There’s a brand new sports bar and grill here in Peoria and it’s all Greek to me...and everyone else. The Olympia Sports Bar & Grill has opened up in Pioneer Park in the space that used to be Joe’s Peoria Pub. It’s a unique bar because it’s Greek themed and I don’t know of any other Greek establishments in Peoria. One nice thing about this place is that it’s about three minutes away from The MBIP World Headquarters, so technically they’re my neighbors. So I thought I’d take them a barwarming present and meet some friends there to try out some of the food and beverages. First we need to find a present!
One of my favorite places in Peoria to get a unique and one-of-a-kind gift is right here at Urban Artifacts near the corner of Main and Sheridan. I went in and saw a nice display of some of Chelsie Tamms artwork, always love to see her art on display in town! There’s Gina who last helped us pick out a birthday present for Dan last May. What did we get for the Olympia barwarming present? Well, keep on scrolling to find out!
Okay, day has turned into night and here we are at Peoria’s newest bar and restaurant. I really like the logo and all of the neon in the windows. What I don’t like is the wintertime because it’s freezing cold out here, let’s get inside and see what’s happening in there. Hopefully they have the heat turned up inside!
Well, it’s not only warm in here, but check out the welcome sign! Usually I have to Photoshop that in somewhere but this time it’s for real! I love it! And there’s the owners of the bar, Andrew and Paul Lagouros! We met them back at the Chili Fest in the Heights and it’s great to see them again. Now let’s take a look inside of here!
Wow, the bar in here is wooden, huge and very impressive! Equally impressive are the two bartenders slinging drinks behind the bar, Billy and Beth. Normally I’d plop down at a seat here, but tonight we’re meeting some friends. And they’re located...
At this table opposite the bar. Clockwise from left it’s: Morgan, Pete, Joe, Amber and Shoop. And Morgan’s not only hanging out at our table she’s also our server along with Danielle on her right who’s shadowing Morgan this evening. Sounds like a restraining order might be needed, but we’ll see what happens as the night progresses!
The night started off with some drinks and some lively conversation. Of course I can’t sit still till I get all my pictures taken so it’s off I go, armed with the trusty MBIP Camera to take some photos.
As you can see, there’s a nice selection of beers on tap to choose from and a whole cooler of bottled beer as well.
Here’s a shot from the other end of the giganzo bar and as you can see, this is a Chicago Bears bar. Gaming machines will be added over here soon and there’s the dining room located in the back of the restaurant. I love all the M.C. Escher art in here and the bottom photo is my favorite piece of his art. I’ve always called this, “A Portrait Of The Artist Jerking Himself Off.” Sorry, M.C. but I call them as I sneeze them!
And now we present...a Mary Tyler Moore moment from Morgan!
Meanwhile, back at our table it’s time to start sampling some of the food here. They were nice enough to prepare a sampling menu for us and this is the first course. Morgan pointed out the different items on the plate and they are: Grilled pita slices, hummus, chunks of Feta cheese, Kalamata olives and tzatziki sauce. This was a delicious start and it’s only the beginning!
Next up was Greek sausage and Spanikopita egg rolls. I used some one of the pita slices to make a mini Greek sausage sandwich and it was so savory and tasty. I’ve never had sausage like this before and it was nice and spicy without being overwhelming. We all agreed that the Greek egg rolls were nothing short of spectacular! They were crispy on the outside and stuffed with spinach and topped with the tzatkiki sauce. Trust me, you’re not going to get food like this anywhere else!
And now for the moment I’ve been waiting for, The Gyro platter! I love gyros and was dying to try theirs out. The platter was served with fresh-cut french fries and yet another unique side-dish, brussels sprouts and bacon. It looks heavenly!
Amber expertly divided it up into three portions, time to dig in!
I’ve had gyros here in Peoria, Chicago and all over New York and this is hands down the best I’ve ever had. The meat was flavorful and the toppings were fresh and tasty, all housed in a fresh, soft and warm pita slice. This whole meal was fantastic and just when we thought it couldn’t get any better...
Baklava in a chocolate sauce arrived at our table! Talk about a sweet ending to a fantastic evening! You definitely need to go and try out Olympia, Peoria’s newest and most unique sports bar and grill. Thanks to Andrew, Paul, Billy, Beth, Morgan and Danielle for the great food and wonderful hospitality. And thanks to Amber, Joe, Pete and Shoop for joining me for the evening, it was a blast! Also, thanks to Pat Couri, who’s the General Manager and helped set up the menu for the evening!
P.S. I forgot to take the presents I got at Urban Artifacts, I’m such an idiot! Well this is a good excuse to go back for their cheeseburger which looked amazing! Stay tuned for a return visit with the gifts and we’ll see you all tomorrow!
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1301 W. Pioneer Parkway • Suite 125
Peoria
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