Athenas by the Sea, Corp.

Second time here. First time I ordered the gyro and fries which were okay. Second time I came here for drinks only. The drink menu was small; I ordered a fruit infused vodka which was strong and not too good. It's a big place but not many people in it compared to the rest of the restaurants and bars nearby. It's definitely in a nice and busy spot. Right near the beach, parking can be tough but if you look hard enough, you could find some. The bartenders were friendly. I think they need to refresh this place up, it's kind of dead when it comes to atmosphere. If they amp up the food and drink menu, I'm sure this place will be even more successful and busy. I'd come here again for the food. Maybe not for the drinks as other places nearby are more appetizing and enticing.

It's rare that I would ever post a negative review, however we loved this place over the year and we were sad to see the disaster it has recently become. We stopped in for a drink and appetizer on a very slow night and waited 15 minutes for the bartender to take our drink order. While every other restaurant in the area was packed, this place was empty. We watched people (many with children) get seated at a table, wait 10-15 minutes to even have a server greet them and then wait another 15 minutes for glasses of water. Most people left in disgust before they even ordered. We loved watching this train wreck unfold so we sat and watched for two hours. As people sat, we warned them to go elsewhere and several listened to us. The restaurant manager was very rude when we asked her why the service declined. We asked a server what happened to the Athena's we knew over the years. We learned the male owner had a stroke and the wife let the place go down the drain. We were told servers are owed back pay and they can't hold onto any of the staff as they aren't getting paid. As you can see from my pictures, they are letting the interior go too. It was dirty and the food we saw on one table looked horrible. Avoid this place at all cost! There are several other great places to eat in Lauderdale By The Sea. Hoping this place get new owners soon. It's a prime location. My photos show the emergency lights do no work in the bathroom, the ceiling is leaking and the tile is moldy, a disgusting dirty fish tank is near the kitchen with mold and one of the restaurant tables is used as a make shift desk by the rude restaurant manager. AVOID AT ALL COST!

Best drink specials and happy hour in the very touristy area of Lauderdale by the sea. We sat at the bar, didn't try the food as we had just finished dining elsewhere. The beer was cold and tasty, friendly atmosphere, just a short walk to the beach and pier. Chatted with a friendly local who gave us good info on Good eats in area. Would try the food if in area again.

Athena renovated the entire restaurant a few months ago, now they have an excellent bar area with big screens and plenty of drink selections. They also tore the walls down and replaced them with door/windows that open up giving the restaurant a great open air ambiance. The hummus is delicious and the pita is thick and warm very good. Being a local place I frequent Athena often and have never been disappointed, also can't beat the 1/2 priced drinks/beer/wine at HAPPY HOUR 7 days a week 5pm 7pm.

There isn't any doubt about Athena being a Greek restaurant with menu offerings covering most every aspect of Greek cuisine (not for everyone but I one of the few places to enjoy a full plate of simple sautéed squid with lemon) as well as typical burger, sandwich and other items. It has a big, clean, well decorated nicely appointed interior, a large bar and a pleasant outside sidewalk, café like, seating. One of its more outstanding features happens to be their excellent, friendly, polite and helpful service staffs who, for the most part, are all Greeks.