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Categories: Greek, Mediterranean [Edit]
Neighborhood: Washington Square West
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I plan on taking anyone here who enjoys great food with a genuine atmosphere.
Try their moussaka.
Great for all seasons- garden in the back
Very romanantic
BYOB
I went in here to grab a bite a few weeks back on a Saturday night. Effie's is a warm, well lit little building. The servers/owners greeted me and sat me down promptly. I ended up getting avgelemno soup, which was supposed to be a lemon flavored chicken rice soup and the Effie's Chicken entree. I got some bread as a starter and it was delicious. Sadly it was the best part of the meal. The avgelemno soup was neither particularly lemon tasting or had a lot of chicken or rice. The Effie's chicken which had grilled chicken with sauteed mushroom and scallion in wine garlic sauce was just plain bland. You'd think that the mushrooms and scallion in wine garlic sauce would be tasty, but it wasn't at all. Bland, bland, bland. At least the chicken was cooked right and was tender.
I just wasn't that impressed with this place, which is sad because I love Greek food and used to love going to Greektown in Chicago. The hunt for a good reasonably priced sitdown Greek place besides Zorba's continues.......
Went to Effie's last night with a group of 10 friends. The food was pretty good (the moussaka is insanely large and hearty) and the service during the meal was fine. Ambience is nice - I especially like the garden in the back.
The reason that I left the meal rather unhappy was the sequence of events that occurred when we were paying the bill. First of all, the menu said "18% gratuity included for parties of 8 or more". When it says that on the menu, you would expect that it would be the *actual* policy. So they brought us the bill (which was basically the tape reel of a calculator) and we figured that the tip was included because IT SAID IT WOULD BE ON THE MENU (am I wrong here, people??)
After we paid, the server came back all puppy-eyed with the bill and some change and asked if there was something wrong with our meal. She insinuated that our tip was insufficient and then explained that they didn't apply the policy they had clearly printed on the menu because it was a slow night or something. That pissed me off. If you have a policy printed on your menu, customers expect you to enforce it (again, please correct me if I am wrong here). Or you should tell us when you give us the bill that tip is *not* included like it says on the menu.
I liked Effie's before last night, but I was left with a rather poor taste in my mouth (and pocket) and don't know if I'll be going back anytime soon.
I went here for a birthday party - there was a reservation, but it still took some time to get seated. Not unreasonably long, but long enough to get sick of standing around.
The food (lamb lemonato with a saganaki appetizer) was pretty good. It did not really rival my Yiayia and Papou's cooking, but it did the trick.
The whole layout looks really nice and is a solid date-night spot. It also has the kind of formal and yet casual-at-heart vibe that you find in Greece.
If you want to go to Effie's, don't worry about running nonstop all the way from Marathon, but do make sure to stroll-by sometime.
First off I have to tell you we went couple nights ago the food was Great!! Very tasty seasoned perfect. I am saying all this because I am reading some of the other reviews and I am baffled by some of the comments.
I used to go to Effies all the time, but recently my schedule has gotten really crazy. We went in the another night and I was nervous from reading all these complaints on here.
Once again I left Effie's very satisfied. The waitress we had was so friendly, it was nice to have a server that has a personality.
Effie thank you for a nice night out for dinner with my husband and some friends.
Cannot not wait to try your new restaurant across the street, "Paul's". I heard it is very reasonable and Delicious.
I actually think that the food quality has gone down considerably over the past couple years and the service is veerrry slow, but since it's a byo I often go and plan to take my time so it's not as much of an issue. I think it's mostly carried by ambience/ atmosphere and also it's pretty inexpensive. It's worth trying though.
I think the food and atmosphere is way better at Kanella around the corner, however, Kanella is a bit more expensive as well.
Effie's offers a pleasant selection of Greek dishes, with average service. As others have noted, there are perhaps better options at the same price-point.
If the weather is agreeable, the courtyard is the best place to sit.
Worth a stop, if you're in the area.
I'm done with this place. It's all hype.
I really liked what I had in the past, but I was always ordering off the specials menu. But this place is waaaaaay overpriced. WAY WAY WAY OVERPRICED.
The place is tiny and if you eat in the main area, you will get smoked out of there by the kitchen exhaust. But it has a quaint back area and carriage house.
The trouble is that I paid $16 for a dish recommended by the waiter. I mean, he raved it. So I ordered it. To put it lightly, it sucked. It was bland as bland can be. Look up the word "bland." I think they can simply redefine it as the dish I ordered the other night.
