I visited the Athenian Corner with friends for a Birthday dinner. It was pleasant and romantic. We had a big list of food to choose from. All dishes were delicious. We ordered lamb shoulder chops and lamb shish kabob and they were so good. This was the best lamb I have eaten for years. The desserts along with the Greek coffee were just perfect. There were musicians and an exotic dancer and they made the atmosphere unforgettable. We felt as we were part of a big family there and we definitely will visit again. read more

Not as great as I expected from the reviews. The lamb was very tender but the chicken lacked flavor. The lentil soup was great. It was disapointing to see all the sysco products ketchup French fries and I think the Syrian bread also. read more

The chicken souvlaki platter was delicious. Also ordered the lentil soup which I liked. I split the appetizer sampler with a friend and didn't care for the spinach pie. I highly enjoyed the feta, olives and their sausage (mixture of pork and lamb). The server was attentive and pleasant and the food was great. Also a bonus that they have their own parking lot! read more

Great food, O.K. atmosphere - the place needs a makeover. Have been there a few times, both on evenings with the music and without. It can get real loud when the music is playing, though it is fun to watch the belly dancers. Parking is a pain, because sometimes other customers block you in and you have to wait for them to move their cars - fortunately, only for a few minutes. We've tried most of the items on their menu. I love their baked lamb - moist and tasty, and their lamb shiskebab is to die for. I have had their octopus appetizer which very tasty but also fairly tough and chewy, and love their fried zuchini and skodalia. They also feature a red greek wine (stacy or something) which I think rivals any california wine I have tried. They also have a number of specialty greek martinis which sound good, but the one I tried (I forget the name), was more of a cordial tasting drink than a real martini, but hey, that could just be me. All-in-all a great place. If it wasn't sort of dark and old it would have easily gotten 5 stars. ** Hadn't visited the place in the last couple of years, so I decided to go back last week. Man, was I surprised. They've redone the place inside and it looks more like a part of the greek isles. Very nice job. They have also added some new dishes to their menu. I'd strongly recommend their artichoke dip and their greek bruchetta. Definitely worth the upgrade from 4 to 5 stars The only thing was that I could no longer get the Athenian greek beer that I loved. Oh, well. read more

The staff was very nice and accommodating. I just wasn't impressed with the food. I'm used to more "authentic" tasting dishes. Maybe I just didn't come in on the right day with the right chef? Based on the reviews the locals really like the restaurant. But then- in Lowell, there's not much to choose from. I live in California- where there's more of a selection..... read more

I was there over the weekend with one other person. The service was good but the food was very bland. The Greek salad dressing, for instance, was out of balance. Too much oil and not enough lemon. Also, there too many lettuce ribs (the center section of a piece of lettuce) and not enough leaves. We both had grape leaves with different sides. The grape leaves were reasonably good, but the congealed lemon sauce on top wasn't ideal. (I've had a thin tomato sauce on grape leaves at Lebanaese places, which is awesome.) One of us had potatoes and the other had beans--both were overcooked. The soups were somewhat more flavorful (egg lemon and lentil) than the other items. The atmosphere was pleasant, too. The white painted brick really brightened up the room. Splashes of blue touches throughout the restaurant (including blue water glasses) were fun. read more

Great food, I got the lamb kabob, super happy with that! Service was friendly and entertainment was great for a thursday night!

This place ties with Lowell's other Greek eatery. What this one slightly lacks in taste it makes up for in great service and vice versa. Basically you can't go wrong, go to whichever is closer or has a shorter wait is my best advice. I thought the fried chicken livers were fantastic and I don't even eat wierd stuff like that. My friend Nick was wrist deep in his lamb platter before the waitress even put it down! Great stuff, if you haven't been, check it out, you'll be glad you did! read more

My favorite go-to Greek restaurant! Consistently good food and service. Extremely reasonable prices. Love the gyro and egg lemon soup. Tons of feta on the Greek salad. Love the Greek style fries too! One of the few downtown restaurants with a parking lot. Give it a try! read more

