Wannaburger

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There’s something pleasingly retro about slipping into a booth and flirting your way round a milkshake and a burger. Wannaburger makes you feel 15 all over again, but in a much, much better way than the first time around. Think burger bar Saturday afternoons, but for grown-ups. There’s no need for any teenage angst about the ingredients either –- the beef is Scottish and traceable, the chicken and eggs are free range, and the buns are baked daily in Leith. All the main burger options come as a traditional 7oz beef patty, a chicken breast or a veggie-loving bean burger, and if you’re stressing over puppy fat they’ll serve any burger off the bun on a bed of extra salad. Side dishes are extra, but there’s enough to share and the crunchy, fresh, lightly dressed coleslaw is well worth forking out for. The friendly staff has built up a loyal following of shoppers and workers in the West End, while the Royal Mile focuses more on the tourist market. Both do a brisk trade in good value, express service takeaway and welcome the kids with open arms, but this is also the perfect place for grown-ups to sip a shake and come to terms with the fact they didn’t get to go to High School Musical.

• High point: Coke floats
• Low point: Greasy chips

1. M – 28 July 2008, 8:55amWannaburgerReport

Hopes were high for Wannaburger, a simple concept which if well executed could exceed the sum of its components. The Cambridge Bar and the Blue Moon Cafe have proven that a simple burger can elevate its status with a little thought and attention.

Sadly Wannaburger did not live up to the hype, which is a real disappointment. This certainly ain’t no fast food! The service was painfully slow (50 minutes from placing our order to receiving our burger) and the food did not merit the wait.

We ordered one 'Bacon Guacamole' chargrilled chicken breast and one 'Blue Cheese' Beef with Onion Rings, Chips and coleslaw on the side.

The bacon and chicken were, as they say in the kitchen, CTF; which of course means cooked to a frazzle although there is a more colourful alternative! The beef burger was not similarly cremated, but it was generously caked in burnt fragments, evidence that the griddle was in need of a good clean. Both came in a cheap and nasty faux MacDonalds' bun. The lettuce and tomato on the buns were at least fresh.

Our side order of onion rings were greasier than a mechanics overalls and the chips were a massive anticlimax of the crinkle cut frozen variety.

The excellent coleslaw was the one saving grace being both fresh and tasty.

Perhaps we picked the wrong day as the town was obviously getting busy pre-festival and the place was pretty full. Sadly they did nothing to tempt us back a second time to see if this was the case.