Bites Nearby: Colossus Pizza

Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out.

Here is this week's choice: Colossus Pizza

Colossus has been serving Greek, Italian and American food in Mountain Park since 1983, when two Greek families wanted to share their favorite recipes with their community.

Since then, the casual restaurant located at 5385 Five Forks-Trickum Road has been a local favorite, especially for its Greek-style pizza.

 Also known as Colossus Restaurant — as it’s referred to on its menu — the eatery is owned by Rick Johnson, a military-trained chef who purchased the restaurant in 2004 after almost 20 years working there.

The menu, reflecting the traditions of the original owners, offers a wide range of Greek and Mediterranean-style dishes, with plenty of selections for those wanting burgers and other sandwiches.

Pizza is the main draw — and few are disappointed (the Mediterranean, with gyro meat, feta cheese, black olives and sun-dried tomatoes is a personal fave) — but the moussaka, casserole and gyros are high on my list, too.

There’s the usual kids menu for those the little ones who would rather have chicken nuggets, hot dogs or “pasghetti.”

A bit of trivia: The restaurant is named after Colossus of Rhodes, one of the seven ancient wonders of the world, a bronze statue of more than 100 feet, which stood over the harbor of the Greek Island of Rhodes during the third-century B.C.

Colossus Pizza is at 5385 Five Forks-Trickum Road, Stone Mountain (Mountain Park area). Open Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Pricing: Appetizers, $3 to $8.95; Dinners, $5.95-$15.95; Baked Casseroles/Pasta: $6.50-$9.95; Salads (prices for large orders), $8.15-$12.95; Gyros/Subs, Sandwiches, $2.95-$5.95; Specialty Pizzas, $11.25-$19.95; Desserts, $1.95-$3.95.