When Dave Smyth grew up in Port Orchard, there wasn’t a lot to do. Today, the area is more crowded and fast-paced, but not always more exciting. So after a stint in the military, Smyth has returned to his home town and opened a new restaurant that pays homage to the diners and soda shops that evoke a simpler time.

“I wanted to open a simple diner, that wasn’t too expensive,” Smyth said of the Snap Dogs Diner, which he opened on Bethel Road behind Kitsap Bank on April 1. “This is a place to get a good burger, and where people can hang out.”

Simple is the key word here, since the menu has only four items — a hamburger, a cheeseburger, a hot dog and a chili dog. The most expensive item is the cheeseburger, at $5.49.

Fries and condiments are available, plus a full selection of ice cream.

Smyth plans to offer an equally straightforward breakfast in the near future, but it won’t be fancy.

“If I try to offer too many items, the quality will go down,” he said.

Smyth doesn’t use frozen meat or prepared fries, seeking the freshest available option. And even though he characterizes the menu as “good, greasy food,” the burgers are cooked with a minimum of extra fat and alien ingredients.

“This is the best burger I’ve had in a long time,” said customer Carolyn Pence of Port Orchard. “It’s really fresh. There aren’t a lot of places to eat in town, aside from fast food. This is better than fast food. It’s good quality in a nice atmosphere.”

Smyth, 29, is too young to remember the malt shop’s heyday in the 1950s, but this comes close.

Checkered linoleum floors offset posters of Elvis and a replica of a 1957 Bel Air.

Additionally, there is a plastic Corvette and several pieces of authentic Coke memorabilia.

The diner features a 1967-vintage jukebox, which includes a healthy selection of 45 rpm records from the 1950s and ’60s. It costs a quarter to play two songs, which is actually pretty close to the price charged in the old days.

Smyth is taking over the business from his mother, Raelene, who ran Snap Dogs in downtown Port Orchard for the last four years.

She recently retired for health reasons, and encouraged her son to step in. Smyth liked the idea but wasn’t so sure about the downtown location, even if he doesn’t rule out expanding down there in the future.

“Downtown needs work,” he said. “Parking is a problem. I’d feel better about opening downtown if there was a greater diversity of merchants.”

Since opening, Smyth has been relying on word of mouth to pick up new customers. He said that he doesn’t want to expand too quickly, especially since expanded hours or increased business would make it necessary to hire a second cook.

He currently employs two waitresses, who wear uniforms with “Alice” and “Flo” nametags — as a tribute to Mel’s Diner in the “Alice” TV series.

Smyth doesn’t have great expectations for the business, other than its ability “to make Port Orchard a little more interesting.”

And he realizes that he needs to tap into the tourist trade in order to build up a following.

“I’d like to get in some of the guidebooks and get some recommendations from different places,” he said.

In the meantime, the Snap Dogs’ menu doesn’t have universal appeal since it ignores the dietary concerns that have emerged since this food had its first wave of popularity.

“This really isn’t the place for healthy food,” Smyth concedes.