This delightful anachronism, located in an old whitewashed train car, has lured Lakeview inebriates (the 3 a.m. crowd) and local regulars (the daylight crowd) for years. At first glance, the 24-hour Diner Grill might appear to be held together by spit and duct tape, and you might believe grease is the main ingredient in everything here—not quite true.

The Diner Grill provides good, quick and, yes, a little greasy diner chow for cheap. A burger costs less than $3, a double cheeseburger and fries runs you less than a Lincoln. It proved its dedication to putting out good food by the following: When I ordered fries, the line cook informed me that he wasn't happy with the oil in the fryer and was going to change it. "In the meantime," he asked, "Would you like some hash browns?" Yes, I did, and they were crisp, hot, well-made and full of potato-y goodness.

If you're looking for a true gut-bomb of the finest nature, the Slinger ($7.50) is your cup of tea. A famed assault on your innards, the big heaping mess contains the following: hash browns, grilled onions, two cheeseburger patties and two eggs over easy covered in chili. Like the sign taped to the wall says, "Don't ask, just eat." Best part: If you finish it in one sitting, you get a certificate celebrating your accomplishment.

Omelets, traditional milkshakes, sandwiches and other chow is available as well, and nothing costs more than 10 bucks. Pull up a stool and ease that hangover away.

Centerstage Reviewer: Karl Klockars