There’s this hamburger place in the heart of Compton. It’s called Hawkins House of Burgers and those burgers are divine. However, the house that gives Hawkins its name is the back of a convenience store. Malt liquor, bulletproof glass, lots of side-eye and more than a couple of limps of unknown provenance—the best way to describe the ambiance is “murdery.”
Nonetheless, I’ve taken no fewer than three dates to Hawkins House of Burgers. Each of those dates loved the experience. Two of those dates became serious girlfriends. This didn’t happen because I was some kind of dating genius.