Greek food may be the most overlooked of all of New Jersey's major cuisines. There are dozens of Greek restaurants around the state, but they get nowhere near the attention or acclaim of Italian, Mexican, Chinese and other ethnic cuisines.

But Greek food is catching on, and quickly. Fast-casual restaurants serving Mediterranean food — a catch-all term for Greek, Lebanese, Turkish, Spanish and other foods — are suddenly everywhere around the country. The benefits of the Mediterranean Diet, which relies heavily on fruits, vegetables, whole grains and seafood, have been widely touted. And Greek food looks so beautiful — all those bright, vivid colors.

I spent a week and a half visiting almost 30 Greek restaurants around the state, driving 1,885 miles. This list is based on that road trip, plus my previous Greek restaurant experiences. I have visited every restaurant on this list. They are a mix of high-end and casual, in all price ranges, and located all over the state. If you want to embark on your own Greek food road trip, start in Bergen County if possible — it surely has the greatest concentration of Greek restaurants in the state. Many worthy "Mediterranean" restaurants were not considered; I focused on Greek-centric restaurants.

What's your favorite N.J. Greek restaurant? Who did we leave out? Let us know in the comments section.

Note: The restaurants are not ranked.

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Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Greek on Main, Metuchen

The Greek on Main website lays it on a bit thick — "(We) want you to dive into the blue waters of Mediterranean flavor and wake up your senses to indulge on our sun-bathed creations" — but make no mistake: This is quality Greek food, served in cozy, casual surroundings. The head chef is Theodore Kappas, who was once a diner sous chef. He uses locally sourced, farm fresh meats and vegetables when possible.

The Greek salad boasts giant wedges of tomato and a triangular block of feta, instead of the more familiar crumbled kind. The lamb burger (photo) is bracketed by a pile of greens, and I love the fries — Texas fries by way of Athens. Nice creamy tzatziki, too.

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The Greek Village, Northvale

The Greek Village is surrounded by temptation — a Jersey Mike's, Starbucks, Moe's Southwest Grill, Organica Natural Foods, McDonald's and the Northvale Classic Diner are located within walking distance. But resistance is easy with the Greek Village in the neighborhood. The restaurant is neat and casual, with all the Greek standards on the menu — including dolmadakia, spanakopita, saganaki, chicken avgolemono and souvlaki. The grape leaves are slightly above average — the ones at A Taste of Greece in River Edge (separate entry) are the gold standard — but the pastichio (photo) is simple, hearty and homespun, like it was made by a 90-year-old Greek grandma.

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Olympia Restaurant, Vineland

The $13-$14 lunch specials at Olympia Restaurant, open since 1984, are a good deal — the portions are dinner-sized and the food is sooo good. The moussaka (along with the Greek meatballs and pastitsio, the only items available every day) are highly recommended. The gyro ($11), with lamb and beef and served on a pita with tomato, onion and tzatziki, is titanic and terrifically tasty.

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Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Greek City, Ramsey

Greek City, minutes from Don Bosco Prep and N.J. thin-crust pizza legend Kinchley's Tavern, is a prime example of a field New Jersey excels at — strip mall dining! The facade borders on bland, but the interior is casual and appealing. It's BYOB, too. The octopus (photo) was pricey — $24 — but enormously enjoyable, and the spanakopita was fine and flaky. The lamb souvlaki, with hefty chunks of meat, was one of the better dishes of its kind sampled on this mission.

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Dinner Plans? Tonight we have Baked Feta, with hot peppers, roasted tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, and oregano!... Posted by Kyma Greek Cuisine Restaurant on Friday, November 22, 2019

Kyma Greek Cuisine, Somerville

Is there a better restaurant/bar stretch in New Jersey than Main Street in Somerville? From east to west, there's Summerville Homemade Ice Cream, da Filippo Autentica Cucina Italiana, Salted Lime Bar & Kitchen, Verve (winner of our N.J.'s best bar showdown last summer), Cafe Picasso and Wolfgang's Steakhouse. Oh, and Kyma, which opened in 2011. Its avgolemono, the traditional Greek lemon soup, is one of the better ones you'll find anywhere, and so is the horiatiki salad, with its not-so-traditional red wine vinaigrette. You can get mussels cooked in Mythos, the Greek beer, and the fish entrees are many and memorable. Leave room for dessert — and another trip to Main Street, Somerville.

