Guy Fieri summed up chef Nikol Zarbalas’ cuisine as “hands down, the best Greek food” he’d ever tasted. That was during an episode of the Food Network superstar’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” filmed in December 2022, when the long-running TV show profiled Hellenic Republic , a Greek restaurant in Coral Springs that Zarbalas opened in 2019 — and that has become a foodie must-stop for Helleno eats. The Mayor of Flavortown was so impressed with Zarbalas that a year later, this past April, in fact, he had her compete in his “Guy’s Grocery Games” show.
Now the Fieri-fave has opened a second eatery called The Food Republic smack-dab in the middle of Fort Lauderdale’s busy hub, where Sunrise Boulevard and U.S. Highway 1 meet.
The 1,500-square foot, 50-seat restaurant with outdoor seating soft-opened in late May/early June in the Gateway Shopping Center , taking over the space that formerly housed Tipico Cafe. “The Food Republic is an eclectic dining experience,” Zarbalas says about the eatery’s culinary concept. “You’re not coming to eat a specific thing.
You’re not in an Italian restaurant, though I have pasta. You’re not at a Greek restaurant, though I have a Greek salad and chicken soup like your mom made on the menu. You’re not at an Asian restaurant, but I have a beef stir fry on my menu.
You’re not at a soul restaurant, but girl can make some shrimp and grits and fried chicken like nobody’s business. And that’s why I think it’s .