When we walked into Mollie’s Diner, the first thing my other half said to me was ‘there’s Lee from Blue’.

And there he was. To people of a certain vintage, the star of a popular boy band and saver of whales.

To those a little younger (like my children) a bloke who was not very good on Strictly.

Nevertheless it set the tone for the evening. We spent the rest of the night craning our necks in the quite dark room trying to work out if that person over there was in fact David Beckham or someone off of the telly.

With some small-scale success, while we waiting (and boy did we wait) a Holby actor strolled by.

All this was unexpected for what was once a truck stop café by the A420.

Admittedly, it’s had a little bit of a makeover since those days.

The team behind Soho House have sprinkled their magic dust (and doubtless quite a bit of cash) on the site.

And now it’s a sleek, modern and yes, American-looking diner, with a motel at the back. Stars of the stage and screen graced its opening (Declan Donnelly, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Bacon, Paloma Faith and more).

Basically, it’s the place to be. And that’s why Lee from Blue was there. And us. And, on a Saturday night, A LOT of other people.

We arrived early evening, thinking if it was busy we’d miss the rush – there are no bookings. But that, seemingly, was what everyone else thought too.

We walked into the lobby to join a throng of around 30 people (and Lee from Blue). We were told 45 minutes. My seven-year-old daughter and five-year-old son considered this carefully before agreeing to the wait.

They were swayed, I think, by the well-placed bar in the reception area. I went for a Cotswold Pils, my wife had an IPA, daughter stuck with orange, son chocolate milkshake – when it arrived it was bigger than his head.

Then we waited. Half and hour ticked by. The juice and milkshake were nearly finished. 45 minutes came and went. The beers were done. Lee from Blue got his table. We ticked over an hour. The children were restless, so the phones came out to save the day – we were committed.

Finally, after just shy of 90 minutes we were in. I have no complaints about the wait (although my children did). The person manning the reception handled the crowd with admirable calm, always making sure no-one jumped the queue. It was a lesson in good people management.

The menu is a mix of the American classics – burgers, rotisserie chicken, fries and more.

But the thing that caught my eye was the vegan burger called Pure Filth. I am not a vegan but I had heard about this burger that hails from Gizzi Erskine’s London restaurant of the same name. It was, they say, the best of its kind. Ever. So that’s what I had.

It’s described as a vegan patty, beet black sesame bun, garlic aioli, American cheese, crispy onions, beetroot ketchup, pickles.

It looked quite the part when it arrived, heavily speckled with those black sesame seeds. And to eat? Delicious. No, it wasn’t like a real burger but that’s not the point. It was juicy, tasty and a proper handful. But at the same time light in a way a regular burger never is.

For research purposes I snaffled a bite of my son’s burger – standard but good.

And my daughter’s quarter chicken proved too much for her. I ate it. But that’s what dads are for right?

Chips are crinkle cut, like those ones by the famous company in the 1980s.

I had sweet potato fries, which just about succeeded in making the uncrispable crispy.

By now, Lee from Blue had gone and we were all full but there was no way we weren’t having a pudding.

The apple pie was served at the table, a huge piece with ice cream. And my, what a pie. This was a thing of beauty – not too sweet, not too sharp, perfect with the sugary hit of ice cream. And thankfully enough for four. We’ll be back. Mainly for this.

And the cost? Around £40 all in, which is pretty damn good for a family meal out.

So if you fancy a slice of Americana – and the chance of spotting her off of Corrie – the head to Mollie’s. And enjoy your wait with a bit of people watching.