Niks Place

My favorite spot for gyros in Metro Atlanta was once a place called Sessions Street Grill and boy were the gyros there delicious! Everything from the sauce and fresh pita bread to delicious lamb meat and amazing potatoes were Unilocaltastic! It was a soul satisfying sort of meal that I only had the pleasure of experiencing a few times before they closed due to some sort of neighborhood politics. I’ve been without a great place for gyros ever since. I’d always known they were the second location for the owners, so today decided to seek out the original. It was a long drive for me (about 45 minutes one way), but I was really jonesing for a gyro.
**URBAN DICTIONARY definition of jonesing: to have a strong need, desire, or craving for something.
You would think this simple sandwich would be easy to make, but finding a good gyro is like finding good BBQ. Everybody tries, but not everybody is good at it! Surely the owners of my favorite defunct gyro shop would be able to satisfy me at their original location, right?
THE EXPERIENCE
Mamma always said if you can’t say something good then don’t say anything at all. So here’s the skinny: The location practically needs to be condemned, but I kinda like that. It’s set in an old house with creaky floors and baseboard paint that has seen better days. The overall ambiance of the place feels a little unkempt and grubby. There is some sort of air conditioning contraption that looks like it came from a computer lab in the 60’s or maybe leftover parts from Will Robinson’s robot. Yet it also gives the place a little character and makes eating here kinda fun… like pretending you are crime boss in a gritty Mexican Cantina in Ensenada or maybe a jock in a 1980’s frat house! The bar looks just like one of those sorts of places you see in a backwoods brawl in movies. They even have a cigarette machine from back in the day that you put quarters in and pull the handle. I’m talking EPIC ancientness here people, and me likey!
THE FOOD & SERVICE
My server was very nice and made my time here pleasant. I decided to sit by the fireplace in what I guess was once the living room section of this old home. A cool truck made out of aluminum Coke cans was displayed on the mantle. I was really digging the vibe. The gyro, while not gross or tasteless, was not nearly at the deliciousness level of Session Street Grill. Overall I’d give the gyro here 3.75 stars. The potatoes on the other hand were terrible. My waitress assured me the food here was the same since she had worked at both locations, but how could that be? I adored the gyro and potatoes @ Sessions and although it has been a few years, my taste in food doesn’t generally change. I would never have bragged about the food if it tasted like it did today!
FINAL THOUGHTS
I must admit that while I have given good reviews to a number of gyros places around town, I have never truly found a place that was as good as the amazing gyros I grew up eating in Chicago. I feel like the curmudgeonly old man that never likes anything and wishes for the old days. There was a time in my life that I could get an amazing gyro OVERFLOWING with meat and a huge portion of fries for $ 5. The meat was carved off a rotating split and was 100% lamb and not this lamb/​beef or beef/​chicken combo blend! You didn’t have to ask for feta, that was just the way it came! Times have changed and I try my best to forget the past and live in the now, but oh what I wouldn’t give to own a time machine to help me satisfy all my food cravings. Maybe that old air conditioning unit was actually a time machine in disguise!
²⁰¹⁶⁄₁₉

This is a pretty cool little spot, not much to look at… It actually reminds me of a hole in the wall juke joint near Tuscaloosa, AL we use to frequent, quite often when visiting my grandparents.
This was our first visit, and I didn’t have a bad time at all, the band was nice, but the bartender was nicer… He was not playing around with the drinks (reasonably priced). At first the crowd seemed a little rowdy, but looks may have been deceiving. Everybody seem to be pretty cool and just out to having a good time. Anyone one could tell that we newbies amongst the crowd.
I didnt order anything to eat on this particular visit since it was so late, but I do intend on checking them out again. I did meet a pretty cool lady of the night at the bar, who really made my night, she was funny… This wouldn’t be my idea spot, but if you’re up for some good music and a change from your norm, this is definitely the place.

Great costumer service! I never have problems here. The bartenders are fast and know their stuff. Great dive bar to go too.

Great dive bar with even better Greek food! They even have a short bus for their special friends. Hosts live music, and the prices aren’t too steep.

Nik’s is awesome. Monday’s are the best with Niki! She is a great bartender and always plays the best tunes during her shift. Love this place. And some of the best live music in town!

If you are searching for the best gyro in Atlanta, look no further. The food at this place is home-​cooked, authentic Greek. My husband and I have been to several area Festivals and their gyros can’t touch Nik’s. I always get the Greek salad with gyro meat on top. SO good. My husband and kids usually order the Gyro Plate with a side of Greek potatoes. Even the seasonings are made fresh right there in the restaurant. Don’t judge this tasty book by its cover… it is housed in a very old home. Try it! You won’t be disappointed.

