Leo’s Greek Castle - As far from Greece as you can get.

2925 Kavanaugh Boulevard, Little Rock

501-666-7414

Leo’s is proof that reality is very subjective. In Googling the place for its address and phone number, I read a number of reviews, such as this one from “Jeremy R. – ‘Most people who enjoy good food in Little Rock know of Leo’s Greek Castle…. Located in the Hillcrest area it truly is just a whole (sic) in the wall.’”

OK, let me recast that sentence slightly: “Most literate people who enjoy good food in Little Rock know to stay away from Leo’s Greek Castle.” Yes, that’s much better now.

Leo’s should be your destination for gyros and other Greek-inspired food when all other Greek restaurants in the area are closed for repairs. Service is s-l-o-w, the food varies from OK to distinctly mediocre, and the dining area is cramped.

A recent trip there confirmed previous impressions. The hummus had a strong flavor of dill, which was a little surprising and not to my tastes. Maybe others enjoy it prepared in that idiosyncratic manner, but I’m not one of them. The meat on my gyros platter was nice and tasty. But, the tzatziki sauce had an odd texture and bland flavor, and the fries were old and dried up (been sitting around way too long under a heat lamp).

My companion’s “Greek Salad” was made with iceberg lettuce (wha?), and appeared to have been thrown together hastily. She didn’t eat it, but, then again, she really likes well-made Greek salads and hates iceberg lettuce. There was no sign of the “TLC” in the food preparation (offered as an excuse for the slow service) mentioned in some of the reviews on Google.

I have a theory that Leo’s benefits from locals patronizing a place for years because it’s in the neighborhood and is “cute,” and those traits are more important to them than the quality of the food. Because, in my "reality-based reality," the food at Leo's sucks. If you want excellent gyros, go to Layla’s and pay the too-high prices for real quality.