LV Eats – Yianni’s Taverna – Bethlehem, PA
Up until now Greek cuisine in the Lehigh Valley has mostly been relegated to the the occasional gyro, Greek salad, or baklava found on the menu of a diner that happens to be owned by a Greek family. Pickings have been slim and the huge turnout at the Greek Food Festival this past September proved that Valley eaters are interested in more than just gyros.
Enter Yianni’s Taverna. Formerly Gus’s Cross Road’s Inn, a long time Valley establishment with a menu that was about 90% American fare and 10% Greek cuisine, Yianni’s is the end result of a face lift to both their facilities and their menu. The new menu at Yianni’s turns the tables and contains almost exclusively Greek food. Picky or unadventurous eaters need not worry, they’ll be able to find something they like on the Continental section of the menu. But please, don’t do that. You can get a burger anywhere, if you go to Yianni’s you owe it yourself to try something Greek.
The inside of Yianni’s is decorated with the colors of the Greek flag, bright blue and clean white throughout provide a welcoming and cheery atmosphere to this casual eatery. The butcher’s paper on the table is both functional and authentic to tavernas in the Greek isles. The service at Yianni’s was quick and friendly, I found our waitress to be both knowledgeable and attentive.
Other than the aforementioned gyros and Greek salads, I’ve not had a whole lot of experience with Greek food. That being said, it was easy to find several items on the menu that sounded so good it made my decision on what to order quite difficult. As an appetizer we ordered two homemade pork sausages and a skewer of grilled shrimp. Both appetizers were delicious, particularly the sausage which was seasoned with a unique blend of herbs and spices. As an entree I ordered the pork souvlaki; two delicious skewers of grilled and seasoned pork served with warm pita bread, tzatziki sauce and Greek fries. The first bite of the pork knocked me back on my feet and almost brought tears to my eyes. The fresh from the grill pork had a slightly charred outside that provided great flavor and sealed in the meat’s natural juices. The Greek fries were lightly fried, crispy pieces of potato heaven. The menu was reasonably priced and portions were generous…both myself and my friend took home leftovers.
Yianni’s has a full bar including a wide selection Greek ouzo, a licorice flavored liquor that is common throughout the Greek isles. Though I should point out that I was a little disappointed to find that there were no Greek beers available.
It’s exciting to see new restaurants come into the LV, especially when they are filling a much needed blind spot in the Valley’s dining community. At Yianni’s you’ll get a great Greek experience without all the expense of a trip to Greece.
Thanks for this nice review – I look forward to trying Yianni’s. Just a note on Greek beer – when we visited Greece a few years ago, everyone drank Amstel. I don’t think we ever found local Greek beer.
Hey, thanks!
I guess next time I head to Yianni’s I’ll have to try an Amstel!
The limited amount of brewery’s in Greece have been bought out by the major’s. Amstel does have a brewery in Greece, which makes AMSTEL. On Crete, there is Mythos beer. It has very limited export. Greeks are not known for their beer, so why be disappointed. Enjoy the outstanding food that is served here.
What a disappointing experience…Spanikopita toasted too much, Mousakka cold in the middle. They corrected by nuking the Mousakka which now looked shrunken and glutenous..unappealing. They tried to make up by letting me order something else but it was taking so long that my companion was already wrapping her lukewarm food.
I canceled order and then they offered me desert…no food but desert still had to pay the bill….CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP, horrible customer service such a disappointment.