Growing up in the early 80s, our local burger joint was Gino’s. It was literally 3 blocks from my parents house. I remember walking there on Saturday afternoons with my grandfather for burgers.
Being 4 or 5 years old when they closed, I can’t say I remember the food. But I definitely kept the memories.
Two years ago, discussing old restaurants with Jake, we both recalled the Gino’s franchise. Googling the restaurant yielded good news.
They were making a comeback.
… and today was the opening day.
My wife & I joined friends for lunch today at their first location, across from the Mall in King of Prussia. As expected on the first day, parking was a pain…. but the ordering was quick and effortless.
The menu is not very complicated, burgers, chicken sandwiches, salads and fries.
They were quite busy (as expected) and our food was delivered to our table in about 25 minute minutes.
I ordered a Gino’s Giant (with Bacon) and my wife had a Bacon Cheeseburger, both with fries. Two patties, lettuce, tomato and onions with a very sesame’d bun. The only difference between the two was the Giant came with “special sauce” which was alot like Russian dressing. Our companion had a better memory of the original sandwich and commented that it used to have a middle bread layer, not unlike the Big Mac, which it competed with. But he said the special sauce was spot on.
The burgers were quite tasty, juicy and perfectly cooked. As with most “stacked” burgers, I expected the meat to slide out the back of the bun in a drippy mess. Thankfully, this was not the case. The bun held the contents until the last bite.
The hand cut fries were also perfectly prepared, not too crispy and not too soggy. A splash of ketchup and a dash of salt & pepper completed them. Also offered are cheese fries, but we declined on this trip.
I fully expect that a bunch of their business will be nostalgia based. “Hey remember that place?!?!” In fact, a guy at the next table over asked us how we knew about the opening, and if we remembered the original. It turns out he was friends with the COO, Tom Romano.
Overall, this is among the best fast food burgers I’ve ever sampled. It’s up there with the former Ray’s Burger & Fries in Collegeville and 5 Guys (all over)…. better in fact.
We’re looking forward to the next visit.
611 West DeKalb Pike
King of Prussia, Pa
http://ginosgiant.com/
The wait was tolerable for their very first day of business. The burger was substantial, and very tasty.
I will go back and try other menu items. I was trés impressed.
[…] Assembled upside-down, Sonic style, it held together well, much like my previous experience at Gino’s. I’m glad restaurants are starting to get this right. The cheddar on top of the sandwich was […]
I was a fan of the original Gino’s. I used to travel with my dad. He delivered the dinner rolls for Gino’s KFC. I got to see more Gino’s than anyone else. The new incarnation is everything I was hoping for. New Giant is much more meatier than original >.6 lbs (uncooked) vs. .25 lbs. It doesn’t have the middle bun… who cares. Our burgers were delivered to our table in 5 minutes, hot, right off the grill. The fries were perfect. Chicken strips were OK, on a par with KFC. My wife needed a spoon to finish her shake. Can’t wait until they expand into MD again, so I won’t have to drive 2 hours.
Visited there Saturday. Best burgers I’ve had so far. even a notch better than 5 Guys which I thought were the be all and end all of burger joints. everything was delicious had a Giant (which didnt disappoint) and a Cheeseburger with the works. Fries were immaculate. large nice crispy and so perfect they knock McDonalds out of the ballpark! washed it down with a lemonade. Best lunch ive had in months. I tell you if this is the beginning then i want the best for the gang at Ginos. for a mizer like me let me tell you this meal was more than well worth the $17 I paid. Delicious. I hope that more open quickly. when I first tasted 5 Guys burgers I vowed to never never wanted to eat a McDonald’s Trashburger again, Now that Ive had Ginos I really never want to have a Mcdonalds Trash burger again. even 5 Guys could learn from Ginos.