Meat. It's what's for dinner, and lunch, at Gus's Gyros - a sandwich shop (plus) which opened on the northwest corner of Douglas Avenue and Goold Street in late July. As its name implies, Gus's specializes in gyros, with four variations of the popular American/Greek stuffed pita sandwich on its menu.

Traditionally, a gyro features a special blend of roasted meat (beef and lamb) shaved into a pita and topped with onions, tomatoes and tzatziki sauce (a blend of plain yogurt, cucumber and seasonings). At Gus's, you will not only find an "original" gyro, but a Cheesehead Style Gyro, featuring onion rings smothered in cheddar cheese sauce; "The Big Fat Cow," which is a cheeseburger in the middle of a gyro; and "The BFG".

Twice as big as the original gyro, you can imagine what BFG might stand for. And yes, people really do order this beast of a sandwich which is almost as big as a football, according to Tom Tousis, owner and head cook at Gus's, which is named for his father, Gus.

"It is our second best-selling item," said Tom. "I've actually seen little guys finish it, and bigger guys who've had to quit and go home."

Outside the pita

While gyros are what Gus's sells most, there are other meaty options on the menu including burgers, hot dogs, A Cheap Steak Sandwich and Drunk Polish Sausage. Just like the gyros, each and every item is prepared with care, Tom said.

The Polish sausage, for example, gets its nickname from being boiled in beer, before going into the deep fryer - a method of cooking sausage borrowed from East Coast tradition. And everything from the tzatziki sauce to the hamburgers (which come in one or two patty sizes), are homemade.

"All of our burgers are made fresh," Tom said. "You won't find any pre-made, frozen patties here."

Even the french fries are cut from fresh potatoes daily. The skin-on fries, cooked in peanut oil, have a true potato flavor not easily found in sandwich shops today.

"Fifty years ago, everyone made their own fries," he said. "It's not hard to do, it just takes a little time. We want to keep the food as real as possible."

Those who don't eat red meat have a few menu options in addition to french fries, at Gus's. They range from a simple grilled cheese sandwich to the more exotic flaming Greek cheese, Saganaki. And the customer favorite in this category seems to be the chicken strips, which - like most everything else - is prepared from scratch.

Tousis isn't revealing his secret to these crispy-on-the-outside/moist-and-meaty-inside treats. But customers at the counter one day last week raved about them.

"I don't usually eat chicken strips," one man said. "But I love these."

For those looking to feed a crowd, Gus's also sells gyro meat by the pound (along with fixins) and will cater parties, meetings and other special occasions. The restaurant also offers a limited selection of alcoholic beverages to diners including draft and bottled beer and rail cocktails, as well as a small selection of side orders.

Keeping things simple is something Tousis says works well at an establishment like Gus's.

"It also helps to keep the prices down so that people can eat here more than once a month," he said.

Generations of food

Tom Tousis' solid knowledge of food preparation and customer satisfaction comes from growing up in the restaurant business here in Racine. His father, who is part of the family business that is named after him, owned and operated several other establishments in the area through the years including Andrea's (formerly at the corner of Wisconsin and Seventh streets), Ritzy's diner on Highway 20 and Gibson's Charhouse. Gibson's once occupied the corner where Gus's now resides as part of the BP gas station complex. The Tousis family also owns the gas station.

"I've always loved the restaurant business," said Tom, fondly recalling his childhood days hanging out in Andrea's. "I love the people, and I love having people like what they are eating."

At Gus's, the younger Tousis pays homage to his family's many years of hard work in the restaurant business in a variety of ways. One example is the name he gave to Gus's original gyro the "1978 Gyro." It was in 1977 that Gus - who was a butcher prior to his restaurant work - opened Andrea's, and it was the following year that young Tom and his mother joined Gus here in Racine.

"That was the start of our family business here," Tom said.

Tom's childhood memories can also be found among the images of the mural that decorates the walls of the corner restaurant. The splash of red brick, for instance, commemorates the building Andrea's was in, while the train engine reminds Tom of his family's vacations and the fun of eating in the dining car. And, if you look closely at what first appears to be a depiction of Superman flying through the air, you'll see that in place of the "S" on his chest there is a "G".

"That's Super Gus," said Tom, with a smile. "My Dad was like Superman to me when I was a kid."

The mural, which was painted by local artist Jane Cascio, is one of many interesting elements of the eclectic decor at Gus's Gyros. The shiny blue and silver seating and counter give the place a retro diner look, and the hand-written menu and "laughing points" on the walls give Gus's a comfortable, home-spun feel. "It's really a lot of bits and pieces of my memory," Tom said.