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Astoria Shish Kebob House
Categories: Restaurants Greek Restaurants Mediterranean Greek, Mediterranean [Edit]
390 Danforth AveToronto, ON M4K 1P3
Neighbourhoods: Greektown, Riverdale
(416) 463-2838
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11 am - 12 am
Fri-Sat 11 am - 1 am
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
30 reviews for Astoria Shish Kebob House
Review Highlights
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"on this beautiful patio next time." In 8 reviews -
"The saganaki (flaming goat cheese." In 5 reviews -
"Grilled calamari." In 3 reviews
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30 reviews in English
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Review from Susan G.
3/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
Good food, ok presentation, ok service. Three stars!
Craving Greek, I went her with a friend on her recommendation, and the food was definitely delicious!
We had the trio of dips to start, served with a basket of warm pita. Two of the dips, the hummus and tzatziki, were absolutely delicious, while the third (the fishy one?) was kind of questionable. I would definitely recommend doing the "two dips" appetizer instead.
For a main, we both had the "Small Chicken Souvlaki". The chicken is tender and well seasoned, and I'm sooo happy they took it off the skewer. I hate wrestling with those. This was served with a Greek salad, potatoes, rice, and a smear of tzatziki. So while the food was good, it wasn't the most attractive presentation ever.... it kind of looked like they had just used a spatula and wiped the side of my plate with tzatziki... a little gross... and the plate was kind of empty overall, even though there was a ton of food.
While the servers were really sweet and nice, they were a little slow and it took forever to get our bill. When we got the bill I found out my diet coke cost almost as much as a glass of wine (lesson learned, always drink), and in total, we spent $30 each for something that maybe should have cost $20, max.
So while this was a good experience, I think it would have been better if it was take-out. The food is delicious, but for the price, everything else could have been a little better. -
Review from Natalie T.
East York, ON
4/17/2012
VIBE
I came here for take out but the vibe is your standard typical Greek restaurant. Patio is great in the summer but I miss the fountain. That said, the service was terrible. How many times do I have to say to the cook (yes, the cook took the order ---there's a cash register at the counter. Is that even hygenic?) "I would like a chicken souvlakii" for him to understand that yes, I would indeed like a chicken souvlaki sandwich. Maybe it's PMS but I literally had to say it slower for him. He looked at me like I was speaking alien!
I ATE
Aforementioned (and to the cook three times), a chicken souvlaki on a pita. St. Hubert would be jealous of the size of the meat on this sandwich. The pork chunks looked genetically modified. There was a LOT of meat on this one (usually, some restaurants will skimp). That said, there was a faint flavour of lemon on the otherwise bland chicken and a tomato trying to get some attention from the chicken. Tomatoes need love too.
OBLIGATORY CATCHY REMARK
Meh. Really, meh. It's not that it's bad. It's just not GREAT. Asteria has my souvlaki money right now.Listed in: Danforth/Riverdale, Opa! Greek Eats
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Review from Stanimir C.
Toronto, ON
3/22/2012
I thought this place might be good since my wife recommended it, but I was wrong. We arrived around dinner time and it was really full.
We were seated quickly enough, but those were all the good impressions I had from there. There was a large noisy group on two tables away from us, plus a family with a really loud baby. It was so noisy I felt like I just want to eat my food and get out of there.
Service was quick, but hardly polite since it was so busy. They were rushing around and unless you ask somebody nobody's going to ask if you're ok with your food.
Food was okay, but the overall experience was enough to make me not go there again. -
Review from Prashanth K.
5/4/2012
Both food and service are mediocre. If you are vegetarian, you won't starve but will definitely fare better someplace else.
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Review from Mary D.
2/10/2012
If we are craving a typical Greek dinner on the Danforth, this is where we go. It is relatively consistent. I don't think I've ever had anything other than the souvlaki dinner or the souvlaki sandwich, but it's exactly what you expect of a Danforth Greek restaurant.
You don't go for quality and innovation of food. You don't go for trendy atmosphere and ambience.
You go for the standard, comfort food of a good garlicy, Greek souvlaki dinner. Service is touch and go. But it's always busy, and once you get a table it's fast!
