Joe Allens, Exeter Street WC : Burgers for the luvvies but are they worth the wait

After a meeting at Charing Cross, my two companions suggested 'Lets go to Joe Allens'. I have to say that I was unaware of this Covent Garden legend, but I am always up for something new.

They called it a brasserie, but it is a cross between American New York Diner and Cafe Rouge with theatrical decoration, and with a secluded atmosphere that made taking pictures difficult. I was assured that if I came here often enough, I would rub shoulders with the acting fraternity, but I judge eating establishments by the quality and quantity and hotness of what they serve, not their clientele. Again, for a Tuesday afternoon in February, it was full, and we could not get in the main dining room, and ended up (regrettably) near the door. This appears to be a marmite place, and if you check out Tripadvisor, whilst most of the reviews are positive, some say it has run its course.
I did not want a complex lunch, and both I and one of my companions opted for the cheeseburger, which came from the invisible secret burger menu. After about 45 minutes of waiting, not a lot of was happening. The receptionist and waiter mistook my curiosity for the theatrical posters for impatience, and started fussing around asking us if they could bring us a drink and something to nibble on. Even after this had been produced, we were told that we would still have to wait, but the magic had been lost. One of us thought that there appeared to be an excess of staff hanging around outside the kitchen, and whilst I cannot confirm this, it seems that rather than be honest with us, they made their problem our problem.
I had ordered the cheesburger and this is what came:

A basic un-messed with beef burger. Their website http://www.joeallen.co.uk/ attests to the contents being of superior quality, and they would not cook it rawer than medium, which is probably for the best. Once again, it is not on a par with the U.S. products, but I would put it up with the better burgers I have had recently. The quality and taste of the product was very good, but not good enough to warrant their prices. I can only assume I am paying for the possibility of thinking I saw mayo running down Derek Jacobi's chin 8 tables away (which of course I did not,being near the door). I would also give it a 8.5 on the CHOF scale, and it was plenty hot enough. They suggested that it might be the best burger in the country. Well, it is up there, but not a clear winner yet. I don't think it was worth the £10.50 charged with another £3.50 for a small portion of fries. I don't think I am motivated to go running back there again. On that basis, I felt justified in telling them to remove the 12.5% service charge, as no amount of olives and caesar salad (too much anchovy) could repair the angst of waiting, and the damage was done. It was just as well it was not a pre-theatre meal as I would only have made it for the interval.