Although I’ve been looking forward to burger and chips – and especially tomato sauce – all afternoon, I’m prepared for a disappointment.

It’s the mindset of a realist rather than a pessimist because the usual burger experience in Scotland is a disappointing one.

Fast forward three-quarters of an hour to a vision of full stomachs, empty plates and satisfied smiles. Ketchup’s burgers are good. In fact on this occasion they bordered on delicious.

This is good news for one and all – firstly because there are three branches under the ever-growing G1 restaurant and bar umbrella (the others are in the west end of Glasgow and Dundee) and secondly because this is a quality family restaurant with decent food for children. The city can always do with another of those. And when it is time for children to be in bed and the lights are dimmed, the design and décor of this stylish diner provide enough ambience for all sorts of grown-ups.

Shuffle your bottoms into a roomy booth or perch on high at tables for two and drink in the caramel leather seating, 1970s-style red-and-white glass partitions and light wood finishes.

Enjoy the ubiquitous Ketchup logo – on the windows, the waitresses’ aprons and even on the ketchup – oh, hang on, that’s where it should be – it is their own recipe sauce, Ketchup ketchup one might say, and available to take home for £1.50.

And while I’m not predicting the demise of Emperor Heinz (or Crown Prince HP for brown sauce aficionados), Ketchup ketchup is gloriously gloopy with a hint of BBQ tang and the perfect foil for the crunchy, fluffy fries (£1.95 a portion).

But, wait, we haven’t even talked about the burgers yet. So back to the beginning and a nice, smiley, “Welcome to Ketchup”, from the waitress gets our early evening experience on a dreich Thursday off to a sunny start.

The food menu is a red and white paper place mat – all very jolly and easy to follow, with full provenance of the beef and chicken and around 36 burgers to choose from. This includes five veggie options and a dedicated children’s selection.

For difficult types, yes, you can have something else – fish and chips, chilli, salads – and there are the required sides such as onion rings and extra coleslaw. That’s the thing with burger joints, we all speak the language. We’ve been TGI-ing, Wimpy-ing and Hard Rock cafe-ing for half a century. We love them but now we expect more. In our more discerning era, we want our burgers to be fresh, well-cooked and high quality. Can an old format deliver for fussy foodies?

This fascinating discourse continues as drinks are ordered (Smirnoff and tonic, £2.50; 250ml of Italian Shiraz, £4.55) and swiftly arrive.

The dinner choice is easy for my burger buddy. “I’m surprised that there’s more than one thing I really want,” says he – ordering a Zorba the Greek (Scottish lamb patty with mint, red onion, feta cheese, tzatziki, little gem lettuce and tomato, £8.95) – but not in front of the waitress.

I talk myself out of the King Kobe burger (made with posh Japanese beef from cows who drink beer and receive massages, £16.95) and go for a Can’t Be Beet (with homemade beetroot and balsamic relish, tomato, mozzarella and rocket, £8.95).

We barely have time to play with the fridge-magnet words stuck to our metal drinks menu before the food arrives…on long narrow wooden boards. First the large burger, then tiny bowls of relish and coleslaw, then a white bowl of fries, all in a neat row and rather stylish.

The buns aren’t the usual sesame-seeded soggy cardboard specimens. These have a slight granary texture and are tasty enough to finish. The whole bun. And the burger. Amazing and unexpected. My beef patty is juicy and flavoursome. Bud’s lamb is equally tasty, though the feta is a little lost among the other strong flavours.

We force down New York cheesecake (£3.95) and orange sorbet (£3.95) – for research purposes. They were, not surprisingly, bought in, and, not surprisingly, not that special. But thank goodness for that, I say.

With burgers and chips as tasty as this, let somewhere else provide the perfect pud. And excuse me while I retire for an hour. A 20-minute stroll home and I’m still full to bursting.

KETCHUP

1179 Pollokshaws Road,

Shawlands, Glasgow.

0845 6595902

Style: Understated diner.

Food: All types of burgers.

Price: Around £15 a head for

two courses.

Wheelchair access: Yes.