Burger lives up to hype

Chef Steven Lingenfelter unleashed his signature burger, the Hank, upon Atlanta at Joystick Gamebar in the Old Fourth Ward, where Illegal Food once operated as a kind of in-house caterer. Now, he has moved to a freestanding location in Virginia-Highland that was home to Bar Meatball and a kazillion restaurants before.

Here’s hoping he breaks the space’s curse, because his concise menu of burgers, fries and a few cheffy specials works handily.

The Hank is like the missing link between the backyard burger and the fast-food double stack: juicy in the center and crusty at the circumference, but also decked out with the American cheese, iceberg lettuce shreds and swipe of pink goodness that hits your Big Mac button.

Pair it with a splendid bowl of crisp, hand-cut fries under a blanket of all the garnishes that get heaped on okonomiyaki, a Japanese savory pancake: brown sauce, mayonnaise, pickled ginger, flaked seaweed and fistfuls of dried fish flakes. Crazy delicious.

On the downside, service can be scattered and the prices aren’t cheap. You’ll spend $30 but eat well.