Tonight was actually my first time eating from this steak house/American grill. They only serve…read moretakeaways so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. - It took almost an hour to arrive which is to be excepted for a Saturday night. - The food came pipping hot, well packaged & labelled which was winner, no one wants to open a messy take out - Both steaks tasted amazing but we're over cooked as we ordered medium & received well-done. - The meal portions were very generous The desert (banofee cake) was amazing but for £1.50, I expect a bigger slice not 2 mouth fulls. All in all I was impressed with the service, food & price so I will definitely be ordering from here again.

food was good but it was cold and they didnt bring the sauces we asked for , wouldnt recommendread more

As a rule, any restaurant that you walk into which has kitchen roll on the tables as standard, is…read morelikely to show you a good time. Smokies has two venues, one in Darwen and one in Chorley. As Chorley is nearer to me, we decided to try this one. I like that when you walk in, it already has a warm atmosphere, created by varying lighting, high ceilings, and lots of wood in the decor and furniture. In fact later in the evening, one of the owners would tell me that she loves upcycling, and the wood from the bar came from a Scottish distillery, and the tables throughout were made from old casks from the same distillery, simply sanded and oiled, and that what I thought was a table number on our table was in fact one of the original barrel numbers! I love a bit of provenance! I was surprised to find that the restaurant goes further back into another room, and even has another floor with even more seating for diners! As we entered we were welcomed warmly by who I assume is one of the owners (mentioned above). She checked for our booking and pointed us to our table. Another member of staff brought our menus and explained about the specials menu, and specials on the chalkboards throughout the restaurant. The menu is a vegan's nightmare and a carnivore's wet dream! Delicious meaty starters and mains, a section dedicated to meat from the smoker, and even a couple of sharing platters all described in a way to make your mouth water before you get chance to order. This is a proper southern States style bbq joint, their mantra is "real food, real smoke, real slow", and despite that very much being accurate given their quality offerings, the prices are incredibly decent. We decided on the "couples platter" which was beef brisket, pulled pork, half a rack of ribs, chicken wings, home-made sausage, fries, coleslaw and beans... and it was just £20! In fact including the starter and drinks, the whole bill came to less than £35! CRAZY! So before our platter main, we ordered some nachos as a starter. You know what nachos as a starter tends to look like if you go somewhere like Chiquito etc... about 6 doritos with a blob of melted coagulation-dried cheese and some jalapenos on top. We... weren't expecting what we got from Smokies! We got a huge tray full of nachos, covered in nacho cheese sauce, freshly made guacamole, pineapple salsa, (you also get jalapenos, but we asked for them without) with side pots of guacamole and sour cream. It made me swear when it arrived. They were miles beyond the usual doritos-nachos starter you usually get. They were fresh, with perfect crunch, the salsa was fruity and fresh, the cheese was excellent, and it was incredibly moreish. We found ourselves even mopping up the tiny bits at the end with our fingers... thank god for that kitchen roll and wet wipes! Our main platter arrives just after a side portion of fries each. I ordered plain with pitmaster's salt, and my partner ordered cheeseburger fries from the specials menu, which was the same fries but with bits of burger meat, cheese, and chipotle relish! They came with really lovely fresh coleslaw, and what he says as some of the best beans he's ever had... beans with brisket mixed in! HEAVEN! The fries themselves were hot, crisp, and perfectly seasoned. Absolutely perfect. Then just as they arrived, we were brought out our platter! The owner I mentioned earlier then came over to us and explained to us fully about our platter, what meats were what, how the meats were prepared, down to information about the pink smoke ring on the brisket. It's really nice to see that amount of passion and enthusiasm go into food! This platter was excellent. The sausage was flavourful with a spice which didn't get you at first, but which snuck up behind you and slapped you in the fact afterwards! The chicken wings were so tender that you could suck the meat off the bones. The pulled pork was absolutely perfect, and the brisket was so tender that I swear it literally melted in my mouth. This is the best brisket I've had! Even the pickled cucumber provided was pickled by them in brine using the flavours from the smoker, and was described as a 'palate cleanser' as it was fresh and tangy. Really good! I could imagine it on a burger quite easily! There were also their own blend of sauces on each table comprising of a sweet BBQ sauce, American style mustard, and Louisiana style hot sauce. I imagine they were lovely, but as the meat itself was so amazing as it was provided, I really didn't get chance to try them as they weren't needed! Maybe next time! At the point I was about to try the ribs when the chef/pit-master came into the dining area, and was even introduced to us. When we talked to him about the quality of our meal, his enthusiasm and passion for the real deal of southern BBQ was evident, from how he does it and his smokers, to the difference between competition cooking and regular cooking. It was genuinely fascinating to hear, and as I said, a real

