Cafe Athena

Cafe Athena is a good, small, Greek restaurant. This place has a warm, I-must-be-in-Greece feel to it. The food is affordable and tastes great.

The Establishment

Café Athena is organized into 3 small dining areas, each connected to one another through archways. Architectural details provide a Greek ambiance. The room is mostly white stucco with Greece-lifestyle paintings.

Seating can be sit-at-the-bar format or table-format with limited outdoor seating. Large windows allow sunlight to bathe the dining rooms giving them a comfortable glow.

Clientele includes middle-aged (and plus) couples/groups; and families with children. Bathrooms are clean; the food is very good; but service is slow.

The Food

Café Athena serves up very good Greek food. Meals are marked as “Heart Healthy” and/or “Strictly Vegetarian”. Menu includes:

• extensive choice of wines;
• many starters: dips & pita, and stuffed grape leaves;
• various Greek soups and salads;
• standard Greek sandwiches and entrees (entrees can be chicken, seafood, meat, or vegetarian);
• a few classic Greek desserts;
• kids menu available (crayons and coloring placemat provided)
• take-out & catering available.

Summary:

Cafe Athena has good food at good prices, but the service is slow. The menu is surprisingly similar to that of Apollonia: it would not be surprising if they were both operated by the same owner. Comparing Apollonia (in La Jolla) with Cafe Athena (in Pacific Beach), Athena:
- dining areas are a little more cozy;
- prices are a little cheaper
- the atmosphere is a bit more relaxed
- the food is equally good
- the service is slow even during non-peak hours..