Our Reviews

Phenomenal meal! Panos was our server and he made us feel as if we were family members visiting his home. Food was seasoned perfectly with selections to make everyone happy. A great value for a tremendous meal and experience. Make your reservation now!

The food and the drinks were excellent. The waiter was nice and I would like to go back and try other things on the menu.

Cocktails and food were delicious from the dips, to the lamb comps, and tavern salad. Dina was a great server and made our celebration even more special. Definitely impressed.

We had a reservation for 7:30pm and drove up about 7:10pm. They have a parking lot, but it is valet only. There is a neighborhood street, so if you can find parking there, I guess you can park yourself. However, I have no idea if it is permit parking, so just go with the valet. It's complimentary (you should still tip, though).Here's my issue with the valet: they haven't worked the kinks out yet. There were four or five guys working. To get the most tips (I assume they haven't decided to split tips yet), they have to get the most cars. So they take your ticket, grab your keys from the valet box, and then sprint to your car and then drive as if they're in a Formula One race to bring your car. The problem is that there is no rhyme or reason to how they bring the cars. Instead of everyone leaves one way and pulls in the opposite way, they just bring up your car and another valet may block you in with another car - which we had happen to us when we were leaving. That was annoying.We entered and gave our name and were told that a couple tables were about to vacate and we could wait at the bar. We ordered a couple drinks and looked at the menu sitting there.After about 10 minutes, we were escorted to our table. We asked if we should bring the menu and the hostess said to leave it as she would bring us menus.She did not. We sat there looking at each other for about 10 more minutes as waiters and bussers kept zipping back and forth behind us. Finally I spoke up to one of the servers who made eye contact and I asked for a couple menus. He seemed confused that we hadn't had them yet and brought us two menus.Clearly we hadn't ordered yet as that server was our waiter. We looked over the menu and finally placed our orders.We both started out with breads and spreads. I got the Skordalia and my wife ordered the Tirokafteri. I'm not a feta guy, but she said it was delicious. Mine was equally delicious, although a bit heavy on the garlic.We both ordered the avgolemeno soup. It was a thick soup, probably the best I've had yet.For our main dishes, she ordered a Greek salad with a chicken skewer on the side to get some protein. They would not add it to the salad, so it was on the side.I was torn between the chicken skewers and the half brick chicken with the Greek potatoes. The waiter suggested the brick chicken as it is one of the most ordered dishes. I went with his suggestions and he was right. It was delicious. It is served on a large plate with a half inch edge (wall) around the plate. And it has to be as all the au jus and lemon would spill everywhere unless it was served in a bowl. The chicken was off the bone and sliced, grilled, and then rested atop the au jus with three round Greek potatoes.By the time we were done, we were full and brought half our meals home. It was delicious the next day as well. They sent me home with a cup for the au jus.It's a nice place that has two dining rooms separated by a long bar in the middle.I had three issues with the place:1) It was really loud. It was hard to hear conversation at our own table.2) The hostess is not trained all that well. She just led us to our table and never came back with menus and I guess didn't mention to the servers or bussers that we needed menus. It was weird.3) The valet is poorly run. Just create a plan for cars entering and leaving the parking lot and you'll be good to go.Other than these three things, the server was great, the food was spectacular, and everyone was so friendly. The atmosphere (ambience) was electric. We're definitely coming back with more people.

Eve was fantastic with great suggestions! Beets salad amazing, calamari so good. Saganki out of this world. Greek sausage and potatoes, so good. Trout cooked perfectly. It is lively, service top notch, go back to restaurant!

Absolutely loved it! Beautifully designed space, great atmosphere, and really good food. You can tell a lot of thought went into every detail—highly recommend!

