South Loop college students and construction workers flock to this greasy burger-and-fry joint located in the base of the Travelodge building. Carry Out, as it's called, has rows of two- and four-top tables in the plain, square dining room that looks out onto Harrison Avenue. From the dollar-store ketchup bottles on each table to the red food baskets, everything here is greasy-spoon standard issue. The cashier, who accepts only cash, shouts to the various cooks, who shout to each other, before finally shouting out your order when it's ready. It seems charming enough for the regulars, who know to return the impersonality.

For a short time, the people here tried charging you to read one of the Sun-Times in the racks. Did I mention the place was cheap? The cheeseburger daily special, which includes fries and a fountain drink with plenty of ice: $4.82. Yup, just about everything on the menu is priced out to the penny: breakfast sandwich with one meat, $3.36; corn beef [sic], $3.90; melted cheese, 69 cents. I couldn't get a straight answer on how much it was for unmelted cheese. The beverages, like the napkins, are kept guarded behind the chest-high counter and include Nantucket Nectars and milkshakes. The soup is vinegary, the salad lettuce is iceberg, but the daily specials have found a market with people who expect to get what they pay for.

Centerstage Reviewer: Robert Duffer