[Photographs: Erin Jackson]

My search for a classic, no-frills cheeseburger in San Diego led me to the appropriately named Classics Malt Shop in Loma Portal. This friendly neighborhood burger shop with a '50s retro vibe clearly follows the "KISS" procedure when it comes to cooking. The straight-forward menu includes a short list of burgers, sandwiches, shakes, and malts. Best of all, you get the distinct impression that even after a few visits, the owner would get to know your order well enough that you could confidently ask for "the usual."

Classics Malt Shop had already won a place in my heart before I got a chance to sample the food for two reasons: Their burgers are my preferred size (1/3 pound—which seems to be an endangered species these days, at least in San Diego) and you can get a shake made with any flavor of ice cream in the freezer for a reasonable price.

At first glance, the cheeseburger looked fairly generic, but all it took was one bite to blow my mind. Though the the toppings were fresh and tasty, I was tempted to ditch them and revert back to how I ate cheeseburgers for the first 25 years of my life: with just meat, cheese, and bread. That's no knock against the roughage—it's a compliment to the meat.

Classics Malt Shop burgers are made from fresh ground beef that's formed into third-pound patties in-house. Despite being on the small side, the burger had just as much robust, beefy flavor as a half-pound patty. Two main factors give this (relatively) small burger some serious inner bigness: balanced seasoning and ground beef with a fattier than average meat-to-fat ratio.

The meat is seasoned with salt and pepper, plus a touch of garlic powder that managed to bring out the flavor of the beef without overpowering it. The second factor, a 73/27 meat-to-fat ratio, allowed the patty to remain tender and juicy even though it was cooked through with a delicious caramelized crust flecked with char. The extra fat in the beef mix might have been overkill in a half-pound patty, but in a smaller patty it was a stroke of genius. The lightly toasted sesame seed bun was good quality commercial grade—nothing special, but still a good fit for the burger.

Fresh-cut, skin-on fries are a must. Fried in small batches to a rich, dark brown, they had a thick, crunchy skin that yielded to a supremely fluffy center bursting with potato flavor.

Perhaps the best thing about the burger at Classics being a reasonable size is that you'll have room for a shake (or malt)—an absolute must-order when they're this good. Shakes are made the old-fashioned way with three scoops of ice cream and a splash of milk. The consistency was spot-on: thick enough that you could eat it with a spoon, but also easily drinkable. Best of all, shakes can be made from any flavor (or combination of flavors) of ice cream in the freezer, which includes options like birthday cake and mint chocolate chip.

About the author: Erin Jackson is a freelance food writer and photographer who is obsessed with discovering the best cheap and tasty eats in San Diego. She always saves room for dessert.