Jī-Rōz A Greek Joint, an exclusive farm to table Greek restaurant, recently opened on Jan. 4, adding yet another dimension to Greenville’s restaurant diversity.
Jī-Rōz (pronounced “gyros”) features authentic Greek food like gyros, Greek skewers or rotisserie chicken. The menu includes traditional Greek food such as pastichio, a Greek casserole, or άρνι’ κοκκινιστό, a lamb dish.
Menu prices range from about $6 for appetizers such as various spreads and bread, to about $10 or $11 for the gyros or skewers.
The restaurant has both an open kitchen and open ceiling which gives it a modern, industrial feel. Cool blues and warm wooden tables create an inviting atmosphere.
While the restaurant requires that diners wait to be seated by a host, Jī-Rōz has a small coffee bar where guests can purchase coffee and Greek pastries to go.
John Makkas, the owner of Jī-Rōz, designed the eatery with the dream of creating a “cool, hip Greek restaurant.”
The current sous chef of Jī-Rōz is Alexa Litzenberger, a 2013 BJU Culinary Arts graduate.
Litzenberger explained how the BJU culinary arts program and various internships provided the education she needed to succeed in the culinary world.
“Rick Nifenecker [former BJU culinary arts professor] really helped prepare me to work in a restaurant,” said Litzenberger. “[Nifenecker] pushed us like a real restaurant would.”
“After [restaurant owners] see me cook, they say they want to see more of these Bob Jones kids!” she said.
Litzenberger attributes some of her success to the fact that the work ethic and reliability instilled into her during her years at BJU has helped her stand out.
“I’m the sous chef at the hottest new restaurant in Greenville, and the culinary program at Bob Jones helped prepare me for that,” she said.
Jī-Rōz is located at the new apartment complex at Main and Stone, only a short drive from campus.
It currently serves brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays and is open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.
