Akropolis

We have been dining here since we moved to the area in 1995. It is spot on every time. It is run by a great family that is always there working the counter. Best Greek food in town!

Most awesomeGreek food since I’ve been in Detroit. I had the gyro which was fabulous and the spinach rice which I highly recommend. I will definitely be back every chance I can.

I’ve honestly been soooo spoiled eating excellent, fresh and delicious food from here…
As I travel and move throughout the states. I have not found a place in comparison… When im home to visit it is a priority to get gyro dinner.

Amazing gyros and saganaki! A little hidden and hard to get to, but worth it!

Generally think of myself as a gyro connoisseur, and the one I had here was among the best since leaving NYC. Not greasy and the the tzatziki sauce was light and not terribly garlicky. Dinner prices seem steep, but I’ll be back to try them out.

Still the best Greek food I’ve ever had, and served by the best people on the planet. Of course the gyros are absolutely unbelievably good, but try the pork chops or the mbriame. Baklava… check. For me, the star is the lemon rice soup. Throw away your antidepressants and cold medicines and get the lemon rice soup. George and Maria more than deserve your business.

My dinner at Akropolis consisted of the lemon rice soup, gyros (with feta), and baklava. I was a bit hesitant to try the lemon rice soup, because I thought it might be too lemony or sweet. There was no need for that, because the flavor was spot on! The part I did not like about the soup was all the top-​layer of film that made it into my bowl. I wish they would have skimmed that off instead of dropping it right into my bowl – ew!
The gyros were decent. I have had better at other places. Another Unilocaler mentioned having trouble when she tried to customize her order and I had similar difficulties. I ordered feta on my gyro and they forgot to add it to the top. As soon as I mentioned the mistake they were quick to correct it without any trouble.
Finally, the baklava – it was the star of the evening for me. It was the best baklava I have had from a Greek restaurant in the area. It is a must!

I love this restaurant. Everything is delicious and the owners are wonderful. I always get the boiled vegetable plate with gyro.

Surprisingly good and generous portions. Compared to most of the fare in this college town which ranges from utterly forgettable chain restaurants to somewhat middling mostly ethnic with an institutional feel, this place is pretty good food wise. Hearty Greek food is just what’s needed to cut through the chill of winter. Nice people behind the counter make you feel valued. I’ll be back as its my new favorite.

The food is incredible. This is one of our favorite places for date night or even a family dinner. All the classic Greek dishes done right. The only reason I didn’t give 5 is the entrance which reminds me of entering the school cafeteria. Would love to see them remodel to make it less congested and more inviting.

I can’t believe I’ve been missing this great place all these years! Tried Akropolis this evening. Fantastic! To get a good idea of what they have to offer, we tried their combination plate. – dolmades (stuffed grape leaves,) moussaka, pastitsio, cheese pie and gyros. Oh, and it comes with rice and soup or salad. The lemon rice soup and the lentil soup are wonderful. All of the entrees were delicious and authentic. All the food is prepared in site. The owner even makes her own Greek yogurt for the gyro sauce.
The combo dinner is huge, so plan for leftovers. And save room for the baklava. It is scrumptious – not sicky-​sweet like the mass-​produced baklava.
The owners are right there, preparing and serving, which is a nice touch. Greek music in the background, warm, comfortable environment, a carafe of wine and delicious, authentic Mediterranean food. Perfect! We WILL be back. There are so many other great things to try!

Akropolis & The Parthenon are equally amazing, the owners also happen to be brothers. While the Parthenon is closer to Purdue and the campus favorite, the Akropolis is located in Lafayette and is probably the «local» favorite.
I’ve never had a bad experience here and I’ve been coming to these restaurants since I was a kid. Their gyros are amazing and they have the greatest tzatziki sauce. Their lemon-​rice & lentil soups are also a must.
The dolmades (stuffed spinach leaves) are a lighter option and they taste amazing. You can save your calories for the dessert, Baklava!

Mediocre place. Dumpy décor. Food is hit or miss. Typical for a restaurant in Lafayette…

This is some of the best Greek food I’ve ever had. Their Gyros, and Souvlaki are excellent. I really like their tzatziki sauce. My new favorite dish is the swordfish kebabs with spinach rice. I used to get the spinach rice as a side and love that it comes with this dish. The swordfish is moist and well prepared with nice seasoning, you get a pita with it too, and the menu says slaw but mine came with green beans that were literally the best green beans I’ve ever had. I also highly recommend the hummus, and the onion rings are pretty good too.
The family that runs this place is always warm and welcoming. They really go out of their way to make sure you enjoy your food, and are always very polite. The ambiance is great, you feel like your in another city. They always have Greek music playing, and the smell of the good food cooking is lovely. It is very casual and the place hasn’t changed since who knows when, but there is no need to mess with something that is already so great.
This place is a rare gem and I highly recommend you try it out.

