Hole-in-the-Wall 2008: Teresa’s Drive-In

Unless one is a devotee of this unassuming, family-owned drive-in on the city’s East Side, it’s perfectly logical to whiz right past the charmless building. But the thick burgers are delicious and inexpensive, and because there isn’t really a dining room here, it’s hard to resist eating them in the car before getting home. The fare at Teresa’s might best be described as “American nostalgic”: fried shrimp, tacos, corn dogs, and really excellent malts and milkshakes. You haven’t lived until you’ve had a cold butterscotch malt with a triple cheeseburger and hot fries.

Starts: Jan. 11. Daily, 2009