Elia Greek Authentic Cuisine — Restaurant in Abington Township

It's a Greek restaurant in a Philly suburb. Therefore, it's probably not worth asking questions about authenticity. This place is as "authentic" as any other Greek place you'll find in the area, which means a lot of the spanikopita, gyro, souvlaki Greek classics that are ubiquitous in Greece, but more so at the touristy places than the real Tavernas. But that's not necessarily a bad thing, provided everything is well prepared. At Elia everything is delicious.

We started with some dips and pita as an appetizer. Not the best tzatziki, hummus, whipped feta, and melitzanosalata you'll ever try. They're all a bit firm and served as scoops with an olive on top. It looks like breasts...maybe that's on purpose to make it feel "maternal"? Who knows? But it's fresh and flavorful. Perfect for nibbling while you sip wine and chat with companions. It's BYOB, so bring your own bottle.

If it is warm enough and you can sit outside on their porch, you can easily forget that you're in the US. Eat slowly and linger, experience the ambience, because that's the best thing about this place, the vibes and the service. You get the laid back, friendly, warm hospitality (Xenia) that's so integral to Greek culture that it's literally the main theme of Homer's Odyssey.

For our main course, we ordered the mixed grill platter. It had tender lamb chops, perfectly seasoned. Also, meat balls, chicken and beef skewers, sausage, and a giant pile of sliced souvlaki chicken & sliced lamb gyro loaf. Everything was flavorful: yogurt, lemon, garlic, cumin, oregano. And the portion was more than enough for three people. The lemon potatoes that come on the side are so good!

We finished our meal with a fantastic baklava. Seriously, order it. It's clearly homemade...you can tell because it's soft and some bites have whole cloves slathered in honey. Yum!

I like this place a lot. We go every six months or so, and we should probably go more. It's a little on the pricey side for what you actually get, but not so much that I...

What a breath of fresh air this place is for the Philadelphia suburban area. I really wish I found this place pre-Covid. My wife is Greek, so understandably I have a strong love for Greek food. We would make frequent trips to Astoria, Queens for Greek food since the entire neighborhood is Greek. Living in Philadelphia, finding an authentic Greek restaurant has been more of a challenge. We have a tried a few places before stumbling upon Elia. We have now gone 3 times in a row, tomorrow being our 4th time in a row at the time of this review. We have tried a bit of different options from their menu. Tiropitakia, Spanakopita, Kreatopita, Chicken Souvlaki Platter, and the Kodosouvli for two. We have also tried all of the dessert options. The portions, are huge. The Kodosouvli could feed 4 people! Everything we tried is so absolutely authentic. We honestly couldn't be happier with how everything came out and the desserts are to die for! The staff and owners make you feel welcome, and talking to them you can really see the passion they have for their restaurant. It is nice to know that we don't have to drive two hours to Queens to find authentic Greek cuisine. I just want to point out, for anyone thinking of going, and because I couldn't help but notice some complaints. Yes, when you order the food takes a bit of time to come out. When we ordered the Kodosouvli for two, it was about 45 minutes. Waiting for food like that tells me, that everything is fresh as can be. It isn't just sitting under a warming light waiting to be served. I fully expect to wait for food to arrive because it actually has to be cooked. So if you go hungry, order a coffee or appetizer! I also have no issues with the $1.50 utensil charge. The disposable tableware they use is actually pretty nice, not cheapy paper plates. Paying this fee is only a small price to pay for eating out and I am more than happy to do so if it means helping this local...

A year ago, my wife and I visited Elia for a Valentine's Day lunch. We were back with friends a few days later, and then, pandemic! Since that time, we've taken out from them several times, and never regretted it. The Avgolemono soup is a must-have, and might feed you all by itself. My Makaronia me Kima take-out (spaghettie, feta, ground beef) fed me for three meals, delicious every time. The Kreatopita meat pastry was good, but---understand, every meal in memory is eclipsed by the most recent. It's that good. The other night, my wife's Elia Salad "with grilled chicken" was a huge spread of grilled chicken---yes, just a tad overcooked, we think--with an immense and tasty salad. The salad is gone now (two meals it made), and I think the rest of the chicken was her lunch today. I was less temperate, less moderate, this time: for Valentine's Day 2021, I ordered the Yiouvetsi, braised lamb with orzo. Of course it was two meals. But such meals! The lamb was pull-from-the-bone cut-with-your-fork tender; the feta excellent; the red-wine tomato sauce scrape-the-plate-clean good. We're looking forward to the next time, with anticipation, and some dread: should I give up the Yiouvetsi for yet another dish (I prefer not to repeat myself), or abandon principle and go for the Yiouvetsi again, and again, and again? (Well, the Amaki Fasolakia is braised lamb with green beans... I'll...