"Our menu never changes," said Rizk, who also co-owns The Greek Corner in Puck's Alley. "It doesn't matter if it's summer, fall, winter or spring. We'll always have gyros, Greek salad and souvlaki."

Now in its first year in Hawaii Kai (the restaurant just celebrated the occasion last month), Greek Marina offers East Honolulu residents a taste of Mediterranean cuisine, which has been a welcome reprieve from the normal fare of burgers, pasta, sandwiches and plate lunches that abound at Koko Marina.

"This is one of the main reasons we opened this restaurant at this location," said co-owner Tarek Guirguis. "We studied the area and demographics, and felt that a sit-down Greek restaurant would work well here."

Part of Rizk's and Guirguis' strategy was also to keep their prices as reasonable as possible.

Emphasizing that they're a "family-friendly" place, Rizk noted that for the amount of food people get, they're easily getting their money's worth.

"Where else can you get a rack of lamb for $17?" he asked in a rhetorical tone. "And where can you get a rib-eye steak for under $14?"

And the fact that these two entrees come complete with Greek salad, pita and rice give guests even more bang for their buck.

Since all entrees come with Greek salad, guests accustomed to ordering an appetizer may want to opt instead for either the tabbouleh salad ($4.95 for lunch and $5.95 for dinner) or the feta salad ($5.95/ $6.95), which is a heaping mass of crumbled feta cheese incorporated with diced tomatoes and cucumbers. It's perfect for a hot summer day or evening.

In addition to the rib eye and the rack of lamb, other specialties include gyros ($10.95 for lunch/$12.95 for dinner) and, always popular among guests, moussaka ($11.95/$13.95), the Greek version of Italian lasagna, which is prepared with dense layers of ground meat and eggplant, all blanketed with a rich bechamel sauce.

The dish most regulars come for is the traditional souvlaki, which offers skewers of cumin-and-garlic marinated chicken ($10.95/$12.95), shrimp ($12.95/$14.95), lamb ($11.95/ $13.95) or a combination of the three ($13.95/$16.95). A refreshing tzatziki sauce made with yogurt helps tame the spices.

For vegetarians, a mixed plate of grape leaves, falafel, hummus, and babaghanouj (baked eggplant) makes for a healthy and hearty lunch or dinner.