4.0 out of 5.0 stars
I know what you’re thinking. Another review, another Smashburger? Yes, that has been the case lately. The Smashburger food scene in the Tampa Bay Area is fantastic and plentiful right now. But, I recently did a full 180 and it felt and tasted really great!
A & G Diner – Brandon / Greek Burger
The A stands for American and the G stands for Greek. Owner and Chef George (maybe the G actually stands for George), was born in Florida and grew up in Greece. He’s been back in Florida a long time. You’ll be familiar with the American menu, which includes burgers and fries, fried chicken, a full breakfast menu served all day, and one of my favorite combos, open faced roast beef with a side of mashed potatoes & gravy. He has daily specials that will interest you, which includes, fall off the bone ribs and coming soon, my favorite comfort food of all time, meatloaf.
The Greek menu intrigued me. I know the basic Greek items like gyros and baklava, but I’m always looking for opportunities to learn more. I had looked at the burgers on the menu and was going to try the cheeseburger, but then Michaela, who does social media for A & G, told me George had created a Greek Burger. I was all in. I needed something different from a Smashburger, just this once. This burger is different.
It’s a hefty 8oz. of 80/20 Angus beef. It’s fire grilled and gets a really nice char on it. Plenty of seasoning and the medium temped patty is very juicy. Feta is the cheese. Good size chunks, piled high, slowly melt on the hot beef patty. Fresh lettuce, sliced tomatoes and a slice of red onion top the cheese. There are a few banana peppers tossed on as well. The kicker on this burger is the tasty tzatziki sauce. You won’t have to ask for extra sauce, they load it up. Love it! A soft, sesame seed bun finishes this unique and super flavorful burger. If you are looking for something different to try, this is your burger.
A & G Diner is a scratch made kitchen and George loves to talk about everything on the menu. One popular Greek item, which he makes a showstopper, is the Saganaki. It’s a brick of cheese, he uses kefalotyri cheese, that is breaded, grilled on both sides, doused in cognac and lit on fire. If you are looking for an elite cheese pull, this melted cheese is video worthy. It’s also delicious. One of his Greek specials is a dish called Gigantes. They are giant white beans in a chunky tomato sauce. Fantastic. If you are looking for a super flavorful chicken soup, give his augolemino a try. I’m a corned beef hash lover, and this house made creation was wonderful.
I can tell you one thing, between George, my wonderful server, Laura, and Michaela, I felt like family chatting with all of them. It was a fun couple of hours.
