Odyssey Authentic Greek Taverna

This place is WONDERFUL! As soon as you arrive, you are greated at the door by the host. The waitress that I had was WONDERFUL!

Odyssey is now a steakhouse.

Sadly, this Odyssey location is now a steak house. I gave it a rating because Unilocal would not let me save this comment without one.
There is still an Odyssey Greek Taverna location open in St. Charles. I haven’t tried it, but if it is as good as the Lombard location was, then I’d go for sure!

Decent atmosphere, good food, and good service. Visited later on a Friday night and sat outside on the patio seating. The Odyssey has a really nice outside patio despite a less than scenic view of a parking lot. The service was great, bringing out the food fast and fresh, bread, and very friendly and personable. Prices are a little high, but if you have a coupon or deal it is a great deal. I would definitely go there again and is a definite place to check out if your in the western suburbs looking for greek food.

Went here for my Greek food fix which I rarely have. The atmosphere is ok, alittle dim but nothing to complain about. Here’s what I had:
Cold Appetizer Sampler (See picture): 4 unique spreads, there’s a potato spread that tastes like super garlic infused mashed potatoes, a pink caviar spread that was bland and didn’t taste like caviar, an eggplant spread which was fine, and tatziki which was good. REMEMBER to ask for pita! They gladly grilled some up fresh for us but you GOTTA ASK!
Chicken Lemon Rice Soup (See Picture): Tastes and looks like rice porridge with chicken bits and lemon. Not very good.
Combo Number 2: (See Picture): Alittle bit of everything, gyros that tastes like every other places gyros, meatballs with a touch of mint or something that were great, roasted chicken that was WAY too salty but other than that quite juicy, this eggplant parm lasagna thing that was great, and roasted vegetables and potatoes that were tasty.
Overall this place is is pretty good but remember ASK FOR PITA they are soft and warm and free! The free crusty bread at your table doesn’t even compare.
If you like Greek food give this place a shot.

I drive by Odyssey pretty often since I like fairly close to Yorktown Mall. I came here with my boyfriend on a whim. We decided to just give it a try because every time we pass by their parking lot was always packed! That’s always a good sign right?
We walk in and I notice the layout of the place is weird! Maybe it’s a Greek thing? We were welcomed in by a few people standing at the hostess stand. We were seated and immediately had our glasses filled with water and the waitress came to assist us with the menu. We ordered the saganaki appetizer and it was amazing. The cheese was cooked so perfectly with a slight caramelized top. SO GOOD. I highly recommend it.
I ordered the Mediterranean Chicken with rice as my entrée. It was well seasoned and cooked throughout. It was very good. I don’t eat Greek food very much so I’m not sure what to expect when I was eating, but it was definitely flavorful.
My boyfriend ordered the create your own entrée. One was the Dolmades. It was different. I don’t think I’d personally order a plate of it. The second dish was the Pastichio. That I really liked! It was like lasagna, but with penne pasta in between the layers of meat.
As if I’m not sweet enough we had to order dessert. Since we were familiar with baklava, we stuck with that. No surprises. It was pretty good. Extremely sticky! I could probably eat four orders on my own.
I’ll definitely come back soon! :)

Chrissy W. and I had dinner at Odyssey earlier this week. Firstly, because we adore each other so much, we try to dine together as frequently as possible (for one party living in A.H. and the other in Aurora,) and secondly, because I had a groupon that was set to expire.
As always at Odyssey, we were greeted warmly and sat promptly. Our server was courteous and friendly, and poured a hefty glass of wine (we each had a glass of Greek white.)
Dinner for both of us was the lamb chops with briami (baked vegetables.) We both order our lamb medium rare, and both agreed that this lamb was cooked perfectly. The chops were also amazingly delicious, as were the vegetables.
The only thing that made me sad was that we didn’t order saganaki. But… it’s okay, we’re both watching our girlish figures. Next time… when we’re splurging.

