Sitting on the edge of the Cotton District in downtown Starkville is a small white building with bright blue trim and a glorious smoldering face in the top window.
Bluto’s Greek Tavern is the home of that iconic face. Created in part by Bobby Flay’s former executive chef and Mississippi State University alumnus, Craig Fant, Bluto’s Greek Tavern is a restaurant that joins the authentic flavors of Greece and southern cooking in one menu — serving lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. until 2 a.m.
Fant’s wife, Michele, is the owner of Bluto’s Greek Tavern and its sister restaurants, Taste and The Joint. According to Craig Fant, despite his credentials, the business is all about the restaurant and his wife.
“I’m a CIA graduate, which is the Culinary Institute of America out of Hyde Park, which is great about me, but it’s more about just the restaurant, about [Michele’s] restaurant,” Craig Fant said.
Some popular items created by Craig Fant and the team at Bluto’s include The Bluto Gyro, a grilled steak gyro with French fries inside of it, The Club Gyro, a club sandwich turned into a gyro, and their 40-ounce fishbowl drinks, the Delta Punch and Double Secret Probation, both containing different vodka based cocktail mixtures.
According to Michele Fant, the focus for the restaurant is not just the food and drinks but the atmosphere.
“It’s a fun little spot, right? The moment you walk in, you’re like, ‘okay, it’s a different vibe,’” Michele Fant said. “It’s not just another restaurant that you want to sit at.”
Tuesday nights, Bluto’s has live music and beer pong tables set up to give locals and students alike the opportunity to have a good time while enjoying the food and drinks they have to offer.
Much of the atmosphere is drawn from the theming of the restaurant as a whole. The idea behind Bluto’s is built off pop culture and MSU Greek life references.
The theming is centered around the 1978 film “National Lampoon’s Animal House,” using the main character John “Bluto” Blutarsky as the signature face of the company. Many of the signature cocktails are named as references to the movie, and the indoor décor shows its ties to both the movie and MSU Greek life.
According to Michele Fant, they chose this specific theming for a reason; they wanted to appeal to the students.
“I mean, there’s 24,000 students and we want to tap into that market,” Michele Fant said. “We totally geared this to the college.”
Outside of the theming, the restaurant recently began to cater to the typical college student’s financial needs and desires. Most of their lunch and dinner menu options do not exceed a price over $10. For the drinks, they offer $18 bottomless mimosas and $3 wells all day long.
Along with the lowered prices, Bluto’s is now offering breakfast Thursdays and Fridays from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 6:30 to 2:30 p.m. Menu options include some breakfast twists on their signature gyros and a unique range of pancakes and omelets.
More information and menu options can be found on the Bluto’s Greek Tavern website.
