An ageing magazine editor and full-time lush played by Ted Danson once mused about how many Martinis he had sunk over a lifetime of New York parties.

"Probably about a thousand", was his conclusion, in comedy Bored to Death.

The same question might well be asked of burgers, such is their omnipresence and popular status as a fall-back menu option.

The Gourmand probably hasn't had a thousand, but it could well over the 500 mark.

This rather pointless exercise at least goes some way to explain how there is a market to sustain scores of businesses in the city whose sole purpose is to serve up variations on the beef patty sandwich.

Not only that, but there are sub-cultures, off-shoots - possibly even Maoist sects - within the burger world.

MEATliquor is deliberately dirty, loud and neon and best consumed with hard liquor. Troll’s Pantry does premium Sussex grazed, from cows which once had long hair horns. And popular favourites the Burger Brothers pedal party-in-the-mouth flavours from their central grab-and-go spot.

Coggings and Co's upmarket spin on the burger has tried to clean up the much fetishised dirty burger for an altogether more family-friendly experience.

Quite how much we needed somewhere classy to eat marked-up minced meat and bread seems a moot point now, with the likes of Coggings as popular as ever 18 months after its launch.

And such is the track record of owner Andrew Coggins, as former general manager of The Grand, owner of the Preston Park Tavern - and with a passing resemblance to Ted Danson - it might be assumed he would excel in any area of hospitality.

On the surface at least, the restaurant is a success, pitched somewhere between a vibrant restaurant and relaxed cafe. Blown-up JJ Waller prints of camp city scenes adorn bare-brick walls, for an amiable Brighton-celebrating space.

The food is well-rated too, Coggings the recent winner of best burger at the Brighton and Hove Food and Drink awards as well as making the Sunday Times’ top UK restaurants under £20.

But it all builds up to an almost inevitable anticlimax when the main event was so achingly average.

The burger looked good - toasted brioche and shapely burger on a simple wooden board.

But the headline option, which came with Monterey Jack cheese and streaky bacon, was instantly forgettable, with bland, crumbly beef, stingy toppings and no pickled gherkins or much gushy stuff at all.

The Gourmand assumed Coggings’ burgers would be done well, but these were well done. There may be health restrictions on how pink mince can be served, but that’s no excuse for grilling the life out of it. Reportedly sustainably grazed in Sussex, it was hard to tell much about the quality at all.

When the toppings dared stand out they were overwhelming, one tasting of Barkham blue cheese and little else.

The regal purple colour scheme screamed quality, but it did not trickle down to condiments, the tomato ketchup the intensely vinegary stuff of greasy spoon cafes.

The sides and drinks were far better. Triple cooked beef dripping chips were a delicious shade of nut brown and the best thing on the menu, while the onion rings were like tyres, bulging with batter.

There was a splendid selection Sussex beers on offer including Hepworth, Dark Star, Naked Beer and Harveys, and a good wine selection of viognier, malbec, tempranillo and rioja - as well as bubbles from Bolney, Plumpton and Ridgeview.

But a mean slice of pear tart, with a sturdiness hinting at it being least a day or two off fresh, did little to make amends. Coggings' reputed service standards also fell short, with well-meaning but inexperienced staff getting increasingly headless as service wore on.

By 2015 restaurant standards, Coggings is reasonably priced, and well-suited to families looking for a simple night out, not dissimilar from the mid-market chains of Pizza Express or Giraffe.

This ordinary experience could well have come on a duff night, and many do rate it highly.

But it was hard to square with Andrew Coggings' promise to "raise the bar" when you can get burgers juicier, tastier and pinker elsewhere.