SKIP IT!!! WORST RESTAURANT SERVICE IN MY LIFE!!! SERIOUSLY, STAY FROM IT!!! NO KIDDING!!!
After we arrived, no one was at the door to sit us. We had a reservation and arrived on time and we were told to wait 20 minutes, so we went to the bar and within a few minutes after we got our drinks at the bar we were taken to our table. At that moment everyhing seemed ok.
Without given 1 menu for a table of 2 people, and the proceeded to wait 15 to 20 minutes to meet our waiter. The poor waiter look so stressed because seemed to be the only waiter in the entire place!
After placing the order we waited at LEAST 30 minutes to get our meal. After wating for soooooooo long (and no, it wasnt a full house) we were expected a rewarding the wait meal… Then we tasted the food and we agreed on something… this is canned food. The vegetables without a doubt were CANNED and OVERCOOKED into mush. The chicken was dry overcooked… It just looked like the food served in public schools or prison.
Mousaka: DISGUSTING! The ground beef tasted like dog food.
Chiken kebab: Dry, nasty greenbeens cooked straight from the can!
At the end… they were not taking our GROUPON because our phone was not showing 8 digits they were looking for, it was on our phone! That was the actual have the gropon app and we even called asking in advanced if this was ok and they said it was ok! BULLSHIT! We were forced to pay the bill, and forced to pay for the crappiest food ever and slowest service! They also told us that it was groupon and our problem. Ok… we didnt get an apology or a perk to satisfy us for the inconvinience, and I got even rolled eyed when we told them that this was unfair for such bad experience we were having. Manager did not do anything and we were disrespected by assuming we didnt want to pay the bill because we did not have money.
STAY AWAY FROM IT, ITS CRAP, NOT WORTH IT WITH OUR WITHOUT GROUPON… WE HAVE SPENT $ 50 for maggianos and cheesecake factory and we have left happy… NEVER AGAIN, NEVER!!!

Without our Groupon, Odyssey unfortunately would have been a swing and a miss. Plenty of GOOD things going for Odyssey, but I think the BADS took the cake (or spinach pie) during out last visit. First things first, ADVICE. DO NOT (especially in the wintery cold) sit close to the entrance-​way. The cold breeze from the front door had the ladies shivering throughout our service. Second, service is hospitable, but very SLOW. DO NOT come here expecting to be on the road in an hour. Combine that with a «green» server, utilizing English as a second language, and your frustration may reach its flash point before the Saganaki. Third, bring your wallet. It will get pricey. Our visits to Greek restaurants in the past typically included appetizers, entrees, drinks, and desserts, which easily rocket our bills towards the century mark. Our recent Odyssey visit was no different fiscally. So, down to business. The food… We ordered alot, here’s the play-​by-​play:
APPS:
1.) Saganaki — ⁵⁄₅ Fantastic
2.) Cold Appetizer Spread — ⁴⁄₅ (Tzatziki, Skordalia, Taramosalata & Melizanosalata). Some better than others, but solid.
ENTREES:
1.) Vegetarian Combo — ⁵⁄₅ Loved it. Dolmades, Spanakopita, Moussaka, and mixed veg
2.) Boneless Pork Chops — ³⁄₅ Good flavor, but dry
3.) Salmon — ⁴⁄₅
4.) Gyros Plate w/​Fries — ⁴⁄₅ Kids menu, worthy of adult consumption
DESSERT:
1.) Crème Caramel — ⁴⁄₅ Pretty good, but basically Flan
Not too much wrong with the food, it’s everything else screaming for attention. Tighten up the service. Change up the dining room. Definitely get the food out quicker. Classic atmosphere and very traditional menu in need of a facelift.
Overall it was a decent dinner trip. I’ve seen better and had worse. We’re waiting for the next Groupon… hopefully the Odyssey checks itself on Unilocal!
OPAA!

I have one word for my experience here, impressive! I live minutes from Greektown in Chicago and rarely visit because the food has never really impressed me. Sure there’s lamb and flaming cheese but overall the flavor has been… meh! When a friend said he was throwing his wife a little party here I felt obligated to go but wasn’t initially looking forward to anything more than the bar. To my pleasant and unexpected surprise however the food was amazing. There was a spread of fresh vegetables and skordalia, fresh pita, chicken, lamb, homemade sausage and grilled peppers and rice with muscles. There truly wasn’t anything I didn’t enjoy. I’d actually make the trip out here again just for the food.

Yuch. I’m giving it 2 stars because they let us eat here after they closed, but the food was yuchy! They actually were from Greece but it tasted like the food was 3 days old.
Everything seemed to have clove in it, and the it tasted like it was out of the can. Even the soup tasted canned (which it probably was). We got some wine and it wasn’t that good either. At least it wasn’t that expensive.

