Best Burger
The Humdinger Drive-In
Although it looks like a set from the TV series American Dream, this vintage 1962 drive-in is the real thing. Patrons drive into the Humdinger's parking lot (on a nearly vacant stretch between Wabash and Prospect), get out, order a juicy double cheeseburger -- made to order with pickles, lettuce, onion and tomato -- or something equally fabulous (pizza burger, anyone?) and drive away. There's no interior seating, although lots of patrons eat in their cars, looking up at that classic, not-quite-literate sign: "Ever eat here." Unquestionably, we have eaten there, because a thick double cheeseburger is only $2.29 and tastes sensational. It's even better with a side of fried okra and a thick banana malt. The Humdinger is also one of the few remaining drive-ins that sells tacos, burritos, fried shrimp and pork tenderloins. Steven St. John, the Morning Mayhem co-host on KZPL 97.3, is a longtime devotee of the joint. "I'm from the Northeast, so I grew up eating there," he says. "It's what a real inner-city cheeseburger is supposed to taste like, not like the crap they serve in the suburbs."
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