Bukowski's Tavern

Before you step into Bukowski Tavern, you think, this joint must have a killer burger. You sink into a plush, lipstick-red booth under dusky light and the thump of rock 'n' roll. The promise is extended: burgers anchor the menu. Of course, you order one.

Indulge in starving-artist meals of burgers and beers in a pub named for the hard-living poet and novelist Charles Bukowski. Chow down a "Reuburger" or a California burger with avocado, bacon, and cheddar or a peanut butter burger. Wash the food down with some of the tavern's 18 draft brews. Open to 2 a.m., dinner served until 1:30 a.m.

Like a hidden gem within a hidden gem, the legendary buck-burger at Inman Square hangout Bukowski is knowledge passed on only in furtive whispers. Order the bar-fly burger, and you'll spend $7, but come in any weekday between noon and 8 p.m. and ask for the not-on-the-menu buck-burger, and you get the same well-seasoned, 6-ounce flame-broiled patty with lettuce, tomato, thin-sliced red onion, and pickles for a mere $1.69. Want fries with that? An extra $1.10 will get you a full basket of ultra-crisp potatoes.

What's not to love about a bar named after a poet who did some of his best work while sloshed? BUKOWSKI'S TAVERN, named to honor Charles Bukowski, has an awe-inspiring beer menu and is famous for its burgers. You can try a burger or a foot-long hot dog for a paltry $1.69 every weekday before 8 p.m., and add a side of fries or mashed potatoes for $1.10.