Review: 5A’s Restaurant

“Let’s go to the Greek place in Harvest!”
“There’s a Greek place in Harvest?”

So went the conversation with my stepbrother. We met him for dinner last week at 5A’s Restaurant, just south of Harvest Road on Highway 53 in Harvest.

5A’s Restaurant is a side-of-the-road place that looks as if it might have been a gas station once. Inside is nothing short of some of the finest Greek food in the Tennessee Valley.

The 5A’s menu features familiar Greek appetizers, entrees, and desserts, supplemented with a selection of Middle Eastern and Persian fare. The experience is fast casual—order and pay at the counter, then have a seat in the clean, pleasant dining room. A short while later, your food comes with a smile.

For appetizers, we shared the roasted red pepper hummus and the spanakopita. The hummus came with both pita chips and bread. It was fresh and tasty. Someone commented that there could have been a few more chips, but I was fine with just putting that much more hummus on what we had!

The spanakopita was outstanding. Judging from temperature and texture, it couldn’t have been five minutes old when it arrived.

Warm and flaky, with appealing cheesy tang, it disappeared very quickly. As I lamented its absence, I pondered whether I might want to return and have two or three orders of it as my entire meal sometime. It was that good.

Just a few minutes later, our entrees arrived. Our plates were served with rice, Greek salad, pita wedges, tzatziki sauce, hummus, and orange slices. I chose the falafel. Lea had the chicken souvlaki.

The falafel was fried perfectly, with a pleasant spice profile and without excessive salt (and if a place is going to err with falafel, that’s usually where). Lea’s souvlaki was flavorful, tender, and juicy. All of our ancillaries were excellent. The rice was freshly steamed, and a salad simply has no business being this vibrant in the middle of February.

We are blessed with fairly adventurous eaters, and the boys were excited to try Greek food. After giving them a few pointers, they each decided on a classic gyro.

The beef-lamb was spot-on, complemented marvelously by the creamy tzatziki. (I swapped a falafel patty for a bite of Nate’s.) Both gyros vanished entirely. Greek cuisine is off to a roaring start with our boys.

Now, are you ready for the menu’s master stroke, as far as family dining is concerned? You need not worry if you’re unsure how well your charges (big or small) will take to Greek food. There is a standard children’s menu, but a half-pound Angus hamburger, a Philly cheesesteak, and French fries are also available. Memorable Mediterranean treats and ultra-safe American fare live side by side at 5A’s.

Speaking of treats, you didn’t think we were getting out with baklava, did you? Oh, and I’ll have nut roll and kataifi as well. We’ll all share back and forth, you know.

As with dinner, this was all marvelous and clearly prepared on site. Furthermore, the menu’s safety valves for the less adventurous continue here. Want cookies or ice cream? They can do that too.

Restrooms are clean and well-stocked, though there are no changing tables. Highchairs are available.

Now, let’s talk budget. I’ve worked through this twice to be sure I’m counting everything, and I am. Here it is:

My family of four had two appetizers, two gyros, two entrée plates, four desserts, and four bottomless fountain drinks for just $47, tax included. We couldn’t have done a sit-down chain for that. I’m not certain we could have done fast food for that, given all that we purchased.

We talked about dinner all the way home. Lea said she wanted to work her way through the whole menu. I believe we’ll do that. There’s an unassuming little Greek place up the road in Harvest that deserves your serious consideration for your next family dinner out.

Details

5A’s Restaurant
Address: 6297 Highway 53 Harvest, AL 35749 (map)
Phone: (256) 852-8089
Hours: Open 10:30 am – 9 pm, Tuesday through Saturday; 11 am – 6 pm Sunday
Website: https://5asrestaurant.com/

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