Very family friendly, completely unpretentious, and an honest price for honest food. Lamb kebab was succulent, cooked perfectly, well seasoned and flavored. Good appetizers, good desserts, good wine. The live Greek music was a treasure. (You should have seen all the kids dancing.) The belly dancer really was a treat. I look forward to making Athenian Corner a new regular place to dine. read more

Haven't been here in quite a while and we needed some Greek food. The food was great (salmon on a salad was primo) and the music and belly dancing were entertaining. We'll continue to visit. read more

Excellent Greek comfort food that reminds me of home. Go here and get the fried cheese, dolmas, and the lamb kabobs cooked medium rare and you'll be happy you did. read more

Amazing. Authentic, clean, and incredibly generous portions. The service, staff, and food are all wonderful.

Went there on Friday 6/12/2015 and had a poor experience. Arrived a6:30 PM and asked to be seated outside-inside smelled of damp carpet. There were 6-8 people inside and 2 outside. Placed our order promptly and got our appetizers and salads fairly quickly. The appetizer and salads were good. We then proceeded to wait. At 7:30 PM we still hadn't gotten our main courses, yet the other couple outside, who ordered as we were seated, were done and getting ready to leave. I had to go inside to find our waitress, who was no where to be found, what was going on with our food. No one else bothered to ask if I needed help. Finally saw our waitress come out of the kitchen with food for customers who came in after us! When I finally got her attention I asked her to box up our meals and bring them and the check to us. Told her thing were taking much to long. It was at least another 10 minutes before she brought the food, but forgot the check. Waited another 5 minute for the check. Almost 90 minutes to get our food and that was only after I had to push our waitress about it. The disappointment didn't end there. When we got the food home we found my lamb chops and my fiances lamb shish-kebob to be be almost unseasoned and bland and our lima beans to be almost non-existent-about a scoop each. I had fair amount of rice, but my fiance had 3 small potatoes! In contrast, the gentleman who had been outside at the next table, ordered the same dish and had a heaping pile of 7 or 8 potatoes! We could have prepared a better meal at home!!! Not worth the trip. Would never recommend this place to any one. read more

I got Athenian gyro fries. The was huge and the taste was AMAZING!!!! It is definite gem in the city of Lowell.

At the Lowell Festival and we decided on Greek food. We were heading to the Olympia as we passed the Athenian Corner. My group decided to save the walk. We should have kept walking. The appetizers of calamari were worse than Applebee's. The chicken livers were burnt and when I sent them back I believe I got the same ones back. My wife's chops were tough. My lamb was fatty and the egg lemon soup bland. They should stop planning a hotel and pay attention to the restaurant. I will never return. Shame i had decent meals in the past. read more

Been going to this place on and off since mom and dad first brought me as a kid. Hadn't been there in a couple of years and was amazed at the transformation. The decor is completely different, with large, colorful murals adorning the walls and a redesigned stage area where the band sits. Was a little worried that the new look would cost me on the bill. Fortunately the same great value applies. Most, if not all, of the prices have stayed the same. Unbelievable value. Also enjoyed the fact the food quality is still superb. The Super Platter appetizer easily got our table of four jump started. Grape Leaves, Mousaka and Spinach Pie are my favorites, though I left the chicken livers to the others in my party. Haven't eaten liver yet. Won't start now. As if that wasn't enough, we sampled a couple of new menu items, too. The Ouzo mussels are amazing. A unique twist on a common appetizer. The Hummus was as good as it gets. My lamb kabob was tender and flavorful as always. Good sized portion came with starch (potato) and veg (green beans) of my choice. Both very well done in tomato sauce that was tasty but not overbearing. Meals still come with a crisp Greek Salad. They even bottle and sell the dressing now, another pleasant addition to the place. The choice of soup is always a toss up. Went with avgolemono this time as its a bit lighter than the lentil soup. Fit better with the hot muggy day we were there. The rest of the table also enjoyed the chicken kabob (which I've loved in the past), baked lamb and another new dish, broiled salmon. The salmon came with what they called greek styled scallop potatoes. Asked for the recepie. They wouldn't bite, but did tell me contained feta. No room for dessert this time. The table next to us got something called a greek kiss cheesecake which looked decadent. Must save room for that on the next visit, which believe me, won't be too long from now. Service was solid and friendly as always. Same family owns it and many of the same servers stil there. They have added outdoor seating. Too hot for this night. Will try in the future. Music, entertainment and dancing topped off the night. Once again, a great dining experience. read more

