Oliveo Grill

Trying to keep track of all the restaurants at a busy corner can sometimes seem like a game of musical chairs. One place goes out of business, maybe another vacates its original space and relocates, and sometimes there's even a change of name along the way. The busy, restaurant-dense corner of University and Rural in Tempe has seen all that and more when when it comes to Mediterranean restaurants. Here's the situation as it stood last year: Cyprus Pita Grill, at the time a three-restaurant local chain, had a site in the Cornerstone development on the northeast corner. Around the same time, Pita Fresh opened in the bare bones strip mall on the southeast corner. The former served Greek food is a fast-casual atmosphere; the latter was all about rotisserie chicken and delicious falafel.

Fast forward to today, and a few things have occurred. First, Pita Fresh has gone out of business. That's unfortunate given the quality of the food, but the small restaurant with limited hours never managed to attract a large following. Likewise, Cyprus Pita Grill's Tempe location is no more and its former space at the Cornerstone is vacant. Amid the bad news, there is a hopeful development: The owner of the defunct Cyprus location has moved across the street into Pita Fresh's old location and has transplanted much of the menu to the new venue. Clear as mud? Let's just focus on the here-and-now: There's a promising place for a quick Greek meal at the southeast corner of University and Rural. It's called Oliveo Grill, and it's just across the street and a parking lot or two from the University / Rural station.

Oliveo Grill's site is -- forgive the pun -- spartan. There's a counter for ordering, about a dozen tables, a beverage station, and some high chairs for the kids in the back. There are a few posters on the wall, along with a high-definition TV usually tuned to the Discovery Channel. That's about all there is in terms of decor. This is definitely not a place to linger for a long, luxurious feast, but instead a place for a quick, hearty meal -- usually for less than $10. The best bargains are the lunch special and the late night special. At midday, order any pita sandwich and add on fries and fountain drink for about $6.50. The pita sandwiches can be filled with gyro meat, chicken, lamb, meatballs, pork, falafel, portabello mushrooms, and halloumi, a mild goat cheese with a firm texture like mozzarella. The fries that come with the specials are thin and crisp; substitute a salad for a small extra price if searching for something lighter.

Beyond pita sandwiches, the platters offer a more substantial meal ideal for dinner. The chicken soulvaki (center photo below) is moist, tender, and nicely seasoned. The accompanying rice has a satisfying, fluffy texture but suffers from being cooked with too much salt. The pita bread is of the Greek variety; that means a circular flat bread, but no real pockets for stuffing. Use the bread instead as a sort of scoop for hummus, rice, even meat. The falafel (right photo below) at Oliveo is unfortunately a step down from the fresh-from-the-fryer version at the old Pita Fresh. It's well seasoned, but firm and crunchy throughout without the yielding, moist interior of really good falafel. It's a good enough vegetarian choice, but pales in comparison to the more nuanced chick pea balls at places like Haji-Baba and Phoenicia, both just a short walk or train ride away.

Among the appetizers, hummus is a favorite -- both in its classic incarnation and in alternative flavors of roasted pepper, cilantro, and jalapeno. There's also baba-ghanoush, the classic smoky eggplant dip. The dolmas, filled with rice and zucchini, are a particularly good choice for sharing within a group. The tabouleh at Oliveo is strikingly different from what's served nearby Arab-owned restaurants. At Oliveo, the copious amounts of parsley common in so many versions of this dish are downplayed in favor of chopped bell peppers and other minced vegetables. It seems more like a vegetable salad infused with bulghur than a familiar version of tabouleh, but it works well on its own terms. Remember, this is a Greek/Cypriot restaurant, so many dishes will differ in their regional styles from more familiar Lebanese standards found nearby.

Oliveo's approach to satisfying the student crowd extends beyond low-priced specials to late hours (until 3:30 AM most days) and delivery for a small charge within most of Tempe north of the 60 Freeway. The food has its strengths and weaknesses, but is generally at its best when the items ordered are closest to the restaurant's Greek roots. That's fine, really, because it gives Oliveo a chance to stand out from the numerous Middle Eastern restaurants elsewhere in Tempe. There's been a lot of rearranging of the deck chairs at University and Rural lately, but this corner is no Titanic, even in the down economy. Instead, places like Oliveo help keep the area near ASU afloat with food that is good, inexpensive, and international.

933 E. University Dr., #108, Tempe AZ 85281 | Map

(480) 967-1996
http://www.oliveogrill.com