Tasty. Muy Tasty. We landed were hungry and my aunt took us to Yannis. Here I am looking for a new Mexican cuisine and we go to a Greek restaurant. Boy were we surprised I have the rack of lamb chops over salad with cucumbers and watermelon and the spicy chili mashed potatoes it was amazing. She had these stuffed poblano chile which was amazing with quinoa and god knows what else was in there. The bread was so fresh and the service was really friendly and fast. I highly recommend it and would absolutely plan to be back.
(4)
Bryan D.
Enjoyed a lovely Sunday afternoon brunch there this past weekend. We split a bottle of Retsina, just because it seemed the right thing to do and we do enjoy it. Very good crusty French bread with olive oil and herb seasoning to dunk it started it all off. Good fried calamari with an herb-infused breading on top of a puddle of horseradish red sauce (with extra red pepper in it and lemon) and a nice hummus with veggies and pita made the brief wait for our main courses very pleasant. Mine was a gyros sandwich with a good thick tzatziki, hers a beautifully crafted dish of tomatoes, mozzarella, heirloom tomato slices, and grilled scallops, topped with lightly fried onion strings She called it "the Tower of Power". I love a place that is reasonably priced but takes care to present quality ingredients attractively. That said, the gyros meat slices were good but not five-star good- have had better. Still a very satisfactory offering if Greek cuisine leads you to street-type food. Attentive but inobtrusive service and a lovely spot by the open bay onto the Nob Hill Central Ave street scene passing by. Will definitely go back.
(4)
Tony M.
Has been a while since I had been to Yannis for a meal. I was seated on the patio and server spent most of the time in main room. Most of the time glasses were empty. As for the food the crab cake had so much Lemon in the sauce you could not taste the crab. The lobster and pasta had two small pieces of lobster and sauce lacked salt. Overall not what I remembered it to be.
(2)
Paul H.
Great food, excellent atmosphere and fast, friendly service! Both times I've been here have been great experiences.
(5)
Bill W.
Lunch was OK, nothing to brag about. They need to clean the dark greasy spot on the door into the men's room.
(3)
David W.
Food was great, but was a little disappointed in the service. We got there early because we were on our way to a concert. We were one of four tables seated, and they were fully staffed for the dinner rush (7 wait staff plus 2 bartenders). Most of the staff was lounging around chatting with each other while we had to flag down our waitress twice for drink refills. We will likely be back because the food was so good, hopefully we get better service next time.
(4)
Catherine C.
So I had dinner here on a Saturday night and it wasn't that crowded. Our waitress was very personable and the atmosphere felt legit. I had the halibut kabob which came with wild rice and wilted spinach. The halibut was perfectly cooked and seasoned. The rice was good, but a little too lemon-y. The spinach was absolutely delicious. Overall, I had an awesome experience here and I would come again any time.
(5)
Melissa F.
I've never written a review before because my experiences at restaurants have always been amazing. This place is horrible. It all started with the parking Nazi. That's enough to make you stay away. The service was horrible. I have never been treated with such disrespect before in my life. Unless you want to be treated like crap, stay away. The food was ok. Go somewhere else. It's Nob Hill, there are plenty of other places to eat with amazing ambiance and service.
(1)
Marissa S.
The food was just ok. Way too expensive for how it tasted! Everyone at our table that ordered drinks from the bars was disappointed. Our waitress took forever to take our order. After the food came she never once checked on us. And then had the audacity to charge us a 20% tip. She really didn't deserve it. The place is clean which was nice. The crab dip was good. Other than that I wouldn't return.
(2)
Barbara H.
What happened to this place ?? Stopped in on the night of summerfest , knew they would be busy ..... Bartender was super friendly( I'm hoping they don't have to wear those stupid blue toga things they had on all the time, curiosity might drag me back here to see) we ordered the "summerfest special" margarita , a pre-made mediocre one at that for ten bucks ! Kidding me!! Ugh and an argh.... The place just looks dumpy now ... Filthy walls, filthy ottoman( why is that there anyhow) pint glasses on the floor, broken wine glasses at patrons table(while they are still sitting there). For the love of us old yannis regulars, give this restaurant back to your ex-husband and let him run it right...
(2)
Shauna D.
The food is not too bad, but I was very surprised when I received french bread and olive oil, and no pita bread with my Chicken Souvlaki... The chicken was well seasoned and cooked, and the tzatziki sauce was very good too, but the veggies were bland and soggy. Definitely not what I was expecting for the $15 price tag
(2)
Celeste W.
Love this place! Hadn't been in a little while -- and just had a fabulous dinner! Love all the new menu items. 5 star service from Miranda, who brought samples of new beers on tap. The owner even came by to say hello. We won't wait to come back again!
(5)
Kristie A.
Actually visited the Lemoni Lounge portion of the restaurant. Awesome live music tonight ! Service was good but there was some confusion on the happy hour - arrived at 8pm and when 930 arrived ordered a second round based on the happy hour mentioned to us by our server to find out our drinks weren't happy hour when we got the bill...Lesson learned - ask what specific drinks are covered.
(3)
Selena N.
When I visit Albuquerque this is one of my favorite places to go. This last time I got the veggie platter. I loved everything that came with it. Even got a side of garlic mashed potatoes. My only feedback would be that with the Spanikopita there should be tzadiki (sp?). It just goes with it in my opinion, and to not have it was disappointing. I did ask for a side....but really it should come with it. Other than that though the food was awesome and the service was as well. This is one of my favorite places in Albuquerque. :)
(4)
M L.
Food mehh.... not great, service mehh...not great, prices wohhhhh wohhhh wohhhh, horribly overpriced for quality. I have been here multiple times, never impressed.
(3)
Bike Chaplain O.
Poor service. We arrived at 1:30pm today Fri.!for lunch. We had an Entertainment card (which had no restrictions listed) and we were quickly told we could not use it on Fridays. We immediately ordered a glass of wine and a martini. The bread arrives, no drinks; the appetizer arrives, no drinks; seconds before the main course arrives, we finally receive our drinks. The restaurant was very empty, yet service was disingenuous, and lethargic. Yanni's has become too snooty to recommend at this time. Thanks for reading. The Bike Chaplain
(2)
Cristina M.
I've been here many times over the years and I almost always enjoy my food. I probably shouldn't write a review right now because my husband and I stopped in here last night only for a night cap and dessert at the bar. I promise to review again after the next time I eat dinner here. We sat at the bar and it was dead, but it was a Tuesday night, around 8:15 pm, so not surprised. The bartender was new (said it was his third day on the job). He was a little spacey or something. I think, actually, that he was bored and didn't know what to do with himself. I had an oaky glass of American Pinot noir, which was okay and then the rice pudding. You'd think those would be a terrible mix, but they went together alright. The rice pudding was out of this world. Creamy, light, and slightly lemony. Not a large serving, but it only cost $3.50. That's it for last night. Nothing in particular to mention--just wanted a night cap after having a great dinner at Zinc so we went for a (short) walk and thought Yanni's was a better choice than most others in the area for that. I'll be back and with a review of the food next time.
(4)
Cody H.
PHENOMENAL! My wife and I lived in Albuquerque for 6 years. This became one of our favorite places. When we had visitors in town, this is where we took them. HANDS DOWN, the best Crab Cakes I have ever eaten. Wonderful ambiance and great service.
(5)
Dianne W.
We've been going to Yanni's for several years, in fact we hosted our son's rehearsal dinner for about 75 people in their private dining area back in 2010. Yanni's has very good Mediterranean food and their prices are reasonable. Service was slow on our last visit, but we weren't in a hurry so didn't get ruffled feathers. The important thing to know, for dog owners, is Yanni's has an "outdoor patio" that is air conditioned. (In New Mexico dogs can accompany people to restaurants if the tables are outside.) Customers can bring their dog to Yanni's and enjoy the patio in comfort. This summer (2014) the owner is donating 10% of your meal cost to the non-profit Lap Dog Rescue of New Mexico, you must mention the promotion to the waitperson. Parking is not easy along Central Avenue in Nob Hill. Yanni's has a parking lot directly behind the restaurant, very handy.
(3)
Katelyn Q.
I really don't like to complain but I can't keep silent about the poor business that is conducted here. The "new" owner only looks at the bottom dollar and is cutting corners to save herself money anywhere she can (using canned chicken for the shredded chicken?!)- including under-staffing the kitchen...be prepared to wait forever for food and service. I will return here when it is under new ownership but I will not recommend it to anyone in the meantime. There are too many good restaurants in ABQ to waste your money here.
(1)
Tory M.
Second visit... went for some music and drinks. The margaritas were great! Ended up getting the Greek sampler app, very good. Beware the humus if you don't like garlic. Which I love, so I thought the humus was outstanding. We sat at the bar, the bartender was, in my opinion, less than good but adequate. My first visit, years ago, I remember the lamb chops were excellent. Prices are very good!
(4)
Jeanie H.
Great variety of mediterranean and vegatarian selections. The atmosphere was upscale and civilized - dining room separated in 2 large seating areas by a large bar area....plenty of dining seating. The Knob HIll area always has a great vibe to it and this was a great ending to a business week. No reservation, but we sat quickly. We shared some plates...since my fork never just stays to my plate....so got to try the lamb chops, spanokopita, humus, NY strip and moussaka, Great meal in good company!
(5)
Brianna S.
I dined here alone on a recent work trip to ABQ and was not disappointed! Yanni's offers a very pleasant dining atmosphere - not too loud, not too quiet. I had the hummus and pita app (5+ stars, I wanted to smuggle the hummus back to SF with me), greek side salad (5+ stars and only $2! what?!) and the salmon special - maple glazed, sweet potato mash, and roasted cabbage. Everything I tasted was outstanding. I only wish I had a dining companion to help me finish everything! To top off a great meal, the wait staff were very attentive and extremely friendly. Thanks for making my solo dining experience well worth it, Yanni's!
(5)
Kelley S.
My boyfriend and I made reservations for Yanni's for last Valentine's Day. First of all, the waitress didn't pay us any attention. He ordered some sort of lasagna and it was cold one bite in. He complained to her, and she returned with the SAME plate of food so she obviously just stuck it in the microwave or oven for a few minutes. I tried getting in contact with the manager the next day and no response or callback. Yanni's used to be my favorite restaurant but I will never return, even if I was paid to go back.
(1)
Shawn G.
I used to love this place... what happened? Yanni's used to be great service and good food. One or another of the owners used to always be on hand to great you an check up on quality and service. We had a dinner party for my wife's birthday Saturday Feb 22nd a party of 6. We were seated in the way back next door to the nightclub, the Opa bar, It was an early dinner and the music was so loud by 7:30 PM. We asked them to close the doors to the nightclub and they refused. we totally skipped dessert to get out quickly. They used to ask when a larger group arrived if we were here for a special occasion...nothing. The service was ...forgotten it used to be top shelf here in town now out waiter literally just took the order. My wife had a cocktail a cosmo the lemon rind full of pith not zest.. Amateur hour! I ordered a half order of chicken savaki it's generally par cooked or poached ahead of time and then fired before serving for color and warmth i could tell instantly when it came out. it was burned.. chared on the outside and crispy chicken McNuggests. I heard about the change of management previously and the labor dispute I can look past all that, but bad food, and forgetfull service and the move away from classy dinner and drinks to nightclub... better places here in town to spend my money. I don't think I'm coming back. I'm bummed we couldn't get a reservation for Cafe Antiquity that night.
(1)
Karen E.
Yanni's I can't quit you! I've been back and had the artichoke appetizer, their roast chicken and greek potatoes and their spanakopita. All so good. Reminds me of my favorite Greek place in Chicago. Thank you so much for being here!
(5)
Ashley P.
Greek food isn't all it's cracked up to be in the Albuquerque area. We've had the good, the bad, and the ugly. Yanni's is definitely the good. The rack of lamb here is AMAZING! They have lots of vegetarian choices as well that are delicious. It's a nice, upscale atmosphere, and we've never had less than stellar service here. It can get semi loud in the evening hours if you're seated near the Opa! bar- they're always super willing to seat you away from there if seating is available. The key lime pie is my favorite dessert, it's always a fabulous way to end a wonderful meal. Definitely make reservations, it can be very busy, especially on weekends.
