Veteran restaurateurs extend reach with new location

With more than four decades of food service experience in Alaska, Evangelo and Diana Lambernakis continue to bring their passion for good food and hospitality to Mat-Su diners. After a hiatus from the restaurant business for a couple of years, the couple stepped back into Evangelo’s, their landmark Parks Highway eatery, in 2023. Two years later, they’ve added a second business – Evangelo’s Express, on Bogard Road at the Seldon roundabout.

Since the mid-80s, their Evangelo’s restaurant has been the go-to destination for delicious Mediterranean cuisine. Creating a dining experience that feels like being part of the family has always driven the couple, Diana said.

That was the goal behind the new place, too.

“We believe the food makes happy people,” she said. “And seeing customers happy is our passion.”

It was that passion that led the Lambernakises to open Evangelo’s Express in May. Location had a lot to do with the decision, too.

Diana noted that the couple used to live in the area near the plaza that is home to the new restaurant. They recognized the lack of dining options nearby for the neighborhood’s growing population.

The plaza that houses Evangelo’s Express had a pizza place until about 10 years ago, but has had no food purveyors beyond Little Miller’s since then. Nearby Cottonwood Shores subdivision is home to more than 3,000 people. Other subdivisions along the Bogard-Seldon corridor run that total considerably higher.

Menu-wise, the new place is a near replica of the original. Diana said the Express menu basically reflects what can be found on the lunch menu at Evangelo’s.

In addition to a variety of pizzas and calzones, there are also several sandwich options, like a traditional gyro, Philly cheese steak, meatball, and Italian sausage subs. Chicken, veal, and eggplant parmesan are among the pasta choices, so is the popular fettucine alfredo, which can be made with chicken or shrimp, too.

There are also multiple appetizers and salads. Diners who save room have an extensive array of desserts to choose from, too, including baklava, Mediterranean nut roll, two kinds of cheesecake, and 12 ice cream options in either a cone or a cup.

Look for family dinner packages and bulk rates on multiple pizzas next. Diana said plans are in the works to add these options to the menu by the end of November. One difference between the two locations is that pizza, usually three different varieties, can be purchased by the slice at the Express store. That followed a suggestion from a patron.

“We’re very connected with our customers, and very open to suggestions for menu items, pizza toppings, or any other ideas,” Diana said.

Rob Belden, Evangelo’s Express manager, has been with the Lambernakises since 2001. He said keeping things simple at the new place was part of the design.

“We were not trying to reinvent the wheel,” he said. “People love that the consistency is the same here and on par with the other location.”

Diana echoed that.

“Consistency is very important to us. It has been since we opened more than 40 years ago,” she said. “People know if they found it at the other place, they will find it here.”

Despite experiencing soft retirement after selling Evangelo’s in 2019, Diana said she found she missed the people and the buzz of the restaurant business.

“I was a little depressed,” she said. “I’m a servant. I need to be near that. I missed meeting lots of different people. This industry, for me, is life education.”

She said the couple also shares a deep love for, and commitment to, this community after being here for so long following their relocation from Greece.

“We came here with nothing,” she said. “We felt every growing pain in this town, and every down time.”

That kind of shared history has been at the heart of Evangelo’s since the first version of the restaurant opened in 1984, at a strip mall farther up the Parks from the current location. That’s why it was important to the couple that customers be able to expect the same quality food at both places.

But it’s not just about the food. Diana said it’s also important that customers at Evangelo’s Express be treated to the same passion for hospitality and the same warm, welcoming atmosphere that Evangelo’s is known for.

Six months in, Diana said it’s been a good experience for everyone.

“I really love the people. It gives me energy seeing the people every day,” she said. “We appreciate every old customer, and welcome new customers. We feel very welcome, too. People seem happy to have us here.”