If grilled lamb, multiple varieties of hummus and flaky layers of baklava are your idea of a great menu, Taziki’s might be calling your name.

Taziki’s is a franchise offering authentic Mediterranean cuisine to its guests. The closest location is only 15 minutes from campus at 3604 Pelham Road, in the same strip as Chicken Salad Chick and Mariani’s Boutique.

Guests order their food at the counter and admire the canvas pictures of beach scenes and different sites in the Mediterranean while they wait. Small pendant lamps hanging from the ceiling give an ambiance of being on the coast savoring the sights and sounds of the city.

Menu items include a few variations of hummus, Greek salads, grilled lamb, tilapia, salmon and shrimp dishes.

Most popular at Taziki’s is their gyro, with choice of either lamb meat or grilled chicken topped with tzatziki sauce, the precedence for the restaurant’s name. A house-made Greek lemon and chicken soup is one of their specialties.

Spicy pimento cheese is another specialty item that sets Taziki’s apart from other Mediterranean restaurants. Gluten free options are also available.

Desserts include baklava, dark chocolate cake and chocolate chip cookies made from scratch. The daily special that corresponds to the specific day of the week is a popular choice for diners.

Colby Wedgeworth, general manager of Taziki’s, said the original owners of the franchise were inspired while on their honeymoon in Greece.

“They enjoyed it so much that when they came back to Alabama, where they were from, they decided to open up the restaurant,” Wedgeworth said. 

Since then, the restaurant grew into the franchise it is today. Additional locations are  in Charleston, Columbia, Charlotte and a few Georgia locations.

Laura Bradley, a sophomore culinary arts major, enjoys going to Taziki’s with her family.

“The food is very flavorful and fresh. Every time I have been there the service was very friendly and wonderful,” Bradley said. “I love the restaurant and would recommend it to anyone who loves Greek food.”

Taziki’s is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. More information can be found on their website tazikiscafe.com. They also have a Facebook and Instagram page.