Taverna Opa offers an authentic Greek experience

By Gabriella Fidanze

Hoping to show local Floridians what Greek culture, cuisine and atmosphere is all about, Peter Tsialiamanis opened Taverna Opa in 1998.

“The original owner, Peter, came from Greece with nothing, just a piece of bread in his pocket. His dream was to recreate a little bit of his childhood and make America feel like home,” Gabriela Cabrera, the restaurant manager at Taverna Opa, said. “He wanted to show Americans what Greece on a plate looks like, smells like, feels like, is like.”

Tsialiamanis, who immigrated to the United States from Greece, has done just that. The restaurant is known for its electrifying and authentic Greek atmosphere and its authentic food.

The restaurant is open seven days a week, Monday through Friday at 12:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. The restaurant closes when the party dies down for the night, which popularized its slogan, “Till the Ouzo Runs Out.” Its busiest time is after 7 p.m. during the late dinner service.

Guests can opt in for two different experiences at Taverna Opa. They can come for lunch or dinner and enjoy the beautiful waterfront location on Hollywood Beach, Greek music, scrumptious food and peaceful coastal environment. Or they can come for the late dinner service and be met with belly dancers, a mix of Greek music and popular hits, dancing on tables, servers and customers throwing napkins, celebrations and constant shouts of “Opa!”

“My favorite part of the restaurant experience is the atmosphere because I love that we can get up on the tables and throw napkins while we dance and that they have belly dancers that interact with the crowd,” said Rachel Gruboy, junior biology major. “They pull you up on the tables with them and teach you the dances while everybody claps and cheers you on. It is just such a fun environment.”

Taverna Opa’s authentic Greek cuisine is also a draw for the restaurant. Popular food packages are offered daily. There’s the Apollo for $40 per person, the Aphrodite for $45 and the Zeus for $55. These packages offer a tasting of the menu, including Greek salad, cold pikilia, hot pikilia, cheese saganaki and three different meat platters.

“I would recommend Taverna Opa because it is a great place to go in South Florida for the best deal price-wise for the amount of food you get,” Gruboy said. “My favorite thing to get is the $40 family style meal and the lamb gyro,” she said.

The restaurant also has popular stand-alone dishes such as lamb chops, roasted lamb, octopus and calamari. The menu is 90% gluten-free, and offers a variety of vegetarian and dairy-free options.

Cabrera said that the food is homemade cuisine, noting that they make their dressings in house daily, and they only use fresh ingredients.

“The restaurant is very different from any other. It’s homemade Greek food just like grandma used to cook. It’s a very real experience with the authentic music, food, and dance,” Cabrera said.

The restaurant staff is extremely close. The servers and dancers work in unison to promote the celebratory atmosphere of the restaurant by throwing napkins, dancing and shouting “Opa,” but also finding times to pause to bring food and drinks to customers. The restaurant staff manages the outdoor seating, a main dining room, a bar, an outdoor host stand, a valet and a DJ. There are many moving parts that the staff coordinates to give customers a smooth experience.

Cabrera has worked at the restaurant since 2007, after previously working for another Taverna Opa affiliated restaurant. Cabrera said it is a great place to work with happy and friendly owners where the staff treats her like family. Her restaurant policy is “happy staff, happy restaurant,” and customers say it shows.

“The service is wonderful. Carlos has been our server every time we eat at Taverna Opa. He treats us like family. He is the best server there is and we request him every time because he goes above and beyond,” Gruboy said.