The last time we went, our waiter abandonned us after he brought us our dinner. We wanted another drink - but we waited for a LONG time before we finally asked another waiter to bring us one. And then we had to practically beg for the bill. We then noticed our waiter leaving for the evening, never having returned to our table. We tipped accordingly.
Like I said, you're going for the comfort food, not for a nice night out. I think of it as sort of Jack Astor's/East Side Mario/Montana's-quality food, but Greek. -
Review from Jeff C.
East York, ON
11/29/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Astoria is a nice fall back restaurant on the Danforth. There are times when you are ready for a high end fancy meal and then there are times you just want Greek food without the foo foo. Astoria has great souvlaki in a casual nice looking atmosphere that is family friendly (always a large family or two in the place). The patio is OK but I prefer an indoor seat. The prices are good and you can have a $15-$20 lunch with tax and tip no problem.
For the food I can only speak about the souvlaki, it's all I've ever had. I always get the large portion as the cut of meat is better compared to the small plate. I once had the grilled calamari as an appetizer which was all right, nothing spectacular. It's the souvlaki that you go for. The tzatziki sauce seems fresh and very tasty with the meal.
They also do take out of large orders. I had a get back yard outing at my house and got a large order of pork and chicken souvlaki which everyone loved.
If your a foodie looking for a dining experience this is probably not the place. If you want traditional Danforth Greek comfort food this is the place. -
Review from Lauren M.
6/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
2.5 stars. Total meh!
The only reason to really go here is for the patio. It's large and seems to catch the last of the evening sun during dinner time. I assume this is why it's the most sought after restaurant on the Danforth, it is always packed.
The food is 2-3 star at best. It's a good place to take picky eaters or people who are afraid of "ethnic" food.
Astoria only has the most boring "safe" Greek food on the menu (souvlaki, anyone?) I heard this place was cheaper than most, but I was horrified to see they are charging the same, if not more, as places like Omonia, Ouzeri and Pan on the Danforth that have truly delicious authentic food. WTF?
The souvlaki meals ranged from $13-$20 depending on meat (pork/chicken = $, lamb/beef = $$). My pork souvlaki was adequate but super plain. The salads here came out with some really sad looking lettuce. Really, how hard is it to serve fresh iceberg lettuce? My guess is the salads are pre-made during the day and the lettuce has lots of time to wilt before hitting someone's dinner table.
The service here is fast and efficient but the servers are quite like robots. Don't stand in their path or they will run you down. We got up to leave and pay at the front, yet our waiter quite rudely yelled us down in front of other patrons. I think he thought we were doing a "dine and dash".Listed in: Lauren M's BIG FAT GREEK LIST
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Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
6/27/2011 3 photos
Patio! Patio! Patio!
Astoria Shish Kebob House has one of the nicest patio in Greektown, that alone worth 1 star.
I am a little bias as I don't like Greek food too much.. nothing ever wow me.. they are either too bland or too sweet.. Greek Salad would be the last thing I enjoy eating...
The dip I shared with fellow yelper was meh... and thanks for a nice yelper that gave me a taste of his grilled Calamari which was quite ok.. but my Yelp Drinking Buddy's lamb was just dry and bland...
So I just want a drink.. nothing more...nothing less... on this beautiful patio next time...
Maybe I have to try REAL Greek food?? Probably not in Astoria though! -
Review from Katrina S.
North York, ON
10/26/2011
I ate at this restaurant back in July. I have no intention of going back.
The service was horrible, it took almost 20 minutes just to be served our drinks. We ordered the chicken brochette plate, and although the portions were quite big, the quality was lacking.
The chicken was bland, the 'greek salad' (if you even want to call it that) was soggy iceburg lettuce, a few pieces of un-ripened tomato and a dash of feta crumble. Considering the cost is $15 or more a plate, the quality should be so much better.
If you are looking for tasty greek food at a reasonable price, this is not the place. -
Review from Emily K.
Toronto, ON
7/13/2011
I ate at Astoria Shish Kebob House back in June with my husband and my parents. My parents really like coming into Toronto and trying out different restaurants and generally the places we take them are a hit, but this one didn't sit well with us. Friends of ours had recommend this place to us, but I think if you are looking for a great Greek food experience you need to look elsewhere.