First and foremost, forgive my spelling of the Greek delicacies.
Man oh man! So so so good! I love the lamb pies on the specials menu. the lamb is tender and juicy and this oh so inexpensive meal feeds me twice. The sea bass salad rocks my world. They cook the fish perfectly. Pass on the taramousalata (Greek Islands is much better in that respect), but go for the saganaki as an app. I’ve tried several of the soups and they’re all quite delightful.
The service is usually pretty decent. The owner is always friendly. I’ve not had a bad experience here yet. When I’ve sat at the bar, the bartenders chat me up and make sure that I enjoy my experience.
I definitely recommend this place.

What a great find with an expansive menu of choices and lamb cooked in numerous ways. The flaming cheese was to die for! They even have weekday dinner special for $ 10! The service was excellent too.

Solid Greek food! I went here with my mom, grandma, and brother on a rainy May night.
We arrived at about 7. My mother and I got egg lemon soup (spelled with something that starts with an «a», but I won’t even try). My brother got a salad; his loss. Grandma and mom also had bread before.
I got roast leg of lamb; the rest of the dishes ordered: Grecian Chicken (30 mins to cook), brother said it was worth it, kabobs for the grandma, and spinach pie for the always unhealthy mother.
Very good, I would highly recommend this gem in the Western ‘burbs to all!

Before I write anything else, let me just say that I did not enjoy the food. I guess Greek cuisine really isn’t my thing. And that’s okay.
Having said that, the experience was great. Our server was very attentive and asked several times if there is anything else we need. At one point, the owner came to our table to make sure all if well.
Prices are pretty good considering the amount of food you get.
The restaurant is quite big and could easily host a large party. It was also nicely decorated and clean. I always appreciate white tablecloths. Too bad about the food, though.

The highlight of my night at this authentic Greek restaurant was the Growing-​Up-​Gotti guido busboy who refilled my water. Ironic, right?
Basically, the best gyro you can get comes wrapped up in a paper bag … not at a sit-​down restaurant that’s begging to be overhauled by Gordon Ramsay.
Skip it.

This place was easily the WORST dining experience I’ve ever had. The one star that I was required to give this place is too high of a rating. Sorry for the length, but this place was sh! t.
Got there at 8 with my lady and a couple of friends, and we were promptly sat, its not that busy for a Friday night, so far so good. Then it took a good 15 minutes before we had to have a busboy go and find us a server. 5 minutes later he finally arrives and asks what we’d like to drink. Not receiving a wine list, I asked for one which turned out to be a 5 minute excursion to the hostess stand, and another 5 minutes before he came back to the table to get our drink order. 10 minutes later our wine arrived and the waiter took off before we could order an app. 5 minutes go by and he finally makes it back to get our order of saganaki, then books it again without explaining anything. Whatever…
Saganaki comes out, he lights it on fire, says enjoy and takes off again. Keep in mind we still have a table full of menus, wine, and empty water glasses. About 10 minutes later comes by, asks if we’re ready, takes our order, I order another glass of wine for myself and my lady, and he disappears till the food comes out 20 minutes later. Only then does he decide to go get the wine we ordered, but they must have somebody crushing wine grapes to order, because my fish was half gone by the time i saw the wine glasses, leaving our old ones behind. All glasses on the table are empty, not almost empty, but proper empty, we’ve even drank the melted ice.
The food was meh at best. I’ve worked in Greek restaurants, and being of Mediterranean descent myself, I like to think I know good Mediterranean food, and this stuff was glorified slop. The rice that came with my fish was cold, my buddy’s pasta looked like it had baked under a heat lamp for 10 minutes, his girlfriend’s gyro was dry, and my lady’s chicken and spinach dish was chewy. Chewy chicken must be an ancient Greek cooking technique that I was unaware of.
He still has yet to come by and check on us, ask about the food, fill the water glasses, generally anything that a decent waiter should do. Luckily a busboy comes by and starts picking up our plates, still without filling up our water glasses. Maybe 10 – 15 minutes later the waiter comes by for the first time since dropping off our food and asks if were ready to go. A couple of minutes earlier I watched him chit chatting with a table nearby concerning their dessert menu, but I was ready to get the hell out of this hole, so no worries. He drops the check and when I try to get his attention before hes 4 feet away so we can split the check and apparently my voice wasn’t loud enough because I didn’t see him for another 5 minutes. Regardless, as splitting a check in this place is impossible, so we are finally able to leave, 2 hours after we’ve arrived.
I hate this place.