Delicious! The lamb shank and the creme brulle were excellent!! Great place. Great little town.
(5)
Kelly A.
Love this place. . Great rack of lamb & lobster mashed potatoes! Service superb! However there Napoleon was pathetic, a joke, straight from a college students kitchenette, straight from the can of whip cream with a bit of berries. Get real!
(4)
S G.
Very disappointing. My friend and I went to Yannis on a Friday night. We wanted a cocktail. We sat at the bar in the main restaurant. There were several servers behind the bar and every single one ignored us. When we asked one of them if we could order she told us she couldn't take our order. We then moved to the bar area in Lemoni lounge. That bartender ignored us too. He was washing glasses rather than waiting on us. We gave up and walked out.
(1)
Tempie J.
I've been here a few time, always sit in Bekkas section because her service is so good! Plus she's in nursing school and we like to tip her well. Not to mention the food, ALL OF IT is amazing. My fav in the big Q. I get here very little but always have to stop in for dinner.
(5)
Megan M.
Very good Mediterranean restaurant, the meal selection and wine selection speak to the region and very well represent the culture. I had the Greek dry red wine paired with the lamb shank and lobster mash, all cooked to perfection. Service was very good and food was brought in a timely manner.
(5)
Dan R.
Had dinner at Yanni's last night with a very well-traveled friend who knows his way around a menu and was passing through on his way West. we were both delighted with the meal. We each had their wonderful pork chop (at my suggestion - I'd had it before). They were cooked perfectly, the accompanying vegetables were seasoned beautifully, and our waitress was great. That's one of the things I like so much about Yanni's - the service is unobtrusive, friendly, very efficient and completely professional. I'll keep returning.
(5)
Kimi T.
Service is excellent, food was delicious, great atmosphere! Our glasses of water were always full, the waiter frequently came to check on us, and we felt very welcome and we'll taken care of throughout our entire dining experience. Service was excellent! We ordered the hummus/pita app, which was to die for! I think this was the best hummus I've had! Tons of garlic, very flavorful. And the pita was warm and comforting. We savored every bite! For my entree, I ordered the vegetarian plate which was great because you get to sample various dishes all at once. My favorite was the moussaka. Yum! Everything we ordered blew my socks off. Even though the prices are a bit more than we expected, we definitely felt like we got a lot of food in return. Our meals came with a bowl of soup. Yeah, you read that right. A BOWL of soup. Not just a cup like most places. The lentil soup was really good. After sharing the hummus/pita appetizer and a bowl of soup, I was already full. I took a small bite of my entree and took the rest home. If you haven't been to Yanni's yet, I highly recommend giving it a shot. This place has great service, delicious food and a great atmosphere.
(5)
Mario O.
Update....not only was Yanni a horrible experience. But to top it off. They charges my CC twice. Now I have to dispute it with my bank...BEWARE OF Yanni's! !!
(1)
Phyllis H.
It's Friday and after reading a couple of not-so-good reviews, if I hadn't been here many times before, I might have hesitated to head to the bar for takeout on a Friday. But the Greek gods smiled on me once more. A gracious bartender welcomed me warmly and as an older woman not dressed up, that merits big points. He recommended a great Sauv Blanc while waiting for my order, was happy to substitute an item on my meal, !and even let me taste the high end wine the staff was tasting. What's not to like? I know the food will (lamb chops) will be excellent
(5)
Carolyn B.
Delicious, original vegetarian food (along with meat dishes I can't comment on). Lots of veggie choices. We had the stuffed squash and a special veggie option - both of which were yummy and sophisticated. Nice, upscale atmosphere. Our waitress was delightful, the prices very reasonable. Even though we didn't have a reservation - on a weekend night - they seated us quickly at a nice window table and treated us like royalty. Definitely will be back!
(5)
Daniel W.
Afraid I have to buck the trend here and give this one a solid "meh." The food is pretty decent, but nothing special. The waitress wouldn't let us take our time and was, frankly, a little pushy for my tastes. Atmosphere less than posh. Garage door windows and wrought iron chairs? Practical I'm sure, but not impressive. Plenty of places to go for food just as good as this but at significantly lower prices. Won't bother coming back.
(2)
Sarah N.
I am a huge fan of Yannis. The food is great and the service is good. My star rating for the restaurant would be high but.... Opa bar offers a great happy hour weeknights with a nice selection of food items and drinks at a wonderful price. However the bar staff is almost no existent, the bartender is offers very slow service, unfortunately most of the orders are incomplete and sometimes completely forgotten. I think this is why Opa is empty most nights.
(2)
Local 1.
Yanni's has changed. The food is inconsistent in flavor & quality. It hasn't been really good in about 3 years. For example, I ordered a Greek salad with gyro meat today for lunch. The dressing was flavorless or absent, there were 2 grape tomatoes, and 2 slices of cucumber for $9. The gyro meat was tough & dry, almost like carne seca. The waitress brought the bread after our food arrived. No refills on water or soda. The house dressing used to be delicious. It's sad to see another Albuquerque restaurant decline in quality.
(3)
Lena M.
I used to love this place. It would always be a treat going. About a month ago I went for lunch and the food was cold and the waiter was rude and anything but attentive. I thought I would give it another try and I terribly regret it. I would have had a better meal at Taco Bell- at least the food would have been warm. I ordered a soup and an artichoke. The soup was cold and the artichoke was soggy. Not to mention the lipstick on my glass when I first arrived. The worst part of all of it is that the manager never came to apologize for the mistakes and terrible service. Step it up Yannis.
(1)
Nate L.
Excellent lamb (and they have something like 3-4 different varieties) and our party of four tried them all and they were amazing!
(4)
Tricia K.
A good upscale Greek restaurant that is an institution in the ABQ Nob Hill area. We come here on special occasions because it is rather pricey but the portions are large and the food is very good. This is the place to eat rack of lamb in the area because it is done perfectly. The appetizers and main entrees are very good but this place could use a pastry chef. for the desserts. Yanni's is also one of the few places that has live music and dancing on the weekends making it a good place to spend an evening with a date.
(4)
Clayton A.
Yanni's didn't blow my mind like I was expecting it to considering all the wonderful things I'd heard about it, but it still provided a solidly good meal for my family and out-of-town guests. We started with the appetizer platter and calamaria and both were superb. I like the calamari for the spiciness and the fact that it was so tender--- something that can at times surprise you when you know fully well that you're in New Mexico. The app platter included some delicious pita bread and some of the best hummus I've had in a long time --- everyone in our group remarked how good it was. There was also spanakopita, which wasn't entirely noteworthy but wasn't bad either. I then receieve a hearty bowl of lentil soup and quickly demolished it; so yes, you can interpret that as an endorsement. For main plates, we all were exchanging bites, so I was able to taste the pastitsio, braised lamb ragout, and the dish I ordered: salmon rigatoni. I was content with my salmon, especially for the spicy cream sauce that really meshed well with the pasta and fish. I polished off my plate, which once again is a useful measure of how much I liked it. The pastitsio was too sweet for my taste and seemed to be lacking in the flavor department, and judging by the fact that my wife didn't finish it, I suspect she had the same opinion. My cousin's ragout looked like a risotto and tasted fair; I just wasn't too impressed with the taste of the lamb. I mostly like lamb, but on this occasion I wasn't enticed to have more than a bite. I must add that the bread and olive oil here were divine and we easily could've just made a meal of this. Also, my aunt had a tea that was one of the most refreshing and tasty I can ever say I've tasted. It was fruity, lightly sweetened and had vanilla added and was the type of drink you could easily go through a pitcher (maybe even a keg) of. Overall, a good restaurant but not quite deserving of the overwhelming hype that surrounds it.
(4)
Peter S.
This was the best Greek food that we have tried in ABQ. We were seated promptly, and the server offered us water and a drink. We tried the oven baked goat cheese appetizer and it was good. Make sure u don't overdo it on the house bread and crackers. They are made fresh there at the restaurant, the outside is crusty and interior melts in our mouth. My wife and I split a full order of lamb chops (8 ribs) for $34. Great deal. The lamb was succulent. The house cab was paired with it and was good too. We enjoyed the salted caramel cheesecake. To die for!!! This place is a keeper. We'll definitely return...
(5)
Kevin H.
We dinned at Yanni's for a late lunch as we often do on Saturdays. The food was good as usual but the server was out to lunch! She screwed up our whole order and even forgot to bring one item. She eventually remembered and delivered it after we had finished our meal. There is no accuse for her behaviour. There were only 3 tables total in the room. Her lack of service left a bad taste in our mouths. Next time we will choose some place else for our late lunches. I was totally aggravated with the server. Not something that I like to have with my lunch!
(2)
Erin K.
Upon arriving the hostess panicked like a chicken with her head cut off and told us we'd have to wait for a table. That's fine, I totally understand since I didn't make a reservation. She then ran off, so we figured ok, I guess we'll sit at the bar. Not very "host-like". When we got to our table there were several servers around but not one of them even glanced in our direction. Finally our server came over and took our orders and got us some friggin' glasses of water. My husband had the drink special for the night, chile margarita. Usually when a drink is on special, it's cheaper than usual. They didn't list or tell us the price of course, so we were shocked when we got our bill and they were $13 each! I can't imagine that was a reduced price, and for a typical margarita that tasted like a premix. I ordered the spanakopita plate, which was listed on the menu as coming with garlic mashed potatoes. Instead I got some typical rice and crappy veggies with ok spanakopita. The spanakopita wasn't bad, but definitely not worth the price. I have had so much better for about $10 less. The salted caramel cheesecake was very tasty, but we probably won't be back. The service and meal were worth about 1/10th of our $100 bill.
(1)
Nicole O.
Such a great place to take business lunches. Good prices, good food and atmosphere. Not to mention a fun place for friends and date nights. Great happy hour and great talent playing on the weekends from the Albuquerque area at the Opa bar as well. Must try.
(4)
Richard B.
This is one of my favorite restaurants in Albuquerque. The service was great! I had the Green Chili Chicken Lasagna and it was specular. The serving was large enough to split so I ended up having it for dinner too. The restroom was spotless as was the entire restaurant. I like the white table cloths and the fresh baked bread with spiced olive oil. Enjoy!
(5)
Laurie L.
Never a bad meal here. I grew up in Nob Hill so I enjoy returning once in awhile just to see what's new and usually always end up at Yanni's. The last time I was here I had a stuffed acorn squash that was out of this world. My husband had the New York strip and it was delicious. The service was outstanding. I've not been disappointed ever by Yanni's.
(5)
Dan C.
This place is alright. Parking here is like finding a needle in a haystack (I recommend the back lot around the building). I had the tabouli, rice/meat dish and beef grape leaves. Yes, beef grape leaves. They were not as savory as I wanted them to be, but they were good nonetheless. The lemon sauce that they use is just lightly tart, and service is pleasant and fast. The food didn't wow me like Kanella's does in Philly, but I'd recommend this place over any others if you have a hankering for Greek.
(3)
Cyrus T.
Excellent menu of upscale Greek or Greek inspired dishes. Good service. Full bar with decent wine list. Amazing bread baked locally. Altogether a great experience at a reasonable price for what you get. I highly recommend the rack of lamb.
(4)
Jesse L.
