Christina's Cafe - Greek Mediterranean Cuisine

Hubby and I both love Greek food. We have our favorite Greek restaurants and every so often we decide to live on the edge and try a new place. We happened to be on Atlantic Boulevard in Pompano Beach for some business and errands, and it was almost time for dinner. We decided to stop at Christina's Cafe. We had passed it before but this time the timing was right, and hubby had heard good things about it through the people in his office.

Christina's in on a very busy thorough fare. Great for them, not so great for ease of parking but we found a spot on a side street and hoofed it. It's quite small but pleasant enough since it has two window walls that give you a lot of light and a chance to people watch. The decor is simple with touches of Greek. and seats up to 64 people. They will close the place to private parties.

The owner's wife Christina was on premises which is a nice aspect. I like family run businesses. She made a point of stopping by the table to get our reaction to the food so that meant they are interested in what the customers think. It also gives the cafe a nice friendly atmosphere.

The menu is completely authentic. It's on a little yellow paper bifold. You can get Avgolemeno Soup, similar to egg drop soup ($7.00), Pikilia a tzatziki, hummus, taraolsalata (Greek caviar)and melitanonosalata (roasted eggplant) combination appetizer $13.00). This is a good idea as it gives you a sampling of several tasty dishes. They offer Octopus, Calamari, Saganaki (Kefalatori cheese flamed in Brandy, very impressive). You can get the traditional Dolmades (grape leaves with rice and her stuffing) and Spinach Pie.There are many, many more tasty appetizers priced anywhere from $4.50 to$13.00.

There are four salads, Tabouli, Batoosh, Village and Greek. These are all about $9.99. Remember the dressing is extra!

Side dishes will run you $7.00 (Rice, Orzo, Potatoes. Pita bread and salad dressing costs $.99. This I thought was in very bad taste. Bread and dressing for your salad should be free.

There are numerous dinner specials and platter dishes. The platter dishes run $13.50 and are served with Tzatziki and salad as well as rice. You can get Beef, Pork, Falafel, Gyros or Gyro Bifteki. They offer Christina's Shrimp in Champagne, Pistachio and numerous kabobs. Or you can get a simple New York Steak char grilled for $21.99.

For dinner I had the Moussaka, a baked eggplant with spiced beef topped with Bechamel sauce. It was quite good and was $13.00. Hubby had Lamb Shank , he loves Lamb and I rarely make it at home. That was a reasonable $14.99 for a good size portion but he had to order sides as well. They offer Salmon and Shrimp as well as TIlapia. You can also go Italian they have a long list of Italian selections.I can't imagine going to a Greek restaurant for Italian food but there must be a demand for it or it wouldn't be on the menu. Still, it seemed odd.

Lunch specials are mostly Gyros and are $7.99.

Desserts are mostly Greek. They have Baklava, Galaktoburiko (custard pie in phyllo), Walnut Cake, Rice Pudding and Tiramisu.

The service was fast as the restaurant was not particularly busy. Some of the people who did walk in while we were there were greeted warmly by Christina and seem to be regulars. We liked our meals but the bill did add up with all the sides , bread, dessert etc. We split the Baklava.

Christina's Cafe will do catering and they also deliver in certain areas . A1A West to I 95 and Cypress Creek Road North to Copans.They have a minimum for delivery, $15.00. It isn't hard to get to $15.00 when you order from them. They charge an additional $5.00 outside their delivery area.

All in all the place was pleasant and clean. The food was good It is wheelchair accessible.The service was good, portions satisfying and all in all we had a pleasant time. No one rushed us. I imagine if we are in that area again we would go back but for now we have an excellent Greek restaurant around the corner that we frequent.