My wife and I headed down there early on a Saturday evening for dinner and entertainment. I'm not an Expert on Greek food but we both enjoyed it and would eat there again. The main reason we went on Saturday was so that we could see the belly dancers perform to the Greek music, and that was a lively and fun experience. It's definitely not a place for a quick meal though, so plan on relaxing, taking your time, and spending a couple of hours there. From what I could see that's what the other patrons were doing as well. read more

How is this place still open? The food is easily the worst food I've ever had. And don't go here unless you plan to spend 3 times the amount of time you want to spend there. Service is glacial. After they bring your food, which is probably microwaved, the waitstaff will ignore you. You'll be lucky to get a second drink. Then it comes time to pay (finally) and that takes way longer than it should. Avoid this place like the plague (which you may catch). read more

This is the worst place ever. I have never met such a rude staff. From the owner on down. They do NOT value their customers. If you are looking for Greek food do not go here. Nothing is fresh and I believe they sell yesterdays left overs. Or even items that have been returned. The restaurant is made up of inattentive staff and they serve a basket of stale white bread. If you complain about anything then you are no longer welcomed. On the weekends you will enjoy the older belly dancer and the greek music but the food is horrible. Pay a few bucks more and go to a Greek restaurant that serves fresh food and vegetables not canned veg's and frozen meat. Parking is also an issue here. Management brags about how long they have been in business and honestly I have noticed a huge drop in customers. I hadn't been there in a while and decided to give it one more shot. As usual a great disappointment. read more

For my money this is the best Greek restaurant in New England. It seems like my husband and I have tried them all. Our most recent visit coincided with a special promotion. As a result, we broke with our traditional favorites and got daring. It was worth the risk. For starters, there was the artichoke and feta cheese dip that had us scraping the dish with our bread. We told the server this should become a permanent part of the menu. To our delight, she told us the feedback had been so positive that it soon would be a regular staple. That made us happy, as the last year has seen some great additions to their already great menu. The fried kalamari was tender as always, but the twist was a kalamata olive aeoli giving this old dish new life. The lentil soup and greek salad were tasty and crisp, respectively. They always are. Yes, all meals come with soup and salad, even without special promotions. My entree was a beef and mushroom dish in a greek brandy cream sauce. My husband, who'd ordered the surf and turf of Lamb and Shrimp skewers tried it and immediately asked if we could share meals. That was fine by me, as the garlic mashed potatoes with the brandy cream sauce spread on them proved too filling for my waist. Besides, a couple of bites of the Athenian lamb shishkabob is always a welcome treat. Needless to say, dessert came home with us. That's OK though, as the Greek kiss cheesecake proved satisfying the next day. Add in extremely friendly service, prices straight out of a previous decade, and the overall value of this meal once again had us wondering why we bother to ever try other Greek restaurants. read more

Wait staff was pleasant but the food......not so much! Maybe the Chef had a bad day? Four separate luncheons were ordered and there was something wrong with each one. After airing our legitimate complaints the manager apologized and said "No charge". We will definitely not be back! read more

