Vasilis Restaurant, known for its Greek food, is now serving up delicious skillet meals, crêpes, mega wraps, burgers, soups, sandwiches and desserts in a part of the city that should appreciate quick, inexpensive, quality food. We ate at Vasilis yesterday, and due to being completely indecisive when it came time to order, we chose a number of different items including a sampler of all Greek spreads, a fish sandwich, a cheeseburger, a veggie omelet, and a honey crêpe. I figured that the crêpe would be tiny, as it usually is when other establishments serve them up. I was wrong – when the dish arrived I found two large crêpes on my plate that were rich, flavorful and cooked perfectly. The Greek spreads were also excellent, with the tirokafteri (feta cheese, roasted red pepper, olive oil and seasoning) rounding out the medley nicely. The ingredients in the omelet were fresh, the coffee was good, the burger was substantial in size… our table had no complaints whatsoever.
In order to be a Greek restaurant and survive the competition on Elmwood Avenue, a business must serve good food and service. When Vasilis Express first opened on Elmwood (see here) back in December of 2010, there were a lot of people who wondered if another Greek restaurant would be able to hang in there with the heavy hitters. Since that time Vasilis has made a name for itself on the street, and has now done something that warrants a big ‘thumbs up’. Vasilis has opened a downtown location in what was formerly Grillers, and before that ChopChop.
I have a feeling that downtown has landed a real winner with the opening of Visilis. The menu is comprehensive without being overwhelming, and the interior of the restaurant is warm and comfortable – like a Greek diner should be. There are tons of sides to keep the meals from getting too repetitive for office workers, and there’s something for everyone. This location has not been too kind to its previous tenants, but all locations must be properly matched with the right restaurant formula. I believe that Vasilis has figured out what people working downtown are looking for, and I will definitely be heading back to try a few more menu items. I am hopeful that Vasilis is around Downtown Buffalo for a long time, because it brings with it different food options and occupies an important location on Main Street and Cathedral Square.
καλή τύχη!
Vasilis Downtown – open for breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday
302 Main Street
Buffalo NY 14202
716-856-5600
Facebook – Elmwood location