On my quest to uncover bargain eats about town, I headed to Burtons Grill last week to check out the restaurant’s After-Work Recession Buster menu (4-7pm daily), which includes small plates like sliders, lettuce wraps, jumbo shrimp, and goat cheese salad. Though some items were hit or miss, there’s no harm in trying out dishes you wouldn’t normally order at a price that nice. And unlike Happy Hour items at other spots around town (Masa comes to mind), each plate is actually a meal in itself so you’re not dealing with finger food either.

The restaurant comped the small plates, so I tried an array of them. By far, the tenderloin sliders (two per plate) were the best deal of the specials. Mini-hamburger buns sandwich shredded tenderloin meat, provolone cheese, and tartar sauce, alongside a generous side of fries. You might not be so keen on tartar sauce in your burger, but trust me, it won’t taste like a fish sandwich. I was less impressd with the more ethnic dishes. From what I could tell, the Thai chicken lettuce wraps (two per order) were merely Thai in name. Despite credible ingredients like water chestnuts and baby corn, I found the dish far too bland, perhaps because the “sweet n spicy” sauce is about as spicy as you’d expect an Asian dish to taste in an American restaurant. That being said, I guess I can’t attest to the authenticity of the Southwestern quesadilla (three pieces per order) due to my limited knowledge of Mexican food, but this small plate was much gutsier. Unlike the wraps, it had real kick, thanks to the poblanos and pepperjack that made up its filling. At under four bucks, I had no complaints about the quesadilla, even if it hardly approximates its below-the-border counterparts.

Besides the small plates, I also tried the risotto fritters, a Sicilian dish of breaded rice balls typically known as arancini. This $8.95 plate of deep-fried goodness contains everything I love about Italian food (cheese, sausage, and marinara). The best part? They’re gluten-free, along with a whole host of items on the Burtons Grill menu. (For a cheesier version of arancini, go to Via Matta which makes some of the best I’ve had in the city).

Without a doubt, the showstopper of the evening was the key lime pie. Despite my sweet tooth, I’m generally pie-averse due to my suspicion of all things jelly-like or whipped (which pretty much eliminates 90 percent of pies, when you couple that with my distaste for nuts). So perhaps the reason I liked Burtons Grill’s version of key lime is because it’s quite unpielike. Instead of a traditional crust, a crispy graham cracker shell contains the pie filling, a tart and surprisingly stiff lime mousse. I was so impressed by the robust consistency of the filling that I didn’t even mind the dollop of meringue that topped it all off. (Key word here: “dollop”.) My only complaint is that our server told us each portion of the velvety dessert was individually sized. Perhaps he meant to add “if your appetite rivals that of an ogre”. Portions at this restaurant are generous, so play it safe and order modestly.

Summary: Stick to American classics when you’re dealing with small plates. If you have friends on gluten-free diets, bring them here and they will thank you for the many extensive options. And leave room for dessert, because if you order it (and you should), expect it to be humungous.