Cheap Eats: El Cap

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A basic burger should never cost that much. Heck- McDonald's can shell them out for 50 cents, a quality burger is still a steal at five times the price. In St. Pete, locals know El Cap can be counted on for their midday burger munchies.

The Digs: El Cap is set in an old-fashioned brick bar on 4th Street on St. Pete's North side. Just one look at the sign outside and from your very first step in the dining room, you can see that this place is an institution. There was a time when lunch there meant eating just feet away from one of several baseball legends who chose to retire in the area. Faded sports memoribilia line the walls up to the ceiling. And as can be expected from a place that's been serving sandwiches for 50 years, the age spots are showing. While other say it's part of the atmosphere, others avoid it like the plague.

The Dish: If you're looking for a monster burger, go elsewhere. The burgers are less than a handful, but the meat for these burgers are said to be ground daily. The buns are the generic grocery store kind, but El Cap gets points for grilling it first. If you like lots of toppings, be prepared to eat your sandwich in sections, as parts of it will fall apart. Now, I came into El Cap with high expectations. While the burger is good, it didn't knock my socks off. I like my burgers topped with mushrooms and grilled onions, lettuce and tomatoes.I will say, it was thick and juicy and it did fill me up. By the way, all the toppings will cost you extra. The fries and any sides are also going to cost you extra. The fries are a tinge better than McDonald's, just not as salty. The onion rings are very battery- so if you like your onions full of flour, order up!

The Damage:  Despite the added charges for toppings you might not expect, sharing sides of fries and onion rings offset the cost. Except for water, all drink refills will also cost you extra. We fed four grown-ups for $30.

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