Stepho’s Greek Taverna

August 18th, 2007 · 5 Comments

 Stepho’s ExtStepho’s Souvlaki Greek Taverna
(604) 683-2555
Address: 1124 Davie Street (map)

False Idol
a Quick Bite

By Michael Chin
a Special to Eat Vancouver

As an outsider to Vancouver it’s hard for me to gauge the popularity of certain restaurants. Often times I’ll see a place relatively dead only to hear that it’s an anomaly, and that the joint is usually packed. Luckily, in terms of Stepho’s, I didn’t have to climb such a hurdle. In the three times I’ve been to Stepho’s the place has been packed, and in the first instance (a weekday, around 6pm) a line had formed about 20-30 people deep outside the door. I ended up flaking that day because the line was moving about as fast as a 300 pound woman in quicksand and because the long line just so happened to place me right in front of one of Davie’s many sex shops.

The next two instances however I went to Stepho’s for lunch and while there was no line outside, there was a 5-10 minute wait inside. Speaking of the inside, the decorum of Stephos is not as bad as I expected from the exterior. There are almost two different dining rooms as the section on the immediate left is elevated a bit and is separated from the rest of the establishment by a walking area for patrons who have just arrived. This gives the illusion that the entire space is a lot bigger than it actually is. As for the overall ambience, the feel is very rustic, and nothing too over the top to set itself apart.

lamb souvlakiAs for the food, it’s fine. A regular order of lamb souvlaki consists of one skewer of meat (the same portion for whatever type of meat you order), a pretty standard greek salad, rice, and roasted potatoes. A small bone to pick that isn’t very uncommon to a lot of Greek joints is that the meat is pretty dry. It’s seasoned well yes, but I’d happily concede some salt for some moistness. The big problem I found, however, was the ratio of meat to greens and starches. There was just way too much other stuff and not enough meat. You could order the large portion, which doubles up on the skewers, but even then, the ratio would still be a little off. One of the highest praise I hear about Stepho’s is the low prices one gets for so much food. And while I have to say the prices are very reasonable, I would’ve of happily sacrificed half of my starches for some more meat.

As for other items on the menu, the Roast Lamb (which is Stepho’s specialty) is rather dull. The kitchen held back a bit too much on the seasoning, and the same ratio problems applied. The pita souvlaki (I’ve tried the chicken and lamb) are about as run as the mill as it can come, and all the old problems seem to crop up. The tstaksi sauce is fine but hardly transcendent and on par with the culinary creativity of the folks at the “My Big Fat Greek Restaurant” chain. In fact the whole menu is pretty much on par with MBFGR. And in this case that is pretty much a damning indictment on Stepho’s, whose reputation by the people makes the restaurant out to be some sort of Zeus-like god.

It’s hard to discern if the very core of Greek food and the regular staples that make up the cuisine is what kills creativity in Stephos. As for me, I happen to think the problem is with the word of mouth and the ridiculous idolatry that hovers around this place. It has seemingly brainwashed the kitchen into a horribly bad status quo stupor. Sure it’s priced well and the food is decent, but does that redeem a meal? It’s definitely a stretch to say that I could find the same happiness in a Jr. Bacon cheeseburger meal at Wendy’s, but the fact that I at least think it’s a distant possibility means Stepho’s needs to step it up.

Stepho's Greek Taverna on Urbanspoon

Tags: Greek · Quick Bites

5 responses so far ↓

  • 1 col // Aug 21, 2007 at 2:08 pm

    i’ve been to stepho’s, mostly to see what all the fuss was about and had the same reaction as you. i don’t know why so many people associate good food with large portions.

  • 2 Jason // Aug 24, 2007 at 11:16 pm

    i’ve found the same thing col – maybe it’s the expectation, or maybe, as i expect, it simply isn’t very good.

  • 3 Bob // Jun 6, 2009 at 8:21 am

    OMG I have eaten out for years here and there is nothing to compare to Stephos. The prices and quality of food are excellent and I certainly would not wish to eat a Bacon cheeseburger at Wendy’s Buddy! I don’t think there is a single place in BC that can produce the same quality for the price, I know several people who swear by the place and I can’t help wondering if you
    have other motives in such a miserable write up.
    It is so very easy to write a caustic comment and melt away into cyber space, shame on you, go to Wendy’s in future and try to buy anything remotely as good as the food served at Stepho’s. I was stunned to hear the prices have not changed much in years, the quality is great the service is great and the portions are excellent, protein is always expensive try running a place and you would marvel at the quality at Stepho’s what do you want for $10!!!

  • 4 Sohale // Jul 11, 2010 at 10:57 pm

    you do realize that Stepho’s offers quality food – 2 skewers with a full plate of rice, vegetables, salad, etc. for only $10 – I CALL THAT VALUE!! Just down the street all the other greek restaurants charge $15-$20 for food that’s not nearly as tasty and filling. As for the quality of the food, that depends, I have been to stepho’s about 50 to 60 times and the service, quality, and all else vary. So you must tell them EXACTLY what your looking for and you’ll walk out VERY HAPPY!! Trust me, I go back all the time!!

  • 5 Sohale // Jul 11, 2010 at 11:00 pm

    Also, they’re turnover rate for their food is really fast, so that means that you are GUARANTEED fresh food everytime you go there. Not like some restaurants where they “recycle” the salad or other components. NO, Stepho’s brings affordability, tasty food, and fresh food to you for under $10!! Personally I always get the Roast Lamb which is to die for with the Tziki (Thick Greek Yogurt) or however it’s spelt.

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