Denny's has totally upgraded its burger portfolio with these new Better Burgers, and I'm sensing an attitude from America's all-night diner, with 1,500 restaurants coast to coast. All of a sudden, Denny's is bragging about its ingredients and daring the burger bully boys to a throwdown. Here's news: The big deal at Denny's is quality.

Here's the Western Burger blueprint: a thick, hand-pressed beef patty, tangy steak sauce, crunchy onion thingies, melted Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and red onion slices on a sesame-seed bun.

Total calories: 1,160. Fat grams: 65. Carbs: 79 grams. Fiber: 4 grams. Manufacturer's suggested retail price: $8.29 (includes newfangled wavy-cut fries, hash browns or dippable veggie sticks and a Coke). The burger and fries may be new, but the Coke is definitely the old reliable. You don't want to say "new" and "Coke" in the same sentence.

Denny's other Better Burgers are a Double Cheeseburger, Bacon Cheddar Burger, Mushroom Swiss Burger and Classic Cheeseburger. The Classic Cheeseburger is $6.99 for the meal, and the price rises as the toppings get more creative.

I picked the Western Burger because I'm not neutral about Swiss cheese — it's my favorite, and I love those little onion crunchies, too. More important, everything on my burger was prepared when I ordered it. Nothing was loitering under a heat lamp in a holding tank. The burger was delivered to my table exactly perfect. Hey, now, that's new and improved. The drive-thrus should take note.

Whenever I hear a company brag "new and improved," I always wonder, "Exactly what was so bad about your old product?" Of course, they never answer. Until now. Denny's is upfront about it. Their old burgers ... not so good.

For example, Denny's says its new burgers are made with "100 percent seasoned beef (.5 percent salt) for a better burger experience." Its old burgers? "They were flavored with a mixture of five seasonings, resulting in an unnatural taste."

The new burgers are "hand-pressed on the grill for natural homemade texture, better flavor and they're customized for perfect thickness." Its old burgers? "They were grilled from pre-formed patties, resulting in a tighter, tougher texture and significantly reduced juiciness."

I'm not used to honesty like this. Uh, while your right hand is raised, is there anything you'd like to tell me about the Grand Slam Breakfast?

There are way more upgrades to Denny's Better Burgers. Now Denny's is using thicker, creamier cheese for a more consistent melt. The old burgers had thin slices that didn't melt evenly and didn't exactly pack a lot of flavor. In fact, Denny's admits you couldn't taste the cheese on its cheeseburgers.

The veggie toppings are thicker, fresher and crisper. And now the bun is dry-toasted, instead of slathering it with margarine, which sogged up the burger and added unnecessary calories and fat.

Not to say these burgers are dieter's delights. All five of Denny's Better Burgers are packing more calories and fat grams than McDonald's new Angus Third Pound Deluxe, which weighs in at 760 calories and 41 tubby grams.

This is the kind of detail I appreciate, as a fast-food fan: Denny's burger ratio is now 33 percent meat to 67 percent bun instead of the old, bread-heavy 25 percent to 75 percent. That means you're getting more bang and burger for your buck. I like when the burger sticks out from all sides of the bun and I don't need to hire a sherpa to find the meat.