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Geechee Girl Rice Cafe
Rating Details »
Category: Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhood: Germantown6825 Germantown Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19144
(215) 843-8113
- Hours:
Tue-Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Sun. 5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- None
6 reviews for Geechee Girl Rice Cafe
Thanks to the Yelp community, I walked to this Restaurant as I'm visiting Philadelphia. In a word, delicious.
Service: I was a party of one, and they could not have been more congenial. I met four of the five sisters that own the restaurant, and even got some family history. At the same time, I never felt like they were hovering.
I ordered the regular iced tea, as sweet tea is generally too sickly sweet for me. Without any prompting from me, they brought me two small cups of the sweet tea and the ginger beer, just so I could taste it. The sweet tea (made with mint they grow themselves) was wonderful, and I switched over to it after that point...
Food: I had plantains (not overdone, with just the right amount of oil and garlic), greens (again, perfect amount of garlic and oil), the low country shrimp and grits (I only stopped eating it so I could have leftovers for the next day), and cornbread (which was good, but nothing to write home about).
Initially I was going to skip dessert, but then it was mentioned that they had just made a sweet potato pie.... I went for it, and I'm glad I did. It came with a small dallop of fresh whipped cream. Devine.
I'm glad I had a decent walk back to where I'm staying, as I certainly packed on some calories. Still, this is a place I would definitely take friends to if I were local.
This is one of the best restaurants in the Northwest of Philadelphia, and almost too secret. I only say that because its store front location doesn't jump out at you right away, and my wife and I worry that they will stay open. Where would we go for our Low Country Shrimp if they dissappreared? Carolina? It might be worth the drive, but I'd rather savor it here in Philadelphia.
We've taken friends, family, and near strangers to this restaurant, all of them with different palattes and dietary requirements, and this warm little BYOB always satisfies them all. I'm not an expert in Gullah cuisine, but the staff here obviously are, and they know how to introduce people to delicious and unexpected experiences.
The room can get a little warm in the summer, and the food doesn't always come out with speed, but its all worth it for the flavors. And the family that runs the restaurant from the back of the house to the front are a joy to visit. It feels like your invited into their home and they are sharing their greatest family recipes. That is how much love is in the food and experience of dining here.
it's possible i'm not familiar enough with gullah/west african cuisine to understand the typical tastes. in most cases the food seemed to need salt and heavier seasoning.
i had the salad with cheddar, which had a very tasty not-too-sweet dressing. for my entrée i chose the gumbo and was not the least bit disappointed. it had good seasoning and spice.
the majority of the other dishes, though, were fairly bland and my dining companions were somewhat disappointed. in one case a chicken dish was a little dry and overcooked as well.
a note on the cornbread: this is not your typical over-sugared sweet cornbread. it's more dense and savory.
i was the only one to try dessert, choosing a sweet pecan pie among a list of very tempting offerings.
overall, the food would be ideal for simple meat-and-potatoes types who wants to try a new cuisine, vegetarians, rice lovers or an unadventurous eater trying to impress their date.
on the bright side, the environment is very warm and homey. perfect for a leisurely relaxing dinner. service is excellent as well: very friendly and helpful with recommendations.
the location offers easy on street parking and septa access via the 23 bus or a 0.7 mile walk from stenton station on the r7 chestnut hill east line.
I don't get the buzz about Geechee Girl. Finally stopped one night and took home some hoppin john, rice and a special chicken dish. OK but nothing special. The women were very nice and the place is funky enough but, I don't know. If the food was of the kind that suffered from take-out I could see going back and sitting in, but what I ordered was pretty bullet proof.
I'd heard about Geechee Girl before, but I guess I never thought it'd be worth the trip from Center City (which is a little strange, because I love Mt. Airy). I wish I'd gone sooner. Pretty much everything is excellent, particularly the Hoppin' John, a seasoned black eyed peas and rice dish with crispy ham. Better than average vegetarian options, but the meat dishes really shine.
This is one of the most unusual restaurants in Philadelphia, a lovely combination of low country Carolina, modern soul food and contemporary cuisine. The food is fresh and imaginative, the service is friendly, and there always is something unexpected on the menu. The small room can be noisy when the restaurant is full, which it often is, but it's a small price to pay for a great experience. Lots of vegetarian options, too.
