”Best burger” contests aside, and after attempting to ignore both sides of the infamous incident in which a critic was asked to leave (it’s less punk rock than it might sound), and despite the extreme opinions people have about Jonathan’s the Rub, our repeated visits confirm that the truth lies—hardly shocking—somewhere in the middle of it all.

That burger is thick and drippy—half that juice is a chile-seasoned mayonnaise—with a sweetish bun that holds in the ooze and quality toppings rather well. (For the record, our entire panel agrees that it’s not the best in town, and this panel rarely agrees unanimously on anything.) Fries are fresh cut, properly salted, but not exactly crispy if that’s your obsession. Other than that, it’s hard to take things too seriously: it’s an add-grilled-chicken-to-your-Caesar-salad sort of place. A mango-salmon sort of place. Shrimp is plump and healthy, if a little overcooked; it’s also better prepared on creamy polenta than as “scampi,” although the accompanying seafood broth can be off-puttingly astringent. A steak sandwich is fine, but owes its excellent moments to the lightly toasted bread.

We love the BYO option ($5). Lunch is busy here, and it’s small (at the moment), so everyone serves everybody’s tables. It’s a bit haphazard, but polite and gracious. Well, if you’re not a critic.