The same tasting hamburgers and fries that I enjoyed from a favorite burger cafe of my youth. Love this place and its simple ambiance.

It is hard to imagine a more unassuming diner than this tiny place, the exact kind of hole-in-the-wall restaurant most would immediately dismiss, if they noticed it at all. And yet, that would be a mistake, because the quintessential diner food served up here is very, very good, and they've been doing it for 38 years now. One reviewer said that TGK stands for The Greek Kitchen, or it might be the initials of the owner, T. G. Kantsoulas, and he still runs the place along with his wife, Olympia, who still does the cooking. And that cooking is very good, utilizing quality ingredients and family recipes, which includes a few Greek dishes - a Gyro and Souvlaki. We settled on the Spaghetti with house made Meat Sauce, a Hot Dog ATW, a Double Cheeseburger, and Tater Tots. Olympia does all the cooking, generally to order, so time out of the kitchen is not exactly fast food speed. The Spaghetti was excellent, with plenty of noodles. You can order more meat sauce for $1, and we did, and it was even better. The sauce is made in house, and there is a nice sharp tomato taste. The accompanying side salad was fresh, and the Blue Cheese Dressing was very good. The hot dog was super - a nice wiener, great slaw, and the home made chili was very meaty, and loaded with flavor - this is my kind of old school Chili Dog. The double cheeseburger was big, and was excellent , as well - a perfect diner style burger. The Tater Tots simply could not have been any better. Seriously, they are every bit as good as the ones at Jake's Billiards in Greensboro that I order every time in. These are friendly folks, serving up excellent food. Give it a try - just know what you're coming for, and what you're coming to, and you'll be pleased. read more

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TGK has a special place in my heart. I started going there as a penniless and hungry Elon student over twenty years ago. When I recently decided to revisit it I wasn't sure if they would still be in business, under new management or what. Thankfully, it's as great as it was back then...from the inconspicuous building with the simple sign out front to the old wavy booth style seating...and of course the food is still great. Operated by the same family since 1978, TGK is short for "The Greek Kitchen." This is primarily a restaurant known to the locals of Burlington and perhaps to a select group of Elon students that have been introduced to it by someone else. I say that because most people probably wouldn't even notice the place as they drive through the area as it is surrounded by mostly industrial businesses (and a great little derelict phone booth). So, if it is noticed, the uninitiated may think it appears a little rough around the edges and decide to pass. That may be somewhat true but that's always been part of the appeal to me. As far as the food goes, I always get the double cheeseburger basket with tater tots, along with a chili dog if I'm really hungry. It's all solid, drive-in style food. They offer much more and I'm confident it's all good, but when I come to TGK I'm after a drive-in style cheeseburger or chili dog. You will not be disappointed. I highly recommend you stop by next time or make the drive from the interstate which is a direct shot now thanks to the University Drive exit. read more

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We visited TGK June 25th at lunch upon recommendation of another Yelper. This restaurant is within walking distance from my house, but is in a higher crime area So, I had never been there. There are approximately 9 booths and five barstools at the counter. We ordered: Spaghetti with extra meat sauce and a tossed salad (for me) Hamburger with mustard, mayo, lettuce and tomato (husband) Hotdog with mustard, chili, slaw (husband) Grilled chicken on pita with cucumber sauce, lettuce, tomato and fries. (husband) If based on my meal alone, this review would be a 2 star review. 1 star for the good service and another star for the ORGASMIC ice and sweet tea. While I love shredded lettuce in salad and both the lettuce and the tomato were fresh, I asked if the blue cheese dressing I ordered was homemade (I was told it was. ) and was sadly disappointed when I didn't see any actual blue cheese in the dressing. It was very runny. On to my spaghetti: There was a large portion of noodles. But the spaghetti sauce also had serious problems. It tasted a lot like the husband's hotdog chili sans chili powder. There was a TON of grease on one side of the plate and I'm not exactly sure why because there was very little observable meat in the "meat" sauce. As my dad would say, "It looks like the cow ran through it." Unfortunately, for me, it ran through me, too. I got sick once we got home. The husband absolutely loved his hotdog and hamburger. Hence, the 4 stars. The hamburger was small and featured shredded lettuce and a very good mayo. He loved the hotdog chili I tasted it and prefer chili with a much lower chili powder content. We'll be back for the hotdogs and hamburgers!! The grilled chicken on pita was an entirely different story. While he loved the grilled chicken, the pita vas very, very thin and resembled a wrap or a tortilla. There was a cucumber sauce that was so runny, it dripped everywhere - which is a good thing because he didn't like it at all. It gave him heartburn that lasted well into the evening. He would not order this again. Accessibility issues: The parking lot is gravel, but shouldnt be a problem as it is well packed. The front door opens out in such a way that it has to be closed in order for you to get by it in your wheelchair. Then, you can get in. If you don't get out of your wheelchair, you'll have to sit at the end of a booth. There are no tables and the counter is too high to sit at. Lastly, the bathrooms are accessible from outside the restaurant. (Weird, I know!!) There's one gianormous step to get into it so I didn't check it out for cleanliness and accessibility. In a nutshell, 1 star for service, 1 star for the ice and sweet tea. 1 star for the good hotdogs. And 1 star for the great hamburgers. Go for the hotdogs and hamburgers. Skip anything with a sauce or dressing. . read more

TGK is down the road from where we live and we absolutely love it. Mom her daughter and waitsfaff all know me and my husband. And they are very sweet. The food is down to earth good country food. We love y'all! Aaron and Lou Ann. read more

The food is definitely made with love. The pork souvlaki or grilled chicken is absolutely delicious and a must try. I also have loved the cheeseburgers since I was a little girl and everyone who loves sweet tea or lemonade, this will be your go-to place. read more