Where do I begin??? I am baffled at the events that took place tonight. Normally I give little credence to circumstances that take place at restaurants but given my training in customer service I cannot help but comment. After arriving at Yanni's after making a reservation, we were offered a table that only seated 4 despite having a party of six. After declining we were given a table in the back corner away from the entire restaurant. I wish I would have taken a picture to demonstrate this... no exaggeration. I let this go very quickly since randomness is part of life. Upon sitting, my son was waking up from the car ride after caring him into the restaurant. Since the table wasn't ready due to the aforementioned, he was very cranky. He wanted to sit at the bar where only one person was sitting over 4 seats away. The bartender jokingly said "Are you 21"? "We only allowed 21 and over at the bar." I got him down since I could not tell if he was joking or not. The table was finally ready and we sat down. My son (3.5 yrs) was still cranky and insisted sitting at the bar( a different part). Since we were do far away from everyone (literally 15-20 ft away) I let him sit at the edge of the bar to settle down which was totally away from the entire main area. No sooner than I was speaking to the waiter about the wine selection, my older daughter was asked poignantly, "Is he yours"? By an unidentified woman wearing casual clothing. When my daughter didn't answer the woman became irritated and went on about how the bartender will not have this behavior etc. Meanwhile I am trying to order drinks for the entire table not fully aware of the situation. My wife then filled me in on the occurrences that took place and I was shocked. I then asked the waitress who the person was and she informed me that person was the owner. Wow! I am still confused as to why we didn't leave on the spot but since it was a Friday night and I had a small army of starving people I used my best judgement to putt family's hunger before my pride. I am perplexed as to how a mature restaurant owner could possible behave so rudely to her customers??? She could have mitigated the situation and showed some grace but instead she chose the blunt and rude path. As for the food... We all had some salads and the baked chicken but it was not enjoyable as my wife and I perseverated on the events. We issued a formal complaint to the waitress but no one came to our table nor did we receive any apology. So as an out of town guest I am floored the level of poor level of behavior we witnessed here. We have travelled all over the world and have had far superior service in some of the remote locations by people with 1/1000th the wealth but infinitely more class, grace and sophistication. Again, wow!!! But maybe she was just having a bad night and decided to take all her trouble on a 3 year old kid??? Btw I love Yelp :)
(1)
Robert B.
Had brunch here on a Saturday. Ordered the baklava French toast - really good! The side of bacon had only 2 pieces. The Greek coffee was so-so, kinda watery. In general, the food was good, and the decor was quite nice. But the place is a bit fancy and over priced. It tries to be fine dining, but ends up being a bit pretentious. The staff was my main issue - aloof and inattentive. Nice enough, but not good in general. I got one water refill in 2 hours, and had to ask for that. And no, the place wasn't crowded, so that's not it. Granted, I've only got one experience here, so this may be an anomaly. In summary, food good but over priced, quantities good, and service sub-par.
(3)
Laura V.
After going back to Yanni's a few times since my first review, I felt the need to bring it down a few stars unfortunately. In my first review I wondered why the place was always empty (in the bar). The food is great and the drink specials are really one of the best in town. However the bar service has been really slow and often inacccurate all times we've been there, to the point of being distracting. I know it's a relaxed, casual atomosphere, so I am not expecting a crazy bustling night club experience, but it is difficult to enjoy yourself when you are constantly trying to get the bartender's attention. Overall I still enjoy Yanni's but i just wish for a bit more attention paid by the bar staff.
(3)
Jerri U.
Fresh hot bread. Delicious Artichoke appetizer. Skip the beef-filled grape leaves. Greek salad left a lot to be desired. Egg lemon soup was good. Pleasant atmosphere and good service
(3)
Laura I.
Had dinner before the show here as you get 10% if you have tickets. Very good service. Excellent lemon, chicken, rice soup. The best part was the mint chocolate martini. I drank my dessert ;-)
(4)
Pete M.
Very nice atmosphere. Nicer than I expected from looking at their web page photo. Had Saganaki and beef dolthmathes for appetizers. Both tasty. Saganaki was flamed but not near as spectacular as I would have hoped for. One of my sons had a half rack of lamb, the other had the Meditteranean Pasta and I had the old standby, lamb chops! All were flavorful, in fact the lamb was awesome. I've been known to make a Greek lamb chop or two and this lamb was awesome. You could tell they have sourced great lamb and it was prepared medium rare as we had ordered. Our waitress was very professional and friendly in her service. I almost thought she was Greek from the way she pronounced "Dolma" but when it came time to tell me what brand Ouzo they had her pronunciation was a dead giveaway that she was not Greek.
(4)
Randy P.
Was very excited to find a Greek restaurant while in town on business. Close, great location and atmosphere as well as impressed with the menu on first glance. Special appetizer of the night was steamed artichoke. As good as the app looked, it was stone cold and bland; very disappointing. Ordered a Greek Salad and asked for Gyro meat as an addition. Was shocked when my server informed me "we don't serve Gyro meat for dinner." SERIOUSLY...is this not a Greek Restaurant. Ordered the Greek Salad with Fillet Medallions. Salad was very skimpy and fillet medallions were nothing to rave about. Again, very disappointing entree. Final thought, over priced, disappointing, bland food. Not a place I would consider patronizing.
(1)
Lotus G.
Yanni's has gone down the tubes in the last year. WoW! It is always dead and now I know why. The last two times I have been there in the last 2 months-- the service has gone down hill and the food has too. Was there tonight and the waitress forgot about us. THere were only 4 tops filled with people -- the waitress forgot to fill my tea, forgot the bread, my greek salad had one tomato, one cucumber piece and a few onions --where were the olives?, and my mom ordered a salad with calamari -- the dressing was on the side and there was ONLY lettuce-- the dressing should have been mixed in. Not going back-- will stick with Nik and Jimmys as at least they have a similar menu and don't charge extra for a salad with an entree -- plus they give you spanakopita as a appetizer for free!! Wished Yanni's was doing better --
(1)
Charlene H.
Pretty good. Went there last night for Valentines and they had a special vday menu. Ordered their Greek combination platter and crab and spinach dip. Delicious!
(4)
Kristy H.
My first time here for happy hour and I was pleasantly surprised. The happy hour apparizer specials were delicious and they had good drink specials, add in a great atmosphere and it can't be anything less than a fantastic evening out!
(4)
Lisa M.
The food was bland and almost tasted like it came from a can. My husband and I could hardly stomach eating half our meal. Well letting someone know all we got was a "Sorry" he doesn't know what happened and they came to the table with a free piece of cake we didn't even want. This is not a place I would visit again.
(1)
Joni K.
I had the opportunity to eat at Yanni's Mediteranean Bar & Grill on Central Avenue in Albuquerque recently. I ordered the pork shish-kababs. I don't know why I ordered it because as you all know, ordering pork is an iffy proposition - usually tough and dry. I was so pleasantly surprised when my pork kababs arrived. They were moist and flavorful...just right. I would recommend Yanni's and look forward to eating there again.
(4)
Roland P.
Yanni's is an institution in Albuquerque's trendy Nob Hill along Central. It has been serving great food and providing excellent service for decades. They are primarily a Greek restaurant but have entrees that will please anyone. I love their lemon chicken soup served with most menu items. Their steaks and Roast Beef are excellent. We recently had their Trout Almondene and it was absolutely fantastic. The restaurant's atmosphere is relaxing and comfortable without music blaring at you from ceiling speakers. There is a nice bar area available with live music on the weekends. When my wife and I are looking for a great meal at reasonable prices in a relaxing atmosphere, Yannis is where we go. Highly recommended
(4)
mike d.
I haven't eaten at Yanni's. Why? Because I called at 5pm and they said they'd be open to 9:45. I arrived at 8:30 and they said they were closing early and refused to seat us. Totally unacceptable since I had to drive across town to get there, then drive 20 mins to another restaurant.
(1)
Maresa T.
Yum, Yum, Yum, I love a place with oodles of great vegetarian options and this is great Greek place with good hummis and pita too. Love the vegetarian lentil soup and cucumber/tomato salad. Nice parking attendant and safe for women alone at night to go here too.
(5)
JacqueLin O.
In my recent visit to Albuquerque, I naturally had to make my way to Yanni's. I was SO excited because it would be my BF's first time trying this Mediterranean Restaurant I'd been raving about. I don't know if my new found passion as a yelper has turned me into a food snob, but I sadly must admit, I was NOT all that impressed. The restaurant looks great, the new Opa bar has been finished nicely. We went on a Thursday afternoon so there was NO waiting or anything. We got to sit in the first room inside as it is not quite warm enough in New Mexico yet to open the large window in the "outside" area. I was eager to try something new as I can't ever remember being disappointed at Yanni's. As of recent, I've been in a quest to find impeccable Greek and Mediterranean cuisine where ever I visit. Though my theory could be flawed, I do judge a lot of the restaurants success by it's Gyro. I feel it is a staple in the Greek diet and should be perfected at every restaurant that serves Greek food. I've never ordered a Gyro from Yanni's before. This time, the BF and I decided it would be a hearty meal and most likely it would be good considering the rep that Yanni's previously had with me. We ordered the pita and hummus as appetizer along with Kalamata olives. The waitress brought out our hummus and waters, fresh bread and oil. I always love the bread and oil. It's crispy outside and soft warm inside is such a treat and sets a great tone for what you'd think would be a great meal and USUALLY is. The hummus was just okay for me. It didn't have any outstanding flavors and I found myself squeezing lemon on the pita bread, which WAS good. It was warm and fresh. I really don't think Pita can be served any other way. If it is, shame on you. We waited for our olives and they didn't come. The gyros came out fast and my friend Amanda joined us just before our food came out. She ordered the avgolemono soup and a side salad (greek). Our gyros were VERY small. I was shocked initially because every Greek place I've been to makes them so big I have to save half. I looked inside and noticed they used chicken breast instead of gyro meat, which is shaved process meat and it's mixed with dark meat not just breast. The BF ordered a regular gyro which is lamb and beef. I hoped the Gyro tasted better than it looked, I felt a sense of disappointment come over me by the looks of it. Needless to say, it was not. *smh* Yanni, the echoing opa you had left in my heart has faded! These gyros were bland, I couldn't even taste the tzatziki. I was VERY disappointed. The boyfriend and I exchanged looks and I could see he felt the same. It was under seasoned, small and tasteless. The waitress offered us more bread and brought us out a new basket. The BF eagerly filled up on it as I could see he wasn't satisfied. The side salads were okay, they had a lot of feta and fresh veggies but I couldn't taste a flavorful dominating dressing. I sampled my friend Amanda's avgolemono soup, and as always it tasted amazing. My lesson could be to stick to what I know, however, if EVERYTHING on the menu isn't spectacular, it's a little disappointing. I've been to Yanni's many many times and have always been satisfied. I would reccomend the plates, fish, filo wrap, pizzas and DEFINITELY the soup. Perhaps it was a bad day, perhaps the quality of food has gone down. This experience was more of a NOPA than an opa for me. LOL We still never got our olives.
(3)
Justin D.
Great food! A little pricey but the staff is always excellent!
(4)
Jules G.
See, THIS is why it's imperative to try a place more than once before you set out to review. Lend me your ears as I proceed to tell the saddest story ever about my Yanni's experience... I've enjoyed Yani's throughout the years. I've never been to Greece and the only person I've known from Greece was a super hot exchange student back in 1984. So yeah, my experience with "authentic" Greek food is pretty much zero. But, I do recognize "authentic" flavors, cooking styles and seasoning and, in the past, thought Yanni's took dining in Albuquerque to new heights. Something has gone terribly wrong. I heard rumors about an unhappy cooking staff and I think they might be true. On my last (read: LAST) visit, I was almost moved to tears by such a horrible experience. What was once a truly sublime morsel, the artichoke was dry and mealy, even with all that butter and garlic. So sad. I always order the lamb chops for my entree. Always. Because they've always been fab, that's why. Fab chops no more. Ordered medium rare, they were tough and fatty and, get your tissues ready. devoid of any flavor. Even sadder. Tried a taste of my Dad's stuffed flounder and literally spit it out. In my napkin, of course. I'm a lady. Mushy and bland. Like flounder baby food, and who wants that, except for baby flounders? And, um, let's talk service, or, should I say, LACK of service? Our server brought our drinks and proceeded to spill mine all over me. Hey man, I can dig that accidents happen. It was his reaction that baffled me- "Huh. They made that too full". And... walked away. No extra napkins. No apology. No second drink, leaving me to suck my Old Fashioned out of my shirt and jeans. He continued to bump me, plop (not place) my order in front of me and projected a general attitude of disdain, like I had done him wrong at some point. What, WHAT did I do? Tell me what I can do to make things right, oh server whom I've never met? It's not like I get Greek food cravings all that often, so ain't no thang that I won't be going back, but it does bum me out that, like it's country's once glorious empire, Yanni's is going dooooown.
(2)
Tom L.