I can’t imagine how you could get any MORE dive bar than Nik’s. And if you are cool with dive, Nik’s will work for you.
Food is REALLY good; Hubs and I both had gyros and split an order of Niks Feta Potatoes. I could have had another. Our friends loved their burgers. Service was friendly and attentive, beer was cold. We didn’t stay late enough for the band, but there are a variety of seating areas (bar, front «porch», back porch) so if you wanted to be farther from the music, you could be.
Note — it is so divey I passed it twice, thinking it was a vacant building. It’s a white «house» with blue trim. Plenty of parking in the back.
We are ITP’ers, and Nik’s is worth the drive to the ‘burbs.

Nik! We loved Session Street and the food at this place is the same amazing stuff you had over there. Simply the best gyros, falafels and hummus I’ve ever But please give us a clean smoke free area to eat :)
I can’t give it 5 stars when when everytime I go to do take out i reek of cigarette smoke after I pick up my order.

I walked in and had an episode of instant regret. The place reeks of cigarette smoke and the décor is downright old and falling apart. Nevertheless, I was already inside so I sat down and ordered the gyro wrap special with potatoes.
Wow, the food here is really really good! Everything is super herby and the meat in the wrap was delicious. They also filled the pita with tomatoes and onions, along with their special mayo/​herb sauce (wasn’t tzaziki). The potatoes were round slices and roasted, also super herby. Even the hot sauce was herby, with a delicious tang to it. The bartender/​server was very nice and the food came out quick. They do have a very nice patio, but it’s getting hot now so I dunno if anyone could withstand sitting outside.
So yeah, food, awesome. The smoke is what ruins it for me. Maybe next time I’ll do takeout.

Niks is a bit of a dive but I love it for lunch. The service is great and the prices are reasonable. We always order the gyro specials and they’re top notch. I make a point to come by for lunch 2 – 3 times a month and will continue to do so.

I had the falafel wrap with fries and I enjoyed my food very much and will be back provided it’s not raining and I can sit outside. I would rate the food with a ⁴⁄₅ but the aesthetics a ¹⁄₅. The place is an old house and reeks of cigarette smoke because apparently they’re like the last restaurant in Cobb county that still has a «smoking section» despite the fact that there’s no barrier between the non and smoking sections! It also smells old like mildew and old carpet. SO… if you don’t mind a bit it being a bit of a «dive» then you’ll enjoy the food. My coworker had the Musaka and she loved but the aesthetics were a turn off. If you can’t stand smoke or the smell of smoke, don’t go there.

Really awesome food, prices, service, atmosphere and there is a foosball table!!! Only reason this didn’t get a 5 star from me is because it is smoking.

This is a cool place to stop by for a quick beer and grab a bite. Gyro is pretty damn good. Have not experienced the live music or night crowd but I here it’s a good time. If you want to transport back to the 70’s and have a drink, have a smoke, hear good old music, this is a killer bar!

Niks Place is a treasure hidden in plain sight. It has all the charm, atmosphere and ambiance of the typical working class bar/​restaurant that have all but disappeared today.
Make no mistake, if you are looking for a trendy martini and flashy chrome techno pop environment you won’t find it here. But despite the smoky haze and wobbly tables this place is the best Greek fusion food in Atlanta. The gyro meat is cut straight off the cone then perfectly crisped before being packed into a fresh pita, and finished with cool fresh tomatoes and onions and a tangy Mediterranean yogurt sauce making it the signature dish.
Go for the gyros and live music but the entire menu is awesome. Nik must have some Sicily in his bloodline because he does Italian fare like a native. The pizzas are heaped with an enormous amount of toppings if every kind in wonderful combinations. The spaghetti is served hot and packed with meatballs, sausage with an authentic robust sauce. The fettuccine has a smooth creamy Alfredo sauce loaded with heavy cream, butter and cheese.
Put all this rich food together with a friendly welcoming crowd and a wonderful, down to earth bar staff and you have the recipe for a great time every night of the week and close to home.
Trivia contests, old fashion bar bingo and Texas hold’em tournaments keep the early crowds entertained while live music plays for the late night folks. All in all a terrific bar in its purest form.

This place is fun, I really like the atmosphere. The drinks are pretty reasonably priced, the bathrooms are fairly clean despite their constant use. Parking is widely available and it’s right across the Waffle House… what else can you ask for? Well… I would love for this place to be smoke free. When you walk in expect to be hit with the reek of smoke and you will end up smelling like an ashtray. If you can get past this little glitch, this place is really awesome and has some live music to get you dancing.

