Tampa Bay Food Monster

it’s greek time, bitches.

athenos. fresh and delicious. right off the bat, they’re trying to tempt and confuse you with their insistence in quality, and wacky characters (Σ? who’s ever heard of Σ??). and spirals… synonymous with hypnotism. coincidence? i dunno… you tell me.

EAT AT ATHENOS.

hmm. seems fishy to me. but, brainwashing and dark magicks aside, athenos is just your standard strip mall greek place, serving up a variety of dishes, primarily revolving around the mighty gyro. it’s a chain, with a couple other locations around tampa, but this particular location is by the university, across fowler from mosi.

athenos is a little place, with only a bit of seating, and a counter at which to order. so it’s a bit cramped. but this isn’t the type of place you really need to eat at. pick it up, and go. get in, get out, greek. and it’s affordable, which is pretty nice, considering you may be a student in the area, caught between classes with a hankering for mysterious gyros meat. or you could be a full-on grown up. either way, athenos is sure to satisfy your greeky cravings.

athenos has a few different options for you to choose from, with a whole bunch of pitas, wraps, and even open platters for the do-it-yourselfers (fools). i typically get the calypso (is it called the calypso? i think it’s called the calypso) wrap, which is pretty much an ordinary gyro, stuck in a colorful wrap (usually red, but seen here is a grenish one). i go with the wrap rather than the pita because it seems much larger to me, packed with meat and split in two. for an extra three bucks, you can make it a platter and add two side dishes – i chose greek salad (of course!) and spanakopita. but drink is not included in that price, so make sure to pick that up.

the pita is always delicious, with flavorful seasoned meat, and plenty of toppings. and their tzatziki sauce is perfect. the greek salad is always good, with the dressing served on the side, and it seems to be pretty consistent as far as its makeup is concerned (what you see in the picture is very likely what you would see if you were to order it yourself). and the spanakopita may not be the best i’ve ever had, but i get it every time without fail, because it’s still spanakopita. the portions are pretty great, and i don’t think i’ve ever come away from this meal without half the wrap leftover, providing me with the coveted “second meal”.

this place is simple, no frills greek food. but it’s really solid, and always gets the job done. if i’m in the mood for a gyro (or a gyro-type dish), this is the place i go. it may not knock you off your feet, but it will certainly satisfy – you’re sure to leave with a smile on your stomach. and that’s not just their evil brainwashing tactics speaking; that’s genuine EAT AT ATHENOS

UPDATE: unfortunately, athenos is no longer with us. RIP, athenos! fresh and delicious forever in our hearts.