Austin B.
Yelp
tl;dr Penn's quintessential college fast-casual, offering up reliable food for an affordable price
Let me cut to the chase -- Greek Lady is not a restaurant that you should go out of your way to try out. But its consistency is where it shines: the food is cheap and consistently just-above-average. Greek Lady fills a niche on Penn's campus for Americanized multicultural cuisine. Walking in, you are greeted by faux brick and mini-columns, about as authentic as Greek Lady's cuisine. Two-person tables are scattered around the dining area toward the left of the entrance, while a few four-seater tables are pressed along the wall. Additionally, there are several outside tables that end up being as enjoyable as the weather.
During peak hours, the line can get to around 15 minutes and tables can fill up with students and neighborhood residents alike, but you can call ahead of time for takeout. Moreover, Greek Lady offers delivery anywhere around the University City bubble for a cheap flat rate. If you dine in, then grab a number after your order and scope out a table. Staff members are continually making rounds of the dining area, dropping off platters or bussing tables. Service is always friendly, but wait times for the food can vary substantially from 5 minutes to nearly half an hour.
By far, the best thing to get on the menu is the Chicken Platter -- it comes with a huge serving of chicken (plenty to last over 2 meals), along with pita, two sides (I usually get the Greek salad and curly fries), and a dipping sauce (I opt for the tzatziki), for just under $10. The chicken is cooked well, but it always comes completely unseasoned, so expect to eat it with your dipping sauce or a different condiment. The pita is served warm in tin foil, but rather soggy as if it's just been reheated. The Greek salad is always fresh and comes with a hefty dollop of feta. It can sometimes be overly drenched in the oil and vinegar, so I typically ask for dressing on the side. The fries are almost definitely the same frozen ones that you can buy at any store, but are actually fried and have a nice crisp. Again, if this food appraisal seems pretty lackluster, it's because the food, like the restaurant as a whole, is just barely better than average -- the big portion-size and proximity to Penn's campus are the two real draws.