Café Agora

Decent food and bad service. If you just wanna fill up, then sure, go ahead. Decent prices.

Worst service and food I have had in Atlanta. The food we sent back was still charged to us.

Café Agora is awesome. Their baba ganoush is always on point, as is their pureed lentil soup. The soup is sooo amazing!

We’ve been looking for good Greek food on this side of town for a while. Came tonight and both of us got the Lamb & Beef Gyro Plate. It is so good, I ate until I’m almost sick. We can’t wait to come back.

My favorite spot for Greek/​Mediterranean food. Open late on weekends and perfect for a bite after going out. The service is exceptional and the food is awesome too! My favorite is the Mixed Gyro platter (with Ezme, a tomato side dish, instead of the rice). It is like a deconstructed gyro wrap and includes lamb and chicken, a greek side salad, and pita bread. I also love the Turkish hot tea. I’ve been coming here for years, since before they moved into the new location. It used to be a whole in the wall (literally) but now sits in a beautiful new spot with a cozy outdoor area that is amazing during the summer nights! Other must-​try dishes are mixed meze platter, which includes all of the dips and pita bread, and cheese filled phyllo. The best part is that they always serve a little something sweet (at no cost) being either baklava, rice pudding, or if you’re lucky, both!

Came here for lunch on weekday. Pleasantly greeted at the counter and had the menu explained. We opted for a side of marinaded chicken and the sampler platter. The freshly cooked chicken was out on just a few minutes and was mouth wateringly delicious. Ten minutes later a waiter checked on us and found out we had not yet received the platter. He quickly returned with a couple glasses of fantastic Turkish wine… complimentary to boot. The platter was also delicious and easily fed the two of us. Very enjoyable dining experience. I would both recommend and return.

Many items from the menu are meat-​centric — in a way that reminds you of a Brazilian steakhouse. Only this is Mediterranean… no gauchos! I love Mediterranean cuisine — it’s simple, healthy, straightforward, no-​fuss. When I want to up my protein intake, this is a good meal option.
I’ve tried a few things & their portions are huge! I can usually get 2 – 3 meals out of 1 order, so it’s a good value. A typical entrée is $ 10-​$ 15.
If you’re like me (indecisive) and need to sample many items, go with the mixed grill — it includes chicken & lamb kabobs + beef, and a side Greek salad & basmati rice. The meats all had a nice charred flavor and the rice was cooked perfectly. The lamb was slightly chewy but still tasty. I like the chicken shish kabobs the best, so that’s usually my go-​to. I’ve also had the lamb & chicken gyro platter, which was okay but not something I’d re-​order. The gyro meat was less than impressive… it seamed over-​seasoned. But their baklava is on-​point!
I haven’t actually dined in (yet) but their delivery service is awesome! I’ve heard great things about the service & ambiance & look forward to checking out the space :)

I’m surprised I hadn’t reviewed this location yet. My wife and I spent a couple weeks in Athens and Istanbul a number of years ago and we fell in love with the food. We are always on the look-​out for restaurants that serve legit Mediterranean fare. Café Agora has been at the top of our list since we dropped in 2 years ago for the first time.
The food is awesome. We’ve tried most of the menu and haven’t been disappointed. My personal favorite, and the dish that I use at any Turkish restaurant to determine if it’s legit, is the Iskender Kebab. When done right, it causes chills to run down my spine. I have a hard time not ordering it every time we go to Café Agora. But, it’s good to go with variety now and again. I’ll also mention the Moussaka, because it is so good.
The staff is wonderful. We took my parents and my sister’s family here about a month ago when they were in town to celebrate my mother’s birthday (and mine). When they learned it was our birthday they brought out 2 large slices of the coconut cake. Just ridiculously good.
The only difficulty at the restaurant can be the parking. It’s a very small, tight parking lot in front of the restaurant. No different from other locations in the city, though. It might be worth parking elsewhere and walking over if necessary.

Went with the wife on a Thursday night. We took the outside seating as the weather was gorgeous.
Breakdown:
Appetizers:
–Hummus — average
–I’m forgetting its name but it’s an egg roll with meat. IT WAS OUT OF THIS WORLD good!
Main course:
–Mixed Gyro — average (I’m from the NY area which has best gyros, so my review for this might be a bit skewed).
Service: Excellent. They gave both me and the wife rice pudding on the house!

