Forget the hot dog. America is a burger nation.

And Denny's restaurants have acknowledged the fact with a new, better burger. The new burger offers a 100 percent seasoned, hand-pressed (on the grill) burger on a “perfectly sized, toasted sesame seed bun” with lettuce, tomato, onions and pickles.

If you want cheese, have your choice of American, Swiss, cheddar or pepper jack. Burger options include the Western with tangy steak sauce and Swiss, the double cheeseburger, a mushroom Swiss burger with sauteed mushrooms, and a bacon cheeseburger with cheddar cheese.

The new burgers are available at participating Denny's, including those in Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Palm Desert, Bermuda Dunes and Indio.

Seafood night

Dink's Restaurant and Ultra Lounge in Palm Springs is diving into season with Wednesday night Seafood Fest from 5 to 10 p.m. The “'til it's gone” menu includes your choice of lobster (thermador, $28; two crepes, $20; or slipper tails, $24); Alaskan halibut fish and chips, $17; seafood brochette, $20; or bucket of snow crab claws, $24.

Dink's is at 2080 N. Palm Canyon Drive. Information: (760) 327-7676; dinksrestaurant.com.