Lincoln's American Bar & Grill is the new kid on the block in Bolton Town Centre. It's literally…read moreonly just opened (as of August 2017), and promises a classic American style menu with gourmet burgers. How could anyone resist that? It seems rare that Bolton town centre gets any new restaurants these days, and so when a new one opens up, it's exciting! Lincoln's is downstairs in St Andrew's Court, and only upon writing this review did I actually remember that it's downstairs, in a basement space. It's decorated with great lighting and décor that I forgot about the lack of windows. The décor is modern and simple, with music inspired touches, LP sleeves and guitars on shelves, and some truly excellent music playing. I was seated by a friendly member of staff, and given the relevant menu information, as well as my drinks order being taken. The menu is true to the claim of American in style, starting with "appetizers" and including steaks, gourmet burgers, speciality pasta etc, as well as milkshakes and desserts, and daily special offers, as well as Chef's Specials. The only thing that stopped it fully pulling away from its location and immersing in American style is that they offer a full English Sunday roast dinner too! I ordered an appetizer of panko crumbed chicken fingers, and a main of the Texan burger, taking advantage of one of their special offers where two courses were a set price. As I was dining alone, I was helpfully asked whether I'd like my starter and main at the same time, to which I said yes. The food arrived in good time, and although the burger was presented on a chopping board as is the fashion these days, the food looked very good! The panko chicken was perfectly crunchy and juicy, and I really enjoyed it. The burger looked good, but for reasons unknown I think I was expecting it to be a dry "generic" burger, but it was juicy and pink in the middle as a good burger should be! Perfect! Do you know how hard it is to find a good burger done properly in Bolton?! Well it's hard let me assure you! Well done, Lincoln's! At this point I started to get quite full, realising that I perhaps shouldn't have had both starter and main course at the same time, and had the heartbreaking realisation that... I WAS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE A DESSERT! Even worse... upon curiously reading the dessert menu as I left, I realised the two courses for one price offer included some of the desserts... noooooo!! Next time that key lime pie WILL BE MINE!! (Also I unashamedly took some of the chicken panko fingers home in a doggy bag!) So in conclusion, the food was excellent, the service was friendly, professional and attentive, which I really appreciated, and the value was superb, and would be great value even without the special offers. I had sceptical expectations, but was left thoroughly impressed and happy, and will most definitely be back! Go and give them a try! dgrill.com

Always a good meal at the Cherry Tree although I've noticed the prices have crept up. Went last…read moreSunday and, as usual the food was great although my wife was a bit disappointed with the chips (she had the haddock and chips) as they were more hard and crunchy that she would have liked so she ended up leaving most of them. Mentioned it to the waitress who said she would advise the kitchen but we heard nothing back. Apart from that everything was as excellent as usual.

