Brothers have long failed in joint efforts to perfect the hamburger—the Wright Brothers, for example, had to settle for yawn-inducing innovations in human flight when their homemade Wilburger led to riots among disappointed Dayton diners. Appreciate the finer fruits of brotherly invention with today's Groupon: for $4, you get $8 worth of burgers, onion rings, and more at Vic and Irv Refreshments.

Vic and Irv Refreshments was founded in 1934 as a summer-only stand, with brothers Vic and Irv Anuszkiewicz switching to year-round service in 1947, when bans on eating in the wintertime were lifted. Start your sampling of the siblings' slate of grilled grub and fried fare with an order of homemade thick-cut onion rings ($3.50), coated with cornstarch and spices to hide their sordid past as Saturn's rings. Vic and Irv's hot sauce boasts a similar thickness, with some finely ground meatiness, a flamethrower's worth of spicy hot pepper, and a dash of cinnamon tingling tongues—feel the burn with the hot sauce-dressed ground-round burger ($3.80). Fried bologna sandwiches with grilled onions ($3.59) can share the bread bond with cheese ($0.35) or the works—hot sauce, mustard, onions, and relish—and a root beer float ($1.95) or an old-fashioned cherry Coke ($1.55 for a small) soothes inner storms of traffic-fueled fury.

Vic and Irv's neon sign beckons those on their way to and from the Seabreeze Amusement Park and Marge's Lakeside Inn, giving off a vintage vibe similar to the ghost of the fast-talking 1940s con man living in your attic. Steer the ship of your stomach toward the siren wail of classic American eats with the brotherly bounty of bites at Vic and Irv Refreshments.

Reviews

The City Newspaper gives a positive review to Vic and Irv Refreshments, saying:

• Vic and Irv's also prides itself on its onion rings, and I'm willing to agree that they are, on the whole, excellent. The rings are made with thick cuts of onion, battered with the same mixture that the restaurant uses on its fried fish on Fridays. What that means is that instead of the usual beer batter, these rings are dunked in a mix that contains both spices and cornmeal, adding interest to the coating and making it crisp up slightly better than regularly battered rings. – James Leach, City Newspaper