Marathon Souvlaki Montreal Review – Large Portions, Friendly Service, but Disappointing Greek Classics – Average EV Score: 5/10
Reviewed by Tastes of Ottawa
Each dish is rated using our EV Score (Enjoyment-to-Value Score), based on enjoyment, price paid, and benchmark pricing.
Table of Contents
Marathon Souvlaki Restaurant Overview
5365 Rue des Jockeys, Montréal, QC H4P 2N1
Marathon Souvlaki is a Greek restaurant located in Montreal, in an area that’s easy to reach and very convenient if you’re driving. One of the immediate positives is the large parking lot, which makes parking completely stress-free — something that’s not always easy to find in Montreal.
When we visited, the restaurant was not very busy, which made for a calm and relaxed dining experience. The dining room is fairly spacious and functional, leaning more toward a classic, old-school restaurant setup rather than anything trendy or modern. It feels like a place that’s been around for a while and caters to regulars rather than chasing hype.
The staff were friendly and welcoming, and service overall was smooth. Orders were taken promptly, and the wait time for food wasn’t long, which is always appreciated. From a service and logistics standpoint, Marathon does a lot right — easy parking, friendly staff, and efficient food delivery.
Unfortunately, while the experience was comfortable, the food itself didn’t live up to expectations, especially given how straightforward Greek dishes are supposed to be when executed well.
Would return? No.
Pork Gyro Platter
Enjoyment: 5.5/10
Price Paid: $22
Benchmark Price: $22
EV Score: 5.5/10
Order Again? No.
The pork gyro platter from Marathon Souvlaki came with a very generous serving of food, which at first glance felt like good value. The plate included gyro meat, rice, potatoes, salad, pita, and plenty of sauce. However, once we started eating, the problems became clear.
The gyro meat wasn’t as tender as expected. Pork gyro should be juicy and well-seasoned, but this was on the firmer side and lacked that satisfying tenderness you want when biting into shaved meat. It wasn’t terrible, but it definitely didn’t stand out in a good way.
One of the biggest issues was the amount of sauce. There was far too much, to the point where it overwhelmed everything else on the plate. Instead of complementing the meat, it drowned it, making each bite feel heavy rather than balanced.
The potatoes were soft, not crispy at all, which made them feel more like reheated potatoes than freshly cooked ones. The rice was decent — plain, but serviceable — and easily one of the better components of the plate.
The salad was actually quite good, fresh and light, providing a bit of contrast to the heavier elements. Unfortunately, the pita bread wasn’t very soft, which further detracted from the overall experience. A good pita should be warm and pillowy; this one felt stiff and uninviting.
Despite the generous portion size, this ended up being a very underwhelming dish, especially for something as classic as a gyro platter.
Fried Calamari
Enjoyment: 5.5/10
Price Paid: $25
Benchmark Price: $20
EV Score: 4.4/10
Order Again? No.
The fried calamari from Marathon was another disappointment. The portion size was small for the price, making it feel overpriced almost immediately.
Texture-wise, the calamari was not very crispy and leaned toward being chewy, which is exactly what you don’t want. Calamari should be light and crisp on the outside, with tender squid inside. This missed that mark.
The seasoning was decent, and there was some flavour there, but seasoning alone can’t save poor texture. Between the lack of crispiness, chewiness, and high price, this dish simply wasn’t worth ordering.
I wouldn’t order this again under any circumstances.
Chicken Pita
Enjoyment: 5/10
Price Paid: $7
Benchmark Price: $7
EV Score: 5/10
Order Again? No.
The chicken pita suffered from many of the same issues as the gyro platter. Once again, there was far too much sauce, completely overpowering the other ingredients.
The chicken itself was just okay — not dry, but not particularly juicy or flavourful either. It felt like a basic protein with no standout seasoning or preparation.
The pita bread, once again, was not very soft, which is a recurring issue here and a major problem for a restaurant serving Greek food. When both pita-based dishes suffer from the same flaw, it becomes clear that this isn’t a one-off issue.
To be fair, the price of the chicken pita was reasonable, especially compared to the platter and calamari. But even at a decent price, the execution was sub-par, and it’s not something I’d crave or go out of my way to order again.
Final Thoughts
Marathon Souvlaki in Montreal offers a comfortable dining experience with easy parking, friendly staff, and quick service, all of which are meaningful positives. Unfortunately, those strengths don’t extend to the food.
The dishes we tried were generous in portion size, but portion alone doesn’t equal quality. The gyro meat lacked tenderness, the sauces were overused, the potatoes weren’t crispy, and the pita bread consistently fell short. Even simple items like calamari didn’t meet basic expectations, especially given the price.
Greek food is widely available in Montreal, and there are many other spots that execute these same dishes far better, often at similar or even lower prices. When a restaurant struggles with fundamentals like pita texture and balance of sauce, it’s hard to justify a return visit.
Marathon Souvlaki isn’t offensive or outright bad, but it’s firmly mediocre, and in a city with so many strong dining options, that simply isn’t enough. While the staff and setup make it easy to dine here, the food doesn’t give a compelling reason to come back.
Unless major improvements are made in execution, this is not a restaurant I’d return to, especially when better Greek food can be found elsewhere in Montreal.