Olive Grove

Address: 4496 West Saanich Road
Phone: (250) 479-9361
Website: http://www.olivegrove.ca/
Price: $10-25
Notes: Good greek food a bit off the beaten path. Gluten-free menu.


The Olive Grove is tucked away near the Royal Oak shopping centre across the street from the Fireside Grill. From the outside it looks a bit... industrial... plain? Something that doesn't match the inside, which is beautiful and ever-so-slightly fancy. It kind of kills me that this place wasn't more busy, especially since their food is far and away better than Romeo's down the road (with a very similar menu).

There are lots of good reasons to eat here, and their celiac-friendly menu is one of them. In fact quite a lot on their menu is celiac-friendly, and the staff were very knowledgable about the options and what was and wasn't, which was nice.

Service:
July 26, 2011
Two thumbs up for the service here! The server was very knowledgable, friendly, prompt and clearly had made friends with all of the regulars. As you probably know if you're a frequent reader of this blog, it drives me crazy when servers only give attention to one person at the table (for whatever reason). This server was absolutely awesome in this regard and that makes me very, very happy.

Buy a deck of Taste Locally deals & receive $10 off any purchase of $30 or more before tax, tip and alcohol at Olive Grove! 

Find out more about supporting local restaurants, wineries & cafes in Victoria and becoming a local hero at www.tastelocally.com.

* Expires October 1st 2015



Food:
July 26, 2011
I came here as I had been out of town for my friend's birthday, and so was in need of a celiac-friendly place to go out and celebrate! This was also a good compromise as it was half-way between her place and mine. 

Mousaka via foodspotting.com

I love the sprig of lavender & rosemary on the top of the dish - it's not easy to see in the picture but it was a very lovely touch! This wasn't the best mousaka that I've ever had (that award has to go to Stephos on Davie St. in Vancouver although admittedly I was so full afterwards I couldn't even sleep) but it was pretty tasty! The potato on top was light and fluffy and the veggies inside were also very un-dense but perhaps a tad on the bland side. The greek salad on the side was epic - pretty much just huge chunks of fresh vegetables plus a bit of marinade. The flatbread was crispy and perfect and clearly house-made.

My friend ordered the gluten-free pizza but was disappointed that their pepperoni wasn't gluten-free but was okay with the chorizo sausage instead. Unlike the Joint, her favourite place, the pizza here is a thick crust. She only ate about half of a small before she hit the wall and had to get it packed up... so perhaps a better bang for your buck than the Joint in that respect.