Friendly Greek Bottle Shop

Friendly Greek Bottle ShopFriendly Greek Bottle Shop
Friendly Greek Bottle ShopFriendly Greek Bottle Shop
Eatery, Beer-to-go

549 New Holland Ave
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 17602-2103
United States

(717) 393-6669 | map
friendlyg.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.93
Reviews:
7
Ratings:
28
pDev:
11.96%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Craft_Imperial:
Photo of Craft_Imperial
Rated by Craft_Imperial from Pennsylvania

3.51/5  rDev -10.7%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5

Feb 15, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of Rifugium
Reviewed by Rifugium from North Dakota

3.61/5  rDev -8.1%
vibe: 2.75 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.25
I go to Lancaster fairly often, but I still barely know anything about it. This shop is in what seems, to me, to be a kind of seedy section of town. The place is pretty stripped down to essentials, and split down the middle, with a mostly macro fridge section on one side, and a craft fridge and room-temp section on the other side. The selection is quite good, with seasonal appearances from the likes of BA Ten Fidy, Abyss variants, BCBS, etc. So it's pretty much the--or at least one of the--goto place(s) for Lancaster beer enthusiasts, or so it would seem. There are also beers on tap for on-site or growler fills. There are some little tables set up as they do serve food there. Basic sandwich shop grub, hoagies, steaks, salads, and so forth. I mean, I'd maybe get something to go, but not sure I'd eat in there. I can't really fully speak for the service, because when I went there seemed to be only one guy there doing all the work, including cooking, so basically I didn't want to bother him. Prices were about right; it seemed like some of the higher end things were a dollar or two more than I can get at my regular shops. Overall not a bad place to check out if you're in the area.
Dec 07, 2017
Photo of NeroFiddled
Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

3.84/5  rDev -2.3%
vibe: 3.25 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.25
Of all the shops I visited in Lancaster, PA the Friendly Greek Bottle Shop had the best selection. I'm not sure about prices because I didn't spend too much time comparison shopping but they didn't seem bad to me. There are two sides, so be aware and don't miss the stuff on the dining room side (that's where the better stuff in warm single bottles is). They also offer food but I didn't partake. As it stands, in my mind it's pretty much the only place to grab singles and six-packs.
Jul 17, 2017
 
Rated: 3.97 by IdrinkGas from Pennsylvania

Jan 08, 2016
Photo of Stout_Combo
Rated by Stout_Combo from Pennsylvania

4.78/5  rDev +21.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4
Huge selection, bar style food and a knowledgeable staff. Hidden gem
Apr 08, 2015
 
Rated: 3.58 by Edwin3781 from Pennsylvania

Apr 04, 2015
 
Rated: 4.28 by Brushkanna from New Jersey

Mar 11, 2015
Photo of PaBrewSki
Reviewed by PaBrewSki from Pennsylvania

4.65/5  rDev +18.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
I visit the friendly Greek a few times a week. They have some of the best pricing in town with one of the best selections in town. They cater to a broad audience with the craft beer (left side) and macro beer (right side) divided by one of the biggest coolers around. As others have noted, they have a great deal on mix-a-six. Each side of the shop has plenty of seating and their food is worth sitting down for. They aren't many limited released hitting Lancaster that don't show up at the Friendly Greek and these releases are always handled well. They clearly post release info as well as new arrivals to Facebook and often include the price tag in the shot which comes in handy. Easily one of the best bottle shops around!
Jan 15, 2015
 
Rated: 4.51 by 6s_N_7s from Pennsylvania

Dec 27, 2014
Photo of JNForsyth
Rated by JNForsyth from Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +20.9%
Love this place, great selection, prices, and decent food to boot.
Dec 11, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Renegawam from North Carolina

Nov 09, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by JHop from Pennsylvania

Sep 18, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Afroman from Arizona

Aug 08, 2014
 
Rated: 2.75 by American_Mike from Pennsylvania

Aug 01, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Stork_Brewz13 from Pennsylvania

Jul 02, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by SharkNado from Pennsylvania

Jun 16, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Barnsley from Pennsylvania

May 21, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by richardwood76 from Pennsylvania

May 19, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by BradC from Pennsylvania

Jan 15, 2014
 
Rated: 4.1 by jbaker67 from Pennsylvania

Dec 08, 2013
 
Rated: 3.88 by jagada from Pennsylvania

Dec 06, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by KolbMarley from Pennsylvania

Dec 04, 2013
 
Rated: 3.25 by GeoffreyM from Pennsylvania

Oct 21, 2013
Photo of Sipchue
Reviewed by Sipchue from Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -7.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 4
We're in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, folks. There's a limited number of bottle shops in the area. When you buy a six pack, one store offers 10% off, another 15% off. I've spent $15 to $30 for a six-pack here in Lancaster, but at $14, the Friendly Greek is indeed a value (for around here).

