We went to this restaurant the other day because my husband was craving a gyro and it was raining so we didn't want to drive very far. We had heard about Cafe Athena from several sources and all said it was good. I wonder if our expectations were too high or if we just ordered wrong.

We got there a bit before noon on a Tuesday and it was mostly retirees having lunch. That being said, because of it's location in a not so busy part of a strip mall, I would have expected it to be almost empty. It was lively.

I wasn't feeling like a huge lunch so opted for a salmon Mediterranean salad. Probably the most expensive thing on the menu at $16. The salmon was cooked perfectly and actually it was a good salad. Husband liked his gyro and my daughter wolfed down a kids gyro plate at an alarming rate. She spilled a full glass of lemonade on the floor and they were very nice about it, brought a new one without charging for a second.

I did not like the dolmas we ordered and thought the calamari was good but the horseradish dipping 'sauce' was odd. I don't actually know what it was but it seemed like horse radish and mashed potatoes mixed together.

I would go back though it didn't really rock my boat. Salmon salad aside, it's not very expensive overall. Good value for $.

I had lunch at Cafe Athena and it was delicious!! I'm pretty new to Greek food, so I ordered the Grecian Feast - a popular feast of Dolmathakia, Bourekia, Moussaka and Gyros, served with Tzatziki sauce, rice pilaf and Briami. Our server, who was very sweet and honest in her recommendations (a rare trait), warned that it was a lot of food, but I ate ALL of it! SOOO GOOOD!!! I usually stick to gyros, but I'm so glad I tried the feast - I may be changing my usual to Moussaka.<br />
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However, next time, I think I will go for dinner...the service, though very friendly and nice, was slow. The food and dessert took forever - not a good place to go during a lunch break. Then again, everyone else in the restaurant was "older" and enjoying glasses of wine with their meal, so maybe it was my mistake for thinking I could get a quick bite.<br />
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Maybe not for lunch, but I'll definitely go back again!!<br />
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Oh, and the ambience is nice too... it's tucked away in a corner of the Vons/FedEx Kinkos shopping center; there's plenty of parking, outdoor dining, and tons of seating.

This place has been here forever so it's odd that I had never been. It's pretty casual. It's kid and dog friendly (outside). The menu is huge and full of authentic Greek food. I got the falafel platter which was nothing spectacular. It wasn't terrible either, just ordinary. I do love the Mediterranean ambiance; the decor is beachy in bight white and blue. I would probably go back and try something else. My friend got the moussaka, which I tried and liked, but I would be curious to try it at another restaurant. It seemed like they had a pretty decent wine selection even though I didn't try any.

This little gem is often unknown, even though it has won awards for the best Greek food in SD, from readers’ choice I believe (the awards hang on the walls). The chef has been there for over ten years, keeping the food consistently fantastic, and yet the prices have remained beyond reasonable. Some of the Greek wines are fantastic, as is the Greek coffee, and everything on the menu is a sure-fire treat. The swordfish is especially amazing, as is the chicken couscous, and even the spanaki salata (spinach dip) is impossible to reproduce, and remains the best I’ve found. Furthermore, the staff is particularly attentive and professional, and the ambience is very bright, casual, and fun, with Greek music pumping into the dining rooms and keeping the mood light. A GREAT place for vegetarians, and even vegans, as many of the dishes can be adjusted for different diets (this is one of the few places my friend with celiac’s sprue can safely eat). Also, the outdoor seating on a summer evening is the height of a pleasant dinner in Pacific Beach. I can’t recommend Athena highly enough.

I like this place and prefer it over the pizza place that's next door. The food is delicious and rather healthy and the prices are reasonable. I always call ahead and pick up my order and the service is great!