I've been to Yanni's a few times over the years and have never been disappointed. The prices can be high but you get what you pay for. On our last visit (6 of us total) I got the Filet Medallions and my wife got a Greek Sampler plate. We also ordered appetizers of their Hummus and a dip with garlic, crab, etc. Everything was excellent and our entire party (including 2 vegetarians) were all very impressed & satisfied. Service was also excellent and it made for a great evening together! I'd definitely recommend Yanni's.
(4)
Philip C.
Consistent, clean, good service. The food is good, but terribly over-priced for what it is. The presentation isn't anything special and the ingredients don't seem to be premium in any way. They could definitely step it up on the presentation piece. It's definitely better than Applebee's or similar so don't get me wrong - you'll definitely have a good meal here that is consistent each time you visit, but you'll pay more than you would want. Over the course of several visits, I've tried various things - chicken souvlaki, ribeye, rack of lamb - all pretty decent. Yanni's isn't bad, but it isn't stellar.
(3)
J W.
I LOVE Mediterranean food and was so glad to have found this place in Albuquerque New Mexico!!!! :D The house specialty drinks are awesome, don't forget to give that a try. When in doubt, go with the combination platter, or the lamb! The moussaka was great as well :) It was delicious food, though I thought a little over priced for New Mexico!
(4)
Ania A.
The best Greek place in town, hands down! Try the lemon chicken soup!
(5)
Natilee M.
Yanni's was suggested by one of the managers in the hotel I was staying in while visiting the ABQ and my parents and I really enjoyed our meal. We started off with soup: the lentil was ok but the lemon chicken soup (Avgolemono) was amazing! Very lemony and a perfect starter, although it may be a little insubstantial for a meal replacement. I was needing lighter fare after eating lots of heavy New Mexican food the earlier part of the week so I had the salmon which came with lemon-garlicy veggies and roasted potatoes. Delicious. My parents got more standard Greek fare: Moussaka and the combo plate which had dolmades, pastitsio, spanakopita, and veggies/potatoes. We all tasted a bit of everything and it was all fresh and authentic with complex but light flavors. A finer dining experience with reasonable prices for the ambience/food quality (ie entrees under $25).
(4)
Joanna B.
My little sister's rehearsal dinner was held here, and boy was I happy. To start, we were served calamari in a deliciously tangy cocktail-like sauce, a basket of Greek breads with olive oil to dip, and spanakopita. Next came the salad with Feta, Greek olives and a wonderful dressing. I had the wood-grilled salmon. Buttery and flaky and just plain good. My brother had the lamb shank, so I stole a bite. It was marinated in a red wine sauce and reminded both of us slightly of adobo. All in all a great meal. Definitely recommend.
(4)
Greg J.
My favorite nice restaurant in ABQ. Best artichoke ever!
(5)
Bella B.
Great place to always dine, one of my favorites for years, Nick is always there, pretty good for the owner that says alot in my book. "Souvlaki" and crab & artichoke dip, with one of Kathy's drink at OPA next door you cant beat it. Love it
(5)
Jonathan O.
The rack of lamb is delish but expensive. The mixed greek combo dish was passing fair but nothing to write home about. Mostly I find this place over priced and pretentious. Try the little greek place by the university, its not great either but at a third the price its a steal.
(3)
Ruthie Y.
This is a very nice upscale restaurant. I visited around noon on a Thursday, and although the place was busy, we were able to get a seat right away. The interior is FABulous, and stark blue/white color scheme is about as Greek as it gets. I sampled the pita and hummus appetizer, as well as the salmon cake. Good hummus, blah pita, unique and tasty salmon cake. I ordered the Greek salad for my main course, which didn't have much too it besides the greens. The feta dressing made up for that, though. GOOD, fresh feta. I also sampled the gyros, which had intense, wonderful flavor. Our server couldn't have been better. I was quite tired that day, but it never took her more than a minute to note my empty coffee cup. :) Yanni's is a little pricey, and there's a slightly pretentious atmosphere, but an overall good dining experience.
(4)
Courtney S.
Nice place for a meal, open airy feeling, friendly staff good food. It was a good place to meet up with some cousins in ABQ. We went for an early dinner, so we were pretty casual, but it could easily be a place to get dressy later on. The bar next door looked really swanky cool. Food was excellent-- our table got two veggie dishes, filet of sole, and the Greek plate (all beef items), and we all liked it. The wine selection was pretty decent, too.
(4)
Sarah C.
we went there on a monday night. sat down and saw the happy hour specials, and that they were only served at the bar. so we asked to move there, even the bar wasn't open the moved us over and let eat the food at happy hour prices. they made me a good apple-tini. good kobe sliders. good cheese lit on fire. everything was good. and since it was on happy hour prices our meal for the 3 of us came to $45. yummy yummy food, and the portions weren't that big, but they were filling.
(4)
Mike P.
Classic Greek food- This is one of my favorite places in Nob hill- The food is always good as is the service- One of my favoirte dishes is their Steak- i was suprised to find a cut of meat that good at a greek reasturant and the potatoes are fantastic- I recently had a networking event in the Opa bar and the appetizers where impressive- again not what you would expect but their pizza and fish taco's where fantastic-For a traditoinal greek meal or just a nice date night its a great place to unwind and relax- Also Chris and Nicole the owners are always there to make sure your meal is perfect
(5)
Hiker Chicka e.
I really like Yanni's although I hate lamb with a vengeance. Isn't Greek food synonymous with lamb? The food is flavorful and fresh. The rice dishes are delicious and so is the freshly baked bread. The interior is beautiful and therefore well suited for a special occasions. And according to Samantha J. the owner has a private jet and contributes to 2008 Presidential candidate Bill Richardson's causes. Hmm... please be aware a cent of each spanikopita goes to the Chief, whether you love or hate him.
(4)
Karen S.
Went here on a Monday night to celebrate with my sister. Food and service was excellent. I had the stuffed acorn squash and it was fantastic. The blending of flavors and the creative use of dried tomatoes and artichokes was amazing. And instead of the squash rolling around on the plate it was resting on a bed of garlic mashed potatoes. Nice work.
(5)
Chupacabra X.
Usually very good. And occasionally SPECTACULAR. Prices are a bit high to eat here as often as I'd like to, but worth it when I do. The bar is a great addition for the more casual crowd. Park behind the restaurant on crowded evenings, there's a gentleman there that will keep an eye on your car.
(4)
Ivan H.
We were on a business trip in Albuquerque from Salt Lake City, and asked the people we were doing business with where is a good place to eat, they suggested Yanni's. One of them mentioned he had never had a bad meal there. I have to say now, I know why. The menu is very difficult, everything sound good. Even though I wasn't all that hungry, I wanted to try everything so I ordered the Combination Greek Platter. It had a good helping of everything, and it was all delicious. So many different flavors and textures on one platter. We had the Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna and the Steamed Jumbo Artichoke for an appetizer. On all accounts this has to be the best Mediterranean food I have eaten, and I have been all over the US and world and ate at a lot of different restaurants and cuisines. Absolutely wonderful, my only regret is that you are so far from my residence, and I am not sure how long it will take for me to return. I highly recommend this restaurant for food and ambiance.
(5)
Rob F.
This is a very good Albuquerque restaurant. My only meal there was a pasta dish with salad. First rate everything. Food was tasty and fresh, service was friendly and accommodating. It was a weeknight and the place was packed.
(4)
Glen L.
Really delicious Greek place. The interior of the restaurant is beautiful. I always order the pork chop and sub the mashed potatoes for fresh vegetables. They have a wonderful blueberry bread pudding for dessert. You MUST have it! This is a very popular restaurant in Albuquerque. The owners are prominent Democrats in New Mexico. During lunch it's a big place for business meetings. The owners have added a small bar, Opa, to the interior of the establishment. A nice place to have a drink while you wait for your dinner companions.
(4)
Trey G.
My wife will disagree on this one. I thought the appetizer and lamb entree were spectacular. We made the unfortunate mistake of drinking Greek wine and my wife may have chosen the wrong entree (a vegetarian platter). However, it took me back to Athens and I would definitely recommend this place for a family or low key date.
(4)
Jeanne H.
It is very easy to make a full meal of appetizers here. The saganaki (flaming cheese) is my favorite. Everything is fresh and the service is always good. This is my favorite greek place.
(4)
Ronda T.
We really enjoyed the food. Good service. I was surprised how much I enjoyed the coffee after dinner. It is located in the eclectic Nob Hill.
Try the flaming cheese ! Seriously, a friend told me to try it, and it did not disappoint. Plus, who can resist food that sounds like the name of a band.
(4)
Andy J.
Very solid Greek restaurant. The dolmas were delicious and my meal was also good. It was a little pricey, but not too bad.
(3)
Michael R.
Yanni's has, for years, been a strong favorite for us. We love their lamb dishes, especially the Braised Lamb Shank, with its exceptional sauce. Salads, wines & service are always quite good.
(5)
Tatiana E.
Unfortunately I have to give Yannis only 2 stars - and even that is pushing it. I have had several bad experiences with this place. Generally, the food is pretty good, but when it's bad it's BAD and the management could give a hoot if you are unhappy. Examples include: one time my husband got a very expensive steak, which had a HUGE vein-type thing running right through the middle, making it hard to eat and not very delicious. When he pointed this out to the owner/manager, he said "Oh well that happens sometimes, but we can offer you a free dessert." Not enough. A second very bad experience was a large graduation dinner for me and my family. The service was terrible and the pork dish was very salty. Again, they offered a free dessert - but did not offer to take back the inedible dish. When we complained about the server and his attitude, the manager decided to tell the server while we were still sitting at the table eating, and then the server came over and got into my sister's face about how we thought he was giving us bad service - all around bad attitudes and VERY unprofessional behavior. Most recently, I walked in with my son (while waiting for my husband and another couple to meet us) and we did not have a reservation, but there were MANY open tables. Instead of seating me in any one of the open tables they just stood there and watched me chase a toddler around the restaurant. It just felt silly to stand there and wait when there were clearly tons of open tables and it was not a busy evening. I'm consistently dissatisfied with the service, and although I generally enjoy the food, it's not worth the hassle.
(2)
Samantha J.
Ok, the man who owns this restaurant is a genuine greek mafia type importer/exporter who gives the Governor millions of dollars, and loans his private jet to politicians. He is also super friendly and a local celebrity of sorts. The one thing that ensures that your experience at this greek restaurant is spectacular is this man- he is at his own restaurant 24/7, in fact he often is the one who takes you to your table and makes you feel like you are the butter in his bread. I think this is the missing ingrediant from many restaurants these days, the owners are some anonymous, money hoarding, no-shows who just count paychecks somewhere but leave the dirty work to their staff, this is not the case here, because this larger than life restauranteur is present it makes for excellent service, great food, and a clean and pleasant environment, his staff is frightened into submission but in a very productive and good way, he is their sergeant and they are the soldiers and Yanni's never misses a beat because of it. Get the greek salad, and any of the greek classic dishes, also get the baklava sundae at the end.
(4)
Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.
Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.
Address :3109 Central Ave NE
Albuquerque, NM, 87106
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Accepts Bitcoin : No Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : Yes Smoking : No Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Greek food is a fine melody of the finest pressed olive oil, fresh fermented bread, colorful vegetables, juicy meat, sea food all cooked in spices and fresh rosemary. The people from Greek were great scholars who aimed to excel in everything they do. The results are quite visible in their food as they are the inventors of olive oil which is beneficial to health. Greeks also made different type of wines from the best quality of grapes fermented in controlled environment.
Today, you can find hundreds of restaurants offering authentic Greek food or popularly termed as Mediterranean cuisine in New York city alone. People wait in line to taste the exotic Greek dishes like saganaki, taramasalata, souvlaki, loukoumades, spanakopita, moussaka, and many more. One thing which most people like about these authentic Greek dishes is abundant use of lemon juice, olive oil, fresh rosemary and sea salt. A smart mix of few ingredients can virtually take you on the pebble streets of beautiful city of Greece.
For those who don't have time to enjoy fine dining should try tasting the famous souvlaki with pita which is type of meat dish, also a trademark Greek fast food. For those who are vegetarian, or vegan can try different versions of Greek Salad. So, if you wish to enjoy a hearty yet healthy meal that tastes divine then try dining at the best Greek restaurant in your city. Greek cuisine not only tastes good but also help maintain your body in a natural way through healthy diet.
