Flavor of the ‘50s : The menu and decor have not changed at the Smoke House, but that suits customers fine.

The Smoke House has been around since 1946, and its atmosphere is about as mid-century as you’ll ever find. Next to the clubby dining room full of red vinyl booths, there’s a starlight lounge with hundreds of tiny lights sparkling in the ceiling over the stage.

The food is retro, too, and the customers, among them lots of Industry types (Warner Bros. Studios is right across Barham Boulevard), aren’t complaining. And largely, neither am I.

For example, the Smoke House makes the best Cobb salad I’ve had in years. It’s an enormous bowl of shredded iceberg lettuce in a delicious vinaigrette, neatly topped with crumbled bacon and blue cheese, sliced avocados, chopped tomatoes and diced turkey.

But some dishes don’t translate so well to our era. The “world’s greatest” garlic bread is brushed with a Day-Glo orange substance I find strangely repellent. A mouthful is like eating an entire bag of cheese Doritos.

And steak Sinatra, sauteed with mushrooms and bell peppers, is a poor cousin to fajitas; the pieces of filet mignon are overcooked. (I must say the linguine it’s served on is nicely al dente.)

Generally speaking, though, you eat well here. The New England clam chowder is one of the best versions in the city, creamy and chock full of briny chopped clams and chunky potatoes.

The filet of salmon “en plank” is a nice chunk of fish stuffed with spinach and crab meat. It’s also daubed with a classic sauce bearnaise. Two of us split an order (there was a $5 surcharge) and still didn’t leave hungry.

The steaks are reliable, USDA Choice cuts (at prices that would buy you Prime beef at less pricey restaurants). The barbecued baby back ribs are even better; you get a full rack smoked over hickory and brushed with a mild but pleasantly complex barbecue sauce.

One of the real surprises is baby calf’s liver, sliced thin, sauteed with sweet onions and topped with bacon strips. One of the disappointments is the roast turkey dinner (served a la carte). The dressing tastes like store-bought and the meat, though moist, is flavorless.

The desserts, such as the tiramisu and the gooey chocolate Snickers cake, tend to be excessively sweet. But hey, so are most people’s memories of the ‘50s, when restaurants like this were in their heyday.

BE THERE

Smoke House Restaurant, 4420 Lakeside Drive, Burbank. Lunch 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday; dinner 4-11 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 3:30-11 p.m. Sunday; brunch 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday. Full bar. Valet parking. All major cards. Dinner for two, $38-$75. Suggested dishes: New England clam chowder, $2.95/$4.95; Cobb salad, $12.95; barbecued baby back ribs, $21.95; stuffed salmon “en plank,” $23.95. Call (818) 845-3733.