The Grecian chicken, rich with lemon and herbs, has been a favorite for four decades. Soutzoukakia (seasoned meatballs), pastitsio (a kind of Greek lasagna), spanakopita (spinach pie) and other Hellenic staples were a robust part of early sales, although burgers and sandwiches now share that menu space.
Patriarch and namesake Chris Tsingelis and his wife, Angie, both 70, have raised four children — Eppy, Andrew, Petros, and Nick — under the low-slung roof at the busy intersection. That second generation, despite going on to earn degrees in a wide variety of disciplines, have all stayed close to the business their parents built, which also includes a catering service and a bed and breakfast.
- “We were Greeks. It was a macho man thing. Of course it was going to be called Chris’s,” Angie said. “And we knew the very first day it was going to work out. The line was all the way down around the building.”
- “We’ll go months at a time without talking to each other. But if you mess with one of us, we’ll all jump on you at once. We all would be devastated without the restaurant.”
love, at least in the Tsingelis clan, isn’t diminished by the strains of the job. It fuels the restaurant’s heart, allowing the family to muscle through broken freezers, faulty plumbing, tight budgets or any other trial the food service industry throws their way.-StarNews
Nick Tsingelis makes a salad for a catering order Chris’s Restaurant in Wilmington, NC Thursday, July 28, 2016. Matt Born/StarNews
Longtime customer and StarNews writer Ben Steelman reads while eating lunch at Chris’s Restaurant in Wilmington, NC Wednesday, July 27, 2016. Steelman has been eating at the restaurant on a daily basis for over 35 years. Matt Born/StarNews
We want to create a place where a sense of family is emphasized. We enjoy knowing so many of our customers by name, their usual orders and their stories. We are honored to have the opportunity to serve the community for over four decades.
Chris’s Restaurant waitress Angeliki Karafas has worked at the restaurant since she began busing tables as a twelve year old.
Baklava has been on the menu since the restaurant opened 40 years ago.
Pam Hale, who heads up the front desk has worked at the restaurant for 13 years.