Nick P.
Tasty. Muy Tasty. We landed were hungry and my aunt took us to Yannis. Here I am looking for a new Mexican cuisine and we go to a Greek restaurant. Boy were we surprised I have the rack of lamb chops over salad with cucumbers and watermelon and the spicy chili mashed potatoes it was amazing. She had these stuffed poblano chile which was amazing with quinoa and god knows what else was in there. The bread was so fresh and the service was really friendly and fast. I highly recommend it and would absolutely plan to be back.
(4)Bryan D.
Enjoyed a lovely Sunday afternoon brunch there this past weekend. We split a bottle of Retsina, just because it seemed the right thing to do and we do enjoy it. Very good crusty French bread with olive oil and herb seasoning to dunk it started it all off. Good fried calamari with an herb-infused breading on top of a puddle of horseradish red sauce (with extra red pepper in it and lemon) and a nice hummus with veggies and pita made the brief wait for our main courses very pleasant. Mine was a gyros sandwich with a good thick tzatziki, hers a beautifully crafted dish of tomatoes, mozzarella, heirloom tomato slices, and grilled scallops, topped with lightly fried onion strings She called it "the Tower of Power". I love a place that is reasonably priced but takes care to present quality ingredients attractively. That said, the gyros meat slices were good but not five-star good- have had better. Still a very satisfactory offering if Greek cuisine leads you to street-type food. Attentive but inobtrusive service and a lovely spot by the open bay onto the Nob Hill Central Ave street scene passing by. Will definitely go back.
(4)Tony M.
Has been a while since I had been to Yannis for a meal. I was seated on the patio and server spent most of the time in main room. Most of the time glasses were empty. As for the food the crab cake had so much Lemon in the sauce you could not taste the crab. The lobster and pasta had two small pieces of lobster and sauce lacked salt. Overall not what I remembered it to be.
(2)Paul H.
Great food, excellent atmosphere and fast, friendly service! Both times I've been here have been great experiences.
(5)Bill W.
Lunch was OK, nothing to brag about. They need to clean the dark greasy spot on the door into the men's room.
(3)David W.
Food was great, but was a little disappointed in the service. We got there early because we were on our way to a concert. We were one of four tables seated, and they were fully staffed for the dinner rush (7 wait staff plus 2 bartenders). Most of the staff was lounging around chatting with each other while we had to flag down our waitress twice for drink refills. We will likely be back because the food was so good, hopefully we get better service next time.
(4)Catherine C.
So I had dinner here on a Saturday night and it wasn't that crowded. Our waitress was very personable and the atmosphere felt legit. I had the halibut kabob which came with wild rice and wilted spinach. The halibut was perfectly cooked and seasoned. The rice was good, but a little too lemon-y. The spinach was absolutely delicious. Overall, I had an awesome experience here and I would come again any time.
(5)Melissa F.
I've never written a review before because my experiences at restaurants have always been amazing. This place is horrible. It all started with the parking Nazi. That's enough to make you stay away. The service was horrible. I have never been treated with such disrespect before in my life. Unless you want to be treated like crap, stay away. The food was ok. Go somewhere else. It's Nob Hill, there are plenty of other places to eat with amazing ambiance and service.
(1)Marissa S.
The food was just ok. Way too expensive for how it tasted! Everyone at our table that ordered drinks from the bars was disappointed. Our waitress took forever to take our order. After the food came she never once checked on us. And then had the audacity to charge us a 20% tip. She really didn't deserve it. The place is clean which was nice. The crab dip was good. Other than that I wouldn't return.
(2)Barbara H.
What happened to this place ?? Stopped in on the night of summerfest , knew they would be busy ..... Bartender was super friendly( I'm hoping they don't have to wear those stupid blue toga things they had on all the time, curiosity might drag me back here to see) we ordered the "summerfest special" margarita , a pre-made mediocre one at that for ten bucks ! Kidding me!! Ugh and an argh.... The place just looks dumpy now ... Filthy walls, filthy ottoman( why is that there anyhow) pint glasses on the floor, broken wine glasses at patrons table(while they are still sitting there). For the love of us old yannis regulars, give this restaurant back to your ex-husband and let him run it right...
(2)Shauna D.
The food is not too bad, but I was very surprised when I received french bread and olive oil, and no pita bread with my Chicken Souvlaki... The chicken was well seasoned and cooked, and the tzatziki sauce was very good too, but the veggies were bland and soggy. Definitely not what I was expecting for the $15 price tag
(2)Celeste W.
Love this place! Hadn't been in a little while -- and just had a fabulous dinner! Love all the new menu items. 5 star service from Miranda, who brought samples of new beers on tap. The owner even came by to say hello. We won't wait to come back again!
(5)Kristie A.
Actually visited the Lemoni Lounge portion of the restaurant. Awesome live music tonight ! Service was good but there was some confusion on the happy hour - arrived at 8pm and when 930 arrived ordered a second round based on the happy hour mentioned to us by our server to find out our drinks weren't happy hour when we got the bill...Lesson learned - ask what specific drinks are covered.
(3)Selena N.
When I visit Albuquerque this is one of my favorite places to go. This last time I got the veggie platter. I loved everything that came with it. Even got a side of garlic mashed potatoes. My only feedback would be that with the Spanikopita there should be tzadiki (sp?). It just goes with it in my opinion, and to not have it was disappointing. I did ask for a side....but really it should come with it. Other than that though the food was awesome and the service was as well. This is one of my favorite places in Albuquerque. :)
(4)M L.
Food mehh.... not great, service mehh...not great, prices wohhhhh wohhhh wohhhh, horribly overpriced for quality. I have been here multiple times, never impressed.
(3)Bike Chaplain O.
Poor service. We arrived at 1:30pm today Fri.!for lunch. We had an Entertainment card (which had no restrictions listed) and we were quickly told we could not use it on Fridays. We immediately ordered a glass of wine and a martini. The bread arrives, no drinks; the appetizer arrives, no drinks; seconds before the main course arrives, we finally receive our drinks. The restaurant was very empty, yet service was disingenuous, and lethargic. Yanni's has become too snooty to recommend at this time. Thanks for reading. The Bike Chaplain
(2)Cristina M.
I've been here many times over the years and I almost always enjoy my food. I probably shouldn't write a review right now because my husband and I stopped in here last night only for a night cap and dessert at the bar. I promise to review again after the next time I eat dinner here. We sat at the bar and it was dead, but it was a Tuesday night, around 8:15 pm, so not surprised. The bartender was new (said it was his third day on the job). He was a little spacey or something. I think, actually, that he was bored and didn't know what to do with himself. I had an oaky glass of American Pinot noir, which was okay and then the rice pudding. You'd think those would be a terrible mix, but they went together alright. The rice pudding was out of this world. Creamy, light, and slightly lemony. Not a large serving, but it only cost $3.50. That's it for last night. Nothing in particular to mention--just wanted a night cap after having a great dinner at Zinc so we went for a (short) walk and thought Yanni's was a better choice than most others in the area for that. I'll be back and with a review of the food next time.
(4)Cody H.
PHENOMENAL! My wife and I lived in Albuquerque for 6 years. This became one of our favorite places. When we had visitors in town, this is where we took them. HANDS DOWN, the best Crab Cakes I have ever eaten. Wonderful ambiance and great service.
(5)Dianne W.
We've been going to Yanni's for several years, in fact we hosted our son's rehearsal dinner for about 75 people in their private dining area back in 2010. Yanni's has very good Mediterranean food and their prices are reasonable. Service was slow on our last visit, but we weren't in a hurry so didn't get ruffled feathers. The important thing to know, for dog owners, is Yanni's has an "outdoor patio" that is air conditioned. (In New Mexico dogs can accompany people to restaurants if the tables are outside.) Customers can bring their dog to Yanni's and enjoy the patio in comfort. This summer (2014) the owner is donating 10% of your meal cost to the non-profit Lap Dog Rescue of New Mexico, you must mention the promotion to the waitperson. Parking is not easy along Central Avenue in Nob Hill. Yanni's has a parking lot directly behind the restaurant, very handy.
(3)Katelyn Q.
I really don't like to complain but I can't keep silent about the poor business that is conducted here. The "new" owner only looks at the bottom dollar and is cutting corners to save herself money anywhere she can (using canned chicken for the shredded chicken?!)- including under-staffing the kitchen...be prepared to wait forever for food and service. I will return here when it is under new ownership but I will not recommend it to anyone in the meantime. There are too many good restaurants in ABQ to waste your money here.
(1)Tory M.
Second visit... went for some music and drinks. The margaritas were great! Ended up getting the Greek sampler app, very good. Beware the humus if you don't like garlic. Which I love, so I thought the humus was outstanding. We sat at the bar, the bartender was, in my opinion, less than good but adequate. My first visit, years ago, I remember the lamb chops were excellent. Prices are very good!
(4)Jeanie H.
Great variety of mediterranean and vegatarian selections. The atmosphere was upscale and civilized - dining room separated in 2 large seating areas by a large bar area....plenty of dining seating. The Knob HIll area always has a great vibe to it and this was a great ending to a business week. No reservation, but we sat quickly. We shared some plates...since my fork never just stays to my plate....so got to try the lamb chops, spanokopita, humus, NY strip and moussaka, Great meal in good company!
(5)Brianna S.
I dined here alone on a recent work trip to ABQ and was not disappointed! Yanni's offers a very pleasant dining atmosphere - not too loud, not too quiet. I had the hummus and pita app (5+ stars, I wanted to smuggle the hummus back to SF with me), greek side salad (5+ stars and only $2! what?!) and the salmon special - maple glazed, sweet potato mash, and roasted cabbage. Everything I tasted was outstanding. I only wish I had a dining companion to help me finish everything! To top off a great meal, the wait staff were very attentive and extremely friendly. Thanks for making my solo dining experience well worth it, Yanni's!
(5)Kelley S.
My boyfriend and I made reservations for Yanni's for last Valentine's Day. First of all, the waitress didn't pay us any attention. He ordered some sort of lasagna and it was cold one bite in. He complained to her, and she returned with the SAME plate of food so she obviously just stuck it in the microwave or oven for a few minutes. I tried getting in contact with the manager the next day and no response or callback. Yanni's used to be my favorite restaurant but I will never return, even if I was paid to go back.
(1)Shawn G.
I used to love this place... what happened? Yanni's used to be great service and good food. One or another of the owners used to always be on hand to great you an check up on quality and service. We had a dinner party for my wife's birthday Saturday Feb 22nd a party of 6. We were seated in the way back next door to the nightclub, the Opa bar, It was an early dinner and the music was so loud by 7:30 PM. We asked them to close the doors to the nightclub and they refused. we totally skipped dessert to get out quickly. They used to ask when a larger group arrived if we were here for a special occasion...nothing. The service was ...forgotten it used to be top shelf here in town now out waiter literally just took the order. My wife had a cocktail a cosmo the lemon rind full of pith not zest.. Amateur hour! I ordered a half order of chicken savaki it's generally par cooked or poached ahead of time and then fired before serving for color and warmth i could tell instantly when it came out. it was burned.. chared on the outside and crispy chicken McNuggests. I heard about the change of management previously and the labor dispute I can look past all that, but bad food, and forgetfull service and the move away from classy dinner and drinks to nightclub... better places here in town to spend my money. I don't think I'm coming back. I'm bummed we couldn't get a reservation for Cafe Antiquity that night.
(1)Karen E.
Yanni's I can't quit you! I've been back and had the artichoke appetizer, their roast chicken and greek potatoes and their spanakopita. All so good. Reminds me of my favorite Greek place in Chicago. Thank you so much for being here!
(5)Ashley P.
Greek food isn't all it's cracked up to be in the Albuquerque area. We've had the good, the bad, and the ugly. Yanni's is definitely the good. The rack of lamb here is AMAZING! They have lots of vegetarian choices as well that are delicious. It's a nice, upscale atmosphere, and we've never had less than stellar service here. It can get semi loud in the evening hours if you're seated near the Opa! bar- they're always super willing to seat you away from there if seating is available. The key lime pie is my favorite dessert, it's always a fabulous way to end a wonderful meal. Definitely make reservations, it can be very busy, especially on weekends.
