LITTLE ROCK — A restaurant in a gas station nowadays is commonplace. Truck stops aside, plenty of gas stations incorporate fast-food outlets - McDonald’s, Burger Kings, Subways and so on.
What we found at the Shell Station at Geyer Springs Road and Interstate 30, however, surpasseth all expectations.
Gino’s bills itself as the “Full Belly Deli,” and the cartoon pizza maker on the cover of the menu boasts, “Oh yeah, is good.” (You may have also heard that as the tag line in Gino’s TV commercial.)
Believe both billing and boast. Gino’s makes huge pizzas that rank with the area’s best. And our first contact with the Philly Steak made the expatriate Philadelphian in our party weak in the knees.
Rocky’s Pub in North Little Rock, run by former Philadelphians, does a darn good job of producing a pretty authentic cheese steak. And we lament the closure of Phil-Am Gourmet on University Avenue, also run by Philly refugees, which, in addition to its fine Philippine menu, also produced a very creditworthy cheese steak sandwich. Other area attempts we’ve tried so far, however, have been fair to middlin’ or downright dreadful.
Gino’s Philly Steak comes on either 6-inch or 12-inch rolls ($5.99, $10.99). The kitchen will load it down with bell peppers, tomatoes, jalapenos and mayonnaise- all auxiliary, if not antithetical, to the true South Philadelphia cheese steak - if you don’t stop them.
We savvily ordered our 6-inch Philly Steak with just steak, onions and cheese, please, and sat back waiting for the disappointment. Boy, were we shocked.
The half-sandwich, huge enough to feed at least two (we wouldn’t even want to contemplate trying to chow down on a 12-incher), came out overflowing with chopped-on-the-grill steak with the cheese melted right into it and chopped-on-the grill onions, just like they make ’em on South Street in the city of Brotherly Love and Cheese Steaks.
That was early afternoon on a Saturday, just past the lunch rush.
Alas, our attempt to reproduce that level of ecstasy late on a Sunday evening produced only a decent cheese steak, nowhere near as well put together and about the same size as you’d get at the Great Steak franchise at the mall.
We specified just steak, cheese and onions as before, but we didn’t hop up and down and insist they not put mayo on it, so we got mayoon it. Feh. (Mayonnaise on red meat is a heresy among Yankees unless you’re putting Russian dressing on a Reuben or a corned-beef special.)
You can add mushrooms if you’re so disposed for 75 cents; extra cheese is 50 cents. Philly chicken is available for the same price as steak.
Gino’s smallest pizza is 16 inches in diameter, plenty for two. They also make an 18-inch pie if you’re feeding an army.
A plain cheese pizza is $9.99 and $11.99, same price for pepperoni. But if you order pepperoni and one other ingredient, as in our pepperoni and mushroom, that becomes a “mix and match” and you’ll pay the same amount as you would for one of the specialty pies ($13.99, $15.99) - meat lovers, supreme, chicken, BBQ chicken and vegetable. Topping choices are pretty much the usual, plus hot dog and jalapeno.
Our pie was fairly crisp on the bottom and on the edges of the slightly bready crust. Toppings and sauce were plentiful; the cheese, of which there was also plenty, had a slight tang to it, indicating that maybe they’re using a little provolone in the mix.
Other Gino’s options we’ll try one day: Gino’s Big Burgers ($2.99 quarter-pound, $4.79 half-pound, $6.49 one pound, with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, mustard, ketchup and mayonnaise; cheese 35 cents extra); Big Dogs ($2.99 for an 8-inch dog, $4.99 for a foot-long, topped with onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, jalapenos and/or mayonnaise, with cheese or chili 50 cents extra); a monster meatball sub ($4.99 for 6 inches, $8.99 for 12); and hot wings ($2.99 for five up to $16.99 for 30).
The decor is pure side of-the-interstate gas station slash-convenience store, with the addition of some neighborhood-specific tchotchkes (including New York Yankees baseball caps in numerous colors, up to and including camo, and an impressive display of $9.99-$14.99 pocket knives). You can eat in - there are a few tables in the deli section but they don’t get cleaned as often as they should - or take it with you.
Pay by cash or debit card at the counter where you order. If you want to pay by credit card, you have to take the voucher you get at the counter to the main register at the entrance, where you can also buy pizza by the slice ($2.49).
Gino’s Pizzeria & Deli Address: Shell Station, 8000 Geyer Springs Road at Interstate 30, Little Rock Hours: 10 a.m.-2 a.m. Sunday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-4 a.m. Friday-Saturday Cuisine: Pizza, Philly subs, burgers, sandwiches, salads Credit cards: V, MC, AE, D (and maybe Shell) Alcoholic beverages: No Reservations: No Wheelchair accessible: Yes Carryout: Yes (501) 562-0152
Weekend, Pages 38 on 10/08/2009