One entire room was BMC, coolers and the like so if you visit, go around the corner and you'll find the good stuff. They have two cooler doors of singles (12 to 16oz bottles and cans) marked $3.50 each and from those you may mix and match a six pack for $14.00, and maybe 8-10 cooler doors of tempting four and six-packs that are reasonably priced for our area. Then you'll find approx. 16 ft of bombers and 750ml warm singles as well. My six-pack consisted of brews that we've rated in the 90 and up range, so there's some quality in there. I also bought a 750 of Duval for about $5 less than the store across the street from my house.

Atmosphere - I wasn't here for the atmosphere, so I rated it average - tables and chairs.
Quality - Based on the variety of quality offerings.
Service - Very little was asked of the staff - he rung me out.
Selection - Same as Quality.
Food - I've had their Greek salad twice and it is delicious.
Value - Again, here in PA, the choices are limited and your pockets have to be deep, so the Greek is indeed a good value for those of us not wanting to consider our vehicle's mpg rating when going for beer.

In conclusion, I'd like to recommend The Friendly Greek for your craft beer consideration.
Dec 31, 2012
Photo of JunkYardJake
Reviewed by JunkYardJake from Pennsylvania

3.14/5  rDev -20.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5
This was my first time visiting this place. The layout is a bit unusual. Basically, there are two rooms with a couple of tables and two walls of coolers in each room. I didn't get any food but it appears to be mostly light fare like subs, pasta and salads. The cooler space is impressive for the building size but shelves are only about half full. Of the 4 walls of coolers, one is craft beer, while the macros fill the other 3. It looks like a bus full of beer geeks raided the craft coolers earlier in the day but my guess is poor inventory management. There are some local favorites and couple of other solid brews to be found (Two Hearted, Hop Rod Rye, Kalamazoo Stout, Big A) and all of the usual suspects (Stone, Rogue, SA, SN) but there is alot of empty space, especially the DFH section which is entirely empty. This place could be great with it's vast cooler space and might already offer a great selection if you stop in on the right day but my experience was not a great one. Although I cannot fully recommend this place, Lancaster is currently lacking a top notch take out spot so it is still worth checking out.
May 18, 2011
Photo of Tucquan
Reviewed by Tucquan from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +1.8%
Visited here on 2011-01-16

This was my first visit and it looks like they've significantly expanded their craft beer selection since the first review was posted in March, 2010.

There was a wall of coolers full of craft beer with sixers and some bombers. Local breweries were well-represented but so were other states. There was a good selection of West Coast beers including Green Flash, Stone, Rogue and Sierra Nevada. Some other beers were Ommegang, Smuttynose and Bells (including Hopslam on 2011-02-10). Six pack prices on the craft brews weren't cheap but the selection was good.

Nice menu and good quality food.

The ambiance is OK since it is just tables between wall-to-wall coolers of beer but the staff was friendly as the name would suggest.

Definitely worth a stop.
Feb 05, 2011
Photo of tone77
Reviewed by tone77 from Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -3.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4
The Friendly Greek could have so much potential. When opening the front door, if you choose the door on the left this room has two long rows of coolers. About 75% of these is filled with craft beers or imports. All of the local varieties are here, Stoudt's, Troeggs, Lancaster Brewing, as well as some out of state brewers. If you opened the door on the right there are two long coolers, one filled with 40 oz. bottles, the other with macros, and a small cooler of singles. There are a few beers on tap and occasionally they have beer tastings. The staff is friendly enough, although it seems their main concern are the subs and sandwiches on offer here. Overall not a bad place, but with so much cooler space, a good bit of it empty, the variety here could be much better. Prices are about what you would expect in PA.

Update: 8/10/11
Mix a 6 pack is now available. At $14 it is no bargain but the only bottle shop in Lancaster to offer this. Selection is hit or miss, on my last visit the coolers where full with a wide variety, however sometimes they are 1/2 empty.
Mar 21, 2010
Friendly Greek Bottle Shop in Lancaster, PA
Place rating: 3.93 out of 5 with 28 ratings