Once upon a time, there lived a hookah bar on Lancaster Avenue. It was called Mokas, and was a popular spot for under-agers to wait 15 minutes at the bar to buy $5 pitchers on Wednesday nights. My first watering hole memories, besides sipping Shirley Temples with other kids as our Dads celebrated softball team victories, were waiting, spilling (on myself and others), or chugging at Mokas.

I’d yell at the bartender when he served the cleavage-flashing girl next to me who’d just arrived.

“I’ve been standing here for like fifteen minutes!”

“You think I give a shit?!”

Looking back, why would he give a shit? Most students gave him the five and left nothing on the bar except the beer they spilled trying to turn around in the elbow-to-elbow traffic. But such is underage college bartending life.

Eventually shut down, Mokas lay deserted and stagnant for over two years, before reemerging from its cocoon as a European butterfly: Savas Brick Oven Pizza, named after the owner himself.

Heading up Lancaster Ave to get my $6 six-pack of Rolling Rock from Mad Greeks I noticed new floor-to-ceiling window encasements in the old hookah bar store front. I peeked inside and found simple wood and metal chairs, dimmed lighting, a sleek, tiled bar, and hardwood floors. Behind me I saw a sign and realized that the pizza joint my Greek friend’s parent’s friends were planning had finally surfaced. At last - Drexel’s campus had a place where we could grab BBQ chicken slices, delicious ziti, or Belgian waffles topped whipped cream and strawberries, while sipping on coffee, a frappe, or a beer. Not a “water-option pizza joint,” nor strictly a “drunk pizza” place, but somewhere in between. Somewhere open until 2 am on weekends, somewhere the young waitresses wore sneakers. Somewhere entrees didn’t go over $10 dollars. But somewhere designed stylishly by folks across the Atlantic, where one wouldn’t stand out wearing high heels. Somewhere long awaited, and somewhere that I am beginning to love.

At 6:30 on a Thursday afternoon during their first week open, we were told, “No happy hours specials yet … the guys are still coming up with them.” I looked toward the bar to find “the guys,” a handful of older Greek men. Having worked at a Greek BYOB for over two years, I know a Greek when I see one. The feeling, however, was being part of something new, something just beginning to establish itself. Opening close to a month ago, Savas is still a baby - but a mature baby – one who is already growing facial hair, speaks two languages, and dances to house music.

We spent ten minutes ogling over the 12-plus number of pizzas, the Panini, wraps, clubs, burgers, stromboli, pita sandwiches, hoagies, salads, sides, and entrees. Overwhelmed, I sipped from my $3.50 Bud Lite pint. Smiles crept across our faces when we were told that Savas serves slices. “We’ll take fries, a BBQ chicken slice, a Buffalo chicken slice, a spinach and ricotta slice, a Margherita slice, a veggie slice, a side of meatballs, ziti, chicken Souvlaki, and a turkey club. Oh, and five more beers.”

The pizza slices were huge. One person, as we found out, would not need three for themselves. (Unless you’d prefer to end the night at 8 passed out in a food/ Yuengling coma.)

The Souvlaki, at $7.95, was a bargain, though the rice pilaf was more like rice garnished with peas and carrots. The Kabobs, were moist and lemony, “served the Greek way,” as promised though, being a control freak, I’d prefer to drip the juice on them myself. The Tatziki sauce was thicker than any I’d ever had, and, due to my little issue, I’m glad it came on the side. The fries were textbook crispy, as I didn’t specify, but was happy to see. The turkey club? Ask for toasted bread, and prepare to split the hefty sandwich.

I bit into a meatball (which seemed pricey to me at $6.50 for a side, while spaghetti and meatballs is just under ten dollars, but then again, pasta is cheap). I looked across the room as I waited for my tastebuds’ final verdict. I wasn’t sure. Salty? Good? Salty. Good. With some more sauce? Saltier. With more ball? “Gooder.” I offered my roommate a bite. “Kinda, like, salty?”

So, salty the meatballs were. Lemony the chicken was. And full was the dining room.

And then there was brunch. I wanted a tomato and feta cheese omelette, until my eyes danced across the menu to the “ChocoLove.” The description? “French toast in intimate embrace with Nutella and Banana $5.95. Need I say more?" An intimate breakfast embrace? No, you need not say more.

When I ordered with Maria, an owner, she laughed. “You should see it… my kids eat Nutella with a spoon!” I gave her a disgusted face secretly hoping that I hadn’t finished my own jar the night before – consumed with a spoon, no less.

The two-slice portion was perfect, and side of fruit that comes with served as even more goodness to dip into my Nutella. The place started to fill up with “slice to go” and sit-down lunchers as noon crept upon us, and my friend’s mozzarella and mushroom omelette disappeared bite by bite. Served also with fruit, a heaping pile of home fries (would you like onion? Yes.) and perfectly buttered wheat toast, this omelette plate could feed two easily. But mine was all for one; none for all. No one should get the Chocolove and agree to share.

We felt as though we were on vacation – temporarily whisked away from work, studies, and West Philadelphia. We were in Greece, just waking up from a very long night, and with nowhere to be until the party started late in the evening. We finished our frappes and got two more to go.

“Should we spike them?”

“What?” I said.

“It’s the P.M. And a Thursday.”

“Jameson?”

“Perfect.”

We ordered and received the Greek version of Irish coffee without a passed judgment, and headed to back into the real world (class) with an energized buzz. Try doing that at Philly Diner. Or Starbucks.

And P.S. - if you prefer to drink at more acceptable hours, Savas is now featuring Happy Hour.

Emily Callaghan is managing editor of Table Matters and a graduate of Drexel University. Her work has appeared in Philadelpia Magazine, The Philadelphia Inquirer and TheSmartSet.com.

Article photograph from cesarastudillo, via Flickr (Creative Commons), "Eat Drink Philly" photograph from suvodeb, via Flickr (Creative Commons), "Philly" photograph from camardella, via Flickr (Creative Commons).