(5)Vicky H.
Enjoyed a fantastic flight of wines. Found the 'Ghost Pine' Merlot to be the best. I was so impressed by the specials menu that offered wonderfully crafted dishes featuring freshly picked urban grown veggies. The desert menu was equally impressive (Lavender crème brulé - how creative!!). Unpretentious and relaxing atmosphere featuring patio or elegantly lit dining rooms with a full service bar. Yanni's is my new favorite restaurant in ABQ!
(5)Judy V.
Delicious! The lamb shank and the creme brulle were excellent!! Great place. Great little town.
(5)Kelly A.
Love this place. . Great rack of lamb & lobster mashed potatoes! Service superb! However there Napoleon was pathetic, a joke, straight from a college students kitchenette, straight from the can of whip cream with a bit of berries. Get real!
(4)S G.
Very disappointing. My friend and I went to Yannis on a Friday night. We wanted a cocktail. We sat at the bar in the main restaurant. There were several servers behind the bar and every single one ignored us. When we asked one of them if we could order she told us she couldn't take our order. We then moved to the bar area in Lemoni lounge. That bartender ignored us too. He was washing glasses rather than waiting on us. We gave up and walked out.
(1)Tempie J.
I've been here a few time, always sit in Bekkas section because her service is so good! Plus she's in nursing school and we like to tip her well. Not to mention the food, ALL OF IT is amazing. My fav in the big Q. I get here very little but always have to stop in for dinner.
(5)Megan M.
Very good Mediterranean restaurant, the meal selection and wine selection speak to the region and very well represent the culture. I had the Greek dry red wine paired with the lamb shank and lobster mash, all cooked to perfection. Service was very good and food was brought in a timely manner.
(5)Dan R.
Had dinner at Yanni's last night with a very well-traveled friend who knows his way around a menu and was passing through on his way West. we were both delighted with the meal. We each had their wonderful pork chop (at my suggestion - I'd had it before). They were cooked perfectly, the accompanying vegetables were seasoned beautifully, and our waitress was great. That's one of the things I like so much about Yanni's - the service is unobtrusive, friendly, very efficient and completely professional. I'll keep returning.
(5)Kimi T.
Service is excellent, food was delicious, great atmosphere! Our glasses of water were always full, the waiter frequently came to check on us, and we felt very welcome and we'll taken care of throughout our entire dining experience. Service was excellent! We ordered the hummus/pita app, which was to die for! I think this was the best hummus I've had! Tons of garlic, very flavorful. And the pita was warm and comforting. We savored every bite! For my entree, I ordered the vegetarian plate which was great because you get to sample various dishes all at once. My favorite was the moussaka. Yum! Everything we ordered blew my socks off. Even though the prices are a bit more than we expected, we definitely felt like we got a lot of food in return. Our meals came with a bowl of soup. Yeah, you read that right. A BOWL of soup. Not just a cup like most places. The lentil soup was really good. After sharing the hummus/pita appetizer and a bowl of soup, I was already full. I took a small bite of my entree and took the rest home. If you haven't been to Yanni's yet, I highly recommend giving it a shot. This place has great service, delicious food and a great atmosphere.
(5)Mario O.
Update....not only was Yanni a horrible experience. But to top it off. They charges my CC twice. Now I have to dispute it with my bank...BEWARE OF Yanni's! !!
(1)Phyllis H.
It's Friday and after reading a couple of not-so-good reviews, if I hadn't been here many times before, I might have hesitated to head to the bar for takeout on a Friday. But the Greek gods smiled on me once more. A gracious bartender welcomed me warmly and as an older woman not dressed up, that merits big points. He recommended a great Sauv Blanc while waiting for my order, was happy to substitute an item on my meal, !and even let me taste the high end wine the staff was tasting. What's not to like? I know the food will (lamb chops) will be excellent
(5)Carolyn B.
Delicious, original vegetarian food (along with meat dishes I can't comment on). Lots of veggie choices. We had the stuffed squash and a special veggie option - both of which were yummy and sophisticated. Nice, upscale atmosphere. Our waitress was delightful, the prices very reasonable. Even though we didn't have a reservation - on a weekend night - they seated us quickly at a nice window table and treated us like royalty. Definitely will be back!
(5)Daniel W.
Afraid I have to buck the trend here and give this one a solid "meh." The food is pretty decent, but nothing special. The waitress wouldn't let us take our time and was, frankly, a little pushy for my tastes. Atmosphere less than posh. Garage door windows and wrought iron chairs? Practical I'm sure, but not impressive. Plenty of places to go for food just as good as this but at significantly lower prices. Won't bother coming back.
(2)Sarah N.
I am a huge fan of Yannis. The food is great and the service is good. My star rating for the restaurant would be high but.... Opa bar offers a great happy hour weeknights with a nice selection of food items and drinks at a wonderful price. However the bar staff is almost no existent, the bartender is offers very slow service, unfortunately most of the orders are incomplete and sometimes completely forgotten. I think this is why Opa is empty most nights.
(2)Local 1.
Yanni's has changed. The food is inconsistent in flavor & quality. It hasn't been really good in about 3 years. For example, I ordered a Greek salad with gyro meat today for lunch. The dressing was flavorless or absent, there were 2 grape tomatoes, and 2 slices of cucumber for $9. The gyro meat was tough & dry, almost like carne seca. The waitress brought the bread after our food arrived. No refills on water or soda. The house dressing used to be delicious. It's sad to see another Albuquerque restaurant decline in quality.
(3)Lena M.
I used to love this place. It would always be a treat going. About a month ago I went for lunch and the food was cold and the waiter was rude and anything but attentive. I thought I would give it another try and I terribly regret it. I would have had a better meal at Taco Bell- at least the food would have been warm. I ordered a soup and an artichoke. The soup was cold and the artichoke was soggy. Not to mention the lipstick on my glass when I first arrived. The worst part of all of it is that the manager never came to apologize for the mistakes and terrible service. Step it up Yannis.
(1)Nate L.
Excellent lamb (and they have something like 3-4 different varieties) and our party of four tried them all and they were amazing!
(4)Tricia K.
A good upscale Greek restaurant that is an institution in the ABQ Nob Hill area. We come here on special occasions because it is rather pricey but the portions are large and the food is very good. This is the place to eat rack of lamb in the area because it is done perfectly. The appetizers and main entrees are very good but this place could use a pastry chef. for the desserts. Yanni's is also one of the few places that has live music and dancing on the weekends making it a good place to spend an evening with a date.
(4)Clayton A.
Yanni's didn't blow my mind like I was expecting it to considering all the wonderful things I'd heard about it, but it still provided a solidly good meal for my family and out-of-town guests. We started with the appetizer platter and calamaria and both were superb. I like the calamari for the spiciness and the fact that it was so tender--- something that can at times surprise you when you know fully well that you're in New Mexico. The app platter included some delicious pita bread and some of the best hummus I've had in a long time --- everyone in our group remarked how good it was. There was also spanakopita, which wasn't entirely noteworthy but wasn't bad either. I then receieve a hearty bowl of lentil soup and quickly demolished it; so yes, you can interpret that as an endorsement. For main plates, we all were exchanging bites, so I was able to taste the pastitsio, braised lamb ragout, and the dish I ordered: salmon rigatoni. I was content with my salmon, especially for the spicy cream sauce that really meshed well with the pasta and fish. I polished off my plate, which once again is a useful measure of how much I liked it. The pastitsio was too sweet for my taste and seemed to be lacking in the flavor department, and judging by the fact that my wife didn't finish it, I suspect she had the same opinion. My cousin's ragout looked like a risotto and tasted fair; I just wasn't too impressed with the taste of the lamb. I mostly like lamb, but on this occasion I wasn't enticed to have more than a bite. I must add that the bread and olive oil here were divine and we easily could've just made a meal of this. Also, my aunt had a tea that was one of the most refreshing and tasty I can ever say I've tasted. It was fruity, lightly sweetened and had vanilla added and was the type of drink you could easily go through a pitcher (maybe even a keg) of. Overall, a good restaurant but not quite deserving of the overwhelming hype that surrounds it.
(4)Peter S.
This was the best Greek food that we have tried in ABQ. We were seated promptly, and the server offered us water and a drink. We tried the oven baked goat cheese appetizer and it was good. Make sure u don't overdo it on the house bread and crackers. They are made fresh there at the restaurant, the outside is crusty and interior melts in our mouth. My wife and I split a full order of lamb chops (8 ribs) for $34. Great deal. The lamb was succulent. The house cab was paired with it and was good too. We enjoyed the salted caramel cheesecake. To die for!!! This place is a keeper. We'll definitely return...
(5)Kevin H.
We dinned at Yanni's for a late lunch as we often do on Saturdays. The food was good as usual but the server was out to lunch! She screwed up our whole order and even forgot to bring one item. She eventually remembered and delivered it after we had finished our meal. There is no accuse for her behaviour. There were only 3 tables total in the room. Her lack of service left a bad taste in our mouths. Next time we will choose some place else for our late lunches. I was totally aggravated with the server. Not something that I like to have with my lunch!
(2)Erin K.
Upon arriving the hostess panicked like a chicken with her head cut off and told us we'd have to wait for a table. That's fine, I totally understand since I didn't make a reservation. She then ran off, so we figured ok, I guess we'll sit at the bar. Not very "host-like". When we got to our table there were several servers around but not one of them even glanced in our direction. Finally our server came over and took our orders and got us some friggin' glasses of water. My husband had the drink special for the night, chile margarita. Usually when a drink is on special, it's cheaper than usual. They didn't list or tell us the price of course, so we were shocked when we got our bill and they were $13 each! I can't imagine that was a reduced price, and for a typical margarita that tasted like a premix. I ordered the spanakopita plate, which was listed on the menu as coming with garlic mashed potatoes. Instead I got some typical rice and crappy veggies with ok spanakopita. The spanakopita wasn't bad, but definitely not worth the price. I have had so much better for about $10 less. The salted caramel cheesecake was very tasty, but we probably won't be back. The service and meal were worth about 1/10th of our $100 bill.
(1)Nicole O.
Such a great place to take business lunches. Good prices, good food and atmosphere. Not to mention a fun place for friends and date nights. Great happy hour and great talent playing on the weekends from the Albuquerque area at the Opa bar as well. Must try.
(4)Richard B.
This is one of my favorite restaurants in Albuquerque. The service was great! I had the Green Chili Chicken Lasagna and it was specular. The serving was large enough to split so I ended up having it for dinner too. The restroom was spotless as was the entire restaurant. I like the white table cloths and the fresh baked bread with spiced olive oil. Enjoy!
(5)Laurie L.
Never a bad meal here. I grew up in Nob Hill so I enjoy returning once in awhile just to see what's new and usually always end up at Yanni's. The last time I was here I had a stuffed acorn squash that was out of this world. My husband had the New York strip and it was delicious. The service was outstanding. I've not been disappointed ever by Yanni's.
(5)Dan C.
This place is alright. Parking here is like finding a needle in a haystack (I recommend the back lot around the building). I had the tabouli, rice/meat dish and beef grape leaves. Yes, beef grape leaves. They were not as savory as I wanted them to be, but they were good nonetheless. The lemon sauce that they use is just lightly tart, and service is pleasant and fast. The food didn't wow me like Kanella's does in Philly, but I'd recommend this place over any others if you have a hankering for Greek.
(3)Cyrus T.
Excellent menu of upscale Greek or Greek inspired dishes. Good service. Full bar with decent wine list. Amazing bread baked locally. Altogether a great experience at a reasonable price for what you get. I highly recommend the rack of lamb.
(4)Jesse L.
