sauce, etc. They give you a lot of food for the money, I think the Delphi was $ 6.95 and tea is only $ 1.00.
I will definitely be back to try out their Gyro’s!

A family-​owned Greek restaurant. I tried their Tzatziki dip, chicken gyro, and topped it off with a Greek rice cake (forgot the name). Everything was very tasty and was not too hard on the wallet. All entrees are sub-​$ 10! My gyro was about $ 5. The owners were very, very friendly and the place carried a warm atmosphere.