Thelo Greek Grill

[pras]

My wife and I were strolling around Bethesda one Saturday evening, free of child and looking for a new experience.  We heard that Thelo had recently opened and it looked quaint with a nice patio (they didn't have their liquor license yet, but should have it now).  The weather was nice so we thought we would give it a try.  The owner very enthusiastically went over the menu with us.  It was early so were were the only patrons there.  He is certainly proud of the place and the food his chef is creating.  We had the feta, a grilled cheese which was soft (not halumi), grilled and chopped eggplant salad, roasted beets, which came with a potato/garlic sauce, and finally an order of tzatziki (more about this later).  The owner came over and chatted with us a bit before our food came.  He is a Greek restaurant veteran.  He told us how everything is made in house (except for the imported feta and yogurt).  The chef makes the gyro every day.  Grilled chicken is thigh instead of breast.  I asked him about the tzatziki, and he enthusiastically told us how the chef starts with cucumbers, seeds them, grates them, then squeezes all liquid from them.  He was so proud, while we didn't originally order it, but we had to and we were glad we did.  It was thick and tasty.  My favorite dish was the eggplant spread which was packed with flavor, but everything really was good.  They don't serve the dips with pita here, but rather a crusty bread which gets some char from the grill (our Greek friends told us later that this is common on the islands).  Everything was great and I need to get back to try the meat.

One warning--as the owner told us, if you are going with a date, you both need to eat because the food is packed with garlic (vampires beware!).  This was no joke, as I am pretty sure my pores were oozing it for a while after the meal!

[jandres374]

Not sure how long they will be there. Looks like their space is part of a redevelopment plan.
http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Beat/2018/Developer-of-Former-Steamers-Site-in-Bethesda-Returns-with-Bigger-Project-Plan/