From outside, Alexi's has all of the markers of the basic greasy spoon, burger and beef establishment. The discolored awning promising Vienna hotdogs and the generic gyro posters present the tried-and-true image of an eatery we've all been in a thousand times.

Inside, though, Alexi's shows itself as something quite different. The griddle and counter are right up front, and if you ask for a recommendation you'll get a gyro packed too full to fold. If you're dining in, you're free to move to the back after ordering, where utilitarian booths line each wall and a row of tables populate the center of the room. Also in the back is a full bar that feels oddly like it belongs in a bowling alley. Expect any order beyond a shot and a beer to require a description. The bar is loaded with regulars, and this is obviously a neighborhood haunt, though it manages to avoid that exclusionary feel that can often accompany said watering holes.

The fare is solid and greasy, and it goes well with affordable booze from the bar. While you're there, take the time to enjoy the decor in the back room, which is all sports and beer paraphernalia that appears to have last been updated in 1992. There's something unique about scarfing down a gyro along with a Budweiser while sitting underneath a Vlade Divac poster.

Centerstage Reviewer: Jesse Jordan