Giglio’s Eat Shop
Supposedly (according to my dad and several older Birminghamians I have
talked to) there also used to be a lot of hamburger places downtown
with the same sauce-based philosophy. My dad says they pretty much
died out by the early 60’s.
The best hamburger I ever had in
Birmingham was a holdover from that era - a place called “Giglio’s Eat
Shop” in Bessemer. My one page review of that place (in ICTW) was so
appreciative that the family FRAMED IT in their living room, and called
to tell me!
The owner / artist in residence Tony Giglio got sick, closed the place,
and died within months. And he never told his family how to make the
sauce.
Talk about a place I MISS. Good lord those things were terrific.
(written by Robert McCrary: “I had two, and a coke”)
Before anyone else says it (and I would really like to talk to people who ate at this place), the remarkable thing about it - other than the food - was they they didn’t keep up with what you ordered. That was YOUR responsibility. Tony’s wife, kids, etc. took your order for the purposes of preparing the meal, but as far as I know they threw it away after that because they would ask what you had as you left and charge on that basis. And the place was usually so full there was no way for them to know if you were lying. I am sure some unscrupulous types got out of there occasionally for a fraction of what was owed, but……I kind of liked being on the honor system. Made me feel like I was part of something, I guess. Hard to explain.
Comment by Robert McCrary — February 15, 2005 @ 1:28 pm
As I recall, they didn’t serve their burgers on buns - it was white loaf bread only. Excellent, excellent burgers.
Comment by Robin — August 11, 2005 @ 12:30 pm
I just found your site and these posts while searching for the recipe to Tony Giglio’s (”Gig” to his friends) sauce recipe. I lived for a while across Fairfax Avenue from Giglio’s and ate there throughout the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. I’ve never had the burgers on white bread, only on grilled hamburger buns. Tony and his wife Blanche ran a great and memorable spot, and you were right in that you had to keep up with your own order and go back to the counter when it was ready. The memory of two burgers with just sauce is making my mouth water right now. I kid with my friend who also grew up on Giglio’s burgers by telling him that I’m pretty sure the secret ingredient was kerosene . . . the sauce certainly had a kick to it. My buddy Nick and I have been searching for years for a comparable sauced burger - no luck so far. A pretty good second place can be found at Rabbit’s BBQ way out 15th street toward the river in Bessemer . . . a little sweeter and apparently no kerosene.
Man, I miss going into Giglio’s, seeing Blanche and having Tony call everybody “cat”. But, most of all, I miss those homemade burgers with that wonderful sauce.
Comment by lankford3 — October 22, 2007 @ 12:19 pm