JG Melon

Jack O'Neill and George Mourges opened this Upper East Side burger spot in 1972, inside a building that's held a tavern since the 1920s, when a local brewery built it to sell its own beer after Prohibition. Watermelon decor covers the dark wood walls, and the Christmas lights never come down. The burger comes out medium-well no matter how it's ordered, dressed with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles, and the chili arrives thick with cheddar and diced onion. It's cash only, including the jukebox, with an ATM across the street and almost always a line at the door.