TAMBER'S

3327 St. Paul St. Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Call 243-0383. FAX 243-0478.

Tamber's, a 1950s-themed soda fountain restaurant, is popular with the Hopkins and Union Memorial crowd.

Prices are moderate, from $2.75 for a sandwich of cream cheese and olives on whole wheat toast to $8.95 for a marinated, grilled boneless breast of chicken served with two vegetables, rolls and butter.

The service is swift, with orders arriving in five minutes during a busy lunch period recently.

The Bleu cheeseburger, which costs $3.75 to carry out a la carte or $5.25 to eat in (when it comes with fries) was huge, cooked to specifications and served on a soft, fresh bun topped by a savory melted layer of blue cheese and fresh tomato, onion and lettuce.

The french fries were piping hot, golden, and served unsalted.

Aside from submarine sandwiches, hot and cold sandwiches and fried fish and chicken, Tamber's has a way with sweets. Old-fashioned pineapple upside-down cake and coconut layer cake compete with ice cream desserts.

I found the chocolate milkshake ($2.75) smooth and rich; unfortunately, I had eyes but not the stomach for the sumptuous banana split ($3.75).