While we consider the merits of Jo Shmo's, a new chain of American-style grills coming to a high street near you, it is worth remembering the following: there was a time when Garfunkels was regarded as cool. Even the salad bar looked like a neat idea. People thought being able to serve yourself as much cold sweetcorn as you wanted was a privilege rather than a punishment. What this tells us is that nothing dates faster than sophistication.
For the moment, though, in our blissful innocence, it is probably fair to regard Jo Shmo's as a symbol of the increasing sophistication of the mid-market chain-restaurant industry. For years Pizza Express had the market to itself. Then the Ask chain appeared, out Pizza-Expressed Pizza Express, and has grown to more than 100 outlets. Recently, it recognised that the quality-pizza market is saturated and it diversified. First came the Italian trattoria chain Zizzi, and now Jo Shmo's. The first opened in Wimbledon a couple of months back. Another followed in Kingston, with a third in Guildford. Next year a further 20 will open. Trust me: you will not be able to avoid them.
Worse things could happen.
The company knows what it is doing and this is a pretty decent product. The dark wood walls and dark slate flooring of the original - and presumably all of them to follow - give it a modest claim to style. The menu - burgers, steaks, ribs, salads, sandwiches - is hardly groundbreaking, but it is done well. Crab cakes were more crab than potato. The 7oz burger, though served medium rather than rare as requested, was a solid piece of real beef and the bun was not too sugary. Chicken was dry, but ribs showed the requisite long cooking and the sauce wasn't bad. Not a patch on Soho's Bodean's, but more than passable. And we loved - as in became addicted to - the spiced-tobacco onion strings. Only a starter of Portobello mushrooms with an industrial-strength breadcrumb shell failed to impress. Pricing is keen, with most main courses around £7, and as you would need a gut the size of, well, mine, to finish three courses, even with drinks it would be tough to bust £20 a head.
One of its Unique Selling Points, according to the manager, is the 'toilet concept'. Vaguely themed after the musical Grease, in that the soundtrack is playing, there is a hole in the wall over both sets of sinks so that boys and girls can talk to each other while washing their hands. Adolescents will love this. My only solid criticism of Jo Shmo's is the choice of music downstairs, which includes tracks by The Carpenters. It is never good to be serenaded by someone who died of anorexia while eating your lunch.
· Jo Shmo's, 33 High Street, Wimbledon, London SW19 (020 8879 3845). Meal for two, including drinks and service, £40. jay.rayner@observer.co.uk