What sounds good? Ribs, hearty soup, spinach pie, gyros, homemade desserts … or potatoes made from powder? (Ha! That one’s for you Meg.) Except for the instant potatoes, you need go no further than the Akropolis, 3311 South Street, to satisfy your hunger. Owners George Xioufarides and his wife Maria Xioufaridou have been serving up authentic Greek cuisine in Lafayette since 1985. George says «There are still people out there that appreciate fresh cooked food. We are proud because we see a lot of repeat customers coming back– maybe even the third generation that says their father or grandfather brought them here. We are not a fancy place– it’s not big.» But trust the Out to Lunch gang, it is good!
We ask George for a bit of history while waiting for our food. Bev is curious how the family, originally from Cypress, ended up in Lafayette. George explains, «We came here on April 16^th of 1977, the day before our visas expired. We came originally to Chicago, then here for the restaurant business. When we started it was at the Parthenon in West Lafayette with Maria’s brother Jack.»
Jo quizzes George about his favorite dish. «This is a problem we have every day,» he laughs, «but the best-​selling item is the gyro,» a sandwich on pita bread with roasted meat, tomato, onion and tzatziki (a cucumber, yogurt, garlic sauce). «We make everything here; we don’t buy heat-​and-​serve food.» George describes the steps that go into preparing the large vertical cylinder of meat that slowly cooks in front of an open electric broiler. «We have a big grinder, mix in beef, lamb, salt, pepper and spices, and build it up in special bases. Making the meat this way keeps the juices in.» No wonder this is a customer favorite.
Bev chooses the combination dinner which includes a gyro; moussaka made with eggplant; pastitsio, a lasagna like dish with ground beef; cheese pie baked in thin phyllo dough; dolmades, a rice and ground beef stuffed grape leaf treat, in an avgolemono sauce. «Everything is excellent, I appreciate it even more knowing that they’re made right here, real comfort food.» A great deal at $ 15.95 and enough food for two or more!
Today is Kay’s first time to the Akropolis and she orders the swordfish kebob for $ 13.95. «I never order swordfish because it’s usually dry as a plank, but this is delicious,» she says. «I taste dill and lemon and olive oil and it’s moist and wonderful. And it’s served with the best rice I’ve ever had.» (underlined for emphasis because Kay says this multiple times during lunch). «Lots of lemon and spinach in it, thanks all, it was a real treat!» In an email the next day Kay shared that her husband, Dick, is dying to go try it now.
Jo orders the mbriame for $ 9.84, simply described on the menu as a vegetable stew. «It looks very different than I expected. It was listed as a stew but it was very ordered and stacked. No doubt that the eggplant, potatoes and zucchini are fresh, not frozen and reheated. Nice texture and flavor. No tough skin on the eggplant. It’s just good!»
Margy’s empty plate once held a spinach pie, $ 3.74, and an order of hummus with pita, $ 4.05. Bev asks, «Margy, can you tell me about your food?» Margy, «Ahhh, it’s gone! … but seriously, the spinach/​feta pie (spanakopita) is my first choice and so flaky. The pita is great, heated on the grill and wonderful to drag through all sorts of dips and sauces.»
The menu at the Akropolis is substantial considering the size of the restaurant. Kay has many seafood items to choose from including a salmon fillet special, octopus, scrod and cod. There are vegetarian choices too, with rice, hummus, falafel and vegetable options. For the less adventurous, there are made-​on-​the-​premises burgers and really great fries, onion rings and green salads. It is also rumored you will find the BEST barbequed ribs in town. Beer and wine are available.
Did we mention desserts?! Save room or better yet, go sometime for a special treat. Already full, we conservatively decide on one order of baklava to share among us when Maria arrives with a tray containing one of every dessert on the menu! Dipla, a beautiful roll of layered flaky crust covered in honey and nuts; a piece of baklava and one of coconut cake, both served warm and oh so buttery; AND custard pie. The custard has a hint of rosewater in it which increases in flavor as the dessert cools. Count ‘em, four desserts! We dining divas take our volunteer jobs seriously.
Before rolling out to our cars we all agree to Greek coffee after Maria describes, «It’s strong and when you get up, you have some and you’re running all day! It’s a different bean, very finely ground, roasted more; and sits at the bottom of your cup. Don’t drink the grounds.»
As we prepare to leave George and Maria’s son Chris comes in for his seasonal favorite, Yia Yia Soup (Yia Yia — Greek for Grandma). It sounds wonderful; a vegetable, lemon, egg, rice and broth soup. Maybe next time. We’ll be back!