The fact that people were lined up out the door either says that they occassionally, not always, make a good meal. Or it just means that people are that stupid.
I was that stupid. But never again will I bother with this place.
"What are you in the mood for?"
Given that question, I would never say Greek food. I would never…
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With all the attention that Cypriot BYOB Kanella has been getting in Washington Square West, we thought it would only be fair to try out Effie's, an unassuming Greek BYOB just a few blocks away. Effie's has a reputation for courtyard seating and decent standards, like octopus and lamb, so we stopped in on a Wednesday to sample the offerings.
They were a little jammed up and grabbing a courtyard table, which seemed relatively easy for 8:30PM on a Wednesday, was out of the question. As we waited to be seated in a two-top along Pine Street we amused ourselves watching the cooks tackling orders while grill-smoke pouring out of the tiny open kitchen.
The first course of calamari was perfectly done. This was some of the best calamari we've had in a long time; if you've read some of our other reviews, you know that we use calamari as the baseline for judging how much care and attention a kitchen puts into the food.
At first glance, it should be an easy dish to make...pull it from a prep dish, batter/bread and deep fry, then serve...but so many kitchens really blow this one, through bad pre-made ingredient, poorly mixed or seasoned coating or due to inattentively over cooking the calamari into fried rubber bands...oh let me count the ways that you can ruin thee.
Effie's calamari was a perfect balance of light, crispy coating, just salty & seasoned enough with tender squid rings beneath. Served still warm, this was a sign of good things to come.
The sampler platter was a decent smattering of bulgar stuffed grape leaves, an eggplant dip, some hummus, cheese and peppers...consistency of the dips were smooth and flavors pronounced...a well-done, if not basic, appetizer. Served with pita points, a decent way to pass the evening over a glass of wine.
Mains brought both great grilling and gritty greens. The lamb rack was perfectly seasoned & grilled, albeit a little on the medium side of medium rare. Resting on a bed of mac & cheese orzo, this was Greek comfort food...except for the sand.
The dish was ruined with the ring of gritty greens that had not been throughly washed...my wife's first bite into them yeilded that 'tween the teeth crunch that kills your appetite...she asked me to try another piece to see if it was a fluke, but after one or two more bites from different bunches of greens the slack-luster prep was apparent. She picked her way around the sides while enjoying the lamb.
I ordered Lamb Lemonato, the lemon potato and lamb dish...basically cubed, grilled lamb & roasted potatos drenched in an lemon-oil sauce. The potatos were hit or miss due to their irregular sizes...some over-cooked & withered, other larger chunks on the edge of doneness, an occasional well-roasted wedge...Seems like short-cut prep strikes again.
The lamb mostly appeared in small scraps and was a little gristly..however, those sizeable chunks that could be found amongst the potatos were decently seasoned and cooked...I found myself digging through the cubes of spud in search of those few remaining lamb chunks that were hiding shadows of my plate created by the al fresco street lighting.
Final verdict? Great place for appetizers. They had actually 86'd two of the apps we wanted to try (tomato tart and the grilled octupus, a favrotie from what I can gather), so we may be back to try those and get some more calamari.
We're staying away from the entrees though...seemed like the poor prep went by unnoticed by the chef making it to the plate. Those sides sabotaged what could've been some great lamb dishes.
Most of the other customers leaving seemed happy though, so maybe it was just a fluke or that fact that we ordered at the end of a busy shift and were left picking through our entrees looking for the delicatable bits...but Effie's stuck us as Iffy's.
A friend and I ate at Effie's last night for a quick dinner after work. When we walked in, we were greeted promptly. I asked to sit outside, because of the lovely pictures on the website, but the outdoor area was full so we sat inside. Now keep in mind that Effie's is a Greek restaurant...well they must have set the temperature on "Santorini," because it was so hot and humid in there! I'm trying to be less of a soda person, so I just asked for some lemon wedges to go in my water, and the waitress gladly obliged.
Ok, now on to the food. The bread and olive oil were pretty tasty. I ordered the lamb souvlaki and my friend ordered the stuffed chicken. We really should have switched dishes, because he liked my food better than he liked his, and vice versa. To me, my food wasn't seasoned enough...or rather, it wasn't seasoned at all. I've never been a big salt person (and my blood pressure thanks me for it), but I felt like I needed to add a lot of salt to my food. I didn't though - just couldn't bring myself to do it. I mainly focused on the string beans with tomato puree - they were pretty good. All in all, I was pretty disappointed in my Effie's experience. My friend who recommended it had said such good things about it, and the reviews on here were great too. I doubt I'll ever go back. Sorry Effie's - I tried.