We loved it

Fantastic! Awesome breads & circus. The Bannos family pulls out all the stops on their elevated, modernized Greek menu at Koukla’s. Mouthwatering and crave-able dishes made to share were served in succession piping hot. The kitchen and waitstaff really hustle—always a Jimmy Sr. trademark of service from the Heaven on 7 days. (I was a Heaven on 7 acolyte for 45 wonderful years!)I could tell the amount of care and curation the chefs made for cocktail and wine selections. I had Orange wine by the glass, a rare find at many restaurants IMHO. It was perfect with the Greek dishes. One delightful carryover from Heaven on 7 is Jimmy’s famous cornbread, now served with a twist: topped with whipped feta and honey. I wish I grabbed a picture of that dish, but it was gobbled up by my party before I could get my camera out. Congrats to Chicago’s very own Bannos family on their wonderful new restaurant.Note for singles & duos: there is seating at the very long bar, another Bannos trademark of convivial hospitality.

This place was phenomenal. The lamb chops were my favorite because of how tender, juicy, and flavorful they were. The meat on the bones also had a really nice char!Second favorite were the chicken skewers. All the meat we had was so tender and flavorful.The appetizers were amazing too. We ordered bread with their whipped feta (i think it was whipped feta) along with greek fries and tzatziki, and everything tasted so fresh and homemade. The tzatziki was a great balance of softness and thickness.Loved the donut bites for dessert as well.

Beyond fantastic. Freshly made. Beautiful presentation. Food is top quality nothing is missed. Being a fellow Greek I felt like I was eating back with tastes of my mom's cooking. Congratulations to the Bannos family 💙🇬🇷💙🥰 You deserve all the best. Beautiful ambience. Top-notch service wine was excellent. Cannot wait to come back. God bless all of you. 🇬🇷💙🥰

Last night was my 2nd visit to Kouklas to celebrate my husband's birthday. The food is outstanding and the service matches ! I dream about the greek yogurt with olive oil and sea salt. I will definitely be coming back soon. Thank you !

Delicious 🤌

The food was delicious, the service was phenomenal, and the atmosphere was fun and vibrant.

Visited last night for the first time having been a Banos family restaurant fan for 40 years. Seeing Jimmy Sr. And his lovely wife still actively running the restaurant warmed by heart. And Jimmy Jr. makes some really good food. We ate a littleLighter but everything tasted great. Beautiful space - we will be back.

We just recently had a dinner reservation for a group of people. The food was excellent. Unfortunately, the portion sizes are very small. The waitress suggested that we order to share our plates among our group but we just ate what we ordered. Also, she said that they bring out the food as soon as it is done so other members of your party will have to wait for their order. That’s why they suggest that the meals are shared. I feel it was more like a tapas restaurant. In addition, you have to pay for valet parking. It is free but a complimentary tip is suggested. I did feel the restaurant was expensive but I did know this going in.

Incredible food and drinks, look forward to coming back!

Kouklas was a happening spot for a Tuesday night!Our server Bobby was great! Had some good recommendations & the had the food come out at a good pace.All the food was amazing! My favorite was the whipped feta with toasted bread.I would definitely recommend checking out.Can't wait to come back again soon!

Nice Greek addition to Niles, the food was fantastic. The staff was exceptional. Definitely coming back for more.

Dined here a couple of weeks ago and can’t stop thinking about the food! Our party of 6 shared a few appetizers including perfect calamari, the best pita bread and tzatziki, and some amazing whipped feta. Some of our main dishes included tender octopus, shrimp with a delicious sauce, tenderloin skewers you could cut with a fork, and a mouth watering lamb shank…all seasoned to perfection! Thankfully we said yes to the fried dough dessert, woah!! Service was fantastic too. Hats off to the owners, chefs, servers, bartenders and all those behind the scenes for bringing me to Greece!

Totally impressed with the mixture of flavors as well as this Greek fusion ideas built into each dish highly highly recommend!

Came here for dinner with one of my good friends. Food was amazing and Dina was a wonderful server. She made sure we were taken care of if we needed anything and very friendly.

The young people would call this place “dope” because every plate is traditional yet somehow new at the same time.

Had an incredible meal at Kouklas last night. Bustling, buzzing crowd, well-appointed dining area with killer bar, excellent wine list, helpful and cheery staff, but, oh my gosh that food! Spot on from start to finish. Designed for sharing, the plates are inventive, perfectly sized and each a stand-alone taste sensation. I don't know how many Michelin stars the Niles restaurant scene enjoys, but there will no doubt be another and soon. We *will* be back.

