Overall, just okay. Being from the states, maybe I'm a little extra choosy with my BBQ…read more I ordered the half rack of ribs with 2 XXL wings - wings were over cooked, so one part of the XXL wing was inedible. Barely any sauce. The ribs were decent - definitely not fall off the bone type, but okay tasting. I asked for sweet potato fries, even with an upgrade charge, but alas, the service wasn't the best. So I got the regular fries - which were probably my favorite part of the meal. They were the thinner kind so not the typical "chips" - which I like! The BBQ sauces - 5 choices - I didn't care for any of them. The tangy coleslaw also wasn't a hit with me. $20 or so for the ribs/wings meal & a large Pepsi max.

It had been awhile since I'd been here and my boyfriend was a reds true bbq virgin. So on date…read morenight we came here in which I was really excited about remembering past memories. Luckily I had booked on a Friday night. As we were walked to our table we were informed that there was no jerky or draft beers (same 5 years ago!) Anyway I chose the luxurious salted caramel and choc shake with rum (£8) which was divine and pawed the menu. They had drastically changed this. There are now more veggie and fish choices. Apart from the starters I didn't find the mains that inspiring. Anyway we decided to share some bbq wings for starters and himself had the brisket burn ends for main while I had the pitmaster for £18. The wings arrived in a tasty sauce and were fairly large. When the mains arrived my heart sank. I had to double check mine..it had the ribs..cheese sausage..meaty beans..and another pot of beans but no pulled pork or crackling ..my boyfriend's was dry brisket on soggy bread with greens..the burnt ends were nice. Anyway he left most of his and to be fair they were really understanding and the manager sat down with us to discuss the food. In the end my boyfriends meal was taken off the bill ans mine halved in price.. the way it was handled didn't leave a bad taste in my mouth and would try it again in the far future.

Marple is just bloody lovely isn't it?…read more South 7 is an American fancy burger joint doing the aforementioned, ribs, wings, hot dogs etc - and it does them all well, very well. I had a pulled pork burger with baconaise, Appleslaw and tasty fries - washed down by a couple of pints of punk IPA (keg) and Tweed Orange County IPA. The service was spot on and the food was a match for so lita and almost famous, very nice alternative you're down that way! ...and you can also carry on the party in the nearby Norfolk Arms if you like you're craft beer.

Great place if you fancy an awesome burger, fantastic ribs or crafted beer! Have had the Spareribs…read moreseveral times and washed them down with a Blue Moon! Service and prices are spot on!

Unfortunately I had to downgrade my review quite considerably…read more We returned here quite recently as I always found it to be a great place to go to cater for all sorts of people. They used to offer burgers, seafood, meat, salads and a special board but now it is just primarily Burgers, hotdogs and two types of steak. I was quite stuck what to have and so eventually chose the satay burger, himself another sort of burger..anyhoo I upgraded to haloumi fries as these were a past favourite along with mac n cheese balls. The service was very slow but friendly. Eventually I asked for a passion fruit margarita himself a flat white. My cocktail was very tart his was a good coffee apparently. Anyway the food arrived and the mac n cheese balls tasted frozen not homemade along with the fries.. I had frozen fries with haloumi sticks on top..I said I had upgraded to haloumi fries these were replaced with my now cold burger and just haloumi sticks which were like rubber. The satay sauce was weak and the burgers..again not fresh.. I left most of my meal. We were partially refunded but it left a bad taste in my mouth..such a shame to see such a decline in quality after coming here since they opened.

