TAUNTON — Flavors from Greece are here in Taunton, from marinated gyros, flaky baklava and made-to-order pasta to fresh rice bowls with over 20 toppings — you might just find your new favorite here.
On this week’s installment of Brockton Eats with Alisha, we’re visiting a new town and seeing what the buzz is all about for one family-owned Greek restaurant.
These weekly lists of tidbits and food finds are not restaurant reviews but go beyond a bare-bones round-up. Staff writer Alisha Saint-Ciel gives tips and takes to help Brockton-area foodies find those mouth-watering hidden gems, old favorites and exciting new offerings.
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What makes Grilla Greek Kouzina unique?
What I find unique about Grilla Greek Kouzina, located at 224 Broadway inTaunton, is the 80-year-old seasoning recipe passed down from owner George Tambasidis’s grandmother. Knowing that generations of love have been passed down in the food here gives the restaurant an extra homey vibe.
Walking into the restaurant is like visiting Santorini, Greece, from the décor to the white and blue walls that remind you of fresh ocean water.
This restaurant is like a kiss of Greek paradise.
Though very much not a chain, it reminds me of Chipotle in this way: You can build and customize your pasta and rice bowl with over 20 toppings. Where else could you find that?
Customers can indulge in authentic Greek street food dishes with a modern twist.
“There’s a lack of Greek presence in Taunton. We wanted to freestyle our own dishes because you know people eat with their eyes, and I promise you this will be the best gyro you’ve tasted,” Tambasidis said.
What’s on the menu at Grilla Greek Kouzina?
The menu is filled with “delicious creations” from surf and turf gyro to horiatiki salad, lamb chops, skepasti, desserts shipped from Greece.
Gyros are an essential part of the menu, and they even serve the “traditional” gyro, which is made of pork instead of the Americanized version, a lamb gyro.
“Lamb gyros are not the traditional gyros,” according to Tambasidis, and that’s the main reason he doesn’t sell them.
You can try the classic gyro sandwich in chicken, steak or pork.
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Even the salad is 100% authentic, he said. Did you know Greek salads never have lettuce? That’s just an American version of a Greek salad.
“What sets our business apart from others is how fresh our ingredients and food are. A lot of stuff we import right from Greece, which makes everything taste better. We import desserts from the #1 bakery in Greece, and I can’t name another restaurant that does that,” Tambasidis said.
Another unique aspect of the restaurant is all the sauces are made from scratch by Tambasidis’s wife. It’s a family affair here at Grilla Greek Kouzina, and they wouldn’t have it any other way.
The end goal?
The end goal for the business is to franchise and grow across the United States, serving Greek food the “authentic” way.
