Gyros! Souvlaki! Nick the Greek comes to Pinole with Mediterranean fast food

Nick the Greek, a Bay Area chain started by three San Jose cousins who all happen to be named Nick, is opening a new location in Pinole.

The fast-casual restaurant is located at 2700 Pinole Valley Blvd. and will begin serving its trademark Mediterranean fare on May 7. As is common with these openings, there’s a promotion, with a free lunch served to patrons who show up that day between 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. (one entree per person).

Nick the Greek was founded in the Bay in 2014 by the three Nicks — Big Nick, Little Nick and Baby Nick (no Medium Nick?) — and has gone on to set up locations across the country, including in Nevada, Texas, and Missouri. The restaurant serves popular Greek street food like chicken souvlaki, beef/lamb or chicken gyros, feta-garlic fries and falafel.

The menu is the standard chain formula of proteins served many ways — in wraps, with rice or fries, in bowls with tzatziki and veggies, and on top of salads with Greek ingredients like feta and olives. There’s a veggie wrap, too, with zucchini and portobello mushrooms. For dessert, diners can spoon up honey-baklava frozen yogurt.

Pinole is the latest of more than two dozen Nick the Greek’s in the Bay Area, including outposts in Walnut Creek and San Leandro. One opened in the UC Berkeley neighborhood in January, and another is said to be coming to Petaluma soon.