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Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Athenian Garden, Galloway

An empty restaurant parking lot is generally not a good sign, but that was surely not the case when I stopped at Athenian Garden on a recent afternoon. I was the only customer in the place, but all three dishes I ordered turned out to be standouts. The marinated feta and olives appeared like my vision of the Greek pearly gates, with big chunks of cheese and a luscious lemony dressing, and the moussaka looked and tasted like the real deal. I sampled abundant octopus during this mission, and Athenian Garden's version (photo) was one of the better ones, in a rich garlicky/oniony broth.

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A Taste of Greece, River Edge

Squeezed into a strip mall — good luck wedging your car into the parking lot — A Taste of Greece is compact but cozy inside. "Don't let its small size fool you,'' the website informs. You have to walk through the kitchen to reach the restroom. The owner is Themis Mourelatos, a native of Athens. The lamb souvlaki smells hearty and heavenly, one of the better ones sampled on this mission. The dolmades (photo) were my favorite of all the ones I tried, bathing in a luscious, lemony sauce like Greek food supermodels.

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Pithari Taverna, Highland Park

"Eat Greek Live Long'' is the motto at Pithari Taverna. Works for me! The executive chef is Giannis Leontarakis. The atmosphere is bright and cheery, with blue-and-white-checked tablecloths, blue chairs and floor-to-ceiling windows, Check the specials board at the entrance; fasolada, a meatless bean soup, was featured on a recent visit. The chicken souvlaki, with nicely-grilled chunks of meat, may have been the best of those sampled on this mission. The moussaka is perfectly fine, but nowhere as good as its counterpart at the Greek Corner Grill (see separate entry). The Greek salad has all the requisite ingredients in ample quantities. Don't you dare leave without ordering a slice or two of the baklava, sweetness and light (ok, maybe not so light) and sticky-good.

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Bill's Gyro Souvlaki, Atlantic City

This is my new favorite AC boardwalk hangout. I had walked past Bill's Gyro & Souvlaki scores of times over the years, but didn't stop in until last summer. It's been open since 1967. Call it a Greek diner — long counter, stools — with flags of many countries and what is surely the biggest liquor selection of any gyro joint in the world (you can drink there, or get packaged goods to go). The chicken souvlaki is a standout; the Greek salad is better than most any Greek diner's version. Bill's, just south of Ripley's Believe It or Not, is open 24/7. Is this fancy Greek food, or a fancy restaurant? Absolutely not. But it's solid, and the atmosphere can't be beat.

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Greek Corner Grill, Park Ridge

Of all the Bergen County Greek restaurants I visited, Greek Corner Grill may be my favorite. It doesn't have the flash or sparkle of the high-end places, just down-home charm and simplicity. The owner took my order, rang me up and made sure everything was properly bagged.

The moussaka is a gift from the Greek comfort food gods, the lemon chicken soup light and luscious and the Greek Corner Salad (photo) is a near-heavenly heap of octopus, calamari, tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers, fennel, arugula and romaine. Why I brought it back to the office to share with colleagues and not home, I have no idea.

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Simply Greek, Long Branch

Simply Greek is part of Pier Village, and there's no better time to visit the retail complex than the winter, with reduced crowds and free parking. There's a spacious bar if you just want to hang out and indulge in summery fantasies, and the food is ample and good. The chicken kabob sandwich is overloaded with tzatziki — the meat's in there somewhere — but it's good enough, and so is the moussaka. Best bet: the horiatiki salad (photo), with hefty slices of cucumbers, plus feta, olives and grape leaves. There is another location in Holmdel.

