Ketchup (Ashton Lane)

What: Restaurant
For: Lunch
With: Boyfriend
Site: Here

I am a sucker for a good student offer. I am also usually dragged in by marketing ploys. Burgers are good too. As a result, it's hard for me to stay away from this particular "gourmet" burger restaurant.

Ketchup is part of the Social Animal network in Glasgow, a relatively new addition, it partakes in the network's tendency to do plenty of student offers. It's main (usually only) offer is two-for-one on weekdays.

Now, if you're a student, you'll read that as "half-price if I bring a friend along and we split the bill." Generally this is what I do. I actually visit the place alarmingly often, and I've probably been there more than any other single restaurant in Glasgow, which is impressive to say it only opened in September.

The service isn't always the fastest, particularly when they're busy (which they often are) but the staff are friendly, and the atmosphere is good. So I tend to forgive them. It's not the sort of place where you mind having to sit and wait for someone to come and take your order, because it's so relaxed - plus you can play with the magnets that are stuck to the magnetic drinks menu board, and make naughty sentences!

In terms of drinks they offer the standard range of soft drinks, a few good bottle beers and a couple on draft, and a small range of wines. Personally, wine seems like an odd thing to order with this kind of food, but I guess there's no harm in offering it. They also have milkshakes, which are large, and arrive in a milk bottle. Not the most spectacular I've had, but up there, and worth trying, although beer is probably the best thing to drink with a burger. Ideally peroni, but I digress.

I have only ever tried one of their starters. Predictably, the nachos. Order the small, and enjoy being surprised at the size, the first time I ordered them I had to ask to make sure they'd got it right and not accidentally brought the large ones. Plus, they taste really rather excellent. If the other starters are as good, then they've got it right.

For the main you are limited to burgers or a small selection of salads. I haven't tried the salads before, but every burger I've ordered I've loved. I was sad to learn that they'd taken the kangaroo burger off the menu (it was actually less a burger and more like a kangaroo steak in a bun, delicious), but there's still plenty of interesting stuff. The venison and the Greek burgers both come highly recommended, or, for the slightly less brave, the good fella and the over-easy. "Mushroom lover's Delight" isn't really, perhaps mine simply wasn't up to their usual standard, but when they said it came "loaded with mushrooms" I feel they lied.

Do note that the burgers don't come with chips or salad. You get your burger and whatever's in with it, and a pot of coleslaw. I'd suggest getting a portion of chips and a portion of onion rings for every two people, though not if you've ordered a starter or fancy a dessert. A burger might not seem like much, but these are quite special, and surprisingly filling.

If you're still hungry they do have deserts on offer, the selection being Knickerbocker glory, cherry pie or New York cheesecake. The Knickerbocker glory is beyond huge, plenty to share with a friend. The cherry pies are individual, rather than a slice, and impossibly cute, the filling is exceptional, though the pastry does let it down a little. New York cheesecake is a slice, and I'm told it's very good, though I haven't tried it myself.

For the price, the mood, the vibe, it's wonderful. Gloriously relaxed dining that has been aimed perfectly at students. Good enough that I don't mind going occasionally at weekends, even though it isn't two-for-one, as I did on Sunday. So, next time you're thinking of getting take-out because you can't be bothered to cook, don't. Instead, drag a friend along to Ketchup with your student cards and enjoy one of the best burgers in Glasgow.