Where do I begin??? I am baffled at the events that took place tonight. Normally I give little credence to circumstances that take place at restaurants but given my training in customer service I cannot help but comment. After arriving at Yanni's after making a reservation, we were offered a table that only seated 4 despite having a party of six. After declining we were given a table in the back corner away from the entire restaurant. I wish I would have taken a picture to demonstrate this... no exaggeration. I let this go very quickly since randomness is part of life. Upon sitting, my son was waking up from the car ride after caring him into the restaurant. Since the table wasn't ready due to the aforementioned, he was very cranky. He wanted to sit at the bar where only one person was sitting over 4 seats away. The bartender jokingly said "Are you 21"? "We only allowed 21 and over at the bar." I got him down since I could not tell if he was joking or not. The table was finally ready and we sat down. My son (3.5 yrs) was still cranky and insisted sitting at the bar( a different part). Since we were do far away from everyone (literally 15-20 ft away) I let him sit at the edge of the bar to settle down which was totally away from the entire main area. No sooner than I was speaking to the waiter about the wine selection, my older daughter was asked poignantly, "Is he yours"? By an unidentified woman wearing casual clothing. When my daughter didn't answer the woman became irritated and went on about how the bartender will not have this behavior etc. Meanwhile I am trying to order drinks for the entire table not fully aware of the situation. My wife then filled me in on the occurrences that took place and I was shocked. I then asked the waitress who the person was and she informed me that person was the owner. Wow! I am still confused as to why we didn't leave on the spot but since it was a Friday night and I had a small army of starving people I used my best judgement to putt family's hunger before my pride. I am perplexed as to how a mature restaurant owner could possible behave so rudely to her customers??? She could have mitigated the situation and showed some grace but instead she chose the blunt and rude path. As for the food... We all had some salads and the baked chicken but it was not enjoyable as my wife and I perseverated on the events. We issued a formal complaint to the waitress but no one came to our table nor did we receive any apology. So as an out of town guest I am floored the level of poor level of behavior we witnessed here. We have travelled all over the world and have had far superior service in some of the remote locations by people with 1/1000th the wealth but infinitely more class, grace and sophistication. Again, wow!!! But maybe she was just having a bad night and decided to take all her trouble on a 3 year old kid??? Btw I love Yelp :)
(1)Robert B.
Had brunch here on a Saturday. Ordered the baklava French toast - really good! The side of bacon had only 2 pieces. The Greek coffee was so-so, kinda watery. In general, the food was good, and the decor was quite nice. But the place is a bit fancy and over priced. It tries to be fine dining, but ends up being a bit pretentious. The staff was my main issue - aloof and inattentive. Nice enough, but not good in general. I got one water refill in 2 hours, and had to ask for that. And no, the place wasn't crowded, so that's not it. Granted, I've only got one experience here, so this may be an anomaly. In summary, food good but over priced, quantities good, and service sub-par.
(3)Laura V.
After going back to Yanni's a few times since my first review, I felt the need to bring it down a few stars unfortunately. In my first review I wondered why the place was always empty (in the bar). The food is great and the drink specials are really one of the best in town. However the bar service has been really slow and often inacccurate all times we've been there, to the point of being distracting. I know it's a relaxed, casual atomosphere, so I am not expecting a crazy bustling night club experience, but it is difficult to enjoy yourself when you are constantly trying to get the bartender's attention. Overall I still enjoy Yanni's but i just wish for a bit more attention paid by the bar staff.
(3)Jerri U.
Fresh hot bread. Delicious Artichoke appetizer. Skip the beef-filled grape leaves. Greek salad left a lot to be desired. Egg lemon soup was good. Pleasant atmosphere and good service
(3)Laura I.
Had dinner before the show here as you get 10% if you have tickets. Very good service. Excellent lemon, chicken, rice soup. The best part was the mint chocolate martini. I drank my dessert ;-)
(4)Pete M.
Very nice atmosphere. Nicer than I expected from looking at their web page photo. Had Saganaki and beef dolthmathes for appetizers. Both tasty. Saganaki was flamed but not near as spectacular as I would have hoped for. One of my sons had a half rack of lamb, the other had the Meditteranean Pasta and I had the old standby, lamb chops! All were flavorful, in fact the lamb was awesome. I've been known to make a Greek lamb chop or two and this lamb was awesome. You could tell they have sourced great lamb and it was prepared medium rare as we had ordered. Our waitress was very professional and friendly in her service. I almost thought she was Greek from the way she pronounced "Dolma" but when it came time to tell me what brand Ouzo they had her pronunciation was a dead giveaway that she was not Greek.
(4)Randy P.
Was very excited to find a Greek restaurant while in town on business. Close, great location and atmosphere as well as impressed with the menu on first glance. Special appetizer of the night was steamed artichoke. As good as the app looked, it was stone cold and bland; very disappointing. Ordered a Greek Salad and asked for Gyro meat as an addition. Was shocked when my server informed me "we don't serve Gyro meat for dinner." SERIOUSLY...is this not a Greek Restaurant. Ordered the Greek Salad with Fillet Medallions. Salad was very skimpy and fillet medallions were nothing to rave about. Again, very disappointing entree. Final thought, over priced, disappointing, bland food. Not a place I would consider patronizing.
(1)Lotus G.
Yanni's has gone down the tubes in the last year. WoW! It is always dead and now I know why. The last two times I have been there in the last 2 months-- the service has gone down hill and the food has too. Was there tonight and the waitress forgot about us. THere were only 4 tops filled with people -- the waitress forgot to fill my tea, forgot the bread, my greek salad had one tomato, one cucumber piece and a few onions --where were the olives?, and my mom ordered a salad with calamari -- the dressing was on the side and there was ONLY lettuce-- the dressing should have been mixed in. Not going back-- will stick with Nik and Jimmys as at least they have a similar menu and don't charge extra for a salad with an entree -- plus they give you spanakopita as a appetizer for free!! Wished Yanni's was doing better --
(1)Charlene H.
Pretty good. Went there last night for Valentines and they had a special vday menu. Ordered their Greek combination platter and crab and spinach dip. Delicious!
(4)Kristy H.
My first time here for happy hour and I was pleasantly surprised. The happy hour apparizer specials were delicious and they had good drink specials, add in a great atmosphere and it can't be anything less than a fantastic evening out!
(4)Lisa M.
The food was bland and almost tasted like it came from a can. My husband and I could hardly stomach eating half our meal. Well letting someone know all we got was a "Sorry" he doesn't know what happened and they came to the table with a free piece of cake we didn't even want. This is not a place I would visit again.
(1)Joni K.
I had the opportunity to eat at Yanni's Mediteranean Bar & Grill on Central Avenue in Albuquerque recently. I ordered the pork shish-kababs. I don't know why I ordered it because as you all know, ordering pork is an iffy proposition - usually tough and dry. I was so pleasantly surprised when my pork kababs arrived. They were moist and flavorful...just right. I would recommend Yanni's and look forward to eating there again.
(4)Roland P.
Yanni's is an institution in Albuquerque's trendy Nob Hill along Central. It has been serving great food and providing excellent service for decades. They are primarily a Greek restaurant but have entrees that will please anyone. I love their lemon chicken soup served with most menu items. Their steaks and Roast Beef are excellent. We recently had their Trout Almondene and it was absolutely fantastic. The restaurant's atmosphere is relaxing and comfortable without music blaring at you from ceiling speakers. There is a nice bar area available with live music on the weekends. When my wife and I are looking for a great meal at reasonable prices in a relaxing atmosphere, Yannis is where we go. Highly recommended
(4)mike d.
I haven't eaten at Yanni's. Why? Because I called at 5pm and they said they'd be open to 9:45. I arrived at 8:30 and they said they were closing early and refused to seat us. Totally unacceptable since I had to drive across town to get there, then drive 20 mins to another restaurant.
(1)Maresa T.
Yum, Yum, Yum, I love a place with oodles of great vegetarian options and this is great Greek place with good hummis and pita too. Love the vegetarian lentil soup and cucumber/tomato salad. Nice parking attendant and safe for women alone at night to go here too.
(5)JacqueLin O.
In my recent visit to Albuquerque, I naturally had to make my way to Yanni's. I was SO excited because it would be my BF's first time trying this Mediterranean Restaurant I'd been raving about. I don't know if my new found passion as a yelper has turned me into a food snob, but I sadly must admit, I was NOT all that impressed. The restaurant looks great, the new Opa bar has been finished nicely. We went on a Thursday afternoon so there was NO waiting or anything. We got to sit in the first room inside as it is not quite warm enough in New Mexico yet to open the large window in the "outside" area. I was eager to try something new as I can't ever remember being disappointed at Yanni's. As of recent, I've been in a quest to find impeccable Greek and Mediterranean cuisine where ever I visit. Though my theory could be flawed, I do judge a lot of the restaurants success by it's Gyro. I feel it is a staple in the Greek diet and should be perfected at every restaurant that serves Greek food. I've never ordered a Gyro from Yanni's before. This time, the BF and I decided it would be a hearty meal and most likely it would be good considering the rep that Yanni's previously had with me. We ordered the pita and hummus as appetizer along with Kalamata olives. The waitress brought out our hummus and waters, fresh bread and oil. I always love the bread and oil. It's crispy outside and soft warm inside is such a treat and sets a great tone for what you'd think would be a great meal and USUALLY is. The hummus was just okay for me. It didn't have any outstanding flavors and I found myself squeezing lemon on the pita bread, which WAS good. It was warm and fresh. I really don't think Pita can be served any other way. If it is, shame on you. We waited for our olives and they didn't come. The gyros came out fast and my friend Amanda joined us just before our food came out. She ordered the avgolemono soup and a side salad (greek). Our gyros were VERY small. I was shocked initially because every Greek place I've been to makes them so big I have to save half. I looked inside and noticed they used chicken breast instead of gyro meat, which is shaved process meat and it's mixed with dark meat not just breast. The BF ordered a regular gyro which is lamb and beef. I hoped the Gyro tasted better than it looked, I felt a sense of disappointment come over me by the looks of it. Needless to say, it was not. *smh* Yanni, the echoing opa you had left in my heart has faded! These gyros were bland, I couldn't even taste the tzatziki. I was VERY disappointed. The boyfriend and I exchanged looks and I could see he felt the same. It was under seasoned, small and tasteless. The waitress offered us more bread and brought us out a new basket. The BF eagerly filled up on it as I could see he wasn't satisfied. The side salads were okay, they had a lot of feta and fresh veggies but I couldn't taste a flavorful dominating dressing. I sampled my friend Amanda's avgolemono soup, and as always it tasted amazing. My lesson could be to stick to what I know, however, if EVERYTHING on the menu isn't spectacular, it's a little disappointing. I've been to Yanni's many many times and have always been satisfied. I would reccomend the plates, fish, filo wrap, pizzas and DEFINITELY the soup. Perhaps it was a bad day, perhaps the quality of food has gone down. This experience was more of a NOPA than an opa for me. LOL We still never got our olives.
(3)Justin D.
Great food! A little pricey but the staff is always excellent!
(4)Jules G.
See, THIS is why it's imperative to try a place more than once before you set out to review. Lend me your ears as I proceed to tell the saddest story ever about my Yanni's experience... I've enjoyed Yani's throughout the years. I've never been to Greece and the only person I've known from Greece was a super hot exchange student back in 1984. So yeah, my experience with "authentic" Greek food is pretty much zero. But, I do recognize "authentic" flavors, cooking styles and seasoning and, in the past, thought Yanni's took dining in Albuquerque to new heights. Something has gone terribly wrong. I heard rumors about an unhappy cooking staff and I think they might be true. On my last (read: LAST) visit, I was almost moved to tears by such a horrible experience. What was once a truly sublime morsel, the artichoke was dry and mealy, even with all that butter and garlic. So sad. I always order the lamb chops for my entree. Always. Because they've always been fab, that's why. Fab chops no more. Ordered medium rare, they were tough and fatty and, get your tissues ready. devoid of any flavor. Even sadder. Tried a taste of my Dad's stuffed flounder and literally spit it out. In my napkin, of course. I'm a lady. Mushy and bland. Like flounder baby food, and who wants that, except for baby flounders? And, um, let's talk service, or, should I say, LACK of service? Our server brought our drinks and proceeded to spill mine all over me. Hey man, I can dig that accidents happen. It was his reaction that baffled me- "Huh. They made that too full". And... walked away. No extra napkins. No apology. No second drink, leaving me to suck my Old Fashioned out of my shirt and jeans. He continued to bump me, plop (not place) my order in front of me and projected a general attitude of disdain, like I had done him wrong at some point. What, WHAT did I do? Tell me what I can do to make things right, oh server whom I've never met? It's not like I get Greek food cravings all that often, so ain't no thang that I won't be going back, but it does bum me out that, like it's country's once glorious empire, Yanni's is going dooooown.
