The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill – Albuquerque, New Mexico

As a precocious stripling growing up long before Star Wars, Back to the Future and the Marvel Universe, my heroes were the gods of Mount Olympus.  In Greek mythology, the gods were incredibly powerful beings who controlled the forces of nature and human beings.  Their whims–often childish and unpredictable–dictated whether or not empires and human beings thrived or led lives replete with strife and woe.   These puerile gods possessed supernatural powers such as the ability to control the weather (Zeus), make others pregnant or get pregnant herself (Hera) and manipulate travel, paths, and sports (Hermes).  While Spiderman may have understood that with great power comes great responsibility, the gods were prone to fits of pique.  In such moments, they were predisposed to chaotic and violent outbursts.  You wouldn’t want to anger these childlike gods.

Food  and drink in Greek mythology largely revolved around sweet, hallucinogenic, or healing substances, most frequently in the form of liquids, or fruit.  Ambrosia and nectar were allegedly the main substances consumed by the gods with ambrosia signifying immortality.  Figs are also commonly consumed.  Figs are most commonly associated with Dionysius, the god of wine and drunkenness and with Priapus, the Ron Jeremy of Greek gods.  The lotus fruit was unanimously described as a narcotic, which brought about sleep, lethargy and forgetfulness.   Then, of course, there was wine, lots of it.  The gods preferre and intoxicating and hallucinogenic which wine lured everyone to an ecstatic frenzy.

There is no mention of Greek gods consuming gyros, spanokopita, souvalki, moussaka or any of the foods you’ll find at most Greek restaurants.  Had the gods eaten gyros they probably wouldn’t have the chiselled bodies with which they’re portrayed (most of the male gods also looked as if they had just been in the pool).  It wasn’t until the diaspora of hundreds of thousands of Greek and Armenian refugees from present-day Turkey in 1922 that the gyro as we know and love it today made it to Greece.  After the second war to end all wars, the gyro followed the immigration patterns of the Greeks.   Shops began popping up across Europe, in the States, and Australia. It became one of the first global fast foods (although because most gyros shops were mom-and-pop operations, no such label could really describe it).

In late 2024, Albuquerque’s Taylor Ranch area saw the launch of the city’s first Great Greek Mediterranean Grill, a concept which originated in Henderson, Nevada a scant ten years ago (2015).  Founding owners Nick Della Penna and Trent Jones have since grown Great Greek into a multi-state operation that, in 2024, was one of the top 100 franchises across the globe.  Great Greek is ubiquitous in the Las Vegas, Nevada area and now operates in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin.   That’s nearly half of the states that form our great union.

The Great Greek’s vision is “to be the worldwide leader in fast food Mediterranean food. Over the next five years, we see great potential for Great Greek Mediterranean Grill to become a national household name. Most importantly, we want to become the choice for you and your family when you’re in the mood for authentically delicious Greek cuisine.”  With respect to the restaurant’s food, the website declares “The food served in our casual atmosphere is designed for foodies with discerning palates. We focus on fresh ingredients, spice blends sourced directly from the Mediterranean and sauces and marinades made in-house. To keep our ingredients authentic, we purchased an Eastern European food distributor that was in danger of closing during the pandemic. Our dishes are prepared fresh. Because of their high quality, they’re healthier than most of our fast, casual restaurant competitors.”  Sounds good to me.

Great Greek is ensconced within the Andalucia Retail Center on the northeast side of Coors.  It’s on your right just as you enter the complex about a mile south of Montaño.  Opposite Great Greek is Grassburger.  Great Greek’s space isn’t especially capacious, but it operates efficiently and quickly.  You’ll place your order at the counter and your food will be delivered in minutes.   A menu hangs overhead displaying all available options.  That includes such starters as dolmades, hummus and a four dip combo.  Two items are listed on the “Salads and Bowls” section of the menu, one of which is a classic Greek salad.  Next up is the “Gryos and More” menu  in which all items are available as a combo with French fries, rice, feta fries, soup, or salad.  A number of entrees constitutes the next section of the menu.  It features such favorites as grilled lamb, chicken, garlic shrimp and steak souvlaki.  Desserts listed are baklava, baklava ice cream and rice pudding.

2 February 2025:  Among the appetizers is tirokafteri, a feta dip made with spicy roasted peppers.  More than a dozen wedges of pita provide a hemisphere around the dip.    Tirokafteri can be described as tasting spicy, salty, creamy, and tangy thanks to its combination of Greek feta cheese and roasted red peppers. The addition of olive oil blends the flavors together.  Alas, my Kim couldn’t handle the “barely discernible” piquancy of the dip which meant (groan of pity for me here) it was up to me to consume the entire dip.  Oh, the things I do to keep peace in our family.  Tirokafteri would also make an excellent dip for French fries or virtually any other food you can eat.