I find the food is a bit overpriced for the quality. One thing I expect from a Greek restaurant is a good Greek salad, and I've had better Greek salads from some chain restaurants I've eaten at.
The one nice thing about this restaurant is the patio. They have a very large patio to accommodate many. I've heard great things about some of their appetizers, so if I'm ever to try this place again it will only be for apps and maybe a cocktail drink because their beer list is limited to domestic beers that lack flavor! -
Review from Karen S.
6/26/2011
Grilled calamari. Yum. It's something that I sometimes actually dream about. Succulent, flavourful, delicious. I love it as a dinner meal with rice potatoes and salad and as a stand alone lunch on top of their Greek Salad. I recently took visiting relatives here for lunch during a weekday so it was empty of the usual busy weekend dinnertime crowd. We also order the pork souvlaki as well as the chicken souvlaki. Both were delicious, but the soft, juicy pork was a definite standout! It was a bit more charred on the outside that we would have liked but the inside elicited 'ooohs' of yumminess by my worldly relatives. The saganaki (flaming goat cheese!) served on various breads was an interesting sight, salty and simply ok. It's something to order with the relatives, but not something I would recommend otherwise.
The service was decent and the atmosphere fun for the occasion. Order the grilled calamari!! -
Review from Monica B.
Toronto, ON
11/25/2010
I'm always surprised when I see this restaurant full. I've been here plenty of times and regretted it each time.
Astoria is one of many Greek restaurants in Greektown. This place is spacious, has a nice patio, and it's very close to a parking lot and subway station (Chester). The décor is nothing special and the staff seem uninterested most of the time, and they provide bad to okay service.
The menu looks great, too bad their food isn't. The menu consists of hot and cold appetizers, salads, sandwiches, meat, seafood and vegetarian dishes, wine, sides and more. The prices are okay, the portions can be better, and the food has always been a disappointment. My food has either been over-spiced or bland and boring. The tzatziki has way too much garlic in it! I always taste it the next entire day, it's gross. My Greek friends say that Astoria is anglicized Greek food- not authentic.
They're other better Greek restaurants to go to in Greektown. If you're looking for good Greek food and good service, I would not recommend Astoria.Listed in: Greektown
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Review from Lynn C.
12/30/2010
I don't get it. My friends organized a group event here and said this place is awesome. I came here and didn't think it was awesome at all.
The Saganaki (cheese on this grill plate) tasted like goat cheese, yuck!
The calamari was good, but the sauce was waaay too garlicky (and i love garlic)
The entree pork shishkebob was bland giant overgrilled pieces of meat with whatever starch you asked for for sides. We had rice and fries. The fries were gross. Entree comes with a greek salad the serve before the meal itself, and you end up feeling like crap after all the heavy meat and starch. it was too filling but utterly unsatisfying. Cheap though, as we paid $17 for a large meal shared by two people. -
Review from Danielle F.
Toronto, ON
3/19/2011
YUM.
Had some dinner here with my boyfriend and his family. As students, it's always nice to venture out to different areas! The Danforth is no different in that way; it's a cute area and people are pretty into Greek stuff there (lol).
Astoria is huge so save yourself a lap around, the bathrooms are at the back, downstairs. My strawberry daiquiri wasn't that good, too warm and not boozy enough. It made me wish they brought water automatically. BUT appetizers saved that whole situation BIG TIME. Grilled squid was perfection, especially with a lil squeeze of lemon on top. The tzatziki was also great with it's warm pita alongside- get two baskets. And the show-stopper saganaki (flaming cheese) was delectable. Honestly, I was kind of full by this point but I powered through!
The mains come with a Greek salad that comes out become. It was OK but nothing to write home about. And then came my lamb chops! I got two of them and they were pretty good! Next time, I would just go for the lamb souvlaki because it's a bit cheaper and I think you'd get more meat. The rice was delicious with this tomato-y sauce drizzled on it and the roasted potatoes were cooked beautifully. I had leftovers and they were every bit as good as the meal the night before.
