Papilon Grill celebrates five years of Greek cuisine in north Lincoln
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By JEFF KORBELIK / Lincoln Journal Star
Shahsavar Amjadiyan learned from his father long ago that you do for others as you would do for yourself.
That’s why the Papilon Grill the Iranian refugee co-owns has not only survived but thrived in north Lincoln.
The neighborhood restaurant, located in the Meadow Lane Shopping Center, is celebrating its fifth anniversary this month.
854 N. 70th St.
(Meadow Lane Shopping Center)
Atmosphere: Casual
Specialty: Gyros
Payment: Cash, checks, major credit cards
Cost: Entrees, $5 to $8.25
Hours: 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon-8 p.m. Sundays
Phone: (402) 486-4474
Notes: Parking, takeout, children’s menu, no alcohol, Pepsi products
* * *
Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 2 stars
Service: 3 stars
Vegetarian friendly: 3 stars
The Last Bite: The neighborhood restaurant gives north Lincoln a taste of Greek cuisine, with tasty, inexpensive gyros.
Rating system: Excellent 4 stars; Good 3 stars; Fair or uneven 2 stars; Poor 1 star
* * *
Atmosphere, food make Papilon a delight
As its fifth anniversary approaches, Papilon Grill is still a small, locally owned restaurant located in the Meadow Lane Shopping Center.
With light-yellow walls adorned with framed pictures and small butterfly figures, the place has a very pleasant, relaxed feeling.
The food at Papilon Grill is nothing short of delicious.
When I visited, I had a gyro wrap, which was chock-full of meat, lettuce, tomato and a cucumber sauce. It’s all wrapped in pita bread.
Everything is a good deal, too. My meal cost $5 and my drink 99 cents. And, of course, they have dessert, with baklava for $1.55 and cheesecake for $1.99.
The place isn’t fancy, with small tables placed around the area. Food is served in baskets. But it provides a relaxed feeling, making you feel comfortable.
So with good food, a good atmosphere and great prices, why not stop in?
— Sarah Benal
(Editor’s note: Sarah Benal is a freshman at Lincoln Pius X High School and job-shadowed Jeff Korbelik last week.)
Papilon Grill is known for its gyro sandwiches. The small menu also features falafel, hummus and dolmea (stuffed grape leaves) as well as Philly steak, ham and turkey sandwiches for the less adventurous.
Amjadiyan runs Papilon with Mina Atai, who hails from Afghanistan. Atai works the cash register, while Amjadiyan prepares the food.
Bosnian couple Ferid and Vesna Kahriman originally opened the Papilon Grill in 2003, but they sold it to Amjadiyan — a former house builder in Iran — and Atai a short time later.
The restaurant has a loyal fan base. Since it opened, I have routinely received e-mails from patrons asking me when and if I had written about it.
They tout Papilon’s food and its cleanliness. Diners will be hard-pressed to find a cleaner restaurant in town (besides Howard’s Pantry).
The grill hasn’t changed much in appearance since it opened, maintaining a butterfly theme with its wall decor. [“Papillon” (with two Ls) is French for butterfly.]
What is different is the pottery. Amjadiyan has several of his own pieces on display. He hopes to begin selling some of them soon at the restaurant.
Papilon does a brisk takeout business, especially at lunch, when Amjadiyan and Atai limit the menu to gyro sandwiches and wraps only. There’s seating for about 30 for those who have time to stay.
As for the menu, Amjadiyan prides himself on his gyros, available plain, with feta cheese (“Z”) or hot and spicy.
They range in price from $5.35 to $5.60, with French or Grecian fries costing a dollar extra. Wraps are smaller and cost about 30 to 40 cents less.
In fact, Amjadiyan makes a great gyro, a flat pita bread topped with 6 ounces of gyro meat, cucumber sauce, onion, lettuce and tomatoes.
“I add everything, plus a little love,” he said.
I agree. I enjoyed a gyro with feta cheese ($5.50). My companion loved her gyro wrap (see accompanying story).
When I visited Papilon in 2003, I said it had a shot to succeed because it offered a kind of food not available in the area.
Today, Papilon boasts so much more: good food, clean kitchen and dining room and friendly owners. I expect it will be here in another five years.
Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.
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Gyro Lover wrote on May 2, 2008 5:18 pm:
butterfly lover wrote on May 6, 2008 6:36 pm:
They are sooo friendly wrote on May 7, 2008 11:21 am: