Zorba Greek Eatery
Published January 22, 2023
The bright signage of Outback and Corrado’s Market lit the pavement as we curved past the storefronts on our way to dinner. We were on our way to Zorba Greek Eatery, which was a restaurant I noticed when I visited this shopping center the week before.
We parked in front of Zorba Greek Eatery, which is sandwiched in between the UPS Store and Luxury Nails. It had a long bright blue sign, large front windows, and a cute sitting area with a bench and potted plants.
Interior Design
Zorba Greek Eatery is a long dining room with light and neutral colors. Diamond pattern floors flowed in an aisle toward the counter/kitchen at the back of the restaurant. A dark curly haired waitress sat at the farthest back table.
We were the first customers for the evening. The waitress told us to sit wherever, so we took the first two-top table on the left. Our table looked out on the sidewalk, split by a fake tree in a wicker basket. Muted flat-screen TVs hung in each corner.
I sat on the blue booth that ran the length of the room. A single brown menu stood upright in the center of the tables. White lanterns decorated the wall opposite me. Grey and blue frames with iron-style decorations created a window effect on the walls. Fake red flowers and colorful patterned plates hung near the kitchen. Several awards mounted the wall alongside the chalkboard specials.
Menu
The waitress brought us a second menu and took our drink order. Zorba’s menu was brown leather with their logo stamped in black along the front. The double-sided pages were laminated and categorized into sections — Starters, spreads, and salads, platters, sandwiches / wraps, and sides / desserts.
I was excited with the appetizer options. I don’t eat Greek food that often and there were a few appetizers that were unique to me. In the end, we selected classic starters to try.
Appetizers
Melitzanosalata | $11.00
We selected a spread that came with a basket of hot pita bread. I was curious to see if this roasted eggplant dip would be similar to the baba ganoush that we had at Stephanie’s on Newbury.
The melitzanosalata arrived quickly. The spread was topped with olive oil, herbs, and olives. I took a generous swipe and was pleasantly surprised with the garlicky flavor.
Our triangles of pita — about 6 slices in total — were warm and contrasted the chilled spread. I enjoyed the texture, which was not as smooth as hummus, but still creamy.
Our basket of pita was just enough to finish the spread. Our waitress asked if we wanted any more pita, but given our other appetizers we had to eat, we skipped it.
Falafel | $9.00
I don’t eat falafel that often. My boyfriend recommended we try Zorba’s falafel appetizer. I was excited to try a salad in addition to the falafel.
The falafel rested on a cabbage and arugula salad. It was perfectly dressed. I enjoyed the sharp vinegar flavor with the dense falafel texture. The falafel had a good amount of herbs throughout which gave it flavor. The exterior was crispy and perfect for dipping in the tzatziki sauce.
My boyfriend noted that the tables in Zorba did not have salt or pepper, in case you wanted to add additional seasoning to your dishes.
Spanakopita | $9.00
This is my favorite Greek appetizer, so I knew I wanted to try Zorba’s spanakopita. This appetizer arrived last and gave us enough time to eat our spread and falafel.
Two large spanakopita arrived and was more than enough as an appetizer. This spanakopita would’ve been good to split in half and share as a group.
The flaky layers were hot and had a good amount of spinach throughout. I enjoyed this appetizer and would rank it second to the melitzanosalata, which was my favorite of the three.
Entrees
Not long into our appetizers an older couple sat at the two-top table near the kitchen. Several DoorDash drivers picked up brown bags of food. A mother and her young toddler stood in the foyer and browsed a paper menu before leaving.
We were still eating our appetizers when our entrees arrived. I was not thrilled about this, as our table was crowded with plates.
Zorba is an open concept restaurant, we could see the chefs in the kitchen and they could look out and see how busy the dining room was. I assumed that since we were one of two customers in the whole restaurant, that the kitchen and our waitress would’ve waited until we finished our appetizers before bringing our entrees.
Chicken Gyro Platter | $23.95
My boyfriend wanted to try the Zorba fries, so he ordered a platter instead of a sandwich. A platter came with your choice of protein served in a pita with tzatziki, tomato, onion, cucumber, with a choice of rice, oven-roasted potatoes, French fries, Greek fries, Zorba fries, or grilled vegetables.
The platter was big. A pile of chicken gyro meat hid the pita bread. My boyfriend ate it with his fork and knife because it was too large to pick up.
The Zorba fries were tossed in lemon and oregano and topped with a handful of feta cheese. They were fresh and crispy. There was enough for my boyfriend and I to share.
Gyro Sandwich | $12.99
I was glad I didn’t order a platter. I was so full from quickly eating our appetizers that I didn’t think I could eat a platter with fries.
My gyro was wrapped in parchment paper and tin foil. It had about 4 shaved slices of meat, two slices of tomato, swipes of tzatziki, shredded lettuce, and onion.
My gyro was tasty and I enjoyed the textures and flavors throughout. My only complaint was the large slices of raw onion. I do not like raw onion in general and would prefer it to be thinly sliced. The slices in both of our entrees were thick and left the raw onion aftertaste on the palate.
Our waitress checked back with us to bring napkins and refill our water glasses (which strangely did not have ice). We had our entrees in front of us, but we were taking a breather. When our waitress returned she cleared our appetizer plates and left us the metal takeout containers to wrap our food. I wasn’t ready to wrap my food, I just needed a break from eating. It was awkward — were the takeout containers our cue to leave? Or, because we stopped eating, the waitress assumed we were done with our meal?
At this point, two middle-aged women took the four-top table over from us and more takeout orders came and went. The couple closest to the kitchen left. My boyfriend and I sat for a while talking before the waitress brought us the check.
We intended to order the orange cake which was a special on the chalkboard behind us. Considering how quickly we ate all of those dishes, I couldn’t eat dessert anyway. We paid and then sat for a little while longer before heading home.
My Recommendations
I give Zorba Greek Eatery a 7/10 for the following:
Decor and Design
I loved the restaurant’s branding. The bright blue neon sign connected to the blue booth and blue frames in the restaurant, which added a pop of color. The light walls, tiled tabletops, and fake trees and plants around the room created a welcoming space. It felt clean, on brand for a Greek restaurant, and roomy.
Service
The service for our meal was good — our waitress took our order quickly, checked in to ensure everything was fine, and refilled our glasses and cleared our plates.
My critique, and lower score for this review, is the feeling of being rushed. I don’t enjoy when kitchens ship entrees when appetizers are still being eaten. I also think customers should be asked if they are done with their meal before bringing takeout containers and the check, as that is a missed opportunity to upsell dessert.
Food
Besides the large onions, I enjoyed everything about the dishes we ordered. The melitzanosalata spread was my favorite appetizer. My gyro was delicious and my boyfriend’s platter was a great portion. I would order from Zorba Greek Eatery again, and perhaps try their takeout experience.
Have you tried Zorba Greek Eatery before?
Leave a comment below with your favorite dish. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Are you looking for more New Jersey restaurants to visit? Click here to read more restaurant reviews.