I've been a fan of Solita in the NQ for a while now so was pretty happy to hear that a new branch…read morewas opening in Didsbury Village in the old La Tasca/shortlived Cibo site. This is a pretty big building so the one advantage it has over the original Solita is the ability to book a table for less than 6 people and not have to worry about a long wait. I went with a couple of friends on a Monday night just a few days after it had officially opened and obviously the news had travelled fast that it was open as it was absolutely packed. We had a ten minute wait at the bar before our table was ready which wasn't a problem for us as we were happy to have a drink and a chat, although it did take ten minutes for my glass of wine to appear as they couldn't find a corkscrew! The guy behind the bar was super apologetic and quite embarrassed by it so I'll put it down to teething problems.... The menu here is the same as Solita NQ so expect lots of mammoth burgers and dishes that will generally induce a heart attack just from reading the description. If you're veggie or watching your weight this probably isn't the place for you. Luckily neither me or my friends had those issues so we went for the bacon fat popcorn and rooster scratching to start and then all had burgers for our main. I had the KFB which was cooked perfectly pink and generously topped with 'Kentucky Fried Bacon' - YUM! One of my friends was brave enough to go for the 'Once In A Lifetime' burger which was almost as big as her head and obviously delicious and she polished it off without leaving a crumb! Service was really relaxed and friendly and the girl looking after us was a natural. She even managed to retain a sense of humour a huge smile on her face when we were messing round with the bill for what seemed like forever! I couldn't eat here all the time as it really is guilty pleasure food but but it's a great place to meet with friends for a relaxed bite to eat and a few drinks. I actually think I'd choose this Solita over the old favourite now too, especially with the ease of booking and parking if you need to. Love the decor too!

I have eaten Korean food all over the world, and this is very close to authentic. I usually order…read moreChampong if they serve it, but they don't serve it at Ban Di Bul, so I ordered what I considered the next closest thing, Spicy Seafood Ramen, and it was excellent. Noodles were perfectly al dente, the seafood was a little sparse, but there were mussels, shrimp, and calmari. I always take in the locale and give some leeway. However, this was excellent. I wish that they would've included banchan (side dishes) like they do in many countries.

I really wanted soon tofu and came across this place as the other place I was going to was a bit…read moretoo far of a walk. I had to wait about twenty minutes to be seated since I was alone and there wasn't a lot of tables for small groups. I ordered fairly quickly and the staff asked if I wanted anything to drink to which I said just water (not sure if they charge extra for it). The soon tofu was quite small (I guess I'm used to BCD size) and was just okay. There were also no side dishes that came with it but the food came by fast. I also didn't end up getting my water but just left. I didn't realize that the restaurant has service charge (not sure if it was posted anywhere). Overall, I found the price that I paid not worth the food that I ate. I'd try to look for another Korean place to compare it to.

The appearance of Kebabish on Stockport road adds further weight to my theory that there's another…read moremile of road that will, in the coming years challenge and possibly outshine the curry mile in Rusholme. Stockport road which runs through Longsight, Levenshulme and Stockport continues to birth new and exciting foodie outlets laced across its meandering path. With a brand new but very similar decor to the branch in Rusholme this joint represents a new breed of eateries appearing across Manchester. (A sort of a cross breed between a restaurant and a takeaway in a very informal environment) Clearly people love the idea as places like these always seem to be rammed. As with the other Kebabish don't be put off by the name. NO, this isn't just another late night post night out kebab fix place. This is a place that serves delicious Indian/Pakistani streetfood themed dishes. The seekh kebabs are barbecued to perfection on the grill as are the perrfectly marinated lamb chops (My favourite) It's priced extremely reasonably with restaurant quality food at almost takeaway prices. The addition is also a most welcome addition for all Levenshulmen like me who don't have to make the trip to rusholme any longer for their spice fix.

I don't normally bother reviewing chains because they're all the same but this Botanist stood out…read morefor 1) Charming service 2) Excellent live piano player 3) Nice seating in a conservatory-like space at the rear (where there were also a couple of hilarious novice teenage dates going on) 4) Delicious main of gnocchi with roast butternut squash, Tenderstem broccoli, candied walnuts, garlic chips, rocket and walnut pesto - tasty and unusual combo of textures and flavours

Our group ventured in for predinner drinks. While most selected local beers, a few of us enjoyed…read morecocktails. To start, I have to say I was impressed with the cocktail list. Not only did it have a lot of variety, but it also seemed to mix in local, seasonal fruits into the drinks. I selected the Melon & Basil Smash. It was fresh, but not very strong. In fact, I noticed very little alcohol being added. Also, it had a lot of ice. Still, a great tasting drink. I liked the atmosphere - the whole look and feel of the place. The service was prompt and prices were good. Next trip to Alderley will include a visit!

