On an early on a Friday afternoon, what to do? I know, beer garden! We got on the train to Helensburgh on a whim, and went to The Commodore. It's on the seafront, unfortunately with a great view of urban sprawl across the firth, and a road, but there is sea there too. The Commodore is a Vintage Inn, and it does feel like a chain bar but I don't mind Vintage Inns, they tend to be honest, traditional pubs with plenty of drinks choice (especially ales) and hearty food.
We picked a little table in the considerable beer garden, grabbed a couple of drinks from the bar, slapped on the sun cream and got cooking! The menu is the same in all Vintage Inns, so I ordered the Beer Battered Mushrooms to start and the Wild Boar & Chorizo Burger. The mushrooms came with a really acceptable garlicky dip, as ever were nicely cooked, and as ever they came with a long, crisp (Chinese?) lettuce leaf. Maybe it's because I'm not that partial to lettuce, or maybe it's because all the mushrooms and a small household cat could happily have floated to Greenock on this thing, but I just don't understand the need for it!
The guy turned up with the burger and asked who was for the boar and chorizo burger. I replied "I'm the bore" and he didn't even crack a smile, never mind make a smart remark! Full points service, zero points good-humoured sarcasm. I totally set him up there!
The burger was tasty, it always is, if a bit small for the bun, but I have no real complaints. You will never see so much liquid come out of a burger though, it creates a fair puddle on your plate. The chips, well like everything else to come out of a Vintage Inn kitchen, they are consistently above average, simple, not ground-breaking, and not at all unpleasant. read more