This joint borders gentrified streets, but belongs more to the ‘hood. Yet well-heeled Dallasites line up for Maple & Motor’s burgers. Of course, this says more about the sorry state of burger stops in the city than anything else. The tiny restaurant could settle for Burger King quality and still draw raving crowds.

In this case, though, the people are right. Maple & Motor serves oozing, fatty burgers ground from a mixture of brisket and chuck. The flavor is straightforward: beef, and not much more. Unfortunately, the bun tends to melt into swamp goo. And other fixings rate in the mundane range, no higher. A brisket sandwich features tender, husky shards of beef under a mass of grilled onions, all destroyed by a dosing of plain old mayonnaise applied with such vehemence that it soaks through everything.

On the other hand, authentic diner-style fries and one of the best vanilla shakes in town will help save the day. Be prepared to wait, though. Maple & Motor’s owners don’t really care about your comfort. Like the Seinfeld soup Nazi they insist you order first then find a seat. So you may be eating oozing, fatty burgers in your car.