1.   A shrimp burger is simply a cake of shrimp and seasonings served on a bun, with lettuce, tomato and tartar sauce.

2.   Like lobster rolls or crab cakes, shrimp burgers concentrate the sweet essence of shellfish and complement it with semisweet seasonings like parsley, onion and bell peppers.

3.   Most shrimp burgers are fried, but they bake well, too, if they have enough binding to hold them together.

4.   Shrimp burgers may have been invented to add variety to a diet dominated by shrimp and to make use of shrimp unsold at the end of the day.

5.   The freshest shrimp are essential to a shrimp burger.

6.   The shrimp burger at the Shoebox Cafe is comfortingly traditional, with the crumbly texture of a fried hush puppy and plenty of sweet onion and bell pepper.

7.   There are signs that shrimp burgers are wandering away from the docks.