14 February 2025:  In Greek mythology, King Erysichthon cut down a tree sacred to Demeter in order to show that the gods do not exist. In revenge the gods send perpetual hunger to visit Erysichthon. Permanently hungry, Erysichthon ate his way through his fortune and even sold his daughter into slavery to feed his habit.  Should diners order Great Greek’s mezze plate (dolmades, falafel, spanikopita, hummus) to share, expect to be nearly as hungry as King Erysichton.  Though every item on the plate is very tasty, the plate is portioned for two.  During our second visit we were joined by the enchanting Morgain, a reader of Gil’s Thrilling…for nineteen years (though she doesn’t look much older than nineteen).  I had hoped the mezze plate would be enough for three of us to enjoy more than a nibble or two of each item.  Such was not the case.

2 February 2025:  Great Greek’s most popular item will likely be the Great Greek Gyro, constructed from a beef and lamb amalgam or grilled chicken with lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, tzatziki and feta nestled in pita bread.  This is a gryo which lives up to its name.  If you’re tired of gyros with leathery, desiccated meat, you’ll celebrate the moistness of the beef and lamb amalgam.  The tzatziki, a creamy cucumber sauce is excellent and the feta is generously applied onto the juicy meat.  The pita is soft and pliable.  Gyros are deservedly the poster girl, so to speak, of Greek fast food.  Americans love them and Great Greeks is one to love.

2 February 2025:  It’s becoming increasingly rare for me to order a burger sans green chile.  That’s the dilemma many New Mexicans face.  After all, the green chile cheeseburger may as well be the official favorite food of our great state.  Still, the lure of Great Greek’s Athenian Burger (half pound grilled certified Angus beef with chopped lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, tzatziki and feta).   The true star of this burger is the half pound grilled certified Angus beef.  Grilling imbues the meat with an inimitable flavor that bespeaks mouth-watering.  The supporting cast is outstanding, too, especially the tzatziki and feta.  The burger is moist, juicy and flavorful.  Leave it to me to ponder what it would have been like with green chile.

14 February 2025:  Souvlaki, a Greek term which literally means ‘little skewer’ is a Greek meat dish made from marinated cubes of meat, pork, chicken, shrimp and even vegetables grilled over a fire. It is one of the oldest “fast food” dishes in Greek cuisine, appearing in the works of Aristotle and Aristophanes.  Great Greek offers souvlaki of several types: grilled chicken, grilled steak, Australian lamb and garlic shrimp.  The Australian lamb, prepared at just a shade (with more than a hint of pink) under medium, is luscious.  It’s very lean but somehow manages to remain moist, tender and juicy.

Australian lamb is typically grass-fed which imbues it with a more pronounced flavor devoid of the “gaminess” for which lamb of interior quality is known.  Great Greek’s Australian lamb souvalki plate includes several wedges of pita bread and your choice of sides (rice pilaf, French fries, feta fries, side salad, lemon potatoes).  The feta fries are rather desiccated and instead of being sprinked generously with feta, the fries are  blanketed  with melted feta (and feta does not melt well, losing flavor in the process).  My next side will be lemon potatoes.

14 February 2025:  The delightful Morgain loves cheesecake as much as I love cheeseburgers (with green chile, of course).  Since Great Greek doesn’t offer cheesecake, she ordered the baklava ice cream (crushed baklava–layers of philo dough, walnuts and honey syrup–in vanilla ice cream topped with honey.   It’s an idea whose time has come though Morgain would probably have preferred baklava cheesecake.  Predictably, Morgain and The Dude began a mutual admiration society.  Morgain even comparing our debonnaire dachshund’s eyes to those of Pedro Pascal (I still don’t know who that is).

My Kim’s assessment probably describes The Great Greek best: “It’s almost as good as Gyros Mediterranean,” the beloved UNM area Greek favorite.   For those of us north of the interchange, Great Greek has got the advantage of proximity and not having to drive past the traffic snarls wrought by construction.

The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill
5600 Coors Blvd., Bldg B Suite, B5&B6
Albuquerque, New Mexico
(505) 508-2024
Website | Facebook Page
LATEST VISIT: 14 February 2025
1st VISIT: 2 February 2025
# OF VISITS: 2
RATING: 22
COST: $$
BEST BET:  Tirokafteri, The Great Greek Gyro, Athenian Burger, Australian Lamb Souvlaki, Mezze Plate, Baklava Ice Cream
REVIEW #1449