Fine Burger Company

The FBC's tomato-shaped ketchup dispensers are of white rubber, with a silver plastic nozzle. Its plastic chairs curve modishly, and stylish red and white light globes hang above its dining area. Yep, this shopping-centre eaterie has cool-diner decor off pat. Less pleasing are the pushy slogans of wall-mounted photos bearing legends like 'why not try a meal combination?' And there's no avoiding the background echo of the shopping centre. Don't be fooled by adventurous-sounding burger options like thai chicken satay; jerk chicken with avocado and pineapple salsa; or grilled chorizo with wild rocket, aïoli and piquillo pepper. This is cooking with its heart very much set in previous decades. A blue cheese dip tasted more like mayonnaise; chunky chips 'with skin left on' had a motorway-services blandness; and despite onion rings being 'chilli and cracked black pepper' tempura-battered, they were greasy and flavourless. Things improved tremendously with an outstanding rich and chunky malty peanut butter and banana milkshake. Service was prompt and polite too, but was obviously not enough for the two separate customers we saw angrily asking for refunds. So-so.