A most impressive dining experience; from the bar to our table. The ambiance is a most welcome fusion of urban and suburban. Every bite and sip was amazing. The service experience was professional all the way.

The experience was excellent from start to finish. The food was magnificent, full of flavor and beautifully presented. Every dish tasted fresh and carefully prepared. The service was attentive and the atmosphere was pleasant. Without a doubt, a place I would return to and highly recommend.

Fantastic food from the appetizers to the entree to the deserts! The creativity is incredible! The service was superb and we never waited, the new GO-TO spot!! Cant wait for the patio to open this summer!!

Great addition to the Niles area! Food and drinks were fantastic and flavorful. The staff were personable and we are excited to go back again and enjoy the patio.

Finally open.. I was there last week and we had lots of good stuff everything we had was great 👍👍 for sure

Dina was a great server and source of info. You can tell she enjoys the food as much as we did. Everything from the beets to the tenderloin skewer were well crafted. You can tell a lot of time and thought went into the menu. It’s a classy night out! I’d only knock the atmosphere because of the ‘cramped’ corridors. Then again, maybe this is conducive to an intimate and communal type restaurant.

Good and service, excellent as always

Our group ordered several items and we shared. Everything was spectacular, deliciously flavorful and unique. Dina was our server and she was great and helped to complete our experience

Kukla's Greek Eatery is a modern and upscale Greek restaurant in the heart of Niles Illinois. They went with a very modern feel when they updated this restaurant from the previous one. The food we had was outstanding! I love that they have small plates to share so it's easy to get a taste of everything on the menu. We had the whipped feta cheese with chopped cucumber, olive oil and wonderful toasted Greek sourdough bread. We also had the two skewer dinner and the chicken and pork was moist, flavorful and tender! Perhaps a few more potatoes would have been good on that plate, but I guess everybody is cutting down on carbs. Lol. We also could see that they have built a large outdoor patio area that wraps around the building and they put beautiful faux flowers to make it seem like a Greek garden. We definitely will be back!

We tried this new restaurant and it was a great experience! The food was amazing, the service was good, and the place was super clean with a great atmosphere. Reservations are recommended because it gets busy, and the free valet was a nice bonus. Definitely worth visiting!

3 visits. Food and service perfection! I had dinner at the bar with Hesner or Sarah serving. Chilled octopus is perfection, good wild greens,lamb ragu is comfort and sophistication! Good drinks: these bartenders are serious professionals. Nice wine list has attention to food pairing. The back waiters who serve the food are outstanding. OMG!pannacotta heaven![

Feast to the taste buds!

Fantastic new Greek spot in Niles. The cocktails (Koukla’s old fashioned) and food are outstanding. In particular, the mussels saganaki, tirokafteri, pork souvlaki, and Hilopites are all excellent. Great service in the bar and main dining area (Scott, Amy, and Dani). Will definitely be back.

Fantastic dinner at Kouklas Greek Eatery. Nieve was an excellent server—knowledgeable, attentive, and spot-on with recommendations. Highlights included the tableside saganaki (pure cheesy joy), rich house-made butternut squash gnocchi with generous chunks of Maine lobster, and an outstanding grilled octopus with perfect texture and a great celery crunch. Finished with Greek donuts and a glass of red wine recommended by Nieve—an ideal ending to a wonderful meal. Highly recommend!

Everything was top notch! Food was delicious, the waitress was so knowledgable and accommodating, and the atmosphere was fun and lively! I liked it so much, I went two days in a row!

Had a wonderful visit!! Delicious meal and really warm and friendly service! Can’t wait to go back!

Such a modern twist in Greek food. The bar is a great place to eat with friends. Excited to go back!!

The food is wonderful! The staff is very knowledgeable about the menu. So happy to have a restaurant that belongs in downtown but is actually in the suburbs. Love it!

