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From diners and dives to fine restaurants, good Greek food can be found in many Atlanta neighborhoods. Whether it's a lamb gyro to-go for lunch or a whole, wood-roasted fish to savor with a glass of Greek wine at dinner, the flavors of oregano, lemon, garlic, yogurt and feta cheese come together in dishes to crave.

Becky Stein/AJC special (ENLARGE)
A gyro with extra sauce and olives on the side is a delightful dish at Nick's Food To Go.
Becky Stein/AJC special (ENLARGE)
Savor Royal Dorado with sides of baby beets, potato-garlic puree and bean stew at Kyma in Buckhead.
FILE (ENLARGE)
Saganaki (flaming cheese) is a hot dish at Taverna Plaka, a fun restaurant that features belly dancers.
FILE (ENLARGE)
The classic gyro plate features all of the yummy sides served at Grecian Gyro restaurant.
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HAPEVILLE

Grecian Gyro

Grecian Gyro is one of those increasingly rare mom-and-pop places that seems to be immune to changing times and tastes. The spartan decor is an ode to the classic 1950s American diner. You line up to order at the front and your food is prepared to order. Juicy, Mediterranean spiced beef and lamb gyro meat is shaved from the vertical skewer machine, finished on the grill and served on fluffy warm pita bread with onions, tomatoes, and a creamy tzatziki sauce. Other choices range from souvlaki (pork), chicken and loukaniko (Greek sausage) to a plain grilled cheese sandwich or a feta-stuffed pita.

• 855 Virginia Ave., 404-762-1627. www.greciangyro.com/

BUCKHEAD

Kyma

Chef Pano Karatassos (son of the Buckhead Life founder) brings an upscale touch to Greek tavern food, with a menu that offers his refined take on all the traditional favorites and then some. Look for crispy-tangy Greek fries, with oregano, lemon, and kefalotiri cheese; baby Maine calamari crisped in olive oil; whole, wood-grilled dorado; and prime ribeye "souvlaki" with parsley sauce. For dessert, there's the housemade Greek-style yogurt with Greek mountain honey. Enjoy it all with a bottle of Greek wine, in a posh setting, featuring Aegean-blue, star-studded ceilings and white marble columns.

• 3085 Piedmont Road N.E., 404-262-0702. www.buckheadrestaurants.com/kyma.html

CHESHIRE BRIDGE

Taverna Plaka

It wouldn't be unusual to find a bachelor party at Taverna Plaka. It's just that kind of fun place — from the belly dancing to the plate sharing to the wine drinking. "Taverna" is the Greek word for tavern. And the atmosphere is decidedly casual, with the party going until the wee hours on Fridays and Saturdays. The small-plate "mezze" menu features the big flavors of stuffed grape leaves, saganaki (flaming cheese), grilled octopus and braised rabbit. There are also entree offerings with traditional favorites, such as moussaka and souvlaki, as well as steaks and seafood.

• 2196 Cheshire Bridge Road N.E., 404.636.2284. www.tavernaplakaatlanta.com

MEMORIAL DRIVE

Nick's Food To Go

At Nick's Food To Go the sign on the side of the building pictures a grinning, mustached chef. And inside, there's Nick himself — as colorful as his cartoon character, serving up hearty Greek and American food, along with his wife, Helen, who does most of the cooking. There's no dining room. You can order at a window adjacent to the parking lot or go through a door that leads to the main order counter. Look for the juicy lamb gyro, topped with tangy, garlic-laced tzatziki, or one of the daily specials — pastitsio (Greek lasagna) or baked chicken marinated in lemon and olive oil. Gyro, souvlaki or chicken plates come with good-and-lemony, Greek-style fried potatoes and a Greek salad. Currently closed for summer vacation, it reopens in August.

• 240 Martin Luther King Jr. S.E., 404-521-2220. www.nicksfood.com

BUCKHEAD

White House Restaurant

Part Greek diner, part Southern meat-and-three, White House Restaurant in Buckhead is an Atlanta classic that's been open in one form or another since 1948. Steam table lunch specials including barbecue, fried chicken and salmon croquettes are served up cafeteria style, with cornbread and sweet tea. And Greek specialties such as moussaka and pastitsio are featured on different days of the week. But you can also get everything from a gyro to a club sandwich to a steak — plus big breakfasts with pork chops, eggs and grits.

• 3172 Peachtree Rd. N.W., 404-237-7601.