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Petey’s is a slap in the face of the haute burger trend. The cheese is American, the milkshakes are syrupy, and nothing comes from a greenmarket—in fact, the lettuce is iceberg. Opened in late 2008 seemingly as an attempt to be the east coast’s answer to California’s famed In-and-Out chain, Petey’s focuses on the basics. It’s got no-frills, décor that incorporates lots of the primary colors on its walls and steel treading as a variation on wainscoting. The grub here is all about the quick and tasty. Burger patties are thin and salty, available stacked by the pair or the triplet on plain white buns and dressed with the standard veggies and that not-so-secret sauce. The hot shoestring fries come in an old-fashioned wax paper bag like an ode to the Happy Meal—they deliver maximum salty flavor with a low grease quotient. The short menu doesn’t include much more—there is a patty melt that nearly slides of its flattened crispy bun due to a double lubrication of cheese and sautéed onion, and a disastrous Cajun burger which should be avoided. It’s an overreach from a place that otherwise benefits from keeping it simple. — Edna Ishayik

Triple cheese, $6.99