Del's Charcoal Burgers By NANCY MOORE You know those trendy restaurants where visible ductwork in the dining room is considered hip? Well, Del's Charcoal Burgers had conduits before conduits were cool. In fact, you'll find flashbacks to the 1960s everywhere you look in this good-old-boy burger joint. Need to check your burger order for the folks back at the office? Ditch your cell phone and call them on the rotary-dial pay phone next to the old-fashioned walk-up counter. Icy cold root beer is served in old-fashioned frosted mugs (85 cents) on a menu that is much the same as it was in 1957. That's when original owner Del Smith opened at Greenville Avenue and Main Street. (Mr. Smith moved the restaurant to the current South McKinney Street location in 1962.) Current owners Rick and Cathy Coleman bought Del's in August of 1999. Says Mrs. Coleman, "A lady who used to work for Mr. Smith 40 years ago came in and ordered her favorite No. 5 burger ? [and] said it was exactly as she remembered.'' The diner fare includes hot dogs, a chicken-fried steak sandwich, fish sandwich and, of course, those burgers. We went for the chili cheese and onion burger ($2.60) and a cheeseburger ($2.75). Broiled over an open flame and charcoal, the compact disc-size beef patties didn't yield much juice. We wouldn't call them dry, just lean. They were thin, so order double meat if your appetite warrants such. Thin patties aren't necessarily a negative, especially if you like lots of grated mild cheddar, plump juicy tomatoes, crispy lettuce and chopped onions between the toasted buns. Red, rich chili mixed with cheese and onions dripped from the bun onto the paper wrapper – none wasted. We also were quite fond of tangy hickory sauce on a burger. Crunchy thick-cut fried onion rings, home-style french fries (skin on) and light, crispy tater tots served in cute little baskets were portioned just right, so we still had room for dessert. Fried pies ($1.20 – apple, cherry or lemon), petite but satisfying, were intensely flavorful. The sweet, crunchy turnover shell made a heavenly, sticky, gooey mouthful with the tart, creamy filling. Regular customers are on a first-name basis with the staff, and the small-town casual atmosphere seems just right for the place.