This place is about a 2.5.
FOOD
The food is perfectly edible, but it’s not tasty. You’d expect a Mediterranean place to do a good gyro, but you’d be disappointed. My gyro was so comically full of shredded lettuce that it was impossible to eat as a gyro — I had to use a knife and fork. The lamb was cut into very small, very thin pieces, and wasn’t juicy or crispy. Since I got a «mixed» gyro, there was also chicken in it. The chicken was well seasoned, but dry and slightly chewy. The kofte kebab meat was extremely dry. My side salad was more drenched than drizzled with vinegar-​based dressing — too much.
Someone in my party ordered a salad with chicken, and it was piled high with the same chicken as in my gyro. The amount of chicken was frankly ridiculous — if you’re looking to load up on protein for cheap, this is a good way to do it. But again, it was slightly chewy and dry and just not that appealing after eating a few pieces.
We ordered an appetizer sampler plate, and it was interesting to get such a variety of things I’d never tried before in one go. However, nothing stood out, and the hummus wasn’t even as tasty as some brands I’ve bought at grocery stores.
The rice pudding was highly disappointing, and the mostly-​cinnamon sprinkle on top was too strong and not sweet enough.
ATMOSPHERE AND LOCATION
The décor is tasteful and appropriately themed and atmospheric, without being overdone. The patio is a great place to sit outside on a warm, breezy day. This is a great place to chat with your friends right after work, particularly if the weather is nice. It’s conveniently located, though there isn’t much parking space, and the parking lot is a bit tricky to navigate because it’s so small and requires a tight turn.
SERVICE
The service was spot-​on, neither slow nor too fast. When we finished, the waiter noticed our plates weren’t cleaned, and brought us tiny rice puddings to compensate. He even told us explicitly, «We like to see clean plates». Unfortunately, as mentioned above, the rice puddings were more disappointing than the rest of the meal.
OVERALL
When I visited, around 6pm on a weekday, this was a pleasant spot to meet with some friends. Unfortunately, that’s all it is — the food isn’t good enough to make me come here on its own. If your party isn’t picky and wants a cute place to socialize and eat not-​too-​greasy food, this will work. Otherwise, I’d recommend looking elsewhere.

The Film Company that I work for is right around the corner of Café Agora and so during our company lunches I get to see all kinds of orders that my team gets. To name a few
–Agora Salad
–Lamb and Beef Gyro
–Lamb combo plate
–Ezme
–Dolma
–falfafel
–Carrot Salad (delicious!)
–Baklava (they make it just right! not too sweet.)
I love everything they have, can never go wrong!

Love Café Agora. Really great Greek food and large portions at a moderate price. Usually I opt for either the lamb gyro or the lamb salad and both are excellent choices. The lamb gyro comes with a side salad and the gyro is always packed full of meat. The salad is always loaded up with lamb as well and I always struggle eating it all. For each of these selections you can add extra lamb for an additional charge. You can also choose to have either of these options with a mix of lamb and chicken. Service here is almost always usually quick and the atmosphere is nice. When the server brings your check they serve you a small portion of complimentary rice pudding as a dessert. Not my favorite but a nice finish to the meal. Overall great restaurant that I will continue to go back to.

Growing up in south I remember our pastor saying «praise the lamb» a lot.
Maybe it’s heretical, but I can’t think of a more appropriate time to use «praise the lamb» than over a hot plate of shawarma at Café Agora.
The food is unbelievably fresh. Mediterranean food is «in» at the moment… but this isn’t Sabra Hummus. Everything Café Agora does is made from scratch that day and you can taste it.
I had the mixed platter which included lamb & chicken along with rice for around $ 18. The portion was large enough to satisfy… and then some. I took meat, rice & hummus home and had the ultimate champion’s breakfast the next morning.
The prices may seem a tad steep for lunch, but to reiterate, the portions are extremely generous & the food is fresh. Additionally, self-​parking is free! And when is the last time you didn’t have to pay for parking when you went out to dinner in Atlanta?
Free parking in front of the restaurant, fresh food, solid service & decent prices… you won’t even believe you’re in Buckhead.

