Skip to main content

CHEAP EATS: Nikolas' Café serves fresh seafood with a Greek flair


Someone might be surprised to know that there is a Mediterranean café stuck in a Shrewsbury shopping center miles past the fast-food hype off I-83.

Nikolas' Café, which opened eight years ago, isn't what you would expect from a eatery sandwiched between a tanning salon and a Goodwill - it's owned by a Greek woman and her husband, who have a passion for fresh seafood and family recipes.

Irene Limneos named the café after her father, Nikolas. (Her husband, Jeff Anderson, will tell you that the name has created some confusion from prospective customers who have searched the Internet for a Nicolas Café.)

Limneos' father brought her to America in 1965 and when he died, he left her a plot of land in Greece. She sold the land and started the café with her profit.

"My dad wanted to bring us here for a better life," Limneos said.

Customers who have been able to find it have their choice of a wide selection of Greek specialties, some of which change daily. Lunch ranges from gyros to pitas, paninis and fish sandwiches.

The Mediterranean vibe is obvious in the mustard-

colored walls and accents of red-orange. Customers can sit inside or outside - the spaces best serve parties of two to four.

The most popular lunch item is the grilled salmon BTL, Anderson said. It's made with fresh salmon, pesto mayo and roasted red peppers.

Thirteen gourmet specialty pizza options, which average a price of $13.99, are also on the menu alongside calzones, sausage rolls and strombolis. All pizzas are cooked in the stone oven.

"My dad loved pizza and so that was the main thing when I started," Limneos said.

My lunch pick was the Boardwalk Salmon Sandwich. My palate favors a honey-mustard glaze, so I thought I would like the honey stone-ground mustard sandwich. I wasn't disappointed.

It came on a crunchy Ciabatta roll. The salmon was topped with spinach and garlic aioli. The flavors were a mix of honey mustard and olive oil - the oil dripped out of the roll. It tasted fresh. And it was, according to the owner.

"Everything is fresh," Limneos said.

Cheap Eats profiles local restaurants, aiming to please our palates and our wallets. Reach Ashley at 717-771-2053; amay@ydr.com; @AshleyMayTweets.

If you go

LOCATION: Nikolas' Café, 551 S. Main St., Shrewsbury

CUISINE: Mediterranean

ASHLEY'S PICK: Boardwalk Salmon Sandwich, $9.99, and iced tea, $1.50

PARKING: Off-street

HOURS: 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday

PRICE RANGE: $6.99 to $19.99

ALCOHOL: BYOB

SMOKING: No

ACCEPTS: Cash and credit

TAKEOUT: Yes

KID'S MENU: Yes

DETAILS: Call 717-235-

2200 or visit nikolascafe.com