I stopped by Pinewood Roasters Tuesday morning to get a cappuccino (amazing coffee, btw), and while I was there one of the owners of Pinewood Roasters, JD Beard, introduced me to the owner of Alpha Omega Mediterranean Grill and Bakery, Dorothy Lentis. Pinewood Roasters and Alpha Omega share a location. She was busy making gelato for the day, so we didn't get to talk long. Knowing that they were making the gelato fresh in the store, I knew I needed to come back soon.
On Wednesday, I convinced my coworking group that we needed to go check out the new Greek restaurant on Franklin, so we headed over at lunchtime. At the suggestion of Dylan Washington, the other owner of Pinewood Roasters, I had the pork gyro. I found out from Dorothy that the pork gyro is also her favorite, though she loves all of the gyros. My friend, Derick, had a gyro and a side of fried cheese balls. My other friend, John, had a gyro, and my new friend, Louis (co-founder of Waco's upcoming film festival, Deep in the Heart Film Festival), had a gyro and a side of fries.
The general consensus was that the food was very good. Everyone really enjoyed their meal. Derick proclaimed it "the best gyro I've ever had." For the record, he pronounced "gyro" correctly. For those of you wondering, it's "yeer-oh." Not "jeer-oh" or "jy-ro". We had a brief discussion about the proper pronunciation at the table. He and Louis traded a cheese ball for some fries, so he and Louis both tried the fried cheese balls. They agreed that it was a different flavor than they were used to, but they both really liked it.
For dessert, Derick and I both tried the gelato. It was fantastic. I can see myself going there with friends on a Friday or Saturday night just to get some gelato. It's another great dessert option in town.
One of the things I loved most about Alpha Omega was the price point. The pork gyro was just $5.95, which I thought was a very reasonable price, especially considering that all of the ingredients were fresh, and the pita was made fresh in house. I was able to get a great lunch for around $8 (not including the gelato), which is hard to come by downtown.
The only issue I can see with Alpha Omega is parking. We got there a little early, so I had no trouble finding parking, but the lot was almost full and the restaurant wasn't busy yet. I can imagine parking might become a hassle if you get there when they are busy. There is an empty lot next to the parking lot, which helps, but given how popular I think this place will be, they may need to figure out another solution. Time will tell, I guess.
We are always excited to see new businesses in Waco, and Alpha Omega offers another great option in our growing downtown. I think this place will do really well. They offer great food at a very reasonable price in a cool setting. Who doesn't like that?
One more bite
Alpha Omega's owner, Dorothy Lentis, is the daughter of Aris and Kelly Galanis, the owners of 1424 Bistro. It's no wonder her restaurant is serving up such great food.
Be sure and sign up for WacoFork's newsletter to be among the first to learn about our next big project and get regular updates from our blog.
