Bacon Blue Cheeseburger from McLynn's

Hearty Irish fare— shepherd's pie and thick, creamy soups—sounds far from appealing during what has been a long, hot, humid summer. But on an unusual cool, rainy day last week, a bacon blue cheeseburger from McLynn's called my name.

With a full bar and full-service dining room, McLynn's is ideal for an informal lunch with the boss, a farewell meal for a co-worker, or a lunch date with a friend. In the cooler months, the old-fashioned, Irish-themed décor—think wood tables, green carpet, and walls adorned with an eclectic array of old washbords, maps, prints, hockey sticks and clocks—make for an especially inviting, comforting environment. Service is attentive, often with an Irish brogue.

The daily specials are written on a small chalkboard, which the waitress places in front of you after you sit down. Last week's specials included cream of celery soup, corned beef sloppy joes, cajun grilled chicken sandwich, and penne with broccoli, bacon and cheddar.

Having eaten here on several occassions before, my mind was made up long before the lunch hour. No menu or specials were necessary, except for one addition: To the bacon blue cheeseburger I had been craving all day, I added sauteed onions for an extra 50 cents.

All burgers at McLynn's are made with 8 ounces of lean ground beef and served with lettuce, tomato and french fries. American, swiss, mozerrella and cheddar cheeses are also available, as well as raw onions or sauteed mushrooms. My blue cheeseburger started with an $8.25 price tag, and the bacon and sauteed onions each added an extra 50 cents.

My medium-well burger was juicy, the blue cheese sharp, the bacon crisp and the sauteed onions were a good, sweet addition, though they were not browned or carmelized. The French fries were neither thin and greasy like fast food fries nor thick and dry like some restaurants. They had the right amount of salt and flavor, and I wiped them out, along with my burger.

A fast-food chain in the West and Southwest, Carl's Jr., added to its menu several years ago what it called a "six-dollar burger." Though it only cost $3.99, it was so named because it is claimed to be of the same quality of a burger one would pay $6 for elsewhere—a step above the usual Whoppers and Big Macs.

Likewise, McLynn's burgers cost more than $6, but when you're looking for that thick, juicy burger that's several notched higher than what you might get at a fast-food joint on Route 22, McLynn's is the place to go.

And when the snow starts to fall, I'll be back for that cream of celery soup and shepherd's pie.