The Cherry Tree in Blackrod is a traditional looking English country pub/restaurant, complete with…read morepicturesque thatched roof, As we walked in, a member of staff greeted us and asked if we'd like to sit at the bar whilst we waited for the rest of our party. We ordered a few drinks, and it was helpfully suggested that we could put them on the table's tab instead of paying right away. It was nice to see that ale on offer was from local business, Black Edge Brewery. The bar area also has a lovely log burning stove, which was singing away cheerfully, and a welcome feature on a cold evening! After our party arrived, a manager took us through to the dining room where we took our place at a table (with uncomfy chairs), and were handed the menus and the specials menu by the manager, who told us that the soup of the day was sold out, but luckily they had another on offer. They also ran out of the pie of the day, and the sticky toffee pudding. It was 5pm. The starter I chose was the rustic bread board, which I thoroughly enjoyed! The bread was fresh and tasty, and as I remarked to our waiter, I think the balsamic vinegar was the best I've ever had! Bravo! The rest of the party were also pleased with their choices, and looking forward to their mains. The mains we chose included smoked haddock, roast chicken, brisket, and a burger with pancetta and Monterey Jack cheese (and very tasty crunchy fries!). The meals were tasty, but there was one hiccup... the mashed potato on the roast chicken dinner was absolutely stone cold! The mash on the brisket however was warm. So after informing a waiter, he took it away and returned a little while later with a fresh meal. Although the rest of the party had nearly finished, I think that this incident was handled well. The replacement meal wasn't simply the same meal with re-heated mash, but a completely fresh meal. This is a very good point in my book, as we all know plenty of places that would whack the meal in a microwave for 2 minutes and bring it back out again with some herbs thrown on top. Nicely done, Cherry Tree. We ordered two desserts (I just wanted a pot of tea, and one of the party was miffed that he was missing out on sticky toffee pudding as he was looking forward to it). The desserts ordered were an orange crème brulee with chocolate chip cookies (which we found odd... creme brulee with cookies? It didn't matter, I had them with my pot of tea instead!), and bread and butter pudding, At this point we all laughed, because the size of the bread and butter pudding was comical. It was the size of a Mr Kipling Country Slice, and as pleasant as it was, it was a stingy portion for £6.95! If the dish was two of these slices, then it might have been a little fairer. Basically, the starters and main courses were good, but the desserts could be better, especially given that The Cherry Tree is not the cheapest of restaurants. I also found it funny that my pot of tea was only half full, and so only made one-and-a-quarter cups of tea, but luckily I was so stuffed on that big tasty burger that it wasn't really a problem! The other issue was a service issue. It was a Sunday, and so granted it was busy, so staff were very busy too, however, aside Tom (the manager), nobody told us their names, and so we didn't have one particular waiter/waitress taking care of us, we had several who checked on us, brought out the food etc, but not a "main" waiter in particular, and so we weren't introduced to anyone or given any names. This normally wouldn't be so bad, but as we didn't have one particular waiter keeping an eye on the table, it meant that nobody asked us when we'd like the bill, and after an hour of sitting at an empty table, one of our party decided to go over to the bar to ask for the bill instead, which came a few minutes later. Our meal from start to finish took just under three hours, but despite this, it was a pleasant and relaxing experience. During this time I popped to the loo, and found it amusing that although being an older pub, there is only one cubical, no loo roll holder, and an ancient hand-dryer, they offer amenities like a chic London or New York bar. Nothing fancy or expensive, but a nice gesture nonetheless. Certainly something different to other places I've been. As we left, Tom asked us if everything was okay, but it seems that Tom hadn't been made aware of the cold mashed potato incident, but he apologised, and explained that they don't microwave anything, so the mash was heated to order, and it must've been a mistake in the kitchen, using the wrong pan. My overall thoughts are that although the food was tasty, and the venue itself very pleasant and relaxing, the menu is a little pricier than other similar restaurants I've been to in the area, and although the staff were friendly and professional, service was a bit slow and inattentive. Probably wouldn't return.

