This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Eating My Way Through University City: Momo's Ouzario Taverna

University City Patch's resident foodie shares the scoop on her latest dining experience at Momo's Ouzario Taverna in University City.

Momo’s Ouzaria Taverna (located at 630 North and South) won my husband and I over on a recent Saturday night visit. Our experience exceeded our expectations, and given how busy it was, we don’t seem to be the only locals taking advantage of this great restaurant.

The space is fairly large, but manages to feel cozy with its dim lighting, roaring fireplace, and closely situated tables. Upon entering, I immediately noticed the chalkboard near the bar boasting of their various Happy Hour specials, including half-priced spreads and $2 sangria. After making a mental note to myself to return between the hours of 4 and 7 during the week sometime, we were directed to our table and began to peruse the extensive menu.

The menu primarily features mezes, described as small plates of food traditionally served at Greek taverns and restaurants, meant to be shared amongst a table of friends. According to Momo's website, mezes pre-date the well-known idea of Spanish tapas by over 500 years!

Find out what's happening in University Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

With everything from octopus, saganaki (flaming cheese), grilled lamb, and more, there is something for everyone—adventurous eaters or not. My husband and I ended up splitting four mezes: htipiti (roasted red pepper spread), crispy eggplant fries, dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), and the gyro salad.

Our mezes arrived soon after one another, despite our server’s warning that they don’t arrive together or in any particular order. The food was beautifully plated and included many extra ‘touches’ that we appreciated—sweet potato puree served with the eggplant fries, for example, and loads of lamb topping the gyro salad.

Find out what's happening in University Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Each bite we took seemed to be better than the last. All of the food was perfectly cooked (or not cooked, in the case of the dolmades) and bursting with fresh flavor. We cleaned our plates, not wanting a single bite to go to waste! Although too full for dessert, I have my heart set on trying their baklava next time!

Although there are belly dancers in the restaurant most evenings, we didn’t see any on our visit. It’s possible they showed up after we finished eating and next time we’ll have to plan our visit around this spectacle!

Give Momo’s Ouzario Taverna a try…bring a group of friends and order a selection of mezes to share. If you stop in, leave a comment with what I should try on my next trip there!

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from University City