For shoppers in Wauwatosa, the stretch of 124th Street between Capitol Drive and Burleigh is a stretch of "Hamburger Heaven."

The fast-food behemoths -- McDonald's and Burger King -- have been represented for years. Murf's, which specializes in burgers and custard, has been pleasing customers just west of 124th for years. Culver's, located between Murf's and the big boys, opened a few years ago and has drawn steady business. The same is true for the nearby Chiptole and Q-Doba.

And now, there is a new contender.

Steak 'n Shake, a popular diner/drive-thru chain in the Midwest, opened its first Milwaukee-area location recently and operates off 124th near the new Lowe's home improvement store on 124th and Burleigh Streets.

Unlike many Steak 'n Shake locations, the Wauwatosa store is not open 24 hours a day. It does serve a breakfast menu, though, and is open late enough to catch a snack after a movie or a game.

For residents of central Illinois, where Gus Belt founded the first Steak 'n Shake in 1934, as well as future outposts like St. Louis, Indianapolis and Northern Illinois, eating "steakburgers," shakes and fries represents a religious experience not unlike the one many West Coast residents undergo at In-N-Out burger chains.

My college friend, Charlie, a soccer player from St. Louis, always lamented the lack of a Steak 'n Shake in Milwaukee when we were making late-night runs to George Webb's or other stops. I thought of him last weekend during a visit to the Wauwatosa location.

Charlie raved about the burgers, fries, chili, shakes and just about everything else at the place. Near as I can tell, he was right. The food, served by waitresses on durable china plates, is solid. In addition to burgers, which are pattied into pucks and flash-seared on a grill, Steak 'n Shake serves a variety of sandwiches, salads and very serviceable chili that can be served plain or with noodles.

Sandwiches are sold separately or as part of a platter costing roughly $6 or $7 with a drink and choice of side dishes including baked beans served in a crock, cole slaw, cottage cheese (served with a slice of pineapple), soups and fries, which are served shoestring style, smaller and thinner than most competitors.

The "hand-dipped" shakes are worth a trip. Several varieties of are available, including a healthy Fruit 'n Frozen Yogurt option featuring low-fat frozen yogurt. Breakfast includes standard eggs, pancakes, sausage and breakfast bagels.