Restaurant review: Elevation Burger
442 S. Washington St.
Falls Church, Va.
(703) 237-4343

West Coast natives should be familiar with In-N-Out Burger, the fast food equivalent of crack. Burgers are cheap and fabulous, fries out of this world. Potentially the best fast food ever, with a cult-like following.

Washington now has its equivalent, Elevation Burger. In fact, it's hard to believe the owners didn't do some heavy reconnaissance work. The burgers are served in the same square sleeves; the menu is just as sparse, the potatoes are even cut with the same wall-mounted slicer.

Culinary creationism aside, Elevation Burger does a superb job with the concept. Using American Kobe beef, olive oil for the fries and actual ice cream in their milkshakes, the food is tastier and healthier than the average burger joint. The menu also offers two types of veggie patty ("tastes sort of like meat" and "tastes like veggies").

The food is cooked to order, and it can take several minutes when the room is full. But it's well worth the wait, no dried out hockey-puck patties here. The fries are delicious, perfectly salted. Milkshakes are wonderfully thick and creamy. And for those who like to trick out their burger, a nice selection of toppings is available, including grilled onions and a blue cheese sauce.

Bottom line: In-N-Out has the cache of being mentioned in The Big Lebowski, but for East Coasters, Elevation Burger is the next best thing.