I like this place for the great atmosphere (garden room or whatever they call it...beautiful), moussaka & grape leaves. Other than that it's not the best. I just went about a week ago and noticed their prices have been raised drastically, some dishes going up as much as $5. Definitely overpriced. Also, most of the other food I've tried here hasn't been the best, not bad, but not worth the price. I'll keep going back for the moussaka though....
I really wanted to like this place a lot. It started out baller and then kind of went downhill.
I came with three friends at around 10 for a late late dinner, only one other table (of 87 college girls with a jug of Carlo Rossi) was occupied. We got hummus and spanakopita to start, both were awesome. And I love saying spanakopita. The pita was hot and they replenished our basket without our having to ask.
I wanted to get moussaka but they were out (understandable at 10pm) so I ordered lamb souvlaki. The lamb itself was pretty good, a little tough, but tasty. But there wasn't much to it, not much tahini, and the rice and veggies weren't great. Generally disappointing.
Once we got the check it took like 15 minutes to get the waitress to take it, which was frustrating. Oh well. I wonder if they do take-out spanakopita.
We had a wonderful time at Effies. The patio seating is cozy and romantic, and even on a hot day it remains shaded and cool.
We started our dinner with tzatztiki, piping hot pita, and a plate of very light calamari. The main courses were braised lamb and chicken, both succulent. We had ordered a salad but this turned out to be overkill - the appetizers and two main courses were quite generous in size.
Definitely will return.
Quite possibly the first time I didn't even eat half my meal. Totally bland and tasteless.
First up was the lemon chicken soup. If you sold this to me as chicken soup, it would have been fine. But the taste of lemon was barely there.
A friend of ours ordered the grilled octopus. No seasonings whatsoever! It came with olives and a pretty tasteless oil.
The hummus was pretty flavorless too, except for the strong taste of garlic.
My stuffed chicken was...eeks. I ate about one piece of chicken, and I started picking at all the spinach and feta inside. The chicken was SUPER DRY and FLAVORLESS. I can do one or the other, but not both. My $16 entree was essentially spinach and feta, rice, and green beans in a tomato sauce.
My husband's gyro platter was pretty good, but that was the first time I've eaten gyro. He did say that while it was pretty good, he's had better.
This place advertises being "group friendly" on their website. We were a party of 8 seated at a TINY table with barely any elbow room. I was rubbing knees with the two people on either side of me. Not comfortable at all. Add 8 entrees, appetizers, and drinks to the mix, and well...none of us were able to relax.
Zorba's Taverna in Fairmount has waaaay better food for about the same price. Go there instead!
This place is a great neighborhood restaurant with character, awesome food, friendly service, and very reasonable prices. If you want Greek but don't want to dress up and pay Estia prices, GO HERE!
The food is delicious and there are some great ethnic staples on the menu. The place is also small so it gets a little crowded and loud on popular nights, but it's nothing to complain about. My only qualm was once when I sat in the back room in the winter it was cold because they kept opening the door.
I can't wait until summer to come here and eat outside!
My once-monthly BYO girls' night took place at Effie's last Friday. We chose the spot based solely on yelp research (mine, of course) and we were once again very pleased! We had reservations and a table was ready for us as soon as we arrived. Service was friendly and helpful. The four of us shared an app that had a little of everything: spinach phyllo triangles, chicken skewers, olive tapenade, hummus, roasted peppers, orzo and a couple other things. And let's not forget the fresh-out-of-the-oven pita bread, which was so good that by the end of the meal, I was referring to the pita baby in my stomach.
My entree was a shrimp dish served over rice with a tomato/feta/green onion sauce. A-MA-ZING basically sums up my feelings.
Despite being stuffed, we ordered dessert. Baklava and some other phyllo pastry that was filled with custard and drizzled with honey. Both were good but the baklava definitely came out ahead, in my opinion. The only problem? The desserts were nearly impossible to eat with a fork alone. Had it been the early 90s, I would have called MacGuyver to help us out. Ask for a knife with your dessert. Trust me.
The best part was that dinner was only $30ish per girl-- which gave us plenty of extra cash for post-dinner drinks.
