[Photographs: Damon Gambuto]

D-Town Burger Bar has been staring at me for quite some time. This little Downtown Los Angeles burger spot opened up about a year and a half back and immediately went on my list of places to review. The set-up hit all of my pleasure centers: casual environment, wallet-friendly prices, and griddled, fresh beef. Yet somehow I hadn't made it there until just recently. Maybe it was the difficulty (or expense) of parking nearby; maybe it was the retro '50s look, or maybe it was just the goofy name. It could have been any of these (or simply my inveterate laziness), but none is an excuse to skip over possible burger greatness.

I remedied this 18 month oversight with a ride to the black, gentrified heart of my city's downtown the other day to see what I might have been missing. What I found was a burger place a lot like a couple of other very good places you've probably heard of. Imitation is the said to be a form of flattery, but making great burgers isn't simply a copycat's exercise.

The decor at D-Town is retro '50s which, while apropos of the style of burger that's served, is shiny, soulless simulation. In fact, it might just be fairly described as a simulation of a simulation. The look seems like someone went to Johnny Rockets and decided they could execute the same space with a lot less money.

As for the burger, it seems fair to call it "In-N-Out style." I started my meal with the #1, a combo of a single cheeseburger with fries and a drink. I had the burger with everything: lettuce, tomato, pickles, mayo, mustard, and ketchup. They were all perfectly satisfactory, but doled out in portions that meant the modest four-ounce patty didn't really stand a chance. That's too bad—the meat is fresh and fatty, if preformed. More than that, the cook didn't flinch at my medium rare request. He actually managed to deliver a little pink while still making sure there was a enough crust. My only nitpick in preparation was a very slight under-seasoning. Of course, with all that stuff on top a small patty (even with a slice of American there to add some fat) gets lost in the mix.

It's all relatively standard issue burger work, but I realized that if a place is following the In-N-Out style, it's only fair to order the way I might at the original. I needed something to compare to a Double-Double.

My second burger, a double cheeseburger, got both an extra patty and some grilled onions, and I got a significantly better meal. The added meat doesn't get lost among the toppings and the grilled onions are perfectly suited to the classic Southern California construction. I still could have used some added seasoning, but this version is the one I'd recommend. That said, it's still short of the original, largely due to an inferior bun. The seeded D-Town bun is more bready than in should be and, while it's a small detail, shouldn't be seeded. Were they to go with a spongier commercial bun the double cheeseburger might be methodone for the In-N-Out junkies who have to have some sort of fix.

The fries are better than I'd expected. They're fast food style, but get a little pop of sweet potato mixed in with the regular spuds. Yes, just like Father's Office, but I actually found these far better than what almost all fast food joints offer.

Ultimately, D-Town's burgers are perfectly acceptable and that's about all. They're basically fast food burgers that compare favorable to all of the chains with arches and kings and Jr.'s as part of their identity. Fundamentally though, D-Town lacks any definable identity of its own and, more than most people realize, that's what a great hamburger is all about.