Three Kretans is named for three actual Cretans. Angelo and Doxa Makrydakis left Crete for Kitchener, raised three sons — Gus, Zack, and Niko — and the Greek dining room they built downtown carries the three of them in its name. The detail does more work than most signage. It tells a diner that the food on Frederick Street comes from one family and one island rather than a generic template, and the kitchen reads that way the moment the plates land: sure of the classics, uninterested in reinventing them, and generous with the kind of portions a family cooks for its own table.
The menu runs straight down the Greek comfort lane. Gyro anchors it — seasoned beef-and-lamb carved into a pita, a lunch plate, or a full dinner — and it is the easiest first read on the kitchen. The Chicken Souvlaki Dinner is the baseline order: marinated chicken breast skewers with Greek salad, rice, roasted lemon potatoes, and tzatziki, a complete plate rather than a lone skewer. Moussaka layers zucchini, eggplant, potato, and ground beef under a bechamel cream sauce, and Avgolemono brings the chicken, rice, and lemon soup that shows a kitchen paying attention to the quiet dishes. The Greek salad is the expected one done properly — tomato, cucumber, onion, Kalamata olives, and feta under a house dressing. Starters lean on the meze: dolmadakia rolled in grape leaf, spanakopita, and a three-dip plate of hummus, htipiti, and tzatziki with grilled pita. Saganaki Opa still arrives flambéed tableside with ouzo for the table that wants a little ceremony, and dessert holds the line — baklava layered with walnuts and honey, or bougatsa, warm custard in crisp filo dusted with cinnamon and icing sugar.
Angelo and Doxa Makrydakis opened Three Kretans in 1996 after immigrating from Crete, and the restaurant's name points back to their three sons. That family origin gives the room a clearer identity than a generic Greek menu with no local story.
The restaurant has a dedicated theatre menu, reservation guidance for show nights, and downtown Kitchener geography that makes timing part of the appeal. It is built for guests who want Greek dinner before a performance without gambling on the clock.
The strongest menu signals are not obscure: Gyro, Chicken Souvlaki Dinner, Moussaka, Avgolemono Soup, Saganaki Opa, and Baklava. The appeal is a full Greek comfort spread with enough starters, plates, and desserts to build a table around.
Three Kretans is built for dinner with a clock attached: theatre menu, reservation guidance, and a downtown location that make pre-show timing part of the visit. It is a practical Greek choice when guests want a real meal before the curtain, not a rushed compromise.
The restaurant has a real Greek identity story: Angelo and Doxa Makrydakis came from Crete, opened the restaurant in 1996, and named it for their three sons. That background gives the souvlaki, gyro, dips, and desserts a clearer frame than generic Greek comfort cooking.
The strongest dishes are classic Greek comfort plates: Gyro, Chicken Souvlaki Dinner, Avgolemono Soup, Moussaka, Saganaki Opa, and Baklava. The selection is broad enough for a full group, but its centre of gravity stays with familiar plates that regulars can return to.
Lunch plates, pita sandwiches, shared dips, and classic dinners give guests several ways to control spend without leaving the Greek lineup. The value is not a gimmick; it comes from flexible formats for quick lunch, full dinner, or shared starters.
This is an easy place to order communally: Three Kretans Pikilia, Three Dip Meze, Dolmadakia, Spanakopita, Saganaki Opa, and family-style catering all point toward sharing. Groups can start with the meze side, then split into souvlaki, lamb, fish, or vegetarian plates.
Share the nuances of your visit to Three Kretans Greek Restaurant in Kitchener — the standout dishes, the room, the service.
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