This time last year, there wasn't even a building standing here! Coast To Coast is the newest…read moreaddition to Bolton's Middlebrook Retail Park, and has had the good fortune of having a unit built especially for them between Pizza Hut and McDonalds, where there was formerly some parking that wasn't used very much. As you approach the restaurant, it's nice to see that they have a stylish and pleasant outdoor seating area which I can see being popular in summer. A nice touch is that the pots on the tables are actually fresh rosemary plants which smell great. When you walk into the restaurant itself, it definitely has a "wow" factor. It's very stylishly decorated in dark woods, padding, and with theatrical lighting and spotlights to give it a nicer atmosphere, very much in a New York Loft style. The decoration is very focussed on its American theming, with wall boxes containing artifacts and pictures of different US States. Even the toilets are bright, stylish, and pleasant. The seating is split into different areas and a bar area, there are standard tables, tall tables, and cosy booths, all padded in blacks, deep blues, and reds. The condiments on the table tell you ahead of time that you're in for a good quality trip. High quality vinegar, Tabasco, and Budweiser BBQ Sauce (delicious!) with tactile salt and pepper shakers have you ready for the experience. The menu is extensive, expensive, and very tempting! I say expensive, as it's a bit more than the average cost in the area, (their cheapest burger is £10.45), but they have some really good weekday lunch offers where you can really get a good deal compared to the main evening menu. Our server was a pleasant guy called Joel who told us about the specials, things not available, and his personal recommendations. He was friendly and professional through our visit, attempting to up-sell a few times (sides, desserts etc) but without being obnoxious or pushy about it. We ordered from the lunch menu, and chose to start with the loaded skins and the battered mushrooms. These didn't take long to arrive, and were absolutely superb. The battered mushrooms weren't little button mushrooms like the usual offerings, but big mushrooms, in a perfectly crispy batter! The potato skins were loaded with cheese and BBQ Pulled Pork, which was mind blowing! I've not had pulled pork in a loaded skin before, and the flavour and texture was sublime. I didn't even need to touch that mayonnaise! It's a nice point to notice that the dishes are prepared so their logo is at the top of the plate, and facing the customer, almost like a piece of artwork. For our mains we went for the classic cheeseburger and the southern fried chicken burger. Once again, these were nicely presented. We both chose different fries as our accompaniments. The normal fries were nice but nothing amazing, however the sweet potato fries were crispy, delicious, and morish! I'd definitely get those next time! The cheeseburger was juicy and meaty, and perfectly cooked. The southern fried chicken burger had the most perfect crunch, and was seasoned just right without turning into the pepper-fest that so many chicken dishes fall into. We didn't order dessert (we were stuffed!), but Joel told us about how his favourite dessert was the warm fudge brownie, (complete with "mmm! nom nom nom!" after describing it). The food was very good, particularly given the lunchtime price. I'm not sure I'd be as happy with the price if it was the full evening cost, but as somewhere to come for a special occasion now and then, Coast To Coast delivers, even if it's not somewhere you'd go as often as some of the other cheaper chain restaurant options on the leisure park. However, I can see those other restaurants quaking in their boots a bit, as Coast To Coast is doing what they're doing, but better, and may steal their customers! The service is really superb, from the host greeting you at the door, to the server, and even the folks bringing the food out to your table if your server is busy. We felt taken care of, and looked after. It didn't feel like we were just another bill, and we didn't have to crane ourselves about looking for staff. I'd dine here again. It'd be great for a birthday or anniversary visit. There's much more I'd like to try from that menu! I have my eye on the sliders...

Quick stop for food before heading off on the long drive home…read more There are loads of eateries in this leisure park, after having an initial look around this one drew our attention, easy to park at, inviting exterior and well lit On entering we were almost immediately seated by a the lovely hostess, very polite and smiling. I liked the decor of the interior, there was a lot of booth style seating which made it feel very luxurious and private from other diners We were promptly given the menus and asked for drinks again by a gentleman who was very welcoming and helpful That's the reason they get the two stars so far...... Cause after this .... Nothing was that great The food took a lot longer than expected to come out, over 30 mins from ordering, looking around the place wasn't even 1/4 full, this made us wonder how they coped on the busier nights We spotted our food on the hot plate and it sat there for some time before we finally had it served, I guess this was why we got warm food instead of hot food The food itself was very blahhh What I mean by that is .... I ordered a burger and chips and the burger was quite small in the bun, no real flavour and each bite was rather bland, even the presentation was boring and lacked any appeal. Buffalo boneless chicken had plenty of sauce and I'm glad as the chicken itself was very dry Onion rings tasted like week old dirt oil leaving them quite greasy. The hot and spicy calzone was neither hot nor spicy The food was very underwhelming and frankly disappointing From a place that visually appeals up until the plates are placed in front of you

Hot, delicious and to table ultra quick. Lovely staff, beautiful location and just a great…read moreatmosphere. Will be back.

