Bellaire Broiler Burger is one of those places where you know it’s got to have looked exactly this way for decades (even the employees seem not to have changed). The brick walls, muted earth tones, and orange roof have a distinctive “Brady Bunch” feel that only swells as multiple generations of Bellaire families pile in to stake their claim at one of the booths.

We credit our love for these burgers with the gas-fired flame broiler, which provides plenty of flavor, plus that heady char you smell from the parking lot. The process cooks the burgers quickly, thus the juices remain—as much as they can for a rather thin quarter-inch patty. The house-made chili is spiked with cumin and plenty of onion (sublime). There are flame-broiled chicken sandwiches for the health-conscious, but with a generous heap of mayo. A fried fish sandwich with tartar sauce is greasy and heavy, and a dubious salad comes with “garden vegetables” (is the garden on a Sysco truck?). Shakes are old school, so thick you can just forget the straw. Opt for thick onion rings over the french fries, which are the mealy crinkle-cut variety—just like they were thirty years ago.