Danna’s Bar-B-Que & Burger Shop

With vintage baby-boom rock on the sound system and a menu of burgers and BBQ, Danna’s is a well-packaged taste of 20th century America. There’s no kale on this menu, nothing gluten-free or keto or such, no vegetarian or vegan specialties; even the three available salads, listed on the back page along with kiddie dishes, all come topped with meat.

It is good meat, burgers especially.  They are hand-pattied six-ouncers, cooked through but juicy enough, available as singles and doubles, as a fat burger with egg, cheese, and bacon, as a patty melt on rye with American & Swiss cheeses, or as a Danna burger with pork, cheese, and BBQ sauce. (There is a turkey burger, and it comes on whole wheat toast.)

BBQ is the real deal — smoke-cooked to a point beyond tenderness where the meat wants to simply fall apart. That’s fine with pulled pork, but ribs so soft deny the joy of chewing and lose the tang of smoke flavor. These are minor caveats. The BBQ is satisfying, especially when amplified with a spill of Danna’s sauce, which is available mild or (not too) hot.

Barbecue plates include what’s billed as a Memphis roll — a tender cloud that is buttery as-is, but also is topped with a good portion of melting butter. It’s a simple addition to the meal, and a very welcome one.