Stepho's Souvlaki Greek Taverna

I've been going to Stepho's for years, almost as long as I've been going to Anton's.  If you're looking for a cheap place to get really, really full on decent food, check this place out.  Though since I discovered Kisamo's in Richmond, I hardly ever come out to DT for Greek food.  On occasion though, I'll find myself downtown and craving something greasy and in large proportions.  Lunch is probably the best time to hit Stepho's because there's alomost no line up.

Ah, the Cheese Balls.  The one thing I sometimes crave that's not on Kisamo's menu is Stepho's Cheese Balls.  Well, Kisamo's has a pretty good Cheese Dish, but it's a bit expensive for a hunk of cheese cookedin a frying pan.  Stepho's Cheese Balls is just that, deep fried cheese balls with a nice crisp coating, served with some beats (palet cleanser?) and this garlic dip that's out of this world.  I mean, the cheese balls are incredibly awesome on their own, but paired with this garlic dip, that's it, you're done.

The Chicken Pita is served with French Fries....why, I have no idea.  The fries at Stepho's is not their best item on the menu.  They tasted like they were either over-fried, or refried in really old oil.  If it's possible to swap out the fries for anything but, do it. 

Our pita came right before our meal.  Since our meals were so massive (well, mine was anyway), we didn't even touch the pita and ended up taking them home.  What can you do with leftover pita?

A Greek Salad came with the vegetarian lasagna below.

I personally would not order this, simply because it's Vegetarian.  It was loaded with cheese and overall tasted okay, but there was something missing....I think it was meat.

When I go for Greek, I crave roast lamb, but my experience with Stepho's roast lamb is that it's a bit dry and the meat is too lean.  Once you've tried Kisamo's Roast Lamb Dinner, you really can't eat any other.  So, I ordered Stepho's famous Calamari dinner....for lunch.  Like I said, the portions are epic, and I literally got a mountain of calamari on top of maybe some rice, potatoes and Greek Salad.  The calamari is nice and crisp, not too greasy, not soggy at all.  The greek salad came with loads of feta cheese, and the rice and potatoes were seasoned beautifully.  But by the end of the meal though, I think I was suffering from garlic and onion overdose....ok, I admit, I kept the garlic dip from the Cheese Balls and used them for the rest of my meal.  Between the Garlic Dip, the tzatziki sauce, and all the onions in the Calamari and Greek Salad, I was smelling pretty ripe.  In fact, I stank for days, and no amount of toothpaste, mouthwash, soap and deoderant would help.

I think my friend ate two French fries from her dish.....

Stepho's is still a great place to grab a cheap bite to eat, and if you can avoid the line ups, all the better.  But around dinner, you'll be facing at least an hour wait, just like Anton's Pasta Bar in Burnaby.  For me, Cheese Balls, Calamari, and only if I was downtown already.

Here's a shot of what Stepho's typically looks like during peak periods.

Kisamo's Greek Taverna

It used to be Stepho's, on Davie Street in Downtown Vancouver. The two hour line up in the pouring rain was always worth it, but no more. Kisamo's Greek Taverna is right here in my hometown of Richmond and they have the best calamari, and the best roast lamb dinners I have ever had, and the prices are very, very reasonable.
The pita bread, best eaten with some Greek caviar....forgot the name of the stuff - it tastes like caviar and creamcheese, but apparently, there's no cream cheese in it. When I figure out what it's called, I'll edit this post,
I don't remember the name of this dish either, but it's got chicken and portabello mushrooms in it. You should order this.
And of course, my all-time favourite Greek dish - roast lamb. This is the slide-off-the-bone lamb that melts in your mouth. I don't care if it's a bit of a fattier cut, it's worth clogging my arteries over. Stepho's in comparison is a bit on the dry side, and a little too lean. Kisamo's is seasoned just right, very succulent, very mout-watering.

....and the portion is huge. If you skip the appies, you might have a hope in finishing your meal.

Whenever I go to Kisamo's, I stuff my face with the roast lamb dinner.  The salad is there, but I never really remember anything about it.....just not that memorable.  The potatoes are pretty good -  they just fall apart.  They don't have much seasoning, but that's okay because it's the lamb that's important. 

Overall, Kisamo's is a winner.  The service is pretty good, the staff are friendly, there's free parking all around, and the food is great.  I'll still go to Stepho's if I find myself downtown Vancouver and craving Greek, but seeing as how Kisamo's is right down the street, I'm finding less reasons to go downtown.  Kisamo's can be found in the Steveston fishing village on the southwest side of Richmond.