If you’re looking for a safe dining experience for a blind date or visiting family, then Bill’s Restaurant is an excellent choice.

Bill’s offers a cornucopia of menu choices from all over the world along with several vegetarian options in 81 locations throughout England, Wales and Scotland.

The menu literally caters for every occasion and dietary requirement.

For adventurous diners like myself, there’s an off-menu weekly burger creation to surprise your palate while filling your belly.

During my visit, the weekly special was a burger with black bean chili and melted white cheese slathered over grilled chopped onions, a thick beef patty, lettuce and mildly spicy red peppers.

My chili burger included an order of very crunchy fries and demanded to be eaten with a knife and fork. The messy challenge made me focus on enjoying the burger one large pie slice at a time while ignoring the tables around me. Each bite of the succulent beef soaked in chili cheese was delicious and a victory over possible shirt stains.

I chased the slight heat from the red peppers with Bill’s patented pink lemonade. The fizzy drink chilled my tongue with a burst of lemon and lime followed by a hint of carrot, apple and blackberry.

My meal was over fast, and the service was quick even with the generous amount of time the waiter gave me to decide on my order.

The overall experience reminded me a lot of going to a chain restaurant like Applebee’s back in the States. There’s nothing wrong with the place, but also nothing particularly exotic about it.

Oddly, my family requested to eat at Bill’s Restaurant on two separate occasions when they first visited me in England.

The restaurant in Bury St. Edmunds used to be a bank, but now has an industrial interior design with exposed brick walls painted off-white and distressed table and cushioned chair arrangements instead of a vault.

There’s also seating out front for crowd watching and an easy-to-miss secret garden in the back.

Bill’s Restaurant also offers a takeaway food service with orders placed online or over the phone.

howard.william@stripes.com Twitter: @Howard_Stripes

Address: 50 Abbeygate Street, Bury St Edmunds IP33 1LJ, England.Directions: About a 26-minute drive from RAF Mildenhall via the A14 to Bury St Edmunds and the nearest parking available to the restaurant is the Angel Hill Car Park next to the Abbey Gardens.Dress: CasualHours: 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Fridays, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays.Prices: Breakfast is served until noon and ranges from 4.50 pounds to 12.95 pounds ($5.93 to $17.08); lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. with prices ranging from $2.95-$19.95 and dinner available from 5 p.m. with prices ranging from $2.95-$19.95. A lunch set menu offers two courses for $11.95 or three for $14.95 and a dinner set menu has two courses for $16.50 or three for $19.50.Information: Phone: +44 (0) 1284 733822, website: bills-website.co.uk

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