The restaurant itself was pretty basic, so if I wanted my Greek cuisine with a little more ambiance I'd probably lean towards Dmitri's. But for a small group looking for some good eats at a very reasonable price in a comfortable atmosphere, I'd hit Effie's. This is exactly the place I plan on bringing my mom and sister, to introduce them to the wonderful world of Mediterranean food.
Come here if you love glorified cafeteria/airplane food.
The chef is in love with lemon juice. The mussels could have been delicious if they didnt taste like biting into a lemon. The stuffed chicken could have been great if the lemon sauce was left on the side. Other than that, the Octopus was bland and the pork chops were bland too. The hummus was DELICIOUS.
The atmosphere here is actually delightful. Although my server was pretty bad, I kind of loved her. Dinner here is like eating in a friend's kitchen. Fortunately for me, my friends are better cooks.
I first came here on a blind date. The date was a wash, but the restaurant has become one of my regular joints. I often bring out-of-towners here to experience the BYOB without the crowds or "weird" food. Which means - this is a place you could take a date, your parents, college friends on a visit. The prices are great (I often just split the big salad and then get an app.) and everything is delicious, especially if you like feta, which I do.
In the summer, bring a bottle and eat on the outdoor patio. For a romantic date, try the carriage house out back. For an intimate "family meal" ask for a table upstairs.
Atmosphere: Beautiful, I loved the back room that made me feel like I was miles away from the city
Food: My stuffed chicken was awesome, my friends' food looked good, one of the plates though was completely overpriced, $24 for a thin portion of a crummy looking fish, yuck yuck yuck
BYO: convenient.
Final word: Overpriced fish, amazing atmosphere, 3 stars.
Greek food! Big portions! Good prices! And BYOB!
For money you would spend at a place like Chili's or Applebee's, come to Effie's instead! You could be having a souvlaki sandwich or some tasty dishes on rice or pasta! Not only do you get good food, but you can save some money on the alcohol front and BYOB! Definitely I will be frequenting more often :)
A couple friends and I shared a mini-buffet late Sunday afternoon... it's the way to go!!!
I will have to choose moderate as the price range, but trust me, it is much closer to $11pp than it is to $30pp. (Someone should change the price range options to $10 or $15 increments. My mom would balk at $30pp, but not at $11, even though they're in the same group. lol)
We chose to sit at a sidewalk table, and it was quite pleasant. Side street, barely any motor traffic, and very little foot traffic. Good for people watching, though, as you can see the people on Pine Street.
The staff makes you feel like an old friend even if it's your first visit.
On to the food, I don't like calamari, but someone always insists I taste it, and this is the freshest I've had. There's a shrimp and mussel dish in some kind of lemony/mustardy sauce that is absolutely delicious, even though I am not a fan of mussels. There's a "seared cheese" dish that I couldn't believe I liked... Actually, I am craving it right now, which is what reminded me that I had a review to write. lol. I am still trying to figure out what the taste of that cheese evokes, but it is good.
And then my favorite things in no particular order: 1 - the hummus... It is divine. It is fresh, it is lumpy, and it tastes AWESOME. I am addicted to it. We had to send for more pita bread three times. Which brings me to number 2: The pita is the best I've ever had. It is slightly crisp yet soft and fluffy all at once. It is heavenly. 3: The chicken souvlaki sandwich. I stuffed my face with a little bit of everything, but the sammie I just HAD to finish. The flavors are BEAUTIFUL. lol It's the only word I can think to describe it.
Just be sure to scrub the smell of onions off your hands afterward. lol
NOTE: Effie's does not open until the evening. Please don't try to go for lunch. lol
I liked Effie's very much - it makes for quite an enjoyable summer evening out with friends or perfect for a sweet romantic date. I had dinner with two girlfriends - we sat in the courtyard outside and it was so charming. You're outside but unlike other outdoor dining venues you're removed from the street, which is very nice. The greek/mediterranean fare is good - a friend had a delicious-looking greek salad. I had a simple, fresh tilapia filet which came with rice and a green bean sun-dried tomato side, which I couldn't figure out where the sun-dried tomatoes were but it was still good. The tzaziki was good, as well as the hummus. Effie's is very reasonable, and the ambiance is awesome.
I had a mixed experience at Effie's. I wanted to love it based on Yelpers reviews, but some things were holding me back.
When we first arrived we were seated in the carriage house (out back). I think the waitress wanted to give us privacy, but no one was in there, so it was a little creepy and stuffy. We moved outside to the patio garden, which was much nicer on a summer night.