UPDATED REVIEW
When my navigation system guided me into the parking lot, I found myself a little confused. «This can’t be the same place I wrote about almost 4 years ago «I thought to myself, but indeed it is. That little hole in the wall café that barely had enough seating for 10 people has upgraded quite nicely to their own stand alone building WITH parking!
The same guy I remember from before was still running it and soon I found myself eating lunch at a table underneath the canopy of the covered porch. The memory of the gyro I had in my original review has been dancing in my head for some time now. It’s funny, I had the exact same experience as my first visit… yet I remember it being better in my mind. Time has caused me to forget the small details of that visit and I didn’t recall any of them until I re-​read my review AFTER my most recent visit.
—–
HOW DO I RANK THEM NOW?
Although it is no longer a small place and I didn’t have my two dining companions with me this time as I did in my first review, I would describe the food almost exactly the same way. The fries remain my favorite part of the meal and the gyro is still tasty, but after several years of Unilocaling I’m still searching and hoping for better.
SIDE NOTE — Although they have their own parking, it is really tight. I do not advise large trucks or large SUV’s to enter. The U-​shape of the lot will have you cutting it extremely close to get out without scratching your car or someone else’s.
SIDE NOTE 2 — Feta cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, onions and amazing tzatziki sauce should be a standard package deal on all gyros. I hate it when I have to ask for any of them.
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FINAL THOUGHTS
It is clear to me my tastes have changed, or better yet I should say my expectations. As a bright eyed and bushy tailed fledgling Unilocaler, my restaurant explorations were new and exciting adventures back then. But now that I have gained experiences all over the city and the country, I hope for more than just a good meal when I go out. I want a GREAT one! I think 4 stars and above should be reserved for places I am either a regular or plan to be. While the food here at Café Agora is good, I can’t see myself being a regular, thus the drop to 3.5 from my original 4 star review. VERDICT: Satisfactory (It’s not you, it’s me)
Richard’s User Guide to the Unilocal galaxy:
1 star — Avoid this place
2 stars — Needs major improvement
3 stars — Satisfactory (not the best, but it will do)
4 stars — Favorite places (part of my regular rotation)
5 stars — Top recommendations (where I go to fill my craving)
5+ stars — Best of the BEST (places that never fail to satisfy)
²⁰¹⁶⁄₄₄ [UPDATE 75]

The first time I went to this place, the owner came out and fed my dinner date and many other guests from this little sampler platter he was carrying around. I mean, fed them… like, fork-​to-​mouth fed them (he used clean forks, I should note).
While this should have been a SUPER creepy and invasive move, it felt like the exact opposite. It felt like genuine, warm Turkish hospitality– like we were in some family’s dining room in Turkey. And you can taste that love in everything they serve.
I now know that platter from which the owner was hand-​feeding guests is the Maza Platter, a sampling of all the small plates offered on the menu. To me, it’s one of THE BEST dishes in the city and everyone I bring there says the same. Except for the bread, the actual plate is quite healthy too. Order the large one with the balloon bread, share it with the table and thank me later! :)

My colleagues and I come here whenever we feel like we want something light and delicious without dying of food coma. Location and exterior/​interior is 10x better after it relocated and love that it has its own parking lot, though it is limited.
Once you walk in, order from the picture menu above the cashier stand and they will provide you a # and deliver your order to your table. One of the drawbacks, however is that they don’t list any pricing anywhere… so just be aware that entrees are a bit more $ than just a sandwich/​wrap. My coworker learned the hard way…
My usual order is the chicken gyro with the hummus platter to share. Hummus is no comparison to the grocery bought hummuses, a must try! Chicken gyro is light, fresh, and delicious with the white tzatziki side sauce that it comes with! Great gem!

Yes service is slow, but the food is amazing! I remember the very first time my Agora cherry was popped… and haven’t been able to go without it ever since, haha. Definitely recommend the Mixed Maza Platter with the airy/​fluffy bread. I always stick with the chicken platter or Gyro. Seriously can’t go wrong with either of those dishes — from the seasoning to the tender and juicy meat is perfection. Also, leave room for dessert… try the rice pudding or baklava!

With Café Agora, you get exactly what you would expect — light and fresh Middle Eastern /​Mediterranean fare at a fairly reasonable price. On the outside, Café Agora’s façade reminded me of the Alamo for some reason (was this location formerly a Tex-​Mex restaurant?). On the inside, whitewashed walls and azure decorative pieces with large painted murals of Mediterranean seascapes.
Being open-​minded, we asked our waiter what the best item was on the menu. Naturally, he suggested one of the most expensive items (if not the most expensive item) on the menu — the Agora Mixed Grill. Fair enough, so the wife and I decided to split it. We also decided to order hummus, the true measuring stick of most Mediterranean /​Middle Eastern fare.
The mixed grill included a sampling of grilled and spit roasted meats — kofte (ground beef), lamb (kabob and gyro), and chicken. Also included was a generous helping of cooked rice, pita, and a mixed green salad with cucumbers, onions, tomato, and dressing (perhaps simply olive oil and lemon juice?). The hummus, served with pita, was smooth and included a small dollop of ezme (Turkish red pepper and tomato relish) on the side and a garnish of chopped parsley. I liked the touch of heat that the ezme offered, but I could’ve used more garlic in the hummus. Still good.
The meal was agreeable, if perhaps unremarkable. Café Agora would certainly make for a decent lunch spot if one were to work nearby. Being that the food isn’t heavy, a meal here won’t drag you down for the rest of the day.