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Stamna, Bloomfield

Alex and Angela Nissirios, owners of Stamna, are from Karpathos, a small island in the Aegean Sea. The restaurant opened in 2008, and immediately acquired a reputation as one of the state's best Greek restaurants. There is also a Greek market, Stamna Agora, in the former Stamna space, and a sister restaurant in Little Falls. Absolute musts: the lemon potatoes, the lemon soup and lamb chops. Just down the street is Holsten's, the ice cream parlor where the last scene in "The Sopranos" was shot.

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OG Original Greek, Somers Point

Original Gangsta? No, Original Greek. "Stop eating boring takeout and delivery" is the pitch at this strip mall casual restaurant. The menu is streamlined — five appetizers, six gyro sandwiches, four platters, four salads, plus burgers and chicken — but there's plenty to like here. Fries are wedged in the chicken skewer gyro like the Greek version of Jersey's own fat sandwich, and plum tomatoes are a welcome addition to the Greek salad. Also recommended: the garlic hummus.

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Mikonos, Ewing

The best all-around meals in this epic Greek road trip came at Greek Corner Grill (see separate entry) and Mikonos. The latter's Facebook posts stopped 3 1/2 years ago, but if you're depending on social media for your restaurant recommendations, you're heading down the wrong path anyway. The pastitsio, the Greek pasta with ground beef in tomato sauce, tasted as if it was just-made, not pre-made and nuked. The chicken souvlaki was enlivened by a perky little mustard sauce. I'll save the best for last: the galaktoboureko (photo), the custard-filled, honey-topped filo dessert. Proof you can never get enough honey in your life.

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Varka, Ramsey

Varka is the most stylish of the restaurants on this list, with its white table-clothed, high-ceilinged interior, classy bar and fresh fish and shellfish on ice beckoning atop a boat-like display. And don't forget to help yourself to a cookie or three from the three-tiered stand on the front counter. The Greek salad is beautiful to look at, with big, bright chunks of tomatoes and feta. The saganaki is fried cheesy deliciousness, and the swordfish kabob (photo) is a highly recommended alternative to more familiar beef, lamb and chicken kabobs.

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George's Place, Cape May Court House

George's Place opened in Cape May in 1968. The Kara Restaurant Group, of which it is part, also includes Michael Kara Catering, Scola BYOB, Shamone, the YB and Mercantile Taco (expected to open this spring). The menu is Greek-centric, but you can also get such staples as pancakes, omelets, banana French toast, cheeseburgers and quesadillas. The chicken gyro features lemon chicken with tomatoes, lettuce, onion and tzatziki, but the standouts are the stellar Lemon Chicken Greek salad (photo) and the dolmades, with a just-made taste. They were the second-best dolmades sampled on my big fat Greek food adventure. (A Taste of Greece in River Edge had the best.)

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YiaYia's Greek Kitchen, Montague

Way at the top of Jersey is YiaYia's, which opened on Route 206 in 2013. The word means grandmother in Greek, and it's the kind of place where Grandma would feel immediately at home, with its tile floor and sea-blue walls. The chicken gyro, loaded and then some, and the dolmades, bathing in a luscious lemony juice, are both highly recommended.

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Estia Greek Taverna, Marlton

Estia is part of a Greek restaurant mini-chain (there are also locations in Philadelphia and Radnor, Pa.), but don't hold that against it. The manager was friendly and jocular (I never identify myself on these missions), and I settled at the bar to await my order (let the record show I did not partake of ouzo or Mythos, the Greek beer, at any point in this undertaking). Octopus is a Greek restaurant staple, and the one here — soft and scrumptious — may have been the best of all those sampled. The biftek souvlaki (photo) is an intriguing, entrancing mix of beef and lamb.