(2)Tom L.
I've been to Yanni's a few times over the years and have never been disappointed. The prices can be high but you get what you pay for. On our last visit (6 of us total) I got the Filet Medallions and my wife got a Greek Sampler plate. We also ordered appetizers of their Hummus and a dip with garlic, crab, etc. Everything was excellent and our entire party (including 2 vegetarians) were all very impressed & satisfied. Service was also excellent and it made for a great evening together! I'd definitely recommend Yanni's.
(4)Philip C.
Consistent, clean, good service. The food is good, but terribly over-priced for what it is. The presentation isn't anything special and the ingredients don't seem to be premium in any way. They could definitely step it up on the presentation piece. It's definitely better than Applebee's or similar so don't get me wrong - you'll definitely have a good meal here that is consistent each time you visit, but you'll pay more than you would want. Over the course of several visits, I've tried various things - chicken souvlaki, ribeye, rack of lamb - all pretty decent. Yanni's isn't bad, but it isn't stellar.
(3)J W.
I LOVE Mediterranean food and was so glad to have found this place in Albuquerque New Mexico!!!! :D The house specialty drinks are awesome, don't forget to give that a try. When in doubt, go with the combination platter, or the lamb! The moussaka was great as well :) It was delicious food, though I thought a little over priced for New Mexico!
(4)Ania A.
The best Greek place in town, hands down! Try the lemon chicken soup!
(5)Natilee M.
Yanni's was suggested by one of the managers in the hotel I was staying in while visiting the ABQ and my parents and I really enjoyed our meal. We started off with soup: the lentil was ok but the lemon chicken soup (Avgolemono) was amazing! Very lemony and a perfect starter, although it may be a little insubstantial for a meal replacement. I was needing lighter fare after eating lots of heavy New Mexican food the earlier part of the week so I had the salmon which came with lemon-garlicy veggies and roasted potatoes. Delicious. My parents got more standard Greek fare: Moussaka and the combo plate which had dolmades, pastitsio, spanakopita, and veggies/potatoes. We all tasted a bit of everything and it was all fresh and authentic with complex but light flavors. A finer dining experience with reasonable prices for the ambience/food quality (ie entrees under $25).
(4)Joanna B.
My little sister's rehearsal dinner was held here, and boy was I happy. To start, we were served calamari in a deliciously tangy cocktail-like sauce, a basket of Greek breads with olive oil to dip, and spanakopita. Next came the salad with Feta, Greek olives and a wonderful dressing. I had the wood-grilled salmon. Buttery and flaky and just plain good. My brother had the lamb shank, so I stole a bite. It was marinated in a red wine sauce and reminded both of us slightly of adobo. All in all a great meal. Definitely recommend.
(4)Greg J.
My favorite nice restaurant in ABQ. Best artichoke ever!
(5)Bella B.
Great place to always dine, one of my favorites for years, Nick is always there, pretty good for the owner that says alot in my book. "Souvlaki" and crab & artichoke dip, with one of Kathy's drink at OPA next door you cant beat it. Love it
(5)Jonathan O.
The rack of lamb is delish but expensive. The mixed greek combo dish was passing fair but nothing to write home about. Mostly I find this place over priced and pretentious. Try the little greek place by the university, its not great either but at a third the price its a steal.
(3)Ruthie Y.
This is a very nice upscale restaurant. I visited around noon on a Thursday, and although the place was busy, we were able to get a seat right away. The interior is FABulous, and stark blue/white color scheme is about as Greek as it gets. I sampled the pita and hummus appetizer, as well as the salmon cake. Good hummus, blah pita, unique and tasty salmon cake. I ordered the Greek salad for my main course, which didn't have much too it besides the greens. The feta dressing made up for that, though. GOOD, fresh feta. I also sampled the gyros, which had intense, wonderful flavor. Our server couldn't have been better. I was quite tired that day, but it never took her more than a minute to note my empty coffee cup. :) Yanni's is a little pricey, and there's a slightly pretentious atmosphere, but an overall good dining experience.
(4)Courtney S.
Nice place for a meal, open airy feeling, friendly staff good food. It was a good place to meet up with some cousins in ABQ. We went for an early dinner, so we were pretty casual, but it could easily be a place to get dressy later on. The bar next door looked really swanky cool. Food was excellent-- our table got two veggie dishes, filet of sole, and the Greek plate (all beef items), and we all liked it. The wine selection was pretty decent, too.
(4)Sarah C.
we went there on a monday night. sat down and saw the happy hour specials, and that they were only served at the bar. so we asked to move there, even the bar wasn't open the moved us over and let eat the food at happy hour prices. they made me a good apple-tini. good kobe sliders. good cheese lit on fire. everything was good. and since it was on happy hour prices our meal for the 3 of us came to $45. yummy yummy food, and the portions weren't that big, but they were filling.
(4)Mike P.
Classic Greek food- This is one of my favorite places in Nob hill- The food is always good as is the service- One of my favoirte dishes is their Steak- i was suprised to find a cut of meat that good at a greek reasturant and the potatoes are fantastic- I recently had a networking event in the Opa bar and the appetizers where impressive- again not what you would expect but their pizza and fish taco's where fantastic-For a traditoinal greek meal or just a nice date night its a great place to unwind and relax- Also Chris and Nicole the owners are always there to make sure your meal is perfect
(5)Hiker Chicka e.
I really like Yanni's although I hate lamb with a vengeance. Isn't Greek food synonymous with lamb? The food is flavorful and fresh. The rice dishes are delicious and so is the freshly baked bread. The interior is beautiful and therefore well suited for a special occasions. And according to Samantha J. the owner has a private jet and contributes to 2008 Presidential candidate Bill Richardson's causes. Hmm... please be aware a cent of each spanikopita goes to the Chief, whether you love or hate him.
(4)Karen S.
Went here on a Monday night to celebrate with my sister. Food and service was excellent. I had the stuffed acorn squash and it was fantastic. The blending of flavors and the creative use of dried tomatoes and artichokes was amazing. And instead of the squash rolling around on the plate it was resting on a bed of garlic mashed potatoes. Nice work.
(5)Chupacabra X.
Usually very good. And occasionally SPECTACULAR. Prices are a bit high to eat here as often as I'd like to, but worth it when I do. The bar is a great addition for the more casual crowd. Park behind the restaurant on crowded evenings, there's a gentleman there that will keep an eye on your car.
(4)Ivan H.
We were on a business trip in Albuquerque from Salt Lake City, and asked the people we were doing business with where is a good place to eat, they suggested Yanni's. One of them mentioned he had never had a bad meal there. I have to say now, I know why. The menu is very difficult, everything sound good. Even though I wasn't all that hungry, I wanted to try everything so I ordered the Combination Greek Platter. It had a good helping of everything, and it was all delicious. So many different flavors and textures on one platter. We had the Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna and the Steamed Jumbo Artichoke for an appetizer. On all accounts this has to be the best Mediterranean food I have eaten, and I have been all over the US and world and ate at a lot of different restaurants and cuisines. Absolutely wonderful, my only regret is that you are so far from my residence, and I am not sure how long it will take for me to return. I highly recommend this restaurant for food and ambiance.
(5)Rob F.
This is a very good Albuquerque restaurant. My only meal there was a pasta dish with salad. First rate everything. Food was tasty and fresh, service was friendly and accommodating. It was a weeknight and the place was packed.
(4)Glen L.
Really delicious Greek place. The interior of the restaurant is beautiful. I always order the pork chop and sub the mashed potatoes for fresh vegetables. They have a wonderful blueberry bread pudding for dessert. You MUST have it! This is a very popular restaurant in Albuquerque. The owners are prominent Democrats in New Mexico. During lunch it's a big place for business meetings. The owners have added a small bar, Opa, to the interior of the establishment. A nice place to have a drink while you wait for your dinner companions.
(4)Trey G.
My wife will disagree on this one. I thought the appetizer and lamb entree were spectacular. We made the unfortunate mistake of drinking Greek wine and my wife may have chosen the wrong entree (a vegetarian platter). However, it took me back to Athens and I would definitely recommend this place for a family or low key date.
(4)Jeanne H.
It is very easy to make a full meal of appetizers here. The saganaki (flaming cheese) is my favorite. Everything is fresh and the service is always good. This is my favorite greek place.
(4)Ronda T.
We really enjoyed the food. Good service. I was surprised how much I enjoyed the coffee after dinner. It is located in the eclectic Nob Hill.
(4)Louie C.
Yanni's is a comfortable restaurant with a large menu selection including traditional Greek fare, but disappointingly overpriced and merely "ok." I was excited to try a novelty described as flaming cheese, but was let down when the waitress came to the tableside, flipped a disc of mozzarella in flames, squeezed lemon juice on it and served what turned out to be just a hunk of rubbery dairy product. This oversized cheese stick cost $8. Fortunately, the rack of lamb was moist, cooked to a perfect medium-rare, and well seasoned. However, this is expected for an entrée that comes with a $33 price tag. The dessert chosen was advertised as a "baklava sundae." Sadly, it turned out to be vanilla ice cream topped scarcely with cobbler-like bits of sweet, spiced pastry which was not, by any stretch of the imagination, baklava. I am rating Yanni's two stars because I do not recommend the restaurant and do not intend on returning.
(2)Nancy V.
Try the flaming cheese ! Seriously, a friend told me to try it, and it did not disappoint. Plus, who can resist food that sounds like the name of a band.
(4)Andy J.
Very solid Greek restaurant. The dolmas were delicious and my meal was also good. It was a little pricey, but not too bad.
(3)Michael R.
Yanni's has, for years, been a strong favorite for us. We love their lamb dishes, especially the Braised Lamb Shank, with its exceptional sauce. Salads, wines & service are always quite good.
(5)Tatiana E.
Unfortunately I have to give Yannis only 2 stars - and even that is pushing it. I have had several bad experiences with this place. Generally, the food is pretty good, but when it's bad it's BAD and the management could give a hoot if you are unhappy. Examples include: one time my husband got a very expensive steak, which had a HUGE vein-type thing running right through the middle, making it hard to eat and not very delicious. When he pointed this out to the owner/manager, he said "Oh well that happens sometimes, but we can offer you a free dessert." Not enough. A second very bad experience was a large graduation dinner for me and my family. The service was terrible and the pork dish was very salty. Again, they offered a free dessert - but did not offer to take back the inedible dish. When we complained about the server and his attitude, the manager decided to tell the server while we were still sitting at the table eating, and then the server came over and got into my sister's face about how we thought he was giving us bad service - all around bad attitudes and VERY unprofessional behavior. Most recently, I walked in with my son (while waiting for my husband and another couple to meet us) and we did not have a reservation, but there were MANY open tables. Instead of seating me in any one of the open tables they just stood there and watched me chase a toddler around the restaurant. It just felt silly to stand there and wait when there were clearly tons of open tables and it was not a busy evening. I'm consistently dissatisfied with the service, and although I generally enjoy the food, it's not worth the hassle.
(2)Samantha J.
Ok, the man who owns this restaurant is a genuine greek mafia type importer/exporter who gives the Governor millions of dollars, and loans his private jet to politicians. He is also super friendly and a local celebrity of sorts. The one thing that ensures that your experience at this greek restaurant is spectacular is this man- he is at his own restaurant 24/7, in fact he often is the one who takes you to your table and makes you feel like you are the butter in his bread. I think this is the missing ingrediant from many restaurants these days, the owners are some anonymous, money hoarding, no-shows who just count paychecks somewhere but leave the dirty work to their staff, this is not the case here, because this larger than life restauranteur is present it makes for excellent service, great food, and a clean and pleasant environment, his staff is frightened into submission but in a very productive and good way, he is their sergeant and they are the soldiers and Yanni's never misses a beat because of it. Get the greek salad, and any of the greek classic dishes, also get the baklava sundae at the end.
(4)