Akropolis Cafe - Ballantyne, Charlotte, NC

This small greek restaurant is located in Ballantyne, tucked away in a business park. Though quaint, it has an extensive menu of greek favorites including kid friendly options.

I ordered the souvlaki chicken pita with french fries. This pita comes with lettice, tomato, tzadziki sauce and onion as standard ( I had mine without onions). My husband ordered the souvlaki chicken platter that came with french fries, a greek salad and a small order of tzadziki with pita chips on the side.

The service was standard with the food arriving within about 10 minutes. Our water was served in take out cups which annoyed me some as we were eating in but the waitress made sure to refill them frequently so it was ok.

My pita was certainly full with a great flavor on the chicken, if a little salty. The lettice was a little sparse but on the whole not bad. The french fries were hot, straight from the fryer which I liked but lacked the crunchiness of perfectly cooked ones. I think they could have done with a few more seconds in the fryer.

My husband's platter was pleasing to the eye, though his fries were in the same condition as mine. The dressing came already poured on the salad which was a bit of a shame as there was way too much and he mentioned it was quite salty.

Overall, the Akropolis Cafe is not a bad restaurant but if it is this kind of food you are craving, there are better alternatives.

I give this restaurant 3 out of 5 stars.

Mariachis Mexican Restaurant - Lancaster, SC

Mariachis in one of a handful of Mexican restaurants in Lancaster, SC but is by far the biggest located right on the bypass. Entering Mariachis we were greeted by a hostess who escorted us to our table on the large patio that sits at the front of the restaurant while she spoke into a hand held radio to the other staff. As soon as we had taken our seats we had chips, salsa and some fresh cut slaw dish to nibble on. We asked for a pitcher of margaritas which was a good size and not overly sweet.

I ordered the combination plate of an enchilada and a burrito from their extensive menu. The food was a little late in arriving but it was getting near to closing time so perhaps the kitchen had to make it from scratch. It certainly tasted so. All of my food was piping hot with tortillas that we not overcooked which often happens when they are left under a hot lamp for an extended period.

One thing that let this place down was that we ordered some waters which never arrived. Normally I can excuse this but because all of the waiters have these radios and ear pieces I assumed that they would be more efficient delivering our order.

I give Mariachis 4 out of 5 stars.

The Glass Onion - Charleston, SC

This post is for a restaurant further afield than the usual but I thought would still be worthy of a review. The Glass Onion is located in the West Ashley area of Charleston and although is not one of the more glamorous looking buildings, is certainly worth a try. The set is up is casual with the menu written on the wall and a staff member waiting to take your order at the counter. The menu is varied and exciting with starters such as local beet salad with pecans and blue cheese or turnip soup. I opted for the lamb, stewed in a light tomato sauce served over pasta. It was absolutely delicious, the lamb just falling apart and the pasta dense enough to absorb the rich sauce. Other people I went with had the shrimp and grits, which I sampled and concluded that they were divine as well as a deep fried quail which was great.
This restaurant has a fun feel with a casual atmosphere but with great quality food. Almost forgot, the bread and butter pudding is to die for!
5 Stars out of 5

Bravo Greek Style Pitas - Fort Mill, SC

Bravo Greek Style Pitas is located within the Plaza Fiesta Mall, just off I-77 at Carowinds. Although located in the food court, Bravo has it's own seating area that is nicely decorated and a nice alternative to the other seating area which is dominated by the huge indoor childrens playground.
Bravo's menu is one of the largest I have seen for this sort of restaurant with all sorts of pitas available as well sandwiches and platters.
I ordered the chicken souvlaki which is a pita filled with grilled chicken, tomatoes, homemade tzatziki and onions (I swapped those for lettuce). I also had french fries on the side, one of the many options to choose from.
The chicken in my pita was delicious with amazing flavor and still hot from the grill. The tzatziki was not overpowering, which can sometimes be the case and the was just enough to add a zing to the tomatoes and lettuce. My french fries were freshly made, obviously not kept warm like some other places.
I would highly recommend this eatery for something quick and delicious.
I give it 4 out 5 stars.

