"The Graceland" sandwich and "Madi's Broccoli Salad" are among the menu items at The Brinery.

In the first several weeks at his new Sharpsburg restaurant, The Brinery, Chef Joe Bardakos kept running out of food.

Hungry customers were less than thrilled, but it signaled to Bardakos that his culinary creations were on target.

"It was super humbling," said Bardakos of Reserve.

The Shaler native and graduate of the former Le Cordon Bleu in Pittsburgh opened the brick-and-mortar spot at 914 Main St. after four years serving unique dishes from a similarly named food truck.

His entrees have off-the-wall monikers to match distinctive profiles. "The Graceland" is a nod to Elvis, with pickle-brined fried chicken, chili peanut sauce, Napa cabbage and banana ketchup.

"The Me" is a crispy braised pork belly garnished with soy demi glace, kewpie and pickled onions.

"I like to cook like I do for family," said Bardakos, a graduate of Shaler Area High School. "I like to try things and see what works."

His wife, Madi Donaldson, said every plate is prepared with a wealth of knowledge but a touch of whimsy.

"We make things that appeal to people, but we take it up a notch," she said. "Our homemade city sauce is like a bougie Big Mac sauce. We make our own mayo, our own bread, our own sauerkraut. We want to give you something you're gonna love."

Bardakos, 34, was a self-claimed foodie from the time he could walk. He credits the women in his family for his daring dietary sense.

"My family is Greek and Italian," he said. "I grew up in those kitchens. I got a waffle iron as gift when I was a small kid, and I never looked back."

Upon graduating from culinary school, Bardakos honed his craft at the Omni William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh and Piccolo Forno in Lawrenceville.

He describes The Brinery as fast casual, scratch made and chef driven. His cozy 48-seat eatery fits perfectly with the borough's blue-collar roots, Bardakos said.

Landing in Sharpsburg, however, happened by chance.

"We had driven past a bunch of times and saw the place, and I don't know what it was, but it looked like a good spot for us," he said. "I can't tell you what it was, but it had something."

Mayor Kayla Portis said the neighborhood is fortunate to have a first-class adventurous chef such as Bardakos.

"I remember the first time I patronized their establishment. We ordered the lobster roll, and it was out of this world," Portis said. "The quality of their food is unparalleled."

Since opening in spring, response has been nothing short of fantastic, Donaldson said.

Original plans to open five days a week were whittled because of the demand on kitchen staff to prep so many items from scratch. A fermentation station in the back turns out brined chicken, pickles, corned beef, dill dressing and sauerkraut. Ovens churn out homemade bread daily.

"I would rather close that extra day than pinch pennies and offer something that's not a quality item," Bardakos said.

He has other ideas, though, to keep patrons happy. He plans pop-up dinners this fall, a Sunday brunch in the winter and possibly a collaboration with some of his Pittsburgh-based chef friends.

Employee Maria D'Amico works the front-end at The Brinery. She's no stranger to the food business -- her late father was behind local favorite Franco's Italian restaurant, which operated in O'Hara, Harmar and Aspinwall for more than 30 years.

"I know what it takes to bring a good restaurant to town," D'Amico said. "These guys bring variety, and they work so hard at making something special."