When first approaching a new restaurant, I arrive with the skepticism of Gordon Ramsay. Having seen hundreds of Kitchen Nightmares episodes, visions of bruised vegetables and raw meat dance in nauseating patterns. Terror reigns around every counter and ding of the door. This experience, however, was nothing like my nightmares.
Souvlaki's, staple of Blacksburg since 1982, is the visage of Mediterranean fast food. Aegean blue wallpaper spans an open concept bar, with Greek imagery and wine bottles hooked above sparse booths and tables. In every direction, signs yell at you, “All Day Everyday! $2 Miller High Life and Blue Ribbon Beer!” I could only imagine how the place must be on game days, surrounded by football fanatics looking to scoop up a lifestyle of economically efficient beer. In the words of my fellow dining companion, “Definitely a dive.”
In dive fashion, the tables were sticky and the lights dilapidated, but the service was even faster than expected. Spanakopita and non-spanako pita wrapped in wax paper were delivered, and met with interest. The pita was cold, doughy, but the tzatziki was brilliant; the spanakopita was warm, abundantly crisp and flavorful.
Within minutes, entrees were released. Piping hot chicken kebabs and less than hot souvlaki appeared, brought with the same lukewarm pitas. As much as I detest uneven temperature, the flavor of the pork surprised and flaunted. A blend of vibrant spices and bursting tzatziki erupted forth from the wrap, spewing onto my wax paper and eliciting several napkins passed around. Extremely savory, striking of palate, delicious when put to the test.
Baklava came last, picked up from a plastic casing of pre-wrapped proportions. However, it was more than worth the cost. Sweet, crispy, and absolutely delicious, it was gone in seconds. My dining companion knowingly asked, “how does this compare to your previous baklava?” Suddenly, my mouth was filled with the first bite of truly authentic baklava I ever had, made by the Seyam’s. I grinned at the memory.
“It’s perfect, but nothing could compare.”
As we left the restaurant, the taste of baklava permeated on the tongue, we felt adequately filled. Sweet, delectable, savory as could be. Inconsistency as ambience, flavorful in spice, always ready to get its job done. That’s Souvlaki's. ($10-$20)
Written by Thomas Repass
Photography by Monserrat Rivera