Musashi Japanese Restaurant - Pineville, NC

I had the pleasure of visiting this restaurant with some friends who are experts in sushi and Japanese foods. This was a definite plus as I am relatively new to this kind of food but am certainly a fan. We went on a Saturday night and the place was packed. It is a small restaurant with a private room, main dining room and a sushi bar at the back. We sat at the sushi which was a treat as we could see the expert chef prepare the sushi to order.
We started with some appetizers; Agedashi Nasu (fried eggplant in broth), Shrimp Shumai (mini shrimp dumplings) and Ika Rings (fried squid rings). All were delicious although the squid didn't make it to us until we were well into the sushi.
My friends ordered a variety of sushi dishes, which ones I am not sure but I know there was fried soft shell crabs in there, eel, tuna and other delights. All were delicious and tasted fresh.
The service was OK, they were very busy and we ended up having to ask for an extra set of chopsticks, some more water and other little things like that but overall, it wasn't bad enough to ruin the meal.
The staff were very friendly, particularly the sushi chef who spoke to us for a little while once we had finished.
I would recommend this place for people familiar with Japanese cuisine. The explanations on the menu were not sufficient for someone like me who has very little idea about sushi and what is in it.
I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Genaro's Rotisserie & Grill - Pineville, NC 2 stars

I had heard a lot of great things about Genaro's from both friends and reviews in local media and decided to try it out on a Friday night. The place was packed, the small restaurant in the end of a strip mall had not a spare seat except for some at a bar area.

We took our seats, not sure if it was waiter service or whether we ordered at the counter that a guy in charge of the register. After about 10 minutes of watching waiters pass by and not acknowledge us (a pet peeve of mine...just say that you will be there in a minute!) we finally caught someone's eye who apologized, said they were busy and someone would be with us shortly.

We ordered from the extensive menu written both on the wall and paper versions. I ordered the grilled chicken with fried plantains and black beans and my husband ordered the grilled steak with rice and spicy beans. The food took about 15 minutes to arrive in which time we didn't see our waiter.

The food was OK, the chicken slightly dry, the beans were cold. The fried plantains were excellent and my husband's rice was nice and moist. I think if we had chosen to visit at a time when it was not quite so busy we would have received better quality food and service. However, personally I feel that a restaurant is put to the test when it is busy and if it can't cope...it's the fault of the management and nobody else.

This restaurant earns 2 stars for OK food but poor service.

El Maguey - Tega Cay, SC (2 stars)

I will start off by saying that I love Mexican food (and before you start, I know, it is the American version!). There is nothing better for me then great burritos, tacos, enchiladas and other Mexican delights on a Saturday night. Unfortunately, this I did not find on my recent visit to El Maguey in Tega Cay, SC just south of Charlotte, NC.

We arrived fairly late, just after 9pm and walked into find the night's "entertainment" in full swing. We requested a booth near the back of the restaurant so as to give us a better chance of hearing ourselves, having said that the restaurant itself isn't all that big so didn't make so much of a difference. The entertainment was a guy on a make-shift stage singing Beach music to the drunken patrons still hanging around after their meals. The music was so loud our first waitress had to get a second person to help her understand our drinks order.

We ordered a pitcher of margaritas on the rocks which was a great value as not only was the pitcher full but also our two glasses. The drinks were not overly sweet as can be the case and had the deception factor of being strong without being able to taste the alcohol. It took three attempts to get some mild salsa to accompany our chips that had already been brought to the table.

I ordered the combination plate (#17) which came with a burrito, an enchilada, rice and beans. My husband ordered a taco, enchilada combo plate, also with rice and beans. The food was quick to arrive and looked pleasant on the plate. The enchilada sauce was excellent, obviously home made with chunks of tomato and fresh cilantro. The burrito sauce was much darker than I had had in the past, almost a chocolate color but had a wonderful smokey flavor. Unfortunately, my husband did not have the same quality on his plate finding not one but two chicken bones in his taco and a whole bay leaf. Needless to say that put quite a cloud over the rest of our dinner.

El Maguey is not a place that I would visit again. In this area we are surrounded by fantastic Mexican restaurants and I don't think that I would crave either the food or the thought of the Saturday night entertainment again. However, the margaritas were excellent and good value.

El Maguey earns 2 out of a possible 5 stars.