It’s a weeknight and no one feels like cooking. Time to try a new neighborhood joint, Manny’s Greek Cafe. This place has been here for a while, but it is in a spot where lots of little businesses have come and gone. It is easy to know where to go for good greek food in Houston – Niko Niko’s or Ya Ya Mary’s. Can Manny hold his own?
The exterior is not much to look at which set my expectations low. I expected the interior to be that of a donut shop or takeout pizza place, but it was cozy and had lots of personality. Pictures of Manny and family lined the walls along with menus for burgers, coffee drinks, and entrees. It was a little disconcerting that there were no prices listed on the menu written on the wall, but I noticed later that there were paper menus available also – perhaps pricing was on those. There were only two employees, one working the counter and one cooking, and a few customers sitting in the booths. Through the course of our visit there were several customers popping in for take-out, and I can see how this would be a great option for take-out.
I ordered the gyro platter, a pretty simple plate of gyro meat, tzatziki sauce and diced tomatoes, and it held its own against the titans of Houston greek food. The meat was tender and well spiced and the sauce was fresh and cucumbery. My wife had the greek salad with gyro meat and my son had the hamburger. The burger was remarkable due to the bun – yeasty, fluffy, toasted goodness. For desert we had a bit of baklava which was good.
Overall we spent a little over $30, so it was standard for the amount of food we got. The higher quality of each dish makes this a good value. Manny’s gets a thumbs up for great Greek food, right around the corner.
Location: Manny’s Greek Cafe