Online food guide TasteAtlas has deemed Greek cuisine the best in the world for this year. As if on cue, two celebrated Greek fast-casual restaurants have opened in Irvine: Nick the Greek at Culver Plaza and Great Greek Mediterranean Grill at Westpark Plaza.

Three cousins named Nick – Big Nick, Little Nick and Baby Nick – launched Nick the Greek more than a decade ago when one returned from the Greek village where his parents were born. Now there are 80 locations in the U.S.

Stars of the show: beef/lamb gyros, bowls and plates, which are available in chicken, pork belly and falafel versions. Start with avgolemono, Greek lemon chicken soup. End with loukoumades, Greek beignets with honey and walnuts.

Fourteen years ago, Great Greek founder Nick Della Penna and his neighbor purchased a family-run restaurant. It has since grown to 55 locations, including Dany Askar’s new spot in Irvine.

Start with tirokafteri, creamy feta cheese with spicy roasted peppers. Or try melitzanosalata, roasted eggplant puree. Best idea? The four-dip combo. The Greek salad with kalamata olives and feta soars with a choice of falafel, Atlantic salmon or Australian leg of lamb. Other favorites include grilled chicken souvlaki skewers. Finish with baklava ice cream.