I really have to hand it to our waiter! He was a big, burly man who handled his tables (one with 20 people) amazingly. He didn't throw cartons our way when four people needed takaway bags, he did the packing for us table side! He gave us time and was really great. I'd definitely come back if I'm out here again and looking for some Greek. -
Review from Joy S.
Woodbridge, ON
9/26/2010
OPA!
Order the "Saganaki" Appetizer for a blazing surprise!
It's a delicious panfryed cheese!
Friendly Greek restaurant located in Greet Town.
The Chester subway stop is litteraly a few steps away from the restaurant.
Yummy food. Big portions.
Really fun!
Recomended: Do make reservations for dinner especially on the weekend; gets VERY busy. -
Review from Rafi N.
Toronto, ON
6/23/2011 4 photos
Astoria is a nice looking restaurant with good service and food that leaves you wanting less.
*** FOOD ***
I ordered the Lamb Souvlaki with Rice and Roasted Potatoes, which comes with a side of Greek salad.
* Greek Salad *
The salad is a lot a iceberg lettuce, 2 pieces of tomato, a black olive, lots of feta cheese sprinkled on top and loads of dressing. The dressing is very vinegary which made the salad soggy. The lettuce was not fresh but wilted and it took many stabs with my fork to get it off the plate. The salad is big and filling, but it's of poor quality.
* Lamb Souvlaki with Rice and Roasted Potatoes *
The appearance of this dish when it's placed in front of you, is not very appealing. It looks like pieces of meat with rice and potatoes thrown on top. The plate has a lot of empty space on it. The lamb tasted okay, though I thought it could have used more herbs and spices. I asked for it to be cooked medium-well, but the meat was tough and the table shook as I tried to cut the meat. I think the secret of Greek Lamb Souvlaki is that they use New Zealand lamb. The tzatziki sauce was okay but it didn't have any herbs in it like I'm used to seeing and tasting. The meal is filling, mostly because of the salad, but you wouldn't want to eat more of it.
*** ATMOSPHERE ***
Inside the restaurant has a nice Mediterranean vibe. The decor and music are typical of a Greek establishment and gives some authenticity. The patio is big and can be found on both sides of the restaurant. There is a big awning that provides good shade. The restaurant is very busy and seems like a spot the locals enjoy. The restaurant and washroom is clean.
*** SERVICE ***
The service was good. Upon entering, we were promptly greeted and seated. Our server was friendly and honest. All the servers were busy and I could see them running around. We had to ask them to refill our water, which isn't a problem but most other places do it often without having to ask.
*** PRICE ***
* Large Lamb Souvlaki | $18.79 *
I think the price is too high for such low quality food.
*** OMEGA ***
Astoria Shish Kebob House is a nice looking restaurant with good service. I think there are many Greek restaurants that would be more deserving of your time and money. However, if you do come here don't expect great food. Astoria operates like a restaurant chain, simply churning out food for a large crowd. Greek food has a lot better to offer than Astoria. -
Review from Angela S.
Etobicoke, ON
4/27/2011
All I can say is that I love love love their tzatziki. If you love garlic this is for you. I think it ends up in your lungs. I often bring home leftovers so I can smear it on toast. I know..who eats tzatziki for breakfast? Me - if it's that tasty!
Other items are alright - it's you usual standard Greek food. What kills me is why they serve Greek salad with lettuce. I have yet to find a place in Toronto that serves traditional greek salad off the bat. They have it on their menu as a traditional horiatiki salad but you have to order it specifically.
Large portions, decent service and can cater to large groups. Great tzatziki! -
Review from Monica F.
8/24/2010
I come here often with family and friends. Astoria has been with me through my transition of going chicken, pig, and cow-less, and hasn't skipped a beat with their delivery of yummy fresh Greek food. Some yelpers would disagree, but I don't think this place is that bad.
My family and friends almost always order the chicken or pork souvlaki dinner. The pork souvlaki is hit-or-miss in terms of chewiness, but seems to please.
Sometimes if we're super hungry, we get calamari (YUM!) and garlic bread for app's. And we always order extra tzatziki. Mmmmmmm.... tzatziki. The sheer disgusting-ness of your breath afterward is worth it, the fennel flavoured candies at the end of the meal help tone it down...a little.