Went there yesterday for dinner, wasn't sure what to expect or what exactly Greek food was. A pleasant surprise. We had the Octapodi for an appetizer, very tasty. You will either love it or hate it. For entries, we had the broiled lamb chops and mouska. They came with some of the best cabbage I ever had. My dinner came with 3 lamb chops. The lamb was perfect. The restaurant is a bit tired and dated, the restrooms could use a lot of work, but the food and service was excellent. I would highly recommend this place for dinner. read more

Took my Polish mother for her 83rd b-day wanted lamb dinner it was excellent. mom had egg lemon soup & lamb shank that was perfect. I had stuffed grave leaves w/lemon sauce ,it was great owner came By great us , it was a very good meal!!! read more

Been here dozens of times over the years. Today was disapponting. Most of the tables were dirty and unbussed because "they had a rush". 2 inexperinced servers doing their best while owner sat at bar watching football game. Food was good as usual but service was slow...never asked how food was and took a long time to get us check. I watched as man got $110 worth of takeout food right next to owner and he was never thanked. Wake up Teddy you're the host at your restaurant..join the servicing of your customers! read more

My husband grew up in Lowell, and I did not. I kept pestering him about going to the Athenian Corner, and he kept explaining that it wasn't good. Well, when he went out of town, curiosity got the best of me, and I stopped in for take out. I can't speak to the surliness of the staff, as other reviewers have. My interaction was minimal but pleasant enough. The food, though, was not good. I love me some spinach pie - even if it is just mediocre. The spinach pie should aspire to be mediocre. It was terrible, soggy, and not even a little fresh. The chicken souvlaki was just OK, the chicken was really overcooked. It was accompanied by rice pilaf, which, as I was eating it prompted me to say out loud, "Does this have *ketchup* in it?" My husband was not there to answer, but fortunately also wasn't able to say, "I *told* you so." read more

yikes no wonder i've lived in lowell my whole life and have never heard anything about this place. cold food that's STALE. only reason i was there was too watch belly dancing which was great other than that i'd rather eat burger king read more

The waitress was great, but everything else 2 stars. I had the chicken livers which were tasty, but greasy. The salad on the same plate was plentiful and the dressing was good, but the plate was so crowded that things fell off. My companions had chicken and lamb and neither was too favorably impressed. When one companion rose from the table, she tripped and fell over a step right next to her seat that lead to a side door - shouldn't have put a table there. I'll bet everyone who gets up from that seat falls on that step. I wouldn't go back. read more

I like this place because it has real Greek food cooked in the traditional manner. Is it gourmet: No. But the food has always been good, authentically Greek, the service has been good and the prices very reasonable. We enjoy it for family get togethers. It is a favorite place when we are in Lowell. read more

Very reasonably priced (especially with a downtown resident discount card) Greek restaurant right in the heart of Lowell. Excellent selection of food, large portions with many side dishes, fast and friendly service. I've never seen the belly dancers, but I've heard it's a sight! They seem to skimp on veggies though - their Gyro is disappointing. read more

We had a horrible experience for lunch today at the Athenian Corner. It started with the indifferent waitress who, when not texting, was staring off into space. We immediately noticed a lot of flies buzzing around, which we agreed made us uneasy. The food was inedible. I got the baked halibut which came with a mushy top layer of bread crumbs or something, swimming in a plate of water, with absolutely no flavor. The lamb chops that we requested be cooked medium, came burnt and tough. The Greek salad was made with iceberg lettuce, and was disgustingly salty. I NEVER send food back (or write restaurant reviews) and when I told the waitress that the fish was inedible and we had flies swarming around our table, the indifferent waitress turned into a rude, almost confrontational jerk, who offered no apology and advised me against ordering anything else (not that I would have dreamt of it) because "it'll take another 30 minutes". She then proceeded no ignore our table for the duration of lunch and rudely dropped the check off (minus the halibut special) so she could continue texting in the dining room. I didn't leave her a dime! Stiffing a waitress is again, something I NEVER do. This was an exceptionally bad experience. Don't bother. read more

