I joined my husband and our friend Kris at Mykonos on a recent Friday night. It was our first visit to the 4-year-old eatery, and I was looking forward to it. But from the moment we walked into the soaring atrium, I had a nagging feeling that this might not be an entirely pleasant experience. I spied a swarm of waiting people — several with glum faces — but nary a staff member in sight.

After a couple of minutes a hostess entered the atrium. I got her attention and asked about our reservation. She said she couldn't be sure they could honor it, as they'd just been "slammed," but went off in search of a table for us. As we waited, I overheard a couple complain about the strong cigarette-smoke smell emanating from the bar. The hostess returned and was able to seat us after all, and I hoped the nagging feeling had been for naught.

Mykonos strikes an impressive pose alongside Interstate 5 near the airport, boasting intriguing architectural elements and Greek columns.

Mykonos Greek Restaurant

Location:  1650 W. Bakerview Road Phone: 715-3071 Serving: Traditional Greek cuisine. Menu items sampled:   Greek sampler $8.95 Dolmades $8.95 Paidakia $15.95 Souvlakia $12.95

Inside is an understated but elegant space of white walls, wood floors, an abundance of green plants and tree, and a circle of Greek columns lit up by hot-pink neon lighting. The walls are punctuated by Greek-themed artwork and plates.

My renewed hope for a satisfying supper dwindled as a seemingly uninterested server approached our table. She wasn't wearing the requisite white shirt and pants like the other servers and forgot simple things like taking drink and appetizer orders before asking for our entree selections.

When I called the next day to inquire about the plethora of problems, I learned from a manager who grudgingly spoke to me that the woman who helped us was a cocktail waitress, not a server. The double whammy that night was a large convention at the neighboring Hampton Inn that delivered a swarm of convention-goers. The eatery was already understaffed, and then it was hit hard by this unexpected hoard of hungry diners. I'd like to give the restaurant the benefit of the doubt — every place can get busy and a bit frantic — and assume that my next visit to the restaurant would offer friendly service alongside its generally fabulous food.

The three of us started with an appetizer sampler that included keftedes, spanakopita, tyropitakia and tzatziki served with two silver bowls of hummus and tzatziki alongside a basket of thick, chewy pita bread unlike any I've ever seen: It was risen like a yeast bread, rather than flat like traditional pita.

The keftedes, or Greek meatballs, were our favorite, but everything on the large platter was pleasing. The spanakopita, a traditional spinach and feta cheese pie built within layers of flaky phyllo dough, was also a hit. None of us was familiar with the tyropitakia, a cheese-filled triangle of phyllo dough, a common finger food in Greece, but we found it tasty.

Kris is a big tzatziki fan and found Mykonos' yogurt-based dipping sauce superb, with just the right amount of garlic.

My entree of dolmades — grape leaves stuffed with ground beef, rice and spices — was described on the menu as finished with a lemon glaze. Instead, it arrived completely concealed by a congealing, thick white sauce similar to a béchamel. The pleasing flavor of the tight rolls of stuffed grape leaves still peeked through, but would have benefited from the lighter lemon sauce.

The accompanying potatoes — peeled, roasted and buttery — were sublime. The plate was finished out with an ample portion of commonplace Caesar salad. The croutons were a bit soggy, and the romaine was swimming in dressing, but otherwise there was nothing memorable about the salad.

My husband ordered the paidakia, succulent lamb chops marinated in wine and garlic and charbroiled. He chose rice as a side dish, served with bits of tomato and onion. A heap of Greek salad rounded out the plate.

Kris is a fan of Greek food and zeroed in on a favorite, souvlakia. Tender pieces of chicken — you can also choose from lamb, pork or beef — were marinated and charbroiled on a skewer. The chicken was moist and flavorful and also accompanied by the exceptional roasted potatoes and run-of-the-mill Caesar salad.

We had a coupon that stated desserts were free with dinner entrées, but our server wasn't familiar with the offer and refused to honor it. Rather than spend any more time feeling frustrated, we gave in and left. I learned in my phone conversation with the manager that Mykonos serves baklava, house cake and a variety of cheesecakes. He also tried to convince me that the coupon we presented was 6 months old, but it had arrived at my house that week in the familiar blue envelope we all see in our mailboxes every few weeks.

I recommend the food at Mykonos Greek Restaurant without reservation, but the service we received could have been much better. Give it a try, but if you arrive during a rush and your server isn't wearing the obligatory wait staff attire, keep your expectations low for service with a smile.

The Fine Print: I dine on my own dime. The opinions herein are mine alone, not The Bellingham Herald's. Agree? Disagree? Please drop me a line at StaceeSledge@hotmail.com.