Niko Niko's

Review Highlights

Guy Fieri pulls up to Niko Niko’s in Houston’s Montrose neighborhood — a Greek joint sandwiched between Rice University, downtown, and the Galleria. The place is slammed, and the question on Guy’s mind is simple: is the constant line out the door because of the prime location, or is the food that good? He meets Demetri Fetokakis, whose parents founded Niko Niko’s in 1977 and whose family actually lived in the building — “this part of the restaurant was our house,” Demetri tells him, pointing out he’s been working there since he was five.

• ·Lamb Shank — marinated in lemon juice, Greek oregano from the family orchard in Greece, black pepper, fresh garlic, seasoned salt, and Greek olive oil, then vacuum-tumbled to speed the marinade before a 3-hour slow roast. Served with Greek salad, roasted potatoes, pita, and tzatziki. Guy calls it “one of the more lemon-forward lamb shanks I’ve ever had” and jokes, “you’re going to have to take this away from me.”
• ·Loukoumades (Greek Honey Balls) — yeast dough proofed for 30 minutes, extruded through a custom machine into simmering water, fried for 5 minutes, then soaked in a syrup of honey, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon and finished with powdered sugar and cinnamon. Guy calls them “culinary boogies in the shipyard of Flavortown” — they “fill up with that juice inside” and “the lemon is the first thing I recognize.”
• ·Gyro — a top seller and the backbone of the operation: Niko Niko’s moves 15 big hunks of gyro meat a day and goes through 12,000 pitas every week.
• ·Moussaka — the owner’s personal favorite and a family recipe from their Greek cookbook, part of the upscale side of the menu built around generations-old dishes.
• ·Soutzoukakia (Greek Meatballs) — another family cookbook recipe that Niko Niko’s added when they expanded beyond the basics into traditional Greek comfort food.
• ·Baklava — scratch-made daily alongside a dozen rotating desserts; flaky, fresh, and a consistent crowd favorite.

Guy is all-in on Niko Niko’s. The food is “always just dead on,” the place has “a lot of heart and personality,” and he closes by calling it “one of my favorite places of all time.” The ultimate verdict lands on the highest praise Guy can offer: “this is as good as my mom.” He even tries to walk out with the loukoumades machine — the sincerest compliment Flavortown can give.

About

Niko Niko’s is a family-run Greek restaurant in Houston’s Montrose neighborhood, founded in 1977 by the Fetokakis family. What started as a small counter-service spot has grown into a Houston institution — the original Montrose Boulevard location was once the family’s actual home, where founder’s son Demetri grew up and started working the counter at age five. The kitchen draws from the family cookbook for its Greek classics and runs a full pastry counter of scratch-made desserts daily.