The soup and salad was delicious, but I went for the lamb. I got a gyro and it tasted like cardboard. I only took one bite and left the rest. The view at the entrance of the kitchen was a bucket and mop. Disgusting! The music and belly-dancer were great. The waitress was very nice. read more

We are Greek foodies and travel to Greece annually. There was nothing Greek about the food except the names of the dishes. Too much food and not enough quality. The Greek coffee was $9.00 - not on the menu, of course. Appalling. Service was quite good. read more

This place was great. Authentic Greek food and entertainment. Great fun place to bring a group.

i love lamb, and this place had some excellent greek lamb, avgolemeno soup was good too

The Athenian Corner brings that great Greek experience but falls slightly off perfect. The restaurant itself has a nice atmosphere with few improvements that could be made. However, the entertainment was amazing. On Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays they have live entertainment (usually a Greek band or belly dancers). The authentic music was amazing and created an excellent atmosphere. They have outdoor seating but the undesirable location of it, on the old train tracks in the restaurant's parking lot, make sitting inside a much better option. As for the service, they frequented the table and were sure we were satisfied. The food was very good for Greek food from the salad, soup, entree and dessert. The old-style building can either give off an antique feel or a needs-improvement feel but overall it's a great experience. read more

I went to the Athenian Corner last Friday night with my boyfriend. They had a live band and a belly dancer. FUN! :) I ordered the Lambshish meal.. which was soo good. The meat was really juicy and tender. In the beginning you get soup and I had the Lentil. Seriously the best Lentil soup I have EVER had. My boyfriend had the Salmon with these cheesy potatoes that I wanted to steal from him. Everything was so good. The waitress that we had was really nice and was always checking on us to make sure we had everything we needed. What a great time! Can't wait to go back and try something else! read more

If you like lamb, try the kidney chops. They were perfectly cooked with a nice chargrilled taste. Nicely flavored lentil soup. So-so salad. The dressing is mostly oil without even the good flavor of quality evoo. The price is more than reasonable for the amount of food. We enjoy that they are open for lunch every day including Sundays. read more

I went in here on 08/27/2013 for lunch and the first thing I noticed was the waitress that I've never had a good experience with eating at the bar. I sat down with one other person and she came over dropped off menus and then left with without saying anything, went back to the bar took a bite of her food, and then came back with a water pitcher to fill our glasses. She then asked for our drink order, went back to the bar had another bite of her food and made our drinks..its just strange to see. The food isn't that good at all, it used to be at one time but flavorless egg lemon soup, disgusting rice, and lamb that they should be ashamed to serve because it has no flavor at all !! Of course the waitress was to busy talking with her friend at the bar and eating to bother with us or a couple of other customers that came in while we were there, but its exactly what I expected when I saw she was working. I've seen a couple of other yelpers comment on her and its just blows my mind that she still has a job. They really have to upgrade their food somehow maybe spend more on better lamb or fire the cook. read more

My boyfriend and I are new to the area and we're trying out as many restaurants as possible. This is the first Greek restaurant in the area that we've tried out and we were definitely not disappointed! While we were perusing the menu, the waitress brought us a basket of a soft, thick white bread with butter. We started with an appetizer of artichoke-feta dip, which came with delicious pita bread -- the dip itself was incredible! You might say that there wasn't enough pita with it, but we still had bread, and the dip was delicious on there, too! My boyfriend got the lamb gyro, which came with a Greek salad, as well. He said that the gyro was delicious, better than what he's had in the past from other places. (I tried it and thought it was OK, but I'm not a fan of lamb, so my opinion is a little skewed.) I ordered the moussaka, which came with string beans and potatoes (there were other options as well) -- the moussaka was delicious! There was a large amount of their creamy béchamel and the bottom layer was potatoes that had crisped up nicely. Both of our meals also came with a salad -- we each chose the Egg-Lemon. We'd never had it before and we were both thrilled with it! Overall, I'd say that this was a great start to trying out the restaurants in the area and we're sure to go back again! read more