Good beer, staff and atmosphere, excellent decor, plenty of parking. Food TBA, as never eaten…read morethere.

I fancied lunch one day, but wasn't sure where to go, so when instead of looking on Yelp, I looked…read moreon TripAdvisor, the most popular rated place in Bolton right now is The Bank, which surprised me as I actually hadn't heard of it at this point! So along I toddled, parked up nearby, and found the place which at first glance just looks like a "café", but trust me, it's really not, it's a fab restaurant which I never knew about, right on my doorstep here in Bolton! We were warmly greeted by the owner, who tell us about the history of the place (it was actually a bank!), the potential plans and decoration ideas, and how the venue is still a work in concept, with a bright future. It's always nice to meet someone passionate about their business, and giving good customer service. The venue itself is in simple monochromatic colours with clean lines and modern artwork, but with a traditional chandelier in the centre, which contrasts nicely. We ordered a classic cheeseburger and a gammon dinner. Both were cooked freshly to order, which is always a nice thing to experience in this day and age. The burger was juicy, in a glazed brioche bun, and the gammon was, to quote Phil R, "the best gammon I've ever had!" (I'll agree, it melted in the mouth!), with perfect eggs... but for me the best was the chips! Gigantic triple-cooked crispy crunchy batons of loveliness! Some of the best chips I've had, with a real crunch to them, unlike some places that claim to triple-cook chips! I'd go here again just for the chips, quite honestly! After an enjoyable and filling main course, we decided to take a breather so that we could order dessert! It seemed like a shame to skip dessert after such an enjoyable meal! After mulling over the dessert menu, Phil R went for the home made apple pie with custard, whilst I opted for the more intriguing "love in a cup". The desserts were mixed. Phil R said that the apple pie was more puree and poor pastry, but it had good custard. The 'Love in a Cup' turned out to be a very very chocolatey cake in a teacup, with fresh cream on top, very tasty, and perfect for the chocoholics out there! I even experimented by pouring some of the custard onto it to mellow it out a little, and that worked just as well! My partner and I decided it should be renamed, the "Oh My God That's Chocolatey!". Overall, The Bank is offering superb food for extremely reasonable prices. I'll be there again, and recommend you give it a go sometime if you fancy somewhere where simple food is done very well indeed!

On a rainy Saturday, after doing a bit of shopping, myself and my girlfriend wanted to go out for…read morelunch, but we fancied something a little different. We searched online and came back with the Bank on Bury Road heading into Bolton. We had a look at the menu and it sounded great so we decided to head there. As we drove up to the address, I thought I must have had it wrong as it looked like a row of houses, however, the quaint little bistro is located on the end of the terrace. You could easily miss it, or never know it's there, but for those who seek this treasure trove it is there to be found. We walked into the restaurant to find a room modern and fresh, no bigger than some living rooms. The manager was delightfully pleasant, seating us and serving us quickly and making sure we were looked after. I decided on the Overdraft burger (love all the punny menu item names) and my girlfriend had the rump steak. The burger was firstly, excellent and secondly, huge. I'm a big burger fan, and this was no let down. For such a reasonably priced burger in a fairly unknown place, this really was good. The patties were juicy and well seasoned, the bread fresh, chicken was tender and the chips are excellent, crisp, fluffy and very tasty! I tried the rump steak and it was so good, cooked to perfection, silky and juicy. I would definitely recommend this little gem to anyone, it's a lovely place with an attentive owner who is clearly passionate and loves what she does. The food is reasonably priced and really good. We will definitely be returning in the near future. Especially on weekend evenings when the manager told us they have acoustic performers throughout the night. Another little treat that the Bank has in the vault!

Very nice peri peri burger hugeeee kebab yummmmu pizzzaa best place in leighread more