Take the ruggedness of a cowboy cook-out, add a touch of English eccentricity, a sprinkle of eastern flavour and mix them together to create Watford's newest burger joint.

Smoky Boys opened this summer on the bustling St Albans Road, a spot which offers plenty of passers-by but also lots of competition from other restaurants.

It's selling point to many will be the fact it serves up halal food and non-alcoholic cocktails, emulating the vibe of a trendy London diner. And it also offers a delivery service from 5pm- rare for a burger joint.

The striking exterior with its lightbulb embellished sign definitely draws the eye and inside the decor is even more impressive. The walls are covered with chunky wooden beams, corrugated metal, strips of imitation grass and quirky posters and the thickly padded booths are lit by low hanging bulbs suspended by draping red cord.

We started our meal on a winner - grilled halloumi skewers (£3.95) - which were the perfect size and shape, with the sweetness of the red pepper complementing the cheese wonderfully.

The shakes, which come in flavours such as Ferrero Rocher, Salted Caramel and Apple and Blackberry Pie, are made with fresh ingredients and the Banoffee Pie (£4.95) version was simply delicious. I sipped on a refreshing Beat the Heat (£4.50) cocktail made with fresh mint, pineapple, lime and lemonade but you can also choose from sodas and juices.

Our burgers certainly looked impressive when they arrived on their wooden boards, which seem to be the obligatory choice for places like this these days, but I did wonder about the size of the pattie which looked extremely chunky.

The manager had reassured me that, despite the name, the Bad Boy Suicide Sauce which comes in the Smoky Bad Boy (£8.25) which also includes fresh chillies, was only medium hot. Being the kind of girl who adds extra jalapeños to her chilli I plunged in but after a few bites my tastebuds were gasping. So you've been warned.

Being the kind of boy who loves burgers, my boyfriend chose the gigantic Smoky Beast (£11.95) which comes with two beef patties, oak smoked bacon, cheddar and American cheese, grilled onion, iceberg lettuce, pickled red cabbage, beef tomato and Smoky Boys Sauce all rammed into a brioche bun, creating a challenge that would satisfy even the hungriest of cowboys.

Bosses say they only use premium cuts of halal beef to make their patties and while they have a good meaty taste and the rest of the burger ingredients were near perfect we both felt the meat was a bit too dense and missing that nice touch of pinkness in the middle.

Sides are ordered separately we we sampled the skin on fries (£2.50) and sweet potato fries (£2.75) which were both crispy and delicious. You can also choose from home-made coleslaw or onion rings, chunky chips, guacamole and a mixed leaf salad.

We finished with the banoffee pie served with toffee sauce and a scoop of salted caramel ice cream (£5.50).

Smoky Boys is so close to being a cracking burger joint but was let down slightly by the main ingredient.

I'll definitely be back though, to try some of the other dishes such as chicken grilled, ribs, steaks and hotdogs, as I feel confident one of those will hit the bullseye.

274a, St Albans Road, Watford, WD24 6PE, 01923 252 968, smokyboys.com