The charcoal-grilled burgers here are meaty and juicy, with a subtle smoky flavor from the grilling process. They're served with excellent bacon (optional), raw onions for a bit of bite, and piquant pickles. Unlike many burger shops, you can specify how you want your meat cooked - medium rare, medium or well-done. (Medium-rare is the chef's recommendation.)

In addition to standard burgers there's a pineapple version, and at lunchtime you can opt for their special Chess Burger with ginger, pineapple and jalapeno sauce. Burgers are served with a small mound of fries (fairly average in our opinion), with nachos available as a side dish.

The atmosphere here is a big part of the draw, with friendly service, a quirky retro-nostalgic interior and old-time jazz on the sound system. Drinks include home-made ginger ale and a few import craft beers by the bottle. Burgers are available for take out.