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Ambeli Greek Taverna, Cranford

I put Cranford on my list of the state's best under-the-radar dining destinations nearly two years ago. The Union County town is under-the-radar no longer. Ambeli, which opened in 2015, is one of the state's most highly-regarded Greek restaurants, and my visit did nothing to alter that. The moussaka was one of the two or three best sampled on this mission, the chicken souvlaki (photo) ample and hearty. They sure love their feta here; the horiatiki salad was covered with it (always a good thing).

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Local Greek, Princeton

Proceed directly to the desserts at Local Greek, which opened three years ago on a mostly residential street. It's a warm, cozy space (see photo). The slogan: "Small bites, big smiles," One novelty here: Greek-style breakfasts, including a Greek Benedict; a waffle with organic Greek yogurt, fresh fruits and Greek honey; and Greek french toast, topped with honey. Back to the pastries. The bougatsa, dough filled with semolina custard and topped with cinnamon and powdered sugar, and the galaktoboureko, a custard-filled, honey-topped treat, are absolute musts.

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12 Islands Greek Taverna, Stirling

12 Islands belongs to an unlikely restaurant group, with Manny's Texas Weiners in Union among the sister properties. American and Greek flags fly out front at 12 Islands, and the interior is calm and casual. The bar stocks the Greek beer Mythos. Twitter followers raved about the octopus (photo), and they were dead on. Not the smallish chunks you find at most Greek restaurants but a coiled beast; it looked like it crawled out of the sea and squiggled onto the plate. The spanakopita does that dish proud, and don't you dare leave without trying the rice pudding, which pretty much blows away any diner rice pudding out there.

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Lithos Estiatorio, Livingston

Lithos is the most luxe spot on this list, with its plush, high-ceilinged interior. I felt a bit out of place in my flannel shirt and jeans, but no matter. The menu is not pretentious, not with a grilled cheese sandwich (photo) on it. It's a whopper of a sandwich, with the cheese (haloumi), red peppers and Greek yogurt coleslaw spilling out of the spacious bun. Also recommended: the chicken lemonata, with linguine, spinach and tomatoes in a white wine lemon sauce. I made the mistake of taking it to the office and not home. When will I ever learn?

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Happy National Cheese Day! What better way to celebrate than with our saganaki. Made with broiled kasseri cheese, it’s always a crowd pleaser. Posted by Kostas Grill on Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Kostas Grill, Tuckerton

Kostas Grill, open about three years, is a welcome addition to the Greek food wasteland that is southern Ocean County. The menu is more expansive and creative than the usual Greek restaurant offerings, with such dishes as Greek mac n cheese (made with spinach, feta, kefalograviera cheese and golden bread crumbs); Aegean mussels; Oysters Onassis; skirt steak pita and a vegetarian moussaka among the choices. The gyros are first-rate, and the horiatiki (village) salad is terrific.

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Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Black Olive, Voorhees

Black Olive shares a strip mall with Oink and Moo BBQ, Pirate Crab, Oki Maki and Coriander (an Indian restaurant), more proof that some of Jersey's best eats can be found at strip malls. Black Olive opened in December 2013. The expansive menu covers all the Greek standards, and it was tough picking three dishes (which I did at every place). The Greek salad may have set the state record for most feta in a salad. The chicken mavrodaphne (photo), a chicken breast in red wine with mushrooms, turned out to be a most excellent choice — a great alternative to more familiar Greek chicken dishes.

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Antik Greek Kitchen, Fairfield

Bergen County has Essex County — and the rest of New Jersey, for that matter — beat when it comes to Greek restaurants, but Antik keeps Essex pride alive. It's just off Route 46, which may be the state's most restaurant-rich highway. The atmosphere is casual, and there's a private party room for those special occasions. Order the moussaka (photo), fluffy, meaty, creamy; and the horiatiki salad, loaded with cucumbers. I prefer horiatiki salads over traditional Greek salads because of the former's foundation of cukes, tomatoes, olives and feta (four of my favorite things!).

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