Great food — yet consistently incorrect orders
My 1^st experience here was in store with a guest from Germany. I was served my gyro instantly. After 5 minutes my friend suggested I eat my food before it got cold. His food came out 15 minutes after mine was eaten & then it was my turn to watch him eat. I understand some food takes longer to prepare, but American & European cultures both understand dining together (especially Europe as dinner is a time of sharing time, multiple courses, & good company — Americans are faster but prefer our main courses be served at the same time). Our food was delicious, but we had to eat separately.
While we were chatting, he asked about the fire picture on the menu board. I was like, «Saganaki?» He hadn’t heard of or tried it before. I went to the desk & ordered this appetizer as our dessert. I asked them if they serve it on fire & do the OPA presentation at the table like many Greek restaurants. They confirmed that it would be delivered to us when ready. A gentleman brought it out. No fire. No OPA. I had communicated w/​the lady at the front desk & confirmed the presentation of the Saganaki. (I love it, but I was full & really ordering it so he can see flaming cheese & people shout, «OPA!») This didn’t happen. We ate it. Delicious. Scorching hot. However NOT hot ON FIRE at our table! I let them know afterwards this was not what I asked for presentation wise with someone from another nation visiting for the EXPERIENCE I ordered — It wasn’t really about the cheese. I was then told, «We don’t do that but you can ask to come to the counter next time.» Communication failure began here for me. I clearly requested what I was ordering & told they would bring it to me when ready. Awesome suspense, then, no fire, no OPA! What happened?
Since then, I have had gyro take-​out. My same order has been messed up 3 times. 2 gyros, 1 without onion, extra tzatziki sauce, & greek fries. 1^st time, dry gyros, we used the side cups so no «extra» sauce. 2^nd time, dry gyros again, & celled letting them know of the repeat mistake. We were told she would personally check our order next time Why are orders bagged & handed to a customer without checking in the first place? How can you not know what is in the bag you are handing me? 3^rd time, phone order specifically stated, «Two gyros. One no onion. One extra meat. BOTH with sauce ON the gyro AND extra sauce on the side please.» Our gyros were dry again. When my friend picked up the order the lady said «Oh! You need extra sauce!» She checked the bag and added one cup of sauce to the bag. Well, I guess we will OPEN our gyros if we return. I don’t see how extra tzatziki sauce is so hard. It is SERVED on their gyros. Again, called to let them know, we were promised they would make sure our order was correct next time. I had to let them know that is what they said LAST time! They can’t serve cheese on fire and say OPA. We just want gyros and tzatziki sauce. Had we NOT ordered it on the side extra, we would have NONE.
The food is good. The service isn’t mean. They simply can’t get an order correct. We communicate clearly, we are VERY specific. There is a miscommunication or they are careless with filling and presenting. The food is good, however I will never do a take-​out order without opening my bag and GYRO itself to make sure it has sauce. I hate complaining but did call to let them know this is the 3^rd time my order was wrong. I feel it is fair to let them know, so they can fix and prevent it in the future. It doesn’t appear to have helped them. The mistake is consistent and «we will check next time» is a sad fix to me. CHECK YOUR ORDER. Otherwise they can check it for you next time… And STILL mess up! The SAME exact order
Food — yes, it’s tasty. Accuracy, well it is reliably consistent that our gyros will not have tzatziki sauce every time we order (gyros come with sauce on them, we order extra and get none!). I guess just order carry out so you can eat together but CHECK YOUR ORDER & open your items to check those too.
I really like the food, however they have yet to make my order right or offer more than a lame apology. Even when they were «checking our order.» So next time that is the correction? It didn’t work this time… Can we have a refund or a complimentary gyro made with normal sauce after purchasing 6 dry ones? Something? Gyros come w/​sauce. I don’t think sauce on gyro & a cup of extra sauce on the side is a complicated order. Why would they not put sauce on a gyro when we specifically ordered extra on the side? This time we were unbelievably clear with our order. Third time same error… No, I will not drive back in! You can deliver it to me this time since it’s the 3^rd time. I was promised our order would be checked today specifically by the lady. Well, I don’t think she checked it at all. I am off to light my own cheese on fire & somehow make greek yogurt & cucumbers in my fridge into sauce.
OPA!

Easily the best gyro I have ever had. Anywhere that serves Kronos pales in comparison. Acropolis blends their own gyros, heavier on the lamb than most, and it makes an incomparable gyro.
Family owned and operated. Don’t listen to detractors… try it yourself. People who think captain gyro is better probably enjoy chipotle over authentic Mexican as well

I love Akropolis! The food is great and the owners, who cook and serve the food, are really sweet. The gyros are simple, but really good — everything always tastes fresh, the meat is nicely seasoned, and the tzatziki sauce is great. Their spinach rice is also very good — seasoned perfectly. I like to add feta to it, and you can get a feta plate that comes with olives and a few slices of tomato and cucumber. I’ve tried a few of the deserts and while some are just okay, the baklava is awesome! They also have a few vegetarian dishes, which my vegetarian friends have said are quite good.
They are always very fast, and the restaurant is usually quiet. You order at the register and then they bring you your food in just a few minutes.
I highly recommend!

This place is really nice to come to if you are in the mood for something different. It is a family operated Greek restaurant that has a menu with great variety.
You come into the restaurant and order from a cashier station. The food is then brought out to a table you seat yourself at.
Food: The food here is good, I really enjoyed the lemon chicken soup, spinach rice and Greek yogurt! Very delicious and healthy!
Service: This was quick and efficient, and the owners were the cutest couple ever, so sweet and genuinely interested in the customers!
Location: It’s about 10 minutes from Purdue’s campus, so that is super convenient.
Prices: Some of the meals are pretty pricey, but the a la carte items are very reasonable.
Try this place is you are in the mood for something different, you won’t regret it!

I ate there for dinner. It was not inexpensive. The food was just ho-​hum at best.