Excited to come to Bem Brasil for a friend's birthday and was pretty happy with our experience. We…read morecame on a weekend but yet there wasn't a ton of people which is quite nice because for restaurants like these, its honestly pretty hard to walk in and immediately get a seat. Here are my favorite items: - Polenta Frita - Even though polenta is one of the top food items in Brazil, a lot of braiziliant restaurants actually surprisingly don't have this on their menu. Was very surprised that Bem Brasil had this and that it was actually delicious! I appreciate that the polenta retained a lot of its natural flavors and that it didn't fall apart immediately when you put it in your mouth. Loved the crispiness on the outside too, definitely a good mix against the fries. - Pao De Queijo (Cheese Bread) - Cheese bread in the UK is superior to cheese bread in US Brazilian Steakhouses and this place is no different. The cheese bread tastes like a popover and it was super cheesy on the inside but not like the usual pull apart kinds but rather it was ingrained cheese taste which I appreciate. - Presunto Defumado (Smoked Gammon) - I think a lot of other meats had a lot of flavor on the outside but not a ton on the inside, so its nice that this one (even though it is just ham) has a ton of flavor throughout. Goes well with the other more flavorless meats. Overall, not a bad experience at all. WIll this be the best Brazilian Steahouse you ever had? No. But if you do have this craving and you don't want to wait for hours for no seating, Bem Brasil is probably your next best option.

Solid spot for lunch at 13.99 all you can eat meat and sides. They have a full salad bar, rice,…read morepasta, and other things that really just get in the way of the main event, meat. For each person, there is what looks like a small coaster with a red and green side. This indicates to the meat servers whether you are would like them to stop by your table. The best cuts in my opinion were the sirloin steak, rump steak, and lamb. The sausage was the weakest and not advisable. They have a wonderful pineapple for dessert. Lightly grilled pineapple that has cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on it. Delicious.

Lovely Summers evening and birthday weekend so decided to saunter down to Istanbul grill with my…read moretwo daughters for Friday tea. It was 6pm so quiet as we arrived but soon began filling up. Creating a nice atmospheric vibe. The waiters were friendly and helped us choose a reasonably priced prosecco (21.50) we then chose a mezze starter for two see pic. Really simple and fresh salads , houmous taziki, aubergine dip, falafel n breads .enjoyed by all. We then chose the sharing mixed grill platter (29.95) for two but plenty for 3 with rice each an extra side of chips was unecessary and disappointing as oven chips. However the platter superceded and thoroughly enjoyed by us all . A nice surprise and at £72 for 3 with wine reasonable. Ps in the week 12.95 each for 2 courses.