The service was also just okay, not rude but definitely not friendly either. The first glass of water they brought me had a bug in it and when I told the waitress she didn't say a word (no apology?). Our food also came out at a slow pace, but maybe it's a deliberately relaxed atmosphere...
On to the positives...all the food we had was good. I'm not a Greek expert, but the food had a home cooked feel about it which I enjoyed. We started with an appetizer sampler. My husband had shrimp with tomato sauce over rice. The best dish of the night was my lamb souvlaki pita sandwich served with fries. The lamb was very tender and tasty! For just $10, I would ignore all my other qualms and go back just for this.
*BYOB
We just went to Effie's for dinner last night, based mainly on the Yelp reviews. Once again, the reviews were spot on! Our meal was lovely. It was a beautiful evening, so we chose to sit outside. Although Effie's has a Pine Street address, the entrance to the restaurant is on Quince St., as are the outdoor tables. It makes for a slightly more private dining experience, though as others have remarked, it does make for good people watching, as you can watch the Pine St. foot traffic.
We started with an appetizer of imported feta and kalamata olives. This feta was insanely soft and delicately balanced. I've had Greek feta that was much saltier--this feta was just right, without any of the briny flavor (which does have its time and place!) The olives were nice and fruity, but nothing remarkable. Our next appetizer was the grilled octopus. These little chunks of octopus were grilled and crunchy on the outside, with a softer, chewier center. The spice mixture was just right.
For an entree, we shared the lamb souvlaki and a side of the garlic beets. Mmmmm. The lamb was cooked perfectly, and was accompanied by a delightful tzatziki, some yummy peas cooked in a tomato sauce (both the boy and I commend on the fact that we don't love peas, but this was a hit), and a bit of rice. The lamb really did melt in my mouth. The beets we had were a bit on the sweet side, but several pieces did provide a nice kick of garlic.
All in all, it was a great meal. The service was pretty quick and our server was very genial and entertaining. The only real gripe I have is that there were a few flies congregated around as we tried to eat our meal. We kept having to wave them away, which bothered me more than it did my dining companion. I suppose that's a hazard of dining outdoors!
I went here last night with a group of colleagues and a visiting academic.
We started with the special, a Mezze platter to share, which was good but I felt it was a little small considering our waitress told us it was suitable for sharing between 5. We were quite glad we got a Greek salad to go along with it as well.
Having said that, any worries about small portions were blown away come the main course. Everyones dishes were huge. I went for the Baby Lamb Chops. You get four decent lamb chops and a nice lentil salad and rice. Other members of the party got the pork chops (two huge chops and a massive portion of fries) and the Moussaka (massive, two big guys couldn't finish the portion).
And it isn't quantity over quality. The food was extremely tasty and very good value. I would definitely recommend coming here to anyone who likes good Greek food.
This place was great when I moved here three years ago. Fresh and authentic Greek food. However, the last time I went here it was not so great. It seemed like they were cuttin' some corners and it was obvious unfortunately :(
Effie's casual food and atmosphere, beautiful courtyard and friendly staff make it a perfect place for a breezy spring night. I discovered Effie's last summer, and couldn't wait to go back once the weather warmed up a bit. For $25 a person, last night two girlfriends and I shared a great bottle of wine, appetizers and an entry each. I ordered a small Greek salad as my entree, which was full of delicious, fresh vegetables, eggs, olives and creamy feta cheese. They got all of our special requests right (I'm a dressing-on-the-side vegetarian, my friend eats gluten-free). A+! Can't wait to go back this summer.
I love Effie's.....
Prices are so reasonable, food is great...atmosphere is adorable...try to sit in the back patio or back house/room. It is a BYOB
only complaint....sometimes there is a wait (on weekends)
definitely recommend
BYO with good prices, and a fairly nice secluded patio. The medley appetizer is fantastic. We'll be going back again soon for sure.
Zagat says no credit cards but they took VISA when we visited in the fall.
One of the best Greek places in Philly. Good food, good service. This BYO is affordable and delicious. Highly recommended.
Last week our dinner party ended up growing larger than our intended restaurant could accommodate. A few hours before and nowhere to eat, one of my friends suggested this place.
I will admit that I was skeptical at first. I am not too familiar with greek food and when I do thinks about it, the first things that usually come to mind are yogurt and olives. Well this place has totally changed my perspective.
The 8 of us were seated in the back room that you had to pass through a garden patio type area to get to. Super cute! We brought our own wine and were given the perfect amount of time to have a glass or two while looking over the menu (beautiful prices to go w/ the selection).
