After being gone for nearly three months, I couldn't wait to return to Charleston. In addition to seeing some of my favorite people, I got to check out two new (or new to me) restaurants.

Happy Days Cafe is one that was new to me.

My boyfriend Carl (!) and I devoted our Saturday to shopping. First, we went to Stray Dog Antiques then Taylor Books. We then hit up a lots of antique stores around Charleston. And in the midst of this, I felt like my stomach was going to eat itself.

Happy Days Cafe, in South Charleston, had a steady stream of customers that afternoon, and it was one of the few on that block that I hadn't tried, so we took a chance.

 It's probably exactly what you'd imagine. The inside is a decent size, and they have a hodgepodge of furniture. Waitresses have probably been there for years and know the regulars' orders. We had arrived just after the Christmas parade had finished, so there were some families inside. And sitting right beside us was Bob Anderson, the executive director for the South Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau, who I interviewed for a parade story a while back.

Since it was busy - or maybe not - service was a little slow. It took a bit to even get our drinks. Or I could've been even more impatient than usual. One of those.

I ordered their Big Bopper, which was their quintessential burger. Your choice of cheese (provolone for me), lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, ketchup, mustard and mayo. Carl went for two WV-style hotdogs. I think. In addition to burgers and hotdogs, they have some sandwiches, hoagies and salads. So, diner food, but lunch style. Apparently they also have popcorn and an ice cream bar. Neither one of which I got.

The burger was okay. I devoured it, so it couldn't have been too bad. The patty itself was nothing to write home about - not a whole lot of spices or flavor (aka probs frozen), but since it was covered in veggies and condiments, it was fine. Pretty average.

Carl was a little less enthused about his hotdogs because they were cold. That's kind of one of the few ways to ruin a hotdog. I'm not totally sure what the price came out to, but I'm guessing it was a little bit more than I would've liked. Pretty average, but if you're in the area, an okay diner option.

Grade: C