G&A Restaurant

What We Ate:

Nate- Coney Island Hot Dog and Burger 4 out of 5 stars for the hot dog, 3.5 out of 5 for the burger
Alec- Coney Island Burgers: 3.75 out of 5 stars
Jack- Sliders and Fries with Gravy 3.6 out of 5 stars


    To be honest, upon arriving at G&A our collective expectations were probably not that high.  I remembered seeing this restaurant featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, and although the food looked delicious, it had obviously lost it's popularity.  We showed up at prime dinner time, albeit a Tuesday, at around 6:40.  There were three other people there, two at a booth and one at the bar.  The menu is expansive, including shakes, their "famous" Coney Island dogs, and an assortment of burgers, gyros, breakfast food, and the regular diner fare.  The owner, Andy Farantos, was very nice, even making a point to deliver our food to us.  The waitress was also friendly, perhaps a product of limited business.  Not in the best neighborhood, this third generation restaurant is only a shadow of what it once was, but remnants of greatness can be seen with the vintage fixtures around the dining room.

    The Coney Island burger I ordered was a cross between a slider and a burger, and as my rating above illustrates, they weren't exceptional. Described by the waitress as more of a "meatloaf,"  the burger was speckled with various spices and topped with meat chili and fried onions.  The burger was plenty juicy, and the spices from the chilli were right on.  My biggest qualm with the dish was a lack of texture.  The juicy burger coupled with the chilli and translucent onions resulted in a yearning for some sort of crunch.  On the other hand, Jack's order of gravy fries were really some of the best fries I have had in a while.  They were crispy, and while not seasoned well, the gravy they were doused in had some exceptional flavor to make up for it.  Overall, if you are in the Hyland Park area, I would recommended stopping in at G&A for a quick bite in a throwback diner environment; however, it is not worth a pilgrimage like some of our other spots we have visited.

-Alec

My meal at G&A included one Coney Island Burger and one of their famous hot dogs.  I will focus on the hot dog since Alec already talked about the burger.  One of G&A's specialties, their Coney Island style dog features a hot dog topped with mustard, chilli, and minced onions.  I was expecting a little bit more spice from the chilli but mixed with mustard, these two ingredients gave a great tang to the hot dog.  The dog itself was done just right, firm with a juicy inside.  It was one of the best hot dogs I have had in a while and for only two dollars, it is worth having more than one.

-Nate