Manny’s Mediterranean Cafe

I’m just updating my review to mention that this place is closed down. Most likely due to poor management.

We went by here tonight and Manny’s was closed and it looked like the kitchen was being loaded onto trucks. Shame, as we liked the place.

My husband and I visited there a few weekends ago on a Saturday upon entering we noticed all the employees lounging around and this was around 12:15 we ordered our meal and the food was just okay nothing special this salad was gross and when I complained to the waiter or server that the Greek salad dressing was basically olive oil and no seasoning which I poured on my salad it was gross she never f if we would like it replaced or discounted it from the bill I don’t think I would ever go back there and to everyone who loves Mediterranean food not to go there check out the diner in Pineville incredible Mediterranean food on Park Avenue

Tried Mannys for the first time. The food was ok. It was across town for us. If you expect fast food then that’s what you’ll get. Nothing special to make me go back.

My wife and I tried Manny’s for the first time today and split the Manny’s platter. It was a lot of food, and we both loved every single thing. Staff was friendly, and we will definitely be going back.

Great food and service… so if you like eating outside and being waited on by an incredible staff then come here…

I’ve been twice. Between the two visits, I’ve had the appetizer sampler, gyros, and their souvlaki plate. Uh, not by myself. We were with a group and our group liked to share.
Twice they’ve been on the slow side as far as getting the food on the table and a packed restaurant certainly wasn’t the reason.
Twice, the staff were very friendly (almost annoyingly — Would you just let us eat for goodness sake?)
Twice, the food was just okay. Both times, I remember saying to my husband, «Just a souped up Showmars that serves mediocre Greek/​Italian fare.»
Twice, I remember thinking, «I won’t be returning.»
However, someone else paid for my dinner — you guessed it! — Twice. So who knows? Thrice may be the charm? Yeah, probably not.

So I have been here once, and I’m all for supporting local businesses. So I was pretty excited to check out this new business. I was meeting family there at the time. And when I walked in I wasn’t really sure where to stand it was a little undirected. They usually have someone that notices customers walking in but this time I guess they didn’t. So after a couple moments I found my family at a table near the back and sat with them.
Our waitress was Amanda, she was friendly and attentive and got a water for me. I had a Greek salad to start, I was a little disappointed. It was fresh but seemed to lack a little bit. Only had 2 olives (which were great) and the dressing was not very Greek-​like. It just tasted like straight up oil. But I’m not one to complain. The pizza was amazing, cooked perfectly, I loved it. And I had the tiramisu which was also great and very rich. The prices were very reasonable (neighborhood friendly). But the reason I don’t think I’ll be back again is because it has an odd vibe. Its a Mediterranean café, but doesn’t at all feel like your at a café in the Mediterranean. I have travelled to Greece and Italy and if it had that vibe and décor, I would probably check it out more often. It’s very Americanized and seems very corporate, not quite run like a family-​owned neighborhood café.

After watching the prior tenant (Bellasera Bistro) try to open, and never really do so, we watched for what seemed to be months as Manny’s tried to open as well. Finally they have done so, to great fanfare. Well, let’s just say that they are at least open.
The first thing that’s a bit odd about the place is that they are perhaps Manny’s Mediterranean Café or Manny’s Neighborhood Grille. I must confess that even after eating there, I really don’t know which. There are signs for both in the place, and there is even one sign that suggests that perhaps both are available for franchising. I looked online, and it looks like there are a grand total of five locations, covering both concepts — and no clear indicator of which is which, or why. So your guess is as good as anyone’s.
When it comes to the décor, there are mediterranean-​like pictures, that may be Ancient Greece, or just generic pictures, on the walls. There are LCD television sets tuned to European sports channels. And there are seats. That’s about it. Not a lot of ambience.
The service is friendly, if not especially helpful, but that seems to stem from the company. For instance, if you look at the web site for help on the loyalty program, you’ll find that it tells you about rewards. That’s about it. No details or anything else. At one point we were told that you can get ten points per dollar, at which we should have jumped all over it, because at another point we were told a 10% off coupon, and another you get a $ 10 certificate after spending $ 100. Now I don’t really have any idea, since even online it doesn’t tell you much. It seems to revolve around a base ten numbering system. I thought those came from the Romans, not the Greeks, but it’s all Mediterranean, so who knows?
Anyway — when it comes to food, it’s a bit of a mish-​mash there as well. The quality of the dishes we tried was good, but it was an interesting combination, and definitely more Mediterranean than Greek. The hummus was tasty, and perhaps one of the best things we had. The Souvlaki was served with lamb, rather than a more common pork around these parts. The burger was fairly tasty, and the pizza was good, if a bit on the bland side. Generally portions were described as «large», but I’m not sure I’d go there — our teenagers easily took care of the shared calzone, and could have done so individually as well.

I have now had lunch here 2 times. The good has been great! I have had the gyro wrap, the souvlaki wrap and the Philly wrap, all were excellent! The Souvlaki had a great flavor and the lamb was cooked to perfection. Our waitress was awesome. It was a little slow but I will chalk that up to being new.

I am the wife of Robert T. I want to say for the record that he/​we were no way as nasty as she is making him out to be. He did not cuss at any waitress or anyone directly but was upset. we liked ours waitress and gave her a tip. The other waitress called me a liar & I didn’t appreciate that, which did upset us. We expressed all of our complaints and only ate some (not every bite I left a whole piece) after we were told it was free. I do not complain often but when your order is wrong twice & not all the way cooked is a little much. She made it sound much worse than it was & she was not even there. I know her employees probably needed us to be the bad guys to keep their jobs. It has become she said they said situation now. So try it if you want to May love it.