Jim's Tavern - Really Old Skool

Jim's Tavern is really old skool. It starts with a lack of website. Not many larger restaurants don't have a web presence nowadays. I guess when you've been around for so long and everyone already knows about you, you don't really need to have a website right? I guess as long as people are still coming through the doors, that's all that matters. And one the night I went, people were definitely coming through the doors. The clientele who were dining that night seemed to be mostly big Greek families. Those big groups were seated in the back area, which seems to be where the action is. It felt rather sad sitting in the front area. It just didn't have the right feel. It felt cramped, but not cosy. It could be due to the lack of sufficient lighting.

The waiter came to take our order. There's no menu here, but I guess things don't change too often. There might be a special or two here and there but mostly it's typical Greek dishes you would expect. We go for the dips and saganaki to start off with. Both dishes were good and I did enjoy them. The saganaki had a really good bite to it. Next up was the reason I wanted to visit Jim's Tavern, to eat the grilled octopus. I absolutely love octopus and not enough restaurants serve them. So I was super excited to eat it. And the verdict, it was very good. The octopus had a great charred, smokey flavour and was very tender.

To conclude our meal we had garlic butter scallops, lamb gyros and fried zucchinis. The scallops were ok. You couldn't really taste them under that batter. The lamb was really good but by that point we were so full already and didn't know one plate of lamb was enough to feed four people. I didn't like the fried zucchinis and found them really salty and oily.

The service was good, and the waiters came around to check how we were going and if we wanted anything. The only time we had a problem was actually trying to flag down a waiter to get the bill. Overall, the food was pretty good, but I'd say it's pricey for what it is, which is just simple Greek food. I can eat that elsewhere for cheaper. I don't think there's anything particularly special about Jim's Tavern in terms of the food. I guess it lives on due to it's reputation. As I mentioned, I didn't like the vibe in the front room of the restaurant. I will probably feel differently in the back area. I'd probably not go back to dine as I think you can eat much better Greek food elsewhere for cheaper or comparative cost.