Going Greek in Fayetteville

1618 N. College Ave, Fayetteville

The day got away from us. Before we knew it, lunchtime had come and gone, and we were still hungry. We found Acropolis open for lunch, even at 3 o’clock in the afternoon.

A party of two, we seated ourselves in the small dining room. Most of the vertical blinds were pulled shut, sealing out the sun and blocking the view of traffic on 71 business. The restaurant itself was not very inviting with little decoration and several burned-out light bulbs.

When we were settled, our server, possibly the owner, greeted us and delivered large glasses of tea. Although she was attentive, she didn’t respond to invitations to converse about the food, and she gave no recommendations when asked.

We started our meal with an appetizer of tzatziki. Presented with ample pieces of pita bread — a soft, flat bread that’s perfect for dipping — the tzatziki was tasty. The dip consisted of chilled yogurt, bits of cucumber and spices.

Most of the restaurant’s entrees, priced at $7-$17, come with sides of pita bread and Greek salad. Green leafy lettuce, cucumber slices, olives (Watch out for the pits!) and tomato wedges sprinkled with feta cheese make up the salad. The server brought vinegar and oil as the house dressing.

The combo kabob entree ($12) was presented with wooden skewers full of grilled chicken, lamb, green bell peppers, white onions and tomato slices. The chunks of juicy chicken and tender marinated lamb were served on a bed of white basmati rice with a red dipping sauce and pita bread.

This visit to Acropolis was one of the few times one diner had tried lamb, and she said she enjoyed the hearty flavor of the meat, which was complimented by the rice and red sauce. The lamb set the meal apart from other restaurants in the area.

Our second guest tried a platter called the Falafel Encore ($8). Described on the menu as “a sampling of North African and eastern Mediterranean fare,” the large meal included hummus, tabouli-stuffed grape leaves (dolmeh latheres), tzatziki, falafel and pita bread.

We thought the hummus was bland, and, we suspect, made from a powder mix. Traditionally, hummus is made from freshly ground garbanzo beans and tahini. This hummus was like comparing potato flakes to homemade, skins-on mashed potatoes.

As far as we know, this is the only Greek gig in the area, and we were disappointed to conclude that the restaurant doesn’t make much of its fare fresh.

We would have liked to have tried traditional Greek cuisine fresh from the kitchen.