Central Square is a gold mine when you’re on the hunt for Indian, Ethiopian, Middle Eastern, and Mexican fare. But deep in the heart of Cambridgeport ... Cambridgeport? Where’s that? (Don’t be afraid to ask. Many do.) It’s that area between Central and the river — easily glimpsed while you’re waiting to see your friend’s band play at T.T. the Bear’s. The residential neighborhood is dense with playgrounds, parks, and porch flowerpots. In the thick of it is an intersection that stands in as a mini town square. It’s where to find the convenience store, laundromat, and a couple of eateries, including Dimitrios Cuisine, an international crossroads in its own right: a fat fistful of Italian flavors, a pillar of traditional Greek tastes, and a whole songbook of American standards, from good old-fashioned burgers ($2.95; $5.85 club) to fish on a bulky roll ($3.85) to grilled cheese ($2.35).

The cultural crossbreeding can turn up enticing variations on basic neighborhood-joint fare — even pizza. Dimitrios’s pan pies ($4.50–$10.10) are more substantial than your basic thin-crust pies, but not as doughy as deep dish. Everything from the long roster of toppings can be either laid thick on top or stuffed in a calzone. Speaking of calzones, try the Greek version: spinach pie ($3.35; $5.95 with salad). Here, flaky phyllo dough is wrapped snugly around a leafy-greens-and-feta mixture.

Neighborhood residents are often caught reciting their orders with a fluency that comes from familiarity. You can hear the same easy familiarity when they toss off the stats of their favorite players pitching, kicking, or catching on the television in the corner. The comfort is explained by the plaque hanging beside the register: RULE #1: IF YOU DON’T TAKE CARE OF YOUR CUSTOMERS, SOMEBODY ELSE WILL. And take care of you they do. It’s practically routine for one of the guys at the cutting board to break away from a sandwich order to poke his head over the counter and make sure your chow is up to international standards of excellence.

Dimitrios Cuisine, located at 272 Brookline Street, in Cambridge, is open Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Call (617) 876-3272.