Is your grill clean and ready to use this grilling season?
Sadly, many people overlook the importance of maintaining a clean grill. Aside from the “ick” factor of cooking food on top of the remnants of past meals, a particle-encrusted grill could prove unhealthy.
“Some people say, ‘I’ll just cook it off,’” said Tony Marsico, who with his wife owns Top Dog Grill Cleaning and Restorations. “Well, you’re burning it into the metal. So, now, you’re going to have to scrape it off.”
In addition, those particles are carcinogens, and the heat can actually encourage the generation of harmful bacteria.
And there’s another reason to keep that grill clean: Failure to do so will cause it to degrade, which means a loss in investment.
But for the past four years, local residents have counted on Top Dog Grill Cleaning and Restorations to keep their grills in tiptop condition.
The people at Top Dog offer a number of services in addition to cleaning. They also do repairs, installations, inspections, give advice and even carry a limited inventory of parts.
In cleaning, they don’t use wire brushes that could scratch the metal. Instead, they use stainless steel pads — not to be confused with steel wool — and make their own cleaning solutions from all-natural citrus ingredients. They actually take the grill apart and clean each component. The typical cleaning takes between three-and-a-half and four hours.
And when it’s done, the customer’s reaction is priceless.
“It’s heartwarming to hear what they say, the astonishment in their voices and their eyes,” said Marsico. “They’ll say, ‘That’s not the same grill!’”
Occasionally, a grill is so rusted that the Top Dog team has to get more aggressive, but once it’s cleaned, they will soak the parts in a special bath that preserves them.
Top Dog’s roots lie in Chattanooga, where Marsico and his wife used to live. Six years ago, they built a small outdoor kitchen with a grill. Before long, their neighbors were asking them to do the same at their homes.
Then, in 2019, newly relocated to St. Augustine, the Marsicos launched their business. Because First Coast residents cook out more than those up north and because they tend to spend more money on high-end grills, it was clear that services like those offered by Top Dog were needed.
Top Dog will drive its special trailer to homes throughout a service area ranging from Ponte Vedra Beach to Palm Coast and generally as far west as I-95.
To learn more, call 904-481-6685 or email topdogrestorations@yahoo.com. See the Facebook page @TopDogGrillCleaning, where before-and-after photos reveal the true value of getting a grill properly cleaned.
