Jenny's, Walsall

Sometimes you just want burger and chips for lunch and the lure of McDonald's and Burger King just won't suffice.

We, a gang of five, decided to opt for Jenny's restaurant. Surprisingly though when I mentioned Jenny's, easily one of the biggest cafes in the town centre and dressed in bright yellow signage, it wasn't that well heard of.

I have passed it on many occasions and it is always packed - especially, of course, during the busy lunchtime breaks.

It is a clear favourite spot for many shoppers who enjoy a sit down after some shopping at the nearby outdoor market or supermarkets.

The menu is typical fare from breakfasts, steak and chips, burgers, fish and chips, chicken and chips, sandwiches, baguettes and jacket potatoes.

After looking through the menu, all of which is available for takeaway, it did make me chuckle when I glanced at the chef's specials which are liver and bacon and spaghetti bolognese.

I opted for a reasonably healthy-sounding option of spicy bean burger, a mixture of succulent vegetables coated with breadcrumbs fried until golden brown with chips and ketchup (£3).

We also had one double bacon, egg and chips (£3.05), a classic burger and chips (£2.25), a jacket potato with cheese and beans (£2.95) and a jacket with cheese (£2.25).

Straight away I could taste the chips had been deep fried. I don't think my arteries could take too much of that especially with a burger which had also been fried. Both could have been done with less oil and it would have been a much more palatable dish, although it really wasn't too bad.

The bean burger was better but this wasn't the healthy option I had hoped for. Pretty much the same can be said for the burger and chips.

One colleague also neglected the healthy option and one of my colleagues went for the bacon, egg and chips meal. He said that priced at £3.05 it did seem a little expensive but there were at least five rashes of bacon and an adequate selection of chips making it tasty and filling.

But despite coming in a tin container which kept it warm, it was probably not the easiest meal to eat in an office. Another colleague ordered a jacket potato with cheese and beans and it came served in a silver foil takeaway container with a salad garnish of lettuce, tomato and cucumber.

At £2.95 it was at the pricier end of the market, but the same snack is on sale elsewhere in the town for £2.25, but in terms of presentation and taste, both were good and portion size was ample.

The jacket was nicely cooked and warm and the filling was enough to cover the potato and then some. The garnish was a nice touch but it didn't go with the main event.

All in all, Jenny's does what it does well. It is clearly one of Walsall's best venues. But it could attract a lot more customers if it tried to deep fry things less often. The frying also leaves restaurant, which looks open and airy, with a distinct smell of heated oil.

ADDRESS

Jenny's Restaurant,Freer Street, Walsall

Phone: 01922 630983

By Lee Perry