Holy Guaca-Moley! I hath found my next best fav eatery in Manchester! Where do I start?…read more Ok, it's important to outline the bias from the off. I LOVE Turkey! It holds a special place in my heart. From the first visit, I fell in love with the culture, the people, the weather, the food, the Mediterranean (My fav sea) the night life, the history, the historical sites, the architecture, the markets, THE LOT! Any piece of Turkey I can find anywhere is therefore a fresh breath of air. Well, I found one in Urmston. Granted it has been open for a while (8 months and counting?) and my abstinence from visitation thus far is inexcusable. But ever since I stopped playing cricket in Urmston few summers ago, me venturing into these neck of woods has understandably diminished. That changed last night. Some logistics out the way first before we get to the nitty gritty. Parking can be a bit of a hassle as you approach Istanbul Grill Urmston. Its location on the corner of a busy junction also means if you're venturing here for the first time there's no room to loiter as you plan your next course of action. The following advice therefore will come in handy. Instead of following your satnav to the location, which will leave you in parking pickle. I suggest you input queen's road as a destination instead, or at least keep an eye out for it. This is a one way road directly opposite the restaurant which has plenty of free parking space in a residential area. (Note it might not be so free on a busy weekend) If you're approaching from Urmston train station Queens road won't be hard to find as it means you'll naturally merge into it. The venue used to be a run of the mill Indian buffet with uninspiring interior and a shabby shop front to say the least. Well shiver me timbers tintin, God damn! It has been completely transformed! The front of house looks sleeker, and as soon as you enter there is an instant feeling of Turkey. The music echoes across the large hallway with its high ceiling and chandelier. The place is huge (must be over 200 covers) The decor is colorful and warm carrying an escapism theme. We didn't feel like we were sat in a restaurant in Urmston but perhaps a restaurant cafe on a beach in Antalya. The food was exceptional. For starters we shared Corba (Home made vegetarian soup of the day-Lentil) Mezze platter and Patlican Salata (Aubergine salad with onion, pepper and garlic in tomato sauce). The Corba was arguably the best starter we had, soup was rich in texture and generous both in size of portion and flavour, perfectly complimenting the fresh Turkish bread. The aubergine salad is an old fav of mine and served in a handful of restaurants across Manchester. The mezze platter was more standard than out the ordinary but the koftas served with it were delicious. I had Karisik as a main which was a mixed charcoal grill (mixture of lamb chops, Kofte, chicken and lamb fillet chargrilled and served with rice and salad. I could barely get through half of it but it sure was finger lickin good. I had the rest for lunch the next day. For dessert I tried the Coffee & Walnut Gateau after I'd had time to process the quality of the main. The cake was incredible and how I managed to have it after my meatfest is a miracle in itself. I really wanted to try the Turkish coffee or tea but there was literally no room left for anything once I'd completed my foodie mission. Worry not Istanbul Urmston I shall be back.

I was coerced into coming here on a Sunday. I agreed under the guise of a Bloody Mary special to…read morecombat my hangover. So...I would not have picked this place as my first choice as a spot to work off a hangover. It had too many clean lines. I was wanting something old, dark, traditional, dark, quiet-ish and dark. So it was dark but in no way traditional. None-the-less there was indeed a Bloody Mary Special so all went well. It was a special that included an English breakfast. Between the Bloody Mary the hearty eggs, sausage, bacon, hash browns and so on...I left in far better shape than I arrived. That was the extend of my experience- which seems a shame as there is a lot to do here (billiards, terrace- karaoke - they told us). I don't know that I would say this will become me Sunday recovery go-to place, but I will likely return and check it out under different circumstances.

I came along to Blackdog Ballroom as my friends +1 for their launch of their new cocktail…read moremasterclasses. They launched three new variants - studio 54, all cocktails popularised in the 70's, Mexican/tiki themed cocktails and my personal favourite Prohibition. I had cocktails st Blackdog quite a few times and they never disappoint and these be additions to menu are very welcome in my opinion. We had some rather fantastic Manhattens, Sazeracs, and a New York sour -the standout drink for me. A traditional whisky sour topped with red wine, sounds crazy but it's fantastic. Next time I'm looking for somewhere to drink cocktails and chat to some very knowledgeable mixologists I'll be popping along here.

We came in because we needed some food for our toddler son. The restaurant was empty and there was…read moreonly one employee, who took our order, cooked it and served it. The restaurant was super clean and the employee was friendly, and patient with our toddler who was running around everywhere. We ordered a couple of burgers and some mozzarella sticks. The food was good, the burger was good, wasn't amazing but it wasn't bad either and the food was fresh, so that was good. It's not a bad place when looking for a quick bite and want to avoid busy restaurants in the area.

Stopped off with the family to sample family friendly restaurant. Great time had by all. Three…read moredifferent burgers ordered without chips. Good job as the burgers were larger than average. Other order was for wings and sweet potatoes fries. Great service and friendly staff, with clean immaculate premises. Well worth the visit.