New Greek street food chain opens first Riverbank site. Here’s what the restaurant offers
Mediterranean street food has arrived in Riverbank, as Nick the Greek opened its first Northern San Joaquin Valley location in the Crossroads Shopping Center this week.
The fast-growing regional chain was started in San Jose by three cousins of Greek descent, who all happen to be named Nick (to differentiate amongh them, they go by Big Nick, Little Nick and Baby Nick). The company now has 57 locations across California, as well as 10 other sites spread across Arizona, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada, Texas and Utah.
The chain specializes in quick, tasty and affordable Greek fare including gyros (Greek pita sandwiches) and souvlakis (Greek meat skewers). The restaurant also has a selection of salads, dinner entrees and desserts.
But customers won’t really need to answer the standard “You want fries with that?” question when ordering at the new eatery because Nick the Greek’s gyro and pita sandwiches come stuffed with them, in addition to your choice of fresh-cut meat (traditional beef/lamb combo, chicken, pork belly or ground beef patty). The hearty dishes run $11.95 for sandwich only, $4 to $4.50 more with a combo of a drink and either more fries or a side salad.
Filling the pitas with french fries isn’t just an indulgent extra, said Riverbank franchise owner Jerry Ajlouny, who also owns locations in Livermore and Castro Valley. It’s an authentic touch that Greek street vendors add to their gyros, he said, which are often eaten as late-night snacks after an evening on the town.
“Adding the fries stirs a lot of mixed emotions in people,” he said. “People think it’s not authentic, but this is Greek street food.”
Adding to the authenticity are the three vertical rotisseries that continuously spin the meats, ensuring everyone gets roasty bits in their meals. The menu also includes souvlaki or gyros plates (shaved meat or falafel served over a bed of rice or those ever-present fries for $16.50).
Ajlouny’s family has a long history with the Nick the Greek founding family. His grandfather used to deliver meat to the family’s restaurants. The Nick’s relatives had run restaurant in the Bay Area for decades before they launched the fast-casual restaurant franchise. “Baby” Nick Tsigaris was at the Tuesday opening of the Riverbank location as well.
First announced as coming to the high-traffic Stanislaus County shopping center in January 2022, the restaurant fills about half the space of the former Westamerica Bank building, with Hotworx fitness studio filling the other side. The dining room seats around 50, and Nick’s also offers catering. Delivery is available via DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub.
The chain has locations in Elk Grove and Fresno, with more planned in Tracy, Stockton and Sacramento. Ajlouny said he saw an opportunity to introduce Stanislaus County and the Northern San Joaquin Valley to Nick the Greek’s food and has been thrilled with the site in the always bustling shopping center. He said the new Costco, which is underway in the Crossroads West expansion, will only increase foot traffic to his location.
He also plans to open a site in Modesto, likely in the next year, though no location has been finalized.
Diners who took advantage of the restaurant’s free lunch giveaway on its opening day were excited to have another option for Mediterranean food in the region.
“I grew up with a lot of my friends who were Greek and eating Greek food,” said Modesto resident Pam Davis, who brought her mother, Sue Davis, to the opening event. “This is great, I’ll be back.”
Nick the Greek, at 2251 Claribel Road in Riverbank, is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily for lunch and dinner. For more information, call 209-248-8588 or visit www.nickthegreek.com.
