Ashley Lee
- Jun 6
- 4 min read

Meráki Greek Grill: Mediterranean Food At Its Simplicity (Review) (2023)

Original photo: Blue Diamond/Buffalo location

Months ago, a family member decided to switch to a Mediterranean diet and started looking for restaurants in the valley that serve the cuisine.

Eventually, they found Meráki Greek Grill.

Like the Codfather, this restaurant is also in Yelp's Top 50 List of Restaurants to eat in the valley, and it's at #1.

Admittedly, I tried Meráki sometime last year but chose not to review it yet.

Eventually that changed, and I decided to proceed.

Although I did not order everything off of the menu, here are some of the dishes I tried and analyzed (by taste):

Original photo: Chicken Kalamakia

Chicken Kalamakia

This dish was served on a metal platter that's almost family style- but for one person.

The pita bread was warm, soft, and easy to chew.

Their Greek Salad had a colorful variety of greens, tomatoes, onions, and olives (with pits)

while the dressing was good with the oil and spices. It's a good mix with the chicken kebab.

The chicken kabob itself was tender, well marinated with spices.

Their tzatziki was creamy (due to the yogurt)

and obviously good with everything.

The Greek Rice was buttery as if there’s some broth to make the rice rich.The rice used was not jasmine or basmati. Rather it's charbroiled rice with orzo in chicken broth (according to an employee there). Overall, the rice was almost addicting to eat.

Their feta fries were rich in cheese and spices. Obviously, you wouldn't get these fries at an average fast food joint.

Original photo: Spanakopita

Spanakopita

I've had spanakopita in the past, and it's usually from the frozen section purchased in the market.

If you don't know what spanakopita is, it's basically spinach, feta cheese, and spices mixed inside phyllo dough.

Meráki's version was fresh and the best.

Their version had equal amounts of feta and spinach and with that small piece of mint on top, they helped give the spanakopita a minor minty taste.

Although they served two of them at their restaurant, it would be nice if they served more than two as it's such an important staple in Mediterranean cuisine. It's so packed with flavor!

Original photo: Meráki Signature Bowl

Meráki Signature Bowl

Already, this bowl had a beautiful presentation. There's a blend of fruits, veggies , and legume on the bottom, but if you mix everything together, then everything would be universal.

The flavors from the salad were savory- especially from the peperoncini, veggies, and rice while the feta cheese and vinaigrette brought everything together.

This is a good power lunch as everything in that bowl is healthy.

Original photo: Falafel

Falafel

In the past, I ate falafel and wasn't really hooked to the snack.

But with the right ingredients (in good quality), you can change my mind.

Falafel is made with chickpeas and additional spices. Meráki's version was flavorful, and I know that they made them. I'm glad that their version was fresh.

I recommend eating this with any spread- especially with tzatziki. It makes the flavors stronger.

Original photo: Traditional Gyro (Chicken)

Traditional Gyro (Chicken)

Of all the times I ate a traditional gyro, it was with beef and lamb. I never knew what was in until I went to Meráki.

In Meráki, they had two options- beef/lamb or chicken which I thought was helpful as I quit eating lamb at that time.

In the gyro that I ordered, they included generous portions of chicken, tomato, feta, lettuce, and red onions. On the side is the pepperoncini.

I really like their take on this classic dish. Just tasting everything inside the gyro makes me want to go back there and order another one again. It's a really healthy portion.

Even More Traditional Dishes!

Avgolemono

On the left side of this mini photo gallery is the traditional soup that consists of chicken, rice, and lemon.

When I tried it, the soup had a strong citrus-y (lemon-y) taste to the soup. I really liked it as it's good for the cold weather and even on a sick day. If you like soup with a sour taste, then this is the soup I would refer you to.

Saganaki

Have you ever had Saganaki before? You know the one dish that's on fire before it's served to your table?

In the middle of the gallery you will see a dish that's lightly breaded and fried with lemons on top. The item that's lightly fried is cheese. If you love any kind of cheese, then this is the dish for you.

Served on a mini pan, the saganaki will come out sizzling and as you see the presentation, your mouth will more than likely water.

Dolmadakia

Lastly, on the right side of the gallery is something you may be familiar with- dolmadakia.

I've had this in the past, but none of the previous versions really stood out to me.

When I tried Meráki's version, it reminded me of cold sticky rice, except that I didn't have to remove it from the leaf.

Dolmadakia is rice wrapped in grape vine leaves with lemons and herbs. This dish is served chilled.

If you're interested in this classic dish, it's worth giving it a try.

Concluding Comments

Throughout my experiences with dining there with family, I found the restaurant to be very clean and spacious.

Unlike other restaurants, I don't feel like I'm suffocating inside there. Every time I go in there, it's not crowded.

The atmosphere is beautiful, and I really liked how they put the word "meráki" with its definition above the kitchen.

If you don't know what it means, meráki is a Greek adjective meaning to do something with "soul, creativity, love, and passion." I can tell that this restaurant is handled with care, and the staff are certainly living up to the meaning of meráki.

Overall, I give this place a five out of five stars.

This is one of the healthiest restaurants I've been to, and I urge you to try this place out before you die.