As you walk in the door, there’s a 1970’s, «cream» leather-​ette loveseat that pretty much tells the tale. You might just turn tail and run, but don’t. Give it a try because it’s such a throw back and so interesting. FInd your way back to the smokey bar with all the TV’s and swag hanging everywhere. Yeah, this is ground zero for serious smoking, drinking and in our case: eating dinner. (?)
We had the gyro plate and the Nik-​A-​Bob skewers plate. Plus a large Greek salad which was great. Dressed perfectly with lemon juice and olive oil, really tasty and large, good to share for two or make a meal for one.
My husband loved the gyro plate and he lived in Greece for 2 years so the sadzichi (sp) sauce on the table was right up his alley. Nik’s potatoes are awesome and could be a great app to go with the drinks and cigarettes. Not our cigarettes ’cause we don’t smoke, but at Nik’s everyone smokes if you get my drift.
The Nik A Bob chicken thing was dry and probably cooked about 6 hours prior, but it was OK and I had the potatoes, too. Couple of drinks, sports on TV and a loud drunk ex-​Marine (he said so) at the bar was all good with us. Almost escalated into something, but the hippie dude calmed him down and everyone shook hands and it was a good floor show!
Yes, I would recommend and yes, we will go back.

I’ve passed by Nik’s countless times, always knowing it’s there but never really having the «right time» to go in. Until tonight. My dinner companion and I were looking for something quick and not terribly heavy, and as she has been to Nik’s before she said it was a decent option. So, onward and upward!
We walked in and sure enough, the interior matches the exterior. It’s an old house that has been converted into a bar, without any effort at restoration — which, I suppose, is a significant factor in the particular charm of this place. It’s definitely not the cleanest place in the world and the service is very slow (though admittedly because they are short staffed and they definitely make up for it in politeness), but the food is really really good — far better than you’d expect to find in a place that looks and sounds like this place. The tzatziki sauce is great and the gyros are definitely worth getting — especially with Nik’s potatoes. I’ll be back.

Good Lord this place is filthy. This was my first time sitting outside on the front deck — also known as the land of broken things. Broken chairs, ripped booths, broken umbrella with a stick taped to it to try to hold it up, large spider web with large spider, trash can missing a lid, one booth halfway overtaken by an overgrown vine. I figured the outside might be cleaner than the inside because of the occasional rain storm, but I was wrong.
I do like the food though. They have one of the best gyros around and the baklava is pretty good, too.
I felt bad for the bartender tonight. She was the only person working outside of the kitchen plus the regular credit card system was down so she had to use a separate credit card terminal. One person to handle the bar plus the restaurant area. She was doing the best she could to keep up with everything.
You really get the sense that the owner hasn’t been around in a while or just doesn’t care anymore. The employees seem to be doing the best they can with what they have. The food is really good, I just wish I could eat it somewhere else.
This would be a good nomination for Restaurant Impossible.

Walking in to Niks Place is like entering the Bermuda Triangle. The first time I came here, I was greeted by a smile and a hug by 2 bartenders and an odd wink by a guy at the end of the bar.
I was the designated driver that night, my first time ever losing rock, paper and scissors and I knew I’d be in for a dull night. Little did I know that I’d spent the majority of my night hearing drunk stories about my shenanigans here and the occasional finger point with the classic: «Aren’t you the girl that _​_​_​_​_​_​» (enter inappropriate words here) Thankfully, no one had pictures. I think…
I’ve puked in the front bush, I’ve fallen off the side patio, I’ve broken into the bus and passed out, I’ve flashed people for shots, I’ve thrown darts in to oncoming traffic, I’ve kicked a hole in the wall jamming out to Run DMC and I have stuck straws in my front teeth and acted like a walrus. Apparently, this was all just last weekend.
I can’t wait to go back and forget I was there again!

Niks is the strangest place. It’s in an old white house on Whitlock that looks like it has been straight up used and abused for many many years. It seems like they didn’t really take down any of the walls from when it was a house so there are a lot of weird rooms and it’s not very open. Also, you can smoke here so it smells and it draws a very old crowd like most bars around Marietta.
Having said that, the gyros are the very best I’ve had in Atlanta. They are a home run, and I am a huge fan of gyros. They have been perfect every single time I’ve been. You also have the option of getting them with greek potatoes which I would highly recommend. They are really thick cut chips that are still soft on the inside served with Niks version of tzatziki. 5 star gyros in a 3 star bar.