BRONX W www.BXTimes.com EEKLY August 18, 2019 8
American Grill offers top cuisine from all regions
2173 White Plains Road OPEN
718-931-4335
Just South of Pelham Pkwy.
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BY STEVEN GOODSTEIN
A newly opened eatery in
the west Bronx has a national
plan - to offer an array of food
options from across the country.
Last week, American Grill,
located at 2987 Third Avenue
just off 154th Street, offi cially
opened with a broad selection
of American cuisine.
Some of the restaurant’s
best selections include American
grill and signature burgers,
California fi sh and shrimp
tacos, Memphis-style BBQ
chicken and Philly cheese
steaks. The fi sh and shrimp
tacos are enhanced with an inhouse
coleslaw.
The menu also includes a
Bob Marley/Rasta burger, a
green veggie-burger option.
The restaurant had a soft
opening in April and was remodeled
in preparation for the
offi cial opening earlier this
month, after receiving positive
feedback from the community,
which inspired many of the
menu options.
“This experience is going to
be personally and fi nancially
challenging, but it will also be
very rewarding,” said Hector
Cruz, co-owner of American
Grill who grew up just a few
blocks north on 156th Street
and 3rd Avenue, and still lives
in the Bronx. “I have a terrifi c
staff - and we are all working
toward the same goal, which
is to have a go-to, high-quality
restaurant with variety in this
neighborhood.”.
Cruz added that the ‘American
Grill’ name has been the
subject of some controversy,
as some Bronx residents have
concluded that the restaurant’s
name supports the country’s
right-wing political views.
“We named the restaurant
American Grill because of our
patriotism and our love for all
the cultures and ethnic backgrounds
that make up this
country,” Cruz said.
Cruz, whose parents were
immigrants from Mexico, is a
veteran, having served in the
Marines for a total of eight
years. He did three tours - two
in Iraq and one in Japan and
the Philippines.
“We did this because of
our love for food - but we also
love challenges and taking
chances,” said Victor Vando,
who co-owns American Grill
with Cruz.
Vando, who received accolades
from Cruz regarding his
experience and impact on the
restaurant since he joined a
few months ago, was born in
Puerto Rico and owned fi vestar
restaurants in PR before
they were destroyed by Hurricane
Maria in September 2017.
The grand opening for American
Grill is set to take place
sometime in late August.
American Grill is opened
Monday through Saturday from
11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The restaurant
is looking to extend its hours to
serve a breakfast buffet, starting
September 1, and open on
Sundays starting in September
for the upcoming NFL season.
The breakfast buffet includes
eggs, bacon, strawberry
waffl es and banana pancakes,
to name a few choice options.
Aside from their daily restaurant
chores, Cruz works
as an electrical engineer and
Vando is a veterinarian. Their
ultimate goal is to eventually
create a brand they can expand
into the other boroughs.
American Grill recently participated
in the popular Bronx
Night Market event at Fordham
Plaza, where they sold over 100
food items from burgers to fi sh
tacos.
Cruz (l) and Vando stand behind the counter at American Grill
Schneps Media / Steven Goodstein
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