I grabbed a carry out from Niki’s Restaurant in Royal Oak. I tried to like this place. I really did. It would be nice to frequent a local place and support that local family owned business. I popped in to order my carry out instead of calling it in – was getting gas and decided to grab a salad at the last minute. Now the waitstaff was super friendly, I could not have asked for a more friendly, attentive waitstaff. I ordered a small greek salad, extra pita and an iced tea. I watched the (owner?) in her babushka head to the back and heat my pita up and grab off the grill with her bare hands. No tongs?? Gross. The place was not the cleanest in the world, but I think they cold have some tongs at least.
They seemed confused at my order, making two salads and charging me $21. I explained the error to which they recalculated $12 – for a small salad and drink. Really? That was about $4 too much by my estimation, but I stupidly paid it anyway.
My salad, was well, a tossed salad with some feta thrown on. That does not make a Greek salad. Some feta and a beet does not a Greek salad make. The dressing was very light, and did not have much flavor, and was not really much of it.
At least I had some extra pita? Not so much. The pita was not the soft, chewy pita bread one would expect in a Greek restaurant, but flour-ey, dry pita grilled on a grill with a noticeable “old oil” taste. One bite was as far as I got…
Glad I ordered extra!! NOT!
Well, my tea was good, but really how do you mess that up?
Bottom line, drive past Niki’s, keep driving another mile and go to National Coney Island for a much better Greek salad. If I don’t get food poisoning today, I will be super surprised. Wish me luck!!