The owners of Zorba the Greek, a longtime Port Jefferson Station staple, have closed the restaurant after a 46-year run.
However, the family-owned restaurant will continue to serve its authentic Greek dishes at its Zorba the Greek Express in nearby Selden.
Zorba the Greek was founded by Peter Englezos, then in his early 20s, on Jan. 10, 1980. But just weeks ago, on Dec. 31, the Englezos family announced via Instagram the restaurant was closing its doors at its long-standing location in Jefferson Plaza due to a construction project by Staller Associates. The owners plan to transform the shopping center into a mixed-use complex that will include business and apartment space.
“It’s been an absolute honor to serve the Port Jefferson community for the past 46 years,” the Englezos family wrote in that Instagram post, adding: “While this chapter is coming to an end, our gratitude is endless.”
You don’t have to go far for your Zorba the Greek fix, though. The Zorba the Greek Express restaurant at 253 Middle Country Rd. in Selden is less than five miles away.
It is open Monday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m.
John Valenti, a Newsday reporter since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press, Society of the Silurians and National Headliner Awards for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing. He is the author of “Swee’pea,” about New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. His debut crime novel, “For Nothing Is Hidden,” rooted in 1950s Long Island, was released in October 2025.
