Oliv Pit Athenian Grill: Olive-Pit-Grilled Souvlaki at Village Point

Oliv Pit Athenian Grill brings authentic Athenian cooking to the Shoppes at Village Point on SW 18th Street in Boca Raton, co-owned by Emmanuel Vlahos, the son of Greek immigrants who spent 27 years living in Athens, and Marcos Alexandridis, a Greek native. Ingredients are imported directly from Greece and paired with locally sourced produce.

Souvlaki Grilled Over Olive Pits

The restaurant's defining detail is its grill: Oliv Pit says it's the first restaurant in the United States to cook over BBQ briquettes made of olive pits, a traditional European method the owners chose specifically because it avoids the carcinogens associated with standard charcoal. That grill turns out souvlaki in beef, chicken, salmon, and veggie versions, plus a seafood platter with calamari and octopus and a Pikilia Kreaton mixed grill platter. Appetizers include tirokafteri (spicy goat's milk feta spread), kolokithokeftedes (fried zucchini croquettes), and a Pikilia Trio dip sampler, while a horiatiki village salad and feta-topped fries round out the table. Baklava, karidopita walnut-honey cake, and portokalopita orange-honey cake handle dessert, and the bar pours imported Greek wine and beer exclusively.

An Athens Native's Take on Greek Cooking

Between Vlahos's Athens upbringing and Alexandridis's Greek roots, the ownership brings a first-hand connection to the cuisine that shows up in the imported ingredients and the olive-pit grilling method, a technique most diners in Boca Raton won't have encountered at another restaurant.

Good to Know

Oliv Pit Athenian Grill is located at 6006 SW 18th St #6B, Boca Raton, FL 33433, and is open daily for lunch and dinner. It's a distinctive choice for Greek food in Boca Raton.