1115 West Lynn, 476-1221

Mon-Fri 7:30am-4:45pm; Sat 7:30am-2:30pm; closed Sunday

There's not a lot of room for mystery at an old-style soda fountain. All the action takes place right before your eyes -- the waitresses work both the grill and the fountain to serve customers on all sides. During a busy lunch, three to five people cook in an area five feet wide and 20 feet long, usually without major mishap. Nau's Enfield Drug store started serving simple breakfast and lunch fare from its counter in 1951, and things haven't changed much since then. The green formica and bright orange swivel chairs may have aged a bit, but the counter and booths are still a great place to go if you want a substantial hand-smushed burger (wrapped in the obligatory wax paper) and the traditional assortment of ice cream treats. Limited workspace limits the menu somewhat -- you'll get a bag o' chips instead of fries -- but what's on the menu is consistently good. Standouts include the large burgers with buns grilled alongside the patty, breakfast tacos made fresh to order with slightly crispy tortillas, and ice cream sodas. Their shakes are great, but there's something transcendent about a thick, pink Blue Bell soda that arrives in a foot-tall frozen stem glass. Grab a spoon or straw and let the games begin. Nau's counter stays packed during lunch time, so try to get there at off hours if you want a guaranteed seat. Their prices haven't changed much since Truman, either -- a burger, malt, and tip will run you about five bucks. After you're done, pay up front and get your grammaw a pretty card on the way out. It's her kind of place.

-- Pableaux Johnson