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We decided to hit up Tastes of Greece again after a while, reminiscing about the good ol' days when it was run by the original owner. We had a blast with the authentic food back then. Last night, we got to meet Chef Mark Cummings, who came over to our table and shared some stories about his career, his gig with the Food Network, and how he ended up in Capistrano with his family. Naturally, with Chef Mark coming to our table and introducing himself and his accomplishments, we expected to receive better services and food quality than when it was run by the original owner. Unfortunately, our experience was the reverse. Unfortunately, our experience this time around wasn't as awesome as before. Despite Chef Cummings' impressive resume, including throwing parties in Antarctica and Africa and supposedly owning the Food Network, the service was pretty slow, and our food was way too salty. To add to that, the foods came very late, which was a bummer. We kind of missed the vibe of the original family who used to run the place. The atmosphere was cool, but it was a bit too crowded for our liking this time. The prices were decent, and we didn't have any issues with that. But because we didn't have a great time this visit, we wanted to share our experience in case it's becoming a regular thing. Hopefully, the owner sees this and makes some improvements if needed.
Great cozy family owned place. We had the pleasure to go when a celebrity Chef was cooking, he goes often. A lot of special off the menu. Everything we tried was very good. Fair prices for large portions. Half baked chicken, feta cheese flame broiled and koobideh. They also have Greek beers.
Tastes of Greece offers a rich, immersive cultural experience along with a vast array of epicurean delights! Upon entering, we were greeted warmly by a multi generational Greek family with live traditional Greek music playing on the Bouzouki in the background. After traveling to the Greek islands of Rhodes & Leros in 2022, we fell in love with the people, culture, and of course, the food! The Tastes of Greece food is spectacular, in both presentation and authenticity, from the pomegranate refresher, to the traditional horiatiki salad (no lettuce). We then enjoyed the Chef’s specials of chicken schnitzel, & cod fillet, which were both spectacular. We then ordered the dessert recommended by the owner and her Grandaughter, the galaktoboureko. We were told it would take 20 minutes to prepare, if we had the time. To say that warm custard dessert beautifully wrapped in phyllo was worth the wait would be an understatement! Everything we ate was exceptional and the warmth of Greek culture permeated the entire evening. What a lovely experience we had, far greater than we could have imagined. Tastes of Greece is a must for healthily prepared, exceptional & authentic Greek food!
After having been to Greece for a 12 day vacation visiting Athens and a few islands, we have found a local restaurant that lives up to the excellent cuisine that comes from the Mediterranean. Love the food here. Our party of 10 left with 100% of us singing the praises of Chef Marc Cummings. Way to create several dishes that taste authentic to that side of the world. Can't wait to come back.
This place is a delightful Greek restaurant with a warm atmosphere. I enjoyed the diverse menu and the wide selection of authentic dishes. We tried the Souvlaki Pork Plate, Glossa Tiganiti Pan Fried Dover Sole, and Mille Feuille. The pork plate wasn't quite to our taste; the meat was a bit dry. The fish was interesting and well-cooked, while the Mille Feuille was fluffy and delicious. We complemented our dinner with a semi-sweet Greek wine, which was truly delightful.