Plaka Taverna

We decided to get brunch on Sunday during Memorial Day weekend. We headed over to Monty’s (which I don’t even like very much) and found a line stretching out the door. Eventually we ended up at Plaka, and I’m so glad we did. I had the Plaka breakfast (2 eggs, hash browns, gyro meat, tzatziki sauce and pita) and my wife had the deuce (2 eggs, 2 pancakes, 2 sausage patties). Everything was excellent.
Pros:
+ Good food: the gyro meat was especially tasty– nice and juicy, good flavor without being over seasoned
+ ample portions
+ very fast, very friendly service
+ prices that are tough to beat: I think the most expensive thing on the menu was about 7 bucks
Cons:
— it was pretty hot inside the restaurant
— maybe it’s just me, but I always prefer sausage links over sausage patties
— limited menu: this isn’t necessary a problem, but don’t expect to find anything beyond the basics (they also weren’t serving anything off of their lunch/​dinner menu)
I would definitely go back for breakfast and look forward to trying their dinner offerings.

This is one of my favorite places to have breakfast! Great atmosphere, the food and service are always great!

I’ve been walking past Plaka for months and very pleased that we finally stopped in for breakfast. Strong coffee, real blueberries in the pancakes and overall deliciousness at a fair price. This will be a regular spot, and we’ll be back to try the gyro soon!

Gyro meat goes good with breakfast eggs and potatoes! The restaurant was nice and quiet with soft music playing in the background. We were there on a early Sunday morning and it wasn’t very busy. The gyro meat and sauce is excellent, bloody Mary very spicy. I will be coming back for just Gyro’s. Nice relaxing Sunday morning kind of place.

It is a little or if the way but well worth it. Fantastic gyros. Super friendly service. Decent prices. I’m going to make this a regular place for lunch.

Awesome lunch! I work close by but don’t get out for lunch often. When I do, this is always at the top of my list. I never thought I loved gyros until I tried theirs! The salad is amazing and fresh. Service is always great too.

Solid breakfast spot. Went there on a mid-​Thursday morning and there was a cool quiet to the place. Warm and inviting. In particular were the two tables in front, set before a sunny window. The restaurant was clean and tidy.
I did not have much time to linger so got down to the business of ordering. Had to go with the Plaka breakfast which is pan fried potatoes, gyros meat, two eggs and half a pita cut in wedges and served with tzatziki sauce. The servings were only modestly sized but reasonable given the $ 7.00. Quality was all a-​ok. Not outstanding but not bad.
What I really liked was the warm, homey and easy going vibe in there. Someplace that you would like to be a regular at when you are on that side of the square.
They have some street parking out front. I did not see an adjacent lot. Our wheelchair and walker assisted brothers and sisters may have a little challenge maneuvering in the space but my guess is the restaurant would be very accommodating.
Definitely worth a return visit and spending some time with a coffee in one of the sunny window tables. See you there!

This is a great breakfast place! I really enjoy the Greek influenced breakfasts, my favorite probably being the gyro omelet. My daughters can easily split a meal which is nice. Also, the breakfast potatoes taste ALMOST as good as they were back when the place was Clevelands.
I know that Come Back Inn next door does a lot more business for brunch but I think the cheap bloodied and mimosas are the only reason why. I definitely prefer the food at Plaka Taverna.
I have gone twice now and my only minor complaint would be my Bloody Mary the second time. I thought the Bloody Mary was amazing the first time and it’s one of the main reasons I wanted to go back. The second time I went it was so extremely heavy on horseradish that I could barely drink it. We were also charged a dollar more for it than we had been the week before. So how much are they? $ 5.50 or $ 6.50? Menu says $ 5.50 so maybe the second time they charged for the chaser (even though they didn’t the first?) Anyway, that’s a minor complaint and I’ll definitely give the bloody another chance next time to see if the horseradish heavy one was a fluke.
I’ve been pleasantly surprised to always be seated right away and find convenient parking right outside the door. That’s a definite bonus when you’re downtown.

This is the first time I have been here since the place is no longer Cleveland’s. And was thoroughly disappointed. Their food is OK, not outstanding, but OK. What I want to comment about is the horrible attitude I got from the wait staff on Sunday 3-​20-​2016, around 12:30 pm the waiter refused to give us separate checks and then refused to ring us out separately. When I asked to be wrung out he totally disrespected me and put me off. And unfortunately the woman working behind the bar fed into it. OMG, I am never coming to this place again! I would have fired the waiter on the spot for his behavior it was unacceptable.

There’s a lot to like here. Fast and friendly service, good food, completely affordable. The most expensive breakfast item was $ 7, and that was only if you added fries.
I had the Rock the Casbah — Moroccan chicken scrambler. I thought it was a little light on the chicken and even had to look to make sure it wasn’t forgotten. The pieces were small. I also added a side of tzatziki sauce, which kicked it up a notch! I wish I could take home large quantities of the tzatziki. American fries were thinly sliced and perfectly salted and fried.
My husband had the gyro omelette with feta and enjoyed it.
Nice selection of Stash hot teas. Would have appreciated a small pot of hot water left at the table.
Cute décor. Excited to return for lunch or dinner!

Still the best breakfast potatoes in town!
I’ve been coming here for years and you know lots of the other customers have been too. This is one of the places that helps make Madison Madison.
I should come in for dinner more often as it was excellent the last time I did.
This place will always be Cleavelands to me; a place you go when you want a solid breakfast at a great price in good company, and its still true.