Really delicious food that just keeps getting better! Some of my favorites are the branzino, skordalia and the eggplant spread! Can’t wait to go back.

The delicious flavors of Greece celebrated and reimagined in fresh ways. Highlights were the Melitzanosalata spread, the grilled seafood and oysters, the Greek Martini with feta-stuffed olives, and the loukoumades were so good! Enthusiastic wait staff, and warm hospitality. Loved it, can’t wait to come back!

Amazing Greek restaurant, checked it out for the first time tonight. Fabulous fresh food with a little bit of a different twist on traditional Greek dishes. Loved the lamb chops and the whitefish. Topped it off with Loukamades, and the orange cake. First class service from Dina, So courteous and very attentive.

This is my new go-to for Greek dining! I love the concept of ordering food for the table, allowing you to eat many different foods and try new things. Our waitress was very knowledgeable and answered all of our questions. This was easily the best tzatziki sauce I have ever had, and I highly recommend the show-stopping lamb chops. The mocktails were thoughtfully crafted and very refreshing. ​I can’t wait to come back and work my way through the menu!

Oh my God! Unbelievable, what a flabbergasting service and loved the food too, astonishing atmosphere, make sure to ask for Dina (astounding service btw), would definitely visit again!!!

Excellent food!!

Things to try - baked feta is amazing must try! And the whole branzino so so so good !!! Service was exceptional. Note there is only valet parking.

Everything was amazing! Excellent service. Delicious food. Can't say one bad thing.

Been there twice . Food was excellent. Service was great. Only negative is tables are very close and everyone is on top of each other.

The deserts are thee best!!!!

If you're on the hunt for the traditional Greek experience, you might want to look elsewhere. This isn’t your grandma’s taverna. I’ve sampled my fair share of “unique” Greek spots, and Koukla’s nailed it on every level. The menu is designed to share, and our waiter helped us on how to order. The flavors hit the mark, blending classic tradition with a clever twist that actually works. Sure, it’s loud and bustling. If you want a library, stay home and eat alone! I love a place with life and energy. Keep doing what you’re doing!

We have been eager to visit Kouklas, and the experience was wonderful. Beyond the beautifully decorated atmosphere, our server, Dina, provided exceptional service. She navigated the menu with confidence and her lively personality added so much to our evening. The pacing was perfect, and the chilled octopus was absolutely amazing. Thanks to Dina, we are already planning our return for another outing. Bravo!

Loved my experience at Kouklas! The food was full of flavor taking classic Greek dishes and giving them a special twist! Perfect spot for a date with great cocktails. The servers were very polite and the atmosphere of the restaurant was inviting!

We went for a birthday celebration, and had some appetizers, and a couple of entrees, a dessert. All delicious! Danielle was so much fun, and we had excellent service👍It is very well decorated as well.

An amazing place to eat. Food & servicr was awesome.

We loved everything about this place! Nothing else to be said, go enjoy your time!

Tried Kouklas Greek Eatery, newly opened in Niles, and it’s a great addition to the neighborhood. Some standouts were the spreads, the lamb chops , the pastas and chicken dish were all amazing. The Greek fries are a must-order. Don’t skip dessert—the doughnuts plus the olive oil Greek yogurt were excellent! Bobby the bartender was fantastic and added to the experience. Overall, a high-quality restaurant that Niles will be lucky to have.

My friend and I went to Kouklas for the first time, and I have to say this exceeded my expectations. I want to start off with customer service. It was 10 out of 10! Harold was very personable and Very professional! The Hilopites With shredded lamb shank was incredible and by far my favorite dish. To top it all off, we were given soft serve yogurt with drizzle of olive oil and lime salt, and that was heaven!!! I will definitely be back.

To say this place is a well oiled machine would be an understatement. This place is great if you’re looking to try all things Greek and Mediterranean cuisine. The service was excellent, food was phenomenal, but more importantly Bobby knows how to make any occasion feel special. He was so warm and kind and he made the visit feel more important and valuable. That’s how all occasions should be. Well done and I wish great success and future business.