There are some Mom and Pop operations that still serve decent food, but, they're dying off because the younger folks never learned about tasting the food and remembering where the "good" stuff comes from. They tip even though they are poorly served, they continue to eat bad food without a word. The proprietors often don't even eat their own fare. (One clue should be the Wendy's bag in the trash in the rest room.)

At the other extreme, if there's a long line, it's certain the food is expensive and the service is terrible.

In Denver, there's a neighborhood full of ethnic restaurants, mostly Latin-American, but small and, not official. Yes, you can get a touch of the "creeping crud" because they only have three tables out on the front porch, but they have unusual and tasty food. You have to dig for it, though. Many of them don't even have a sign. They just have a few tables out in the front yard. I've been disappointed a time or two. One time I couldn't communicate with the help, though I did eventually get something to eat. Another time, after some discusison, I learned that the woman who'd been talking to me at some length wasn't a waitress ... but her husband wasn't home ...

As for the beer, well, I can generally rely on "Fat Tire."

RE