affordable and generouse lunch menu at Opa!

My friend had a 2 for 1 social media coupon for Opa!, 2990 N. Campbell, so we met there for lunch yesterday. Since the restaurant also has "Five for Five$" lunch menu selections we ended up not using the coupon and each ordered one of the "five for five".

The one room space with adjacent kitchen was full and tables turned while we were there and kept filling. I think the generous portions at affordable rates draw in the men in pressed pants and ties and tossled haired matrons crowd. While not quite "tossled haired", I guess my friend and I fall into the second category. There is a large patio, facing west, which also had comfortable seating but the hostess told us the misters (light rain spray, not the kind that come is with the "Mrs.") weren't working so that nixed the patio for us in August.

The booth was comfortable inside and there are faux Greek columns, murals and a grotto with a fountain as decor. The noise level was moderately high and service was slow, due to not enough servers, even though the hostess helped out between seating customers. After we were seated, warm and thinly sliced pita with hummus (just right mixture of chickpeas, garlic and olive oil) and tzatziki sauce (yogurt and cucumbers) was so yummy we asked for and promptly were served an extra portion of pita bread which helped with the longish wait for our entrees.

As for the food we ordered: my friend had the grilled turkey burger with roasted red peppers, and feta on a sesame seed bun. The bun held all the burger elements and she said the burger was moist and the feta and peppers made a good taste complement. I ordered the penne pasta with spinach, mushrooms and tomato in a creamy tomato sauce. I had to hunt for the mushrooms and the penne was too soft for me (as an Italian, I like my pasta al dente), but the sauce was smooth and not too heavy. I cut my portion in half to reheat at home--I had eaten too much pita and hummus before the meal arrived.

It's a good place for lunch if you have the flexibility to give over an hour and parking is accessible. The dinner menu is also extensive. If you go for lunch or dinner and want an extra dramatic flair, order either the Flaming saganaki (imported Greek cheese with brandy and lemon) or the Flaming feta chees (in olive oil, roasted peppers and tomatoes). It come to your table, literally "flaming" and the server and guests shout "Opa!" as it arrives. Hence the sense of "fun" in the restaurant's name. And don't worry about the fire: the server puts it out before s/he places it in front of you to eat.