The Mad Greek
I’ve been to a lot of restaurants in my day, all over the world. I’ve eaten every kind of cuisine you can think of. Except for sushi, Greek/Mediterranean food is my favorite cuisine. I love the simple dishes that pack in TONS of flavor. Greek salads, shawarma, gyros, kabobs, hummus, falafel — you name it, I’ve tried it… from Boston to New York, LA, to Paris.
Top-of-the-line Greek food
The Mad Greek in Charlotte is some of the best Greek food I’ve ever had. I’m not saying the best Greek food I’ve had in Charlotte; I mean the best I’ve EVER had. Period. From the moment you walk in the door of this tiny white building, you’re greeted with a delicious, familiar, comforting smell — but you just can’t put your finger on what it is. As you start salivating, the host asks if you’d like to sit inside or outside; we chose inside.
The full Greek experience
Shortly after getting settled, a woman with a thick accent came over to take our orders. We all got Greek beers to start. About two minutes later, our server came back with our drinks and took our order. Per usual, we ordered WAAAAAY too much food. Here’s the rundown.
Grecian Delight Plate: Gyro, spanakopita, dolmades, hummus, tzatziki, and feta
This appetizer hits all the crowd favorites in a sampler. It’s basically a mini-tour of Greece. I’m typically not a fan of dolmades (grape leaves); however, these were enough for me to say “oooooohkay – I could get on board with this.” The spanakopita was TO DIE FOR. If you do not order this appetizer, be sure to order a dish of just spanakopita — maybe even as your main meal.
Greek Side Salads: Lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, feta, green peppers, olives, pepperoncini (these came with the dinners we each chose)
The classic salad, which is always a fan favorite. The Mad Greek nails the seasonings – and the dressing was so good that I bought a bottle to take home!
Meat Trio Dinner: Gyro, chicken, and pork. In addition to the salad, this came with pita bread, fries or rice, and a side of tzatiki
The meats are AMAZING! Don’t miss them. They’re perfectly seasoned and grilled to perfection. There’s a nice char on the outside while remaining juicy and tender on the inside. The meats were so good that I ordered a Greek salad (dressing on the side) topped with pork to bring home for lunch the following day! I RARELY order food for lunch the following day, but I simply couldn’t help myself.
Pastichio: Baked Pasta layered with beef, cream, and cheese on top
Beef and super tender noodles topped with a cheesy cream mixture (kind of like baked ricotta). I mean, what’s not to be love? This dish reminds me of childhood — like beefaroni (which I loved) — but in a waaaaaaay better and homemade kind of way.
Moussaka: Layered eggplant, zucchini, potatoes, and beef with cream and cheese on top
This was equally as delicious as everything else. If you are torn between the Pastichio and Moussaka — I’d opt for the Moussaka. They’re similar; however, the main difference is that Moussaka is veggies and Pastichio is noodles. In my opinion, the veggies add more depth of flavor that takes it to the next level.
Baklava: A classic Greek dessert consisting of layers of phyllo dough and a walnut, pistachio, and cinnamon mixture, soaked in a sweet honey-based syrup
I was SO full by this point that I brought it home. I couldn’t fit another ounce of food in my stomach. A few hours later, though? I managed to squeeze it in. The baklava was sitting on my counter staring me down… and let’s just say I have zero self-restraint. I grabbed a fork and went to town on it. It was PERFECTION. Sweet, but not quite make-your-tooth-ache sweet. Flavored with cinnamon, there wasn’t so much you couldn’t taste the nuts or honey. All the flavors shine in this dish. My friends each got a piece to-go as well. I was in their apartment when they were eating it, and one after another they exclaimed, “Oh F*ck that’s good. That is NICE.”
Gyro Pita: Choice of protein, lettuce, tomato, and tzatziki wrapped in a pita
A classic greek gyro; there was nothing unique to these. Despite being simple, they were INCREDIBLE. All of the ingredients were super fresh and perfectly ripened. Sometimes, simple is the hardest thing to cook because there is nothing to hide behind - The Mad Greek has perfected this art in their gyro.
Bring friends — sharing is the way to go
So that you can try a lot of different food, The Mad Greek is a great place to go with friends and order plates to share. The Pastichio and Moussaka are very rich with cheese topping. You’ll want to try these, but they fill you up to where you have to force yourself to eat and try other dishes. I could only eat ½ the dinner portion because I was so full, and it was so rich, and even eating ½ with trying everything else was a struggle. (Don’t worry – I took the leftovers home and DEVOURED them the following day – no way was I wasting that deliciousness).
So… what’s my verdict? 10/10. I plan to go back at least every other week. Maybe even once a week. In fact I went back two days later for lunch with a friend, which is when we ate the gyros. All the food was so good that I’m actually craving it — and it takes A LOT to make me crave a specific restaurant.
