This very casual restaurant is popular with the locals, and is a good spot to try some typical Greek dishes at very reasonable prices. The outdoor dining area is surprisingly quiet considering its location on the south side of busy Alexandras Street, and it achieves this calm thanks to roof awnings and sidewalk planters. The small indoor dining room is plain, but it is a comfortable place to hang out and have a casual meal, watch TV or have a drink.
This stretch of Alexandras Street seems to have quite a few drinking establishments, but Mainalon appealed to us because it has a good selection of food as well. The menu is all in Greek, but you can clearly see many trays of food items displayed in the glass counter. One of the younger proprietors spoke English and was more than happy to name the dishes and describe the various ingredients.
The moussaka and the pastitcio are solid and typical Greek entrees, both served in good-sized portions and all under 5 euros. There is a vegetable stew with peas, carrots, tomatoes and potatoes that is hearty considering it had no meat. The Greek salad has a nice slab of very strong feta cheese, which is good if you really like feta cheese (my friend did not). The large triangular serving of baklava (my favorite Greek dessert) is tasty because it is a bit flaky and not overly sweet. The dark, moist walnut cake is a bit subtle in flavor. Order a dessert to go if you are too full from your meal. Since the food is generally ready-made, the service is quick enough.