Stopped in on a Sunday for breakfast… Never ending cup of joe was good and hot and bottomless.
Had the Plaka plate — absolutely über delicious gyros meat… Parthenon… bye bye.
Eggs were a bit runny for scrambled but excellent hash browns made up for that and a pinch of salt helped with that yolk flavor I don’t like much.
Pitta triangles a nice touch. Fresh orange juice was the perfect hangover solution.
Baklava was stellar.
Can’t wait to try dinner here! Hey boy!!!

Still my #1 Brunch spot. Nothing beats simple.
Modern Scot breakfast sandwich is simple and perfect. And I’ve ordered it every Sunday since 2007! This is the breakfast sandwich America was founded on and the standard to which «fancy places» try to divert you away from. But if you know what you’re doing, you don’t need fancy cheese, fancy meat, fancy bread. The brilliance is in the simplicity and how it hits your taste buds. Your brain is like … «oh… yeah… yum» then you follow that up with gyro meat and your brain is like «WHAT? BAM!»
Add side of Gyro meat (with Tzatziki sauce) — YUM!
Or we do the blueberry pancakes. I love these… there are many pancakeries in town, but none have figured out how to add blueberries directly into their cake AND have them remain flavorful. The blueberries ooze blue onto the plate and STILL burst in your mouth. *Syrup need not apply.
Blood Mary — best in town for flavor. They actually MAKE THEIR OWN MIX. Their toppings suck (2 olives and a HALF limp pickle), BUT the flavor and price make up for it ($ 5). You can ask for two pieces of the pickle. They also have large $ 1 chasers.
TIP: If you can eat meat — GET THE SPECIAL OF THE DAY! NO matter what it is! Dammit people LISTEN TO ME. If it says Lamb pie — GET IT (phyllo dough with layers of cheese and lamb sausage); If it says carnitas — GET IT (moist, shredded pork from the grill!); If it says pumpkin pancakes — GET IT (wet pancakes with slightly sweet pumpkin dough). The other day it was some kind of chicken fried pork on a sandwich (pounded pork with chicken fry breading, southern style) — GET IT! If you don’t want «eggs», then get the special at brunch time. You will not regret it, it’s the cooks’ daily love to you.

After opening for dinner and changing their former name (Cleveland’s), I was worried that one of my favorite breakfast spots would be no more. Rest assured, Plaka is still putting out one of the more underrated breakfasts in town. I usually go with a breakfast sandwhich with american fries. Simple. Delicious. A little greasy. It is the perfect meal after a late night but also won’t weigh you down for the rest of the day. Service is fast, friendly and efficient. What more can you ask for?

A very good Greek restaurant with tasty food.
I tried the chicken kabob, which was tender and juicy. The rice was very flavorful.
Also tried the gyros, and they were the most amazing I’ve ever had! The meat was well-​flavored, went great with the cream on top. Together with tomatoes and onions, everything perfectly matched with the pita bread.
My only complaint that they are a bit slow in service, but maybe it was because there were only one person with a full room of customers the night I went. But she was friendly and kind :)

I haven’t been for dinner yet, so this is only for their breakfast. After the first snow this year, the boyfriend and I were looking for something close and cheap so I suggested Plaka. I hadn’t been since it was Cleveland’s Diner a decade ago, but I knew they kept the Cleveland’s breakfast tradition going. I wasn’t as over the moon as most people about Cleveland’s, and I feel the same about Plaka. It is good, hot, and greasy — all the earmarks of a greasy spoon. If you are someone who believes in greasy hangover breakfasts, this place is for you.
I ordered the Plaka Platter, which came with gyros, pita triangles, tzatziki, American fries, and two eggs. I don’t like eggs, but there wasn’t really anything to ask to sub that made sense for my meal, so I decided to just get scrambled eggs (which I loved as a kid) and see how it went. I try them every year or two to see if I can get back on the egg train. Unsurprisingly, I did not care for them. Plaka’s scrambled eggs are definitely on the wetter/​runnier side — my boyfriend loved them and said I should always order that plate so that he can have double eggs.
The American fries were salty and had some onions mixed in, as well as a flavor I couldn’t place. It was a generous portion and a good balance between crispy crust and soft interior.
The gyro meat was where it was at, which makes perfect sense being that they are a Greek restaurant. Flavorful and carved off the spit, it’s exactly what I was craving and I will happily go back for dinner. The tzatziki was refreshing in its cucumber goodness. The pita triangles would have benefited from being heated — they were a little stiff but did the trick.
I’ll be back for breakfast and this time I might give the pancakes a whirl on suggestion of a fellow Unilocaler, and I now know where to go to feed my next gyro craving.

We’ve yet to be disappointed by this place. We have dined here a handful of times, once being seated outside.
This seems to be the best Greek restaurant in the Madison area. Our favorite dish has become the Taverna Combo, a mix of stuffed grape leaves, falafel, rice, some gyros meat, and tomato slices with gets and olives.
The only issue I have with this establishment is parking. It is on the street and sometimes difficult to find nearby.

Overall, I had a good experience here. The service is quick, and the food taste good for the price. Definitely worth it for less than $ 10.
Only problem I had was they were too busy so they didn’t give me any refill for my coffee.

I’ve lived in Madison for a couple of years and just recently tried this place! We went for breakfast. They have a fun menu and the atmosphere is diner-​eque but it’s not a diner. The food was pretty good, and fairly inexpensive. Everything on the menu is less than $ 8. If you’re looking for a good breakfast option, I would recommend this place. Nothing fancy, but good atmosphere and quick!

Breakfast for two for under $ 20?
Done.
In addition to irresistible authentic Greek fare these guys have a solid (more American) brunch situation that was delish.