We all shared 2 appetizer trays that were gone in the matter of minutes - not because of the limited amount, but because of the delicious taste. You know its good when you are not shy about being pushy for the little bit that is left ("did anyone want this last bit?" you ask, as you scoop it onto your plate without making eye contact with anyone)
The entrees were just as good. I asked for my leftovers to be wrapped, actually remembered to bring them with me as I left, did not throw them out or give them to a homeless person while walking to the car, put it in the fridge at home and heated it up the next day. Now THAT is a success story!
One of Philly's most enjoyable dining experiences.
Effie's doesn't look like much when you first walk in, but request to be seated in the courtyard or in the other dining room out back (an intimate & cozy dining room area with a fireplace) & you will be pleasantly surprised. It feels as though you've stepped out of Philly and into a small restaurant in the Greek countryside.
Great place for a dinner date.
The food is delicous, you will not be disappointed.
Small very friendly family run restaurant with a predictable and reasonably priced Greek menu. The food is in no danger of being awarded a Michelin star anytime soon but there is nothing on the menu to stay away from and the tiny back courtyard for a family dinner in springtime will hit all the bases for having a wonderful time.
My meal at Effie's went on a pretty downhill slope. It started off great though! We got outdoor seating in a beautiful courtyard. It made me feel like I was no longer in Philadelphia. Effie's is a BYOB, so feel free to bring wine if you like. Most of the appetizers were awesome. We got the dipping platter, as well as the stuffed pepper, the fried cheese, and the shrimp. The shrimp were not fresh, so we returned them, and the chef gave us some complementary octopus and dessert. I thought that the appetizers were very tasty, albeit a bit heavy. For dinner, I had Effie's Chicken, which is basically chicken over rice with mushrooms, and perhaps a bit of cream. It wasn't that exciting This was followed up by a fried pastry containing a somewhat cheese-like filling. By the end of the meal, I felt sick to my stomach. I'm not sure if I was off, or it was simply all the grease and cream, but I really felt off that night.
Effie's is one of the cheapest BYOB's in the city. Rather than serving elegant, $30 entrees, it helps to fill the need for affordable neighborhood restaurants in Philadelphia. Entrees average $10-15, with daily specials costing around $20-25. We regularly went here, especially in the summer, to share an appetizer plate (about $15) and a few beers or glasses of wine. When it's hot, and you don't feel like eating a big meal, this is the perfect amount of food, and the perfect place to eat it.
If you're looking for something more, I recommend the daily fish specials, especially if they offer salmon. Effie's other great achievement is the grilled octopus. I never thought I'd eat anything with tentacles, and Effie's converted me. It's lightly charred, and dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. Perfect with that appetizer plate. Oh -- and service is always good.
Smallish groups are welcome, and mild rowdiness is tolerated with surprising good humor. I had my bachelorette party here, as well as celebrations for 30th birthdays, graduations and engagements. This isn't to say that Effie's is noisy - just friendly and unpretentious.
Wonderful little place in the Haaayborgood. Great Greek, good prices, large portions. Whats not to love? I haven't figured that out yet. If you eat on the 2nd floor it feels like your having a nice family meal. The portions are big so get a few things and share amongst your peoples. Bring a nice bottle of wine, its a BYO.
Go for the food, the pricing, and the BYOL/W/B, the service is a bit spotty, at least it was the Saturday night I went. The food was very authentic - having been to Greece a number of times - and well prepared, all-in-all a great experience.
A charming BYO tucked away on Antique Row, Effie's serves delicious, authentic Greek food in a cozy atmosphere. It's one of the few places where I'll actually order lamb; the lamb is prepared so well that the tastiness outweighs my guilt over eating it. Save room for dessert, especially gooey, flakey, amazing baklava. Effie's is a great date place, especially in the summer when you can sit in the courtyard. Don't forget to pick up a bottle of wine to enjoy with your meal.
so i've been hearing about effie's since i moved to philly...one of my friends adores it.
and yes, it was quite tasty!
i had the gyro platter...and the meat was cooked to perfection. the pita bread that comes with your food is also really good. and since i adore beets, the side dish was excellent as well.
definitely a little chilly in the back, but the waiter was uber-responsive.
other than my cab getting into an accident on the way home (no one was hurt), it was a good meal, and i'd definitely go back.
This place is adorable, especially in the spring/summer. Their menu is small, but everything on it is affordable and good. The only downside is the cash only rule, so make sure you bring some cash--and a bottle of wine. Heh.
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