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Kansas City truly is a melting pot of customs, cultures, and cuisines. Nowhere is that more evident than when it comes to Greek and Mediterranean food, which the city is flush with.
You’ll notice many crossover dishes with Middle Eastern cuisine, such as shawarma and hummus done in both Mediterranean and Middle Eastern restaurants.
Greek and Mediterranean cuisine often uses aromatic herbs such as oregano, thyme, and rosemary, while Middle Eastern food relies on earthy spices such as cumin, coriander, and turmeric, among other differences. But many of Kansas City’s restaurants blur the lines between the cuisines, taking favorite dishes from both.
One of the iconic Greek dishes that stand out here are gyros, where the meat is roasted vertically on a spit, often featuring a combination of beef and lamb. (Mexican tacos al pastor actually was first created by Lebanese immigrants who used that same technique!) And of course, there’s nothing more refreshing than fresh pita and a hearty Greek salad.
At Kansas City’s best Mediterranean restaurants, you’ll find new dishes and preparations to try, and exciting takes on the classics you know well. Here are some suggestions for where to start exploring Greek food around town.
Papu's Cafe
Kansas City has great luck when it comes to gas station restaurants, and Papu’s Cafe has carved out its spot. The Waldo restaurant in a Shell gas station has been open since 2010 and become a community favorite.
There’s a lot to love here, starting with their dolmas, which are grape leaves stuffed with rice, seasoned with lemon and mint, and bathed in a tomato sauce. It’s a fresh beginning to the rest of their menu, which includes shawarma, falafel, and veggie sandwiches. Their popular 16-spice chicken is a secret family recipe.
Their gyro sandwich is big enough to keep you full for days. Packed with gyro lamb and beef, lettuce, and their own homemade tzatziki sauce, the gyro sandwich is their best seller. The sauce is their own recipe of yogurt, parsley, cucumber, and dill that brings a crisp and cool freshness that contrasts with the warmth of the beef. All wrapped in freshly grilled pita, it’s easy to understand why so many love this gyro.
- 604 W 75th St, Kansas City, MO 64114
Mr. Gryos Greek Food & Pastry
With four locations across the Kansas City area, there is always a Mr. Gyros Greek Food & Pastry nearby. Started 35 years ago by Ted Jovaras, a native of Greece who immigrated to the Kansas City area, Mr. Gyros now has four locations in the region and its menu is packed with family recipes.
Start with their lemon chicken orzo soup. Known as avgolemono in Greek, it’s a creamy soup with shredded chicken, and the easy flavor of lemon doesn’t overpower the rest of the dish. Their gyros come in a variety of beef and lamb combinations, and the feta burger is a unique take on the American classic.
Mr. Gyros also serves an excellent traditional Greek salad. Chilled lettuce, tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, bell peppers, and feta cheese are covered in a subtle vinaigrette dressing that makes the dish both refreshing and filling.
- 8234 Metcalf Ave, Overland Park, KS 66204
- 11707 Roe Ave, Leawood, KS 66211
- 8575 W 135th St, Overland Park, KS 66223
- 14983 W. 119th St, Olathe, KS 66062
Holy Land Café
Started in 2001, Holy Land Café in Lenexa blends both Mediterranean and Middle Eastern classics, like many of the restaurants on this list.
You can stick with falafel for your Middle Eastern cravings, or try their crossover dishes such as chicken, beef, and lamb shawarma. Shawarma is popular in a number of countries in the region, with each putting their own spin on things.
For the Greek side of things, their gyros contain lightly seasoned beef, soft pita bread, cooked vegetables, and a side of cucumber sauce. The chicken bell pepper dish, which features chicken breast marinated in olive oil with a creamy sauce, is one of the less common Mediterranean offerings.
- 12275 W 87th St, Lenexa, KS 66215
Jerusalem Café
Jerusalem Café began 30 years ago in Westport and since has expanded, with a Mission location celebrating its grand opening this month. They also have four food trucks to bring their culinary masterpieces right to you.
“Mediterranean food and Middle Eastern food does overlap,” says Adam Alezzah, the son of Jerusalem Café founder Fred Alezzah. “For our Mediterranean food, we use feta cheese, olive oil, and fresh fruits and vegetables. And spices make a real difference.”
In addition to the classic version, Jerusalem Café puts an American twist on the gyro with their Philly gyros sandwich, which comes with lamb, beef, or chicken, green and red peppers, mushrooms, and tzatziki sauce served on the side.
They also offer a wide assortment of kabobs, including a kofta kabob: seasoned ground beef, onions, parsley, and spices pressed onto a skewer and grilled. To start the meal, consider their halloumi manakeesh, a Lebanese flatbread that’s cheesy and rich.
- 515 Westport Rd, Kansas City, MO 64111
- 6029 Metcalf Ave, Mission, KS 66202
- 18921 E Valley View Pkwy C, Independence, MO 64055
Páros Estiatorio
In Mission Farms, Kansas, you’ll find Páros Estiatorio bringing Greek food to high-end dining since 2019.
Start with their Arnisia Plevrakia, grilled lamb riblets seasoned with chimichurri, lemon, and oregano. Or give their Feta Fournou a taste: baked feta with cherry, tomatoes, chili flakes, oregano, and garlic.
