The Meat Lovers platter is a cornucopia of protein and quite a sight to behold.

KELLY PRESNELL / arizona daily star

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My Big Fat Greek Restaurant suffers from a well-deserved gyro complex.

A "hero complex" is a desire to help others, a compulsion to help make someone's world right.

And this Tucson restaurant pretty much makes your dining experience just right.

Full of nice little touches, giant portions and an expansive menu, My Big Fat Greek Restaurant even will please diners who don't much like Greek food. And extras like giant drink glasses — 32-ouncers — make refill requests less crucial.

The restaurant's once-clever name — inspired by the 2002 movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" — now tends to elicit eye rolls rather than delighted laughter.

But no matter. If the restaurant is looking for a name change, though, I'd put in for "A Surprisingly Scrumptious Eatery for Diners Who Like Watching Food Set on Fire."

The "surprisingly" is no fault of the restaurant's. You see, My Big Fat Greek Restaurant is a Phoenix-based chain, and chains can get a bad rap for being, well, too chainy.

But other than telltale franchise markers that include slick décor and menus with many, many choices spanning burgers to pizza to seafood, the restaurant is a place we'd feel comfortable putting up against any other Greek place in town.

The first My Big Fat Greek Restaurant in Tucson opened in August 2007 on West River Road. The East Broadway location opened Oct. 29.

We like hands-on managers. On our first visit, the River Road manager was always on the move — running food, clearing tables and visiting guests. In short, he really seemed to care.

During our second visit, the manager at the crowded Broadway location was much busier, but he still made time to stop by and ask how things were.

It was a bonus that one of our servers was Greek, which she revealed after reeling off the Greek words on the menu.

Words like Kefalograviera, a slightly salty Greek cheese that's used in the must-order flaming saganaki ($8) appetizer. Kefalograviera is a firm table cheese made from sheep's milk that has been aged at least three months.

The square of cheese first is grilled and then flambéed tableside with ouzo and Metaxa and shouts of "Opa!" Some lemon and pita triangles made the appetizer a savory one.

During our second visit, our server cautioned us that another flambéed dish, the flaming feta ($8), was quite salty. He was correct, but mixing it with the sides of fresh diced jalapeños, tomatoes and pita took some of the salty edge off.

One irritant: We ordered extra pita, but on both visits no one mentioned the 50-cent charge for the six triangles.

The Greek fries ($5) was another starter we devoured. A lemon dijon sauce, crumbled feta and oregano blanketed a large plate of fries — resulting in a crispy, salty, lemony treat.

It would be a shame not to try a cup of Avgolemono ($2.75), a lovely soup full of rich lemon undercurrents. Chunks of chicken breast, rice, onion, carrots and lemon swam in a mild chicken broth. The broth was tempered with egg, giving it a thicker consistency and elevating it to ultimate comfort food.

You also can't go wrong with a side salad ($2.50). Field greens blend with pieces of cucumber, tomato, onion, green pepper and a lone kalamata olive in a creamy Greek dressing.

The veggie mousaka ($13) was a baked dish made with layers of eggplant, zucchini, potato and a creamy béchamel sauce with the addition of three cheeses — Kefalograviera, Mizithra and Parmesan.

There are meat dishes, and then there are dishes that are monuments to meat.

The Meat Lovers (serves two for $36, plus $18 for each additional person) falls nicely in the latter category.

The monstrous platter yielded leftovers that resulted in two more meals and provided a chance to try smaller portions of many different entrees.

One disappointment: We asked for the meats to be prepared medium, but they arrived almost well-done.

The cornucopia of protein, however, was a sight to behold.

We first noticed the two New Zealand hand-cut lamb chops, which were lightly seasoned. The lemon dijon sauce that comes with the Greek fries was drizzled on three moist souvlaki skewers — one each of pork, chicken and beef.

Cooked on the rotisserie, the fresh-tasting slices of gyro meat — a whopping pound of it — were a hit. Creamy tzatziki sauce was provided for dipping. The smooth cucumber-yogurt sauce contained grated cucumber, but we prefer the chunkier style made in southern Greece that possesses a more deliberate cucumber flavor.

On the platter, the hearty mousaka contained meat sauce. The pastitsio, a Greek lasagna with ground beef layered in noodles and béchamel sauce, was a satisfying cheesy beef combo.

Also on the platter: rice pilaf, succulent oven-baked lemon potatoes, a sautéed vegetable medley and more pita triangles. It's enough to stuff four or five people.

Though there was no room for sweets, we just had to try the baklava cheesecake ($5.95). Layers of phyllo and chunks of baklava were interspersed in a slice of creamy cheesecake. Shredded phyllo called kataifi topped the slice, as well as honey, whipped cream and chopped pistachios. Yum.

We weren't as impressed with the flambé galato ($7.95), a custard baked in phyllo dough and flambéed tableside. The farina in the custard gave the dessert a firmer consistency that was closer to flan than traditional custard. Honey syrup was drizzled on top.