I had wanted to go to Papa Cristo’s for a long time, but I just didn’t realize it. You see, the outside of the restaurant/market really makes no major reference to the name of the place. Instead, it just says “Greek Food.” When my friend suggested trying it, I complied without realizing it was the place I had driven by so many times.
Inside, the place has a miniature Greek market, a counter to order food at and a big room that can double as a dining room or banquet room. My first stop was the counter to place my order. We ordered some of the Octapodakia appetizer, which is grilled baby octopus. I also ordered the Kreatopita, deliciously described on the menu as a meat pie. For my main course, I decided to get back to the Greek basics and ordered the Gyros sandwich. This came with lettuce and tomatoes, so I ordered it without.
The meat pie and octopus were ready pretty quickly, and both were delicious. The octopus had a strong lemon and oil taste. This was good, but the oil eventually made it too difficult to continue eating, despite the taste. The meat pie was surprisingly good, and not like your average everyday American pie. Instead, it was some flaky crust wrapped around nicely seasoned ground beef.
When I finally finished those, it was time for my main course. The gyro sandwich that was brought out to me was the biggest I had ever seen. Typically when I order a sandwich without vegetables, I am given the same amount of meat and other toppings, resulting in a sad-looking sandwich. At Papa Cristo’s, however, they aimed to please me. The sandwich was so loaded with gyros that no vegetables could have possibly fit. It was almost as though they were proud of me for making the smart unvegan choice. The gyros were a bit on the salty side, but the sauce and drinking a lot of water was able to make up for it.
As I struggled to consume all that meat, the lights dimmed and we were treated to a bit of a Greek belly dance. Or at least that’s what I think it was. Either way, watching it definitely slowed my eating.
For a night filled with fine dining, oil, octopus babies and entertainment, Papa Cristo’s was definitely worth a visit.