As I sit at my desk, eating my leftover Gyros from last night, savoring the lamb drippings on my lips, I feel compelled to review this establishment.
restaurant.com’s $ 25 gift cert for $ 2 is what lead me into this establishment. i’ve only had greek food a hand full of times — mostly at the slender hand of a former greek coworker. i’ve also attended a greek fest and eaten at only one other greek restaurant. this said, i’m not sure i’m 100% qualified to rate this restaurant, but i’m still going to give it a try.
the atmosphere is nice & pleasant. it’s greek without being GREEK (think my big, fat, greek wedding). now, i realize this shouldn’t factor in, but i went with my friend and we were surrounded by yummy dark haired men — two young and one middle aged. this already made the dining experience pleasant before we ordered our food.
first — daniel, CUTE and KNOWLEDGEABLE, was a great waiter. i asked quite a few questions about the menu and he was patient, kind and professional. one thing, he kept calling me ma’am. i informed him, ever so delicately, that it is wrong to address a woman who appears under 40 as ma’am and he seemed deeply apologetic. :)
i ordered the traditional greek combination plate which comes with either soup (of the day or avgolemono) or salad. it also comes with gyros (meat & sauce only), spanikopita, dolmades (choice of vegetarian or regular) and a rice pilaf. ALL OF THIS FOOD plus a warm, yummy bread basket was priced at only $ 9.99. WHAT A DEAL!
the food was good — the soup was excellent. i got the avgolemono — i’m a huge fan. i ordered a pita on the side (a whopping 85 cents) to go with my gyros and only got so far as one pita wedge, my veggie dolmade, a bite of spanikopita, and the soup and slice of bread before i was STUFFED. i took the rest home and only managed to get through the rest of the gyro for lunch today.
this is a great little place and i would recommend it for the wait staff, value menu and non-​tacky greek experience.

We decided to get our Greek on tonight by trying out Odyssey for the first time. I had to convince my family that it would be great (after reading the Unilocal reviews and showing them the menu online). Then, I held my breath all the way to the restaurant, hoping I wouldn’t let them down. Luckily, the experience was truly enjoyable by everyone. The service was very personal and friendly and the food (all of it) was delicious.
We started with the Greek cheese flambé’ that they lit on fire beside our table. It was a nice way to start the taste buds with a gooey, melted cheese, sauteed in a lemony herb sauce. We also did the fried zucchini with garlic hummus that was very tasty.
My wife ordered the full sea bass, which came to the table completely intact, with head and tail. They cut and de-​boned it tableside, which was quite impressive to watch. My daughter had the lamb riblets (which she thought she wouldn’t be able to eat very much of since she wasn’t very hungry). She ended up eating all of it and said it was incredible. I ordered the skirt steak, which was a very good quality cut of meat for being skirt steak. Most impressive was the Greek seasonings and juice that the steak was sitting on. Very tangy and flavorful.
For dessert, we ordered the Tiramisu (which I know, I know… it’s Italian), and it was really better than some that I’ve had at Italian restaurants. But, even better was the orange cake with vanilla ice cream. When they bring you the sample tray to see all the desserts available, it looks like the least impressive on the platter. Don’t let the appearances fool you, it is not to be missed. The orange cake was phenomenal. They serve it to you piping hot with a scoop of ice cream melting on the top of it. We devoured it and made a note to order it again next time.
Throughout it all, the host and the server were very attentive and friendly. We were all really pleased with everything and are already making plans for what we’ll order next time.

I’m not a Greek but I play one on TV.
And as a Greek impersonator, I must say, GOODNESS GRAPELEAVES, this is good! I got takeout for 2 and it summed up to about $ 15/​person. So. Much. Good. Food.
Step 1) TYROKAFTERI: A 3 cheese blend of roasted red peppers, lemon and EVOO with bread to dip. It’s got a kick to it and will please both the cheese fans and the spicelovers
Step 2) FRIED EGGPLANT came with savory tomato sauce and feta. You’ll fight over them.
Step 3) For the «meal» portion, my takeout companion and I split the VEG COMBINATION: Mousaka, Spinach Pie, Stuffed Grapeleaves, Mixed Vegetables and Rice Pilaf. We chose the Greek salad as the «starter» but the combo gives you the daily soup/​salad option.
I can say, in all, we got our fill of feta to last for the next 3 months. «OOOOOOH YEEEEEAHH» (in Kool-​aid man’s voice)
Will be on the return to indulge in either the lunch or the dinner special. You heard right: «Lunch AND dinner». All right, I said «or» but don’t hold it against me.
Lunch Special year round: 7.95 from 11 – 3
*more vegetarian options
Dinner (summer) Special: 9.95
Join me, won’t you? Final note, don’t ask for my Greek impersonation. You’ll have to speak with my agent.