offBeat

Photo by Elsa Hahne

Tucked away in a strip mall along Harrison Avenue is the kind of no-frills, cold beer, stiff drink, good food hangout every neighborhood wishes they had. Lakeview Harbor, the iconic meeting spot for the residents of 70124, turns out one of the best burgers in the city.

Made with fresh ground beef, the burger arrives with a charred and crusty exterior protecting a juicy and flavorful interior. Feel free to top it with whatever your little heart desires: a mound of grated cheddar or a pile of grilled onions, but we recommend avoiding the canned mushrooms The standard side is a baked potato loaded with your choice of toppings, but you can substitute steak fries, sweet potato fries, or tater tots for a small upcharge.

The burgers are thick and cooked to order, so choosing an appetizer to tide you over is likely in your best interest. They fry everything here, from mushrooms and mozzarella sticks to crabs cakes and potato skins. The “Harbor wings” are rolled in a spice mix, and these bone-hot, crunchy wings are the punk rock cousin of soft, billowy beignets, with powdered heat replacing powdered sweet.

While the burger is the star of the menu, other sandwiches deserve your attention, especially the tender filet mignon. In fact, all of the sandwiches are good, save for one critical element: the bread. With so much care given to the meat, cooking and toppings, these sandwiches deserve a stronger foundation than a structurally weak, spongy bun. A simple improvement there would make these some of the best sandwiches in town.

911 Harrison Ave. 486-4887. Sun-Thu 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m., Fri-Sat 11:30 a.m.-1:30 a.m.