This location of Café Agora is located on East Paces to the left of the Buckhead location of Meehan’s Public House and across the street from a bunch of Buckhead galleries.
Café Agora is a Turkish style Mediterranean restaurant — the influences are Greek, Arabic and Persian, so it’s a bit of a mixed-​bag (not in a bad way) of complimentary cuisines. The restaurant was just starting to get busy (this was a Monday night) — the patio was mostly full and the interior about half. I think this is a good location for a casual business meeting or to kick back with a glass of wine to observe the antics of Buckhead locals or obnoxious visitors (like me!). The restaurant is fairly new at this location and still well kept and clean. We sat on the patio and were immediately greeted.
The menu is fairly extensive with many of the usual options like hummus, dolma, babaganoush, tabouli and the like, along with your typical gyro-​like meat concoctions. There are also some interesting bits you don’t typically see, like the haydari, plyaz and soups like Mercimek (lentils) or Sehriyeli Tavuk (chicken noodle) Corbasi.
While viewing the menu the owner came by and offered up a sampler of apps to try — I believe it was a small Maza platter. Besides some hummus and tabouli, the other very strongly flavored spreads were quite very good. The flavors were subtlety different from our average Mediterranean and I found that to be so in the entrée as well.
I ordered the Mix Gyro plate with included both chicken and beef/​lamb, over rice with a Greek salad — the marinated pita had a bit of red tint to it (tomato I think?) that wasn’t immediately identifiable but added just a hint of acid that did a good job cutting through the meats.
Both my dining companions ordered the Adana Kebab — grilled minced lamb on skewer with marinated pita and Greek salad.
I thought the food very good and the service exceptional. Parking, on the other hand, was a bit of a PITA (pain in the ass — see what I did there?). Agora has valet as do most restaurants in Buckhead but frankly it was easier to just walk out with the valet and get in the car to drive off — I find the whole process in general to be cumbersome. But I digress…
Give Café Agora a try — I think you’ll like you find here.
(longer review posted to my food blog)

Tucked just a block or so off busy Peachtree in the heart of Atlanta’s toney Buckhead neighborhood, the 4-​star Café Agora is a hit with its regulars that appreciate fresh and healthy Mediterranean cuisine with a Turkish twist.
Our group which included two of those regulars, my son and his fiancé, who guided us through the menu for an early dinner before the movie premier of Mad Max: Fury Road.
We started with a large Maza Platter, a delicious cold appetizer combination of Hummus, Ezme, Eggplant salad, Babaganush, Pyaz, Potato Salad, Fried Eggplant, Haydari, Tabuli and Carrot Salad… wow…A great deal for just $ 15.50.
For our individual entrees, we pretty much worked the Gyro and Kabab theme and were pleased all around. The Sehriyeli Tavuk Corbasi, otherwise known to us non-​Turks as homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, deserves a special call-​out for being the best I’ve ever had… highly recommended.
We finished some delicious Baklava which was lighter and flakier than most.
One of the things we enjoyed the most was chatting with Al, the gregarious owner, who came around to our table just to check in and make sure we felt welcomed in his house… a very nice touch.
Mad Max here we come…

I cannot believe it took me so long to make it here. I walked in to place an order to go, and was immediately was greeted by Al (the owner/​manager?). He was so friendly. When I told him it was my first time there, he instantly told me he’d give me some samples. He brought out a mini Mazza platter to try. He was very enthusiastic and wanted to feed me, no joke. So friendly ha. Then Al gave me a sample of the rice pudding and some other dessert (grape leave maybe?). Everything was delicious.
I decided to get the beef and lamb gyro. Absolutely delicious. I also got the carrot salad, which was very different than anything Mediterranean I’ve ever had. Different in a good way. I devoured everything. Would definitely return and highly recommend! All flavor a were spot on.