Here's looking at you Marlon, James, Marilyn, Arnie and the 'cheeky' lady tennis player… iconic pictures in a red-bricked, wood panelled environment that has remained unaltered for close on 30 years.

Welcome back to Yankees, a place that has flamed thousands of burgers and fanned a host of memories.

It was in May 1979 that Michael Freeman and his brother Peter opened Sheffield's second independent burger bar – Uncle Sam's was the first – on Ecclesall Road.

At that time there were few places to eat in the city but Yankees helped to bring a cheap and cheerful dining out experience to the masses.

So what's the secret of its successful longevity?

"We try to maintain standards," said Michael. "To us quality is all important; we buy the best available from suppliers we trust.

"Nowadays a lot of cafés and restaurants cut corners but we don't buy in food simply because it's cheaper.

"We're busier than ever and that's not just because we're at the cheaper end of the market; people appreciate what we're about after all these years.

"We have customers who were here as students and they return with their families to show them where they ate."

Little has changed both inside and out since those hazy days but that only adds to the charm and character of the place. However, it's never too late for change and a revamp is scheduled for this time next year – then again, maybe not…

According to Michael it's been in the offing for the last three or four years – they're set to enlarge the dining area and move the main kitchen upstairs – but it's all about timing.

"We want to bring it more up to date; make it more inviting and comfortable but we'll keep the overall look (the pictures will definitely remain) and we certainly don't want to lose the atmosphere," said Michael, whose son Michael jnr works in the open kitchen when he's not out front, while daughter Natalie is also involved.

As far as the menu goes, burgers still rule but there's lots more on offer, with steaks (£11.99), a host of 'specials' including various chicken, pork, gammon and salmon dishes around £9, pizza (from £6.90), 'Mexican' featuring tacos (£6.90), enchiladas (£8.15) and chicken or beef fajitas (£8.90) and chicken, salmon or Greek caesar salads (£6.95 and £7.95).

There's even a choice of starters – garlic mushrooms (£3.30), potato skins (£3.75), nachos (£3.70) and for those with hearty appetites a combo platter of ribs, chicken nuggets, chicken wings, onion rings and dips for £7.99. We decided on the lightweight option, a bowl of mixed olives for £1.95.

It was no contest as far as my main course was concerned. A burger, what else? That's the easy bit, the hard part was deciding which one and should it be a quarter-pounder (prices range from £5.20 to £6.85) or a half-pounder (£6.45 to £8.10)?

So was it to be a Yankee, onion, salad, chilli, Tex Mex, bacon, veggie, chicken, cheese, Hawaiian or Super Deluxe?

If you're going for a belt-buster, go for it in style. Bring on the Super Deluxe half-pounder!

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Now burgers haven't had the best of press over the years but I was assured you can rest easy with Yankees.

They've used a local butcher for the past 10 years and he's only the third one since they started. There's no secret recipe, just 100 per cent British beef and some seasoning. Additives are not an option.

One thing's for sure, these are definitely not your run-of-the-mill burgers. Well done on the outside turning to ever-so-slightly pink on the inside. All meat, a real treat – well, we are doing nostalgia – springs to mind and you can't dispute it.

But there's more… a sesame seeded bun, chips or fries depending on which area of the city you come from (!), two rashers of bacon, lettuce, tomato and raw onion plus lashings of creamy cheese sauce. Nostalgia never tasted so good.

M went for the more modern alternative, the chicken fajitas. Strips of chicken were served on a sizzling bed of mixed peppers and onions alongside soft flour tortillas with salsa, sour cream and guacamole. Not over-spiced but plenty of flavour and it's best eaten with your fingers. Messy, maybe, but well tasty.

House wine, dry white or medium-bodied red, is sold by the glass, £2.25 for 125ml or £3.99 for 250ml, while for the more discerning, there's a selection of bottled wines on a blackboard. Draught (£2.95 a pint) or bottled lagers (£2.99) are also available along with Worthington bitter (£2.60 a pint) and numerous soft drinks.

Desserts came and went in a blur. Nostalgia said a knickerbocker glory (£3.85) but I settled for an ice cream sundae (£3.10) while M went with the apple pie (£2.60). Neither of us could do them justice.

My total food bill came to £24.65.

Verdict: a Yankee doodle dandy tried and tested time warp. Foodie memories really are made of this, although I can't remember burgers ever tasting so good.

Opening times: Sunday and Monday: 11.45am-10.30pm; Tuesday to Thursday: 11.45am-11.00pm; Friday and Saturday: 11.45am-11.30pm. There's a 10 per cent discount on take-out food.

Yankees, 418, Ecclesall Road, Sheffield. Telephone: 0114 2680828.