I get the roasted vegetable kabobs, which I thought was called the "veggie platter", but last time I asked for a "veggie platter" they brought me dolmadakia's (which I despise) and spanakopita (which I kinda like). Either I ordered the wrong thing, or they brought me the wrong thing.
The service isn't the friendliest (usually older Greek men) but the food is consistently good so we keep coming back here. -
Review from Ariel G.
5/13/2009
This restaurant has almost fallen off a cliff. It was much much better a year ago. They have "dumbed down" the menu, and increased their prices. The service is so/so. When ordering shrimps we were told that they brought them frozen and breaded, and that they contained garlic powder in them (one of the dinners in our party does not like garlic).
The "greek" specialties are rare, no pasticio, no broad beans, no string beans, no stuffed eggplant.
The service was impeccable a year ago, but is now much less professional.
I think the death spiral for what used to be an institution is well underway. There are plenty of other choices available.
My wife and I like to use the Toronto Discount Coupon Book which you can buy online for about $25.00. It gives you the opportunity to try new restaurant and provides both the dinner and the restaurant with an incentive to save on the one hand and to excel on the other. -
Review from Craig P.
Brampton, ON
9/30/2011
I've been to Astoria maybe five or six times, their food always tastes great. I usually get their large lamb souvlaki, small lamb souvlaki, or sometimes during lunch I'll mix it up a bit and get lamb on a pita.
I've tried their chicken and pork souvlakis too, and they were good, but not as good as the lamb. -
Review from Mariko M.
5/16/2010
There is only one word that describes every aspect of my visit to Astoria - disappointed.
After a much anticipated warm day, the parental unit and I decided to go on the Danforth for dinner. I had drinks with co-workers here so I wanted to check out this establishment, not knowing what their meals were like.
Granted it was a Friday night, the place was packed. As we did not have a reservation, we waited for about ten minutes before being seated. Our server came instantly, which I thought would be reflective of amazing service to come. After 15 minutes, our drinks came. By this time, we had all decided what to order. Luckily I was there with my family so the 30 minute (a good half hour) wait for our food didn't seem that bad, in spite of our stomachs growling. If I was on an awkward first date, on the other hand, it would have become even more awkward!
We ordered the chicken souvlaki on a pita and the pork souvlaki large dinner.
* The meat was dry and tasteless, it was obvi overcooked.
* The potatoes were undercooked with absolutely no flavor.
* The rice was hard and bland.
This establishment is relying solely on its reputation. Unless you have some sort of debt to Astoria, use your money elsewhere! -
Review from Melissa J.
Toronto, ON
11/6/2008
My favourite Greek restaurant on the Danforth, partially because of traditions. It has become the "birthday restaurant" for me and a friend, the restaurant we go to on both our birthdays, almost every year. We usually order the same thing, because it's what we crave, and we leave happy (and sometimes drunk).
Astoria House is still a great restaurant, despite traditions. It has a cute interior that is half-Greek palace, half-Swiss Chalet. It's home-y but still restaurant-y. You walk past the kitchen as you walk in so you can see exactly what is going on in there, which is always comforting. Most of the waiters on staff are older Greek men who love to ask if you're Greek if you have dark hair. They're mostly adorable though, and are really attentive and helpful.
The menu is a classic Greek restaurant menu. A choice of Chicken, Beef, or Lamb souvlaki that comes with rice, potatoes and a Greek salad. Small or Large? The small is actually quite large so unless you're ravenous, I'd stick with small. Their deep fried calamari is SO good, and their Greek salads exceed the standards.
This place does tend to get pretty busy, so get reservations for weekend dinner. And don't even think about going during Taste of the Danforth...it gets insane! -
Review from Leeor J.
4/2/2010
This place definitely has problems with consistency, but it has remained one of my favourite places on the danforth. I usually only go there for take-out, electing to go to pantheon when I want to get a table. At one point the grill men were actually greeks (maybe a greek guy still pulls an occasional shift) but that seems like it was ages ago.
