Jason Fallman, chef at Grease, shows off two burger creations, the Durango and the Black and Blue. (Bruce R. Bennett / The Post)

Directions, information about Grease Burger Bar

Let’s face it: The news of late hasn’t been all that cheery. The economy is a long ways from fully recovering. Home values are probably never reaching the highs of a few years ago. Oh, and we’re all destined to die in 2012 — at least according to Hollywood and the Mayan calendar.

So you know what I say? It’s time to kick back and enjoy a burger.

I mean a really good burger, dripping with those beefy juices — fat, blood, you name it and I’ll slurp it up. And a big burger, too — not those quarter-pounder fast-food affairs that never seem as hefty as promised. And while we’re at it, thrown on some decent toppings: a slice of cheese that doesn’t taste like processed goo, a tomato that’s ripe and red.

I’ve finally found such a greasy piece of meaty perfection — at the appropriately named Grease Burger Bar.

I admit I’ve been eying this year-old downtown West Palm Beach endeavor from the Big Time Restaurant Group — the same folks behind such popular eateries as Rocco’s Tacos and CityPlace’s City Cellar — with a certain degree of suspicion. I figured the last thing Clematis Street needs is a hipster burger joint, which is essentially what Grease represents. Such concepts reek of here-and-now trendiness. Instead, Clematis could use a restaurant with some real staying power.

But here’s the thing: When you make food as honest and good as Grease serves, you’ve got that staying power.

Which is not to say atmosphere doesn’t play a role in the restaurant’s obvious success. Grease has an abundance of cheeky attitude that reveals itself in such details at the meat hooks hanging over the bar, the photos of old-school butchers on the walls or the bull (dubbed Fred Asteer) that adorns the entrance.

But the attitude goes hand-in-hand with a certain degree of welcomed casualness: Depending on when you visit, Grease can assume many roles — a sports bar (there are 12 flat-screen TVs throughout the place), a late-night hangout (the long bar essentially takes up half the restaurant) or even a relatively easy-on-the-wallet downtown lunch or dinner spot (the burgers run as high as $11.95, but that still beats the cost of an entrée at many CityPlace restaurants).

It’s also the perfect place — outside of the Yard House — for beer geeks. That’s because Grease offers around 50 varieties of American craft beers by the bottle, posting info on the varieties — alcohol content, state of origin — on a big blackboard. If you know your preference, you won’t have a hard time finding a beer (generally priced from $4 to $7) that matches your taste, be it a very hoppy pale ale or a creamy stout. Meanwhile, the kids get to enjoy a first-rate draft root beer ($4 with free refills) from a Maine brewery. (Actually, I liked the root beer so much that I kept stealing sips from my daughter on a recent visit.)

An up-close look at the Durango Burger. (Bruce R. Bennett / The Post)

If the drink choices overwhelm you (there’s also a full bar), the rest of the menu won’t: Grease keeps it simple. There are a few specialty beef burgers (the variations have to do with the toppings), a few alternative burgers (veggie, turkey, organic beef) and a few other sandwiches and salads (blackened mahi, a hot dog). If you’re looking for more variety than that — a plate of pasta, a steak — you’ve come to the wrong place.

But, oh, those burgers (starting at $7.95). As I alluded earlier, I love the wet and, yes, greasy enormity of these 10-ounce behemoths. The restaurant uses primarily a mix of chuck and sirloin, balancing the fat of the former with the flavor of the latter. (There’s also a little filet and New York strip in the mix.) But either way, this is a burger that tastes like beef, not filler. Moreover, Grease gets the rest of the package right. The bun is a big, bakery-style affair — almost like a brioche. And the toppings reflect a gourmet touch: the bacon is smoky and thickly cut, the chili is heartily spot-on and the mozzarella in the restaurant’s signature PB Illustrated A-List Burger is the real-deal — that is, the fresh variety.

Moreover, if you stray from beefy territory, you won’t be disappointed. The blackened mahi mahi ($11.95) is all you’d ever want in such a sandwich — a decent portion of fish, the right amount of spice. Even a basic wedge salad ($6.95) comes with a nicely tangy, house-made bleu cheese dressing.

Of course, I could pick a big nit with the fries: For the life of me, I don’t get why Grease offers such ho-hum ones, the kind of thinly cut spuds that almost stand in contradiction to the burgers. And the “OMG” (as in Oh My God) cheese fries ($3.75) as more like WTH (as in What the Heck) cheese fries — with the kind of lame, runny cheese sauce I expect when I order nachos at the ball park. Fortunately, the rest of Grease’s sides are winners, including made-on-premise barbecue potato chips ($3.75) that have both crunch and kick.

As for dessert, it’s a no-brainer: Go for the thick milkshakes ($4.95). I thought the coffee was my favorite until I tried the adults-only spiked Go-Go shake ($11) with Kahlua, Bailey’s and espresso vodka — what a gloriously indulgent way to end an evening.

I heard many reports about lackluster service at Grease, but I can’t say I saw any evidence of that on my two visits. The restaurant may have a hipster attitude, but the staff can be down-right friendly and accommodating. I was also surprised at the degree with which one server knew his way around the beer menu.

I can only hope Grease becomes a permanent downtown fixture. It’s the kind of restaurant that works on many levels for many kinds of patrons, from families to midnight revelers. Strangely enough, I didn’t see many hipsters on my visits. Perhaps Grease has gotten too popular for them. I’ll gladly take their place.

R E V I E W

Grease Burger Bar

FOOD: A-

SERVICE: A-

ADDRESS: 213 Clematis St., West Palm Beach

TELEPHONE: (561) 651-1075

WEB SITE: greasewpb.com

PRICE RANGE: Inexpensive to moderate

HOURS: 11:30 a.m. to midnight, Sunday to Wednesday; 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m., Thursday to Saturday

CREDIT CARDS: MC, V,

AmEx, Disc

RESERVATIONS: For parties of six of more

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes, including restrooms

WHAT THE GRADES
MEAN:
A — Excellent
B — Good
C — Average
D — Poor
F — Don’t bother