When it is time for the main course, you won’t want to miss their Moussakas, layered ground beef, eggplant, potato, zucchini, and bechamel crust lamb jus. Their Lavraki is Mediterranean sea bass, a flaky white fish.
One of their must-tries at Paros Estiatorio is their baklava. Their version includes phyllo dough, walnuts, sugars, and cinnamon, served with a vanilla ice cream.
- 10561 Mission Rd, Leawood, KS 66206
Aladdin Café
Aladdin Café brings an absolute punch to the table when it comes to Mediterranean food. Their original location opened in Lawrence in 1999, and the Wyoming Street location in 2007.
The hummus is smooth with a bit of a kick – it’s garnished with sumac, parsley, and hot sauce. It’s the perfect dip for either a pita or your choice of vegetable.
Unique on their menu is a seafood kabob that includes shrimp and salmon seasoned with rosemary and garlic. Tahini, a paste made with ground sesame seeds, adds the perfect amount of tangy flavor.
What’s special about Aladdin is what’s not on their menu — make sure check out their daily specials. Their lamb shank, a large portion and could easily feed two people, is oven-roasted over five hours so that the meat falls away from the bone. Perfectly seasoned with Mediterranean spices, and served on a bed of rice, with large chunks of fork-tender potatoes and carrots and covered in tomato sauce, it’s almost like a stew.
- 3903 Wyoming St, Kansas City, MO 64111
- 1021 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS 66044
Queen Sweets & Bakery
Located north of the river is the cozy and quaint Queen Sweets & Bakery.
It’s got a café feel to it, with a counter packed with baklava, carrot and coconut balls, and other assorted treats. The carrot and coconut balls are sweet and tangy, with a subdued coconut flavor that doesn’t overpower the dessert.
On the savory side, you’ll find your beef, lamb, and chicken gyros as well as various shawarma and kabobs, but also a lot of seafood options. Their Mediterranean-style grilled tilapia is seasoned with herbs like oregano and lemon and enhanced by lemon zest.
Opened in 2018, it’s one of those places that you need to go back to at least a dozen times to try everything they have to offer. Order one of their “family style” platters to try a lot of things at once.
- 4107 N Cherry St Suite C, Kansas City, MO 64116
Tasso's Greek Restaurant
The history of Tasso’s Greek Restaurant is an immigrant success story. Tasso and Katina Kalliris immigrated from Greece, fell in love with Kansas City, and in 1976 opened up their restaurant to share their homeland’s cuisine. Tasso's has been a Waldo mainstay for nearly five decades.
It’s not just the food they are known for. Every Friday and Saturday, Tasso's have live music and belly dancing, a great way to spice up your weekend adventures. Check their Facebook page to keep up to date on other events.
If you want to try something a little bit different, go with the swordfish steak or the vegetable souvlaki - a vegetable kabob. The rack of lamb, grill-seared and then finished in the oven, is well loved – a Greek masterpiece.
- 8411 Wornall Rd, Kansas City, MO 64114
Other great Mediterranean and Greek restaurants to try
- Baba's Pantry and Bakery (1019 E 63rd St, Kansas City, MO 64110)
- Sahara Mediterranean Food (705 SE Melody Ln, Lee's Summit, MO 64063)
- Chef Aristo's Eatery, Curbside & Catering (862 SW Blue Pkwy, Lee's Summit, MO 64063)
- The Happy Greek (927 NE Woods Chapel Rd, Lee's Summit, MO 64064)
- KTM Indo-Mediterranean Grill & Cafe (9520 James A Reed Rd, Kansas City, MO 64134)
- Never on Sunday Greek Restaurant (9932 Holmes Rd, Kansas City, MO 64131)
- Nick The Greek (8807 State Line Rd, Kansas City, MO 64114)
- Meddys (4105 W 83rd St, Prairie Village, KS 66208. 6301 Brookside Plaza, Kansas City, MO 64113)
- Sidos Mediterranean Cuisine (1707 Locust St, Kansas City, MO 64108)
- Kari's on 39th (1715 W 39th St, Kansas City, MO 64111)
- Kinzi (5329 Johnson Dr, Mission, KS, 66205)
- Habashi House (309 Main St, Kansas City, Missouri 64105)
- Olive Cafe (9530 James A Reed Rd, Kansas City, MO 64134)
- Hummus & Pita (8039 Santa Fe Dr, Overland Park, KS 66204)
Kansas City's Mediterranean markets
While the big supermarkets may have some of the ingredients you need, when you want to cook Greek dishes at home, you should head to Kansas City’s Mediterranean markets to get what you need.
Fill your cart with traditional Mediterranean spices like oregano, basil, and bay leaf. Find pomegranates, figs, and dates, or cuts of lamb you can’t get anywhere else, such as shanks, kidneys, and trip.
- Mediterranean Market KC (1404 Westport Rd, Kansas City, MO 64111)
- Al Rahaman Mediterranean Market (2536 Independence Ave, Kansas City, MO 64124)
- Kanza Mediterranean Market (116 N Clairborne Rd, Olathe, KS 66062)
- Shahrazad International Market (12605 Metcalf Ave, Overland Park, KS 66213)
- Al Habashi Mart (309 Main St, Kansas City, Missouri 64105)