In any case, the lamb sandwich on a bun with extra tzatziki is my pick, although sometimes the chunks of lamb are just too fatty and make for a chewing struggle. Depends on the day. Oh yeah, and be prepared for onion breath. Those are raw onions :) -
Review from Sapna G.
Calgary, AB
4/22/2010
Another one of my favourite restaurants in Toronto, and yet another one that I plan on frequenting as of next week.
Located in the heart of Greek Town, yes, right on the Danforth, Astoria is easy to get to whether you're taking the subway or driving.
They have the most beautiful patio, surrounded by greenery and a white stone wall. And the food....ohhhh, the food! My absolute favourite thing to order here is the vegetable souvlaki. The vegetables are grilled to perfection and served on a delicious bed of rice with a dollop of the most delicious tzatziki I have ever had.
The family that runs this place is friendly, honest and most welcoming, and the food and ambiance will keep me coming back for the rest of my days.
If you need me, I'll be over here dreaming about Astoria. Don't wake me unless you *Absolutely* have to. -
Review from Alex T.
6/25/2011
Well the flaming cheese for $10 was good.
Poor - wait staff was rude and argumentative. When asked how the pork kebob was cooked, he said they had to cook it well done for health reasons. He said the can't cook the pork medium rare. I don't mind a server telling me their policy, but he was really rude about it.
Pool- Ordered the lamb, since we could order that medium rare. arrived medium to medium well. Sent it back. new dish came medium rare to rare.
Poor- Very chewy. not a great cut of meat. What ever part the lamb they us, they should braze it, too tough to grill.
Did I mention the flaming cheese was good? -
Review from R. F.
11/16/2010
Perhaps the worst Greek food I ever ate. I came to Astoria because the Bay Area is poorly served by its own Greek restaurants (there is 1 great restaurant, a couple decent Greek restaurants, and several bad ones). Astoria does not rise to the level of bad. We quickly received seats and ordered drinks. Since I drove, I ordered iced tea. It came out of the fountain: they did not make it themselves. A tick against Astoria right from the start.
We ordered the hummus. It arrived chunky style, as though they thought they might be making salsa instead. I ordered the pork souvlaki, one of the dishes they claim fame with. My order came with a "fresh Greek salad." The "fresh Greek salad," Astoria version, has brown lettuce, 2 tomato quarters, 1 olive, some sort of oil, and crumbled, tasteless feta cheese. My entree arrived: six hunks of pork, "roasted potatoes," and "savory rice." The potatoes had not seen an oven for roasting in a very long time: they, in fact, had been boiled and perhaps microwaved to throw the chill off. The rice tasted like it came from a box, and may have been mostly cardboard anyway.
The pork resisted knife and fork: dry, tough, hardly any taste despite claims to marination.
I've enjoyed excellent Greek food in Greece, Detroit, Chicago, and at the homes of Greek friends. What Astoria calls Greek food is about as close to Greek food as Toronto is to Athens. -
Review from L. T.
8/11/2009
I'm originally from a European Mediterranian country so I'm quite picky when it comes to Mediterranian food. This restaurant was recommended to me by Torontonian Greek friends. I ordered salad with grilled chicken.
Grilled chicken was absolutely the best I've tasted in 5 years of living in Toronto. It was soft, juicy and seasoned with typical mediterranian spices.
Salad was so-so....one could tell that only the heart of the salad head (the yellow, less expensive portion) was used, as opposed to more nutritious (but more expensive) green leaves.
The portions are plentiful. Service was good. Interior is quite old, but clean and cozy.
In summary, I probably will return again. -
Review from Donna K.
North York, ON
6/13/2009
Great restaurant!! Awesome food, great atmosphere and good prices and it's in the heart of danforth!
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Review from Shawn B.
Oshawa, ON
7/31/2010
Trust the Danforth area for the best Greek food in the city. Astoria offers mid-range pricing and great quality in a unique yet tastefully decorated restaurant. The patio successfully transports you to a Greek island where you can relax and enjoy a meal with friends. Try the saganaki and applaud your server as they play with fire before your very eyes.
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Review from John F.
North York, ON
8/7/2009
Not terrible and portions are large, but quality could be a bit better. My souvlaki was very oversalted.
