THIS column is mainly a quest for something different, unusual, noteworthy, something to heartily recommend or forcefully warn you away from.

And frankly, it’s a darn sight easier to be enthusiastically approving or damningly judgemental than finding things to be just OK.

Readers like it too. It perhaps says something about human nature that the reviews which are remembered are the ones where serious stick is handed out. Ten years after demolishing the fare at the Scotch Corner Hotel before its refurbishment and reincarnation as a Holiday Inn, people still remember it. Complete strangers have said to me: “You didn’t like Scotch Corner, did yer?”. In truth, it was memorably disgusting.

So I confess I’m struggling with this one. I can’t say anything terrible, or terribly interesting about the Tawny Owl between Darlington and Hurworth/Neasham.

It used to be called the Bit and Bridle and had a dubious reputation for freezer meals and dodgy ale. Then it was taken over by Vintage Inns who also have The Farmhouse at nearby Middleton St George (and 200 or more pubs around the country), renamed, refurbed and relaunched a few years ago.

What can I say about it other than it’s nice – nice in a fearsomely average, okay, acceptable verging on the unexceptional way. I couldn’t recommend you going out of your way to find it but, on the other hand, if you did break down on the nearby A66 and had to wait for the AA, it would be a perfectly reasonable place to grab a bite to eat – in extremis so to speak.

We called in on a weekday lunchtime. It has a car park big enough for a shopping centre and that’s because where it is situated very few people could actually walk there.

It’s rear entrance is attractively laid out; indeed I hazard a guess it’s the best looking garden in Darlington at present. Inside is a rustic recreation of an up-market-ish country pub – exposed brick, tiled and flagged floors, aged timbers and lots of nooks and crannies with one or two tables in. It feels cosy if slightly corporate in style. If I’m remembering correctly, it has a very similar look and feel to its sister pub up the road.

The greeting at the bar was a bit rambling, a young man stumbling over himself to tell us that we could sit wherever we like and orders would be taken at the table. Not exactly welcoming.

The lunchtime menu offered the initially attractive deal of two courses for £10.95 and three for £13.95 but it turns out the number of dishes available for this fixed price was very restricted.

From a range of “sharing and grazing” plates we chose some garlic and rosemary pizzettes with cheddar cheese (£5.50) – two large slabs of pizza generously slathered with garlic butter and cheese. Not exactly subtle but the pizza base was good, reminiscent of a Pizza Express which I always reckon is the benchmark for baked dough. The vine tomato garnish, plonked rather forlornly on the platter, seemed something of an afterthought.

Sylvia’s main, Hunter’s chicken (£10.50) was a perfectly grilled chicken breast – tender, juicy and nicely charred – topped with some thick sliced bacon which worked as basting foil for the breast underneath but was far too fat to eat, especially for a Jack Sprat sympathiser like Sylvia. The barbecue sauce and smoked cheddar cheese topping was OK.

My wagyu beef burger (£12.50) was pretty good – almost measuring up to the premium price but probably not the finest meat from Japanese Black cattle. The beef patty was thick, well flavoured and thanks to a high fat (NB: good, unsaturated, fat) content very moist. The sweet brioche bun just about held its shape to hold the burger and salad garnish and the chips, triple cooked, were as good as any. There was also a pot of onion/gherkin relish which was rather sickly sweet.

Although we thought portion sizes were sensible, we had eaten more than enough for a weekday lunchtime and settled our bill of £37.40 which included a large bottle of sparkling water, a glass of house white (a bit sharp) and a diet coke. Not expensive but hardly cheap either.

The rather uncertain and awkward welcome aside, we were looked after perfectly well by our two waitresses. In retrospect, their smiling efficiency was the best aspect of the meal.

That aside, it was all a bit average really.

FOOD FACTS

The Tawny Owl, Neasham Road, Hurworth Moor, Darlington DL2 1QE

Tel: 01325-389027

Web: vintageinn.co.uk

Open: Noon-21.45pm, seven days

Disabled access. Vegetarian and gluten-free options

Ratings (out of ten): Food quality 7 Service 7 Surroundings 7 Value 7