Stop’N Cafe

Santa Monica’s Stop’N Cafe is a hidden gem for authentic Greek cuisine. Located on the promenade between retail stores and competing chain restaurants, this family-owned dinner hot spot offers indoor and outdoor dining with friendly service and a menu of traditional Greek dishes.

If you’re looking for a little taste of everything, the Greek Metze is a prime choice. This platter of Hummus, Tabouli, Babaganoush, Taziki, Falafal, Dolmathes, Spanakopita and handmade pita bread was more than enough for two people to split and offered a taste of the menu’s best. The hummus was creamy and delicious, the babaganoush chunky and flavorful, and the tzaziki and tabouli  offered opposing flavors to spice up the sampling. The falafal was nothing too exciting, and the dolmathes (grapes leaves stuffed with rice) had a stronger taste than we were expecting, but the spanakopita was marvelous. Spinach and feta baked into filo pastry making a flaky and savory bite-sized delicacy, definitely a must-try.

Of course, gyros and kebabs were available, so we dove into a chicken kebab platter with basmati rice, more fluffy pita bread, and a small side salad. The chicken was cooked well, didn’t offer much exciting flavor, but came to life when paired with a dollop of hummus and sandwiched between the pita. This is a big dish at a reasonable price.

Stop’N Cafe is as local as Mediterranean food can get in Santa Monica, and is worth a detour if you are looking for alternative ethnic food, a casual environment, and a pleasant dining experience.