[Photographs: Lacey Muszynski]

Bunker's in downtown West Allis has been getting a lot of buzz lately. It was heralded as one of the top 30 restaurants of 2010 by Carol Deptolla, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's dining critic. It was also recently featured on the Travel Channel's "Best Place I've Ever Been" burger joint edition. It's got vintage '50s decor and a sizeable menu of tiki-inspired drinks, including a fish bowl with a flaming shot center. You might think it's a little bit kitschy, but the vibe is surprisingly modern, though unpretentious (it has to be in West Allis, don't you think?).

I will be going back to Bunkers, but unfortunately it won't be for the burger. It could have been so, so good, but perhaps I hit the restaurant on an off night. Brad's Barnbuster is the signature burger, and a number of components had me excited. Half-pound angus patty cooked medium, ciabatta bun, over easy egg, smoked cheddar, and demi-glazed onions. Plus Wilson Farms bacon and homemade tomato jam? Sounds spectacular.

But a burger is only as good as its best component, and everything I was excited about was extremely lacking. The ciabatta bun had the texture of a French roll that had been sitting in a plastic bag for a day or two. There was no crust whatsoever, even though it had obviously started life with one. The minimal toasting it got didn't help much. It was also long and rectangular, and the patty was a typical round, leaving at least an inch or two of emtpy bun on two sides. Plain, day-old bun is not very tasty.

One of the joys of having an over easy egg on a burger (or any sandwich) is the unctuous yolk that runs out of the egg and down the meat. Though the menu states "over easy," this egg was easily over hard and the yolk was completely solid. Thoroughly disappointing.

And then there's the beef. Our server asked how I'd like it cooked and I asked for medium. The patty was beyond well done. It was even chewy. That basically sucked all the juiciness and rich flavor right out of the meat. Strangely, there wasn't much of a crust, either, so the overcooking had to have happened on a relatively low heat.

The bacon was well done and not fatty, but it was somehow limp. And the cheese, while tasty, wasn't completely melted. The onions and tomato jam both had great flavor, but one or both had an unusual amount of liquid when put on the burger. Along with the spinach under the patty (not mentioned on the menu) that wilted from the heat, there was a puddle on my plate, soaking the ciabatta. It certainly wasn't juice or grease from the dry, overcooked meat, so it had to have been toppings.

Overall, the flavor of the quality toppings worked well together, and if the components had been cooked with more care, the burger would have been very good. Other parts of the meal were quite good, especially the onion strings, which you can get as a side to your burger, or order as an appetizer. They were crispy and thin and served in a wax paper cone. I'd recommend the onion strings over the fries, which were frozen and unremarkable. Definitely try a cocktail; my Brandy Old Fashioned was muddled with orange and not too sweet. And a bargain at only $5.

The cons outweighed the pros for the burger on my visit, but non-burger items ordered by my dining companions were very good. Between those items, inexpensive daily specials and the attentive customer service, Bunkers is worth a visit, whether you decide to try the burger or not.

About the author: Lacey Muszynski is an editor, freelance writer and restaurant reviewer from Milwaukee, WI. When she's not burgerblogging on AHT, she might be updating her food blog, making fun of the Food Network, or wondering what her art degree has to do with all of this. Her idols growing up included Martin Yan, Chairman Kaga, and whoever was on Great Chefs, Great Cities that day.