The Terminus Building in Buckhead has become home to an array of restaurants. The massive towers of steel and glass sport everything from a yogurt shop to the very high-end sushi palace, MF Buckhead.

Becky Stein/special (ENLARGE)
Bricktop's dining room in the Terminus Building.
Becky Stein/special (ENLARGE)
Deviled eggs with bacon.
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One of the first to open was Bricktop's, a concept from Nashville started by restaurant industry leader Joe Ledbetter of Houston's fame. The restaurant is sandwiched underneath showy Aquaknox and next to MF Buckhead.

It's an odd fit. Bricktop's casual concept falls somewhere between Applebee's and Ted's without the latter's focus on bison and beef. A friend remarked that the snakelike, winding space that spans its way to Peachtree Road looks like the layout of a bar at an airport terminal. She's right: the entrance forces you into the bar, where everyone seems trapped to drink before moving on to another location. In this case, it's Bricktop's dining room rather than Detroit or Philadelphia.

The décor has barely enough warmth to feel as if anyone made an effort — dimly lit with teak-stained woods and an open kitchen, it seems like a cookie cut-out of so many others just like it (there are, in fact, three others so far — in Naples, Fla., Charlotte, N.C., and Nashville).

As for the menu, it's hard to get a grip on a hook here – is it a burger joint? Well, yes. I guess. Is it a steak house? Sure, it could be. Spanning flatbreads to fried Gulf shrimp, there seems to be a focus on big portions, even with small plates, making Bricktop's the house of gain.

There are highlights, like grilled artichokes, semi-charred and buttery (ignore the "remoulade" sauce; it's a doctored and disguised 1000 Island dressing). It would be hard to mess up an artichoke, though. No real points there. But wait: deviled eggs — now here's an area where greatness can be won or lost. First, what semi-casual concepts have deviled eggs on the menu anyway? Points given for effort. And yes, though not consistent, Bricktop's manages to swirl its way into deviled egg distinction with a tower of piped yolk filling in each half-moon of egg white, all with strips of maple syrup-flavored bacon.

A thin-crusted flatbread couldn't possibly offend anyone, either, with the classic combination of smoked salmon, capers, dill, cream cheese and dice red onion smeared as a topping. And the burgers are as good as any — fat and juicy, cooked to order. But burgers of this sort can be found at lots of places, many that actually have character and atmosphere.

Which is the point I'm trying to make: without a choice (as with, say, that airport terminal) I might find a meal at Bricktop's completely satisfying. But just next door is some of the best sushi on the planet (it's more expensive than Bricktop's, mind you, but it's a choice). I could even walk across the way and get a darned good veggie burger and fries from the Flying Biscuit. I might even prefer a soft serving of tangy yogurt.

And what of steak frites? Here, it's a nice piece of beef steak coupled with crispy, hot fries (which is about what it is anywhere). Perfectly acceptable. A layered salad of avocado, crab meat, dice tomatoes, itty bitty shrimp and eggs? Not so much. Should you order this kind of fresh seafood at an airport terminal? Better to stick with a fish sandwich. Sliced New York strip makes you wonder why it isn't served, well — not sliced. Even the lamb chops are large. The wine list? I'm not sure why they bothered...

Bricktop's, then, is the type of — and this is a term from their website, not mine — American bistro that does best when it sticks within the boundaries of what can be received off the back of a delivery truck, not the freshness of the farmer's market.

I almost forgot: dessert. Here's where a place such as Bricktop's can really shine — cheesecake, ooey-gooey chocolate chip cookies served in a hot little pan with ice cream, and an exceptionally tasty Key lime pie. Nothing breaks the bank, stretches the imagination or blows your mind. But it tastes pretty darned good.

And sticking with the parameters of what burgers and loaded baked potatoes can provide, Bricktop's can be a pleasurable experience. Just don't venture too far from that terminal or the alternatives may remind you that choice is a matter of taste.